suicidal character.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

suicidal character.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ishpu
07-15-07, 06:50 AM I want to make a suicidal character... the type of person who wants to do it but doesnt have the follow through/wants to live really but feels has no other options. He became suicidal the day his wife left him, she was all he lived for, how would I go about this, walk into combat... maybe a spellcaster would be best, he could provoke attacks of opportunity on purpose and take out some rage on opponents with spells. then maybe finally do it when epic with vengeful gaze of god. any ideas?
Fithero
07-15-07, 07:23 AM possibly a starting level of barbarian... your not a primative person... your actualy as civilised as any other townsman... but when you go into combat, you throw away all sense of self protection and attack with everything youve got. (put skill points into read and write to show that your not a tribal barbarian)

take the fearless feat to show that even the most painfully, drawn out deateh holds no fear for you.

Just never retreat and continue to fight no matter the odds.

This is a hard character since the first time your party decideds to flee... there is no sensible reason your character would do it... if he were really suicidal :P

Peace
ishpu
07-15-07, 08:00 AM sounds pretty awesome thanks for the help.
DoveArrow
07-15-07, 12:54 PM I think what would be a good concept for this character is if he felt somehow responsible for the death of his wife. In fact, it's not an uncommon motivation for heroes. After all, Hercules performed his Twelve Labors in order to atone for having killed his wife in a rage. Perhaps your character feels that dying in battle is the only way that he can properly atone for his misdeeds.

Now of course, you character doesn't have to be directly responsible for the death of his wife. It could be something as simple as not being there to defend his village when it was attacked, or not standing up to the man who killed her until it was too late. Whatever the case, he now feels responsible for her death, and must atone by doing good for others until death takes him in battle.
Callista
07-15-07, 11:50 PM You could make it subconscious. He doesn't know he wants to kill himself; but he's reckless because, subconsciously, he wants to die. Recklessness is sometimes a symptom of depression, especially in young men.

Had a barbarian myself, who was a lot like that. She had the basic 'survivor of a slaughtered village' backstory; her particular village ended up dead because a necromancer and his zombies razed it. She was attacked and left for dead, but fell into her cellar, where she wasn't found. She doesn't remember either fighting for her life or seeing her parents killed; she knows those things happened, but she's blocked them out.

Anyway, the way I explain the barbarian rages is that she feels like she shouldn't be alive; that she should be with the others who died. Whenever she gets into battle, she gets flashbacks from the original event, and fights recklessly. In battle with undead, she will automatically go into a rage and go straight for anyone who seems to be controlling them. Once, she actually took seven attacks of opportunity in an attempt to get to a cleric who was controlling a bunch of zombies. She survived, and is still alive today... amazingly.
tenguroEd
07-15-07, 11:59 PM I want to make a suicidal character... the type of person who wants to do it but doesnt have the follow through/wants to live really but feels has no other options. He became suicidal the day his wife left him, she was all he lived for, how would I go about this, walk into combat... maybe a spellcaster would be best, he could provoke attacks of opportunity on purpose and take out some rage on opponents with spells. then maybe finally do it when epic with vengeful gaze of god. any ideas?
why would you want to do that? isn't the point of making a character to have fun and kill stuff. Why would you make a character thats emo. By the the best type of character, in my opinion, would be the bard, they seem to be the most emo class of all base classes.
Callista
07-16-07, 10:24 PM Wait, suicidal doesn't have to mean emo. There are plenty of ways people cope (badly) with depression, other than wallowing in it... some people become alcoholics or workahollics or take risks they shouldn't. Some just become lazy and lethargic, sleeping too much and losing weight because they don't bother to eat... None of that is "emo". In fact, true depression--the sort that leads to suicide--is more of a dull, emotionless, pleasureless feeling than active sadness. Like the world's standing still; like you can't think or feel properly, or do more than kind of drift through the day--very helpless sort of feeling. Your friends may see you as "bored" or "lazy" rather than depressed. On the other hand, some people with depression are frantically and directionlessly active--as though, if they sit still, it'll all hit them, and they won't be able to live with it.
ishpu
07-17-07, 06:03 AM why would you want to do that? isn't the point of making a character to have fun and kill stuff. Why would you make a character thats emo. By the the best type of character, in my opinion, would be the bard, they seem to be the most emo class of all base classes.

Because quite frankly it's a character I can relate to, just being depressed isn't emo, and it's nice to have a way to express your feelings, with good rp at the same time... so yeah... and i dont really think of bards as being emo really, I think of them as preppies, trying to be everything and "getting along with everyone" trying to look cool ect.
Truenamer
07-17-07, 08:53 PM Really because all the preps I know are jerks who constantly try to make everyone who isn't as beautiful as them feel bad.
Westbound
07-17-07, 11:33 PM Once, I made a Matsu Deathseeker for Legend of the Five Rings, and in the Lion Clan a Deathseeker is someone who, for some reason, has disgraced his clan or his family and must find death in battle to restore his honor. The clan puts Deathseekers in their own unit and put them in the forefront of any battle as fanatical shock troops. This made for one heck of a front-line fighter.

But this is a very different situation. My Deathseeker wasn't depressed. He was proud of being a Deathseeker, standing among brothers and willing to bear any assault for the clan and die in battle rather than die in seppuku - which, though an honorable death, is definitely not as honorable as dying in battle for the clan.

Being suicidal in the manner you want is somewhat counterproductive. Meaning, whatever character you make, if you let it be known that your character isn't afraid to die and is willing, very willing to do so in such a way that it might compromise a quest, your comrades will take you out of the fighting and keep you away from the tasks they need to do. If you unnecessarily put yourself in harm's way, you could end up getting other people killed trying to save you because you might very well be an integral member of the party.

I'll give you an example of what a character I played did when he encountered a suicidal character depressed because a loved one died. Being a Lawful Neutral Elven Wizard/Loremaster/Archmage who was all business, and no nonsense (and I got him up to L32 - he was awesome), he told her "Don't waste our time; if you feel that way, then go ahead and die." He then explained that the lives of the party was about to be endangered by venturing into a very dangerous situation (I can't remember what we were doing), and the last thing we needed to worry about was if someone was suicidal. We needed everyone to be on their toes, and if she didn't want to go on this quest, and take a time out, so be it. Better to either take time out of this quest, or kill herself and be done with it, so we could select someone else to go with us. And then he told her to grow up - people die, and life goes on; she could either wallow in self-pity, or grieve, and get over it and get on with her life. She ended up being his wife as a result - go figure ;P.

Don't bog your other players down in negativity. It'll get old very fast - especially if, somehow, someway, it hampers the party.
Tjuk
07-18-07, 07:40 AM I personally prefer the Slayer story in this matter. Outcast by his tribe, becaus he has done something really bad. caused alot of deaths or whatever (maybe your wife's death) outcasted to walk the earth to redeem your honor, being so obsessed with it that you have no reasonable vieuw on matters when it comes to death, becaus you just strife to regain the honor that you once had.
Murg
07-18-07, 09:40 AM One of the most memorable suicidal characters for me is Felix from the novel Armor by John Steakley.

After his wife's accidental death he leaves his past behind and joins an army engaged in an incredibly bloody intergalactic war, expecting that he'll die like everyone else (think WW1-style human wave attacks carried out by both sides, except in a futuristic setting). But he survives while everyone else around him dies, becoming an unsung hero in the process.
Tjuk
07-18-07, 12:37 PM for me it's defenetly the Gotrek & felix novels from warhammer, skavenslayer, trollslayer, deamonslayer, dragonslayer...... gotrek the slayer dwarf....... he's awsome, burned onto my memories, always wanted to play a character like that, just never got to the point that i could allow myself to play it in a party with my friends.
Amazing_Triangle
07-18-07, 08:57 PM I saw that "suicidal" and I put it in quotes for this reason, you just don't care about yourself. Paladin, putting others before self, taking no outside healing. Running past enemies to get to others, I think maybe even moving into like Knight Protector so that you get this feel that you put others before yourself.
TheOrdnanceGod
07-20-07, 08:02 PM be a bard with Perform: Poetry and have your character be an Emo kid

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ishpu 07-15-07, 06:50 AM	I want to make a suicidal character... the type of person who wants to do it but doesnt have the follow through/wants to live really but feels has no other options. He became suicidal the day his wife left him, she was all he lived for, how would I go about this, walk into combat... maybe a spellcaster would be best, he could provoke attacks of opportunity on purpose and take out some rage on opponents with spells. then maybe finally do it when epic with vengeful gaze of god. any ideas?
Fithero 07-15-07, 07:23 AM	possibly a starting level of barbarian... your not a primative person... your actualy as civilised as any other townsman... but when you go into combat, you throw away all sense of self protection and attack with everything youve got. (put skill points into read and write to show that your not a tribal barbarian) take the fearless feat to show that even the most painfully, drawn out deateh holds no fear for you. Just never retreat and continue to fight no matter the odds. This is a hard character since the first time your party decideds to flee... there is no sensible reason your character would do it... if he were really suicidal :P Peace
ishpu 07-15-07, 08:00 AM	sounds pretty awesome thanks for the help.
DoveArrow 07-15-07, 12:54 PM	I think what would be a good concept for this character is if he felt somehow responsible for the death of his wife. In fact, it's not an uncommon motivation for heroes. After all, Hercules performed his Twelve Labors in order to atone for having killed his wife in a rage. Perhaps your character feels that dying in battle is the only way that he can properly atone for his misdeeds. Now of course, you character doesn't have to be directly responsible for the death of his wife. It could be something as simple as not being there to defend his village when it was attacked, or not standing up to the man who killed her until it was too late. Whatever the case, he now feels responsible for her death, and must atone by doing good for others until death takes him in battle.
Callista 07-15-07, 11:50 PM	You could make it subconscious. He doesn't know he wants to kill himself; but he's reckless because, subconsciously, he wants to die. Recklessness is sometimes a symptom of depression, especially in young men. Had a barbarian myself, who was a lot like that. She had the basic 'survivor of a slaughtered village' backstory; her particular village ended up dead because a necromancer and his zombies razed it. She was attacked and left for dead, but fell into her cellar, where she wasn't found. She doesn't remember either fighting for her life or seeing her parents killed; she knows those things happened, but she's blocked them out. Anyway, the way I explain the barbarian rages is that she feels like she shouldn't be alive; that she should be with the others who died. Whenever she gets into battle, she gets flashbacks from the original event, and fights recklessly. In battle with undead, she will automatically go into a rage and go straight for anyone who seems to be controlling them. Once, she actually took seven attacks of opportunity in an attempt to get to a cleric who was controlling a bunch of zombies. She survived, and is still alive today... amazingly.
tenguroEd 07-15-07, 11:59 PM	I want to make a suicidal character... the type of person who wants to do it but doesnt have the follow through/wants to live really but feels has no other options. He became suicidal the day his wife left him, she was all he lived for, how would I go about this, walk into combat... maybe a spellcaster would be best, he could provoke attacks of opportunity on purpose and take out some rage on opponents with spells. then maybe finally do it when epic with vengeful gaze of god. any ideas? why would you want to do that? isn't the point of making a character to have fun and kill stuff. Why would you make a character thats emo. By the the best type of character, in my opinion, would be the bard, they seem to be the most emo class of all base classes.
Callista 07-16-07, 10:24 PM	Wait, suicidal doesn't have to mean emo. There are plenty of ways people cope (badly) with depression, other than wallowing in it... some people become alcoholics or workahollics or take risks they shouldn't. Some just become lazy and lethargic, sleeping too much and losing weight because they don't bother to eat... None of that is "emo". In fact, true depression--the sort that leads to suicide--is more of a dull, emotionless, pleasureless feeling than active sadness. Like the world's standing still; like you can't think or feel properly, or do more than kind of drift through the day--very helpless sort of feeling. Your friends may see you as "bored" or "lazy" rather than depressed. On the other hand, some people with depression are frantically and directionlessly active--as though, if they sit still, it'll all hit them, and they won't be able to live with it.
ishpu 07-17-07, 06:03 AM	why would you want to do that? isn't the point of making a character to have fun and kill stuff. Why would you make a character thats emo. By the the best type of character, in my opinion, would be the bard, they seem to be the most emo class of all base classes. Because quite frankly it's a character I can relate to, just being depressed isn't emo, and it's nice to have a way to express your feelings, with good rp at the same time... so yeah... and i dont really think of bards as being emo really, I think of them as preppies, trying to be everything and "getting along with everyone" trying to look cool ect.
Truenamer 07-17-07, 08:53 PM	Really because all the preps I know are jerks who constantly try to make everyone who isn't as beautiful as them feel bad.
Westbound 07-17-07, 11:33 PM	Once, I made a Matsu Deathseeker for Legend of the Five Rings, and in the Lion Clan a Deathseeker is someone who, for some reason, has disgraced his clan or his family and must find death in battle to restore his honor. The clan puts Deathseekers in their own unit and put them in the forefront of any battle as fanatical shock troops. This made for one heck of a front-line fighter. But this is a very different situation. My Deathseeker wasn't depressed. He was proud of being a Deathseeker, standing among brothers and willing to bear any assault for the clan and die in battle rather than die in seppuku - which, though an honorable death, is definitely not as honorable as dying in battle for the clan. Being suicidal in the manner you want is somewhat counterproductive. Meaning, whatever character you make, if you let it be known that your character isn't afraid to die and is willing, very willing to do so in such a way that it might compromise a quest, your comrades will take you out of the fighting and keep you away from the tasks they need to do. If you unnecessarily put yourself in harm's way, you could end up getting other people killed trying to save you because you might very well be an integral member of the party. I'll give you an example of what a character I played did when he encountered a suicidal character depressed because a loved one died. Being a Lawful Neutral Elven Wizard/Loremaster/Archmage who was all business, and no nonsense (and I got him up to L32 - he was awesome), he told her "Don't waste our time; if you feel that way, then go ahead and die." He then explained that the lives of the party was about to be endangered by venturing into a very dangerous situation (I can't remember what we were doing), and the last thing we needed to worry about was if someone was suicidal. We needed everyone to be on their toes, and if she didn't want to go on this quest, and take a time out, so be it. Better to either take time out of this quest, or kill herself and be done with it, so we could select someone else to go with us. And then he told her to grow up - people die, and life goes on; she could either wallow in self-pity, or grieve, and get over it and get on with her life. She ended up being his wife as a result - go figure ;P. Don't bog your other players down in negativity. It'll get old very fast - especially if, somehow, someway, it hampers the party.
Tjuk 07-18-07, 07:40 AM	I personally prefer the Slayer story in this matter. Outcast by his tribe, becaus he has done something really bad. caused alot of deaths or whatever (maybe your wife's death) outcasted to walk the earth to redeem your honor, being so obsessed with it that you have no reasonable vieuw on matters when it comes to death, becaus you just strife to regain the honor that you once had.
Murg 07-18-07, 09:40 AM	One of the most memorable suicidal characters for me is Felix from the novel Armor by John Steakley. After his wife's accidental death he leaves his past behind and joins an army engaged in an incredibly bloody intergalactic war, expecting that he'll die like everyone else (think WW1-style human wave attacks carried out by both sides, except in a futuristic setting). But he survives while everyone else around him dies, becoming an unsung hero in the process.
Tjuk 07-18-07, 12:37 PM	for me it's defenetly the Gotrek & felix novels from warhammer, skavenslayer, trollslayer, deamonslayer, dragonslayer...... gotrek the slayer dwarf....... he's awsome, burned onto my memories, always wanted to play a character like that, just never got to the point that i could allow myself to play it in a party with my friends.
Amazing_Triangle 07-18-07, 08:57 PM	I saw that "suicidal" and I put it in quotes for this reason, you just don't care about yourself. Paladin, putting others before self, taking no outside healing. Running past enemies to get to others, I think maybe even moving into like Knight Protector so that you get this feel that you put others before yourself.
TheOrdnanceGod 07-20-07, 08:02 PM	be a bard with Perform: Poetry and have your character be an Emo kid