Putting edge into character. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Putting edge into character. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Wormwood
08-05-06, 08:07 AM Friend of mine, who runs a campaign as DM asked us to create new characters for new campaing as previous ended.

I created nature-child type character, barbarian who is uncapable of hating anybody or anything and he said: 'Nice', but he wanted something 'edgy' as I supposedly did have such a good 'edge' character in last campaign. So he asked and begged and promised all kind of perks if I did it... So:

Jeffery De Rais. Human rogue, male, lvl 3, CE.

Jeffery De Rais, alias Jeff the Pirate, alias Dr Jeff, alias Noble Bane, alias Monster of Rais Manor plus many other.

Jeffery De Rais is about 5’6” tall slender man, with black mid-length, waved hair. Thin moustache and goatee are equally black as are high-arching eyebrows over ice-blue eyes.

Jeff, as he is known by his friends, is friendly, humorous man with noble manners, charming personality and handsome face. He is generous to the fault and has never known to lose his temper. To his friends Jeff is loyal and dependable, if possessing slightly cruel sense of humour. However, he is first to apologise if he goes too far with his practical jokes.

Of course there are few character flaws in him. He is womaniser and borderline alcoholic.
He is also thoroughbred psychopath.

If some people are born with silver spoon in their mouth, Jeffery De Rais’ spoon must have been carved out of single diamond. He was only child of Baron De Rais and heir to De Rais Manor, which at that point was richer than King’s Castle, full of looted treasures from Baron De Rais’ campaigns as King’s Knight.

Jeffery’s father was killed two months before he was born in some campaign or another, and his training and grooming was left to his mother, Lady De Rais

At his sixteenth birthday, when he was supposed to take over his heritage, Jeffery De Rais poisoned all the quests, killed his own mother and all the men-at-arms and even peacocks and race horses of the manor with help of few river pirates. Then he burned the manor down with all the treasure and other things still inside and walked away with just few coins in his pocket.

After he left the childhood home, Jeffery has tried few professions usually on darker side of law. He has tried piracy, smuggling and acted as assassin and burglar. He also worked as a pimp and even kept a drinking dive in a harbour of Andis for a short while. He is usually very successful and seems to have a ‘devil’s luck’, but never stays in one place very long. This isn’t to avoid authorities, as Jeffery couldn’t care less about law and its enforcers, but simple boredom and wish for change.

Lately Jeffery has started a life as an adventurer and this far he has liked the career, due its unpredictable nature.

Motivation:

Jeffery De Rais doesn’t care about treasure or power, both of which he sees as boring. Enough money to stay drunk for a month is usually all the treasure he needs. His motivation is simply to have an adventure for the thrill of it and would leave if things started to feel boring or routine. Jeffery has no preferences in good-evil or chaos-order axis, but it isn’t good idea to start bossing him around as he kills things that irritate him and few things irritate Jeffery De Rais more than authority figures.

He loathes and despises authorities, especially nobles and sometimes few bodies of local nobility turn up cleverly and sadistically murdered. Equal targets for his psychotic tendencies are higher church officials and mages of high social standing and his calling card is crushed signet-rings and trashed coat-of-arms, both regalia of nobility of which he hates with passion. He doesn’t have need to explain his actions to himself, but while some prostitute once noted that he drinks to forget his crimes, he just noted that he likes his crimes, but there is something else he wishes to forget.

He is expert in poisons and his high intelligence and charismatic manners allow him to get really close to his targets. He uses aliases as needed and trusts a simple but well thought out disguises.

Oh, and since Jeffery hasn't been in front of the court, legally he still owns lands and castles and manors he inherited from his father, making him Baron De Rais. This means that in order to any King to be crowned, he has to be present as champion of the king. Which of course would be extremely bad idea, but still a rule of his homeland that is more than little traditional and stiff.

So, 'edgy' enough?
Fithero
08-05-06, 10:33 PM Sounds like a solid.

Im not so sure about him just killing everybody and everything on his 16th b'day though. Why would he do that just up and out of the blue or something, youd need a pretty good reason.

Perhaps his mother was trying to force him into marrying another noble... an ugly young girl or something. Or she was going to force him into joining the armed forcers (follow his fathers foot steps).

Anything like forcing him to do something he doesnt want to do seems to fit the character.

Later
Wormwood
08-07-06, 02:29 PM I was thinking more of a equally monsterous mother, who kept him locked up in a dungeon, when he wasn't studying, killed his dog for mistakes in etiquette and had her men-at-arms murder a stable girl he liked in front of him as real De Rais wouldn't assosiate with lower classes.

Basicly your standard :"Build your own Hannibal Lecter"- training.

These were of course noble family 'quirks' and kept as family matters, even by nobles and other tutors of young Jeff. Which kind of linked nobility = tortue inside little boys head.

Also I thought he once ran away, finding refuge in pirates den by the river. This made him like shadows of the law as a refuge from his life.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wormwood 08-05-06, 08:07 AM	Friend of mine, who runs a campaign as DM asked us to create new characters for new campaing as previous ended. I created nature-child type character, barbarian who is uncapable of hating anybody or anything and he said: 'Nice', but he wanted something 'edgy' as I supposedly did have such a good 'edge' character in last campaign. So he asked and begged and promised all kind of perks if I did it... So: Jeffery De Rais. Human rogue, male, lvl 3, CE. Jeffery De Rais, alias Jeff the Pirate, alias Dr Jeff, alias Noble Bane, alias Monster of Rais Manor plus many other. Jeffery De Rais is about 5’6” tall slender man, with black mid-length, waved hair. Thin moustache and goatee are equally black as are high-arching eyebrows over ice-blue eyes. Jeff, as he is known by his friends, is friendly, humorous man with noble manners, charming personality and handsome face. He is generous to the fault and has never known to lose his temper. To his friends Jeff is loyal and dependable, if possessing slightly cruel sense of humour. However, he is first to apologise if he goes too far with his practical jokes. Of course there are few character flaws in him. He is womaniser and borderline alcoholic. He is also thoroughbred psychopath. If some people are born with silver spoon in their mouth, Jeffery De Rais’ spoon must have been carved out of single diamond. He was only child of Baron De Rais and heir to De Rais Manor, which at that point was richer than King’s Castle, full of looted treasures from Baron De Rais’ campaigns as King’s Knight. Jeffery’s father was killed two months before he was born in some campaign or another, and his training and grooming was left to his mother, Lady De Rais At his sixteenth birthday, when he was supposed to take over his heritage, Jeffery De Rais poisoned all the quests, killed his own mother and all the men-at-arms and even peacocks and race horses of the manor with help of few river pirates. Then he burned the manor down with all the treasure and other things still inside and walked away with just few coins in his pocket. After he left the childhood home, Jeffery has tried few professions usually on darker side of law. He has tried piracy, smuggling and acted as assassin and burglar. He also worked as a pimp and even kept a drinking dive in a harbour of Andis for a short while. He is usually very successful and seems to have a ‘devil’s luck’, but never stays in one place very long. This isn’t to avoid authorities, as Jeffery couldn’t care less about law and its enforcers, but simple boredom and wish for change. Lately Jeffery has started a life as an adventurer and this far he has liked the career, due its unpredictable nature. Motivation: Jeffery De Rais doesn’t care about treasure or power, both of which he sees as boring. Enough money to stay drunk for a month is usually all the treasure he needs. His motivation is simply to have an adventure for the thrill of it and would leave if things started to feel boring or routine. Jeffery has no preferences in good-evil or chaos-order axis, but it isn’t good idea to start bossing him around as he kills things that irritate him and few things irritate Jeffery De Rais more than authority figures. He loathes and despises authorities, especially nobles and sometimes few bodies of local nobility turn up cleverly and sadistically murdered. Equal targets for his psychotic tendencies are higher church officials and mages of high social standing and his calling card is crushed signet-rings and trashed coat-of-arms, both regalia of nobility of which he hates with passion. He doesn’t have need to explain his actions to himself, but while some prostitute once noted that he drinks to forget his crimes, he just noted that he likes his crimes, but there is something else he wishes to forget. He is expert in poisons and his high intelligence and charismatic manners allow him to get really close to his targets. He uses aliases as needed and trusts a simple but well thought out disguises. Oh, and since Jeffery hasn't been in front of the court, legally he still owns lands and castles and manors he inherited from his father, making him Baron De Rais. This means that in order to any King to be crowned, he has to be present as champion of the king. Which of course would be extremely bad idea, but still a rule of his homeland that is more than little traditional and stiff. So, 'edgy' enough?
Fithero 08-05-06, 10:33 PM	Sounds like a solid. Im not so sure about him just killing everybody and everything on his 16th b'day though. Why would he do that just up and out of the blue or something, youd need a pretty good reason. Perhaps his mother was trying to force him into marrying another noble... an ugly young girl or something. Or she was going to force him into joining the armed forcers (follow his fathers foot steps). Anything like forcing him to do something he doesnt want to do seems to fit the character. Later
Wormwood 08-07-06, 02:29 PM	I was thinking more of a equally monsterous mother, who kept him locked up in a dungeon, when he wasn't studying, killed his dog for mistakes in etiquette and had her men-at-arms murder a stable girl he liked in front of him as real De Rais wouldn't assosiate with lower classes. Basicly your standard :"Build your own Hannibal Lecter"- training. These were of course noble family 'quirks' and kept as family matters, even by nobles and other tutors of young Jeff. Which kind of linked nobility = tortue inside little boys head. Also I thought he once ran away, finding refuge in pirates den by the river. This made him like shadows of the law as a refuge from his life.