The Belkar speculation thread!

[littlebum2002]

Guess what this thread is not! It is NOT to speculate how Belkar will die! Or how his alignment may change! In fact, we are not going to speculate anything about the future! We will speculate about... the past! (Dun dun DUN...)

Belkar was not given a backstory in OOoPC's or, from what I have heard, his Kickstarter PDF. Rich has stated his reasons for this: he doesn't want a sad backstory to undercut the hilarity of Belkars wanton evilness. Being evil because you like the sound people make when they hit the ground is funny, being evil because your parents abused you or whatever is sad.

So I was trying to answer some questions about Belkar, and thought it would be fun to write a thread about. Why is Belkar such a horrid little bastard? Why, oh why on earth is he a ranger? And is it possible to answer these questions without creating a sad backstory for Belkar?

My theory is this: he was a young Lawful Good halfling child, treated nicely by his parents and friends, and a well-liked child who was in no way emotionally stunted by his childhood. But one momentous day he tried on a Helm of opposite alignment (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Helm_of_Opposite_Alignment) and became Chaotic Evil. Since this helm makes you enjoy your new alignment, he went from a Super Lawful, Super Good halfling with dreams of becoming a Paladin to, well, who he is now. He got cursed, happens every day in d&d, it's just something you have to deal with.

Then, on the day it became time to choose your first class level, the new horrid Belkar was on his way to sign up as a barbarian so he could enjoy his new-found love of making things bleed, when he saw a hot girl entering a room. In the interest of hooking up, he followed her, not realizing it was the room to sign up to be a ranger. But as most single men can tell you, making a major life decision is a small cost to get a hot chick, so he picked Ranger as his class.

And why daggers? Because he likes how they feel when they stab someone, duh!

[The Zoat]

I like to think that he was just this Chaotic Neutral jerk with a controlling Paladin Relative. When said relative ground up against Belks, he acted out and eventually became the CE psycho we now know.

[Chantelune]

I like to think he was the little jerk that love to tear off insect's legs when he was a kid and when he grow older, he graduated from insects to actual people. 'cause it's fun to hear them scream in agony and beg for mercy.

As for ranger, it gave him free feats to wield two weapons at the same time, thus doubling the fun.

[Dwy]

Belkar became a ranger because the word "range" sounded exotic to a halfling with size-issues. Then he discovered that it even allowed him to stab people with both hands simultaneously and was sold until he met Thog.

[DiamondHooHaMan]

Belkar is actually a really short Elf. he is angry and evil because he spent his life being picked on for his size.

that's why he went to such lengths to prank V. jealousy. a reminder of everything he isn't.

[AKA_Bait]

My theory is that he was originally created to be the trope of that character created by the player who is basically only interested in the kick-in-the-door, kill everything, take all the loot and xp for yourself D&D playstyle. He's a ranger because, at first glance if you don't really know anything about optimization, that looks like an awesome class for the foregoing in D&D 3.0.

As for his character back story, he doesn't have one. Both because he would cease being funny if we understood the psychology behind the psychosis (the Giant has said as much someplace) and because (my secondary theory) players who make characters like Belkar often don't bother making back stories for their PCs.

[littlebum2002]

I like the idea of a paladin being responsible for making Belkar who he is.





As for his character back story, he doesn't have one. Both because he would cease being funny if we understood the psychology behind the psychosis (the Giant has said as much someplace) and because (my secondary theory) players who make characters like Belkar often don't bother making back stories for their PCs.

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what I said in the first post


My theory is that he was originally created to be the trope of that character created by the player who is basically only interested in the kick-in-the-door, kill everything, take all the loot and xp for yourself D&D playstyle. He's a ranger because, at first glance if you don't really know anything about optimization, that looks like an awesome class for the foregoing in D&D 3.0.

As for his character back story, he doesn't have one. Both because he would cease being funny if we understood the psychology behind the psychosis (the Giant has said as much someplace) and because (my secondary theory) players who make characters like Belkar often don't bother making back stories for their PCs.

Also he's a trope of all the people who have no idea what "Chaotic Evil" is supposed to be. If I was a fighter playing with a player who randomly threw daggers at me for entertainment, he would be rolling a new character very quickly.

[Vinsfeld]

He's Chaotic Evil because he's actually Zyklon's adopted son. *dun dun DUUUN*

[martianmister]

Rakleb Sourgrass will be a fine addition to the order.

[Vinsfeld]

Rakleb Sourgrass will be a fine addition to the order.

I suppose Rakleb is Lawful Good?

[TRH]

I suppose Rakleb is Lawful Good?

Course not, how would he be a replacement for Belkar if that was the case? :smallconfused:

[Domino Quartz]

Course not, how would he be a replacement for Belkar if that was the case? :smallconfused:

I thought Belkar was Neutral Good? Ò_ó

[TRH]

I thought Belkar was Neutral Good? Ò_ó

Then his replacement would be Neutral Good, then, not Lawful Good. Why the confusion, this is easy stuff!

[veti]

Belkar grew up in a halfling village dedicated, as most halfling villages are, to food. Six square meals a day is considered the minimum for a growing halfling lad. All halflings learn to cook, but every halfling child must make the big choice: whether to be a chef or a busboy. For someone with Belkar's wisdom penalty, it was an easy choice; he was never going to be a great chef, but he could balance great piles of plates - empty or full - on both hands, and soon learned to serve and clear with equal dexterity to the left and right.

Belkar's favourite days were those he spent with his Aunt Judy. As an ex-adventurer, this lady was not quite respectable. However, she was very rich, which is a good proxy for respectability. She loved to throw parties for the halfling children, at which she would hold them spellbound with tales of her career as a 1st edition fighter/thief, particularly her participation in D1-D3. Belkar would listen wide-eyed as Judy talked scornfully of the drow priestess's ludicrously skimpy outfits, and how easy they made it to hack them off at the knee. She held a quiet admiration for the free-for-all nature of Drow society, and her adventuring party had lost no time in organising a general slave revolt in the Underdark in order to provide cover for their own industrious looting.

Then Aunt Judy would face her guests with a terrible choice: whether to stop at two courses for afternoon tea, or face one of her insanely hot curries. Many a halfling child was reduced to suppressed tears by this dilemma, but Judy held it was good for them to 'toughen up' a bit. Character building, she called it.

Belkar idolised his Aunt Judy, and loved to help her prepare these special meals and lent his unique talents for cleaning up afterwards. Judy, for her part, doted on young Belkie, and would allow him seconds of the treats that the other children never stayed for. This association did nothing for Belkar's standing with the other children, but he didn't care.

As she grew older, Aunt Judy grew ever more eccentric. She would never attend the village stone-throwing competition, being convinced that a stray throw would kill her. And so it was somewhat ironic when she died, in her hole, when a halfling child practising with a slingshot accidentally triggered a landslide which covered up her front door. By the time the villagers dug her out, she had suffocated in the fumes of a particularly virulent curry.

Belkar was devastated. He harboured fantasies of bloody vengeance on the perpetrator - but since he never knew who it was, these fantasies remained unfulfilled. A few weeks later, unable to stand the company of his fellow children any longer, he shook the dust of the village from his feet and set off to make his own fortune, the same way Aunt Judy had.

[Somniloquist]

I figured his family was mostly Chaotic Evil as well and never cared much about him, maybe even abused him. There was one adult, however, who was once a ranger and delighted him with tales of adventuring (or, as they put it, "making the bastards pay and taking their stuff"). With no one to encourage him onto the right path, he grew to be the kind of child who pulled wings off insects and threw tantrums when he didn't get his way. Teachers gave up on him. Other kids hated him. And that made him angry.

(Say, what exactly did Belkar say about "Aunt Judy" and when? Any help here?)

By the way, it just occurred to me - what the Giant said about a comedic villain becoming more tragic when you learn their backstory? That's pretty much what happened to Nale.

[Starwulf]

I thought Belkar was Neutral Good? Ò_ó

Belkar and Neutral Good do not go in the same sentence. I'm not sure there is any way to classify Belkar as anything but Neutral or Chaotic Evil, and even Neutral evil is pushing it.

[Domino Quartz]

Belkar and Neutral Good do not go in the same sentence. I'm not sure there is any way to classify Belkar as anything but Neutral or Chaotic Evil, and even Neutral evil is pushing it.

Just so you know, Blue text = not entirely serious.

In case you want to know,
that particular joke comes from one of The Giant's posts in a thread where someone was trying to argue that Belkar wasn't Evil. He provided a list of reasons why Belkar was Evil, and then ended his post with:

I feel now like I could have Belkar turn to the camera and say, "Hey folks, FYI, I'm Chaotic Evil," and then kill and eat a fluffy puppy, and you'd still come here and say, "Well, I think he's Neutral Good."

Get over it, Belkar is Evil.

[veti]

(Say, what exactly did Belkar say about "Aunt Judy" and when? Any help here?)

This (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0165.html) is the only reference.

[littlebum2002]

I figured his family was mostly Chaotic Evil as well and never cared much about him, maybe even abused him. There was one adult, however, who was once a ranger and delighted him with tales of adventuring (or, as they put it, "making the bastards pay and taking their stuff"). With no one to encourage him onto the right path, he grew to be the kind of child who pulled wings off insects and threw tantrums when he didn't get his way. Teachers gave up on him. Other kids hated him. And that made him angry.

(Say, what exactly did Belkar say about "Aunt Judy" and when? Any help here?)

By the way, it just occurred to me - what the Giant said about a comedic villain becoming more tragic when you learn their backstory? That's pretty much what happened to Nale.


I think he WANTED us to feel sorry for Nale. I don't think he wants us to feel sorry for Belkar, at least, not until he dies right after completing his character growth..

[MtlGuy]

My theory is that he was originally created to be the trope of that character created by the player who is basically only interested in the kick-in-the-door, kill everything, take all the loot and xp for yourself D&D playstyle. He's a ranger because, at first glance if you don't really know anything about optimization, that looks like an awesome class for the foregoing in D&D 3.0.

As for his character back story, he doesn't have one. Both because he would cease being funny if we understood the psychology behind the psychosis (the Giant has said as much someplace) and because (my secondary theory) players who make characters like Belkar often don't bother making back stories for their PCs.

Yeah, Belkar fits the 'Murder Hobo' PC archtype to a 'tee'. His Ranger skillset has made him pretty good at hiding and moving silently, which helps him set up the stabbing with his twin daggers of doom. Being good at jumping doesn't hurt either when you're only three feet tall. Folks have argued that Belkar is poorly optimized for play, but I say he's been well optimized for comedy gold.

[Somniloquist]

Oh, I agree that was intentional (in fact, I think it was foreshadowed as early as the first Linear Guild arc). Just interesting.

[martianmister]

I suppose Rakleb is Lawful Good?

Chaotic Neutral with evil tendencies...


Both similar to Belkar and opposite to Belkar in the same time

[TRH]

What does rainbow font signify?

[martianmister]

What does rainbow font signify?

Everything. and nothing

[F.Harr]

That he's also gay?

[DiamondHooHaMan]

That he's also gay?

well seeing Roy be badass does give him "tingles"

[littlebum2002]

That he's also gay?

No, the OTHER other side

[F.Harr]

No, the OTHER other side


Rakleb's a lesbian?