Iron Angel
2016-11-30, 05:59 AM
Normally I do serious characters, but I want to mix it up a bit. I recently had an idea for a much less serious character:
Ramshackle, Warforged Fighter
http://i.imgur.com/Mwl7VPW.png
"Who's in here makin' all that racket!?"
If this image looks familiar to you, it should. I just took one of my favorite warforged images and GIMPed it a bit for effect.
In essence, Ramshackle is an old, battered warforged who got mentally wiped; Everything but his personality got suppressed by a curse. He doesn't even remember his name; "Ramshackle" is just what people call him, mostly because of his appearance. So he's set out adventuring once again to get it all back, and despite his worn-out body, he's still very much a dangerous combatant.
But all that aside, Ramshackle is basically an old coot; He's cantankerous and loud, and is not unlike a crotchety old man who takes a little too much pleasure in schadenfreude. He's always up for a good scrap though, and there's not many other people you'd rather have at your back when the plan goes sideways.
Altis, Verryn, and Ramshackle are spending a well-earned haul at a table by the local inn's hearth. Altis and Verryn are half-listening as Ramshackle rambles about termites, and how they're starting to get to him in his old age, while he gently rocks back and forth in the old oak rocking chair the inn knows he likes. It bears several obvious signs of repair, and many modifications in an attempt to reinforce it; THey tried buying a new, stronger chair, but Ramshackle wasn't having it and demanded the return of the old one.
They are content listening to the music and drinking their comforts while Verryn absently makes notes in the margins of her spellbook and Altis gently polishes his favorite dagger, caressing it with the hand with the missing ring finger.
Before long, Gavin's head is visible as his diminutive form hurriedly presses through the crowd, ale spilled down his front.
"We need to leave, if you guys don't mind," Gavin hurriedly proclaims.
Altis sighs. "What did you do this time?"
Before Gavin can open his mouth to explain, two rather large men push through the rabble behind him; One is tall and portly, with a bald head and a single gold tooth in his lower jaw.
"Well well, you rushed off before you could give my friend a proper apology, little fellow!" he guffaws.
Gavin stammers momentarily; Verryn looks up worriedly, and Altis grins, curious as to what will happen next.
The large man's face turns sour. "I don't think he wants an apology anyway. I think it might be best for you to learn your lesson the hard way."
"Right then!" Ramshackle's creaking voice exclaims, diverting their attention. He pulls the crude two-fingered claw from his right arm, and rummaging in his bag, pulls out a massive axe head with a knobby stub where the handle should be. He hefts it for a moment, then looks at the two men.
"Hmm, too messy." He mumbles, tossing the axe head aside. Rummaging around further, he proclaims, "Ah! Found it!" and, extracting an oversized morningstar head with a similar knobby protrusion, he slaps it onto his vacant wrist and gives it a satisfying spin, the ratcheting sounds clearly audible over his low cackling.
Altis's grin grows.
The two men look at each other uneasily as Ramshackle leans forward, propelling himself upright. With a sound like roaring thunder, Ramshackle belches a plume of embers and thick black smoke from his back, the chugging and clanking of his internal workings churning to fiery life.
He is much larger than the two men anticipated.
"I heard something about someone wanting a fight then, was it?" Ramshackle cackles, leering at them. By this point the inn has gone totally silent.
He raises the massive spiked ball at the end of his arm up to make his point.
The larger man stammers, then says "No, no fight here, uh, sir. We was just, uh, well you see, he bumped into-"
"Git."
The two hastily make their way back through the crowd. Someone yells to open the window, as 'Old coot did it again and now the whole place smells like a forge'.
Ramshackle cools off with a searing sound like water poured over a hot pan, complete with a puff of steam, and returns to gently rocking in his chair.
Gavin smiles, turning to Ramshackle. "Thanks for getting me out of-"
"Eh? Quiet there. Can't hear maself think with all this racket," Ramshackle complains.
Gavin knew if Ramshackle could smile, he would have, though.
Do you guys have any thoughts or ideas about the character? I feel like maybe just being an old codger works as a character gimmick but there should be more to it than that.
Ramshackle, Warforged Fighter
http://i.imgur.com/Mwl7VPW.png
"Who's in here makin' all that racket!?"
If this image looks familiar to you, it should. I just took one of my favorite warforged images and GIMPed it a bit for effect.
In essence, Ramshackle is an old, battered warforged who got mentally wiped; Everything but his personality got suppressed by a curse. He doesn't even remember his name; "Ramshackle" is just what people call him, mostly because of his appearance. So he's set out adventuring once again to get it all back, and despite his worn-out body, he's still very much a dangerous combatant.
But all that aside, Ramshackle is basically an old coot; He's cantankerous and loud, and is not unlike a crotchety old man who takes a little too much pleasure in schadenfreude. He's always up for a good scrap though, and there's not many other people you'd rather have at your back when the plan goes sideways.
Altis, Verryn, and Ramshackle are spending a well-earned haul at a table by the local inn's hearth. Altis and Verryn are half-listening as Ramshackle rambles about termites, and how they're starting to get to him in his old age, while he gently rocks back and forth in the old oak rocking chair the inn knows he likes. It bears several obvious signs of repair, and many modifications in an attempt to reinforce it; THey tried buying a new, stronger chair, but Ramshackle wasn't having it and demanded the return of the old one.
They are content listening to the music and drinking their comforts while Verryn absently makes notes in the margins of her spellbook and Altis gently polishes his favorite dagger, caressing it with the hand with the missing ring finger.
Before long, Gavin's head is visible as his diminutive form hurriedly presses through the crowd, ale spilled down his front.
"We need to leave, if you guys don't mind," Gavin hurriedly proclaims.
Altis sighs. "What did you do this time?"
Before Gavin can open his mouth to explain, two rather large men push through the rabble behind him; One is tall and portly, with a bald head and a single gold tooth in his lower jaw.
"Well well, you rushed off before you could give my friend a proper apology, little fellow!" he guffaws.
Gavin stammers momentarily; Verryn looks up worriedly, and Altis grins, curious as to what will happen next.
The large man's face turns sour. "I don't think he wants an apology anyway. I think it might be best for you to learn your lesson the hard way."
"Right then!" Ramshackle's creaking voice exclaims, diverting their attention. He pulls the crude two-fingered claw from his right arm, and rummaging in his bag, pulls out a massive axe head with a knobby stub where the handle should be. He hefts it for a moment, then looks at the two men.
"Hmm, too messy." He mumbles, tossing the axe head aside. Rummaging around further, he proclaims, "Ah! Found it!" and, extracting an oversized morningstar head with a similar knobby protrusion, he slaps it onto his vacant wrist and gives it a satisfying spin, the ratcheting sounds clearly audible over his low cackling.
Altis's grin grows.
The two men look at each other uneasily as Ramshackle leans forward, propelling himself upright. With a sound like roaring thunder, Ramshackle belches a plume of embers and thick black smoke from his back, the chugging and clanking of his internal workings churning to fiery life.
He is much larger than the two men anticipated.
"I heard something about someone wanting a fight then, was it?" Ramshackle cackles, leering at them. By this point the inn has gone totally silent.
He raises the massive spiked ball at the end of his arm up to make his point.
The larger man stammers, then says "No, no fight here, uh, sir. We was just, uh, well you see, he bumped into-"
"Git."
The two hastily make their way back through the crowd. Someone yells to open the window, as 'Old coot did it again and now the whole place smells like a forge'.
Ramshackle cools off with a searing sound like water poured over a hot pan, complete with a puff of steam, and returns to gently rocking in his chair.
Gavin smiles, turning to Ramshackle. "Thanks for getting me out of-"
"Eh? Quiet there. Can't hear maself think with all this racket," Ramshackle complains.
Gavin knew if Ramshackle could smile, he would have, though.
Do you guys have any thoughts or ideas about the character? I feel like maybe just being an old codger works as a character gimmick but there should be more to it than that.