Rogue mariner [Archive] - Wizards Community

Rogue mariner [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Fatalis_902
07-24-06, 10:06 PM I need some help figuring out how I could tie a rogue to the mariner background from the PH2. I already figured he was a privateer (for those who don't know, a privateer is a pirate employed by a specific country), but I am still having trouble rationlaizing a rogue on a ship. Perhaps he became a rogue after he was sepperated from his ship somehow, but why? Or.... maybe he was a rogue on the ship, but again, why? Where would his skills come in handy? For more info, he is a specialist style rogue, so I can justify most of his skills, but not things like disable device, open lock, or move silently. A little help/advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
LuckyLeprechaun
07-24-06, 10:28 PM Rogues are really the classic pirate, their array of skills helps the pirate get the advantage on the seas, with climb, jump, balance etc.

But I see this is not your problem, move silently? On a boat? And picking locks? Tougher problem for sure.

Well, pirates, at least the classic movie pirates, quite often land on shore to find "buried treasure," quite cliche, but it helps out.

While searching for this treasure, you will need to sneak past the islands inhabitants, pick locks on chests, and possibly even disable ancient traps that guard this mystical or less than mystical treasure.

That's what came to me at the moment.

Hope it helps!

Lucky
Fatalis_902
07-24-06, 10:46 PM Thanks, that had crossed my mind, and it is a good idea that I should be able to run with. Especially now that I'm really thinking about it. And now that you mention it, didn't Captain Jack Sparrow go hunting for the Dead Man's Chest (I should probably be tagged for that :P ) recently? And wasn't he offered a proposition to become a privateer in the service of the East India Trading Company, where his first job would have been to retrieve the Dead Man's Chest (I should still be tagged)? Yeah... that'll work. That makes sense.

Now.... how did he switch to adventuring on dry land instead of the open sea? Perhaps his ship was lost in a storm, and he was the only survivor (or so he thought)? Or maybe the ship sank when it was attacked by some kind of Kraken-esque monster? Come to think of it, how would a bard fit this idea? Probably like a rogue, but I want confirmation. I can see him using his bardic music to help when we plunder another ship, cause that's part of the life of a privateer, and his skill selection makes sense for life on a ship. The life of a privateer would also make for some great stories told in the tavern when we come to port. Also, and only semi-on topic, would CN be a good alignment for a privateer? They were basically supposed to attack the ships of enemy kingdoms, and plunder treasure, from the ships, or any locations marked on a map, so CN sounds good, but what about their contract with the kingdom/country? Wouldn't they feel tempted to violate it if they were CN, keeping the entire haul for themselves, instead of just their portion? Or maybe they just lie about the actual haul and keep some extra? Maybe I'm reading too much into alignment and should stop worrying because alignment debates give me headaches? Is anyone still listening?
Fatalis_902
07-25-06, 08:02 AM Is anyone still interested?
Fatalis_902
07-25-06, 09:34 AM Oh and one more question.
How exactly would one play CN?
I was thinking something along the lines of: He does what is in his best interest, even if it puts those around at great risk. However, if someone can earn his trust/loyalty, he will never betray them, no matter what.
How does that sound? Any suggestions?
Fatalis_902
07-26-06, 06:30 PM Is anyone still listening?
remmun
07-27-06, 03:37 AM one way to play a free spirit (chaotic-Neutral) character would be that he does what's in his best intrest but is not foolish enough to betray a higher power. he would be tempted to take the treasure and keep it for himself but is held bck because he's not yet ready to betray his employer. perhaps at a higher level he finds that his employer doesn't have any leverage on him anymore and he breaks away on his own to become freelance pirate.

looking at jack sparrow as an example, he always has his best intrest in mind but waits for "the opertune moment". your character could be played in a similar fashion
Fatalis_902
07-27-06, 09:23 AM Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

Alos, I took the time to write an entire background for this character, explaining his early years and why he became an adventurer. I'll post it now.

Character Background- Zayl Raven, Human Rogue

Youth- Zayl was born to a family of merchants who owned a ship, making their way in the world by transporting goods throughout the realms. He grew up on the ship, but spent no small part of his time on dry land exploring the towns and ports his family visited in their travels. He made few lasting friendships, mostly due to the fact that he never spent much time in one place, and it was hard to keep in contact with those he met.

Adolescence- Zayl’s early years were fairly easy, learning the ways of life on the high seas, helping his family with their jobs, learning most of the trade for himself. He did have some problems at times, having several run-ins with pirates. He learned to fight on the deck of a ship, perfecting skills such as Balance, Climb, and Jump, amongst others, as well as learning to fight with a rapier and short bow.

Notable Events- Zayl’s life changed forever on one seemingly ordinary merchant run, when his family’s ship was lost in a storm. He was thrown overboard, and clung to a piece of floating debris to survive. He weathered the storm like this, and was found two days later by a passing merchant ship. He had no idea of his family’s fate, and he asked around, both on the ship and in the first port city they came to, where he elected to stay temporarily, until news of his family’s ship came about. The news never came, however, and he found that he wouldn’t learn the fate of his family if he stayed in port forever, waiting to he something. So, three months after the storm, he signed on with a pirate crew, where he learned the tricks of the Rogue’s trade, hoping to find the answer’s he was looking for himself.

Recent- Before Zayl was able to discover his family’s whereabouts, the pirate ship he was on was attacked by enemy pirates, who where interested in a treasure that they (Zayl’s group) had recently retrieved from an obscure island. Zayl didn’t know what to do, having just lost his second family, and him being again the only survivor. He has recently discovered that there was a second survivor from the ship, a bard that he had become friends with. They are now journeying together, and Zayl is still searching for the whereabouts of his family.

Dreams and aspirations- Buy his own ship and continue the search for his family, once he finds has answers he will become a fulltime pirate.

Fears and nightmares- Zayl claims he fears nothing, and will not back down in the face of great danger. He does, however, harbor a secret fear of storms, and will freak out and be unable to act if caught in a storm.

Personality- Zayl is generally a very think-about-my-own-wants/needs/safety-before-others’ kind of guy, but is fiercely loyal to anyone who can gain his trust. Zayl is not a particularly trusting character, due to the number of losses he has suffered in his life. Losing his true family and a surrogate family has caused him to close him self off from the outside world, and he is not looking to be hurt again, and so he rarely develops more than a casual relationship with anyone. He is very hard on the outside, but is soft on the inside, with a particular soft spot for family. He will go out of his way to reunite a parent and child, and will ask for no reward, though he will not refuse one if the people insist on rewarding him. Though he has trouble developing relationships with and opening up to others, Zayl is a very fun loving kind of guy, and will not refuse the opportunity to show off, especially when he thinks it may bring him one step closer to discovering the fate of his family. He refuses to believe that they are dead, and will find a way to justify going on any adventure he thinks might be fun, no matter how round-about the justification may be. Such justification is more for himself than anyone else. Zayl has learned throughout his life to be prepared for anything. He generally carries more than most people would think he needs, such as torches when he has a lantern and sunrods. Though he likes to show off, he is not stupid, and is very careful when in dungeons. He checks every room for traps, and will not move along until he has disabled or activated every trap he finds, because he doesn’t want to leave any potential impediments behind them. Zayl also considers the use of magic to bypass a trap to be unimpressive and quite possibly stupid, because if they forget about the trap, it will bite them in the butt. However, if a trap is sprung by others, he is fine with the use of magic to get past it.
Fatalis_902
07-27-06, 09:23 AM So, what do you people think?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fatalis_902 07-24-06, 10:06 PM	I need some help figuring out how I could tie a rogue to the mariner background from the PH2. I already figured he was a privateer (for those who don't know, a privateer is a pirate employed by a specific country), but I am still having trouble rationlaizing a rogue on a ship. Perhaps he became a rogue after he was sepperated from his ship somehow, but why? Or.... maybe he was a rogue on the ship, but again, why? Where would his skills come in handy? For more info, he is a specialist style rogue, so I can justify most of his skills, but not things like disable device, open lock, or move silently. A little help/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
LuckyLeprechaun 07-24-06, 10:28 PM	Rogues are really the classic pirate, their array of skills helps the pirate get the advantage on the seas, with climb, jump, balance etc. But I see this is not your problem, move silently? On a boat? And picking locks? Tougher problem for sure. Well, pirates, at least the classic movie pirates, quite often land on shore to find "buried treasure," quite cliche, but it helps out. While searching for this treasure, you will need to sneak past the islands inhabitants, pick locks on chests, and possibly even disable ancient traps that guard this mystical or less than mystical treasure. That's what came to me at the moment. Hope it helps! Lucky
Fatalis_902 07-24-06, 10:46 PM	Thanks, that had crossed my mind, and it is a good idea that I should be able to run with. Especially now that I'm really thinking about it. And now that you mention it, didn't Captain Jack Sparrow go hunting for the Dead Man's Chest (I should probably be tagged for that :P ) recently? And wasn't he offered a proposition to become a privateer in the service of the East India Trading Company, where his first job would have been to retrieve the Dead Man's Chest (I should still be tagged)? Yeah... that'll work. That makes sense. Now.... how did he switch to adventuring on dry land instead of the open sea? Perhaps his ship was lost in a storm, and he was the only survivor (or so he thought)? Or maybe the ship sank when it was attacked by some kind of Kraken-esque monster? Come to think of it, how would a bard fit this idea? Probably like a rogue, but I want confirmation. I can see him using his bardic music to help when we plunder another ship, cause that's part of the life of a privateer, and his skill selection makes sense for life on a ship. The life of a privateer would also make for some great stories told in the tavern when we come to port. Also, and only semi-on topic, would CN be a good alignment for a privateer? They were basically supposed to attack the ships of enemy kingdoms, and plunder treasure, from the ships, or any locations marked on a map, so CN sounds good, but what about their contract with the kingdom/country? Wouldn't they feel tempted to violate it if they were CN, keeping the entire haul for themselves, instead of just their portion? Or maybe they just lie about the actual haul and keep some extra? Maybe I'm reading too much into alignment and should stop worrying because alignment debates give me headaches? Is anyone still listening?
Fatalis_902 07-25-06, 08:02 AM	Is anyone still interested?
Fatalis_902 07-25-06, 09:34 AM	Oh and one more question. How exactly would one play CN? I was thinking something along the lines of: He does what is in his best interest, even if it puts those around at great risk. However, if someone can earn his trust/loyalty, he will never betray them, no matter what. How does that sound? Any suggestions?
Fatalis_902 07-26-06, 06:30 PM	Is anyone still listening?
remmun 07-27-06, 03:37 AM	one way to play a free spirit (chaotic-Neutral) character would be that he does what's in his best intrest but is not foolish enough to betray a higher power. he would be tempted to take the treasure and keep it for himself but is held bck because he's not yet ready to betray his employer. perhaps at a higher level he finds that his employer doesn't have any leverage on him anymore and he breaks away on his own to become freelance pirate. looking at jack sparrow as an example, he always has his best intrest in mind but waits for "the opertune moment". your character could be played in a similar fashion
Fatalis_902 07-27-06, 09:23 AM	Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Alos, I took the time to write an entire background for this character, explaining his early years and why he became an adventurer. I'll post it now. Character Background- Zayl Raven, Human Rogue Youth- Zayl was born to a family of merchants who owned a ship, making their way in the world by transporting goods throughout the realms. He grew up on the ship, but spent no small part of his time on dry land exploring the towns and ports his family visited in their travels. He made few lasting friendships, mostly due to the fact that he never spent much time in one place, and it was hard to keep in contact with those he met. Adolescence- Zayl’s early years were fairly easy, learning the ways of life on the high seas, helping his family with their jobs, learning most of the trade for himself. He did have some problems at times, having several run-ins with pirates. He learned to fight on the deck of a ship, perfecting skills such as Balance, Climb, and Jump, amongst others, as well as learning to fight with a rapier and short bow. Notable Events- Zayl’s life changed forever on one seemingly ordinary merchant run, when his family’s ship was lost in a storm. He was thrown overboard, and clung to a piece of floating debris to survive. He weathered the storm like this, and was found two days later by a passing merchant ship. He had no idea of his family’s fate, and he asked around, both on the ship and in the first port city they came to, where he elected to stay temporarily, until news of his family’s ship came about. The news never came, however, and he found that he wouldn’t learn the fate of his family if he stayed in port forever, waiting to he something. So, three months after the storm, he signed on with a pirate crew, where he learned the tricks of the Rogue’s trade, hoping to find the answer’s he was looking for himself. Recent- Before Zayl was able to discover his family’s whereabouts, the pirate ship he was on was attacked by enemy pirates, who where interested in a treasure that they (Zayl’s group) had recently retrieved from an obscure island. Zayl didn’t know what to do, having just lost his second family, and him being again the only survivor. He has recently discovered that there was a second survivor from the ship, a bard that he had become friends with. They are now journeying together, and Zayl is still searching for the whereabouts of his family. Dreams and aspirations- Buy his own ship and continue the search for his family, once he finds has answers he will become a fulltime pirate. Fears and nightmares- Zayl claims he fears nothing, and will not back down in the face of great danger. He does, however, harbor a secret fear of storms, and will freak out and be unable to act if caught in a storm. Personality- Zayl is generally a very think-about-my-own-wants/needs/safety-before-others’ kind of guy, but is fiercely loyal to anyone who can gain his trust. Zayl is not a particularly trusting character, due to the number of losses he has suffered in his life. Losing his true family and a surrogate family has caused him to close him self off from the outside world, and he is not looking to be hurt again, and so he rarely develops more than a casual relationship with anyone. He is very hard on the outside, but is soft on the inside, with a particular soft spot for family. He will go out of his way to reunite a parent and child, and will ask for no reward, though he will not refuse one if the people insist on rewarding him. Though he has trouble developing relationships with and opening up to others, Zayl is a very fun loving kind of guy, and will not refuse the opportunity to show off, especially when he thinks it may bring him one step closer to discovering the fate of his family. He refuses to believe that they are dead, and will find a way to justify going on any adventure he thinks might be fun, no matter how round-about the justification may be. Such justification is more for himself than anyone else. Zayl has learned throughout his life to be prepared for anything. He generally carries more than most people would think he needs, such as torches when he has a lantern and sunrods. Though he likes to show off, he is not stupid, and is very careful when in dungeons. He checks every room for traps, and will not move along until he has disabled or activated every trap he finds, because he doesn’t want to leave any potential impediments behind them. Zayl also considers the use of magic to bypass a trap to be unimpressive and quite possibly stupid, because if they forget about the trap, it will bite them in the butt. However, if a trap is sprung by others, he is fine with the use of magic to get past it.
Fatalis_902 07-27-06, 09:23 AM	So, what do you people think?