PDA

View Full Version : Background Help



Fostire
2008-10-10, 11:52 AM
I'm starting an all evil campaign soon, and after a while of thinking I came up with a really nice character concept. Now, the thing about this character is that he loves to lie, and as such he always introduces himself as a completely different person. He has 4 alter egos he likes to use the most, but I want him to be able to come up with a whole new personality and backstory on the spot. The problem is that there is no way that I as a player can come up with a whole new person like that, so instead I decided to have a list with a bunch of names, each with its own personality and background so that I can easily do this.
I need help in creating this people, so that's where the playground comes in. I want you guys to post a bunch of personalties that i may use in this campaign.
Some things you should probably include:

Name: (I found a cool name generator (http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/) so this isn't that important)
Some backstory: (2-5 things about it should do)
Alignment: (sort of goes with the next two)
Religion: (None of the standard DnD gods, feel free to make one up)
Quirks, traits, mannerisms:
Mode of operation: (describes the character's primary patterns and style of doing things)

If it has all of those things I think it should be enough but if you can think of anything that I should include that would make the character more believable please post it.

Person_Man
2008-10-10, 12:44 PM
I would go with a Haberdash (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88633) build or a similar Master of Masks or Chameleon build. But honestly, anyone with Alter Self would work well.

For characterization, if you intend to play your character as he might exist in the real world, a bit of caution; People with multiple personality disorder almost always have distinct personalities. Although they have multiple personalities, they're usually stable. A person with 3 personalities will generally have 3 personalities for the rest of their life. New ones don't just emerge, so he's not a "completely different person" each time he meets someone. That would be a compulsive liar. And compulsive liars rarely have multiple personalities or persona like you describe, they just lie all the time. What you describe is probably closest to a con-man, who usually only has 1 or 2 fake persona that they use for a particular scheme and then discard. Of course it's a game and you don't need to play it strait, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

My character suggestion, Jack the schizophrenic.

The Teenager (N): The character's "true" personality. He desperately wants to be accepted. He had an abusive father who was a high ranking military official, and a Victorian noble mother who never showed emotion and put a high premium on being socially correct at all times. Eventually his young mind broke, creating several rotating personalities. When in his true persona, Jack is very disassociated from everything and everyone around him. He talks in the third person ("I am Jack's bleeding anger."), avoids direct eye contact, and is very indecisive, as he relies on his other personalities to run his life.

Angry Berserker (CE): This guy comes out as any large conflict is brewing or whenever people get angry. He is very cartoonishly macho. He's sexist to a fault. He worships Ares or some similar war god. He tells everyone else that they are weak and cowards, because that's what his dad constantly accused him of being. It's not unusual for him to just take things from people, because "if they're too weak to keep it from me, they don't deserve it." He always rushes headlong into melee combat, because that's what a brave son would do. After combat, he will often suddenly lapse into the Gentleman, as female party members need to be tended to and everyone becomes concerned with matters of manners (How do we divide this treasure up, what do we do with the survivors.)

The Gentleman (LN): This personalty comes out around women, particularly middle aged women. He is genteel and sweet, yet wooden and distant. He is elaborately courteous, because that's what a good little boy does. He worships Hera or some similar goddess of the home, represented by the peacock. Cautious and supremely concerned with appearance, he enters combat only under the proper circumstances (when challenged, when directed by a higher authority) and tends to fight from horseback using careful tactics, in full regalia and livery. Otherwise, he's likely to spend a few rounds trying to negotiate with the enemy, even if (and especially if) it seems ridiculous to do so. If pushed too hard in any direction though, the Berserker or the Rebel personality will emerge.

The Rebel (CG): This personality comes out erratically and often suddenly. This is the part of Jack that rebels against his parents constraints and society in general. He is wildly intelligent and charismatic. He wants to do the right thing, but hates authority in all forms, and thus often comes off as a wild eyed terrorist. He's loyal to his friends no matter what their faults are. He worships Herakles or a similar "rage against the system" half-demi god. In combat, he uses his cunning to defeat his enemies any way he can (and will occassionally lapse back into the Angry Berserker if he kills many enemies, becomes covered in blood, etc).

Fostire
2008-10-10, 12:55 PM
I would go with a Haberdash (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88633) build or a similar Master of Masks or Chameleon build. But honestly, anyone with Alter Self would work well.
I already have a build, but thanks anyway.


For characterization, if you intend to play your character as he might exist in the real world, a bit of caution; People with multiple personality disorder almost always have distinct personalities. Although they have multiple personalities, they're usually stable. A person with 3 personalities will generally have 3 personalities for the rest of their life. New ones don't just emerge, so he's not a "completely different person" each time he meets someone. That would be a compulsive liar. And compulsive liars rarely have multiple personalities or persona like you describe, they just lie all the time. What you describe is probably closest to a con-man, who usually only has 1 or 2 fake persona that they use for a particular scheme and then discard. Of course it's a game and you don't need to play it strait, but I felt it was worth mentioning.
He is a compulsive liar I said in the first post that he loves to lie (maybe I should change the op to read compulsive liar). And the different personality thing is to keep people of his tracks, its a trick he learned from a friend who is a con-man.