Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 silentdante Sep 03, 2014 14:44:05	***SPOILER FOR THE MOVIE "THE KILLER" IF YOU HAVENT SEEN IT AND DON'T WANT IT SPOILED DONT READ PLEASE!***   I am looking to create a character loosely based on the movie "The Killer" directed by John Woo staring Chow Yun Fat. During the movie he injures a bystander by blinding her at one of his "hits" and from then on has a sort of change of heart about what he does, but also wants to still do jobs to make the money to help the bystander with the surgery to fix her eyes.   So my thoughts would be for the background to be Criminal: Hired Killer, who works for the zhentarim as a hired killer. I am unsure what kind of alignment would work for this character, as I would think most assassins might fall into a more evil alignment, I also think that maybe a lawful neutral, chaotic good, or chaotic neutral character would work. What are your guys thoughts on what alignment a character might have as they adventure, but may still take hired killer contracts from the zhentarim from time to time?   So the background, to fit it in line with the movie, I am thinking:   Trait: out of the 8 offered in the PHB I am thinking that "I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. while this sort of goes with him in the movie, it also doesn't, but it's the closest trait out of all of them, better suggestions (I know I can just make stuff up, but I find a base to go on from the book to be helpful)? I am also leaning towards one of the folk hero trait lines "I judge people by their actions, not their words." which makes sense from how the main character forgives his criminal contact for betraying him.   Ideal: hard time with this one. I would like to pick the Redemption ideal, but I don’t think the main character in The Killer thought there was a spark of good in everyone, though maybe he does... hard to tell. I would think his ideal would become more about protecting innocents from the things people in power do, to reflect how he injured someone and is now trying to repay them for the damage he caused, which works with the Bond aspect. Maybe the "Freedom: Chains are meant to be broken, as those who would forge them." to reflect how angry The Killer got when they shot the innocent little girl while trying to kill him who he them races to the hospital. Really need some suggestions on this one, because nothing is fitting well in my head for ideals yet.   Bond: for the bond I am going to mix 2 of the criminal ones, the one where the character owes money and the one where someone I loved died. This is straight from the movie, but basically before my character came to adventure, he hurt a girl that was a bystander at one of his contract killing places, blinding her and causing her family to go into debt trying to cure her and magically bring back her sight. The character also falls in love with this girl but never allows himself to meet her for fear of hurting her again somehow. so the bond would be Debt he sends money to the family to cover the immense debt he caused them to get into for her healing, and that the character has a girl he loves back home he is trying to make the lands a better place for. Any extra ideas for this would help also.   Flaw: because of what happened to the young girl in the bond, the character will never put innocents/bystanders in danger, and will always seek to help them before worrying about himself. I am also toying with the idea that he will never shoot through his own party members because he refuses to injure anyone that is friendly or innocent. This is also not in the book really, and as I looked through a few backgrounds, none of the flaws fit that well, so if you guys have suggestions let them rip for sure. I am also not worried about getting inspiration, so I don’t know how much this will come up, unless my DM puts a lot of hostage type of encounters in the game.   So as far as backgrounds those are the ideas so far, any advice or thoughts on what I should change or incorporate would be greatly appreciated, especially if you have seen the movie and know what I am going for. I am thinking that once the character starts adventuring to earn money to help pay down the debt, and is part of the zhentarim faction, who he would have his background criminal contact that gives him info and other hired killer contracts.   EDIT: also think maybe the Lord's Alliance might be a good faction pick, not sure, need to read up more on the factions.
#2 silentdante Sep 04, 2014 14:53:10	i'm guessing people dont want the spoilers... i guess if i get no answer i will just ask the alignment question, because thats the part i strugle with the most, what kind of thoughts are behind the certain career/background, but still being a "good" PC to plat.
#3 Captain_Kobold Sep 04, 2014 17:25:18	Alignment wise, if they are still choosing to make money by killing innocent people, its pretty definitely Evil. Its not like a soldier, who is obeying orders from duly appointed authority. He is choosing to still take the contract kills. Unless he has some way of vetting or choosing them and only taking those contracts that would involve killing evil or oppressive people perhaps?   Why does he have this new attitude? Does he have a respect for life, or does he simply loathe the clumsiness of inflicting collaterol damage? Does he regard himself/his organisation legitimately "at war" with another group and only targets them while preserving those who aren't the enemy?