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Yukitsu
2008-11-02, 04:51 PM
My DM is starting up a new campaign in a few months (I'm like batman. I'm crazy prepared. :smallamused:) and I figured since I'm here, I may as well use you folk as a testing ground for my character concepts.

I got a lot of mechanical crunch done up, already, and since rules are homebrewed, I don't want any mechanical recommendations, but rather, I'm looking for character goals. I have a backstory and personality down, up to very recent in campaign.

Small background of the campaign world, very recently due to actions of our characters (different ones) a large portion of the multiverse was forced to immigrate into the domain of a Baelnorn lord who was able to shield his domain from the end of existance. The other primary force in the setting of note is another PC who is a merchant lord, who is ruthless. Coincidently, the merchant is a capitalist while the Baelnorn is a communist, if that gives any idea as to why those two powerful PCs didn't work together.

My character is an experimental Elan created for the great war centuries before either of these two powers were created. An ancient society twisted and warped the bodies and minds of people from birth to become supernatural soldiers, melding powerful magic into their core being. They did this by casting spells on them over and over again, until that person was infused by magic much like a living spell. The only spells that are stable in this manner are emotion based spells (cause fear, crushing despair, etc) The experiments as is typical for their sort rebelled and escaped, though only 7 in total live at this point in campaign. (2 of fear, one of sorrow, one of rage, one of joy, one of calm, and one who has the powers of all the others, though to a lesser degree.) I am playing a living fear. She is not immune to fear, so her own power makes her insanely afraid of all things. As such, she takes drugs every day to make herself blank in emotions. (To contrast, the others are variably, a cutter with regenerate, transmuter who changes into fearless creatures, a berserker, an anemic, and a manic.)

Current world of occupation is based loosely on the Norse societies, but with greater cultural diversity, if you are willing to look for it. I very obviously don't fit in, naturally make people uncomfortable, and will likely play my character as someone in the shadows.

As the merchant empire seeks all forms of weapons without regard to morals (both of the PC overlords typify the ideology of their sides, not the practice.) my character has fled to the protected lands, and was rendered unconcious after crash landing on Luna. (space jamming is available, but too expensive for us to start with.) After waking with amnesia, my character has been taken into the campaigns main world of Terra where she began to study necromancy (curses only) and illusions (mostly fear based). She doesn't know where she is from, what she was doing, where he family is (only her brother, the other fear is alive) or even what she is. (aberrant subtype, but visibly human. Doesn't think of herself as not human.)

Anyway, I'm looking to find some character goals. Character is neutral with evil tendancies. I have played evil before, and can do so without being disruptive. (ie my being evil is both subtle and doesn't interfere with other characters. I hide my alignment from people both in actions and in conversations.) Some ones I have in mind are regaining her memories (which are all traumatic) to no longer be afraid from the innate magic, or to become reunited with the others of her kind. Or perhaps to just fit in in this world.

Characters of inspiration are Alma Wade, Rei Ayanami, and the entire cast of Higurashi no naku kuro ni. :smalleek: Anyone have any good character goals given what I have here? Or perhaps, a way to prioritize them as they exist? I may play the character as one who has trouble deciding between conflicting goals, if I like several of them.

Prometheus
2008-11-02, 06:50 PM
I don't know any of those inspiration names (Anime?), but I have some ideas for character development.

I say motivate her whole life based on one fear. She doesn't react to it on a day to day basis, because she thinks it will comes after her if she runs, and she doesn't talk to others because she doesn't trust them. Her plan is to slowly, and discretely gather the capability to destroy it. It could be something mundane, that just really freaks her out. It could be an NPC or PC, that could get interesting. Or it could be something truly epic and abstract, like lightning from the sky (it doesn't target at random, it takes threats! People at heights carrying metal!), which would have a profound effect on the world.

Alternatively, you could give her a split personality that she is afraid of, but is also who she runs to when she is afraid. The split personality could have any motivation, but your characters real goal is to become strong enough that she doesn't need the split personality (whose goals may be contrary to her own, or just restricting).

Yukitsu
2008-11-02, 07:38 PM
Alternatively, you could give her a split personality that she is afraid of, but is also who she runs to when she is afraid. The split personality could have any motivation, but your characters real goal is to become strong enough that she doesn't need the split personality (whose goals may be contrary to her own, or just restricting).

I like this one, and will probably be going for something along those lines. I'll probably have her when she's on the anti-fear meds be calm, but sociopathic, due to old programming that she can't fight when she's out of it, but when normal, is an overly anxious individual who wants to overcome fear. Probably by trying to hang out with paladins :smalltongue:. (jk)

Starbuck_II
2008-11-02, 09:13 PM
Anyway, I'm looking to find some character goals. Character is neutral with evil tendancies. I have played evil before, and can do so without being disruptive. (ie my being evil is both subtle and doesn't interfere with other characters. I hide my alignment from people both in actions and in conversations.) Some ones I have in mind are regaining her memories (which are all traumatic) to no longer be afraid from the innate magic, or to become reunited with the others of her kind. Or perhaps to just fit in in this world.

Characters of inspiration are Alma Wade, Rei Ayanami, and the entire cast of Higurashi no naku kuro ni. :smalleek: Anyone have any good character goals given what I have here? Or perhaps, a way to prioritize them as they exist? I may play the character as one who has trouble deciding between conflicting goals, if I like several of them.

Assuming she regains her memories:
Goal 1? Repay those who messed with her mind.
Sure, they may have gave you minor powers, but they wrecked with your very being. Vengence shall be yours.

Even if she doesn't regain memories: let her run into those of her past. Act accordingly (why do these fools keep thinking they know me?).

Egiam
2008-11-02, 10:47 PM
I say motivate her whole life based on one fear. .

Watch Batman Begins for more ideas.

Yukitsu
2008-11-03, 12:04 AM
Assuming she regains her memories:
Goal 1? Repay those who messed with her mind.
Sure, they may have gave you minor powers, but they wrecked with your very being. Vengence shall be yours.

Even if she doesn't regain memories: let her run into those of her past. Act accordingly (why do these fools keep thinking they know me?).

DM and I established that A: these Elan got their revenge by wiping out there creator race nearly 350 years ago, and B: that I flip out whenever I see a doctor. :smallwink: Vengeance unspecified is a part of what I'm going to do before I make a fuller realization of what my goals are.

I can't be afraid of only one thing that is specific. Merely having her atoms connected together (I didn't say touching herself! Ha! Wait...) causes the living spell fear effect to go off, hence the drugs.

Alma is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4NmNwKaHj8&feature=related
Higurashi is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4j12wUn6_c
Except I'm less likely to laugh at things.
Rei is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnloOdEG2EQ&feature=related
Which I'm going to use for the spaced out "normal" personality.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-11-03, 12:11 AM
She could have one overriding fear, the basis of her state of magically-induced apprehension. A fear of death, particularly, could have kept her alive all these years in spite of the constant mental anguish, and is perfectly natural in any thinking being. Kinda kills the Rei comparison...but she has mitigating circumstances.

AsuroftheStair
2008-11-03, 02:08 PM
DM and I established that A: these Elan got their revenge by wiping out there creator race nearly 350 years ago,
Firstly, your character may not know this since she/he (I'll assume she given the videos) has amnesia. Thus it could be misguided- like does the character think that she was experimented on? Or that her specialty in fear came to her as a gift? That may open the way for her to want to control fears (both her own and others). Her fear could even manifest as a constant drive to make everything around her stable and safe, using even vile (though cautious) means to do so.

Also, you've established that she runs away from fear, but how much does she do so? Another way to ask this, how much of the time does she use the drug? Off the wall, but does she even know that what she eats is a drug? It could be that she constantly drinks a specific type of ale, which happens (due to being made in a specific area) to counteract her fear. Then she would remember specific "events" when she had tried to give up drinking.

Yukitsu
2008-11-04, 12:21 AM
Firstly, your character may not know this since she/he (I'll assume she given the videos) has amnesia. Thus it could be misguided- like does the character think that she was experimented on? Or that her specialty in fear came to her as a gift? That may open the way for her to want to control fears (both her own and others). Her fear could even manifest as a constant drive to make everything around her stable and safe, using even vile (though cautious) means to do so.

It was experimentors, and in many cases, I'll have my character PTSD flip out when I meet any. Usually trying to kill them while I'm at it. I'll go with the over sanitizing though, making the world overly safe.


Also, you've established that she runs away from fear, but how much does she do so? Another way to ask this, how much of the time does she use the drug? Off the wall, but does she even know that what she eats is a drug? It could be that she constantly drinks a specific type of ale, which happens (due to being made in a specific area) to counteract her fear. Then she would remember specific "events" when she had tried to give up drinking.

Woke up with amnesia in a magic filled society, so their herbalists introduced her to the drug, as she was "freaking out" as it were. Rules for it are in one of Montey Cookes books, and DM has ruled that the fear numbing effects last a full day (it has a will save boost as a secondary effect which has a duration, but primary effect doesn't). As such, I'll use them once per day. However, I won't have access to them all the time, because they are quite hard to find when the party is pressured. :smallwink: As such, It will be an issue only when the party has been pushing itself for a rather long while.