Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bane_of_Morgoth 05-30-07, 05:53 PM	He's a CG Drow Fighter with a spiked chain. He's quiet, rational, dosn't talk much, rarely smiles, and is calm. But don't take him for a sissy, if he knows that you are an enemy, which he probably does if you are, he'll have a weapon at your throat before you have a chance to blink. He's kind to his party members, and can be very friendly and gentle (in his own way). In combat, however, those old drow fighting instincts kick in, he analyzes his opponent, and exploits their weaknesses attacking them with every insentive to kill them. I can't figure out a good backstory, and I'd prefer a sad, darkish backstory. 1) What makes him leave the Underdark? 2) Why his he such a dark character? 3) And what would be a good reason for why he met the party? Thankyou!:)
Terjon of the Blue Rose 05-31-07, 02:15 AM	Its been said over and over and over again "Is every drow not in the underdark immediately turned good by seeing the sun?" Ah well. Are you in Forgotten Realms? If so you never left the underdark. You were born in Cormanthor (i think I got this right) which was once a great elven city and was abandoned. When the drow followers of Vhearun came to the surface to escape persecution by Lloths' clerics they claimed this city. You were born here. But life on the surface is easier than in the underdark. You were born into a world where the weak sometimes survive. Vhearun's followers teach betrayal as strongly as Llolth's but you never took too it. At first you simply wanted to be known as the one who others trusted so you could betray them (limiting your betrayals so as to seem more trust-worthy) but there was another influence in your life. You had access to ancient elven lore from before the drow came to Cormanthor. The disciples of Ellistraee slipped more easily through this new city than those of the underdark and they too would secret the truth of the outside world. The drow were hated and feared with good reason but could still be redeemed. When not amongst drow one truly could trust their companions. You heard tales of sun elves, those most hated of foes, living comfortably amongst dwarves, which you had thought must surely be immposable. You left Cormanthor to learn the truth of this strange new world. You found a band of adventures willing to take on a drow, knowing that you could sense betrayal, and perform it, more adeptly than any of them. You are still shocked that you have never found it neccessary.
Fithero 05-31-07, 02:30 AM	Lets put a spin on this old hat, shall we? You were born in the underdark, but were taken to the surface by an elven raiding party. Your city of birth was attacked by surface elves who had one intent, to steal away with as many drow infants as possible. Taken to the surface, you and the others were raised within the borders of a great elven city, yet you were also apart from it. You were given history lessons on both the surface elves and of the drow and your teachers didnt skimp on the bloodier aspects of the past. You know you were taken from your home at an early age, that fact was never hidden from you. It was the elder's hopes that you and the others, having seen both sides of the conflict, would help bring about its end. Your thankful for the teachings and life style you were given on the surface but you cant help but remember that you were taken from your home. Also, seeing both sides of the story has given you much to think about. You constantly find yourself at odds with what you naturally belive and what youve been told. Perhaps you returned to the underdark at some point and tried to open negoitiations, but found on the point ends of many drow swords. Disheartened, you returned once more to the surface without any successful negotiations. Your inability to even begin to talk to your own people about peace has given you much pause. Perhaps they dont deserve to be returned to the surface and saved, perhaps they are no long the same people. You spend much of your time quietly thinking things through. There are just so many aspects to think about. A stretch i know... but im just so sick of the usual drow backgrounds :P
Harrow Blade 06-03-07, 05:49 AM	Ahh, the conundrum of an indellibly evil race made very cool by a rampaging author (R. A. Salvatore, who if you say his name out loud 3 times he will hear the next 7 words) that took an out cast of nearly 1 in 100,000 and made him the desire of many a reader and unimaginative gamer. Now as I am sure that no one on this thread is any where near the unimaginative gamer status I suggest something different to the Drizzit story. I offer you this alternative. Bane began his life as so many drow males do, virtual slaves in their own houses driven by their nature and society into bitter feuds and violent power struggles. The weak die quickly and strong and the quick do the killing. Martial skill or magic are the only means of elevating themselves out of the blood baths and so with little desire to strain his eyes on old musty tomes (for we know all tomes are musty) he turned his fiery will upon the battle field. The blade while efficient was not nearly flamboyant enough for bane as his ego demanded attention and pride demanded a skill not common among his peers. The spiked chain was ideal, flashy, deadly and fear inspiring to any who saw an opponent of Banes. Through skill and no lack of cunning bane killed, plotted and seduced his way up the chain of command. He reveled in the chaotic flow of battle, the smell of spilled blood and the cries of fallen foes. His successes brought wealth and power but as is the way in Drow society it brought enemies. His house Matron was well pleased with his efforts and afforded him some protection against direct magical attacks and his skill in battle meant that cunning was the primary tool of his rivals. As a commander of troops any bounty found in raids and the like was given first to Bane and he always took the choice items. This greed was to become his downfall. For it was well known among his peers that only the finest and most powerful items would do for one such as Bane. With this in mind his enemies commissioned a cursed item that would ensure not just his death but the shaming of his house. They had crafted a helm of opposite alignment of exquisite design that would surely catch Banes eye, and catch it the helm did. So enraptured was Bane with his new helm that he barely had tipped the head of the fallen wearer from it before it placing it upon his brow. The change was not sudden for there was a delay built into the original enchantment to ensure it would not immediately be detected. When Bane awoke the next day his outlook was completely different. His alignment had inverted from his chaotic evil to lawful good and with out knowing how or why Bane knew he must flee his fellow Drow for if they saw how he had changed it would be his death and although the deeds of his past were truly repulsive to his new way of thinking he felt that there was a possibility of redeeming himself. At first opportunity Bane fled for the safest place he could think of, Skull Port. From there Bane was able to begin to grasp his new life and come to terms with a complete shift in thinking. However this did not come easily. There was a minor but significant flaw in the helm that changed him that caused the change not to be permanent. It would still take years the effects to wear off but eventually he would return to his original alignment, or so the sage said. This proclamation scared bane for he was not sure he wanted to return to the blood thirsty battle fiend that he had been. He was beginning to enjoy the soul delight of aiding the needy, of restoring the balance in favor of the good and right. It is in battle that Bane finds his old self closest to the surface, master of the kill, yet he continues to fight on the side of good. Bane struggles daily with his nature and at times he feels that perhaps he has already slipped back to the evil that he once was. Bane, like every soul that adventures, has a purpose and that is to find a way of preventing his decent back into evil, making the right friend or contact who he can trust enough to tell of his frightening past. Who can he trust to make the right decision should the time come that the enchantment that changed his life slips away? Philosophers ponder the true nature of the soul and the truth of it's bent towards good or evil, Bane walks with it every day in his life. (The short of it all) basically the whole I'm a good drow because that is the way I was born just doesn't cut it for me. The need for depth to a character and a decent helping of self doubt and moral concern led me to a drastic shift in the life of your character. Drow are generally chaotic evil. Lawful evil was no good as that was not the vision you had for your character so a little flawed magic and hey presto you have a character with an interesting background and great option for becoming more than just another fighter. Hope this will help you a little. Harrow Blade
Terjon of the Blue Rose 06-03-07, 07:32 AM	Fithero::clap: :clap: Harrow Blade::clap: :clap: :clap: Well that makes 2 influenced by a different sort of upbringings and 1 radical (though very well written) magical change. I think you have a couple of good choices here. Lets here from the OP.
Harrow Blade 06-05-07, 07:39 AM	Fithero::clap: :clap: Harrow Blade::clap: :clap: :clap: Well that makes 2 influenced by a different sort of upbringings and 1 radical (though very well written) magical change. I think you have a couple of good choices here. Lets here from the OP. Many thanks Terjon, it has been a long time away from the boards for me to hear such appreciation is welcome. But fear not I have not come to hijack this thread to talk about me ;) The drow fighter back ground has been made rather a trecherous path to walk and there is many opportunities fall into the DoUrden clone trap or to leave a character weak and unfinished by not having a solid yet interesting background. I do like Fitheros idea of a surface elves 'educating' Drow it seems almost a little like infecting an individual with an idea and letting them loose hoping it will spread and weaken the threat of the Drow as a whole. Which leads me to another idea, one which will be far more brief than the first, of a parasite. Perhaps your character is not actually who he thinks he is and is being controlled by a parasite that has good intentions and thinks that by controlling a person of an evil nature they are helping the side of good. it also makes an excellent option if you or the DM wanted to turn your character evil at a later date. With that idea you can allow yourself changes later in your characters life. Hope these help you out. Harrow Blade
Talros 06-07-07, 05:12 AM	Looks like I got beat to it. I was basically going to suggest something very similar to Harrow Blade. Basically, make him evil but he feigns being good so he fits in with the party. Maybe he's with the party because he sees adventuring as a quick means to gain power, power that he could never achieve by being a male in a female-dominated Drow society, which is why he left in the first place. For added flavor, have his inherent evil slip out once and awhile, but only briefly.