Paladin: Character Development Workshop [Archive] - Wizards Community

Paladin: Character Development Workshop [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cerebrum
03-25-06, 03:55 AM Hello. I was wondering if anyone in the community would be willing to take some time to help me fine-tune a character that I have been trying to develop recently. He is being created for a first-level Forgotten Realms campaign that will begin in Neverwinter. Specifically, some of the questions I would like to answer here are: is Vorlome believable? What, if anything, is lacking in his background? Should anything be changed on his character sheet? What is the overall impression that he creates in the mind of the reader, and what problems might he face in a future campaign? How can he be further developed?

Link to his character sheet: Click here. (http://www.theinsanity.net/temp/Vorlome%20-Neverwinter2.html)

Part I: Philosophy

Vorlome was born on the eve of Midsummer’s Day, on the Year of the Morningstar. The town of Vorlome’s birth, Amphail, lies by the Long Road, three days ride north of Waterdeep. Amphail was and is known for its horses, its forests, and its produce, the last of which bore the greatest import to Vorlome. For it was on a small farm, nestled in a glade by a twisting road leading to the village proper, that he would spend the first sixteen years of his life.

Vorlome’s father was a doctor and an amateur botanist who never lacked for patients. Vorlome’s mother was a housewife, a devoted but often overbearing parent whom Vorlome took care to avoid during his youth. Such a task was not difficult since the majority of the daily farm chores were left to Vorlome and his younger brother.

As a young boy, Vorlome proved to be unique. He was almost universally loved in Amphail for his precocious but kindhearted demeanor. He was generous with all that he possessed, for he delighted in bringing joy to others, to the extent that he often gave away more than he could have afforded to. As a boy Vorlome was also highly independent of his parents and of all others in authority, and he followed his own conscience and instincts above all others from the very beginning. To this day, Vorlome has been known not to request help even in the direst of circumstances and he prefers to complete important tasks on his own. He detests being dependent or reliant upon others. The result is an individual who takes the most excellent care of others but who often neglects himself more than he should.

At the age of 10, Vorlome joined Amphail’s church of Tyr. Neither of his parents were particularly religious, and as such this decision was made by Vorlome himself. From the very beginning it was obvious to the clergy that Vorlome was “different from the other boys,” in that his devotion to Tyr was unparalleled. From a letter that was sent from the church’s high priest to Vorlome’s father, it is obvious that Vorlome was being groomed to someday take over the responsibilities of high priest, of which Vorlome became aware. The church of Tyr, along with some early help from Vorlome’s father, gave Vorlome literacy and an adequate education. All in the church felt that Vorlome performed exceptionally well as a priest-to-be.

Then, somewhere between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, Vorlome lost his faith. It is clear that his study incorporated the history of religion in Faerun as well as the existence of other pantheons. Consequently, Vorlome came to regard the Gods as being possessed of the same flaws as mortals; the feature that gave them significance was reduced to an order of power. Vorlome therefore fell from idyllic worship of Tyr and the Tribunal to mere respect, and he often has cause to doubt their existence entirely.

Part II: Wisdom

In DR 1366, the Year of the Staff, Vorlome received an apprenticeship as a scribe in the city of Waterdeep. There, he eventually earned enough money to join the Academy. Vorlome discovered that he had something of a natural aptitude with spellcasting, but he had no love of wielding magic. In a letter he sent home to his parents, he expressed the sentiment that the study of magic ought to be left to those who love practicing it for its own sake, and not for its utility.

Vorlome’s two primary subjects of inquiry during his tenure at the Academy were the history of Faerun and its literature, as he was interested in the greater question of the human condition. He also flirted with martial studies in an effort to further understand himself.

In the spring of his first year, Vorlome fell deeply in love with one of his fellow students. One year later, he left the Academy.

Part III: Fruition

Vorlome arrived after a hard journey in Neverwinter during the month of Uktar in DR 1368. He immediately enlisted in the City Guard, and endured the training and heavy socialization process that is the act of becoming a soldier. Somewhere during his enlistment Vorlome acquired a certain faith in himself, though he does maintain a characteristic amount of self-criticism which prevented him from becoming arrogant as many of his colleagues did.

Vorlome’s primary responsibilities as a member of the City Guard were to defend Neverwinter from border skirmishes, altercations, and infiltration by Luskan. Yet he was also required to police the city itself, arresting thieves and bringing suspects to trial. Thus, Vorlome eventually found the life of an enforcer, like the life of an academic, to be inadequate. As an individual who is driven to do good in the world, Vorlome gravitated towards the life of an adventurer and began to look for work. It was then that he fell in with a band of unlikely heros, and the true history of his life began...

~.~
Some "quotes" by Vorlome:

(The first quote is to be appendend to a portrait in which V stands before a fallen foe)
"Be not afraid.
I can see that, somewhere along the way, you forgot what is truly valuable in life. Come--take my hand. I will remind you."

"Look at me. I am no stronger or wiser than any other man. I simply know something that most do not: that there is more to life than self-advancement."

"All that we need is within easy reach. Why must everyone conquer the world, when they cannot even conquer themselves?"

Please post your comments below! Thanks.
locksley92
03-25-06, 07:49 AM Your paladin is very well-rounded and he would be fun to role-play :ayyyy!:. I especially liked how his devotion failed as he realized [or believed he realized] the flaws in the Gods. My questions are: how does his belief that people must, instead of putting their trust in the Gods, put their faith in each other affect other people around him? How does this go down with his former teachers? And finally, what happened to his father and mother after he left to join the clergy of Tyr? Interesting adventure hooks, if I've ever seen any.
aleshandre
03-25-06, 08:24 AM I personally have a dislike for the concept of divine power of self. I like the overall concept, but I think that there should be some sort of redemption to following one of the gods, or at least a conviction to a set of moral principles that would cause one or more of the gods to grant him the gifts of a paladin.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cerebrum 03-25-06, 03:55 AM	Hello. I was wondering if anyone in the community would be willing to take some time to help me fine-tune a character that I have been trying to develop recently. He is being created for a first-level Forgotten Realms campaign that will begin in Neverwinter. Specifically, some of the questions I would like to answer here are: is Vorlome believable? What, if anything, is lacking in his background? Should anything be changed on his character sheet? What is the overall impression that he creates in the mind of the reader, and what problems might he face in a future campaign? How can he be further developed? Link to his character sheet: Click here. (http://www.theinsanity.net/temp/Vorlome%20-Neverwinter2.html) Part I: Philosophy Vorlome was born on the eve of Midsummer’s Day, on the Year of the Morningstar. The town of Vorlome’s birth, Amphail, lies by the Long Road, three days ride north of Waterdeep. Amphail was and is known for its horses, its forests, and its produce, the last of which bore the greatest import to Vorlome. For it was on a small farm, nestled in a glade by a twisting road leading to the village proper, that he would spend the first sixteen years of his life. Vorlome’s father was a doctor and an amateur botanist who never lacked for patients. Vorlome’s mother was a housewife, a devoted but often overbearing parent whom Vorlome took care to avoid during his youth. Such a task was not difficult since the majority of the daily farm chores were left to Vorlome and his younger brother. As a young boy, Vorlome proved to be unique. He was almost universally loved in Amphail for his precocious but kindhearted demeanor. He was generous with all that he possessed, for he delighted in bringing joy to others, to the extent that he often gave away more than he could have afforded to. As a boy Vorlome was also highly independent of his parents and of all others in authority, and he followed his own conscience and instincts above all others from the very beginning. To this day, Vorlome has been known not to request help even in the direst of circumstances and he prefers to complete important tasks on his own. He detests being dependent or reliant upon others. The result is an individual who takes the most excellent care of others but who often neglects himself more than he should. At the age of 10, Vorlome joined Amphail’s church of Tyr. Neither of his parents were particularly religious, and as such this decision was made by Vorlome himself. From the very beginning it was obvious to the clergy that Vorlome was “different from the other boys,” in that his devotion to Tyr was unparalleled. From a letter that was sent from the church’s high priest to Vorlome’s father, it is obvious that Vorlome was being groomed to someday take over the responsibilities of high priest, of which Vorlome became aware. The church of Tyr, along with some early help from Vorlome’s father, gave Vorlome literacy and an adequate education. All in the church felt that Vorlome performed exceptionally well as a priest-to-be. Then, somewhere between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, Vorlome lost his faith. It is clear that his study incorporated the history of religion in Faerun as well as the existence of other pantheons. Consequently, Vorlome came to regard the Gods as being possessed of the same flaws as mortals; the feature that gave them significance was reduced to an order of power. Vorlome therefore fell from idyllic worship of Tyr and the Tribunal to mere respect, and he often has cause to doubt their existence entirely. Part II: Wisdom In DR 1366, the Year of the Staff, Vorlome received an apprenticeship as a scribe in the city of Waterdeep. There, he eventually earned enough money to join the Academy. Vorlome discovered that he had something of a natural aptitude with spellcasting, but he had no love of wielding magic. In a letter he sent home to his parents, he expressed the sentiment that the study of magic ought to be left to those who love practicing it for its own sake, and not for its utility. Vorlome’s two primary subjects of inquiry during his tenure at the Academy were the history of Faerun and its literature, as he was interested in the greater question of the human condition. He also flirted with martial studies in an effort to further understand himself. In the spring of his first year, Vorlome fell deeply in love with one of his fellow students. One year later, he left the Academy. Part III: Fruition Vorlome arrived after a hard journey in Neverwinter during the month of Uktar in DR 1368. He immediately enlisted in the City Guard, and endured the training and heavy socialization process that is the act of becoming a soldier. Somewhere during his enlistment Vorlome acquired a certain faith in himself, though he does maintain a characteristic amount of self-criticism which prevented him from becoming arrogant as many of his colleagues did. Vorlome’s primary responsibilities as a member of the City Guard were to defend Neverwinter from border skirmishes, altercations, and infiltration by Luskan. Yet he was also required to police the city itself, arresting thieves and bringing suspects to trial. Thus, Vorlome eventually found the life of an enforcer, like the life of an academic, to be inadequate. As an individual who is driven to do good in the world, Vorlome gravitated towards the life of an adventurer and began to look for work. It was then that he fell in with a band of unlikely heros, and the true history of his life began... ~.~ Some "quotes" by Vorlome: (The first quote is to be appendend to a portrait in which V stands before a fallen foe) "Be not afraid. I can see that, somewhere along the way, you forgot what is truly valuable in life. Come--take my hand. I will remind you." "Look at me. I am no stronger or wiser than any other man. I simply know something that most do not: that there is more to life than self-advancement." "All that we need is within easy reach. Why must everyone conquer the world, when they cannot even conquer themselves?" Please post your comments below! Thanks.
locksley92 03-25-06, 07:49 AM	Your paladin is very well-rounded and he would be fun to role-play :ayyyy!:. I especially liked how his devotion failed as he realized [or believed he realized] the flaws in the Gods. My questions are: how does his belief that people must, instead of putting their trust in the Gods, put their faith in each other affect other people around him? How does this go down with his former teachers? And finally, what happened to his father and mother after he left to join the clergy of Tyr? Interesting adventure hooks, if I've ever seen any.
aleshandre 03-25-06, 08:24 AM	I personally have a dislike for the concept of divine power of self. I like the overall concept, but I think that there should be some sort of redemption to following one of the gods, or at least a conviction to a set of moral principles that would cause one or more of the gods to grant him the gifts of a paladin.