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Kiyona
2012-11-20, 08:52 AM
Hello everyone!

This might seem as an odd request, but please bear with me.

I am joining a new group soon and need a character, unfortunatly I am completely out of ideas (probably due to me panicking about a giant exam coming up). I have no clue where to start unfortunatly. Normally when I don't know right away what I want to play I just watch movies, read books or gather inspiration in other ways, but know I don't have time for that due to me craming for the exam.

Anyways, I don't know the setting that well, but heres what I know:

The campaign is set as an expidition to a "new", rich and exotic continent (basically a fantasy mix of China and Japan). Many powerful people will want in on the expedition. Alsoe there is basically a world war going on against an invading, powerful force in the northern part of the world, so the expedition is not only for science and fame, but a bit of a last desperate way of finding new allies or at least weapons.

There are three playabale races: human, dwarf and gnomes.

So basically what I am asking is, what would you like to play in a setting like this? I am so stressed out so I don't even know where to start. I am hoping that if you give me some ideas I will find my inspiration again.

Thanks a bunch in advance! =)

North_Ranger
2012-11-20, 09:08 AM
A young noble(wo)man of limited prospects, perhaps the third child of the family so (s)he's not going to inherit any money or titles, trying to strike it rich with this new opening for fortune and glory.

Kiyona
2012-11-20, 10:04 AM
Thank you, that's a great idea, but it is already used by one of the other players.

There is also som sort of illusion and mindcontrol focused wizard, and a creepy sort of high profile shadow warrior/body guard among the other players. =)

hymer
2012-11-20, 10:56 AM
A Night Elf druid? No wait, the campaign description got me confused for a moment there. ;)

How about...

A character filling in for someone who couldn't make it. Could be a bit of a con artist who found someone's dead body and thought this would be an excellent chance to escape personal problems by impersonating someone else and leaving for Panda-land.

The essential explorer. Personable, curious and intelligent, and feels the expedition is a wonderful opportuntity to travel to new nations, see new vistas (and maybe loot them).

The holy warrior of serious seriousness. Could worship a god of endings, fate or somesuch. Is along for the expedition to keep an eye on it for the order, and to see that orders are carried out in this sorry outfit. Nothing will stand in the way, they will all be your god's sacrifices (and your loot piņatas) in the end.

The one who didn't want to go. Skilled or able to a great degree, and therefore ordered or otherwise forced to go. Starts out the fraidey cat and clings to companions for safety.

Cikomyr
2012-11-20, 11:15 AM
tage a page from Dragon Age, and play the crafty Dwarven Warrior/Politician.

dungeonnerd
2012-11-20, 02:38 PM
Make something odd and weird -

Go dwarf Swashbuckler and head for the Dread Pirate Prestige class.

Knaight
2012-11-20, 02:44 PM
I'm thinking a young noble who thinks they are exiled. They assume that their parents exiled them for something they did, which they interpret as much more important than it actually is. In reality, it was a minor conflict*, their parents are likely to panic and send people after them to bring them back once they learn what happened, and by that point they'll probably be too embroiled in the new world for that to be workable.

*This could connect to the war going on.

BootStrapTommy
2012-11-20, 03:13 PM
A gnome artificer. All of my yes.

One of the most renown crafts man in the land, your gnome is well known for their skills of crafting almost anything out of anything. Secretly, they are of a long lost and noble line of gnomish heritage, gnomes who rose to their prestige through the pure brilliance of the devices and weapons they craft. Unfortunately their lost family was all killed and executed by a mad gnomish king, whose descendants still sit on the throne in their homeland. Thus the gnome has to hid their identity.

Kitten Champion
2012-11-20, 05:01 PM
Sounds like the plot to Stargate SG-1.

You could play as a Bardic scholar, someone who quickly soaks up the local culture and history -- perhaps with private motivation to recover some fabled mcguffin -- but is openly employed to provide a smooth front for the whole operation.

Adam...?
2012-11-21, 12:42 PM
I'm going to second the con-man idea, because it's something I've been wanting to play for ages. A pathological liar and cheat who sees tricking people into thinking he's a great adventurer as his greatest con yet. Bonus points if he pulls a Han Solo by the end of the campaign and becomes a bona fide hero (ideally while denying this the entire time).

DontEatRawHagis
2012-11-21, 12:56 PM
Royal Retainer; ie either a military adviser, political adviser, or bodyguard.

I never like playing a noble. I usually end up playing as intellectuals or veterans of war. I would go with a bodyguard of a Noble in a game like this. That way I could connect to another player's backstory and give the DM good hooks involving pride and using the safety of the Noble as leverage for threats against the character.

hymer
2012-11-21, 12:58 PM
@ Adam: That's if you go with the con artist thing.
Or you could do a Swigert of Apollo 13, who got brought in last minute and somewhat resented for it. The PC could be filling in for a much-loved or widely acclaimed NPC, and have to fight against the perception that s/he's the second choice, or maybe engineered the switcheroo to get ahead.
And it could be true, too, of course.

Hopeless
2012-11-21, 03:15 PM
1)Human female sailor captain whose on a search for her missing father whose also a captain and famous/infamous.
She's fleeing an arranged marriage and intrigued about this trip because of having distant ancestry from there.

2)Bard and adventure prone scholar who was supposed to be accompanied by a much more famous mentor whose disappeared shortly before the trip was to leave. She/He is going as they believe its linked to why he went missing and believe the mentor may have been shanghaied specifically by someone out there.

3) Widowed and pursued by golddiggers they have undertaken this trip to escape the relentless pursuit of would be suitors and their mothers who think their children would make a fine replacement spouse. As far as the others aboard are concerned you're just a nondescript traveller with nothing special about you, but your early years involved training enough that you can speak mot of the local languages even over there and can help arrange anything to speed up passage.

4) You were born over there but for some unknown reason your family fled the area and recently losing your parents and siblings in a suspicious accident you have decided to find out for yourself whats going on by doing the one thing you suspect your persecutors never considered by going back and dealing with whatevers responsible for your families plight!

Geostationary
2012-11-21, 03:26 PM
Play a bureaucrat. Sure, the noble is all flashy and claims power, and yes the others are good in a fight. But the one who really gets things done? The one that gets what's needed, knows who to speak to, can fill out all the proper paperwork, and can navigate the true halls of power? That's you. And if worst comes to worse, if something happens to jeopardize your mission, someone has to be willing to get the job done and their hands dirty.

I am moo
2012-11-21, 04:12 PM
Let's see... indentured servant trying to escape to the new continent to make a life for themselves? This might only work if the campaign starts very early (like L1), as you're likely to have very few skills but there's huge open-ended potential for growth and for "discovery" of their talents. Also leaves the door open for powerful enemies later.

I really liked hymer's idea for the scaredy-cat expert, sent by their boss or other powerful interests to research those new weapons and technologies. Your knowledge may be a little out of proportion with your level depending on how early you start, but a great reason to toss in skill focus. You could also be younger or an apprentice, but leveraged by the fact that your boss holds sway over your family. Anyhow, lots of potential for a trapper/inventor, or just as easily a magical researcher.

If paladin strikes you as too serious, there's probably still a lot of room for other kinds of missionaries or religious types on a pilgrimage too!

Notreallyhere77
2012-11-21, 10:55 PM
Dwarf. Rogue. Melee-oriented. Skills include an emphasis on stealth and perception, with some sense motive, and maybe intimidate just in case.
Personality/background? Divine assassin. No need for levels in the PrC, he/she just works for the church taking care of people who make things... difficult. You are serious, you have no qualms about killing your target or those who protect them, but you still may care about not killing innocent civilians. You try to avoid detection until you reach your target, at which point you announce yourself and the reason that makes your target's death a necessity. You do not negotiate. You do not show mercy. You are the scalpel of your god(dess), cutting away the unwanted flesh from the body of the church.
You are familiar with traps. You are familiar with secret doors and hidden compartments. You are familiar with all forms of deception. Most of all, you are familiar with telling whether your victi - *ahem* targets are dead.

How's that? And hey, if the religious thing bothers you or is inappropriate, just change the organization to a secular political machine that goes out of its way to silence dissenters.

BootStrapTommy
2012-11-23, 01:45 AM
Sounds like the plot to Stargate SG-1.

Mind = Blown.

Vitruviansquid
2012-11-23, 02:12 AM
Perhaps you might take inspiration from historical/mythical travelers, foreigners, and men-on-missions.

Marco Polo, Bertilak the Green Knight, Beowulf, Odysseus, Ibn Battuta, Hernan Cortes, and so on

LordofDragons24
2012-11-27, 10:56 AM
I'm going to second the con-man idea, because it's something I've been wanting to play for ages. A pathological liar and cheat who sees tricking people into thinking he's a great adventurer as his greatest con yet. Bonus points if he pulls a Han Solo by the end of the campaign and becomes a bona fide hero (ideally while denying this the entire time).

This outright. Definitely go the Con Man role. Whereas others may have some sincere motive this guy takes pleasure simply in the act of trickery. The bigger the scam the better. Absolutely.

LordofDragons24
2012-11-27, 10:59 AM
@ Adam: That's if you go with the con artist thing.
Or you could do a Swigert of Apollo 13, who got brought in last minute and somewhat resented for it. The PC could be filling in for a much-loved or widely acclaimed NPC, and have to fight against the perception that s/he's the second choice, or maybe engineered the switcheroo to get ahead.
And it could be true, too, of course.

Also a very cool idea. :smallbiggrin:

hymer
2012-11-27, 11:12 AM
Thank you!
I wonder what OP went with in the end. Probably something nobody mentioned. :smallsmile:
What was it, OP?