Character Concept: Lauzeriel the burned out Guardian Angel

[Cikomyr]

So I've had a character Concept I been playing in my head in the past weeks that I might get to put to the task soon.

A Scourge Aasimar Celestial Warlock named Lauzeriel. I coordinate with the GM to pick one of the PC, and I present myself as "X's appointed Guardian angel"

Lauzeriel smokes, drinks too much, is a bit rude and totally expect X to die; "like the other ones". He genuinely helps out and try to contribute to the party 's success and X' s survival, but he has a cynical and pessimistic view of life and the world that would rival a Noir Private Eye. He lost his previous wards, and somewhat expect X to be as much a failure.

Yes. His name is literally Loser-riel

So a somewhat support/healer/blaster would probably fit in most parties. The only thing I can figure out is what Background should I pick? Should it be a background that reflect his past as an member of the Celesrial Host, or should it be a background that reflect Lauzeriel's years of experience in the mortal world between his ward, when he was wallowing in self pity and alcohol?

Suggestions and comments welcomed.

[Lavaeolus]

You might consider putting both in. The Player's Handbook is explicit about allowing you to customise a background: you could pick one skill boosted by your Celestial history (Religion is an obvious one), and one skill affected by your time on the mortal realm (Investigation? Deception?). Or you could pick skills that have been influenced by both: you began with impressive Insight as an angel, but it got a pretty good working out by being dumped into a mortal world full of con artists and ne'er-do-wells.

The Shelter of the Faithful feature, from the Acolyte, could make a degree of sense here with some slight reflavouring, depending on how overt your character is allowed to be about, hey, being an angel. If he's spent a lot of time in the city getting drunk after one of his wards died, then the Urchin feature makes a degree of sense: 'You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.'

It's a little more of a stretch, but you could take the Researcher feature from the Sage background; I think a Celestial probably has some obscure lore knowledge. Or to venture out the Player's Handbook, there's Far Traveller's feature: 'Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign.' I don't think you could get more foreign than an angel.

If you're stuck between presenting something from his Celestial past and his more recent past, however, I'd lean towards the latter. You're already representing the Celestial aspect with his race: you have a bunch of special abilities, a boost to Charisma, Celestial as a language. It sounds like when the rest of the PCs are walking in, they'll be meeting up with an angel who's been pretty strikingly shaped by his failures.

[Potato_Priest]

This is a neat concept!

My question is this: why is Lauzariel now in a position to die along with their charge, when they weren’t before? What’s changed?

[Cikomyr]

This is a neat concept!

My question is this: why is Lauzariel now in a position to die along with their charge, when they weren’t before? What’s changed?

I suppose the first 3 times he had a ward, he was a traditional invisible angel. But he screwed up/got distracted too many times and he literally lost his wings.

Now, if he happens to die, he just respawns a few years later and has to suffer life until he receives a new Ward. So he's a bit in a kind of Purgatory.

I guess he secretly harbor the feeling that he is being set up to fail by the Powers Upstairs. "Oh Pelor Christ, this one is a CIRCUS PERFORMER?" "Oh.. A level 1 adventurer. I never seen those die in the first 20 minutes"

[Brookshw]

Nice concept, I like it. I'd go background from mortal world, seems more like appropriate to a bunch of vices.

Consider, was there a particular mortal he failed in the past that set him on this path? Back when he was perhaps more idealistic? Something specific that he regrets and can't forgive himself for? If so, who was it and what happened. This could gibe the DM some useful plot hooks.

[Cikomyr]

Nice concept, I like it. I'd go background from mortal world, seems more like appropriate to a bunch of vices.

Consider, was there a particular mortal he failed in the past that set him on this path? Back when he was perhaps more idealistic? Something specific that he regrets and can't forgive himself for? If so, who was it and what happened. This could gibe the DM some useful plot hooks.

Ahaha. A Noir Detective who is cynical of life and fate certainly lost someone. I mean, just look at Chinatown.

Maybe Lauzoriel got too close, too involved with a mortal's fate, and that's why he was banished?

BTW.. Do you think Celestial Warlock is a better idea, or Divine Soul Sorcerer is better?

[Potato_Priest]

BTW.. Do you think Celestial Warlock is a better idea, or Divine Soul Sorcerer is better?

Depends on your preferences. At combat proficiency, a divine soul sorcerer will excel, and has the great option of using subtle spell to help Lauzariel’s charge without anyone noticing.

A celestial warlock probably lends itself better to a gritty noir feel, as many of the more fun invocations really help out that type of character. (The one that lets you go invisible while stationary, or the one that gives infinite disguise self for instance).

[Brookshw]

Maybe Lauzoriel got too close, too involved with a mortal's fate, and that's why he was banished? Definitely an option, could also have lost the mortal, either via death or turning to evil (and then death).


BTW.. Do you think Celestial Warlock is a better idea, or Divine Soul Sorcerer is better? I kinda like warlock better because it gives room for fun roleplay options with whatever organization is involved with guardian angels (he's banished? Does he have to be? Could it be something more like put on probation?). Imagine a superior who keeps pushing him to "do it by the book", or "take a page from Samuel the Pure" (or simply accuses him of being a loose cannon or the blacksheep of the organization)(meanwhile Lauzoriel is grumbling that his superiors "just don't get it", they "haven't seen the myriad ways the mortal world will chew up a spirit and floss with its soul", will "swat a soul like a fly, taking them out of the game for good", etc). Can't really get that same interplay with Divine Soul Sorcerer. Either does a decent job mechanically though.

[Spiritchaser]

First off, this sounds like a hilarious idea...

Second, there was a guide posted by LudicSavant that I’ve intended to try, but likely won’t get to... that sounds very close to what you want

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?583957-An-Eclectic-Collection-of-Fun-and-Effective-Builds

Check out the celestial generalist

[Malkavia]

If you choose to go with a pact other than celestial, you can have your reason for banishment right there. Made a pact with a demon/great old one/whatever in a desperate attempt to save your charge's life, failed, and got banished.

I really love this idea, but I unfortunately don't really enjoy Warlocks. I wonder what other classes could make the concept work.

[noob]

Maybe valor bard.
Just that the valor part is quite rusted now.
(support/healer/blaster can be done with a valor bard: nothing forces you to use weapon attacks and you can pick some aoe spell in your secrets in order to manage swarms of mooks)
Or some cleric?

[Cikomyr]

My new DM like the concept. I'll stick with Celestial Warlock for now with maybe a dip in Favored Soul if my parole officer think I deserve it.

So the DM pointed out I had a Deva guide, and I suggested it's my Parole Officer/Buddy who tries to get me to clean up so I can come back one day.

We are considering the tongue-in-cheek Fourth Wall Breaker background (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Fourth_Wall_Breaker_(5e_Background)). It's just that instead of "you know you are in a game world", it's "you know how Creation was made"

I suggested that even if I was banished thousands of years ago, I don't remember much of the history I lived through because I was drunk most of the time.

[Cikomyr]

I have too much fun drawing avatars

Here's Lauzoriel

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/pp86/SolkaTruesilver/0/5f22266d-f75f-4cd4-ac5a-63a9f7158ade-original.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

[Brookshw]

I have too much fun drawing avatars

Here's Lauzoriel

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/pp86/SolkaTruesilver/0/5f22266d-f75f-4cd4-ac5a-63a9f7158ade-original.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Why aren't you using that as an avatar??? :smallcool:

(He has no cigarette!!!)

[Cikomyr]

Why aren't you using that as an avatar??? :smallcool:

(He has no cigarette!!!)

Ooohhh right.... Cigarette.

Brb

[noob]

Ooohhh right.... Cigarette.

Brb

So in which way is it not a valour bard?

[Cikomyr]

So in which way is it not a valour bard?

Make your case my good sir :)

[Brookshw]

Ooohhh right.... Cigarette.

Brb

So where's that pic update?

[Cikomyr]

So where's that pic update?

Don't force these things man. I need to have 5 minutes to myself :-P

[Cikomyr]

I just needed to do some evening overtime and waiting for the calculator to finish processing...

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/pp86/SolkaTruesilver/0/0103624a-1aa6-4c10-a8a0-9f0a1f7a62df-original.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

[Brookshw]

I just needed to do some evening overtime and waiting for the calculator to finish processing...

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/pp86/SolkaTruesilver/0/0103624a-1aa6-4c10-a8a0-9f0a1f7a62df-original.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Very nice. We'll talk next time I need an avatar :smallwink:

Let us know how the game goes!

[Cikomyr]

Very nice. We'll talk next time I need an avatar :smallwink:

Let us know how the game goes!

I have to admit positioning the cigarette was the hardest part of Avatar design I've had to do. No idea where it should be, and which way it should be pointing.

I decided to recreate the deadbeat key salesman of Faxanadu.

[Beleriphon]

So, he's kind of like John Constantine then? Because I seriously can't imagine this character speaking any other way based on the description. He has to be snarkily British.

[Cikomyr]

So, he's kind of like John Constantine then? Because I seriously can't imagine this character speaking any other way based on the description. He has to be snarkily British.

He definetly had that sort of vide, I certainly can't say Constantine wasn't a reference.

The visual look is closer To Keanu Reeves tho. Because **** Keanu Reeves. In a good way.

[Cikomyr]

So I played a 1-off dungeon crawl with Lauzoriel yesterday evening. It was certainly very fun, he turned out to be a bit more of a harmless jackass than anything else when he didn't have a ward.

The extent of his evil behavior was grave robbing legendary heroes, pinning the deed on a cult who had already started the robbing, and leaving one of the corpse naked in a "he's jacking off" position.

The funniest part was that another player wanted to play a warlock too. A Tiefling Fiend warlock. I had to think about it for a minute before I outright proposed the best idea for it to work:

"OK, well do Good Omen"
"What's that?"
"An angel and a demon being friends and working together at times despite the big large scale conflict of the two sides"

Turned out better than I could have imagined. We both had Mask of Many Faces, so we had a really interesting double-act. When we were about to interrogate a prisoner, I proposed :

"You wanna do the Good Angel Bad Demon routine?"