Political Character Help!!

[GrixisGirl]

Hi all,

So I'm wanting to build a new character, but I'm having issues figuring out what race and class to pick. The background idea I had was that she worked for a powerful family and was having an affair with the "man of the house. She became pregnant and asked that the child be cared for financially, but the family banished her for being a harlot. She seeks revenge on the family and is willing to do whatever she can to destroy them and/or make her son the heir.

I usually play rogues or bards, but I feel like something different would be cool to try out for a political type character. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

ps. I know this is super cliche, but that kinda works for me.

[Unoriginal]

Vengeance Paladin?

[lunaticfringe]

Fiendlock since you want to shy away from Rogue & Bard. You made a bargain for power to aid in the destruction/vengeance.

Human or a Half Elf would allow you to take Prodigy and give Expertise in a Face Skill. Race & Pact are pretty open but blade pact is a bit MAD.

[Magzimum]

- Paladin (Oath of Vengeance) is probably the most suitable option.
- Wizard Enchanter if you want to go the manipulative way
- Barbarian, if conversation is REALLY out of the question! :tongue:

[CTurbo]

I agree with Fiendlock for the reasons mentioned above. Grab the social invocations and maybe even take a few Lore Bard levels for expertise and even more social utilities.

A few levels of Warlock with the Assassin Rogue could work too. Assassin is made for infiltration.

[Corran]

Flesh out a bit more what happened after that point (if you haven't already). What happened after they kicked you out? Perhaps you asked for help from friends and relatives, but everyone turned their back on you. And when someone, who strangely enough new about your situation, approached you and offered you a deal... you took it in your desperation. Enter fiend warlock. What was the deal? Did it involve only you or the unborn child as well?

What's going on with the baby? Did your character give birth to it or did she lose it? If the baby is safe and well, where is it? Is it staying somewhere safe with relatives? Or did she give birth in a convent and the baby is raised there? Perhaps the head cleric/monk of that place forced you to leave a few weeks after the baby was born, maybe thinking that you would be bad influence for your own child. Or perhaps she decided to take a chance on you and try to show you a greater path, that of forgiveness (clearly they failed as you ran away one night, consumed by the need to right a wrong; or by vengeance in other words). So maybe you are a monk, cleric or (vengeance) paladin, struggling to balance your need for inner peace with your anger against those who wronged you.

What measures, if any, did you take for hiding the whereabouts of your baby child? Perhaps soon enough after she was born, her father took her home with him. You know that she will be safe there, and she will have a future probably better than whatever you could offer her/him. But you'll never get to know her, and if she hears anything at all about you, it will probably be that she had a mother that didn't love her and abandoned her. Of course your character wants her child to learn the truth, and she probably still wants revenge against the family, but now you have to find a more subtle way to do it. You can't just barge in there slaughtering everyone in your path, you have to find a way that wont compromise the future of your own child (and this becomes more difficult and perhaps a more enjoyable problem, when your child is living with the people you want to hurt).

Almost all classes can work, if you find the right spin on the story. You don't need class X for your character to be manipulative and determined, but a good charisma and proficiency (or expertise) in a few skills and tools will certainly help (if you want to be the one that spearheads your cunning plans instead of an ally). Any spellcasting class that provides access to spells that allow you to spy/ gather information, infiltrate or mess with people's minds can give you an edge if you really want to prioritize these things (a sorcerer with the subtle metamagic is certainly something worth looking at, but an illusionist or enchanter wizard could also do the trick - especially if you give them a good charisma and take the diplomat feat if UA is allowed of course). Personally I like to mix such qualities with the ability to pull off a good surprise round (so I would probably throw 3 levels of rogue assassin on top of a sorcerer or a warlock; without any further multiclassing, I would probably go with warlock because of eldritch smite; banishing smite from hexblade is tempting, but I would go with fiendlock cause I prefer its theme -and dark one's own luck is useful for initiative and important stealth rolls as well).

The most important bit of advice I can offer though, is to discuss your concept with the rest of the players and with the DM. Try to sell your character backstory to the other players, and incorporate suggestions they might make about it and that you find to your liking. Not because this might improve your backstory and your character, but more importantly, because it's totally different to play with players that don't even remember your backstory or just say ooc ''oh yeah, we have this side quest about Sansa's (random name) backstory, lets get on with it'', than if they are invested in it and want to finally see some resolution ''the Boltons?! Screw these guys! Let's give them hell and save Sansa's son!''. Even if your character dies (yes, characters can die), but the rest of the characters are invested in your backstory, you might still get to see what happens and contribute to it with a new character. A small part of your character survives that way (in the form of plot and perhaps an NPC), and I can tell you from my experiences that this is very enjoyable. Remember though, your backstory nd whatever future events tie to it, is not the reason why everyone gathered around the table to play with you. Each player (and obviously the DM) has their own things they want to see unfold or do with their characters, so always remember that your backstory is something on the side. Don't spam it, don't have your character always be thinking and talking about it.

[Nidgit]

It's almost worth it to go with Barbarian just so you can bust out "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" whenever you rage.

But if you're feeling more political and not Bard or Rogue, Warlock or Sorcerer are probably your best bets. Warlock has obvious hooks while Sorcerer can come from your deep anger and desire for vengeance awakening the magic lying dormant in your veins.

[CTurbo]

It's almost worth it to go with Barbarian just so you can bust out "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" whenever you rage.

But if you're feeling more political and not Bard or Rogue, Warlock or Sorcerer are probably your best bets. Warlock has obvious hooks while Sorcerer can come from your deep anger and desire for vengeance awakening the magic lying dormant in your veins.



I do want to and will one day play a "pretty" female Barbarian that wears a dress and has the most epic rages lol. Unarmored defense works just fine in a dress hahaha

[Man_Over_Game]

Hi all,

So I'm wanting to build a new character, but I'm having issues figuring out what race and class to pick. The background idea I had was that she worked for a powerful family and was having an affair with the "man of the house. She became pregnant and asked that the child be cared for financially, but the family banished her for being a harlot. She seeks revenge on the family and is willing to do whatever she can to destroy them and/or make her son the heir.

I usually play rogues or bards, but I feel like something different would be cool to try out for a political type character. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

ps. I know this is super cliche, but that kinda works for me.

Honestly, a Mastermind Rogue or a College of Whispers Bard fits in REALLY well here. I know that you're trying to move away from the Rogue/Bard playstyle, but I feel like this would be perfect for those classes.

Some people are suggesting Fiendlock, which makes sense, but an alternative would be the Archfey. It would make a lot of sense for a fey to interfere in the affairs of humans willingly. Not only does the PC have a rightful claim, but she's willing to take it by force and subterfuge, which is how a lot of the fey court would actually prefer it (Being right by Might AND by Right). They also rely on a lot of Charm and Fear effects, which seem to tie in well with her backstory.

[Clistenes]

Well, since you can get the appropiate skills from your Background, any class can be "political", so long as she has a high enough Charisma and Wisdom. I think you should think about her personality and how she behaves, and pick her class accordingly...

Bard, Rogue or Wizard would fit a woman with decent to good mental abilities who plays in the political arena, I think.

As for the race, I would just pick an attractive one.