Could I get some advice please?

[Jesterface]

I'm not new to D&D, or that new as a DM, but a player has thrown me a little with a request.

I'm setting up a 1st level desert-oriented game in my homebrew setting. Half-breed core races don't exist/are almost entirely unheard of. Elves don't tend to travel into the desert. As such, half-orcs are played as straight orcs (given that my world is full of urban development in light of industrial revolution, orcs are a little more refined than cave-dwelling knuckle-draggers and just as likely to be found working in a city as they are trudging the wilderness, and I've made some alterations to the racial abilities). A player, completely new to D&D and tabletops in general, has asked if he could play an orc barbarian (no problem), but wants his character to secretly be actually a human wizard trapped in this form, and I'm puzzling how to go about this, and wondered if anyone had any advice or suggestions on how to handle this.

I have had a flash of mild inspiration and looked at the Modify Memory spell, but that kinda undermines it with the 'illogical suggestions come off as bad dreams etc. etc.' bit.

Anything is welcome and very much appreciated. Thanks :)

[Yora]

Especially if it's a new player, I think the best solution is simply: "No."

There is no need to be a super-special awesome and totally unique being that is usually not possible in the game as your first character. Have him play either an orc barbarian or a human wizard.

[AWiz_Abroad]

Reincarnate

He was a human wizard, and has memories of being a human wizard, but his contingent reincarnate that he got his druid to load into his contingency rolled him up an Orc. With his new form, he got his boosts to stats, but unfortunately, his wizard's tower(with his spellbooks, and all his items) won't recognize him, and denies him entry.

He also still can't figure out how to make the tiny somatic gestures required for effective spellslinging with his new massive hands, so he decided to take up the wandering lifestyle. . .

Thats how I'd fluff it.

[Jesterface]

Entirely fair I feel, just not really wanting to be a dictator-DM on his first game. I may allow him the delusion he was a human wizard :belkar:

[Waker]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195049
Barbarian who says he's a wizard eh?

[Jesterface]

... Mother of God...

I have seen the true face of genius, and it is a glorious sight to behold.

[Haplus]

Interesting concept. I think it is easily doable. There are tonnes of ways you could look at it. Curse by a rival wizard, punished by a god, experiment on self gone wrong... There may also be other ways (depending on how magic works in your world) maybe he has used up his power and need to go somewhere (sacred place, site or artefact) to get his powers back.

Although I think the concept is easy enough, I would suggest not letting him for this campaign.

My philosophy with new players is to always keep it as simple as possible, and this sounds a little complicated... So I would say no for this campaign and maybe suggest it for a future one.

If he is really persistent, I would suggest you get him to come up with a good back story and reason why he is in this state. If he comes up with something interesting (and maybe something that will fit in we'll with the campaign, ie revenge on the wizard who cursed him!) then maybe think about it. As I said at the start though, I think it's best to get him to keep it simple for his first campaign.

[Jesterface]

Yeah, I'm thinking just letting him play a flat barbarian, but meet him partway and allow him to have some delusion about being a reincarnated wizard or something.

[Waker]

You could point him in the direction of Complete Arcane. There are several feats that grant SLAs.

[Jesterface]

Ooh, good call. I may just suggest some of those to him.

[nedz]

A sorcerer might be easier than a wizard.

Just have him take levels in an arcane class as his nature becomes apparent.

[Waker]

My suggestion is this. Point out Korg the Mighty to him for inspiration. Suggest that he take one or two of the SLA feats. Later on if he decides he likes the idea of progressing beyond that into real magic, suggest he take the Big Dumb Warmage and then perhaps go into Rage Mage. The character won't be optimized by any means, but it should probably be funny for everyone at the table.

[Shining Wrath]

While he was in Wizard School he greatly displeased one of the instructors, perhaps by inappropriate attention to the instructor's daughter, and got hit with a nasty enhanced Baneful Polymorph. Not only did he wind up an orc but his magical abilities have been suppressed. He remembers being human; he remembers knowing how to cast magic missile; he remembers loving the beautiful daughter; but he can't act human, cast spells, or hope to woo the daughter. No wonder he can Rage.

[Jesterface]

My suggestion is this. Point out Korg the Mighty to him for inspiration. Suggest that he take one or two of the SLA feats. Later on if he decides he likes the idea of progressing beyond that into real magic, suggest he take the Big Dumb Warmage and then perhaps go into Rage Mage. The character won't be optimized by any means, but it should probably be funny for everyone at the table.

I do like this idea, he said he'll roll something else though, but I'm so sold on this I may push him towards it. Thing is, we already have an orc warmage in the party :P

[Randomguy]

I do like this idea, he said he'll roll something else though, but I'm so sold on this I may push him towards it. Thing is, we already have an orc warmage in the party :P

You could try barbarian/sorcerer going into Rage Mage (from complete warrior) with spells that improve his melee capability beyond his Sword Spell.

[Jesterface]

We'll see how he feels. Not sure he's actually wanting to play a proper spellcaster.