Need Help: Designing a Persian Prince Background [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need Help: Designing a Persian Prince Background [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tleilaxu_Ghola
10-01-06, 11:52 PM I may be a "regular" on the CO/OC boards, but I'm pretty much a n00b at character development. I'm currently working on a matching build for the description that is to follow, but I'll leave that for the CO board. What I would like is for y'all to comment and/or critique the character background that I present here:

Concept: A noble born who is seventh in line to some poweful throne in a kingdom of Persian or middle-eastern flavor.

Setting: Set in middle earth, beginning second age after dawn of man and migration towards the west. Presumably, the kings of Numenor are in place. Magic of the rings is being developed.
Adaptations: arcane magic exists in the elven circles and is encountered on rare occassion. Divine magic is the ability to draw power from either good or evil valar. Druids are the most common source of magic, although the "magic" of martial arts are most common among the more warlike nations. [read: Tome of Battle is allowed and serves as justification for heroic acts of swordplay and martial prowess which is common in Tolkien lore.

Proposed Background
Name: Majid Malik (my poor attempt at a farsi name, meaning Great King)
Alignment: LE or LN (typically acts LN, but has deeply rooted evil motives)

The story: Majid was the seventh legitimate son of a powerful Easterling king beyond the sea of Rhun. This king can trace his lineage back to the infamous Ulfang "the accursed" and has become adept in his dealings with the dread Morgoth. He is, as all evil kings in trade with morgoth, a brutal tyrant. However, has not climbed to the top by mere brutality, this king is an exquisitely calculating diplomat and his face holds some of the characteristics of the great Numenorians. Thus has been able profit from trade in both the eastern and western worlds. Our character Majid, holds the diplomatic ability of the king in high regard and emulates his calculated approach to all things. However, being the son of the king does not make life as easy as it does in the fairy tales. Majid, despite his name, has a very low probability of ever attaining an office of significant power through his birthright alone. As anyone who lives in proximity to those with great power, Majid yearns to have some of his own. Herein lies the main motivation behind Majid's lust for power. Further compounding our character's lust for power is the fact that his mother, a druidic seer, died of poisoning and delivered this message to Majid on her death bed: "Greatness comes to those who take it, son."

So basically, our character has "nothing to lose" complex mixed with an inflated view of his "destiny" and healthy lust for power. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a sociopath. It does, in my mind, give a lot for roleplaying and plot hooks. To wit:
Seventh son => His presence will not be missed, allowing him to adventure.
Lust for power => Provides an incentive for adventuring, as that's the quickest way to become more powerful as we all know.
Destiny & Name => Believes he is to be some great king, but realizes that he will not get there by sitting around. More incentive to adventure.

Character's End Goal: What's the motivating force behind all of our character's actions? The throne. He wants it. Badly. Anything which would knock his brothers out of the way and put his bum on the throne is something which he would be very interested in. His long observation of the king and how to deal with figures of immense power have taught him to be incredibly cautious, yet ever observant for opportunity. In essence, he is calculating and cold to the end. He views higher powers, be they evil or good, as nothing more than a means to an end. He would bow his knee to Morgoth just as soon as he would to a good valar, if that's what it took to give him more power faster.

Character Ideas
I'm thinking a swordsage/crusader would fit the idea nicely. Swordsage/Warblade would also fit well. If crusader is used, he would have to gain his inspiration from evil Valar first, given his background. Depending on the course of the campaign, though, he could just as easily switch to worshipping a good valar.

Weapon of choice: Falchion.

Sooo .... yeah. What do y'all think? Did I lay on the cliches too thickly? Any suggestions on how to create a more subtle, yet powerful background. Basically, I'm just looking for a background that lends to clearly defined thought patterns. I also would like to retain the prince of persia feel. My preference is for neutral or evil alignments, but I'd be willing to entertain a good alignment, if you could somehow mix "calculating" and "cautious" into the mix. If anything, this guy is not chaotic.
Nightwalk
10-02-06, 08:50 AM Hi,

the background is very solid, but the class you are aiming for does, in my opinion, not fit the story at 100%.

I would suggest that our scheming prince would look out for another power base from which he can take grasp of the throne.

I have two groups in mind from oriental settings that could serve this purpose: one are the eunuchs and the other are the assasins.

So, think about the prince trying to infiltrate the assasins to become their leader and at the end letting them infiltrate the court to eliminate his siblings with one swift strike...
Tleilaxu_Ghola
10-02-06, 05:47 PM Excellent idea, he would temporarily side with the "good guys" who want to kill the "bad king" so that he could take the king's throne.

I don't see how that conflicts with being a swordsage/crusader though.
Nightwalk
10-03-06, 05:38 PM I didn`t mean conflict, it is a matter of power styling, because eunuchs were the real power behind nearly every oriental throne and the original assasins come from the orient.

I supposed an neutral to evil background, I don`t know neither the swordsage nor the crusader class, but crusader sounds a little like paladin to me, so I suggested assasin.
Tleilaxu_Ghola
10-03-06, 06:29 PM Crusaders can be of any alignment -- they're more akin to clerics. They follow the whims of their patron deities.

Swordsages are also capable of any alignment, as are warblades. The only sticky thing is the fact that I might need to change alignments with the crusader, so it may be better to go with swordsage/warblade.

If that's the case then we'd be looking at a serious TWF build. But that's more of a discussion for the CO board.

Also, I'd like to remind you that I'm going for the "middle-east" not the orient. So, think arabian nights and the like. I don't claim to be an expert there, however, so if anyone has more knowledge on the arabian/persian feel please enlighten me.
Nightwalk
10-03-06, 06:55 PM Sorry, english is not my mother tongue, when I said orient, I meant "middle-east" and prince of persia.
Tleilaxu_Ghola
10-18-06, 12:32 AM Does anyone have an idea how to work in the "inflated view of destiny" without the cheesy stunt I pulled (seer telling him something)?
castlemike
10-19-06, 06:37 PM I don't like to reinvent the wheel as it takes up a lot of time. You might consider a few 2nd edition Al-Qadim PDFs or the hardcopy from Ebay or Amazon (Might be costlier with shipping than a PDF) some of which are free at Wizards (Can't remember which I think it was Corsairs and something else).

The three you might find most helpful are the Land of Fate Boxed Set, City of Delights Box Set and Arabian Adventures. You end up having a continent/world you can tweak and adjust without having to spend a lot of time creating new things (like cities and maps, NPCs or organizations) and shouldn't be out more than $15 tops.

Being Enlightened means Zakharans/Persians worship your primary religion. Others are treated as Interesting Local Gods (Mostly tied to a city or locale with little influence elsewhere) or Foreign Gods (Ajami Gods, Barbarian Gods).

He could be the seventh son of the Grand Caliph of Huzuz (Imperial House) or the Mad PAdasha of Afyal or 20+ other city-state kingdoms (Like Muluk the City of Kings from A Dozen and One Adventures). Several nice adventures that further develop the setting like:

A Dozen and One Adventures, The Ruined Kingdoms, Cities of Bone and Assassin Mountain.

He sounds like an excellent candidate for a Ur-Priest style character maybe swap out Spell Focus Evil for Servant of the Fallen Feat for a little known (except historically) Dead or Slumbering God (Variant of the Servant of the Fallen Feat and the idea of Dead/Slumbering Gods Lost Empires of Faerun)

The PSI Fist PRC from EPH provides a few psi powers up to 10 total (2 psi warrior per level up to fifth) and 71 PP consider combining it with a few Tattooed Monk PRC tattooes from OA at 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 or 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Fiend Folio introduced the Cultmaster PRC perhaps he sold his sould for Power conferring the Adept gestalt at +0 or +1 ECL. As a Prince what about an Aristocratic Psi Warrior?

Instead of standard wizards their are only ECS style Mage Wright Wizards who use spell books or you need DM permission to play a Variant Favored Soul (without wings and swap out some of the feats) need the two ability scores wis and charisma as primary abilities.

Hope that helps.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tleilaxu_Ghola 10-01-06, 11:52 PM	I may be a "regular" on the CO/OC boards, but I'm pretty much a n00b at character development. I'm currently working on a matching build for the description that is to follow, but I'll leave that for the CO board. What I would like is for y'all to comment and/or critique the character background that I present here: Concept: A noble born who is seventh in line to some poweful throne in a kingdom of Persian or middle-eastern flavor. Setting: Set in middle earth, beginning second age after dawn of man and migration towards the west. Presumably, the kings of Numenor are in place. Magic of the rings is being developed. Adaptations: arcane magic exists in the elven circles and is encountered on rare occassion. Divine magic is the ability to draw power from either good or evil valar. Druids are the most common source of magic, although the "magic" of martial arts are most common among the more warlike nations. [read: Tome of Battle is allowed and serves as justification for heroic acts of swordplay and martial prowess which is common in Tolkien lore. Proposed Background Name: Majid Malik (my poor attempt at a farsi name, meaning Great King) Alignment: LE or LN (typically acts LN, but has deeply rooted evil motives) The story: Majid was the seventh legitimate son of a powerful Easterling king beyond the sea of Rhun. This king can trace his lineage back to the infamous Ulfang "the accursed" and has become adept in his dealings with the dread Morgoth. He is, as all evil kings in trade with morgoth, a brutal tyrant. However, has not climbed to the top by mere brutality, this king is an exquisitely calculating diplomat and his face holds some of the characteristics of the great Numenorians. Thus has been able profit from trade in both the eastern and western worlds. Our character Majid, holds the diplomatic ability of the king in high regard and emulates his calculated approach to all things. However, being the son of the king does not make life as easy as it does in the fairy tales. Majid, despite his name, has a very low probability of ever attaining an office of significant power through his birthright alone. As anyone who lives in proximity to those with great power, Majid yearns to have some of his own. Herein lies the main motivation behind Majid's lust for power. Further compounding our character's lust for power is the fact that his mother, a druidic seer, died of poisoning and delivered this message to Majid on her death bed: "Greatness comes to those who take it, son." So basically, our character has "nothing to lose" complex mixed with an inflated view of his "destiny" and healthy lust for power. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a sociopath. It does, in my mind, give a lot for roleplaying and plot hooks. To wit: Seventh son => His presence will not be missed, allowing him to adventure. Lust for power => Provides an incentive for adventuring, as that's the quickest way to become more powerful as we all know. Destiny & Name => Believes he is to be some great king, but realizes that he will not get there by sitting around. More incentive to adventure. Character's End Goal: What's the motivating force behind all of our character's actions? The throne. He wants it. Badly. Anything which would knock his brothers out of the way and put his bum on the throne is something which he would be very interested in. His long observation of the king and how to deal with figures of immense power have taught him to be incredibly cautious, yet ever observant for opportunity. In essence, he is calculating and cold to the end. He views higher powers, be they evil or good, as nothing more than a means to an end. He would bow his knee to Morgoth just as soon as he would to a good valar, if that's what it took to give him more power faster. Character Ideas I'm thinking a swordsage/crusader would fit the idea nicely. Swordsage/Warblade would also fit well. If crusader is used, he would have to gain his inspiration from evil Valar first, given his background. Depending on the course of the campaign, though, he could just as easily switch to worshipping a good valar. Weapon of choice: Falchion. Sooo .... yeah. What do y'all think? Did I lay on the cliches too thickly? Any suggestions on how to create a more subtle, yet powerful background. Basically, I'm just looking for a background that lends to clearly defined thought patterns. I also would like to retain the prince of persia feel. My preference is for neutral or evil alignments, but I'd be willing to entertain a good alignment, if you could somehow mix "calculating" and "cautious" into the mix. If anything, this guy is not chaotic.
Nightwalk 10-02-06, 08:50 AM	Hi, the background is very solid, but the class you are aiming for does, in my opinion, not fit the story at 100%. I would suggest that our scheming prince would look out for another power base from which he can take grasp of the throne. I have two groups in mind from oriental settings that could serve this purpose: one are the eunuchs and the other are the assasins. So, think about the prince trying to infiltrate the assasins to become their leader and at the end letting them infiltrate the court to eliminate his siblings with one swift strike...
Tleilaxu_Ghola 10-02-06, 05:47 PM	Excellent idea, he would temporarily side with the "good guys" who want to kill the "bad king" so that he could take the king's throne. I don't see how that conflicts with being a swordsage/crusader though.
Nightwalk 10-03-06, 05:38 PM	I didn`t mean conflict, it is a matter of power styling, because eunuchs were the real power behind nearly every oriental throne and the original assasins come from the orient. I supposed an neutral to evil background, I don`t know neither the swordsage nor the crusader class, but crusader sounds a little like paladin to me, so I suggested assasin.
Tleilaxu_Ghola 10-03-06, 06:29 PM	Crusaders can be of any alignment -- they're more akin to clerics. They follow the whims of their patron deities. Swordsages are also capable of any alignment, as are warblades. The only sticky thing is the fact that I might need to change alignments with the crusader, so it may be better to go with swordsage/warblade. If that's the case then we'd be looking at a serious TWF build. But that's more of a discussion for the CO board. Also, I'd like to remind you that I'm going for the "middle-east" not the orient. So, think arabian nights and the like. I don't claim to be an expert there, however, so if anyone has more knowledge on the arabian/persian feel please enlighten me.
Nightwalk 10-03-06, 06:55 PM	Sorry, english is not my mother tongue, when I said orient, I meant "middle-east" and prince of persia.
Tleilaxu_Ghola 10-18-06, 12:32 AM	Does anyone have an idea how to work in the "inflated view of destiny" without the cheesy stunt I pulled (seer telling him something)?
castlemike 10-19-06, 06:37 PM	I don't like to reinvent the wheel as it takes up a lot of time. You might consider a few 2nd edition Al-Qadim PDFs or the hardcopy from Ebay or Amazon (Might be costlier with shipping than a PDF) some of which are free at Wizards (Can't remember which I think it was Corsairs and something else). The three you might find most helpful are the Land of Fate Boxed Set, City of Delights Box Set and Arabian Adventures. You end up having a continent/world you can tweak and adjust without having to spend a lot of time creating new things (like cities and maps, NPCs or organizations) and shouldn't be out more than $15 tops. Being Enlightened means Zakharans/Persians worship your primary religion. Others are treated as Interesting Local Gods (Mostly tied to a city or locale with little influence elsewhere) or Foreign Gods (Ajami Gods, Barbarian Gods). He could be the seventh son of the Grand Caliph of Huzuz (Imperial House) or the Mad PAdasha of Afyal or 20+ other city-state kingdoms (Like Muluk the City of Kings from A Dozen and One Adventures). Several nice adventures that further develop the setting like: A Dozen and One Adventures, The Ruined Kingdoms, Cities of Bone and Assassin Mountain. He sounds like an excellent candidate for a Ur-Priest style character maybe swap out Spell Focus Evil for Servant of the Fallen Feat for a little known (except historically) Dead or Slumbering God (Variant of the Servant of the Fallen Feat and the idea of Dead/Slumbering Gods Lost Empires of Faerun) The PSI Fist PRC from EPH provides a few psi powers up to 10 total (2 psi warrior per level up to fifth) and 71 PP consider combining it with a few Tattooed Monk PRC tattooes from OA at 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 or 1, 4, 7 and 10. Fiend Folio introduced the Cultmaster PRC perhaps he sold his sould for Power conferring the Adept gestalt at +0 or +1 ECL. As a Prince what about an Aristocratic Psi Warrior? Instead of standard wizards their are only ECS style Mage Wright Wizards who use spell books or you need DM permission to play a Variant Favored Soul (without wings and swap out some of the feats) need the two ability scores wis and charisma as primary abilities. Hope that helps.