Opinions on this background please [Archive] - Wizards Community

Opinions on this background please [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Puritan13
08-15-05, 01:06 PM Below is the background for a DMPC that I have been using in a Warcraft game. Looking for opinions on it if you don't mind. The character has only once (during game time) shifted to human form, and that was to play a prank on a fellow party member for making a big mistake in combat. Other than that, he requirers the elven ranger to cast speak with animals to communicate with other than gestures. Travelling companions include an Elven Archer/Ranger a Human Fighter/Rogue, and an Orc Sorcerer (played by the same person as the human fighter/rogue). Here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=483439) is his crunch.

Unlike most lycanthropes, I wasn’t born human; rather I was born a panther. I was unaware of my shapechanging nature until much later in my life. What I was aware of was that I was different from all other creatures of the wild that I encountered. I didn’t want to be different, and this fostered in me an unquenchable rage. I killed many humans indiscriminately for many years. The local humans would eventually send out hunting parties to kill me. They only succeeded in driving to other hunting grounds.
I’ve lost track of the number of humans I’ve killed. Men, women, and children alike were my prey and food for uncounted years. You have to understand that while I was sentient and self-aware, I was uncivilized. I had no concept of numbers or time. My only concerns were for the hunt and the kill. I hungered for the hunt, so much so that I would hunt even when not hungry. I would hunt even when sated. The faces of my victims still come to me in my dreams from time to time.
One day, I was hunting near a town (the name of which, I forget) when I heard a rustle behind me. I was surprised to say the least. Sneaking up on me was impossible I thought. No one could stalk me as I was the ultimate stalker. Not so I was to discover. I turned to see a man facing me. Not only was it a man, but it was a man that was unafraid. This, being wholly new to me was surprising. The man calmly approached me and spoke to me in a language that I understood. This was not verbal communication, but rather the gestures and sounds with which animals use to convey a thought amongst themselves. His message was essentially that he was not a threat.
I was not impressed with his message. I leapt to the attack and quickly found the reason for his calm. The man’s eyes flashed with a red light for the briefest of moments and then I found myself bound by invisible bands. The invisible bands tightened until I found it impossible to move beyond a mere fraction of an inch.
The man, whose name was Rupert I was informed much later, took me to his camp, and from there we traveled to his home outside Stormwind Keep. I spent many years with Rupert, first as his prisoner, and then as his guest and pupil. I eventually came to see him as a father. It was Rupert that named me Bastion. He spent time informing me about my nature and my abilities. He told me that I had many untapped psionic abilities and that is why he was able to find me so easily. He instructed me in many things, and helped me figure out the things that neither of us knew how to do. With his guidance, I discovered how to control my shape in order to blend in with man, and how to tap the potential within my mind. Differences quickly revealed themselves to us. His mental powers centered on concentration and effort of will, mine seemed to enhance my already prodigious physical ability.
A few weeks ago, my idyllic life with Rupert came to an end. Rupert was not a young man when he captured me, and even his awesome mental powers were not able to rewind time. He died of old age. I was with him when he died, and he charged me with one task: To do as much good in the world as possible before my time ended. He left me all that he owned, which consists of a small log house on about five thousand acres of land. I sometimes find the house unbearable to be in and take long sojourns into the surrounding areas looking for wrongs to right and such.
It is one such sojourn that led to our meeting. I was out, tracking down a good sized group of corrupted orcs, when I stupidly stumbled into their trap. The net surrounded me, and I found myself unable to escape. The orcs took me deep underground and for the past few weeks, I have been an amusement for them in their arena. Thank you for releasing me from their cage.
Morka
08-16-05, 11:09 AM Great character concept. I like it. I find the panther really bloodthirsty in its beginning; once a lion is sated, he will let the gazelles graze just beside him. You should perhaps insist on the point this intelligent panther was so angry to be different, it would kill anything different than it, i.e. everything.
Trydan
08-16-05, 11:17 AM Yes, a nice concept. I too like the fact you start as the animal - that's a really great idea.
Scyld
08-16-05, 04:08 PM Sounds like it would be rather difficult to roleplay effectively, though. How do you, the player, connect with someone who began life as an animal?
Puritan13
08-16-05, 08:13 PM Great character concept. I like it. I find the panther really bloodthirsty in its beginning; once a lion is sated, he will let the gazelles graze just beside him. You should perhaps insist on the point this intelligent panther was so angry to be different, it would kill anything different than it, i.e. everything.That was exactly what I was going for. His barbarian levels are what he gained during that phase and come to the fore when his companions are threatened. If everything is going good in combat, he's just fine, but when things start to go bad, he rages.
Yes, a nice concept. I too like the fact you start as the animal - that's a really great idea.I will admit that the idea was filched from White Wolf.
Sounds like it would be rather difficult to roleplay effectively, though. How do you, the player, connect with someone who began life as an animal?He was well past his animalistic phase before I started playing him. He fully realizes that he is a lycanthrope and not a panther. I find quite a bit of inspiration from the way Guenwhyvar is portrayed in all the Drizzt stories. I take that up a notch or two when it comes to intelligence.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Puritan13 08-15-05, 01:06 PM	Below is the background for a DMPC that I have been using in a Warcraft game. Looking for opinions on it if you don't mind. The character has only once (during game time) shifted to human form, and that was to play a prank on a fellow party member for making a big mistake in combat. Other than that, he requirers the elven ranger to cast speak with animals to communicate with other than gestures. Travelling companions include an Elven Archer/Ranger a Human Fighter/Rogue, and an Orc Sorcerer (played by the same person as the human fighter/rogue). Here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=483439) is his crunch. Unlike most lycanthropes, I wasn’t born human; rather I was born a panther. I was unaware of my shapechanging nature until much later in my life. What I was aware of was that I was different from all other creatures of the wild that I encountered. I didn’t want to be different, and this fostered in me an unquenchable rage. I killed many humans indiscriminately for many years. The local humans would eventually send out hunting parties to kill me. They only succeeded in driving to other hunting grounds. I’ve lost track of the number of humans I’ve killed. Men, women, and children alike were my prey and food for uncounted years. You have to understand that while I was sentient and self-aware, I was uncivilized. I had no concept of numbers or time. My only concerns were for the hunt and the kill. I hungered for the hunt, so much so that I would hunt even when not hungry. I would hunt even when sated. The faces of my victims still come to me in my dreams from time to time. One day, I was hunting near a town (the name of which, I forget) when I heard a rustle behind me. I was surprised to say the least. Sneaking up on me was impossible I thought. No one could stalk me as I was the ultimate stalker. Not so I was to discover. I turned to see a man facing me. Not only was it a man, but it was a man that was unafraid. This, being wholly new to me was surprising. The man calmly approached me and spoke to me in a language that I understood. This was not verbal communication, but rather the gestures and sounds with which animals use to convey a thought amongst themselves. His message was essentially that he was not a threat. I was not impressed with his message. I leapt to the attack and quickly found the reason for his calm. The man’s eyes flashed with a red light for the briefest of moments and then I found myself bound by invisible bands. The invisible bands tightened until I found it impossible to move beyond a mere fraction of an inch. The man, whose name was Rupert I was informed much later, took me to his camp, and from there we traveled to his home outside Stormwind Keep. I spent many years with Rupert, first as his prisoner, and then as his guest and pupil. I eventually came to see him as a father. It was Rupert that named me Bastion. He spent time informing me about my nature and my abilities. He told me that I had many untapped psionic abilities and that is why he was able to find me so easily. He instructed me in many things, and helped me figure out the things that neither of us knew how to do. With his guidance, I discovered how to control my shape in order to blend in with man, and how to tap the potential within my mind. Differences quickly revealed themselves to us. His mental powers centered on concentration and effort of will, mine seemed to enhance my already prodigious physical ability. A few weeks ago, my idyllic life with Rupert came to an end. Rupert was not a young man when he captured me, and even his awesome mental powers were not able to rewind time. He died of old age. I was with him when he died, and he charged me with one task: To do as much good in the world as possible before my time ended. He left me all that he owned, which consists of a small log house on about five thousand acres of land. I sometimes find the house unbearable to be in and take long sojourns into the surrounding areas looking for wrongs to right and such. It is one such sojourn that led to our meeting. I was out, tracking down a good sized group of corrupted orcs, when I stupidly stumbled into their trap. The net surrounded me, and I found myself unable to escape. The orcs took me deep underground and for the past few weeks, I have been an amusement for them in their arena. Thank you for releasing me from their cage.
Morka 08-16-05, 11:09 AM	Great character concept. I like it. I find the panther really bloodthirsty in its beginning; once a lion is sated, he will let the gazelles graze just beside him. You should perhaps insist on the point this intelligent panther was so angry to be different, it would kill anything different than it, i.e. everything.
Trydan 08-16-05, 11:17 AM	Yes, a nice concept. I too like the fact you start as the animal - that's a really great idea.
Scyld 08-16-05, 04:08 PM	Sounds like it would be rather difficult to roleplay effectively, though. How do you, the player, connect with someone who began life as an animal?
Puritan13 08-16-05, 08:13 PM	Great character concept. I like it. I find the panther really bloodthirsty in its beginning; once a lion is sated, he will let the gazelles graze just beside him. You should perhaps insist on the point this intelligent panther was so angry to be different, it would kill anything different than it, i.e. everything.That was exactly what I was going for. His barbarian levels are what he gained during that phase and come to the fore when his companions are threatened. If everything is going good in combat, he's just fine, but when things start to go bad, he rages. Yes, a nice concept. I too like the fact you start as the animal - that's a really great idea.I will admit that the idea was filched from White Wolf. Sounds like it would be rather difficult to roleplay effectively, though. How do you, the player, connect with someone who began life as an animal?He was well past his animalistic phase before I started playing him. He fully realizes that he is a lycanthrope and not a panther. I find quite a bit of inspiration from the way Guenwhyvar is portrayed in all the Drizzt stories. I take that up a notch or two when it comes to intelligence.