Does this character work, and how? - PF

[Maquise]

I have an idea for a potential character to play in a hypothetical game, and I would like to know: A. Is it feasible (I will explain) and B. What would the best way to go about it be? I play mostly Pathfinder, as far as system goes.

The idea is fairly simple. In the past, my character (We'll call him the Veteran) was a paladin who went on a mission with other paladins, following the orders of an inquisitor. No one is certain what happened in that mission, as the Veteran was the only survivor. He returned with his powers lost, and maintaining complete silence. Evidently seeking absolution, he continues to fight evil in the name of justice, usually alongside another paladin.

The main question is would my character's silence become an issue? I would most likely stick with another paladin, cleric or some such character, following their orders.

If it does work, what would be a good class to pull it off with? I was considering Barbarian, as I feel whatever the Veteran saw left him with a deep fury.

[Lord Tyger]

Whether the silence becomes a problem depends on you and your GM and your party- does your GM enforce IC/OOC knowledge division? If so, would you and your party be okay with your ex-Paladin being unable to relate information?

[Maquise]

That would depend on the GM, I guess. My usual GM is fairly laid back and would probably at least let me have a shot at it, but we don't have a fixed group at the moment.

[Yora]

You can go a very long way with shaking the head, nodding, and pointing. Any class that does not rely on spells that include verbal components, or on the Diplomacy and Bluff skills should be as fine as any other.

[kyoryu]

It might work, but since a ton of roleplaying involves communicating with others, self-limiting yourself in that arena may not prove to be oh-so-much-fun at the table.

[Lemmy]

It might work, but since a ton of roleplaying involves communicating with others, self-limiting yourself in that arena may not prove to be oh-so-much-fun at the table.

I agree. And that is a particullary harsh limitation for a Cha-focused character.

Learning sign language (and making sure your friends do the same) could help.... but it'd still be a problem in combat. How would he warn his allies of an incoming danger or something like that when he's holding a longsword and a shield?

Maybe if he doesn't mantain total silence, but refrains from talking more than the absolute necessary. Maybe he only communicate in combat/dangerous situations.

Dunno... It's a nice concept, but I feel it'd get old soon...

[hewhosaysfish]

Ever played Dragon Age? The "Chanters" in that take vows to only speak in quotes from the Chant of Light.

You could try that, if total silence seems infeasible: you could come up with a little phrasebook beforehand and make up relevant quotations on the spot to cover any blanks.

[Hylas]

I'll echo what people have said.

Making it so you can't speak will either result in you just sitting at the table being bored, breaking the vow of silence, or just cheating doing heavy communication OoC.

Sign language is defeating purpose the vow of silence (not communicating) and that's not something a religious person would do.

A person with a vow of silence, or any restriction on communication, would only work as an NPC where it's okay to be flat.

The chanter would also be a good NPC, but is a more viable character concept.

I've had conversations with over-eager GURPS players where you get character creation points for taking things like deaf, blind, lame, dumb, or anything else that would be horrible to have and it can be hard to separate something fun for a session with something that would be fun for a couple years.

"Yeah, my character is an alcoholic and he'll take 2d6 damage every 12 hours he goes without a drink!" "You have 11 HP" "But I get 30 points for these disads!"

[Analytica]

If you are not dead set on Paladin, this could be great for an Oracle with the Mute curse and the Battle mystery, fluffed as a paladin with the backstory you describe.

[Lapak]

Ever played Dragon Age? The "Chanters" in that take vows to only speak in quotes from the Chant of Light.

You could try that, if total silence seems infeasible: you could come up with a little phrasebook beforehand and make up relevant quotations on the spot to cover any blanks.I like this idea. It explains why the mission remains a mystery without silencing you at the table. After all, "Shaka, when the walls fell" doesn't really tell a listener what happened beyond 'it was bad.'

I wouldn't necessarily construct a phrasebook (or even grab a ready-made one) as stopping the action to look up an appropriate phrase won't be any better than being silent all the time. But if you feel comfortable ad-libbing mytic-sounding generalities, this could work.

[Radar]

It depends a lot on your acting abilities. A mute character can be feasible, but it is not easy to pull off. As was said: gestures, nods and general body language can go a long way. In case you really need to rely some vital information precisely, you can write the message. There is also the risk, that you or your fellow players will become tired with your character.