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Biotroll
2008-05-15, 01:55 PM
Hi everyone. I was thinking of my new character for a while and now I find myself stuck so I'm asking for help. I have some general idea about what he will be like and so on but I can't decide which class will suit it best.

So ma character backstory and characteristics and another known info (you can change background if you wish AND give me reasons why...):

So it should be Halfling because I didn't play halfling for a looong time... Ability scores are already roled: 16, 15, 15, 14, 13, 13 (quite good scores I think). And now... Even as halfling he should be grumpy, have bad mood all the time, have pesimistic notes to everything that somebody will do and so on. He should be some military oriented because I thought of his backstory and I want him to be influenced by war that was in our world few months back. I though that he was part of local militia because he had a lot of friends there. When the war beggined, he was called to service. He was just a standard farmer who knew nothing of fighting and so on but he must go there because of laws which he honour. After he get his weapons and was sent to battle he was forced to fight for real first time in his life. (The battle was against standard evil wizard with army of orcs and goblins and even few giants.) With his halfling luck he survived but he turned into grumpy individual (as described above). Because all his friends died in the war he changed a lot. He is cold now, he don't care about himself. He blame himself for not being good enough to help his friends in the battle. In his heart he still want to live, to make good and help and he wish to find new friends and not fail them as he did to his friends in war but he's cold and he don't care what he's doing as long as he takes it as good think that will help someone. After war he didn't return home because he has lot of painful memories adherent to his home and friends and he started to travel. He is trying to help everyone he met on his travel and such joining our new adventure group.

So now, you know the story and the question. Which class? I want something battle oriented (because of his part in war) but it could be even something else if you come with good story why he should be so cold to everyone he met. I have ONLY 3.0 core books avaible (DM's choice...). I don't want any PrC, I don't want him to be overpowered and I'm not even sure if I want him to multiclass. I could be every class in PHB because or group is big enough and have everything needed. (druid for healing, rogue, sorcerror, barbarian and fighter. Also there is monk but he isn't playing often) I thought of paladin because he's good fighter and with his "urge" to make good he could be one. I don't care if he fall if he will be paladin, it's just for roleplaying purposes. Also I thought of fighter or cleric who get his faith when he was fighting for his life on battlefield. I even thought of sorcerror, but I'm not sure, because of his background and I'm too lazy to make new one which will fit sorcerror if I don't know if I want to play him or not.

So can you help me please? Just Halfling - something, at first level with 16, 15, 15, 14, 13, 13 scores and core 3.0 books only. Thanks. :smallsmile:

PS: And I'm sorry for any misspells. My english sucks. :smallfrown:

McClintock
2008-05-15, 03:18 PM
He's angry with himself, his country and his enemies. He's learned to channel that anger into brute force when he is fighting. He's small and get underestimated A LOT, which just makes him angrier.

I recommend Barbarian. He was never formally trained, but picked it up when he was conscripted. He never learned to fuel his anger into something constructive.

Put your 16 into con, 15 into str & dex, and put all your level points into str. As he fights and gets underestimated he gets stronger. I would wield a battle axe 2-handed or a warhammer the same.

If you do decide to go into a PrC, check into frenzied Berserker.

Kol Korran
2008-05-15, 03:40 PM
first of all- it's always refereshing to see threads desiring help in characters focusing on fluff, rahter than build. you seem to have allready got somoe decent ideas as to class- Paladin, fighter, and cleric all seem to fit the story. a few of my suggestions anyway:

- why is he bitter and cold? (you've answered msot of this, i'll try to refine perhaps) well, he isn't realy, not deep inside. he just got close to many of the slain army militia buddies, who all died. he's attitude now reflects two things: his realisation that life/ fate/ reality/ the gods/ the odds can kick you in the face even when you try your best. and second- his own defensive mechanism, distancing himself from people who he might grow to like, and care for, so he wouldn't be as shattered as he was when his war buddies died.

- flavour for Paladin: the halfling doesn't recognise himslef as a Paladin (at least not at first... what level are you beginning in?). if other notice his chivalrious nature and risk taking in order to help others, proclaiming him to be a Paladin, he will just proclaim he's a soldier who is either War savy, or "got lucky". he believes that if he was a Paladin, then he would have succeeded where he failed. make his personal "moral dilemma" focused on whether being good is "to keep trying" versuss "succeeding in doing"...

as to his powers: make them look less devine, more like instinct, or intenral wisdom/ enlightment. for example- "detect evil": (if you're using it at all). instead of there being some sort of arcane/ devine indication, make it something like a persistent sixth sense ("don't trust him, he's evil i tell you!", "how do you know?", "i just know it, beleive me, a sense i developed in the war. it just reeks of him!")

- flavour for cleric: two ideas- either a cleric of your own faith, or a cleric of some religion, who's influence you've seen on the battle field (perhaps a cleric who soothed your fears, helped your company fight, helped the wounded, and displayed impresive morals and ideas, influencing you deeply. perhaps the clerci got wounded or died, and you took it's place, perhaps even using his blood smudged Holy symbol...) anyway- you're not the priestly type, more of the action paced type of cleric. if you're a cleric of a known religion, make your own interpertation of the god's teachigns and laws. it may be welcomed, or not with that religion. if you are a cleric of your own faith, make 2-5 principles, upon which you stems your decisions. each could be linked to another instance in the war. as you adventure and grow, so will your religion: more principles may be added, and older ones refined.

pragmatism will always stand in some contrast with your beliefs. in similar to the paladin's path, your "cold reality" view might soemtiem seem to go agaisnt your principles, but that is only until they are tested for a fact.

as to your powers: the spell casting can take many forms: simple and cynical, full of awe and reverance, saying a small prayer for the befallen comrades vbefore hand, or more. adjust it to the situation, as you are.

as to domains: i'd suggest War (pick the weapon that used you in the war, preferably suitable for militia army- long sword, long bow, and so on). for a second domain i'd suggest either good, healing, or travel, each signifying a second aspect of your own way towards redemption (there may be others, but i don't have the books with me).

- flavour for fighter: fairly similar to the above, since your personality dictates it. i'd tend to focus on your role as a militery advisor and expert (as it may), and on causes and consequence as things to always consider (part of the cynisim, could play wonderfully with the barbarian). other aspects to emphasize: group work, assigned roles, backing up, following plans, and so on. any of these could be applied to the other characters as well.

as to feats and weapons: can't help you much here, i'm fialy lousy at this, but i'd try to go with one of the 3 following trees: mounted combat (with a dog/ wolf/ whatever- battle control and maneuverability... perhaps the Druid's companion? if you arrange it with him/ her), weapon expertise (best with tripping weapons and so on. however, your size, and weapon size could be problematic), or archery (commanding from the back, picking "quality" targets wheil the barberian mashes the melee combatants)

- another idea/ perhaps for mutliclassing: a bard. this could work fairly well with most (particularily the paladin). this isn't the happy mandolin stringing bard, but rather the melancholic, brooding, saga singing sort of bard (i think they are called Sklads). that bard has many talents- skills, weapons, spells, and the bardic music. this could either work (with little flavour tweaking) to represent your life as a farmer, or the immense spiritual transformation you went through during the war. the songs are not happy ones, but grim, full of terms such as "honor", "death", "last stand" and so on... realistic battle songs, catching the heroic tales of a few against the horrors of war.

i haven't got the 3.0 books with me, but it might be that the bard is a tad restricted there (light armor does interfere with the spells, if i'm not mistaken). check with your DM.

- figthing encounters flacour: just as an idea- the halfling would try to fight (and get the group to fight), in an organized manner. if possible do recon, find vulenrabilites and so on. the idea is to act like you're still part of a unit, who needs to obeys orders, plans, and drills (don't force it, just for flavour). however, if things go desperate, or if someone is in real danger, your behaviour suddenly change- you leap in regardless of danger, trying to save your comrade, your fellow men (and women). this should resemble the barbarian rage in it's sponteneosity and recklessness, but be far, far more coherent (less frothing would be nice too)

that's all i got from the top of my head, hoep this helps, let me know if it does. and most importently- enjoy your play.
Kol