Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Derfos666 09-13-07, 01:02 AM	I've seen all the 1001 threads and realized that most aren't very serious. However, I find it interesting to see what other players think of when they are trying to find motivation for the character. The rules: a. Motivation must be able to last for at least 6 months worth of sessions (nothing like 'getting 1,000 gp to buy a house' which can be achieved in about 3 1/2 minutes). b. Be specific (being greedy and wanting power are nice, but WHY are they greedy, WHY do they want power?) I'll start with a few. 1) Character wants to prove someone he considers important that he is strong enough (may also be trying to prove himself) 2) Character has an archenemy that is nearly unreachable/undestroyable, but he refuses to give up trying. 3) Character is a social outcast, and cannot fit anywhere else in society. 4) Character is trying to solve a major problem in the world (poverty maybe), and believes that adventuring and becoming rich/powerful will help him achieve his goal. 5) Character has been shunned by a person/group that he based his whole life on, and needs to become stronger to get his revenge (or to solve the problem in a nice way if you don't like vengeance).
JasonOrlandoHawk 09-13-07, 01:21 AM	6) Knowledge, Arcane Mysteries, Divine Wisdom, or other Secrets.
darkneolink 09-13-07, 01:24 AM	7) character got himself into something bigger than him 8) character wants to avenge the dead of a beloved being 9) character is searching for a childhood friend 10) character wants to make a diference before he dies 11) character wants to avoid aranged(spelling?) [something] scaping away 12) character wants to uphold the family standards of chivalry 13) character wants to save somebody's life
Crash169 09-13-07, 03:20 AM	A) Character wants to fight for their right to party. I always have the most trouble choosing a goal when I create a character. I never want my goals or reasons for adventuring to interfere with the goals of the other adventurers. This thread should help me out big time! :thumbsup:
Khadmus 09-13-07, 07:54 AM	MY current character wishes to make the arctic wastes civilized. Not necessarily "earl gray tea" civilized, just populous.
Prator_the_Legendary 09-13-07, 01:21 PM	16. Inertia. The character might first have joined the party for something specific, but now is just in it for the ride. 17. Friendship. You're attached enough to the other suicidal hobo-heroes that you're willing to run off and be a suicidal hobo-hero with them. 18. Your God told you to do it. 19. You really want to get it on with the Druidess. 20. You have reasons for wanting to leave town quickly, and with a heavily armed group. These reasons tend to accumulate wherever you go. 21. You want wealth. LOTS of wealth. Oh, it's all for me gold, oh, me jolly, jolly gold! 22. You don't know what you'd do with yourself otherwise, because being a mercenary-for-hire is all you're good at. 23. You revel in destruction and murder, and adventuring gives you the closest thing you'll ever have to a legal right to indulge in both. Why quit? 24. Adventuring is your chosen profession. Mommy wanted you to be a doctor, and Daddy wanted you to be a lawyer, but you just really wanted to be a Hero and save the world from big nasty things ever since you were little.
Draaka 09-13-07, 02:21 PM	25. The search for the elusive flying buttweasel
TwiddleStootch 09-13-07, 02:46 PM	26) To become a Mighty Pirate 27) To Find the treasure of Big Whoop 28) To discover the 'Secret of Monkey Island'
schpeelah 09-13-07, 02:53 PM	29)It's the fastest way to get a lot of money and power. It is possiple to get from 1st to 20th lefel in less than 1.5 year, after all.
Gandalf the White 09-13-07, 04:01 PM	30.) If you don't the planet will self-destruct. I'm actually designing a campaign around this for my PC group.:D
Derfos666 09-13-07, 06:24 PM	26) To become a Mighty Pirate 27) To Find the treasure of Big Whoop 28) To discover the 'Secret of Monkey Island' Don't forget getting to drink Grog! 31) You were given a geas that made you adventure. After it ended, you realized how much you liked what you just did. 32) You want to be part of the history of your city/kingdom/plane/multiverse, and you have seen how many heroes were at first just adventurers. 33) You believe it is your destiny to continue adventuring (because you heard a prophecy or you're somewhat connected to the divine).
Dragoon1 09-13-07, 07:13 PM	34) Your race forsakes you for being the warrior of a god, and society forsakes you because of your race, so in adventuring one finds acceptence (good for uncivilized paladins) 35) Epic tales of adventure lead you to experience it for yourself, to watch, to document, and to participate. The blade is your tool for battle, but your pen is your tool for forging your legacy. (Bard) 36) Always at home in the wilds the character joins a group to see more of the world and offer his/her skills to their aid. He/she also seeks to explore the grand cities, and see how they fit into the natural order of things, and relying on his/her comrads to show them the proper way to do things in cities. (Barbarian/Druid/Ranger) 37) You love animals, as both companions, and knowning the nature of the world, as meals (but never both at the same time if you can help it). By taveling the world you hope to study the wildlife and sample nature's cuisine. (Beastmaster, or anyone who focuses on Handle Animal and survial)
Ace_of_time 09-13-07, 08:36 PM	38. You and your party wake up nude in a grave yard with no knowledge of who they are or who you are or how you got here. Just one weapon lays beside you. That's a pretty good reason to start Adventuring.
Crake 09-13-07, 10:38 PM	39) You are protecting one of the other members in your group. It might be out of duty, love, or boredom, but you will let no harm come to this person. 40)You were a courier for House Orien delivering a package to Xen'Drik. Unfortunately your family forgot to give you money for the return trip. 41) The man in black went into the desert, and you followed. 42) Some psion turned you into an Elan for no good reason. No you have to relearn everything from scratch. 43) The wizard wakes up before you do and casts dominate person the second you wake up.
Zousha_Omenohu 09-13-07, 10:44 PM	44. Fortune and glory, kid... Fortune and glory.
zzo38 09-14-07, 11:42 AM	(XLV) Someone told you to.
Karish 09-14-07, 01:37 PM	I've done... 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 39, and 44. 41 is a nice Dark Tower reference.
Hsien 09-14-07, 03:32 PM	46. Humanoids killed your family/townspeople so you want revenge. 47. Giant kicked your dog. ( friend's ranger ) 48. Fell down a well and are now stuck in an underground dungeon setting. Undermountain, poor Lil Timmy.
Prator_the_Legendary 09-14-07, 03:43 PM	49. It's what you were built for. Literally. You are a warforged in the special ops unit. 50. You're a thrill-seeking type, and anything that isn't death-defying just doesn't cut it for you. 51. Your mother sent you out into the woods to sell a cow. When you returned with some magic beans, she chucked 'em out a window. And when the giant beanstalk grew up, you were just kinda curious. And when, etc., etc, etc, for years to come. 52. You are the (insert special title here)! That means you are the only one who can (insert long-ranging quest here)! 53. There's a lot of people counting on you. Your friends, your parents, a few of your reformed enemies, some random people who you only knew for half-hour but are still close to, and your really hot stepsister are all supporting you and depending on you! 54. It was (insert loved one's namee here)'s dying wish that you do it. 55. You want to become a God. 56. You want to rule the world. 57. You want to become King of something smaller than a planet. 58. You want to be the biggest political crime-boss in town. 59. You want the ultimate secrets to arcane/divine power. 60. You want to find the cure for cancer.
Mr_Seth 09-14-07, 10:02 PM	61: You want to blow up the world; the best way to do that is probably to botch up saving it really badly. 62: You're ADVENTURING? Whoa... 0__0 (Works best if you make a character with severe ADD) 63: They pay for your booze. Your booze. That says it all. (Severely alcoholic and indebted characters only) 64: You're sworn to kill them. Unfortunately, their goals coincide with yours... so you're sticking around, to both help them and to make it easier to kill them later. 65: Your therapist told you to do it. It's done wonders for your agoraphobia - but not so much with your Ithiliphobia. Or your dracophobia. Or... 66: Love. Yeah, you're in love with one of the other party members. Unfortunately, said party member doesn't swing your way, if you get the idea. Still... you can't stand the thought of letting him/her get slaughtered just because you're not there to help them. Love sucks. 67: Your best friend died because of your own stupidity. It was weeks before you could get back to civilization... and nothing could raise him after that. You still see him from time to time - as a ghost, trying to tell you to put his spirit to rest. Unfortunately, he's quite cryptic as to how... but you think you're on the right track...
VulcanStormwrath 09-14-07, 10:18 PM	On the lam from the pigs!!
Mr_Seth 09-15-07, 02:15 PM	68 - You're a hunter at heart. The bigger and deadlier the beast, the more of a kick you get out of stalking it - and the more you learn from the hunt. You adventure because there is no other way to come into contact with your prey. Those creatures you respect most... those creatures you seek to destroy. If you really think about it, it gives you a little bit of a headache. 69 - Your elder sister became an adventurer some years ago. You heard a few stories about her, it seemed that she was doing well... and then the stories just ended. No one heard anything else about her. Your parents still think she's dead... you're not so sure. Any way you put it, you're going to find out what happened to her! 70 - Stories are your thing. You collect them, you tell them, and you've heard too few of them. So you adventure to find more stories... and, in part, to turn your life into one of those stories. Because it's always neat when the kid asks the storyteller about his life, and the storyteller has something worthy to say.
Mooncalf 09-16-07, 11:05 PM	Hmm, let's try a few of my characters' motivations... 71: Your parents died, the debtors took the farm, and you didn't really enjoy farming anyway... it's a perfect opportunity to travel and see the world. (And killing things and taking their money is just a side deal!) 72: Choice? You don't have a choice! Ever since you woke up in the wilderness with these people, you've been running full tilt from place to place, doing what needs to be done or the world will be doomed! And, well, the growing powers and massing loot is kinda nice, so you don't see much reason to NOT continue. 73: Who needs motivation when the boss has your soul on contract and forces you to come along on his madcap adventures? 74: You have little love for the party or their ideas. You do however have an unswerving loyalty to the secret mercenary cabal you belong to, and you are hired out for a lot of money to cooperate with these people, so that is what you'll do.
Mr_Seth 09-17-07, 08:48 PM	75: Because the lady with the leash tells you to. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but when you're a slave, you don't really need to go into details. Besides, these guys treat you more like a person than like cattle, and while there's the same level of danger here as your last "job", at least this is kinda fun. In a really odd, schizophrenic sort of way. 76: What dark wizard hasn't lusted over the Hand and Eye of Vecna? By the same token, what warrior doesn't dream of one day carrying the Regalia of the Eternal Champion into battle? Well, that needs to stop, dangit! New artifacts must be allowed their time in the sun, and these elder items must pass away! Such is your mission.
Crake 09-17-07, 09:23 PM	77: You were just minding your own business digging a new mine tunnel when you stumbled into an ancient artifact. Then things just sort of went from there, and now you're fighting to save the world. 78: A devil has a contract for your soul. You are looking for a loophole. 79:You are a wizard seeking to compile every arcane spell into the ultimate grimore. Hopefully something cool will happen. 80: After a drunken night in the tavern, you wake up to find yourself shanghaied by pirates. 81: With your trusty dolgrim drummer, dolgaunt basist, and your cultist groupies, you plan to bring rock to Eberron with your band, Dealkyr and the Lords of Madness!!
Ghauldin 09-18-07, 11:29 AM	82. "Adventuring" as a profession supplies the best opening lines, ice breakers, attention grabbers and most importantly excuses. 82.5. "Dude I heard that adventuring babes only wear chain bikini armor, we should totaly start adventuring!!!!" 83. You had the mis/fortune of getting acquainted with jacksparrowclone#126 84. You used to be an exterminator, but after the "rats in the inn basement" job you seem to get all kinds of odd jobs for no apparent reason. 84.5. You mistakenly sat in the table in the shady corner of the inn. Stranger in the black robes approached you with a map and a pouch full of gold.
The_Sentin3l 09-18-07, 11:51 AM	85. It's a family heritage to serve in the army. While you're not cut out to be in the army, adventuring brings fame to you and your families just the same. 86. It's a family heritage to finish what one has started, so the next of kin always picks up where their sibling/relative left off. (Continuing characters.) 87. Sometimes it's not what you seek to gain, but what you stand to lose.
DracoPhoenix 09-19-07, 08:08 AM	88. Well someone has to know why kids go crazy for cinnamon crunch toast. And I'm going to find them! 89. That is the last time I let some healer talk me into stepping inside a wooden blue box for "just a minute" because he wants to see what happens when he does something. (I don't care how much bigger it is on the inside :mad:) 90. Umm, I was like 10 when I started, I went to the shops and got lost on the way back. I've been looking for it ever since. Did come across a rather charred patch of land shortly after, but it didn't have any of the buildings my home village did. Have you seen it? It's about yeay high, lots of people. Near a red dragons lair. 91. Hmm, get paid crap and have to give a chunk of it to the government or make a large fortune and keep it all for myself. Yeah, real hard choice there.
LCD2YOU 09-19-07, 08:35 AM	92) Your grandma got tired of your friends coming over and messing up her basement. Seems she got upset listening to all of you munching on snacks while telling each other how much loot, how many women and how much fame you were going to get yourselves into. 93) Dad woke you up and said, get a job or leave the house. You didn't get a job and now you're out on your butt. 94) A strange little man offered you some "magic mushrooms" and the next thing you know you're wearing gladiator gear and you're beating the **** out of some poor dude with your spiked gauntlet in a pit with screaming blood lusting fans throwing coins at you.
Mr_Seth 09-19-07, 07:33 PM	95 - You're a wizard, a student at a university that offers postgraduate studies in advanced arcana. Right now you're just working on research for your masters' thesis. 96 - The journey is the destination; enlightenment does not come to the rushed. 97 - You're an assassin by trade. This doesn't conflict with the rest of your life too much - or it didn't, until you killed the wrong guild leader. You're biding your time right now, trying to weaken the guild by killing off its backers until it can't afford to hunt you down anymore.
Prator_the_Legendary 09-22-07, 05:50 PM	98. Your greatest dream is to become a Summon-mon master, and to do it, you have to catch all 1050 Summon-mon! (Edited to avoid copyright violations). 99. You want to bring down the evil organization that keeps getting in your way when you do dangerous errands for people, because you're sick and (bleep)ing tired of running into Team Evil everywhere you go. 100. No one believes you when you tell them what a huge threat the zombie communist robot nazis are. They all think you're just paranoid. Well, you'll show them.... YOU'LL SHOW THEM ALL!!.... By defeating the zombie communist robot nazis and saving the world. 101. You. Like. To. Kill. Things. 102. That person whose window you threw a rock through and whose white cat you accidentally hit and killed with said rock turned out to be a maniacal evil genius who's been after you ever since. 103. The voices in your head tell you to keep going. 104. You want to find a recipe for diet cola that doesn't have a yucky aftertaste. 105. You need 100,000,000 GP to pay off the angry genius from 102. 106. You're in the middle of the (insert large wilderness area here). Since saying "Jumanji!" isn't working, you have no choice but to travel and adventure and hope that someday you'll get out of this damn crazy place. 107. Your people have been at war with the other people for years. Since staying at your home inconveniently near the border between your two nations is practically suicidal, joining in the war efforts seems like a good way to stay relatively safe. 108. You want to quit, you really do, but people keep asking you to do stuff, and you just can't say no.
SeptimusMagistos 10-13-07, 02:31 PM	109. The oldest son gets the family estate, the middle son becomes a merchant, so all that's left to you is adventuring or clergy. Or both. 110. You actually like adventuring. Not just the killing things, or the hefty profits, but being out on a quest with a few good friends and a really annoying guy you're allowed to kill. 111. You've accepted the fact that weird things will keep happening to you no matter what you do, so now you're along for the ride. 112. Your race lives hundreds of years and unlike most of them you can't seem to spend them looking at a tree. So you find ways to fill your time.
Thevail 10-19-07, 03:11 AM	113. Your girlfriend(s) are pregnant, and man is your wife mad! 114. You really and truly HATE milking cows. 115. You simply must find the cure for (insert condition) or Aunty will die. 116. Your parents are nudists, and so are their parents, and it is a very small house.. 117. Your twin has been kidnapped. 118. You have recieved word of a mysterious inheritance, in another country. 119. The king is amazed to see that you're his daughter's double in every way, except for not being a horrible, idiot, brat who won't leave the castle. 120. Your uncle got up one morning last week mumbling about losing a key, and hasn't returned yet.
Black Kitten 10-19-07, 03:50 AM	121 - Your father, a petty dictator, was overthrown by a rebelling headed by Drizzt Do'urden. Filled with hatred for the evil man who killed your lovely father you have vowed to Bane that you will kill this man for his evil and reclaim your homeland. Seeing it's also a complot by Melikki and Eilisteaa, you're gonna kill any of their worshippers on their way as long as you have a reasonable chance to get away with it. The character was black-skinned and only dressed in skull-white clothing, white make-up and died her hair white. (or, as my DM put it: " *shiver* Man, that character was creepy" Or, literally: "Man, dat mens was eng!") 122 - You woke up under a tree, fully grown... what the hell? 123 - Your mother, a simple clothier, died. Strangely enough, she first evaporated an orc raid that was pillaging your village. Who was she? 124 - While cleaning some rich noble's house of some of it's wealth you found a bracer. It's now making you feel sorry about all evil that you do. What is it? 125 - You sit in a bar and a stranger enters. That night, the Inn is attacked and burned to the ground. What does he want from you? 126 - You're an excellent archer, have a big friend called Little John and just l:love::love:ve tights...
SeptimusMagistos 10-19-07, 11:59 AM	127. You're trying to catalog the exact effects of every direct damage spell on every known variety of monster.
Prator_The_Golden 10-19-07, 07:27 PM	128. You aren't actually seeking adventure, per se, but you want to see the world. New sights, smells, tastes, and other experiences are things you thrive on. However, traveling is prohibitively expensive and sometimes dangerous, so a little mercenary work on the side to keep up your traveling budget is okay by you. 129. You want to restore the rightful king to the throne. 130. You want to put a puppet king on the throne. 131. You want to reform the monarchy into something more democratic. 132. You want to deform the democracy into a dictatorship under your rule. 133. You have been promised a lifetime supply of chocolate if you destroy artifact X. Unfortunately, you don't know how to do that, and you also want to renegotiate for a lifetime supply of cheese and crackers.
Mr_Seth 10-19-07, 09:13 PM	134. You are quite dead. Or undead, more precisely. The necromancer that raised you has promised that she'll restore you to true life... if you just do a few little errands for her...
Prator_The_Golden 10-22-07, 04:45 PM	135. A bunch of dwarves and an old wizard came to your house one night, partied hard, wrecked up the place, and then forced you to come along as some kind of burglar on a mad dragonslaying quest. 136. You left because of 135, but you kept getting sidetracked because you, the dwarves, and/or the wizard had to be rescued multiple times. 137. You left because of 135 and got held up by 136, but the quest was eventually completed, in spite of the huge war that went on at the end of it. Now you have to walk all the way back home. 138. Your uncle did 135-137, and left you a magic ring after going off on another adventure.
LCD2YOU 10-22-07, 04:54 PM	139: You were coming off of a 3 day drunk when you woke up to the sound of combat, that you were already in.
Mr_Seth 10-22-07, 05:41 PM	140: You went on a bender. By which I mean, you went on an epic-level drinking binge, the sort that would make Bacchus himself want to go on the wagon for a while, and woke up three weeks later in a small royal colony halfway across the world, penniless. The only things on your person at the moment were a tutu and a work permit made out to "Emily Berkstein". Now you're trying to figure out just what happened... and possibly get home. That'd be a plus.
VulcanStormwrath 10-22-07, 09:09 PM	Serial Killer
Kernath 10-22-07, 11:54 PM	141. In the throes of Pon Farr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pon_farr), you challenged <insert evil mastermind here> to a fight to the death. He escaped, and you managed to survive by the grace of his virgin sacrifice-to-be (not only did you save her, you assured that she can never be in that situation again!), but you're now honor-bound to fulfill the challenge. You need a few good fellows to help beat the tar out of Count Rugen's lackeys. 142. You're just looking for a fair slice. The fact that your definition of "fair" is "100%" never crosses your mind.
Guardian1 10-23-07, 12:17 AM	143. You're on a (Insert best James Belushi imitation here) "mission from God".:rimshot: Literally. You'rea cleric and/or paladin who's been giving a mission to wipe/reimprison out some ancient evil. Hmm, put that way, I guess I really am a "Soul Man":)
Guardian1 10-23-07, 12:18 AM	141. In the throes of Pon Farr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pon_farr), you challenged <insert evil mastermind here> to a fight to the death. He escaped, and you managed to survive by the grace of his virgin sacrifice-to-be (not only did you save her, you assured that she can never be in that situation again!), but you're now honor-bound to fulfill the challenge. You need a few good fellows to help beat the tar out of Count Rugen's lackeys. 142. You're just looking for a fair slice. The fact that your definition of "fair" is "100%" never crosses your mind. By the way, watch "The Princess Bride" a bit much, do you?
Kernath 10-23-07, 09:13 AM	Everything pays homage to The Princess Bride if you read far enough into it. ;) 144. "I like to sing-a / About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a." [You're under alien control, and the aliens want a more powerful puppet. Find a way to get somebody to free you without tipping off your controller.]
Mr_Seth 10-23-07, 07:07 PM	145. You're just into the scene, man... can you dig it?
Kady_Small 10-23-07, 08:09 PM	146. Your parents are adventurers, and you're following in their footsteps. 147. You're a runaway slave, and about the best way not to be recaptured seems to be to keep moving. 148. You're a poor farmer's youngest son out to make his fortune. No talking cat has yet materialized, so you'll have to settle for a good broadsword. 149. When your sorcerous powers manifested, your village tried to burn you at the stake. You decided to skedaddle. 150. You're collecting stories of adventurers, and the best way to do that is to hang out with them.
DracoPhoenix 10-24-07, 03:58 AM	149. When your sorcerous powers manifested, your village tried to burn you at the stake. You decided to skedaddle. 151. When they tried to burn you at the stake, you gave a very pointed demonstration on why burning a magic wielder is bad. Since then you've not so much left home, as left a charred crater. 2 miles wide.
Prator_The_Golden 10-24-07, 07:34 PM	152. You're the worst masochist ever. Just being hurt isn't enough; to feel real joy, you need to feel yourself bleeding to death. Adventuring provides plenty of new ways to experience fatalities. 153. You're the worst sadist ever. Adventuring gives to plenty of legal and semi-legal chances to kill things. 154. You don't want to be a Commoner when you grow up. 155. An awakened dragon turtle has kidnapped the princess of your kingdom, and you've abandoned your plumbing career temporarily so you can rescue her. 156. Every time you go to rescue the Princess from 155, it turns out that she's in another castle. 157. You've found the Princess of 155, but the dragon turtle has put her in an enchanted sleep now. Off you go again... 158. After you woke up the princess of 155, some witch from another kingdom cursed her, and now you need the power of a magic star-bean or something to cure her. 159. Some kind of evil giant orc-mage has gained the power of three triangular artifacts of power and is using them to distort the world. He's also imprisoned your Princess. Rescuing time, anyone? 160. The same giant orc-mage of 159 somehow came back to life after you killed it. Now he's kidnapped your sister. 161. You're trying to get rid of the funky mask, ocarina, harp, staff, cap, mirror, and other bizarre magical artifacts that you acquired from 159, 160, and related adventures. You especially want to ditch the magic sword that fires laser beams and splits you into four people. 162. You want desperately to escape from this crazy, Nintendo-style world your DM has set up.
Zousha_Omenohu 10-25-07, 09:46 AM	163. The inn you've run since you were in your teens has been burned to the ground during a barfight started by a rag-tag pack of adventurers, and they decided to drag you with them as their main fighter so you wouldn't tell the authorities.