D&D or Pathfinder Hobo/vagrant

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

I had an intriguing idea. We all realize that most player groups are basically consisting of homeless, wandering murderers who are often racist (I'm looking at you, Ranger!) and who have horrible, horrible life stories where everyone they have ever loved or could love is dead or missing.
Regardless of alignment, the above tends to hold true to some degree. Only once have I ever had a player come from a perfectly ordinary middle class family who took up adventuring just because it seemed more fun than being a merchant. Once, in nearly 10 years of gaming. Oh, and a halfling who was a chef, and took up throwing knives to escape the boredom of the hobbit... I mean, halfling lifestyle...

Anyway, i had a desire to make a character to make fun of every character that has come before. He is a murderous vagrant that justifies his brigandly ways through various means, and calls himself a hero. Sometimes he is. Sometimes he isn't.

He travels, murders, and loots. He may call the murdering bit "self defense" or "defending the innocents". He may call the looting "trophy hunting" or something. He must have some tragic past that prevents him from forming any meaningful relationships beyond that of a tactical sort.

His alignment isn't necessarily evil. he could be good, and use it as another method of justification....

What class would he be? I assume for race, human... What would you make him out to be?

either D&D 3.5 or pathfinder. my group has been favoring Pathfinder recently, though, so that would be preferably. wry humor is a plus.

[Dsurion]

A Hobo, you say?

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Hobo_%283.5e_Class%29

:smalltongue:

[HunterOfJello]

Rogues got some nice stuff in pathfinder, you can always go that route. They got some really nice ACFs in the advanced players guide.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Haha. I enjoyed the Hobo class. I was thinking something a little more... well, not 3rd party. take it as a challenge, if you will.

rogue... yeah, i could go all rogue, but that would be too easy. Besides, Rogues just turn into too perfect of an assassin to be a hobo.

[JonRG]

Maybe a barbarian of the Brutal Pugilist or Drunken Brute variety? Could be made all the more hilarious with a dip into Lion Totem Barbarian for Pounce. :smallbiggrin:

:smallfurious: "CHANGE? YA GOT ANY CHANGE? COME ON, HELP A GUY OUT!"

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

haha. "change, anyone got some change? CHANGE!"

um, yeah... i was thinking of a drunkard type guy. basically, the kind of adventurer that 90% of PC's would be, had their lives gone the way of their background stories.

maybe start him out with a dirty knife and some leather armor or something... Always has a tankard in case someone hands out some free liquor. Rogue is sounding good again, haha.
(haha, reminds me of Pathfinder's iconic fighter, Valeros. I wonder if this character has already been done by Paizo?)

I am thinking someone who has done a bit of everything... has some skill with a knife (or some other cheap weapon) and maybe a crappy shield... maybe picked up a bit of magic once long ago before his life went to the gutter.

maybe he really is a deposed king/prince, haha. I love it when PC's do that...
and of course, he is never believed because well... he's a drunken hobo.

I dunno. just throw out ideas people, Im not really looking for anything in particular, just good ideas and a good background story!

[WinWin]

A storytelling hobo would be a bard or bard multiclass.

A stabbing hobo would be a rogue or reflavoured swashbucker.

Mangy McMurderHobo would be a Druid. With fleas. He/She can summon cats and throw them at people. Once Mangy has a few levels, prestige into hulking hurler and start throwing bears at people. Somatic spell components are mainly composed of incomprehensible ranting.

I apologise for bigotry. I blame the Simpsons.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

I avoid bards on principle. I like the idea, not the mechanics so much... plus, our hobo is a selfish (survivor) who doesn't tell stories. He tells the truth. (sort of, sometimes, not all the time.)

Swashbuckler... I hadn't thought of that, something to ponder further. Rogue, as usual, has something to offer again...

I must say, I really, really enjoyed the imagery of that hobo druid flinging mangy cats while muttering incomprehensibly. that in itself is worth consideration. haha.

my only requirement for consideration is that you can get profession (beggar).
Please give me more ideas, peoples!

thanks for all of the ideas so far!

[Coidzor]

Half-fey, with or without warlock, would be a thing that provides a bit of a red right hand sort of situation to the vagrancy...

Then again, Half Orc (http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Drunken_half-orc_hobo) is a classic Hobo (http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Hobopolis) build.

As are Hobbo Hobos.

[JonRG]

my only requirement for consideration is that you can get profession (beggar).
Please give me more ideas, peoples!

thanks for all of the ideas so far!

All classes get Profession (whatevers) as a class skill. :smallbiggrin:

[Ravens_cry]

Bard? Using preform to make money is basically busking anyway.

[Gettles]

I'd say you should use as much as this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1JIa5r5nkE)as you can.

[AstralFire]

You'll have to push this pretty over the top, or else your mockery will be difficult to distinguish from the real deal.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Haha. Yeah, I normally don't do the whole comedic character concepts, but the idea was too good to resist, especially since a couple of the guys Im playing with have the tendency to use the overly cliche character concepts.

I will be going all out, and going over the top as you suggest, otherwise yes, it will be hard to tell this guy from any other character. I think the constant drinking, over the top references to his background story (which is often contradictory day by day) and committing of crimes and atrocities which he justifies away with backstory and perverted logic, and claims that he is chaotic good (or neutral, or Lawful Good, as the mood strikes him) will be fun. Also hard to ignore, and a little too sarcastic to be missed.

[Tiki Snakes]

Whenever he's even remotely questioned on the matter, or someone nearby even says something that sounds like an appropriate question, he should reply indignantly;

"I'm not a bum! I'm an 'ADVENTURER'!"

[SurlySeraph]

Swordsage! You can easily refluff your maneuvers to fit a hobo-ish fighting style (stuns -> groin attacks, Shadow Hand -> being really sneaky and streetwise, most maneuvers -> hitting really hard, Desert Wind -> throwing your pipe at people). Wis to AC is a good representation of knowing when to get out of the way, and you can ask to trade out the Discipline Focus for an improvised weapon focus.

[some guy]

For more inspiration: the Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken Ceasar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QACSo5xk3dE).

[oxybe]

dangit, Shump's my PC!

breaking and entering, murder, theft, arson, vandalism... the only difference between an Adventurer and a Homicidal, Well-Armed Vagrant with the GPA of a small country is a good PR agent.

[AstralFire]

I think you meant GDP and not GPA... right? :smallconfused:

[oxybe]

close 'nuff. :smallredface:

[AstralFire]

close 'nuff. :smallredface:

I thought it was pretty funny. The two can both be accurate descriptions of a lot of adventurers. :smallbiggrin:

[oxybe]

upon refection, while shump was "intelligent", it was more of the untapped potential of what could have been and the fact that (light them on) fire and forget (of their existence) was his goto default tactic.

the GPA of a small country is accurate when speaking of the hoboverlord.

oh you crazy, crazy, warlocks.

[El Dorado]

A Hobo, you say?

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Hobo_%283.5e_Class%29

:smalltongue:

2d10 starting gold? I call shenanigans. . . .

[AstralFire]

2d10 starting gold? I call shenanigans. . . .

I call shenanigans on the fact that it's a d&d wiki class that's coherent and legible.

[grarrrg]

What class would he be? I assume for race, human... What would you make him out to be?

Cavalier (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/cavalier) from Pathfinder all the way baby! It's BEGGING for the Hobo treatment.
Think shiny armor like a Paladin, but less holy, astride his noble steed. I recommend a Camel for a steed, they spit.

From the PFSRD page (words in parenthesis are mine)
"Role: Cavaliers tend to...(blah blah). Outside of battle, cavaliers can be found advancing their cause through diplomacy (Or I'll kill you) and, if needed, subterfuge (What's that over there? *snatch*). The cavalier is no stranger to courtly intrigue and can hold his own in even the most delicate of social situations. (*scratches himself and farts*)"

And of course you simply MUST belong to the:
"Order of the Cockatrice
A cavalier who belongs to this order serves only himself, working to further his own aims and increase his own prestige. Cavaliers of this order tend to be selfish and concerned only with personal goals and objectives.

Edicts: The cavalier must keep his own interests and aims above those of all others. He must always accept payment when it is due, rewards when earned, and an even (or greater) share of loot. The cavalier must take every opportunity to increase his own stature, prestige, and power."

See guys, I'm not a violent grabby Hobo just for fun, it's even in my character description!