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rs2excelsior
2015-05-21, 03:04 AM
Hello Playground,

I'm working on a character for an upcoming (3.5) campaign. I've got his class and backstory sorted out already. Long story short, he's a 2nd level TN Hobgoblin Paladin (our DM is allowing non-LG paladins in this) of St. Cuthbert. He grew up in Gnoll slave pens for most of his life, until that Gnoll warband was wiped out by an order of Paladins dedicated to St. Cuthbert. He worked for them for a while, then managed to join their ranks and now goes around with two goals: too punish those who would escape justice otherwise by any means necessary, and to never feel as helpless as he did in the slave pens.

I'm happy with the character and the backstory, but I'd like some advice on something to make him stand out while playing. Of the two characters I've played for a long period of time, the first was a (3.5) Dwarf fighter who was pretty cool, but also pretty bland. The second was a (Pathfinder) Gnome Sorcerer, who was very scrappy and made frequent use of his dragon claws and the Intimidate skill, despite the fact that he was three and a half feet tall. I thought the second was a much better character--he was more memorable and more fun to play. I'm looking for something like that--something that fits the character's personality/background that'll make him stand out during the game. Right now I've got a more-or-less stereotypical Holy Avenger type character going.

Karl Aegis
2015-05-21, 03:16 AM
What made your character useful enough to the gnolls that they fed you enough food to keep you alive instead of eat you?

MysticMonkey
2015-05-21, 08:47 AM
Well. . . being a hobgoblin paladin will stand out a bit. . .

I guess if I was going to play such a combination with your background, I guess I would go with less of a knight in shining armor, minimal jousting and little to no self-righteousness. I would look at putting something along the lines of a bounty hunter angle on it. Being a hobgoblin he wont really fit into conventional paladin and religious circles easily and if he wants to hunt down those who escape justice that seems like a good angle to take. Plus it seems that being TN he wouldn't really be looking for prestige that comes with noble deeds and all the stereotyped holy warrior stuff.

Maglubiyet
2015-05-21, 09:01 AM
How about a really tortured soul with low self esteem due to his years as a slave. Now he has taken on a new yoke in the form of paladinship, which is almost equally self-abusive.

His inner dialog could be something like, "You're not doing it right, you're not doing enough, you're not worthy." Because of this, he is constantly driven to excel. Yet he is always doomed to fall short in his own mind, even though he accomplishes magnificent things.

Geddy2112
2015-05-21, 12:15 PM
+1 to eschewing the knight in shining armor in favor of something a bit more subtle. I could see your character being true neutral right now, but punishing those who escape justice by any means necessary is probably going to strive away from that. You don't need full plate to no longer feel helpless, you are a paladin in your resolve. Perhaps dress a bit more subtly, travel in a weathered cloak and be inward and personal with your faith. Be the hero in action, but downplay your successes. Being hard on yourself is also good, particularly if you are in a situation where you do feel powerless, but always try-even if you think you can't do something, at least attempt it.

rs2excelsior
2015-05-21, 03:27 PM
Those are some good suggestions. I think I can work from these...


What made your character useful enough to the gnolls that they fed you enough food to keep you alive instead of eat you?

Presumably there's manual labor a Gnoll warrior would rather not do himself, even if it does mean foregoing a quick snack. He's always been rather tough and strong.


You don't need full plate to no longer feel helpless, you are a paladin in your resolve. Perhaps dress a bit more subtly, travel in a weathered cloak and be inward and personal with your faith. Be the hero in action, but downplay your successes.

I really like this... Have an outward image like Strider in LOTR. As a Hobgoblin, he's probably going to be a bit mistrusted and strange to most people anyhow, so just play that up more...

Thanks for the help, all!