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Kol Korran
2014-01-31, 09:42 AM
Hi there folks, I'm running the Wrath of the Righteous- Worldwound incursion module for my group. There may be some slight spoilers here, but nothign major. You've been warned though. One of my players have asked me to integrate the mentor for his character somehow, and I'm trying to seek out cool ideas to make this happen.

the set up
The PCs are low level (Level 3-4 when this will be relevant), and are part of an army focused on fighting demons. The demons have attacked the city the PCs are in, and caused great havoc, crushing nearly all resistance. The party was delayed elsewhere, and come to the ruins of the city, trying to navigate it, find survivors and the like, while trying to evade or fight demons.

There is a small pocket of resistance that stayed in the city though, which the party gets to near the end of this adventure.

Player and character
The player is an avid roleplayer, really getting into characters, motives, and roleplaying their personality. He usually plays some sort of bastards, but for this campaign he is playing quite a good character- an aasimar cleric of Sarenrae- goddess of healing, rejuvenation, and fighting undead and evil sort of goddess. He finds is quite... difficult, and asked me to help create some sort of a conflict for his character. He believes an inner conflict enriches a character and gives it interesting motivations. It's important to note that he seeks the true meanings behind doctrine, and treats religion with suspicion (Even though he is a cleric). He seeks to find true faith, true belief, true morals.

Mentor
We've discussed him, but not in length. The Mentor is called John, and he means more to Sena than his own family- he looks up to the mentor, learns from him, and wishes to become half as good as he is (At the start of the campaign). Power wise not too strong. I've decided John will be a philosopher oracle of battle, 6th level, with the wasting curse. (Gone enthusiastically to fight demons long ago, was captured and tortured with curses of the Abyss, escaped and gained insight for the battle to come from the goddess).

Some lines we discussed:
- The player wants to play a meaningful relationship with the mentor, not find him dead/ mutilated, or have betrayed their cause/ forces. He seeks more of an Obi Wan than a Darth Vader.
- The player does not seek to gain the Mentor's mechanical help and powers, but rather just some interesting roleplaying experiences to go along the way.
- He sees the Mentor as a thinker, a man with critical thinking, but also one with passionate faith, true faith, that comes from seeing the goddess presence in the world.
- The mentor speaks quite plainly, and upfront. No riddles/ omens/ condescending "come here my child" stuff. Also, he sees the PC as a prodigy, someone meant for destiny, but he tries to guide them.
- the player himself (And myself to a smaller degree) Like to philosophize about ethical and religious concepts. We can try that between the characters.
- Conflict. The player wants some sort of an inner conflict. Might it be made with John?

Current thoughts of initial encounter
- One idea would be to meet John at the place of the last resistance. It is a natural place for John to get to, and a good place to chat. However... It lacks a certain "oomph". I'd like to make him more relevant, more of a focus of an encounter or so.
- Another idea would be to create an encounter in the city, where The party either help John, saves John, or something of the sorts. One idea was that John is the last guardian of some holy site/ temple/ armory. Or meeting John trying to rescue someone, or something of the sort. Not sure.

So, any thoughts, ideas and such?

KorbeltheReader
2014-01-31, 10:52 AM
Well, coming across a trapped and weakened John who is himself trying to rescue someone/several someones would be a fitting and fun scenario, I think. John has to be protected but also insists on undertaking a dangerous rescue.

You could even plant the seed for some intrigue later in the campaign: the city wasn't actually overrun by invading demons. They were let in by an agent on the inside. One of his servants has evidence of the crime, and told John about it. This is the person John is trying to save. Later, when the city rebuilds and the betrayer becomes the leader of the city, this evidence can bring his crimes to light.

Meanwhile, John makes a point to try to make the PC understand that demons and humans aren't totally unlike each other, even LG humans. Some of the same impulses exist in both. The PC, then, has to explore the nature of evil and good and ask why what we call "evil" is wrong. Same with "chaos." If humans have some CE impulses, why suppress them rather than allow the strong to cull the weak? If demons are powerful enough to ransack a human city, why don't they deserve to keep it? And why do we seek justice for those who have fallen, when surely they are no longer here to see it done?

Maginomicon
2014-01-31, 11:06 AM
DMG2 has the Mentor and Apprentice feats. These might help in statting out these characters.

Telonius
2014-01-31, 11:24 AM
The player has already given you one clue to his inner conflict: his character wants to find the meaning behind rituals, and treats religion with suspicion. Basically, he wants to take a very active role in the fight.

John has taken him under his wing, and may feel quite a bit protective towards him. He knows what happens if you're captured, and does not want that to happen to Sena. He might have (internally) given up the city for lost, and wants Sena to get out while he can. He could be planning a one-man suicide mission against the demons, or a "Gandalf vs. the Balrog" moment to allow the other members of the Resistance (including several seriously wounded) to escape.

The conflict there would be whether or not Sena would be willing to let John go, based on John's faith. On the other hand, John does know Sena's power, and it's just possible he could be convinced to either carry on the fight, or escape with the Resistance, if there is any logical way it could work.

Palanan
2014-01-31, 11:36 AM
Originally Posted by Kol Korran
The player wants some sort of an inner conflict. Might it be made with John?

For a conflict that could be roleplayed with some nuance, you might have the mentor feel that despite the character's great promise, he's failed or disappointed the mentor in some way--possibly by a lapse of standards or a failure to fully consider the implications of an action or a statement.

If you like to philosophize, then fine differences in doctrine might lead to differing positions, and the mentor might find himself disapproving of his former student's evolving beliefs--especially if they drive Sena to unexpected actions.

Even though the mentor is an exceptional person in many ways, don't hesitate to play him as being very aware of this--not to the point of outright arrogance or condescension, but as someone who's extremely conscious of his own qualities and achievements, and who can't help but be critical and more than a little judgemental of others, especially those who don't quite meet his very high standards.

Sena would be well aware of this during his apprenticeship, and perhaps extremely sensitive to his mentor's approval, to the point that the mentor's disappointment and implicit reproach would cut far more deeply, and create a longer-lasting wound, than it might for any other person. Highlight the closeness between them and how it amplifies this division--and then let the roleplaying take off from there.

.

Lightlawbliss
2014-01-31, 12:01 PM
something to think about is how the character would respond to the mentor making a seemingly foolish/stupid choice or falling for an obvious (to the player) trap.

Kol Korran
2014-01-31, 04:42 PM
Some very interesting suggestions. I like some of the ideas from Telonius and Palanan, they make very good set up for roleplay. Thanks.

For the initial scene the idea that KorbeltheReader puts out, a joint mission with the help of John could be fun, and an easy intro to the role, since it strengthens and work upon what we stated, and then it would be possible to build on in the encounters to come.

I have another idea, somewhat more complicated, that involves an issue I've checked on another thread, which I need to mull about.

Thanks all! :smallsmile: