Hello I've started a new campaign and as so far every campaign I've been in the players backgrounds has been plain stupid I decided that It would be about bunch of orphans who have to leave an orphanage as it can't/won't support them anymore. So the overarching plot is going to be centred on discovering who they are.
I was wondering if anyone had any good options for unknown pasts?
Also does anyone know a good country to set it in?
Things I've thought up
1. A character is the last surviving descendant of a noble (possibly royal) bloodline that a cleric killed off during life and comes back as a lich because the pact he made with the dark powers means they don't get his soul until he's killed them all. He wants to kill them all (revenge for some slight), and doesn't really care about his soul as he's spent the last 6 years experiencing his reward for overwhelming evil and rather liked it. He's slightly mad and erratic.
2. A character is descended from a prominent family of dragons that live in the near the region, opponents try to use this to their advantage if they find out and the char might not be welcome to the dragons depending on the choices he makes.
3. All characters have a single item from their past as a clue but one individual's item is magical and gains power as s/he levels up. Also either the item is sentient or someone from their past is haunting/watching over/possessing them (possibly a mix), which leads to stuff or something, (inspirational here aren't I).
4. A god or powerful being has interests in one of the characters for some reason or another and follows their progress.
5. The character's parents aren't dead at all. His mother's a prostitute living in a shabby part of town. Father can just be a member of a local thieves' gang. Talking to locals could yield "Hey, you look like [his mother]." He could possibly have an evil twin=D
6. The child of a noble and a prostitute. The noble is now someone of repute, or even better, a paladin.
So the overarching plot is going to be centred on discovering who they are.
That could be fun.
1. A character is the last surviving descendant of a noble (possibly royal) bloodline that a cleric killed off during life and comes back as a lich because the pact he made with the dark powers means they don't get his soul until he's killed them all. He wants to kill them all (revenge for some slight), and doesn't really care about his soul as he's spent the last 6 years experiencing his reward for overwhelming evil and rather liked it. He's slightly mad and erratic.
I'm a bit confused here. Are you talking about the PC, or did you go off on a tangent about the cleric?
He's a Lv 1 Psychic Warrior, and he was brought back to life somewhere in Sembia (Kulta for intance) with little memory of his past. Now, there's a little village next to the Thunder Peaks where a "Diviner of Great power" (Athena, NG Seer lv 18) lives, and she's trying to help him recover his memory Since he's aware of what he is and he has this urge to amend.
Anyways, what he will latter remmember is that he was part of The Knights of the Black Hand and he was tortured and killed by the Knights themself after they discovered that he was a follower of Cyric.
Feel free to rip off all that you want from there if it helps you, and I hope it will
8. A PC, who still have parents, is been chased by Devils, since their parents for obscures reasons sign a deal for his/her son/daughter soul and that's why they gave him/her up for adoption short time after the birth.
9. A PC or a few of them or even all, have something that the villains wants, their blood, since is a component for a ritual to uncover a great treasure or open the gates for a certain places filled with ancestral power.
10. The PCs are part of a well orchestrated plan, by the church of Shar perhaps or whoever you choose. They kidnapped children of royal or noble blood of nearby lands and train them by some methods include some geas/quest but make them forget all that, so they could move on and live normally when they return to their respective places, but when the time is right, from the shadows, the evil will act.
11. A PC is a 'miracle child', a child artificially/magically created by a ritual, a gift for two beloved women who after endure several task and proof of their love, were granted the gift of live a child for them, of their own blood and love. The Church of Lathander performed the ritual and the child was blessed by the bright light of The Mourninglord, the warm and beauty of Sune (and any other blessing if you choose). But sadly, the child was lost after perils and dangers by the jealousy and anger of Shar (or any other you choose).
I'm a bit confused here. Are you talking about the PC, or did you go off on a tangent about the cleric?
Tangent
Khaelieth
7. The PC is descendant of Shoon vii.
Which book is shoon in?
13. One of the PC's has always had a strange ability to mentally communicate with and sometimes even dominate demons from the Abyss. In actuality the PC had an ancestor who was a mad warlock who had attempted to bind the demon lord Demogorgon to his own body. The failed attempt destroyed him, but left a lasting fiendish imprint on his bloodline. This ability has suddenly awakened in the PC (it was dormant for centuries) and a vengeful Prince of Demons sought revenge and had sent demons against the PC all his life. All the PCs except the fiendcursed one are baffled by these demon attack, but they know it has something to do with their mysterious new friend (who they had hired as a merc not long ago).
A PC happens to be one of the many bastards of Azoun IV.
Could You indicate a good resource for info on him?
Also Azoun could be interesting as no-one I've ever played with has tried that. (though I also consider it amusing)
Also Azoun could be interesting as no-one I've ever played with has tried that. (though I also consider it amusing)
There is actually a blurb for such a background in Champions of Valor, if you're interested.