Post/Author/DateTime

Post

jkforreal 12-18-04, 01:06 PM

I started in the FAQs and found Trydan's good thread on creating characters. This thread o'ours is about origins as an alternative and complement to concepts. Trydan & Co's thread: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=105563 I began making characters with a focus on roleplay again. (After straying on the Optimization Boards for some time.) I started working with Trydan's (many folks') starting point, concepts. I notice that people have concepts like "furry" or "i want to be a sea turtle" (it's out there if you want to see it for yourself) or more likely "two-fisted drunken mage." To me, these concepts don't go deep enough. Also, I'm a comic reader, so origins to me are a big part of the story. Get origin-al. Ask yourself how either how the character was born, or at least how they got from their mundane beginnings to their bizarre adventuring lifestyle. Adventuring is a truly odd profession: dangerous in the extreme, often lethal, but potentially lucractive. How does one get the idea to do this for a living when there are so many other choices? Here is an example: Origin Sorcerer Born of Roguery Introduction The powerful thieves guild of the city decided that they needed a completely loyal spellcaster. They decided to steal the children of sorcerers and wizards, 5 of them, and see if they could raise one up to be loyal to the guild. The others they could sell into slavery (these are not nice people, and this plot was not well-known in the guild, both for security reasons and because even some thieves have their limits). In fact, although the children were raised in different locations, some thieves guessed at the plan. Some left, others reacted in different ways. History The guild decided to kidnap 5 children to raise as loyal magickers. Malvender was second of two children born to wedded sorcerers. He was their second child. He was stolen from them at 9 months. One kidnapper was killed and 2 others wounded, but magical traps, cohorts and servants could not stop the crime. Speak With The Dead brought clues as to the nature of the theft, but to wage war on the guild was not to be desired, and finding the child much more difficult finding the source. His parents tried to find him, tried offering rewards, but nothing availed. Two of the kidnapped children were recovered and 1 was killed in the attempt. Malvender lived in a roguish home for the first 9 years of his life. Malvender was fortunate in one thing. The rogue assigned to “check in on ‘im from time to time” had his limits. Thievery was his life, but he found robbery distasteful and stupid, and kidnapping impossible to stomach. Nonetheless, crossing the guild wasn’t his style. When Mal was two years old, his thief-monitor quit the guild and blabbed to some adventurers he encountered on the road out of town. (He set up a mostly-respectable shop in a small town, married and lived a quiet life. How he was judged is not for me to speculate on. But his moral stance had effect on Malvender's life.) The adventurers rescued the child, but it occurred to them that in returning the child they would be dealing with a wronged spellthrower of unknown disposition and power. They weren’t sure he’d believe their story so they wanted to prepare him (and her), and sound them out as well. They tried to determine who the parents were in secret, but no success. They finally gave up and put the child up for adoption. They put word out in a rather secretive way. Unfortunately, the orphanage was a compromised one. Malvender again fell in among thieves, but at least they were unaware of his magical talents and only wished to exploit him as a beggar. Malvender didn’t want to beg. When he understood what was expected he rebelled with some success. One night when punished by being deprived of food he snuck into the larder and stole. His enterprise was lauded and his new career was immediately supported. By 7 years of age he was on the streets picking pockets and charming “marks.” At 9 years he chose the wrong mark, a wizard whose security preparations were thorough. Malvender was caught. The wizard recognized a certain potential in the young thief, and decided to keep him. Astonishingly, the tale of the original spellcaster kidnappings – now 9 years old - was recalled to the ears of the wizard. He then arranged for posters of the boy to be distributed amongst the circles in which he traveled. Eventually, Malvender was united with his parents. Though Mal was offered much comfort and a respectable path in life including training in the arcane arts, his early years had scarred him. In a place of plenty, he frequently stole. He’d take the spoils to his old buddies at the orphanage, although he was happy to be away from his disciplinarians. Discipline was indeed a problem, as a 14-year old pickpocket raised in a corrupt orphanage is hardly well-prepared for life in a prosperous and respectable middle class family. After stormy times, Malvender grew to have a grudging respect and affection for his parents, but nonetheless left their home at 18. He naturally resumed thieving, but he had an awareness of his magical talents. He solicited his folks and they arranged an apprenticeship for him with a sorcerer they knew. He learned well, as usual, but departed as soon as his studies were complete, leaving the city to start anew. Details Malvender is dark, and his deep desire for security is often counterpointed by wild impulsiveness and risk. He’s partly a youthful criminal daredevil and part proud sorcerer – he hasn’t yet learned to respect the respectability of his parents, it seems to him to be humbug. Their patience and tolerance, their willingness to sacrifice dreams of teaching him themselves in order to insure he would be taught and have a good life have escaped his conscious mind. Given his impulses for power and risk, and his inability to trust love, the adventuring life suits him well, although he is not always the most cooperative companion. Explanation The concept was a sorcerous rogue, and the game mechanic followed (sorcerer, rogue, Arcane Trickster). Then i felt I wasn't asking enough questions, and it eventually got down to birth and childhood. I found that after that the rest was easy. Try it - start with birth circumstances, i.e., what I'm calling origin. I think that birth and also "point of decision to adventure" make very interesting - fruitful - places to begin. There are other origin-type questions that i think are useful - why is a Templar wondering the earth adventuring, or a Contemplative, or a monk or cleric, for that matter? And once the mission is over, why do they continue doing it?