Post/Author/DateTime	Post
combat_fetus 04-03-08, 12:14 AM	So a friend of mine is beginning a new campaign this weekend, I decided to roll up my character on my own time. And, given the extra time to think about it, decided on a pretty over-the-top approach to his background. It's an evil campaign, so I wanted to make him as ridiculously evil in that exaggerated, sci-fi villain sort of way. The DM asked me beforehand not to make him too overpowered or munchkinny, which I tend to do more than anyone else in our group, and I was worried that the character I ended up with would be too strong. So in an attempt to enhance his backstory and balance him out at the same time... ...I cut off his arms. And his tongue. And one of his eyes. It's a shapeshifter (NE Human Druid 5, Master of Many Forms 4, Warshaper 1), so it's not a terrible gimping as I'll be spending most of my time in a different form anyway. I decided not to take Natural Spell on purpose, so to cast spells he'll have to wildshape into a humanoid or fey shape that can execute the necessary somatic and verbal components. The idea is that he used druidic magic to evil, unsavory ends and was eventually captured by an angry mob of villagers who crept up on him while he slept (exhausted and not able to change shape) and cut off his arms and tongue in a sort of fitting, Hammurabian punishment for his crimes (to make sure he wouldn't use magic again). They left him in a prison to await execution in the morning, but after resting he changed into something big and frightening and murdered his captors. I don't think I have problems with making it work mechanically (major penalties on balance checks, obviously can't hold anything, penalties to spot checks involving distance, can only vocalize in mumbles and screams), but what can I do to enhance or flesh out the flavor a little bit? I presented the question to some friends of mine recently and got a few ideas I'm fond of; for example, I replaced my animal companion with a fine-sized hairy spider familiar that makes its home in my character's empty eye socket (this only narrowly beat out casting eternal flame on a normal stone and sticking that in there). Another suggestion was taking still spell and nonverbal spell to be able to cast spells by screaming and making other noises. The image of an armless, one-eyed mage running at his enemies and screaming to cast was a priceless image, but I didn't want to spend the feats. I thought about sticking gnarled branches into the stumps where his arms were, too. What else can I do to enhance the evil feel of my character in this vein?
Terjon of the Blue Rose 04-03-08, 06:43 AM	Two words... Trophy Hunter. Collect the parts you are missing from other species. In particular seek out and slaughter creatures with regeneration. Carry around the parts for as long as they remain viable and even attach them to the stumps of your own broken body. They may never actually grow into you body but you can't beat having a troll's arm hanging from the stump of your own, trying in vain to grow back into the creature it once belonged to and failing because the receiving end doesn't fit. Mechanically your character may even be researching the potential for applying grafts.:plotting:
elliott20 04-03-08, 10:58 AM	of course, at some point his character might come into contact with someone who could provide a powerful enough "regeneration" spell... but grafts? man that's actually kind of a fun idea! Something that I noticed though, is that this character will have a real problem with expressing himself in his natural form. However, he DOES have a method of overcoming it in most situations. (Basically, he lives in his shifted forms) So let's consider several things here: - his horribly scarred and mutilated - he knows how to overcome it so he can function - his scars and wounds were inflicted upon him as punishment. I say he needs to have a massive complex involving his wounds. Maybe it was shame at first, but then eventually, the inability to really express that rage in his normal form, coupled with the circumstances he got it in, spiced with the fact that he knows how to overcome it, means he will have a severe aversion to his normal form. He should almost NEVER be in it unless he absolutely has to. After all, it's a constant reminder of his shame, his torture, and such. Think two-face of the batman mythos. His scar is a constant reminder of his internal battle with himself. And ultimately, the only time he would reveal his true form anybody is when they have earned his trust. (Which, considering this is an evil campaign, it might never come to be.) as such, his party members will ask for healing but he will not give it. not for money, not for begging. Why? because he needs to show them his secret if he does. No. better off let them taking care of their own problems. In addition, he should take on an unnatural fear to certain situations. Mobs? auto-fear response. FLAME STRIKE THE SUCKERS. Restraints? auto-fight response again.
combat_fetus 04-03-08, 05:28 PM	I like the idea of grafts. The branches-in-stumps idea and the collecting limbs from creatures in an attempt to pass them for arms is a good idea I think. I know grafts are an actual game mechanic, but what book are they in? The insecurity is a good idea too, I was thinking I'd make sure to waste a lot of wild shapes making sure that others didn't see his true form. MoMF can wild shape into humanoids, meaning humans, so he can take almost any appearance he wants. I thought I'd play around with that, giving him an "alias" form or even looking identical to one of the other party members. The regeneration thing has already been brought up. It's a tenth level character, so it's pretty easy to assume he'd have access to the magic or at least be able to go to an evil cleric who could cast it for him. I think two ways of explaining this are that whomever mutilated him used a sanctified weapon so that only a good cleric would be able to give the limbs back, or that he keeps them as a reminder of his attackers and how he thirsts for vengeance, etc... I'm thinking the former though.