Brilliant, brilliant thread and concept. So many imaginative people! I've done a 10 min background for my new Tiefling Warlord - I'd love to hear your feedback!
Kael’Thas
Full Name
Duke Kael Faust Dukart Thas, Second Son of the 8th Prince of House Thas, Inheritor of the Book of Malachi, Scion of the Blood Hunt.
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Kael was born to a line of noble Tieflings. He can trace his ancestry all the way back to a noble house directly from Bael’Turath. He is proud of this fact, and has no qualms about talking about his lineage.
Kael has a very naive view of the war of conquest his ancestors fought. He feels that, for the most part, the war was justified though he doesn’t share that opinion with many. He romanticizes the whole thing, believing that the glory of Bael’Turath could have brought the world into a new period of learning and understanding.
His parents are absolute Tiefling supremacists and try to live outside of the ‘lesser’ races. As the second born son, Kael was never to inherit leadership of the merchant house he comes from. He isn’t bothered by this.
Kael has two possessions he values more than any other – a partial, original version of the writings of Malachi, the most infamous of all Tiefling Warlords. He values this book more highly than his life, and would gladly sell his life to defend it, as he sees this as a founding code for a new Bael’Turath. He wishes to complete this book and find some of the missing portions. His other prized possession is his simple Longsword. It is a regular Longsword, though has been in his family for generations. It is an heirloom, in the old fashion of Bael’Turath. Like the book, he values this sword highly as it is a direct link to his history and ancestors.
Kael is physically imposing and muscular. He has a tattoo on his right arm, signifying his family lineage, heritage and his noble house. He has a few scars, though none severe or facial. It is clear he has learned his trade the hard way.
Kael left his family aged 17 with a view to testing himself against the principles set out by Malachi. Tired of the partially nomadic and segregated lifestyle he had grown up in, he chose to seek adventure into the world.
He served with a few mercenary groups and in a township guard, learning the basics of combat, leadership and martial lifestyle. He has adapted to survive in many different environments and takes the lessons of Malachi to heart and tries to implement them wherever possible though his naturally brash and over confident nature often overrides his rational head. He doesn’t like to admit that it is likely the fiendish blood within which fuels his brash and irrational nature.
Kael has an ingrained dislike of the Dragonborn. He finds it hard to control his feelings towards them, viewing them with distrust for their part in the downfall of Bael Turath. While he holds no particular grudge or outright hatred of them, he certainly will not go out of his way to help any Dragonborn unless he stands to gain personally.
At age 22, he decided he had learned enough to kick out on his own and buy his own Mercenary Group Charter. He hopes this will be his first step on the path to glory.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
Goal – To restore the glory of Bael Turath
Five years amongst the mixed races of the world have taught Kael many lessons about the value of co-operation. He doesn’t wish for his vision of Bael Turath to become another base for conquest – rather, a hub for understanding, co-operation and above all, a home for all disenfranchised Tieflings.
Goal – To own a Nightmare as his mount
This is more flavor and “wouldn’t it be awesome if....”. I’ll even take the Mounted Combat Feat for this Horsey. The Nightmare will be named Invincible, have Heavy Barding and be totally kickass.
Goal – Become recognized as a pre-eminent military leader of his time
Kael has patience and interest for statecraft, from an intellectual point of view, though military matters remain his passion.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
Kael is from one of the fiercest and brutal of the houses that lived in Bael Turath. His moderate and adaptable approach to life requires much self control that he brings through sheer force of personality. He harbors a wicked temper, a penchant for particularly violent vengeance and an extremely cruel streak, simply from the blood in his veins.
House Thas was one of the houses that signed the Compact and created the Tiefling race. The fate of House Thas is now inextricably linked with the whims and wants of Asmodeus and his lieutenants.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
Prince Iahan El’Thas – Kael’s father; a proud Turathi nobleman and merchant, Iahan is extremely proud of his second son’s choice to pursue the martial way of life. He is worried he may lose his son and their copy of Malachi’s teachings. He finds it difficult to understand his son’s point of view and approach to co-operation with other races and fears Kael is losing his sense of what it truly means to be a Turathi noble. Iahan has a considerable fortune stashed away, and maintains the hope of founding a new Tiefling city.
Gelban Dantez – Gelban Dantez, a Human mercenary Captain, was the first person Kael served under in a band of mercenaries known as the Cathay Lords. Gelban taught Kael the value of co-operation and understanding, as well as more than just a few tricks with a sword. Gel showed to Kael the resourceful and adaptability of humans. Kael has kept in touch with Gel and regularly swaps stories by letter with him. Gelban refers to him ‘Bloodsteel’,
Arjhan Torinn – The Dragonborn joined the Cathay Lords at the same time as Kael. While they worked together, there was a clear enmity spawned largely of Kael’s hubris and dislike of Arjhan, and Arjhan’s thirst for honour and glory. The two clashed often and nearly came to blows. Arjhan is rumoured to have started his own adventuring group.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
Kael prizes his copy of Malachi’s teachings over anything else. He clearly remembers the day when he was granted the honour of inheriting the book. He keeps it on his person at all times, safely bound in a small, iron box. The box is very mildly magical – a simple enchantment to preserve the book from the ravages of age.
Kael is generous with his gold and holds little value in it, though he understands the necessity in the wider context of his goals. He is looking to amass enough gold to found a small mercenary army, to begin raising a fortune and realising his dreams of conquest.
Kael remains brash and eager to engage in valorous combat wherever he can find it, though learns quickly from his mistakes.
Mika is a Human, Female Avenger. Mika’s 10-minute background:
Background Concepts:
1. Mika used to be a guard posted on the outskirts of Flan, up in the mountains. It was there that she developed her ability to separate and isolate the powerful enemies from their weaker compatriots. This ability has helped her survive many battles as part of a small, but elite battle group.
2. It was in this small battle group that Mika met her former lover. His name was Komar and they fought together for three years defending the region from many perilous threats from the mountains.
3. During the third year Mika found herself with child. She stepped down from accompanying the battle group on their 3-5 day treks into the surrounding mountains. She found herself occupying simple guard duty around town while taking care of her daughter August. Komar was gone most of the time defending the town from the mountains. She raised their daughter alone for 4 years until one day the town was attacked by marauding hobgoblins.
4. The town was burned to the ground and there were many casualties, including Mika’s daughter August. Komar was away during the raid, and when he came back to find the town in ruins Mika was gone as well, tracking the group of hobgoblins who murdered her daughter.
5. Mika spent 2 years alone in the mountains tracking he hobgoblins and picking them off one by one. She became the most feared Avenger in the land and was given the title The Avenging Shadow because she appeared from the shadows, isolated the enemy and eliminated them each coolly and methodically.
Character Goals:
Now that Mika has avenged her daughter August, she continues to travel the lands and help others avenge travesties that had been committed against them.
In addition, Mika continually seeks out opportunities to help children in need when she encounters them in her travels. Although she no longer has a daughter of her own, she takes solace in the children’s smiling faces after she helps them.
Secrets about your Character:
1. That when she found the hobgoblin who had murdered her daughter it tried to surrender and she killed it in cold blood, even thought it goes against the teachings of her God Avandra.
2. She spent a year at sea trying to forget about Komar and August right after she killed the hobgoblins, but after rescuing (from pirates) an orphan slave girl named Ashley she saw the error of her murdering ways and began to seek justice and protection for all the orphans of the land.
Character Relationships:
Komar is the man she once loved and the father of her deceased daughter. Although she misses him she has never really forgiven him for not being there when the hobgoblins attacked her village.
August is the daughter who was killed in the hobgoblin raid. She constantly talked about her and uses her memory for faith in trying times. Sometimes she sees August in her dreams and she gives Mika guidance and hope.
Gregory is the ship captain that she sailed with for a year after August’s death. Although they parted ways almost 5 years ago, Gregory would happily travel and adventure with Mika again if given the opportunity.
Ashley is a girl that Mika saved and cared for while traveling at sea. I was after looking into Ashley’s eyes that she was able to get some closure on the death of her own daughter. At that moment Mika vowed to help the children of the land.
"No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced."
Well this looks like fun, I'll try it with a charecter from a book im writing that I'm trying to port into DnD. Due to this it will get very interseting with all the nessasary tie-ins such as Shadow beings, multiple dimensions, and real world tie in. I'd make a story for him myself but I've practly written half a book about him, I don't want to write more on top of it >_< Thanks for the help. If you need more information I will not hesitate. ~MageMaster
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Fai Kiria
1] He is 16 years old, but has lived through a good 25 years of his life.
2] At the age of 14, he accidentally found his way into another dimension called Kiria, in which he lived 9 or so years of his life fighting, learning, and helping people in Kiria from the forces of an evil man and his army of dark matter composed creatures.
3] Mage. Master in the feild of magic and specialises is the control of fire.
4] Inventor. Loves mechanics and very talented at developing new forms of technology.
5] Ninja. Master of every exsisting form of Martial Arts, Stealth, and Saboter.
6] Non-Religious. Though he sees every reason behind every religion, he chooses not to belive any of it. He only belives in Science, Mathmatics, and Logic.
7] 6', blonde messy hair, blue eyes.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1] Personally I would love to see Fai find and travel with Kimiko{see People Tied to Charecter.} somewhere towards the start of the campaign so she might be able to aid him in his quest.
2] Fai has been skipping across the Dimensional Plains for almost 2 years trying to find his way back to Earth, where he came from, and belives he has finally found a way back home; it appears an evil man somewhere here in Faerûn posseses the power of three golden triangles{Triforce copyrighted to Nintendo and is in no possible way owned by me at all.} which grant the power of the gods to their bearer. He seeks to take them, and use their power to get home.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1] He says he wants to go home, but after traveling the dimensions for so many years, he's not so sure just WHAT he wants to do anymore.
2] Kimiko has been following three days behind Fai for ages trying to catch up with him after she realised how much it meant for her to be with him, but to start such a jorney, she was forced to abandon her place in line for the throne back in Kiria, a choice which she hopes was not in vein.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1] Kimiko is the younger of the two royal sisters in Kiria. She loves Acrobatics, Fencing, Climbing, and the color Blue. She and Fai have been in love for years but when Fai left Kiria it was on some iffy terms with Kimiko. She forgives him for leaving but wounders if he forgives her for trying to force him to stay. Has silvery-blue long hair, deep blue eyes, and is 5'9".
2] Noriko is Kimiko's older sister who imediatley became Queen of Kiria when her sister withdrew from the line. Since the death of their parents, the formal King and Queen, Noriko Has been nothing but bad tempered, rude, and hostile towards everyone. She enjoys beating the daylights out of anything she can, and is well over powered using BFG 9000s in place of pistols and a bastard sword in place of the standard military knife. Without her sister or parents, she has gone insane and locked the council away in the deepest dungeon in Kiria and wants only to take over any and every dimension she can get her army to. She is not afraid to step into a fight herself is her soldiers arn't getting the job done and absolutley hates Fai for more reasons than she can count. Has long, braided silver hair, green speckled eyes, and is about 6'
3] Drake is an evil warlord who mistakingly gained power over the Shadows, Dark Matter composed Creatures that consume light. He was quickly consumed by thus power and went completley mental, wanting only to destroy Kiria. Fai killed him long ago, and in doing so, got himself killed, but both were mysteriously revived and now, without the powers of darkness, Drake is merley a Mercenary with a large grudge against Fai. Upon hearing of Fai's quest for the golden triangles of power wisdom and courage however, he decided to himself that he would make Fai a deal as soon as he found him, he would help Fai get home and promise never to touch Kiria or Earth with his power again if in turn Fai gave Drake the golden triangles once they found them. He has been trying to find Fai just as Kimiko has ever since. He has short dark red hair, slightly tanned skin, black eyes, and he is about 6'2".
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1] Fai has but three memories which he holds dear to himself; That of home, That of the first time he met Kimiko at the spring in the Kirian palace where she swung down from a tree in his face thus making him loose his balance and fall in the water, and that of the necklace he hand crafted for Kimiko as a gift just before he left, it was made from stone of a meteor that hit Kiria and had a large symbol etched into the largest peice; a Lotus flower, which in Kiria represents Sorrow, Regret, and Apologies.
2] Fai is very old fashioned in some senses, while he is delighted by all futuristic forms of technology, he uses old english grammer such as tis, thus, whilst, and thy, thee, etc.
3] Fais biggest quirk is that he is a real Jack of All Trades. While most people in Kiria may only master one or two forms of magic in their lifetime due to sheer complication, Fai has mastered every form and created a few. He is an excellent Linguist and has even made up a language or two. He excells at Mathmatics, Science, Art, Tactics, Dexterity, and even Theivery, and is able to outwit most anybody. He absolutly loves to gain Wisdom. He constantly documents everything he learns in detailed journals and plans to someday publish his Guide to Everything.
[design notes] After his many adventurers documented as the Novel series Kiria Fai has had some personal undocumented journies of his own and is still trying to get home. He makes money by helping those in need, giving away knowlage for gold, and stealing if he's desprate enough. He is a primary charecter and is vastly important to the storyline of the campaign. If the campaign were to be reset, Fai would merley think that his friends bailed on him and many things he thought were true were misleadings and he would merley continue on like nothing ever happend.
Please click on the egg! You wouldn't want the poor soul to ~DIE~, would you?
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Gordik Nanikus
1. Dwarven fighter. Massively built & ripped & shredded. I mean properly shredded. Gordik has a 64-pack and has less than 0% body fat. He is massively pumped. I mean, he's just over four and a half feet tall and weighs well over 250 pounds. That's how fokking built he is.
2. Leather. Gordik wears a leather cap, leather chaps and has an intricate series of piercings. He wears a 0-gauge PA. He has numerous nipple rings. He even has an an mithral anal stud. He cuts a pretty impressive figure, especially since he's nine and a half inches, UNCUT.
3. Violence. Gordik is a heavy drinker. He lives almost exclusively off mutton fat, raw walrus blubber and rye bread. He is obsessed with Dwarven hedonism. He lives to fight. A day spent without pounding the living sh*t out of a friend or adversary is a day wasted. He exercises continually. Can perform one-finger push-ups on the blade of his battleaxe. Can perform one-finger pull-ups. Statistically, has STR 22 and CON 20.
4. Lust. Has an unquenchable thirst for male halfling and gnome ass. Was raised in the militias of the wicked city of IRONFORGE where Dwarven women were forbidden from even entering the Inner Gates by edict of the Thane-Regent. It is common, even universal, for Dwarven men to have sex with Dwarven men, but only in the context of role-dependent pederastic relationships. The lack of young Dwarven men in Ironforge drove much of the garrison mad, forcing them to waylay and capture gnome and halfling caravans in search of gnomish and halfling men to serve as catamites. Gordik can barely contain himself in the presence of ripe, well-formed gnomish men.
5. Heavy weaponry. Wields two-handed warhammers, battleaxes and mauls. Likes anything long, heavy and metallic.
6. Appearance. Long, bifurcated beard. Shaven head. Clean shaven body. Has male halfling catamites shaves his body and oil it with walrus blubber and gryphon spoor.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1. Desires more wealth and power. Wishes to obtain Gauntlets of Ogre Power to better pin gnomish punks to the loading dock with his powerful forearms. Did I mention Gordik has a 74" chest?
2. Realises that the lust for money, power and halfling/gnome ass is illusory. Orgasm is merely internal attrition and copious expulsion of mucus. Seeks a higher calling as a priest of Pelor.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises.
1. Wishes that Dwarven sexuality were sufficiently liberated to allow him to love Dwarves outside the rigid binary of military pederasty.
2. Does not know that his current weapon, the +3 Maul callled Shaan-Torum, was once the personal weapon of the Dwarven erotic poet Thorbol the Savage.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1. Speaks with a Turkish accent.
2. Always demands a steam bath and rubdown from a plump and jovial halfling man after a long day's work. Smokes cigars.
3. Constantly applying talcum powder between his thighs and on his scortum. His musculature is so extreme that his thighs chafe against one another and his low-hanging, billiard-ball sized testicles bounce uncomfortably against the unyielding, steely definition of his inner thighs.
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Xiphos, the Tiefling Warlord, was born and spent his first years in Sigil, the City of Doors. When he was 7-10 years old, he was playing near his house when he accidentally stumbled into a portal leading to a forest in the Feywild.
After wandering for a few days, he came in contact with a great beast. Weakened from lack of food, Xiphos could not run and was paralyzed with fear. Before the beast was able to strike down the lost child; he took an arrow to the head, after stumbling; he was hit by another shot to the neck, killing him.
In awe, Xiphos stood up and surveyed his surroundings trying to find the source of the arrows, but to no avail. Moments later, a figure steps out from the trees and introduces himself as Xinys. Feeling bad, he allowed the Tiefling to accompany him through this forest.
Amazed at Xinys’s grace with the bow, Xiphos spent the next 3 years training with him in the forest before finally reaching the great city of Astrazalian. At this, Xinys reveals himself as a leader of Eladrin’s 4th Battalion and encourages Xiphos to continue training and eventually enlist.
Xiphos, after showing much skill with the bow and proving himself quite worthy of a leadership position, is promoted and given control of a 5 man scouting unit. After an important relic is stolen, Xiphos is given the task of tracking down the thief and recovering the magical item. Over the course of the next 3 years, Xiphos and his unit cross planes and follow the thief to a volcano just outside the City of Brass in the Elemental Chaos.
Inside the volcano, they discover a cult preparing for some sort of ceremony with the stolen relic. While they are trying to sneak inside the ceremonial grounds, Xiphos’s unit is betrayed and ambushed. Despite his valiant efforts, Xiphos’s entire unit is killed and he is forced to flee.
Thought to be the traitor, Xiphos is exiled from Astrazalian and returns to the city of Sigil.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
Xiphos would love nothing more than to seek out the one who betrayed him and if possible, finally recover the stolen relic.
I would like to have Xiphos eventually come into contact with the family he had before stumbling into the Feywild.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
Xiphos personally feels responsible for the theft of the relic, because while he was supposed to be watching over the building that housed it, he caught a glimpse of a Tiefling who, from his fuzzy memory, vaguely resembled his father and lost all focus as memories came rushing back.
Unknownst to Xiphos, the Tiefling he saw “was” his father…right before his father stole the relic. His father may or may not have known Xiphos’s connection to the relic at the time of its theft.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
Xinys, Xiphos’s teacher. Deep down, he knows that Xiphos couldn’t be the traitor, but at this point, can’t do anything about it.
Dormos, the other Tiefling in Xiphos’s unit who betrayed them, killing the rest of the group. He knows that Xiphos is still alive and knows that he will soon come after him. Dormos, eager to finish the job he started in the volcano is also actively seeking Xiphos to leave him clues on where he might be “hiding.”
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
Xiphos feels slightly more at ease when out in nature, particularly in forests.
Xiphos deeply misses the Feywild and eagerly awaits the day he can return to the place he spent the second half of his childhood.
After facing betrayal like he did, Xiphos is very selective on whom he feels he can trust; however, like most Tieflings, if companions demonstrate their trust in him, he quickly returns the favor and remains loyal for life.
[Yes, I'm aware I only have two bullets for Step 4, the last one I will implement after working with another group member]
You can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into.
As my first post here, as a matter of fact, this is a character I've used, and changed, in many different roleplays for about 4 or 5 years now. So, enjoy and what not:
Tomonari Joshua Niul - Sorceror - Male Human - Age 15
The Ten-Minute Background
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
1) When he was 8 years old, his parents were killed by a group of bandits, who were in turn killed by a Razorclaw Shifter (Barbarian class btw) named Fergus Niul. After quite a bit of hesitation and annoyance, the man adopted Tomonari and raised him from then on.
2) Unlike his foster father, Tomonari prefers to study constantly, preferring not to engauge in fighting, although he was more or less forced to learn how to fight just in case. Typical as it is, the boy also became rather timid, scared of pretty much every new person that crosses his path.
3) Since Fergus was also a blacksmith, Tomonari went with his father to a couple towns and cities, where the weapons made were sold to various customers. During these trips, with what little spending money he could acquire, Tomonari himself bought various books to read, which further increased his own knowledge.
4) As for his blood heritage, aside from both his parents being human, Tomonari's ethnic race included a more tribal like heritage from his father's side (real life equivalent is Indigenous Australian, use google if you don't know), and of an oriental heritage from his mother's (as the typical anime nerd I am, he's half Japanese).
5) More recently in his life, and where any journeys of his would begin, a group of criminals had encountered Tomonari and his foster father, and in the mess, the two were separated, with the two of them now setting out to find the other. Of course, due to Tomonari's personality, he has a harder time.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1) The obvious goal is to reunite with his foster father. Plain and simple.
2) For the future, Tomonari is actually planning on being a chef, and presently is a dang good cook.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1) Although manages to hide it surprisingly well, Tomonari is actually still scared of his foster father after the past seven years. Granted, Fergus is a seven foot tall, Incredible Hulk massive barbarian, so that is partially why.
2) His grandfather from his father's side is still alive, and he may or may not meet the old man in the future.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1) Fergus Niul, as mentioned, is his foster father. Although still the barbarian class he always was, he loves his son as if Tomonari was his own flesh and blood, and you better pray to whatever god there is if you try to harm and/or kill Tomonari.
2) Although unknown to him (and myself, as I haven't detailed them yet), there is the group that separated Tomonari and Fergus. Do note though, that on Tomonari's side of things, if he ever sees them, his first reaction is as follows: RUN RUN AWAY! /shot for partial KH 2 reference.
3) Sibald Cahal, his blood related grandfather. Despite not having seen him for years, and even before being adopted, Tomonari hadn't seen him much, the old man is still the fun old guy he's always been. Just don't make him mad by harming his grandson, unless you like seeing a giant broadsword being swung down into your face~
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Due to his timid nature, Tomonari tries to be as respectful and polite as he can, even to his enemies. This in turn makes him overly apologetic, and makes him freak out quite often.
2) From when he was younger, his mother had given him a sewn doll that he still carries in his bag to this day. (Note that description of the doll I still need to think of.) It's still extremely important to him, and Tomonari wouldn't know what to do if he lost it.
3) Perhaps both a serious and comical quirk, Tomonari is book smart, not street smart. This means that even with his brain filled with knowledge, surviving in someplace like a city is not exactly something he excels in by any means.
As my first post here, as a matter of fact, this is a character I've used, and changed, in many different roleplays for about 4 or 5 years now. So, enjoy and what not:
Tomonari Joshua Niul - Sorceror - Male Human - Age 15
The Ten-Minute Background
I dig it, man.
You can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into.
I started using this tool very recently when I had trouble coalescing all of my thoughts on a character I had created into a unified whole. I started discussing this tool, however, with a good friend of mine who is far more analytical than me, and he had some very interesting observations.
For one, he felt that this would be a much more useful tool for a DM than for a player (which is one of your implied intentions). For a player, a tool like this essentially shoehorns his character into certain things. For example, does every character need a hostile NPC or rival from the outset? Aren't rivals and villains so much more meaningful when they are introduced and developed in game? Then there's the issue of secrets. Some characters are completely transparent, while some have (and need) only one big secret.
He feels, and after hearing his argument, I tend to agree with him, that giving players a questionnaire like this compels them to "fill-in the grid," as it were. That setting hard minimum limits on certain facets of a character only serves to add pieces to a character that may or may not have needed anything extra. I asked him if he felt that it rewarded an "Additive" method of character creation as opposed to "Complimentary." He agreed completely (and he never agrees completely).
I think it bears mentioning that I think this can be a very useful tool for those who use it, and for DMs to take inventory of their PCs. It isn't my intention to bash this thread, the posters, nor the OP, as after reading some of these creations I recognize that there are very talented and creative people here. I cannot, however, find much fault in my friend's argument.
My proposed fix is to say, "Have a good idea of your character, what he's done and where he's been, and fill out as much of this as you can." That way, you get more meaningful responses, and your players who may not be as inclined toward roleplaying as we are don't just write down "Mom, Dad, Brother" under NPC connections. They can say, "Well, my goliath fighter with a 3 Intelligence spent some time as a gladiator and tended to kill my rivals..." or they can say, "Mmm, yes, well, Goldor Silverstein was a fidgety little sneak-thief, and loved attention. Whenever he managed to rip someone off, his ego often got him in trouble by making sure everyone knew what he had done. Goldor has quite a few enemies."
It is left to the player to decide how much or how little he wants his background to intermingle with the DMs machinations. And I'm all for giving players the choice.
I'm actually looking forward to D&D Next. I think that every edition had some really awesome qualities, and every edition has truly awful design flaws. I don't expect Next to be any different, but if WotC is actively trying to incorporate the good bits into one unified whole, then I do expect it to be worth playing.
I started using this tool very recently when I had trouble coalescing all of my thoughts on a character I had created into a unified whole. I started discussing this tool, however, with a good friend of mine who is far more analytical than me, and he had some very interesting observations.
For one, he felt that this would be a much more useful tool for a DM than for a player (which is one of your implied intentions). For a player, a tool like this essentially shoehorns his character into certain things. For example, does every character need a hostile NPC or rival from the outset? Aren't rivals and villains so much more meaningful when they are introduced and developed in game? Then there's the issue of secrets. Some characters are completely transparent, while some have (and need) only one big secret.
He feels, and after hearing his argument, I tend to agree with him, that giving players a questionnaire like this compels them to "fill-in the grid," as it were. That setting hard minimum limits on certain facets of a character only serves to add pieces to a character that may or may not have needed anything extra. I asked him if he felt that it rewarded an "Additive" method of character creation as opposed to "Complimentary." He agreed completely (and he never agrees completely).
I think it bears mentioning that I think this can be a very useful tool for those who use it, and for DMs to take inventory of their PCs. It isn't my intention to bash this thread, the posters, nor the OP, as after reading some of these creations I recognize that there are very talented and creative people here. I cannot, however, find much fault in my friend's argument.
My proposed fix is to say, "Have a good idea of your character, what he's done and where he's been, and fill out as much of this as you can." That way, you get more meaningful responses, and your players who may not be as inclined toward roleplaying as we are don't just write down "Mom, Dad, Brother" under NPC connections. They can say, "Well, my goliath fighter with a 3 Intelligence spent some time as a gladiator and tended to kill my rivals..." or they can say, "Mmm, yes, well, Goldor Silverstein was a fidgety little sneak-thief, and loved attention. Whenever he managed to rip someone off, his ego often got him in trouble by making sure everyone knew what he had done. Goldor has quite a few enemies."
It is left to the player to decide how much or how little he wants his background to intermingle with the DMs machinations. And I'm all for giving players the choice.
That's a very good point. I do really like the system, if I were DM'ing I would give my players to fill it out if they wanted, or just a little bit of it. What the DM in my current campaign did was give us all the chance to let our background unfold during our campaign. Once we hit level 7 or 8, he gave us all a turn to choose the next episode of the campaign. When my turn came up, I came up with the hooks, the maps, the events, etc with his help. Once we finished the episode based around our character, we could either run it ourselves, or just have him run it if we weren't comfortable.
You can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into.
10 minutes? hahahha i started writing and couldn't stop for like 2 hours. think im gunna use this character and plot line as a precursor for a short story actually. tell me what u think peeps =)
The Ten-Minute Background
In an attempt to get all the information I need to create stuff from character backgrounds without having to continually push for information, I am asking that you create backgrounds the following way:
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Harrison Karver
1) He is a 42 yr old, mid height, brown haired, human, ranger. Formerly a decorated soldier in King Rathmond's army. He is athletically built, wearing a unkempt peppered goatee that has two braids on his scarred up face. and is missing his left eye. he carries a broken longsword on his back, a short sword on his waist, 2 daggers in his boots, and a longbow. clad in blacked leather and improvised light armor he blends well into the forest.
2) He mostly keeps to himself, cold and calculating, ever aware of his surroundings. trusting no one he is completely self serving. except to his black haired wolf he keeps at his side at all times named Grady. whom he babies like the pup he found him as the morning of his banishment.
3) He being an outcast and a hermit doesn't see his home town of Krill very often. But has a habit of getting obscenely drunk and wandering into town starting fights. many times having to be dragged out by his own faithful companion to avoid capture and death. His hatred for those who have betrayed him have drove him to become a drunk.
4) He lives just outside of Krill, in the forest of Auromarr. his home is a large cave he took from a small band of goblins after his banishment. He stocks his cave with stolen goods and booze bound for Sir Jaspron the Barron of Krill, the man who banished him.
5) The morning of his 25th birth day, just returning from King Rathmund's war against the orcs of Helkast. Jaspron (the brother of Sir Breydon the Barron of Krill and Harrison's best friend) told him he had found Harrison's wife Lydia, and the Barron, in bed together. Harrison kept his knowledge of their betrayal a secret. Until he killed Sir Breydon during the battle of Telvund Valley months later.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1) Harrison wishes to reconnect with his daughter and prove to her that she is his kin.
2) I want to see Harrison exact vengeance on Sir Jaspron and take back his family.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1) Heveron Grinstead was murdered.
2) Jaspron had told Lydia and Sir Breydon that Harrison had died in battle and his one last wish was for Sir Breydon to take Lydia as his wife. In doing this Jaspron knew Harrison would kill his brother and make him the new Barron of Krill. Also leaving the exceedingly beautiful Lydia alone and vulnerable for him to take as his own bride.
3) Grady is in fact the reincarnation of Sir Breydon. Fully aware of what has transpired and brought back into life by Sereyna the Goddess of Love, Breydon befriends Harrison once again with the aim of helping him take back what is his and exacting his vengeance.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1) The only person Harrison considers family, out side of Grady, is his 17yr old daughter Aliea. Short like her father, but gracefully beautiful like her mother. With long blond hair and glowing blue eyes and a wit just like her father, she captures the eye of every man that looks at her. especially Jaspron, whom she hates with every fiber of her being. The only person she hates more is Harrison, informed by her mother that her father Breydon was killed by him while she was still in her belly. Harrison is forced to watch her from a far, protecting her when needed. ever wishing to hold her in his arms again.
2) Lydia Karver is probably the biggest victim of all. heart broken and forced into a life of lies. after Harrison arrives home alive and well her and Breydon decide that telling Harrison what has transpired would crush him. But when Harrison kills Breydon, her anger is such she cannot even look at him. Knowing that her and her baby would be forced into a life of poverty she takes Jaspron's proposal of marriage and decides to live with the man that ruined her life. Due to the size of Aliea at birth she thinks it is a premature birth and therefor is Breydon's child. as she was unknowingly 2 months pregnant with Harrison's child.
3) Sir Breydon Grinstead was a great man and an even greater friend. upon learning that his friend from birth, Harrison Karver, was killed during the battle of Kreyvant. he took it upon himself to take care of Lydia. Though not that difficult as he had pined for Lydia for many years. But when Harrison returned he was wrought with guilt only equaled to his hatred for his brother. But as duty called for him to take his army to assist in the battle of Telvund Valley, he was forced to leave his business with Jaspron alone until he returned. in the midst of battle Breydon felt a sudden stab in the back. he turned to see Harrison's face writhing in anger. confused and aghast Breydon falls backward breaking off the tip of Harrison's sword. as he lay dead in a field of a thousand men a woman in white approaches him and reveals herself as Sereyna, the Goddess of Love. she takes him back to Krill. where he witnesses his brother discussing his plan with his closest adviser. He asks her to return him to life so he can repent for what he has done to his friend and help him exact vengeance. She agrees, but informs him that he cannot return as a man. They devise a plan, knowing Harrison's love for animals and need of a companion. Breydon returns as an orphan wolf cub and Sereyna guides him to the banished warrior.
4) Evil is what flows through Jaspron Grinstead's veins. Jealous of his twin brother from birth he hates all he see's. as a young child he would find every possible way to make other feel less so he could feel best. but nothing ever fulfilled him. And when his father, Sir Heveron Grinstead, made Breydon his eir to the Barronship of Krill it only enraged young Jaspron. Filling full of hate more and more every day he began to plot. first it was to kill his father. masking it as a horrible fever brought on by the toils of war, he poisoned his father. the Bishop of Krill had discovered this upon Heveron's death. when he confronted Jaspron about it near the river Fyyth, and the Bishop was drowned. at the young age of 19 Jaspron had become a monster. but knowing his brother would be far harder to kill he needed a plan. and so 6 years of plotting began. Seeing the opportunity to fulfill a destiny that wasn't his, Jaspron sends Harrison to carry a message to the neighboring town of Delmund, delaying his return home from battle. and ensuring his plan would succeed.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Every night Harrison dreams of the happy life he once had and the family he and Lydia planned to make.
2) The memory of Breydon slaying the orc who took Harrison's eye, and how Breydon fended off over a dozen foes to save him often crosses his mind.
3) He always attempts to give Grady as much of everything as he has, even booze.
