Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants 11-22-06, 09:34 PM	This is my first post over on these boards, so I don't really know if there is any way things are usually done and/or what concepts have been beaten to death. I've got a couple concepts that I need help with, one for a campaign that has already started and a few for a campaign that will be starting soon. First the current campaign. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=746158) Right now I'm Wiz1/Clr1 (using the cloistered cleric varient from Unearthed Arcana and the Divine counterspell from complete mage). My 2 feats are Practiced spellcaster for both classes. I am currently the only spellcaster in the party, so I was trying to fulfill both the healer and arcane roles. Description: Burrich is a young man of middling height and unremarkable features. His brown hair is allowed to hang free and unkempt and his beard verges on wild. He wears mottled blue robes that look like they may have once been fine, but now are stained by arcane experiments, ink, and travel. Under his robes he wears serviceable green trousers, a plain white shirt, and solid leather boots. A wooden scroll on a star hangs from a leather thong around his neck that he absentmindedly clutches when nervous. His hands are ink stained and callused from writing and he leans on a tall oak staff. Background: Burrich was apprenticed to Loremaster Rauun Mendelbrus, a mystic theurge of minor accomplishment and devoted priest of Valnyra, at the age of 11 and lived among the clergy ever since. He was born the 4th son of a farmer and his wife and while he was not a sickly child, he possessed a keen intellect and a preference for written works that caused problems among his siblings. Being a middle child (3 older brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother), Burrich was never spoiled or coddled, but after many fights with his father, he was allowed to join the priesthood of Valnyra. The first 2 years of Burrich's apprenticeship were the most difficult, as he was made to perform the same menial chores that occupied his time on the farm. The only consolation was the immense library possessed by the priests that Burrich was allowed to explore during his free time. When he was 13 his dedication was rewarded and he was allowed to pass his chores on to younger apprentices. The next 6 years were even more grueling as his physical chores were replaced with classes, lectures, and magical exercises. He was still required to keep his body in shape and therefore was not allowed to fall in to the sloth that many mages enjoy. His apprenticeship was made more difficult by the fact that he wasn't training as just a priest or mage, but as a combination of the two that had been discovered by his master's master. Though many spellcasters recognized a difference between arcane and divine magic, Loremaster Mendelbrus and his master before him, Loremaster Most High Mardigav Kartiska, believed that all magic comes from one source, and that source is Valnyra. Burrich then spent the last 4 years of his apprenticeship studying directly with Loremaster Mendelbrus. He was no longer required to perform any chores around the temple, and his studies were entirely of his own choosing. This last time of discovery has sparked a desire in Burrich to see all the things in the world that he keeps reading about, and to maybe add some of his own discoveries to the library. A year ago he broached the subject with Loremaster Mendelbrus and therefore in lieu of a Masters work, or other piece of work he was ordered to travel to the capital of Vakaran and search for information regarding the Cult of Alrinra. He has spent the last 6 months traveling, and while it has not been that exciting, he has learned a great deal. Recently he stopped in the town of Bodan to observe the Harvest Festival. For the upcoming campaign I am tossing around 4 ideas. Stats to play around with are 18, 16, 15, 15, 14, 12. I can use the PHB, PHBII, and all completes. 1) Dwarven Cleric (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=746162) - "noble" - born to clan chief and raised very Dwarven. Must go prove himself in a quest before he can be an adult. 2) Half-Orc Druid (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=746163)- "outcast" - Yurtak was born and raised in an orc clan as the son of the clan chief and a human concubine. This ancestry in no way helped Yurtak as a child and in many ways only hurt him. His brothers and the other children in the clan repeatedly proved their dominance over him because he was the chief’s son. As he fell lower and lower in the power structure he was also less able to gain wealth, equipment, or food and therefore continued to become physically weaker. While many orc children were proving themselves in training or war, Yurtak would repeatedly flee into the wilderness to escape from his life. As he grew older, with still no place in the tribe, he was left with the women and cripples during raids or war. This only led to more ridiculing as he appeared to be an adult, but had not yet proved himself as one and had little inclination to do so. During one of his retreats to the wilderness, a clan shaman found him wandering the forest. Since it was apparent that this deviant was never going to join normal clan society, this shaman decided to find some way that he could still go to war with the tribe. Yurtak’s father was greatly pleased with any idea that would bring his wayward son into the clan and therefore encouraged the shamans to teach his son. Thus began Yurtak’s unwilling training as a shaman. While Yurtak’s young life had been difficult as a runt, any beating he received was for some purpose, even if that purpose happened to only be someone else’s gain. As an adult apprentice to the shamans he was humiliated and beaten more often and for much slighter reasons than ever before. He became a virtual slave to these harsh taskmasters. After six month he was able to flee the shamans and his clan as a whole, but his father was not so easily denied. Between the spells at the shamans’ disposal and the scouts employed by the clan chief, Yurtak was soon hunted down and returned to his life as a slave-apprentice. After another two years of humiliation and depredation, Yurtak was allowed to join the ranks of the shamans in war. Yurtak was still a reluctant participant, but his life had greatly improved as even the lowest shaman commanded some respect from any warrior. When he was 24 his father was killed and a new chief gained power. Fortunately for Yurtak he was already an accepted shaman and could not be harmed. Yurtak continued to follow the tribe to war, assisting with his meager spells and supporting or defending the stronger shamans. The new chief, while he never trusted Yurtak, slowly grew to ignore the outcast shaman. After years of forced servitude Yurtak absented himself from the tribe in an attempt to commune with the forces that instilled shamans with their power. While on this retreat, Yurtak was confronted with the outcomes of his tribe’s actions. Swaths of forest and plain were laid waste by his advancing tribe. He came to a realization that the powers that he appealed to for his spellcasting were not the same powers that the other shamans appealed to and he was not able to return to his tribe with such actions on his conscience. This time his attempt at escape was much more successful and he quickly found his way into human lands. His barbaric appearance and coarse manners have drawn a great deal of attention anytime he enters civilization, so Yurtak has been avoiding cities as much as possible. Yurtak is slightly curious about this world that he has found outside of the clan walls, but also has an intense desire to retreat into the forests and never emerge. He still feels the orc drive for violence and many times desires to subjugate obviously weaker folk, but his attempts to quell these desires are only half-hearted. He currently has no desire to ever return to his tribe, or to what he thinks of as his race either. Memories of his father still occasionally haunt Yurtak and a small part of his mind believes that someone is looking for him. 3) Elven Sorcerer - "pyromancer" - raised an elf until he accidently lashed out and burned someone. Decided it was best to just leave. 4) Human Rogue - (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=746164) "street rat" - Born to a prostitute and a drunkard and raised on the streets. Apprenticed to the thieves guild and very talented. Eventually got tired of his abusive drunkard father and stabbed him back. Decided it was best to leave before anybody decided to punish him for killing his father. Anything for further questions or such to flesh out any of the concepts. Also what spells should I look at for the mystic theurge, he is very much a scholar and unused to the world at large. Any and all help, direction, or assistance would be greatly appreciated, even if it is just a link to another thread.
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants 11-23-06, 03:20 PM	Both campaigns are about 2nd level. I'm mostly wanting help with the backgrounds, any suggestions would be appreciated. I also want a little help with what feat/class choices may be best for the flavor I want. The class choices I have right now are mostly just while I write up the character concept, they can change.
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants 11-25-06, 05:29 PM	So, I guess nobody has any ideas or suggestions to help me?
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants 11-27-06, 11:19 AM	Over 100 views but nobody wants to comment?
Fithero 11-27-06, 11:33 AM	sucks i know... some posts just dont get answered. Perhaps (this is what i found anyway) youve thrown too much into one thread. 3 characters with that length backgrounds.... you get a little lost about what to repsond to. If you want, why dont you just dump this thread and make a new one for each character. Just a thought. Peace