Cool Character Idea!

[Ser Loras]

I came up with the bare bones of a character idea for a game I'm gonna' be getting stuck into shortly, that I'm insanely proud of. While most players haven't decided on characters yet, I decided to stat up four different characters I could ultimately choose from depending on what other roles were being filled by the others. The fourth and final character I decided on was a simple Half-Elf Warlock of the Archfey. I went ahead and, next to the stat blocks for the four potential characters, scribbled down a background I'd use for each one. My Half-Orc Champion Fighter was a Gladiator; my Wood Elf Nature Cleric was a Hermit and my Protector Aasimar Devotion Paladin a Knight. All pretty simple.

Then I came to giving a background to my Warlock, and I hit a brick wall. None of the typical wizard backgrounds fit - A Sage or a Cloistered Scholar could conceivably be magical students who contacted a Fiend or an Old One, but the Archfey demand a little more...spice! And adventure! But I'd already picked Hermit for the potential cleric and, although I obviously COULD, I didn't want to double up.

So I was flicking through the PHB and SCAG to find a background when it hit me - Guild Artisan, taking proficiency with Painter's Tools as his guild.

So the story goes my Half-Elf was a painter's apprentice, I'm thinking in something akin to the art studios of Renaissance Italy. He had a moody and changeable master who, nonetheless, was considered something of a sublime genius and feted across the noble houses of the realm for his inexhaustible talents. Eventually, of course, there came a test - either, the master had to let one pupil go, and so pit his apprentices against one another, or he had to paint to earn his Journeyman or Master rank. Either way, he was petrified at having to paint something so brilliant it would wow his master, and so he crept away into the wilds to try and channel the muses - and strike a pact with a Fey to grant him the muse and talent to paint his masterpiece.

Naturally, he's gotten more than he bargained for. He not only has had secrets of Fey magic revealed to him by his Patron but the Fey no doubt wants something in return (no idea what yet). I'm thinking he also probably got kicked out of his guild when his master found out what he had done, or the help he had petitioned for from the Fey manifested in some way he wasn't expecting and forced him to leave. Either way, he's on his own now, ready to begin an adventure as a level one Warlock :D

I'm ecstatic over this character, and will probably try and lobby to get to be this guy out of the four I've rolled up.

I'm interested: If he struck this pact with a Fey to grant him the talent to paint well, what should the Fey have demanded/expect in return?

[Byke]

I love the concept of the character and stealing from a series which I have now forgotten.

The one memorable character I remember from it, was a painter who was cursed/gifted with painting the inner beauty of his subjects. Thus nobleman or rich merchant who demanded portraits form him came out as rat faced or monstrous. While the poor leprous beggar or the harlot with the heart of gold were portrayed as beautiful or angelic.

It led to a lot of court intrigue, when he was commissioned by the king to paint his court and discover who was disloyal. It would depend on DM fiat but it is a great concept and a fun twist the fey could put in.

[Chugger]

Guild artisan is a good pick for this.

What does he/she/it demand? A masterpiece painted on a slab of wood cut from Satan's barn. Or a masterpiece painted on a piece of canvas cut from the mainsail on Satan's biggest warship.

By Satan I mean something very hard to kill. Dangerous.

[Ser Loras]

I love the concept of the character and stealing from a series which I have now forgotten.

The one memorable character I remember from it, was a painter who was cursed/gifted with painting the inner beauty of his subjects. Thus nobleman or rich merchant who demanded portraits form him came out as rat faced or monstrous. While the poor leprous beggar or the harlot with the heart of gold were portrayed as beautiful or angelic.

It led to a lot of court intrigue, when he was commissioned by the king to paint his court and discover who was disloyal. It would depend on DM fiat but it is a great concept and a fun twist the fey could put in.

I hope you don't mind that I'm taking this idea. Yup. Done. That's the pay-off :P

It works both ways, as it's a constant curse - he can't but pain a person's inner self - and it also explains why he had to leave his apprenticeship. He was commissioned to paint the saintly, charitable wife of some noble or merchant and what they got back was...well. None too pleasing.

I ADORE this! :D Thank you for the idea!!

[Byke]

I hope you don't mind that I'm taking this idea. Yup. Done. That's the pay-off :P

It works both ways, as it's a constant curse - he can't but pain a person's inner self - and it also explains why he had to leave his apprenticeship. He was commissioned to paint the saintly, charitable wife of some noble or merchant and what they got back was...well. None too pleasing.

I ADORE this! :D Thank you for the idea!!

You are very welcome :) But as I said I borrowed the idea from a long forgotten series of books I read:) All I remember was the name of the inn that all of the main characters revolved around "The Vulgar Unicorn"Thieves World series I believe.