Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aleolus 12-25-07, 10:10 PM	OK, here's an idea I have for a character. I'd like to bounce this around to try and smooth it out some, before I play him. Now, I don't know the various cities and towns the DM will use (in fact, I haven't even found a definite campaign to use him in yet!), but the basics are all here. I'll post his stats after his backstory for you all to check out. This character was born Randaldra, prince of a particular kingdom. He has been raised as a nobility for most of his life, but doesn't seem satisfied with it. When he turned 12, he began combat training with the captain of the guard for the castle, Mertalus, who became a good friend. He trained for several years, planning something that he never told anyone, even Mertalus. He planned to run away. It wasn't that he didn't care for his father or his family, but he was plainly and obviously being groomed for the throne (they had already sized him for a crown, for goodness sake!), and he didn't feel he was ready. He wanted to experience the world through the eyes of a commoner and adventurer, to learn what the people wanted from those who ruled them. He left his father a brief note, explaining why he had gone, and swearing on Heironeous' Fist that he would return, and when he did, he would be ready to accept their burden. He took with him only a small sack of coins, enough food and water to last him about a week, if he rationed it carefully, a good sword from the armory, and the clothes on his back. As he left the castle, he turned to Mertalus for whatever aid his friend felt he could safely give. Mertalus, sympathetic to the young prince's plight, gave him the horse that was to be his next birthday gift early, telling him to make with all speed. He bade Mertalus a fond farewell, and rode off into the night. Now, he goes by 'Ranni', the name his nurse had called him by as a small child. He's currently attempting to find a group of individuals he can travel with to learn how people view the royalty of the land, and trying to earn a name for himself before he goes back to the castle. Ranni Human Class and Level: Knight 1 Alignment; Lawful Good Deity: Heironeous Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 17 Hit Points: 14 AC: 18 (+1 Dex, +5 Armor, +2 Shield), Touch 11, FF 17 Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Attack: Broadsword +3 melee (1d8+2, 19-20x2) Skills (All maxed out): Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Ride Feats: Improved Initiative, Able Learner Equipment: Broadsword, Chainmail, heavy spiked steel shield Other gear: Travelers outfit, 2 hunks of cheese, 2 loaves of bread, 2 chunks of meat (salted and preserved), waterskin, Light Warhorse mount, flint and steel, bedroll, backpack, woodsman axe, whetstone. Special Qualities: Knights Challenge, Fighting Challenge +1, Knights Code.
I_roll_ones 12-26-07, 01:44 AM	I would say that given the acts of theivery and abandoning his duties(What happens if Kingy meets a fatal case of villian?) he would be leaning more to CG or NG. However, it would be refreshing to see NG or CG royalty. Also, keep in mind that he's probably not used to too fancy of palace and such. If the royal family is bleeding the land dry to support a life of luxury and causing others to starve I'd say they would lose the good status pretty fast. The skill selection while maybe a tad standard, suits the character very nicely.
Aleolus 12-26-07, 12:55 PM	Well, Knight requires a lawful alignment, but he rationalized that, being the prince, they are technically his, so it isn't thievery, and he will return when he is ready, so he isn't technically abandoning his duties, he's simply postponing when they will fall upon him to when he is more knowledgeable and prepared to rule. Plus, the kingdom did have backup plans for if something should happen, who would take over and all, should something horrid happen to the royal family. So if anything happens to his father while he's away, they would enact those plans, and the king's chief advisor becomes king in loco, and will step down when he, Randaldra, returns.
I_roll_ones 12-26-07, 07:03 PM	As an alternative, he might have given the money to his friend who bought him the supplies. Might explain things if Prince here doesn't have a lot of starting gold. And uh...What were his body guards doing? I sorta wondered how he managed to give them the slip. My main issue with the story is how easy the Prince runs away from his duties. It's likely that he wasn't just lazing about, but training to be a general, learning history, economics and law, or even acting as a diplomat for his father. If I were doing this, I would make him a second son, so he's still receiving a lot of attention, and perhaps given an area to rule over, diplomatic duties, or being an adviser, so he's still groomed for something and has a duty. It's just less of a national crisis if he wanders off, and only most, not all of the military will be looking for him and brining him back home. It's still a rather big thing if the spare goes wandering about, but not as important to grab him and bring him back home in case something happens. And you do realize that you are running a 75% chance of the kingdom being taken over while he's gone>.>
Aleolus 12-26-07, 07:21 PM	Hmm, second son sounds good. As for how he got away from his guards, they only accompany him when he's out of the castle, and make sure to keep an eye on all the main entrances and exits so he can't slip out without them noticing (he got out through the main gates one time and the guy who was supposed to be watcing was given 30 lashes for it!). He slipped out first through his window, then across the roofs, till he got to the stables, where Mertalus was grooming the horses for the night. After that, it was a simple thing to slip out, with Mertalus distracting the gatekeeper while he left. And yes, I know there is a good chance that a usurper or rebellion or something will likely take over while he's gone, however, if that happens, he'll just take it back. After all, he is a trained Knight, and after he's gotten a few adventures under his belt, anyone who falsely claims rulership over his kingdom will be in BIG trouble.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 12-28-07, 12:41 AM	I tend to think knight as powerful sense of duty and running from the throne would be a failing of such even as a second son. Are you really set on running? Perhaps his father is only the second of his line to take the throne and with grandpa's help he managed to convince his father that leaving on a journey, alone, that he could learn the truth of the world for himself, was a neccesity. Leaving with that blessing he is still bound to the throne and yet now has both a means of escape, and a means of return when he is ready. Of course with such a blessing he may be under a time constraint as well...
Aleolus 12-28-07, 02:37 AM	Well, Lawful Good has a pretty broad spectrum, though most people think of it pretty narrowly. With this character, he is very honorable and upright and all. He makes a point that, if gives a promise or a vow of some sort, he will uphold it. However, if he is forced into making that vow, or if he later decides making it was a bad idea, or something along those lines, he has no problem with wiggling out on a technicality. Normally, he upholds both the letter and the spirit of a promise, but occasionally he has to let the spirit slide to accomplish what he sees as best. So, he's not abandoning his royal duties, he's postponing them coming upon him, because he gave his word, on the Fist of Heironeous, that he would return. Now, with this guy, if he makes a vow like that, he will even come back from the dead to fulfill it. As for the heir and all, he and his older brother (who was only older by about fifteen minutes), were to divide the kingdom, because both had qualities that a ruler should have, and both lacked what the other had. The elder brother was a very 'Here and now' mentality. Great for meteing out justice, and for emergency situations, as well as field commanding armies and the like. However, what his brother had and he lacked, was a sense of far-seeing, or planning ahead. The older brother's idea of a good strategy is something along the lines of "Gather the troops, and charge the enemy!" The younger, Randaldra, was more of a strategist, and more thinking ahead, which is how he can accomplish his questionable activities and remain lawful, because he is doing it to improve everything later on, so he can be better. That's why he left the kingdom/castle, and why he occasionally goes against the spirit of his vow, if doing so proves the better option. He doesn't like doing that, but if he feels it will bring about the best outcome for everyone involved, he will do it.