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View Full Version : Getting in touch with your animal self. (Or how do I play a wolf-raised child?)



Kiyona
2009-08-20, 08:53 AM
Hello all,

I am starting a new wow campaign this sunday and I am playing a troll hunter. For this campaign I wanted to play a fun character, I have played to many serious characters so far, so this time I gonna give the comic relief a try.

My troll spent the first 8 years of her life in a wolf pack, until she was found and adopted by a hermit night elf druid. She still acts and thinks very much like an animal due to her night elf "father" appreciating and encurraging her animalistic nature.

What I need help with is roleplay suggestions to convey this. I have a few ideas, but the more the better. =)

For instance, how would she court someone? Or deal with death of her friends?

Any and all suggestions are welcome. =)

Assassin89
2009-08-20, 08:56 AM
Simply research wolf behaviors for ideas of courting or dealing with the death of pack members.

The problem I see with courting is that the troll might not be the alpha female of the group.

Kiyona
2009-08-20, 09:01 AM
Assassin89

That is a good idea, IŽll check wikipedia right away. =)
He, I didnt even think of that, though I suppose since she is the only female in the group, she is going to be the alfa. That is a fun thought. :smallbiggrin:

subject42
2009-08-20, 09:47 AM
There are several good articles on a woman named Oxana Malaya, who was raised by dogs. It might be a good start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxana_Malaya

LibraryOgre
2009-08-20, 11:03 AM
Find "Of Wolves and Men" by Barry Holstun-Lopez. Good insight into the behavior of wolves, human reactions to them, and some talk of the wolf-raised.

Since you're playing a fantasy version, however, get Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" and read that. Far better preparation.

Stephen_E
2009-08-20, 11:26 AM
Jane Lindskold wrote a good 6 book fantasy series where the main character is a young women raised by wolves.

Pat Murphy also wrote a excellent book, Wild Angel, set in california 1800's again with the main character a women raised by wolves. There's also "Nadja, the wolf chronicles" about a werewolve set in a similiar period. More historical fiction style rather than fantasy or horror, despite the subject.

Of the 3 the Pat Murphy - Wild Angel would probably be the best for your purposes, but they'd all be worth reading.

Stephen E

FoE
2009-08-20, 12:11 PM
As popular as they may be in fiction, the Wild Child idea is a pretty poor fit for your average adventurer, especially if they spent the first eight years of their life amongst animals. They would be totally feral and largely incapable of social interaction. Hell, they probably wouldn't be able to grasp language. It's a romantic idea, but it's incredibly tragic.

However, this is D&D, so there is a way around it: have the child raised by werewolves.

Glimbur
2009-08-20, 12:14 PM
Hell, they probably wouldn't be able to grasp language.

A Pearl of Speech is pretty cheap. And giving it to a person with the Int to understand what language is, instead of a mule like my players did, should work fine.

Kiyona
2009-08-20, 03:00 PM
Thanks for the excellent litteratur suggestions everyone, I will check them out tomorrow at the library.

Face of evil
I am fully aware that this is very tragic in real life (and nothing at all like the jungle book), and would render the poor child mostly incapable of normal social interaction. But it is fiction, and I think it would be fun to play a very feral troll, who has trouble grasping normal social behaviour. =)

But you are right, 8 years is a bit much. I am thinking about changing it to 4 or 5 years. Werewolves I dont like, since they are too close to other humanoids. But I was thinking about worgs, with the problem that they are all evil, and this is a good campaign. I dont think there are any good talking wolves (or other animals) in wow. But I will check with DM on sunday if he knows of some.

Stephen_E
2009-08-20, 06:34 PM
The actual wolf-child cases I've heard of involved young children, not babies. Also wolf packs have strong social patterns so the child would have socialisation skills, just the social patterns wouldn't be human ones.

So from a "realism" aspect you should have your character adopted by wolves at the equivalent of a human 3-6 year old. This gives her the basic speech patterns before adoption which gives her something to work on when acquirred by her elf foster parent, althourgh it should be noted that Helen Keller was blind and death from 19 months of age and learnt to speak. An above average Int or Wis score would also help as a justification.

Stephen E

awa
2009-08-20, 08:02 PM
you could use blink dogs their intelligent and good aligned

Mando Knight
2009-08-20, 08:04 PM
althourgh it should be noted that Helen Keller was blind and death from 19 months of age and learnt to speak.

Blind and deaf. Death wasn't a disability she was able to overcome. :smallwink: