PDA

View Full Version : Help with character background story



Obak
2015-02-25, 06:56 PM
I need to come up with a good backround story for my character. He is a true neutral drow, cloistered cleric of chronepsis 1, wizard 1, psion 1.
Fanatical, absinent and arrogant. Likes philosophy, working out and flower arrangements with high ranks in diplomacy, bluff, knowledge skills and profession Statecraft. His aim is to become the ruler of menzoberranzan.
Feel free to go ape.

Red Fel
2015-02-25, 07:52 PM
I need to come up with a good backround story for my character.

Okay, let's go. I'm going to take each point you've raised, and turn it into a question you can use to flesh out your character.

He is a true neutral drow,

How did he survive? Drow society tends to be ruthless, Evil, and Chaotic; tell me what it was like growing up there, and not being CE. Or did he start CE and wander N-wards?

cloistered cleric of chronepsis 1,

What brought him into the service of the Dragon of Eternal Law?

wizard 1,

And what made him leave the service of the Watcher and seek arcane power?

psion 1.

And what made him abandon arcane tomes to pursue inner strength?

Fanatical,

How is he fanatical if he abandoned two careers already?

absinent

From what does he abstain? (Or did you mean obstinate?)

and arrogant.

About what is he arrogant? Generally, arrogant people have a point of pride, something they feel makes them better than others. So what's his?

Likes philosophy,

Tell me about his personal philosophies. Generally, someone who "likes philosophy" (unless they mean "likes to pontificate about nothing") has a few choice concepts they espouse. What are his? Peace through overwhelming firepower? Cover all under heaven with the sword? The gods help children and fools? What are his philosophies?

working out

So, a priest, bookworm, and meditant, and he's buff? How does that work for him?

and flower arrangements

How did he pick up this hobby? Particularly since he's part of a race that dwells underground, in caves and pits. Were flowers common where he grew up, or did he learn this during his travels?

with high ranks in diplomacy, bluff, knowledge skills and profession Statecraft. His aim is to become the ruler of menzoberranzan.

Oh. Oh, the poor, delusional fool.

I get the skill ranks and profession. But there are two problems. Menzo is run by the matriarchal priestesshood of Lolth. No way they'll let a male run the show. Even if you could take it over, the survival rate of any Drow leader rapidly approaches zero. Backstabbing and murdering higher-ups is so common it's practically a profession. In fact, it is.
So you'll have to address why he'd ever want to run the place, and why he thinks he has a snowball's chance in the Abyss of succeeding.

You've got my questions. Got any answers?

goto124
2015-02-25, 08:15 PM
TN would care only for pragmatism. He may be NE or CE though, depending on how your DM rules alignment. Is he Evil if he does evil things not for the evulz, but because it serves his interests/lets him survive in the most efficient way? Is he Neutral or Chaotic if his choice of following the law depends purely on practicality?

Angel Bob
2015-02-25, 10:12 PM
Red Fel, as usual, has pretty much all the bases covered. I'll just add a few things.

1. One of the most important things about a character's background is: what changed? Why did your character leave his career and home to go adventuring? What is he hoping to gain -- or, alternately, what is he trying to lose?

2. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes at least 1-2 NPCs to make a satisfying background. Who are some of the most influential people (friends, enemies, rivals, family, etc.) your character has known? Who inspired him, whether intentionally or accidentally, to enter his chosen field(s)? Which of his contacts would he be happy to meet in town, and which would he want to avoid like the plague?

Obak
2015-02-26, 07:59 AM
How did he survive? Drow society tends to be ruthless, Evil, and Chaotic; tell me what it was like growing up there, and not being CE. Or did he start CE and wander N-wards?
Good question, our DM does not allow evil alignment and I wanted to play neutral any way. Either I have the option of his praents being refugees, him being adopted, being a special snowflake like Drizzt or becoming Neutral.
I haven't really decided yet, all of them offers up plenty of options, but I want to include as many plot hooks as possible for my DM to use. Friends, allies, enemies doesn't really matter.



What brought him into the service of the Dragon of Eternal Law?
I am a shameless powergamer at times, and chronepsis offered the best domains for my plans. For an in-character reason, my PC is opposed to onvolvnment of gods in the affairs of mortals, having seen what a mad god like Lolth can do to an entier race he have come to the conclusion that the realm of men and gods must be separated, in his view a god holds no more compassion for mortals destroyed in their scheeming than the elephant for stepping on ant.



And what made him leave the service of the Watcher and seek arcane power?

And what made him abandon arcane tomes to pursue inner strength?

How is he fanatical if he abandoned two careers already?
He is a political fannatic, believing himself destined to lead his people into a new golden age. His careers are merely a mean to an end (lead his people) and he wishes to master all aspects of power. THe material world through the arcane, the world of the divine and the inner world of the soul.



From what does he abstain? (Or did you mean obstinate?)
Abstinent in the meaning of moderation (which would be a better word). Nothing in excess, weigh each action and word on a golden scale.


About what is he arrogant? Generally, arrogant people have a point of pride, something they feel makes them better than others. So what's his?
Being a drow he believe his own race superiar to most other races, he is fiercly proud of his intellect, his looks and his knowledge of the world. Also it is the whole manisfest destiny thing.



Tell me about his personal philosophies. Generally, someone who "likes philosophy" (unless they mean "likes to pontificate about nothing") has a few choice concepts they espouse. What are his? Peace through overwhelming firepower? Cover all under heaven with the sword? The gods help children and fools? What are his philosophies?
The world is an illusion, a prison of sort. Mortals and gods can in the end not coexist, the gods struggle over the planes will disrupt any chance mortals have of forging their own destinies. In a fashion he sees the multiverse and struggles within it as some view the conflicts in the middle east, a product of a cold war by proxy that will spiral more and more out of controll as long as exterial powers get involved and shift the balance of power, mortals must be left to solve their own problems. His prime example is his own people, he believes that Lolth is actually holding the Drow back, preventing them from realising their true destiny.



So, a priest, bookworm, and meditant, and he's buff? How does that work for him?
I rolled disgustingly good statline.
Str 15
Dex 18
Con 16
Int 20
Wis 16
Cha 15
Figure he need to do at least two hours of workout every other day to keep in shape. I had this image Platos philosopher-king, someone with stinking good genes making the most of it.
So he is pretty organised, being an elf he basically have 20 waking hours each day and he disposes them very well.



How did he pick up this hobby? Particularly since he's part of a race that dwells underground, in caves and pits. Were flowers common where he grew up, or did he learn this during his travels?
Traveling the outside world he became fascinated with flowers, how they look, smell, feel and how they can be shaped and how they can be refined through selective breeding. A metaphor for his ideal society of sort. Either that or he has an ant farm.



Oh. Oh, the poor, delusional fool.
Yes. Did I mention he uffers from Hubris?



I get the skill ranks and profession. But there are two problems. Menzo is run by the matriarchal priestesshood of Lolth. No way they'll let a male run the show. Even if you could take it over, the survival rate of any Drow leader rapidly approaches zero. Backstabbing and murdering higher-ups is so common it's practically a profession. In fact, it is.
So you'll have to address why he'd ever want to run the place, and why he thinks he has a snowball's chance in the Abyss of succeeding.

I have wanted to play a political character for very long, our DM let slip that he believed that we would end up at level 70(!) at the end of the campaign. I figured that seven lvl 70 murderhobos would be eough to topple any kingdom.
My PC believes he have an ordained destiny for greatness. He is dissapoinet in his peoples behaviour, squabbeling and bickering under the disruptive guidance of a corrupt priesthood and a mad god. His people deserve beter, they where ment to lead the world!