My blind monk. Little help? [Archive] - Wizards Community

My blind monk. Little help? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
skeeter_dan
09-21-06, 04:10 AM I'm currently playing in a Rokugan campaign with a third level monk who also happens to be blind. My DM and I have worked out a nifty little combination of Blindfight and Blindsense that makes him capable in combat situations, so I've worked out the mechanics of it. What I'm working on now is his backstory. Here's what I've got.

Name: Doji Kinetsu
Clan: Crane
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145 lb
Alignment: LN

Str: 14
Dex: 16
Con: 14
Int: 8
Wis: 14
Cha: 8

10 years ago, Doji Kinetsu was a well-trained and wealthy young Courtier for Doji Kurohito, the Daimyo of the Doji family. Though skilled in the arts of speech and diplomacy, Kinetsu grew frustrated with the seeming inability of the aristocracy to accomplish anything significant. Lost in the world of court intrigue, Kinetsu saw only endless word games, which began to lose their appeal. Instead, he threw himself into a life of debauchery, enjoying the finer things life as a nobleman offered. His love for sake grew and rumours in the courts began to spread of his slide into an immoral lifestyle.

Then, suddenly though the rumours continued, the behaviour stopped. Kurohito attributed it all to the recklessness of youth and found Kinetsu had a renewed vigor as a Courtier and quickly rose in prominence. Unbeknownst to the Crane clan, the change of heart came due to Kinetsu being drafted into the ranks of a secretive Ninja clan, the Hocchiku. Tempted by the opportunity to enact real change in Rokugan, Kinetsu threw himself into his training. His identity was known only to his mentor, Nishimura. Kinetsu carefully used his skills as a Courtier and his newfound Ninja training to scale the ranks of the Doji family.

Then Nishimura gave Kinetsu what ended up being his final mission: assassinate Kurohito. Kinetsu planned the assassination for a time when he was meant to be thousands of miles away; in a few weeks a report would arrive in Kyuden Doji (capital of the Crane territories) reporting his arrival in Kyuden Hida (the capital of the Crab territories) but regretfully informing the Crane clan that he had fallen ill and was being kept in quarantine under the care of an expert healer. Many had seen him leave, his servants had all been poisoned and would have no memory of the journey; when found it would be presumed that the same disease had overtaken them. Several weeks later, Kinetsu would "recover" and immediately journey back to Kyuden Doji in mourning. At least, that was the plan.

Instead, when he snuck into Kurohito's palace, he encountered several Yojimbo (bodyguards) as well as a Shugenja. A flash of brilliant white light blasted from the open palms of the Shugenja and the world went blank. Kinetsu desperately threw several small stones to the floor, which erupted into smoke, concealing his panicked exit. He hid in a secret chamber in his own room for days, then escaped the palace by disguising himself as a servant. Eventually he found himself in Oni Mura, a village believed inhabited by an evil demon. Alone, he meditated for weeks, endlessly cycling through his life and his decisions. Eventually, almost completely emaciated, he made his way to Kyuden Hida. When found, it was easy to believe that he had indeed fallen ill, that a fever had taken his strength and the use of his eyes. Nishimura, his only connection to the Hocchiku ninja had disappeared following the failed assassination attempt.

Feeling completely worthless, Kinetsu found a place amongst the monks of the Crane clan, who taught him the value of self-control. He spent years learning the Tao of Shinsei, emptying himself of his past life. His knowledge of the outside world dimmed, made easier by his blindness, and his social skills that had served him so well as a Courtier slipped away. Kinetsu embraced the simple life of a monk, meditating by caring for the small rock garden in the monastery. His blindness became less and less of a hindrance, as he began using his other senses to guide him, allowing him to sense his surroundings by listening to echoes, smelling the air, and feeling the changes in air currents and temperature around him. He focused his mind as well as his body, learning martial arts as a spiritual discipline. He was content.

So, there's my backstory. Any comments, concerns, critiques? Currently in the campaign, the characters have been taken from their previous lives and placed in a secret group, serving the will of the Emperor, known as The Swift Thunder. This new life of secrecy, danger, and battle has placed Kinetsu in familiar situations, testing his commitment to the life of a monk. So far this has simply shown itself as a willingness to use stealth and half-truths rather than forthrightness and a desire for the "finer things," such as fine sake, expensive clothes, and jewelry. It is a strange sight indeed to find a well-dressed blind man leaping into battle against various enemies. I'm having fun with the character.

Any suggestions?
Fithero
09-21-06, 08:01 AM Thats a damn fine background youve got there :)

But why would "The Swift Thunder" seek the services of a blind monk? It doesnt seem like a logical choice, unless the chatacter has some sort of ability that no-one else does.

Im sure there are dozens of other npc's in the game that have abilities beyond your characters, so why did the emperor choose your character over them?

Also, why lawful neutral? Why not Lawful evil or good?

Peace
skeeter_dan
09-22-06, 04:35 PM Thats a damn fine background youve got there :)
Thanks. I'm glad you like it. :)

But why would "The Swift Thunder" seek the services of a blind monk? It doesnt seem like a logical choice, unless the chatacter has some sort of ability that no-one else does.

Im sure there are dozens of other npc's in the game that have abilities beyond your characters, so why did the emperor choose your character over them?
That's one you'd have to ask our DM. That's not really part of my character background, that's the beginning of the campaign he's thrown us into. We have no idea why we've been chosen, to be honest. There have been hints dropped about "potential" and such, but I'm wondering if "The Swift Thunder" is even an initiative started by the emperor; we could have been lied to.

Also, why lawful neutral? Why not Lawful evil or good?

He's neutral because he's a pragmatic character; good and evil are two sides of the same coin in his mind and neither course of action can be ruled out in accomplishing a desired goal. However, he's on the path to becoming good, but he's not there yet.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
skeeter_dan 09-21-06, 04:10 AM	I'm currently playing in a Rokugan campaign with a third level monk who also happens to be blind. My DM and I have worked out a nifty little combination of Blindfight and Blindsense that makes him capable in combat situations, so I've worked out the mechanics of it. What I'm working on now is his backstory. Here's what I've got. Name: Doji Kinetsu Clan: Crane Height: 5'7" Weight: 145 lb Alignment: LN Str: 14 Dex: 16 Con: 14 Int: 8 Wis: 14 Cha: 8 10 years ago, Doji Kinetsu was a well-trained and wealthy young Courtier for Doji Kurohito, the Daimyo of the Doji family. Though skilled in the arts of speech and diplomacy, Kinetsu grew frustrated with the seeming inability of the aristocracy to accomplish anything significant. Lost in the world of court intrigue, Kinetsu saw only endless word games, which began to lose their appeal. Instead, he threw himself into a life of debauchery, enjoying the finer things life as a nobleman offered. His love for sake grew and rumours in the courts began to spread of his slide into an immoral lifestyle. Then, suddenly though the rumours continued, the behaviour stopped. Kurohito attributed it all to the recklessness of youth and found Kinetsu had a renewed vigor as a Courtier and quickly rose in prominence. Unbeknownst to the Crane clan, the change of heart came due to Kinetsu being drafted into the ranks of a secretive Ninja clan, the Hocchiku. Tempted by the opportunity to enact real change in Rokugan, Kinetsu threw himself into his training. His identity was known only to his mentor, Nishimura. Kinetsu carefully used his skills as a Courtier and his newfound Ninja training to scale the ranks of the Doji family. Then Nishimura gave Kinetsu what ended up being his final mission: assassinate Kurohito. Kinetsu planned the assassination for a time when he was meant to be thousands of miles away; in a few weeks a report would arrive in Kyuden Doji (capital of the Crane territories) reporting his arrival in Kyuden Hida (the capital of the Crab territories) but regretfully informing the Crane clan that he had fallen ill and was being kept in quarantine under the care of an expert healer. Many had seen him leave, his servants had all been poisoned and would have no memory of the journey; when found it would be presumed that the same disease had overtaken them. Several weeks later, Kinetsu would "recover" and immediately journey back to Kyuden Doji in mourning. At least, that was the plan. Instead, when he snuck into Kurohito's palace, he encountered several Yojimbo (bodyguards) as well as a Shugenja. A flash of brilliant white light blasted from the open palms of the Shugenja and the world went blank. Kinetsu desperately threw several small stones to the floor, which erupted into smoke, concealing his panicked exit. He hid in a secret chamber in his own room for days, then escaped the palace by disguising himself as a servant. Eventually he found himself in Oni Mura, a village believed inhabited by an evil demon. Alone, he meditated for weeks, endlessly cycling through his life and his decisions. Eventually, almost completely emaciated, he made his way to Kyuden Hida. When found, it was easy to believe that he had indeed fallen ill, that a fever had taken his strength and the use of his eyes. Nishimura, his only connection to the Hocchiku ninja had disappeared following the failed assassination attempt. Feeling completely worthless, Kinetsu found a place amongst the monks of the Crane clan, who taught him the value of self-control. He spent years learning the Tao of Shinsei, emptying himself of his past life. His knowledge of the outside world dimmed, made easier by his blindness, and his social skills that had served him so well as a Courtier slipped away. Kinetsu embraced the simple life of a monk, meditating by caring for the small rock garden in the monastery. His blindness became less and less of a hindrance, as he began using his other senses to guide him, allowing him to sense his surroundings by listening to echoes, smelling the air, and feeling the changes in air currents and temperature around him. He focused his mind as well as his body, learning martial arts as a spiritual discipline. He was content. So, there's my backstory. Any comments, concerns, critiques? Currently in the campaign, the characters have been taken from their previous lives and placed in a secret group, serving the will of the Emperor, known as The Swift Thunder. This new life of secrecy, danger, and battle has placed Kinetsu in familiar situations, testing his commitment to the life of a monk. So far this has simply shown itself as a willingness to use stealth and half-truths rather than forthrightness and a desire for the "finer things," such as fine sake, expensive clothes, and jewelry. It is a strange sight indeed to find a well-dressed blind man leaping into battle against various enemies. I'm having fun with the character. Any suggestions?
Fithero 09-21-06, 08:01 AM	Thats a damn fine background youve got there :) But why would "The Swift Thunder" seek the services of a blind monk? It doesnt seem like a logical choice, unless the chatacter has some sort of ability that no-one else does. Im sure there are dozens of other npc's in the game that have abilities beyond your characters, so why did the emperor choose your character over them? Also, why lawful neutral? Why not Lawful evil or good? Peace
skeeter_dan 09-22-06, 04:35 PM	Thats a damn fine background youve got there :) Thanks. I'm glad you like it. :) But why would "The Swift Thunder" seek the services of a blind monk? It doesnt seem like a logical choice, unless the chatacter has some sort of ability that no-one else does. Im sure there are dozens of other npc's in the game that have abilities beyond your characters, so why did the emperor choose your character over them? That's one you'd have to ask our DM. That's not really part of my character background, that's the beginning of the campaign he's thrown us into. We have no idea why we've been chosen, to be honest. There have been hints dropped about "potential" and such, but I'm wondering if "The Swift Thunder" is even an initiative started by the emperor; we could have been lied to. Also, why lawful neutral? Why not Lawful evil or good? He's neutral because he's a pragmatic character; good and evil are two sides of the same coin in his mind and neither course of action can be ruled out in accomplishing a desired goal. However, he's on the path to becoming good, but he's not there yet.