A big Dumb fighter, too simple to play? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Eli_the_Tanner Jul 23, 2009 15:16:57	Hello there fellow Realms-heads I have recently begun a new campaign as a player in the realms and decided to stretch my character roleplaying by rolling my stats as they come e.g first roll strength, 2nd dex etc. Generating random basic stats for my PC essentially. This is a method I like to use often when starting a new game as it often challenges my creativity and makes you think more about what such a character would become and have come from. Rather than attempting to manipulate stats to a pre-imagined concept. As I usually assume the role of a DM I'm quite used to getting into the role of a great variety of beings and playing through their psyches.....however.... ....I have found that being a player brings different demands in charater cration than those found in DMing. The character I have currently rolled up is a rather unintelligent and uncharasmatic but physically capable human(I rolled for race aswell). The archetypical fighter one might say......hmmm. I have found this character to be quite challenging to get a grasp of though. It took me many hours sitting down with the character and taking him for walks to really figure out how such a person could be played and what motivates them. This was surprising as I have played countles ill-educated grunts and soldiers, ogres and fighter from 1st to epic as a dm, happily revelling in their concepts. Yet when this character drawn up as a player I felt quite stifled. I am quite a fan of playing intelligent and multi-faceted characters when I'm a player normally who are able to consider their situations and evolve as the campaign progresses. So when faced with a dunce like this fighter I immediately had this sense of "how the hell can I play this!?" A character who's forte resides solely in the tip of his blade felt quite shallow and unenterprising. Unable to contribute in planning, strategy, puzzle-solving, plotting or even anything more ambitious or mentally taxing than hitting really made me feel quite hampered among the group. After much soul-searching I have begun to flesh out a concept that made me feel like I could enjoy playing this character. However I became curious as to how others have managed to create other such characters that were engaging and fascinating people to play whilst also being unitelligent and uncharasmatic individuals. Thankyou for any responses, I'm interested in them all.
#2 lord_karsus Jul 23, 2009 17:02:15	-Well, what's your concept/biography? -Overall, when I play characters of any class/race, having a good, deep, and well-developed background pretty much makes everything palatable. -In THIS thread, you can find other peoples' warrior characters/NPCs. In the very least, it might give you some inspiration somewhere.
#3 Diffan Jul 23, 2009 18:12:49	I believe my all-time favorite character to play was a barbarian/fighter/frenzied berserker named Ox. I played him as if he had severe depression, paranoia, and alcoholism. As it turned out, his back story was that when he was a child, he and a few friends attempted to say the night at a run-down (and supposedly haunted) house in their village. He made it through the night while the other kids left but was actually possessed by a demon. Using Ox as a raft, the demon escaped the magically warded house (created by a cleric of Lathander) and plagued Ox for nearly 15 years. As Ox matured and became deranged by the possessing spirit until a cleric came upon him and finally exorcised the demon. However, the mental torture he endured for 15 years was permanent and caused him to lash out violently and randomly. Ox realized that by getting drunk it lessend the visions of violence, carnage, and death he was constantly seeing in his mind's eye. It was a really fun character cuz I acted out so much, caused so much frustration among the party (not over-doing it as to have others have a bad time) and just acted completly crazy. I would yell at walls or people I thought were looking at me. I would often act as a child out in public with our party members. Just stuff like that. Hope some of that helps.
#4 Eli_the_Tanner Jul 23, 2009 21:40:45	-Well, what's your concept/biography? Here is the character in the familiar format. This character has already begun to turn into a very interesting person to play with his first encounter with the exotic and flamboyant magic-user of the party turning into a misunderstanding about "the art" with my character believing he is a painter of some sort. He's already begun nominating people to lead the group and gets quite agitated when people seem to have multiple motives. I'm quite interested in seeing where he will go, it seems there are a lot of roleplaying directions opening up. Show Warren Armereon LN Male Damaran human fighter 1 HP: 11 (1 HD) Initiative: +8 (+2 dex, +2 thug, +4 improved initiative) Speed: 20 ft (4 squares) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. AC 18 (+2 dex, +4 Scale Mail, +2 spiked heavy steel shield) [T: 12, FF: 16] BAB: +1/+3 Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+2/19-20) or Attack: spiked heavy steel shield +3 (1d6+1/x2) with Improved Shield bash or Attack: mwk Shortsword +4 (1d6+2/19-20) or Ranged: Light Crossbow +3 (1d8/x2) or Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 8 Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1 Skills: Appraise +1, Climb -3, Intimidate +3, Jump -3, Knowledge (Moonsea local) +0, Ride +3. with armour check penalty Languages: Common, Damaran Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Shield BashB, Thug * Bonus Regional Feat Possessions: Longsword, spiked heavy steel shield, Scale Mail, masterwork Shortsword, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Backpack, 5 day trail rations, Bedroll, flint and steel, Waterskin, Whetstone, 151gp, 3sp, 8cp. Features: Human Qualities Fighter Bonus Feats: Improved Shield Bash Combat/Tactics: Warren prefers to get the jump on his enemies, closing his opponents down fast before they have time to react is what he does best. Trained to manoeuvre with allies in the battlefield Warren quickly adapts to the presence of comrades moving between defensive, attacking and supportive modes instinctively. Warren prides himself on utilising his full faculties in combat, making liberal use of his shield to attack as well as being perceptive of terrain advantages he may gain. Quite unskilled at planning he leaves such things to others and relies on getting stuck in quickly and relying on his own skill and judgement to win a fight. Friends/Allies: Slow to make good friends, Warren has a habit of starting most friendships in a bar brawl or violent misunderstanding which then gradually develops into a mutual respect. He would probably class few (if any) as friends but understands that camaraderie is something for him to value. His current associates he views as work colleagues but has found a mutual respect with the Shou warrior Azumi that has recently joined his group. Foes/Enemies: As a renegade Zhent soldier Warren is sought after by his previous organisation for crimes against his company. Despite becoming a pariah among the zhents he still harbours a strong tie to his former home and is not afraid to stand up for the zhentish people. Consequently this earns him certain ire from many folk in faerun, especially as he currently staying in Melavaunt where Zhent sympathy is considered bad form. Appearance: Warren stands a little over six foot tall and has a slim yet muscular build for one of his frame, this often manifests as a wiry strength somewhat disproportionate for his build. Previously Warren kept tightly cropped hair and was always clean shaven he has recently developed a somewhat grizzled look and his hair has become long and unkempt, often forcing him to tie it back. One thing he maintains despite a constant odour of alcohol is a rather immaculate set of arms and armour. Warren ritualistically cleans his items of warfare every day, taking special care with his ex-commanders short sword. Personality: Seemingly gruff and imposing in the company of others Warren lacks a lot of confidence among people. Brought up as a soldier and having adopted an overbearing attitude when dealing with threats and duties Warren finds himself lost when socialising. A firm believer in structure and is most comfortable when he has an authority to defer to. Warren has always had a slight deference to the religious, he hold those with divine power in high regard despite being baffled and mystified by such powers. An adherent to the ideals of Bane that fear and conflict can topple any opponent, Warren believes that a leader should be able cow his subordinates and that some people are just intrinsically more capable leaders than others. He feels that intimidation of others has brought him through a lot of situations that he has simply not had the confidence to deal with otherwise. Since leaving the army life Warren has felt adrift, lashing out at others or chasing the comfort of regimen where he can. History: Born in 1248, Warren grew up in the then fortified city of Yulash where he spent his formative years as the son of a family of rat catchers. Crawling among the dankest parts of the city he helped his family by chasing vermin into there smallest holes. Warren lost his brother to disease when he was bitten by an infected rat at a fairly young age and was heavily disliked by the other children for not only his profession but also for his vicious bullying of smaller children who competed for his job. During this time Warren developed a great dislike and slight fear of rats. When Warren reached the age of 7 Yulash became a warzone between the forces of Zhentil keep and Hillsfar. His family and district was devastated by Hillsfar forces, narrowly escaping due to his knowledge of rat-holes and sewers he hid from the troops with others for over a tenday. Surviving in ways he has done his best to forget Warren was eventually saved by Zhentil troops. As the Zhents swept through the area they found Warren and the other children huddled in a sewer entrance half-starved and took them back to Zhentil keep along with many other prisoners. Once at Zhentil keep he was enamoured with the army, encouraged by Banite priests for youths such as him to enter into its ranks he quickly moved into army life. The next few years he found himself doing any jobs such as cleaning, mending uniforms and polishing weapons and then slowly began training once he got older. All the while Banite priests gave direction and a sense of greater meaning to all that he did. Warren found a great outlet for his more overbearing side often bullying fellow trainees and starting fights, all the while validated by the religious hierarchy he found himself in. Unfortunately another upheaval rocked his world at the age of 10 when the time of troubles brought about great transitions in Zhentil keep. Cyric-worshippers held sway over the populace and Cyric was paid at least lip-service to by those who had previously favoured Bane. This new setting for his life grated somewhat on him, it reminded him of the instability of his youth and the methods of cyric were lost on him. In turn Warren became increasingly insular and distrusting of others, preferring to keep his head down whilst being aware that knowing too much was a bad thing. Despite this the army life was far grander than anything he had lived before; the order of it gave him a sense of belonging and made him feel part of the community. His strength and agility was quickly identified along with his willingness to use it and he soon found himself working among the city guards. For the next 10 years he slowly moved into the role of soldier and embraced the discipline of the sword developing himself into a very intuitive warrior, in part due to his ‘keep yer’ head down and do yer job’ attitude. Developing a strong respect for his commander Orel Bersk who held sway over his squad in a very pragmatic manner and was a man of unquestionable loyalty. Every action Warren did held the exemplar of Captain Bersk in his mind. When the rule of Cyric was overthrown and Xvim arose, Warren followed Captain Bersk in support of Xvim. In the wake of this struggle Warren was involved in a number of battles, most notably the battles over Yulash which he personally offered his services for. In these occasions his quick reactions and resourcefulness kept him from falling as some of the more strategic soldiers did. Finally the return of Bane came, something which many had anticipated. However when the culling of any residual Cyric supporters came, it appeared that Captain Bersk was still loyal to Cyric and was summarily hunted down. Warren caught between his commander and country was in a great quandary. Eventually he and his commander were caught by the Banite priests and Warren was forced to prove his loyalty by killing his own commander. Taking his commanders own sword he slit the mans throat. Disgusted with his actions, Warren left the army and headed east and away from Zhent rule. Dismayed by his the murder of the only man he had perhaps truly cared for and questioning the Banite priests methods he found himself slowly drinking his way to Melavaunt. After months of looking vainly for work and getting kicked out of numerous taverns he became involved with a group of individuals who looked like they could bring him some work and perhaps some order to his life again. Motivations and Goals: Lost and looking to be found, Warren has little idea of where he should be or go. He knows he wants to move away from the man he was and knows that the things that bring him greatest comfort in life are direction, purpose, the sense of being part of something more than himself. He is looking for a cause, a person, a way that will free him from chaos. Until then, dulling his memory in a bottle and finding focus in conflict are his only solaces.
#5 lord_karsus Jul 23, 2009 21:49:04	Here is the character in the familiar format. -Might as well post him in the aforementioned thread. ;) Very true, it's developing the backround/personality that is the challenge though. -Overall, I like the concept. I'd, maybe, play with the Cyric-Bane connection. He was "comfortable" under the "rule" of Bane, so he seems like the kind of person who is a follower, not a leader. I know a couple of people like that, who are good followers, but can't, for the life of them, actually get up and start things for themselves. With Cyric's ascension, I wouldn't say that Warren went mad, per se, but some of the screws of his life starting falling out. That definitely goes with Cyric's dogma, with the insanity and all (in a way).

Show

Warren Armereon
LN Male Damaran human fighter 1
HP: 11 (1 HD)
Initiative: +8 (+2 dex, +2 thug, +4 improved initiative)
Speed: 20 ft (4 squares)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
AC 18 (+2 dex, +4 Scale Mail, +2 spiked heavy steel shield) [T: 12, FF: 16]
BAB: +1/+3
Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+2/19-20) or
Attack: spiked heavy steel shield +3 (1d6+1/x2) with Improved Shield bash or
Attack: mwk Shortsword +4 (1d6+2/19-20) or
Ranged: Light Crossbow +3 (1d8/x2) or
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 8
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1
Skills: Appraise +1, Climb -3, Intimidate +3, Jump -3, Knowledge (Moonsea local) +0, Ride +3.
*with armour check penalty
Languages: Common, Damaran
Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Shield BashB, Thug*
* Bonus Regional Feat
Possessions: Longsword, spiked heavy steel shield, Scale Mail, masterwork Shortsword, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Backpack, 5 day trail rations, Bedroll, flint and steel, Waterskin, Whetstone, 151gp, 3sp, 8cp.
Features:
Human Qualities
Fighter Bonus Feats: Improved Shield Bash

Combat/Tactics: Warren prefers to get the jump on his enemies, closing his opponents down fast before they have time to react is what he does best. Trained to manoeuvre with allies in the battlefield Warren quickly adapts to the presence of comrades moving between defensive, attacking and supportive modes instinctively. Warren prides himself on utilising his full faculties in combat, making liberal use of his shield to attack as well as being perceptive of terrain advantages he may gain. Quite unskilled at planning he leaves such things to others and relies on getting stuck in quickly and relying on his own skill and judgement to win a fight.

Friends/Allies: Slow to make good friends, Warren has a habit of starting most friendships in a bar brawl or violent misunderstanding which then gradually develops into a mutual respect. He would probably class few (if any) as friends but understands that camaraderie is something for him to value. His current associates he views as work colleagues but has found a mutual respect with the Shou warrior Azumi that has recently joined his group.

Foes/Enemies: As a renegade Zhent soldier Warren is sought after by his previous organisation for crimes against his company. Despite becoming a pariah among the zhents he still harbours a strong tie to his former home and is not afraid to stand up for the zhentish people. Consequently this earns him certain ire from many folk in faerun, especially as he currently staying in Melavaunt where Zhent sympathy is considered bad form.

Appearance: Warren stands a little over six foot tall and has a slim yet muscular build for one of his frame, this often manifests as a wiry strength somewhat disproportionate for his build. Previously Warren kept tightly cropped hair and was always clean shaven he has recently developed a somewhat grizzled look and his hair has become long and unkempt, often forcing him to tie it back. One thing he maintains despite a constant odour of alcohol is a rather immaculate set of arms and armour. Warren ritualistically cleans his items of warfare every day, taking special care with his ex-commanders short sword.

Personality: Seemingly gruff and imposing in the company of others Warren lacks a lot of confidence among people. Brought up as a soldier and having adopted an overbearing attitude when dealing with threats and duties Warren finds himself lost when socialising. A firm believer in structure and is most comfortable when he has an authority to defer to. Warren has always had a slight deference to the religious, he hold those with divine power in high regard despite being baffled and mystified by such powers. An adherent to the ideals of Bane that fear and conflict can topple any opponent, Warren believes that a leader should be able cow his subordinates and that some people are just intrinsically more capable leaders than others. He feels that intimidation of others has brought him through a lot of situations that he has simply not had the confidence to deal with otherwise. Since leaving the army life Warren has felt adrift, lashing out at others or chasing the comfort of regimen where he can.

History: Born in 1248, Warren grew up in the then fortified city of Yulash where he spent his formative years as the son of a family of rat catchers. Crawling among the dankest parts of the city he helped his family by chasing vermin into there smallest holes. Warren lost his brother to disease when he was bitten by an infected rat at a fairly young age and was heavily disliked by the other children for not only his profession but also for his vicious bullying of smaller children who competed for his job. During this time Warren developed a great dislike and slight fear of rats.

When Warren reached the age of 7 Yulash became a warzone between the forces of Zhentil keep and Hillsfar. His family and district was devastated by Hillsfar forces, narrowly escaping due to his knowledge of rat-holes and sewers he hid from the troops with others for over a tenday. Surviving in ways he has done his best to forget Warren was eventually saved by Zhentil troops. As the Zhents swept through the area they found Warren and the other children huddled in a sewer entrance half-starved and took them back to Zhentil keep along with many other prisoners.

Once at Zhentil keep he was enamoured with the army, encouraged by Banite priests for youths such as him to enter into its ranks he quickly moved into army life. The next few years he found himself doing any jobs such as cleaning, mending uniforms and polishing weapons and then slowly began training once he got older. All the while Banite priests gave direction and a sense of greater meaning to all that he did. Warren found a great outlet for his more overbearing side often bullying fellow trainees and starting fights, all the while validated by the religious hierarchy he found himself in.

Unfortunately another upheaval rocked his world at the age of 10 when the time of troubles brought about great transitions in Zhentil keep. Cyric-worshippers held sway over the populace and Cyric was paid at least lip-service to by those who had previously favoured Bane. This new setting for his life grated somewhat on him, it reminded him of the instability of his youth and the methods of cyric were lost on him. In turn Warren became increasingly insular and distrusting of others, preferring to keep his head down whilst being aware that knowing too much was a bad thing.

Despite this the army life was far grander than anything he had lived before; the order of it gave him a sense of belonging and made him feel part of the community. His strength and agility was quickly identified along with his willingness to use it and he soon found himself working among the city guards. For the next 10 years he slowly moved into the role of soldier and embraced the discipline of the sword developing himself into a very intuitive warrior, in part due to his ‘keep yer’ head down and do yer job’ attitude.

Developing a strong respect for his commander Orel Bersk who held sway over his squad in a very pragmatic manner and was a man of unquestionable loyalty. Every action Warren did held the exemplar of Captain Bersk in his mind. When the rule of Cyric was overthrown and Xvim arose, Warren followed Captain Bersk in support of Xvim. In the wake of this struggle Warren was involved in a number of battles, most notably the battles over Yulash which he personally offered his services for. In these occasions his quick reactions and resourcefulness kept him from falling as some of the more strategic soldiers did.

Finally the return of Bane came, something which many had anticipated. However when the culling of any residual Cyric supporters came, it appeared that Captain Bersk was still loyal to Cyric and was summarily hunted down. Warren caught between his commander and country was in a great quandary. Eventually he and his commander were caught by the Banite priests and Warren was forced to prove his loyalty by killing his own commander. Taking his commanders own sword he slit the mans throat. Disgusted with his actions, Warren left the army and headed east and away from Zhent rule. Dismayed by his the murder of the only man he had perhaps truly cared for and questioning the Banite priests methods he found himself slowly drinking his way to Melavaunt.

After months of looking vainly for work and getting kicked out of numerous taverns he became involved with a group of individuals who looked like they could bring him some work and perhaps some order to his life again.

Motivations and Goals: Lost and looking to be found, Warren has little idea of where he should be or go. He knows he wants to move away from the man he was and knows that the things that bring him greatest comfort in life are direction, purpose, the sense of being part of something more than himself. He is looking for a cause, a person, a way that will free him from chaos. Until then, dulling his memory in a bottle and finding focus in conflict are his only solaces.