Need idea suggestions... evil blood hunter/ranger build backstory...

[samcifer]

so we're going to do an evil campaign and I had an idea for doing an evil version of a witcher from the Witcher games (mainly the 3rd game).

The only thing I can think of for a plot device is that his family (parents, sister and younger brother) were killed while he was away and now that SEEMS to be the ghost of his younger brother keeps appearing and inspires him to do evil actions against monsters and maybe people, but I'm drawing a blank on how to make this into an evil character's backstory.

The dm will have us all starting off at an orphanage, which being an orphan would work well in. It's just the motivation to be evil that I need as well as how.

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm not committed to the evil brother ghost angle either, btw...

[strangebloke]

Go full Garou. You love mosters. You think they're so cool. You filled yourself with monster blood not so you could hunt monsters, but because you wanted to be one. Your favored enemy is 'humanoid' because you're such a misanthrope. You've always been this way since you were a small child.

You grew up in a super-strict house, no fun. You went to military school as a child. You went on campaign and you broke, deserting and becoming a bandit. You developed the attitude that strength is all that matters and that life is short and brutal so take what you can get as quickly and as often as possible.

[samcifer]

Go full Garou. You love mosters. You think they're so cool. You filled yourself with monster blood not so you could hunt monsters, but because you wanted to be one. Your favored enemy is 'humanoid' because you're such a misanthrope. You've always been this way since you were a small child.

You grew up in a super-strict house, no fun. You went to military school as a child. You went on campaign and you broke, deserting and becoming a bandit. You developed the attitude that strength is all that matters and that life is short and brutal so take what you can get as quickly and as often as possible.

That sounds pretty good...

Any other suggestions from anyone for other ideas to contrast this with?

[dragoeniex]

Both of the classes you picked have strong hunter themes. No shock, considering one has it in the class name, and the other has it as a subclass. My first thought for "evil hunter" goes to the "most dangerous game" trope where you've got someone who's decided to challenge themselves by hunting other humans.

Except, in D&D, humans really aren't the most dangerous prey, are they? And both of the classes you picked would normally have strong ties to defending a given area or people.

Why not flip that second part to enhance the first? Someone who's been living for the thrill and challenge of the hunt and has realized, over time, the most exciting targets are ones dead-set on defending something important to them. Nature spirits guarding groves, ghosts watching over graveyards, celestial guides rearing future heroes...

If your character is an orphan, the age might be a bit young to fit all this. But maybe growing up with a parent- or even two- that held these beliefs and took their kid along on hunts to teach them could be an exciting answer to both your powers and new lack of parents.

Will you go out to hone your skills and one day face the game that outmaneuvered your idols? And if so, will that hunger for slaying wondrous, self-righteous beings grow?

Or will encounters slowly awaken a sense of respect or empathy that wasn't taught to you? Losing the game by realizing there never was one... Why, that might be the most terrifying thing of all for a character like this.



Direction of growth optional, but I saw your thread saying you'd likely be transitioning from evil to neutral.