subject42
2009-10-08, 08:44 PM
To begin, sorry for the wall of text.
The Background
The character that I have been playing in my 3.5/PathFinder game has been into single-digit or less hitpoints in pretty much every session since his creation, so I'm starting to think that it might be wise to create a backup character early, rather than scramble to put one together once he ends up dead. I have a concept that I like, but I'm not sure how to create him mechanically in a way that properly meshes with his character. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks have to offer. Party, character and resource details are below.
The World
The game world in which we play is mostly stock fantasy D&D with some steampunk and magitech elements. Low grade magic is not terribly uncommon, but it must be harnessed in mechanical devices before most of the population can use it. The process of doing so is labor-intensive and jealously guarded by the guilds that produce the magical goods. Several large cities exist and many races have achieved sentience and advanced civilization. A large section of one continent has been scarred by and ancient war that has left numerous portals of various sizes to other planes and worlds.
Dramatis Personae
At present, our adventuring party consists of the following members.
The first is an ex-circus performer who took up a life of adventuring to support her failing show. She is a gnome bard.
The second character is a large, surly hobgloblin monk with a vaguely Aztec theme.
The third character is an impulsive and inquisitive human Technologist (3rd party: combine Psion and Artificer, kinda) who is on the run for accidentally disintegrating one of his professors in a lab accident and being railroaded into a murder conviction.
The fourth character is a Paladin of Pelor using the rebalanced Paladin. Given the steampunk and arcane tech bent of the campaign setting, Pelor doesn't have quite the primacy that he has in the main game world; he's considered the god of backwards rusticants and hillbillies. As such, the character could be best described as Joan of Arc, if Joan of Arc were an Amish Bolshevik. This player shows up for maybe half of the game sessions.
The fifth character is me. At present I'm playing a borderline-feral young homeless sorcerer who makes heavy use of vermin and sewer filth in his spell thematics.
The Concept
I've been developing a character that shoulders the Elven equivalent of the "White Man's Burden" that most colonial powers held in the nineteenth century. Deeply ingrained with a sense of Elven exceptionalism, he considers it his duty to raise up the "brutish, inferior" races until they have reached what he considers parity with his own people. In his own mind he is doing what's best for others, even if they don't realize the fact. In reality, he's engaging in a kind of passive racism at best.
While not openly hostile to others, his patronizing nature and tendency to immediately assume that others conform to some stereotype could infuriate more sensitive people. For example, when asked for his name, he may respond with his real name, or he may state that "with such fleshy lips and large teeth you would likely make a hash of it, so for our mutual convenience you may simply call me <common name of other speaker's race>".
In his efforts to "correct the deficiencies" of the world's other races, he has engaged in extensive study of linguistics, philosophy, religion, and the natural and physical sciences and is considered a master in the field of phrenology. He will often attempt to retain the corpses of slain enemies for study and maintains a reserve of gold should relatives of the deceased "come to claim recompense".
My hope is that as his character progresses in the story my hope is that he will eventually move away from his exceptionalist views and come to realize that everyone has something to offer, and use the drive that he had to "fix people" instead to redress the injustices and inequalities that exist in the world.
Random Notes and Ideas
While he is not a member of a full casting class and likely can't manage anything more than a cantrip or two (arcane or devotion feats), he is convinced that his "natural, unstudied magical ability" is a sign of superiority and works diligently to understand the nature of magic, if not his application. He may secretly wish that he were more capable in those regards, but it is not a feeling that he readily shares. If he meets a talented human mage he may say that he is impressed that the wizard has "achieved so much mastery of the arcane arts so quickly. Given your woefully short lifespan am I correct in assuming that you have focused on the more flamboyant forms of Evocation and Transmutation?". Odds are good that he covets magical items that can simulate casting, as well.
He has a high DEX and INT, exemplifying what he considers to be proper elven grace. Combined with his class skillpoints, he should have a wide variety of knowledges and physical skills at his disposal to display his superior education. He is not physically strong or tough, as that would imply that he has had to stoop to brute physical responses too frequently.
Given his broad knowledge, being involved in fights would usually come down to knowing where to hit, rather than hitting hard. I've been looking at the Swashbuckler and Rogue classes to represent this mechanically, but haven't really felt like they are the best fit.
The Available Sources
My gaming group uses Pathfinder RPG as the base ruleset, with other 3.5 books to cover any gaps. In cases where the same thing is described in Pathfinder or another book, Pathfinder takes precedence. Pretty much any WotC 3.5 supplement is allowed, along with Iron Kingdoms. Anything outside of core requires DM approval, but he is usually lenient unless you're trying to do something broken.
Thanks for reading this far.
The Background
The character that I have been playing in my 3.5/PathFinder game has been into single-digit or less hitpoints in pretty much every session since his creation, so I'm starting to think that it might be wise to create a backup character early, rather than scramble to put one together once he ends up dead. I have a concept that I like, but I'm not sure how to create him mechanically in a way that properly meshes with his character. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks have to offer. Party, character and resource details are below.
The World
The game world in which we play is mostly stock fantasy D&D with some steampunk and magitech elements. Low grade magic is not terribly uncommon, but it must be harnessed in mechanical devices before most of the population can use it. The process of doing so is labor-intensive and jealously guarded by the guilds that produce the magical goods. Several large cities exist and many races have achieved sentience and advanced civilization. A large section of one continent has been scarred by and ancient war that has left numerous portals of various sizes to other planes and worlds.
Dramatis Personae
At present, our adventuring party consists of the following members.
The first is an ex-circus performer who took up a life of adventuring to support her failing show. She is a gnome bard.
The second character is a large, surly hobgloblin monk with a vaguely Aztec theme.
The third character is an impulsive and inquisitive human Technologist (3rd party: combine Psion and Artificer, kinda) who is on the run for accidentally disintegrating one of his professors in a lab accident and being railroaded into a murder conviction.
The fourth character is a Paladin of Pelor using the rebalanced Paladin. Given the steampunk and arcane tech bent of the campaign setting, Pelor doesn't have quite the primacy that he has in the main game world; he's considered the god of backwards rusticants and hillbillies. As such, the character could be best described as Joan of Arc, if Joan of Arc were an Amish Bolshevik. This player shows up for maybe half of the game sessions.
The fifth character is me. At present I'm playing a borderline-feral young homeless sorcerer who makes heavy use of vermin and sewer filth in his spell thematics.
The Concept
I've been developing a character that shoulders the Elven equivalent of the "White Man's Burden" that most colonial powers held in the nineteenth century. Deeply ingrained with a sense of Elven exceptionalism, he considers it his duty to raise up the "brutish, inferior" races until they have reached what he considers parity with his own people. In his own mind he is doing what's best for others, even if they don't realize the fact. In reality, he's engaging in a kind of passive racism at best.
While not openly hostile to others, his patronizing nature and tendency to immediately assume that others conform to some stereotype could infuriate more sensitive people. For example, when asked for his name, he may respond with his real name, or he may state that "with such fleshy lips and large teeth you would likely make a hash of it, so for our mutual convenience you may simply call me <common name of other speaker's race>".
In his efforts to "correct the deficiencies" of the world's other races, he has engaged in extensive study of linguistics, philosophy, religion, and the natural and physical sciences and is considered a master in the field of phrenology. He will often attempt to retain the corpses of slain enemies for study and maintains a reserve of gold should relatives of the deceased "come to claim recompense".
My hope is that as his character progresses in the story my hope is that he will eventually move away from his exceptionalist views and come to realize that everyone has something to offer, and use the drive that he had to "fix people" instead to redress the injustices and inequalities that exist in the world.
Random Notes and Ideas
While he is not a member of a full casting class and likely can't manage anything more than a cantrip or two (arcane or devotion feats), he is convinced that his "natural, unstudied magical ability" is a sign of superiority and works diligently to understand the nature of magic, if not his application. He may secretly wish that he were more capable in those regards, but it is not a feeling that he readily shares. If he meets a talented human mage he may say that he is impressed that the wizard has "achieved so much mastery of the arcane arts so quickly. Given your woefully short lifespan am I correct in assuming that you have focused on the more flamboyant forms of Evocation and Transmutation?". Odds are good that he covets magical items that can simulate casting, as well.
He has a high DEX and INT, exemplifying what he considers to be proper elven grace. Combined with his class skillpoints, he should have a wide variety of knowledges and physical skills at his disposal to display his superior education. He is not physically strong or tough, as that would imply that he has had to stoop to brute physical responses too frequently.
Given his broad knowledge, being involved in fights would usually come down to knowing where to hit, rather than hitting hard. I've been looking at the Swashbuckler and Rogue classes to represent this mechanically, but haven't really felt like they are the best fit.
The Available Sources
My gaming group uses Pathfinder RPG as the base ruleset, with other 3.5 books to cover any gaps. In cases where the same thing is described in Pathfinder or another book, Pathfinder takes precedence. Pretty much any WotC 3.5 supplement is allowed, along with Iron Kingdoms. Anything outside of core requires DM approval, but he is usually lenient unless you're trying to do something broken.
Thanks for reading this far.