Roleplay Character Creation Advice


Advice

1 to 50 of 72 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Sovereign Court

Here's an idea I had for a thread: Ever get ready to start a game and you have some idea of the sort of character you want to play, but can't quite figure out a good backstory? Or how to fill in and round out their personality? Or what class or archetype would best represent the flavour you're trying to capture?

Well, assuming it catches interest, this thread would be a place where you could post your what you do have planned about your character, and ask for some advice from others on how you could flesh out that character.

Some notes on format:
1. You may post as much information as you'd like to for your character, however please try to keep it organized. If it is more than a couple of paragraphs, please use [spoiler] tags. If it isn't so long, please don't. Of course, if it is so long that you need to use a spoiler, there's a good chance you don't really need us.

1a. If there is campaign-specific information we should know, always put it in a spoiler tag, and try to keep it relatively short.

2. Make sure that you clearly state what sort of advice you are looking for either at the beginning or (preferably) the end of your post. Don't hide this in a spoiler tag.

3. This is not a crunch thread. There are hundreds of threads on the messageboards about various ways to optimize various characters and builds. Of course, one can't remove the mechanics entirely from the character creation process, but try to keep this stuff to a minimum and pertaining to the fluff or roleplay aspects of the character.


Dot

Sovereign Court

So I guess I'll start, then. I often get my initial idea for a character from browsing archetypes or noticing mechanics that look fun. In this case, it realized that Bluff is a class skill for sorcerers and since their spellcasting stat is also Charisma, it's a skill that's pretty easy to get really high.

Thus was born the idea for Tobar Beval, better known as the breath-taking Belshazzar! A member of a Varisian circus troupe. What I want to do is have him always trying to make himself seem more amazing than he really is. The thing is, if he was a bard trying to pretend he was a sorcerer, that'd be one thing, but he's already a full caster. The best idea that I can come up with is having him pretend that he's a wizard or otherwise very knowledgeable with access to dozens of spells, but relying on illusions, enchantments, and general showmanship to make it seem like he knows more than he does.

Aside from not being entirely sure about the details of how he is trying to play himself up, I'm also having difficulty figuring out how/why he left the circus. Having the circus destroyed seems a bit too cliche, and thanks to his love of theatrics, the circus is much more suited to him than adventuring so there's little reason for him to simply leave - especially since the stock wanderlust excuse doesn't really work here, either.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Spectacular, amazing and captivating, what does he do again? What was his name? (Shrug), the amazing Tobar Beval convinced the circus leader of his enhanced magic skills and his ability to perform as a sage of many talents. Boasting of greatness and his ability to enhance his stories with real magic, he was quite convincing which landed him a nice cushy job. Although Tobar has had the ability to tap into the arcane for a number of years his talents have always been meager at best. With little to know true training he has, up to this point, relied on his gift of persuasion for a living. Recently the circus leader has come to the conclusion that Tobar just plain sucks. This has led to his current situation, which is HUNGRY! Good thing he was able to convince an adventuring party that he would be a great asset!

I think it would be cool if he just didn’t understand his true calling thus leaving him in situations where he just seems to use the not so optimized choice in spell casting. Over time maybe have him unfold his true heritage and start to understand where his skill (Bloodline) comes from. This would make him become a little more optimized later in his life. In the meantime you could have him bolster his imperfections with an overwhelming argument (Diplomacy / Bluff) that he always makes the right choice! Most just are not smart enough to understand his perspective. Pretending to be a wizard would be a good start. Just don’t let ANYONE get their hands on your spell book.

Sovereign Court

Yeah, that's a great idea! He's a natural genius at illusions, but is so hung up on the fact that he can't summon so much as a rabbit or evoke massive balls of fire that he doesn't even realize how incredible he is at making illusions so convincing that they might as well be real.


Lawrence DuBois wrote:

...

2. Make sure that you clearly state what sort of advice you are looking for either at the beginning or (preferably) the end of your post. Don't hide this in a spoiler tag...

I'm looking for a little more direction or roll playing advice for my non-dogmatic, lawful good Zen Archer. Given the following backstory, what do people think we can do with him?

He goes out of his way to avoid killing, yet inevitably that happens. If only people would just be a little smarter and/or less mean, none of his deadly combat skills would be needed. He never gets angry, never takes anything personally, but time and again he has to- is required to- pelt bad guys full of arrows.

Sovereign Court

I suggest checking out a manga/anime series called Rurouni Kenshin (you can probably find it online pretty easily - just a few chapters should give you plenty of ideas). Not identical, but he also has that mild, doesn't like killing people, clearly Lawful Good sort of personality that you're going for. Of course, he has a dark past that he's trying to atone for and does sometimes get angry, but it's rather difficult to get him to that point, and you need to have some differences, anyway. ;)

If you're familiar with Firefly/Serenity, then Shepherd Book also fits the mould.

For a more easily recognized example, I think I'd have to go with Jesus, actually. As ridiculous as that may sound. But again, we have a very clearly Lawful and definitely Good character who, while he was preaching and therefore dogmatic by definition, wasn't all that pushy about it, when you look at things. He'd invite people towards his point of view, but he wouldn't often drag them kicking and screaming (I mean, aside from the table-flipping in the temple bit...).

It seems to me like you've got his personality pretty well hammered out, so it's hard to give more advice on that front since we start getting into nuances and that's hard to explain quickly, especially in comparison to just studying examples.

If there's something more that you're looking for, you'll need to be a tad more specific.


@EpicFail. Are you familiar with Sergeant York, especially as played by Gary Cooper? He was a conscientious objector who was drafted into the US Army. He was also a crack shot with a rifle, a skill learned as a hunter. He was in a situation where he had to kill the enemy to save the lives of his men during WWI. The movie portrays well his difficulty in making the decision to kill.


I have a character concept, and I am wondering how and where he will best fit in the PFS-Golorian world.

Karl Wolfgang von Grignrsbane is a Halfling melee character, nearly fearless, impossibly arrogant in his abilities and in the natural superiority of the Halfling race, aristocratic and elitist. Think World War I German Army officer, or maybe a young Fedor von Bock or Manfred von Richthofen.

My idea of militant/elitist Halflings doesn't really seem to fit with the easygoing gypsies singing and dancing between the cracks of bigfolk society, but I would really like advice on how do dovetail my concept with the PFS setting.

Sovereign Court

Well there are always exceptions, especially among adventurers. Your best bet would probably be to play up his national allegiance more than his racial heritage. Hailing from Lastwall, Andoran, Galt, or Cheliax would help in that. Make him an appointed (as opposed to inherited) noble or (more likely) military officer to really play up that arrogance angle.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

@scott- i know this thread is primarily about roleplaying, but since that's often tied to mechanics... you could think about building him as a dervish dancer: having actual melee prowess will give him some grounds for his boasts (and 'as everyone is well aware it was the halflings who invented the dervish dance while the big folk were trying to beat each other with bigger sticks'). also if you made him a paladin (or even dipped paladin) he could be completely fearless (and even better in melee when smiting), plus being chosen by a god would be one more reason to be incredibly arrogant.


Lawrence DuBois wrote:
Good stuff
farmboy3400 wrote:
More good stuff

Thanks for the advice. I now realize I needed a back story and that will help.


Scott Wilhelm wrote:

I have a character concept, and I am wondering how and where he will best fit in the PFS-Golorian world.

Karl Wolfgang von Grignrsbane is a Halfling melee character, nearly fearless, impossibly arrogant in his abilities and in the natural superiority of the Halfling race, aristocratic and elitist. Think World War I German Army officer, or maybe a young Fedor von Bock or Manfred von Richthofen.

My idea of militant/elitist Halflings doesn't really seem to fit with the easygoing gypsies singing and dancing between the cracks of bigfolk society, but I would really like advice on how do dovetail my concept with the PFS setting.

Well, in what ways might he think the typical halflings are superior?


  • Halfling wit and jokes? Maybe he thumbs his nose at what he sees as "lesser, unsophisticated" humor.
  • Halfling community? Maybe he elevates it as some kind of unspoken code of chivalry/bushido that only true halflings respect.
  • Halfling ingenuity? Maybe he dismisses straightforward plans because they are childish and ignorant - and dismisses ingenuous plans because they are better... but not by much.
  • Halfling food? Art? He'd probably stick religiously to his own kind.

Perhaps consider some kind of sling - not as your main weapon, since you want a meleer (although there is the Sling Flail feat), but as his ranged option. Anyone can swing it (unless you get one of the fancier types), but "halflings do it with technique".

And you might look into Halfling gods for ideas - whether he emulates them (possibly ignoring traits that are humble or subtle, but at least trying to superficially match some characteristics) or perhaps feels he is (and maybe is) an official or unofficial champion of one.

--------

On another note, I have a vague idea for a Lawful Evil Aasimar or Tiefling (not sure which is more interesting) Alchemist with levels in Master Chymist... and a Neutral Good mutagenic form. He realizes that being good is really useful for working with his friends, working together in general, and so on - but being good is hard.

What else could work with this? Maybe he feels he's past saving for some reason? Or maybe he has some vice that he can't give up? Or should he simply be synthesizing goodness for some nefarious/selfish purpose (aside from just being reluctant to actually try to be good)?

(edit) Also, beyond his motivations, how should his Neutral Good self act that's both capital-"G"-Good and consistent with his normal nature? (which gives me another idea for an Android version which can only feel love in mutagenic form, but that's straying a bit far from the original concept)

Silver Crusade

I've been toying around with my frightening bad tripper. He's lawful good, monk/rogue doesn't believe in violence and will try to convince the enemy that violence isn't really what they're best at. Honestly they should just give it up at this point and go home to rethink their lives. Except for a very few instances (undead, elementals, outsiders, etc.) I don't see this guy ever doing more than non lethal...and feeling very sorry about it when he does connect.

I'm looking for some interesting one liners to use when intimidating the foe: (Just for starters)
1. You're really not good enough to be fighting like this..just go home.
2. I had a colleague in training like you, we had to drown him for embarrassing us with his swordplay.
3. Didn't you ever realize that live opponents can hit back...?
4. I'm sorry about that, it must have hurt...please run away now.


EpicFail: I'm looking for a little more direction or roll playing advice for my non-dogmatic, lawful good Zen Archer. Given the following backstory, what do people think we can do with him?

He goes out of his way to avoid killing, yet inevitably that happens. If only people would just be a little smarter and/or less mean, none of his deadly combat skills would be needed. He never gets angry, never takes anything personally, but time and again he has to- is required to- pelt bad guys full of arrows.

Since the beginning of time, the struggle between good and evil has left an undisputed wake of death in its path. The controversy of taking a life being an evil act vs taking a life to preserve life has always dwelled in the shadows of necessity. EpicFail has been struggling with this conflict from his earliest childhood memories. He looks beyond the simple mechanics of life and sees the ripple that death leaves behind in even the smallest loss. He sees the true value of life and wants to embrace the good that every soul is capable of. Unfortunately he has also witnessed the true devastation the dark path of evil can leave behind. He has come to realize that ultimately it is sometimes necessary to embrace that which he despises the most in order to defend life. Although he is forever betrothed to the goodness of the world, he will walk an endless path of darkness, for it is necessary to take life in order to preserve it. In this endeavor he has accepted his role in the struggle over life and death. His heart most likely would be heavy with each and every life that he is forced to take but, he wouldn’t waver in his pursuit knowing it would ensure the life of another. Pharasma hears each strum of my bow like a chime to her gate.

I would recommend a good charisma and to put a lot of points into the charisma based skills like diplomacy, bluff, and intimidate. These are the first tools to avoid conflict. It is never too late to peacefully resolve a problem. I could see this character trying to negotiate with an adversary every round trying to avoid the necessity of killing him or her.

Sovereign Court

@Damir: Hmm, that's tricky. I'll think on it and try to get back to you tomorrow. For now, my best thought is to do something of a really extreme "jerk with a hear of gold" schtick.

@Bo Atlas: Sorry, I'm not very good with one liners. When I actually try to come up with any sort of joke (as opposed to those freakishly rare moments when I just say something hilarious on reflex), it's incredibly obtuse basically due to me trying to be too clever. Like as an example, it wouldn't be unexpected for me to try to make a joke out of an everyday occurrence by connecting to both particle physics and a 19th-century philosopher, or one that hinges on a pun - from a different languaage. I can't figure out whether the fact that I'm actually aware of this makes it all more sad or less...

Sovereign Court

@Damir: Hmm, that's tricky. I'll think on it and try to get back to you tomorrow. For now, my best thought is to do something of a really extreme "jerk with a hear of gold" schtick.

@Bo Atlas: Sorry, I'm not very good with one liners. When I actually try to come up with any sort of joke (as opposed to those freakishly rare moments when I just say something hilarious on reflex), it's incredibly obtuse basically due to me trying to be too clever. Like as an example, it wouldn't be unexpected for me to try to make a joke out of an everyday occurrence by connecting to both particle physics and a 19th-century philosopher, or one that hinges on a pun - from a different language. I can't figure out whether the fact that I'm actually aware of this makes it all more sad or less...


@ Atlas Unshrugged: maybe try puns:

1. Have a nice trip; see you in the fall

2. Hit the deck!

3. You're a pretty good actor, pretending to fight; now break a leg!

A lot of it will come from the situations you're in. If you're into being non-lethal though and also apologetic for violence, why not drop the intimidation schtick? If you did that, you would be Jackie Chan. You'd back away from a foe, hands up defensively, then as they come at you you'd pretend to dodge, get tangled up in their legs, and trip them.

Another Jackie Chan move would be to take Catch Off Guard and Throw Anything. Then your guy is grabbing ladders, buckets, pool cues; whatever's at hand just to defend himself.

I myself have a bit of a quandary. I've got all the numbers massaged just right for an 11th level transmuter wizard who focuses on being a tanking monster... literally. His name is Gregor and his favorite spell is Monstrous Physique. However I also want him to be NG. He's dumped Charisma so he's not the most charming fellow but he's physically built and highly intelligent. What kind of advice can you give me for a backstory since he's dropping right into a campaign (Rise of the Runelords) at level 11?


nate lange wrote:
@scott- i know this thread is primarily about roleplaying, but since that's often tied to mechanics... you could think about building him as a dervish dancer: having actual melee prowess will give him some grounds for his boasts (and 'as everyone is well aware it was the halflings who invented the dervish dance while the big folk were trying to beat each other with bigger sticks'). also if you made him a paladin (or even dipped paladin) he could be completely fearless (and even better in melee when smiting), plus being chosen by a god would be one more reason to be incredibly arrogant.

Dervish Dancer might be more appropriate for the roleplaying concept than the weaponless focus I was thinking of. Dervish Dancer works if you have a scimitar in 1 hand and nothing in the other. Wolfgang would be a fencer with sabre scars on his face: cool. I could justify levels in Duelist or Swordlord. Maybe he could have Quick Draw and keep a couple of spears handy. Maybe I could even go with False Opening, but I digress.


Lawrence DuBois wrote:
Well there are always exceptions, especially among adventurers. Your best bet would probably be to play up his national allegiance more than his racial heritage. Hailing from Lastwall, Andoran, Galt, or Cheliax would help in that. Make him an appointed (as opposed to inherited) noble or (more likely) military officer to really play up that arrogance angle.

He could be an adopted son, and his swagger could come from a sense of inadequacy (OH, but I DARE you to say that to his face!).

So which nations in the PFS setting have people running around with "von" or "van" in their names? Cheliax?

Sovereign Court

@Damir: Still working on something. I love your concept (and may even steal it one day, once we've figured it out), it's just a very tricky one.

Mark Hoover wrote:
I myself have a bit of a quandary. I've got all the numbers massaged just right for an 11th level transmuter wizard who focuses on being a tanking monster... literally. His name is Gregor and his favorite spell is Monstrous Physique. However I also want him to be NG. He's dumped Charisma so he's not the most charming fellow but he's physically built and highly intelligent. What kind of advice can you give me for a backstory since he's dropping right into a campaign (Rise of the Runelords) at level 11?

Hmm... Perhaps you could make him a bit druidic in outlook, rather than a typical wizard. Use more "natural" monsters when shapeshifting (plenty of Magical Beasts count), or ones otherwise connected to nature. That could give you a start. Perhaps he's something of a "reformed" naturalist which explains him not actually being a druid. Or perhaps he's fascinated by nature from a more scientific standpoint than a spiritual one. Consider Dr. Stephen Maturin from Master & Commander, or other early naturalists (the forerunners of biologists). With a low Charisma, perhaps he's simply a little gruff, or prefers the company of animals rather than people.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Scott Wilhelm wrote:
So which nations in the PFS setting have people running around with "von" or "van" in their names? Cheliax?

Probably. Ustalav could also work as could most countries neighbouring Cheliax, if you're wanting something a little less dark. Of course, I believe the Dervish Dancer PrC ties in a bit more to the Middle East, but that doesn't make it out of the question, just something you'll need to work into your backstory. Of course, being from Absalom could solve all of this at once. But since nothing else really ties him there, specifically, it feels a bit like cheating to me. ;) (Note: That's just a personal taste thing. There's absolutely nothing wrong if you decide to go with being from Absalom. With Absalom being a mix of practically every culture in Golarion, it probably is the best option for an eclectic character like this.)


I have a concept for a character that I would appreciate help in fleshing the rest of him out (and finding a place for him in Golarian-verse). Mechanically, he is a human two handed fighter with an intimidate build.

Lucas Agarest is a 26 year old man who joined the military for the ability to legally kill people. He loves killing, however, does NOT want to spend a second in a prison cell for it. He plays by the rules, and follows the law just enough so that he won't get locked away. However, he is very unforgiving and if he can legally kill someone for an offense against him he relishes the chance to slice a throat.

He is a devout believer in "Might Makes Right" and enjoys dueling, even if the duel is not to the death. He has great disdain for people who hide behind magic, and if shot upon by an archer, he will ignore all other combatants to cut the archer's head off.


Cheliax sounds like a good fit for Lucas. I can see him as LN or LE and I'm pretty sure disdain is considered a virtue not a vice there ;)


Gregory Connolly wrote:
Cheliax sounds like a good fit for Lucas. I can see him as LN or LE and I'm pretty sure disdain is considered a virtue not a vice there ;)

Definently Cheliax. You might consider becoming a Hellknight. Order of the Nail would be a good fit for a LE character. They slaughter Shoanti in Varisian plains all the time and they often look for trouble to stomp in Magnimar.


Being Hellknight takes away the feats he needs. Also, the character concept tries to steer away from actually being magical. Apart from a flaming, haste, and possibly keen greatsword- part of the character I'm modeling him after had absolutely nothing extra-ordinary about him.


@ Bo Atlas: Not sure if this fits with what you're looking for, but perhaps he could base some of his intimidation on the prowess of the others in the party.

e.g. "I'm so sorry to inconvenience you, but it's for the best. You don't want to face that guy. I've seen him pull men apart."

You're like a herald for how awesome and bloodthirsty the rest of the party is in order to keep people from needless and futile violence.

@ Kaelan: As well as Cheliax, Molthune seems like a good place for Lucas. A strong military oligarchy with a lot of enemies and a desire for a unifying militaristic culture seems like it would support brash young killers like him - especially if he brings back good results.

Sovereign Court

@Kaelan: My first thought was "What's this guy like off the field of battle?" Of course, if combat is all that he lives for, then you can ignore that part. He'd essentially be the same off the field as on.


I'm working on a female paladin dhampir, and all I got is that she is fiercely protective of children.

Ciarn Darkborn was born to a vampire (moroi) father and a human noble woman who was gifted to him by her father.

The woman was a dutiful wife who bore 2 children to the vampire, through magical means, one girl, Ciarn, and one boy. They were fed on the blood of their mother as infants. When Ciarn was still young, she was given to another vampire as a wife and bore a child. Her husband was killed by a rival and the child was taken from her. She returned to her father and he mercifully wiped her memory of the events.

Eventually a group of adventurer's came upon the town oppressed by Ciarn's father. The adventurer's slew him and liberated the town. But in the process one of her father's ever-dutiful servants took her brother and hid while the adventurer's dispatched the vampire. When the comrades came upon Ciarn, she was recognized as being part undead, but a paladin in the group saw no evil in her and stopped his compatriots from killing her. The paladin named, Daken, took her to a temple of Sarenrae where she was taught the ways of the paladin so she could fulfill her desire to protect the innocent and vengeance against all evil and what it had done to her.

Ciarn now walks Golarion in the name of the Silver Crusade and Sarenrae, rooting out evil where ever it can be found and destroying it. She wields her falchion with no hesitation at killing those who worship darkness.

She is fiercely protective of children as her brother was still young when he was taken from her and the son she doesn't remember causes restless sleep in which she sees a child being ripped from her arms and her screaming as she wakes.

On the battlefield, she relishes a fight and often must fight down urges to cause complete carnage to her enemies as the sight of blood causes a hunger in her. She is fearful of giving in to such urges and never has done it.

So my main thing is how does it seem she would interact with adults? Men have caused her great pain, but children are a source of great joy, while women have been victims in her life. I don't see her as an Amazon type who hates men, because while she hated what the men in her life did she loved her father and her husband.

Any advice roleplaying-wise for this character? I feel I have a weakness in the area of portraying a character.


I've prepared this character for a Wrath of the Righteous campaign. She's a halfling bard, with the Child of the Crusade trait. So, she's grown up on the front lines. Also... she's apparently Lindsey Stirling. So I'm trying to put all the pieces of the PC together in a background.


Lucas doesn't care for anything outside of combat and war. However, he's always looking for other strong men/women to impress into service.


zauriel56 wrote:

I'm working on a female paladin dhampir, and all I got is that she is fiercely protective of children.

Ciarn Darkborn was born to a vampire (moroi) father and a human noble woman who was gifted to him by her father.

The woman was a dutiful wife who bore 2 children to the vampire, through magical means, one girl, Ciarn, and one boy. They were fed on the blood of their mother as infants. When Ciarn was still young, she was given to another vampire as a wife and bore a child. Her husband was killed by a rival and the child was taken from her. She returned to her father and he mercifully wiped her memory of the events.

Eventually a group of adventurer's came upon the town oppressed by Ciarn's father. The adventurer's slew him and liberated the town. But in the process one of her father's ever-dutiful servants took her brother and hid while the adventurer's dispatched the vampire. When the comrades came upon Ciarn, she was recognized as being part undead, but a paladin in the group saw no evil in her and stopped his compatriots from killing her. The paladin named, Daken, took her to a temple of Sarenrae where she was taught the ways of the paladin so she could fulfill her desire to protect the innocent and vengeance against all evil and what it had done to her.

Ciarn now walks Golarion in the name of the Silver Crusade and Sarenrae, rooting out evil where ever it can be found and destroying it. She wields her falchion with no hesitation at killing those who worship darkness.

She is fiercely protective of children as her brother was still young when he was taken from her and the son she doesn't remember causes restless sleep in which she sees a child being ripped from her arms and her screaming as she wakes.

On the battlefield, she relishes a fight and often must fight down urges to cause complete carnage to her enemies as the sight of blood causes a hunger in her. She is fearful of giving in to such urges and never has done it.

So my main thing is how does it seem she would interact with...

That sounds kind of neat. I guess my question would be about what, concretely, she wants. Of course she wants to destroy evil, but does she just do that by jumping from adventure to adventure, or does she have a long-term project of her own? If she’s highly protective of children, maybe she oversees an orphanage in her primary place of residence, or maybe a shelter for families in trouble (due to accident, abuse, or some other evil). In the latter case, in her interactions with adults, especially those with families, maybe she always has a searching, but compassionate eye for any potentially unspoken problems in their lives. Maybe she comes across as more thoughtful and deliberate, less restless, than your average wandering adventurer.

Does she want to rebuild her family, or has she already formed a family of choice? That might allow you to explore her protective side in more detail. Perhaps she’s adopted a child who had no one else. Does she keep in touch with divinations from other party members once the work of the day is done (whispering wind, sending)? How might such a child feel about it, and the whole adventuring business? Also, what does your character think about her recurring nightmares? In a world full of magic, I imagine she might wonder who that dream-child is. There are possibilities for all sorts of family drama here. If she does learn she has had a son taken from her, will she want to find him but worry about how they’ll feel about it if they meet? What if she has other children? Will she worry how all their relationships will change? How does her being a dhampir affect how she feels about all this? All of these aspects could be non-issues, of course – I don’t mean to suggest that blended (in various senses) families are inherently dramatic – but they could be important if you want to explore them.

As to details, is your heart set on Sarenrae? Maybe your character could have a special place in her heart for the goddess of the paladin who brought her up, but a more family-oriented deity could be the primary recipient of her devotion. (Erastil?) Alternatively, there’s an empyreal lord of childlessness, and maybe after all she’s been through your character doesn’t really want any children (but…), as much as she wants them to be protected in general, and her faith helps her explore some measure of conflicting emotions. Lastly, since she worries about the temptation of blood, maybe consider a build / character progression that allows her to strike very hard (to end the fight quickly and minimize her exposure to the delicious sight of slowly running blood from less serious wounds – Oops! Slipping into character there!), and think about how that would affect her personality. Maybe she’s similarly business-like and efficient in other areas of her life as well. Just some ideas.

Sovereign Court

@zauriel: Concerning the Amazon bit, she doesn't need to hate men, but she more than likely distrusts them. Particularly ones who show more bravado, or are more stereotypically masculine.
Also, Qunnessaa's left so much great advice I stand in awe.

@Bellis: Well, it isn't unheard of to get a musician out from the battlefield. For centuries, militaries would use musicians (particularly drums, and loud or shrill woodwinds like fifes and bagpipes) to assist in marching time as well as relaying orders with different short tunes and drumbeats representing different commands. Alternatively, music has always been a way to lift spirits in trying times. During the downtime in camp, perhaps you would sing or play some other instrument to keep the soldiers' morale up.

Likening your character to Lindsey Stirling, I imagine you want to use a violin, however. The downside is that violins tend to be in short order for either of these two cases - in the former, they're a little too complicated to play and not quite loud and clearly heard enough to be effective, in the latter, this is typically done with whatever instruments are on hand at the time. Also, they require a lot of care and maintenance. If you really want to use the violin, then your best bet is probably to have it be an heirloom that a parent, relative, or other ancestor brought with them, and to go with the second option above.

Silver Crusade

So my Monday night Rise of the Runelords campaign has switched nights, and I'll be able to start playing Pathfinder Society with the public group that meets every Monday again. Time to finally get back to my PFS characters.

I have a race boon that allows me to make a sylph character for PFS, and I saw the Sky Druid archetype in the Advanced Race Guide. Never having played a druid, I decided this seemed like a cool idea. I'm thinking caster focused druid, rather than the type who wildshapes and dives into melee. I actually started thinking about this character nearly a year ago (I even have a thread around here somewhere talking about mechanical details), but as I said, I've been focused on GMing Runelords and hardly playing PFS at all, so my PFS characters got put on the back burner.

I made her female and named her Celia after the sylph recurring character from Order of the Stick. I also think I like the idea of Celia's pacifist personality in OotS. She could be a wanderer who just wants to see the world, but doesn't like that the Society missions keep getting her caught up in violent stuff. Eventually, I'm sure she'll do some actual damage (unlike the OotS character), but it's definitely not her specialty.

There's a sylph-only feat in ARG called Cloud Gazer that lets a sylph see through clouds better than most people, including 3 times the normal distance through magical clouds (Obscuring Mist, Fog Cloud, etc). So I love the idea of a melee-fearing, pacifist sylph hiding in her Obscuring Mist, casting other spells from a distance to control the battlefield and aid her allies. I'm thinking in terms of playing her like the "God wizard" type - controlling the battlefield with minimal (if any) direct damage. I just have to be careful not to hamper the rest of the group with the Obscuring Mist, so I won't be able to use it when fighting in an enclosed area.

I haven't decided for sure if I want to give her an animal companion or take the Weather domain. The fact that the domain's first level power gives her an attack that does non-lethal damage and a debuff really fits for a pacifist character. And the domain spells start with Obscuring Mist and Fog Cloud, though there's more directly offensive stuff at higher levels (Call Lightning, Ice Storm) that don't match her personality as much. So I'm leaning towards the Weather domain for extra spells and the level 1 debuff/non-lethal Storm Burst, but I'm not 100% sure yet. If I did an animal companion, the archetype says it has to be a flyer, so I'm thinking roc.

Anyway, I could use some help coming up with a more detailed back story than just joining the Pathfinder Society to see the world. I'm thinking of giving her these two traits that go well with the friendly pacifist who hides in battle idea, and could also give me hooks for her personality and background:

Advanced Players Guide wrote:


Ease of Faith: Your mentor, the person who invested your faith in you from an early age, took steps to ensure that you understood that what powers your divine magic is no different than that which powers the magic of other religions. This philosophy makes it easier for you to interact with others who may not share your views. You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.

Highlander (hills or mountains): You were born and raised in rugged badlands or hills, and you've become something of an expert at evading the predators, monsters, and worse that haunt the highlands. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks, and Stealth is always a class skill for you. This trait bonus increases to +2 in hilly or rocky areas.

So where would be an appropriate part of Golarion for a sylph to come from, which is hilly or mountainous and fits the rugged description for the Highlander trait? And which nature religion should she follow: Green Faith or Gozreh worshiper? Who was her mentor who taught her to respect other religions, as described in the Ease of Faith trait? For that matter, what's her family background, and who else would have influenced her upbringing? What is it that made her want to learn to fly and appreciate open skies, so she became a Sky Druid instead of a normal, non-archetype druid? And besides the generic "want to see the world", why would she join the Pathfinder Society specifically, instead of wandering on her own?


Fromper wrote:
So where would be an appropriate part of Golarion for a sylph to come from, which is hilly or mountainous and fits the rugged description for the Highlander trait?

My first thought (due to currently running a Kingmaker game) is Issia (the northern half of Brevoy). It's a mountainous area described as being too hilly and cold for much farmland - and it borders the Lake of Mists and Veils - which seems fitting as an inspiration for her mist based combat techniques.

Mentor and Religion: Issia seems to have several fairly peaceably coexisting religions, so part of that could just be that everyone is pretty cool with other religions.

I'd imagine that many of the ship captains who don't follow Gorum (Issia was formerly The Pirate Kingdom of Issia before unification with Rostland - while the fantasy-version-of-Vikings are probably less important to Issia now, old cultural habits die hard) would venerate Gozreh (since the Lake of Mists and Veils is such a cold and wild water).

Someone who is naturally gifted in reading the winds and seeing through poor weather conditions would be invaluable for such ship captains - and probably seen as a gift from Gozreh. Serving on a trade ship will give her a great appreciation for the winds and sky (and where else would her love of nature turn to? The captains already can deal with the waters, and the land is far far away - the sky is her domain).

Trade is a great way to get a taste for adventure, and the Lake of Mists and Veils drains into the mighty Sellen River itself (so she could also have experiences with other locations just about anywhere in Avistan - this might also give her some learning experiences with other faiths, where her mentor can help her understand and work with these strange [and sometimes quite outrageous] practices).

Family:
- Idea 1: She gained her desire for peace from a troubled past. Issia can be a bloodthirsty place and some cycle of honor and revenge might have cost her some of her family.

- Idea 2: Maybe her mentor is her father. She inherited her talents for the winds from her mother, who served a similar role on the ship before falling in love with the then-first-mate-now-captain father. Her mother died of natural causes when she was still somewhat young, and her father dotes on her.

Her father sees that she wants more adventure than his poor trade routes can give, and is wise enough to see that he needs to let her go free (and perhaps she's gotten to the age where romance is a possibility and - while he loves his crew - she deserves better than he can find on his ship or back in his village in Issia). He happens to know a guy in the Pathfinder Society and thus refers her to it as a way she can explore just about everywhere (and still pay the bills and stay relatively safe from monsters) with an organization he finds relatively trustworthy.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

@mark-

strictly speaking (mechanically) you'd probably be better off as an eldritch knight, but that would obviously change your backstory. assuming you don't want to go that route: monstrous physique doesn't come on line until 5th level (at least 7th before its much use) so for almost half your career it wasn't your go to tactic... what was?

if it was me, i'd probably have him be the middle child and smallest of his brothers; he studied magic because he thought it might be the one thing that could make him more powerful than his brothers. for the first few levels he focused on evocations (drawn by their raw/direct power) until he discovered Bull's Strength. the ability to increase his own strength led him to embrace transmutations and to fall in love with the monstrous physique spells. ever since 5-7th level transmuting himself and jumping into combat has been a go to strategy; now that he's 11th level he probably has better options but he's grown addicted to the power he has while augmented. to feed his addiction he's been joining up with adventuring parties and mercenary companies (which explains his levels).

i guess that pretty much works just as well even if you did go EK.

Silver Crusade

Damir, thanks for the response. I looked up Brevoy, since I don't know much about it. I could see how that could work for a Gozreh worshiper, but I'm not sure if the rest of your idea really fits with what I have in mind. Serving on a ship just doesn't seem like her style.

I've looked at the Green Faith and definitely ruled it out - too much emphasis on plants and earthy stuff. Celia's a sky druid for a reason - she embraces the sky and looks forward to being able to fly at higher levels, away from all the earth and plants. That would work well with half of Gozreh's domain, though she's not really going to be focused on Gozreh's more watery side. If I go with the Weather domain, which I'm leaning towards, that would even mirror Gozreh's generally peaceful personality, except when he works up a storm. Celia would be the same way, a pacifist who pulls out the Call Lightning domain spell when absolutely necessary. At one point, I was thinking that druids don't need a religion, so I could skip it, but I think Gozreh and the Weather domain work well for this one.

I looked on the Pathfinder wiki for info on "genie kin", including sylphs, to see where they're most common. Since it pointed to Osirion, Qadira, and Kelesh, I checked the Inner Sea World Guide for specific terrains and stuff. Qadira actually has an entry for the Zho Mountains that mentions hidden villages of genie kin, hiding out to avoid human slavers. That actually sounds like it would be perfect for what I have in mind, but I still need a reason for her to leave and join the Pathfinders.

Perhaps your suggestion #1 of tragedy in her life leading to her pacifism could be used here. If she witnessed too many sylphs and other genie-kin die defending their mountain terrain from humans, and too many humans dying with them, maybe that would be her inspiration to leave the whole area behind, rather than take up arms to avenge her fallen brethren. The death of her own family could be part of that. Ok, this is starting to fall into place as I think about it.

The only question left is why join the Pathfinders. Especially coming from a homeland where trade caravans come and go every day, she has other options for how to get away from Qadira. But if the slavers who killed her family are on the lookout for escaping sylphs, that would make more discrete travel methods necessary. I guess if she doesn't want to settle down in a strange new place, but continue to wander instead, then the Society could be a good way for her to go.

Sovereign Court

Well, trade caravans come and go. More than likely, she'd just be spending extended periods of time away from Qadira, but eventually coming back. Goods travel far, but most individual caravans (and the people with them) tend to stay in more local (to varying degrees) areas. You know the land, you know the market, you know what people want and what they can afford. Trying to take your trade to new lands puts you at a major disadvantage since you don't know anything about the local economy as intimately as the merchants who stay in the area. The Pathfinder Society would be an opportunity to leave Qadira and stay away. Although, I have to say I like Damir's ideas pretty much as is. Of course, this is your character, not mine, so that counts for little.

Silver Crusade

Damir's idea is good, but just not how I see this particular character. I kinda like the idea that she was raised in a village of her own kind, rather than surrounded by humans. Especially since I looked up ages for sylphs and realized that her minimum starting age is in the 60s. If she'd grown up around humans, she would have outlived many of her friends by now.

Grand Lodge

Click my name to see my back story, and let me know what you think.


Hello everyone I am joining a new game as a LE samsaran wizard. I was wondering if an evil prince who looks down on people would fit in a samaran personality.


I love the idea of this thread and it's exceedingly useful for people like me, who have issues with creativity when it comes to things like this.
My character : Sir Cruben Belkanar Talina
He is a cavalier(order of the sword) and a noble born in the country a lot of our campaign will be set in, the Hundred Kingdoms.
His family is well to do and he is generally a stuck up a@%@~@% that is completely full of himself, but when it comes to his animal companion and his friends, he gets viciously protective and very friendly.
Our DM asked us to write up a little family tree and such.
My father is the baron of written
The Barony is either within the duchy of bridges waled of the other way around

I was thinking that both of my parents are alive, but my father is aging and looking for a heir. My older brother is not exactly a good leader, and people dislike him for his quietness and his rumored focus in necromancy in his studies (wizard).
It's generally accepted that nobody wants him as a leader, and only me and my sister are viable candidates. She is a rougher type of person, running a small mercenary band of adventurers or something like that.

The characters goal is back ally to become ruler of the Hundred Kingdoms and eventually MAYBE a diety, but it requires that he earns the vote of at least 50% of the other rulers and passes the trials (which is what makes me think the throne leads to ascension)

I know it looks like I have a lot of it together, but I really need help filling out details and writing it using diction that would be useable in the game

Sovereign Court

@densestracer: I've only skimmed over the samsaran race, but they strike me as a race that tends to lean more towards the good side of the spectrum. However, it wouldn't seem to me like much of a stretch to have a LE one. Evil doesn't necessitate cruelty or sadism, but simply valuing oneself much more than others. With lawful added in, it gives him a certain code of honour. So the short answer is yes, as far as I'm concerned that would work.

@SirCruben: Hmm... Details and diction. You picked the two hardest things to give non-specific advice on. For details what I can say is that if simply filling in the blanks spots on the canvas is too difficult, try working from what you do know, and building on that. Take a look at the various aspects of his personality and character and figure out why he is like that. Or what else that trait may imply about him.

As for diction, that really depends on a lot of things from the style of game you are playing, its genre and tone, the medium through which you are playing it, and your own knowledge of the matter. I can say that unless you really do know what you're doing, you shouldn't try too hard with linguistic experimentation since it is very easy to screw up. The general rule of thumb, however, is to not go too far, regardless of how much you know. In part due to the fact that realistic diction is unrealistic. People in fiction tend to be rather more fluent than most in real life largely because if they did speak with all the pauses, back-tracking, and other verbal glitches that people do every day, it would sound very strange. As far as "period" speech is concerned, simply avoiding modern colloquialisms, speech patterns, and slang is enough (or more than enough) for 90% of groups. As I said, it is generally better to avoid trying to make your speech sound too dated since unless you really do know the linguistic changes that have occurred since the appropriate time, you could very easily screw up. And with slang, even if you do know what was used when, in what situations, and what it meant, in many cases it is so arcane-sounding that it would be far too distracting to readers/listeners.

As to the individual character's manner of speech, I'd imagine it would be rather formal given his upbringing. Due to his apparent character, it might be either slightly less formal (if his attitude is a little more devil-may-care) or more formal (if he tries to emphasize his station and "betterness"). Since baron is generally as low on the aristocrat hierarchy as you can get while still having a title, he may use words that, while not technically incorrect, don't quite fit with the way he's using them, thinking that that is how nobles higher up actually speak (for example, I once had a classmate who had a predilection for using words normally only found in ridiculously formal situations like legal documents such as 'heretofore' and 'whenceforth' any time she was talking to anyone other than her friends, particularly adults).

Silver Crusade

This thread is due for a revival, and I'm having trouble coming up with a personality and back story for a PC I'm making, so that works out nicely.

Mechanical details:
This is an oni-spawn tiefling fighter (no archetype) for Pathfinder Society.

I plan on doing the tiefling Armor of the Pit feat from the Advanced Race Guide for +2 natural armor right from level 1, along with Dodge, Mobility, decent dex (at least 14, maybe even 16 starting), maybe the Defender of the Society trait, and fighter armor training. This will let me achieve the type of high AC that usually requires full plate and shield, but I'll do it in full plate without the shield.

That way, I can use a two handed weapon and probably 18 starting strength to do good damage without a large offensive feat investment, while still being a pretty good AC tank. I haven't decided between a greatsword or reach weapon yet, but I'll probably just get the usual Weapon Focus, Power Attack, and Weapon Specialization for damage dealing.

Other quirks will include the Prehensile Tail alternate racial trait (swift action to pull out stored items on my body with my tail), and probably the Grasping Tail feat to improve it (expand the reach of the tail to grab any unattended item within 5 feet).

Also, I'm taking the Maw or Claw alternate racial trait to get a bite attack. If I go reach weapon, the bite attack will let me threaten people 5 feet away while the weapon threatens 10 feet away. Or I can just go with a greatsword and use the bite as a second attack right from level 1, even if it is at -5 to hit and only half my strength bonus on damage.


TL;DR on the mechanical details: Pathfinder Society oni-spawn tiefling fighter, AC tank, high strength with a two handed weapon, bite attack, prehensile tail.

I definitely want this trait, because it's probably the single best pure tanking trait in the game:

Blood of Fiends wrote:

Suicidal (Tiefling)

Shame and horror fill your subconscious, and you never stop looking for ways to grant yourself the peace of the grave.

Benefit: Once per day, as an immediate action, you can make yourself the target of any attack originally directed against a creature occupying an adjacent square.

Traits can be re-fluffed, per PFS rules, so I don't have to go along with that flavor text if I don't want to.

What I don't have is any grasp of what type of personality I want for this guy. None whatsoever. I haven't even decided if i want him to be good or neutral, where he's from, why he's a Pathfinder, etc.

There are some mechanical stuff that will go along with these personality/back story decisions, too, so I'll make those mechanical and story decisions hand in hand.

For instance, as an oni-spawn, I get +2 intimidate and disguise self by default, but I can trade that out for an alternate racial trait that gives +4 bluff. If I do that, I'll probably take a trait that makes bluff a class skill and use that as my primary social skill. Otherwise, intimidate is already a class skill for fighters. With intimidate, I could get Intimidating Prowess to add my strength to my intimidate skill, and then maybe top it off with the Antagonize feat to anger people into attacking me using my intimidation, which works for the tanking character type. So I probably want to pick either bluff or intimidate as my primary social skill, and work out a personality that goes with that choice.

I also thought that with my decent dex, I might take a trait to get sleight of hand as a class skill, and use my prehensile tail for that, just for flavor. But the armor check penalty while wearing full plate might kinda kill the idea, even with fighter armor training reducing that penalty a bit. So I probably won't do that.

I guess the easiest personality idea would be the intimidating thug type, which would be something of a stereotype for an oni-spawn, even more than for most tieflings. The bluff and sleight of hand ideas made me think maybe "kid from the streets", scheming to survive type instead.

I don't know. Anyone have suggestions for fun ways to play this guy? Where's he from? Why's he a Pathfinder? Which faction? Any suggestions?


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Being a Tiefling he grew up in the streets. No where really accepted the "demon spawn". As he grew up he learned to harness his name sake and found people are easily intimidated. Sometimes he found out the hard way that with some individuals you need to back it up. This prompted him to learn how to fight to survive. Getting tired of always intimidating people to get his way and pay for his next meal he decided he needed to find better work. one day he found a sign about some pathfinder society. It said something about everyone is accepted and riches to be found. He then thought to himself well I guess I can try that out, ripped the sign off the post, and walked into the local pathfinder lodge.

Let me know what you think.

I also could use some thoughts as I am thinking about doing a Drow swashbuckler. I want to use the rapier but maybe have a hand crossbow on the side for well putting dudes to sleep. I also think craft poisons or such is in the works for him. He will be for the Serpent's Skull AP and I also need a good reason for him to be on the boat. I am unsure of whether he will be good/neutral/evil.

Silver Crusade

Yeah, that's pretty much the type of thing I was thinking of when I said that intimidating thug would probably be the easiest personality I could come up with for him. It's a bit cliche, but it became a cliche because it fits the race so well.

And honestly, the same type of thing would work well for your drow. Again, the typical street urchin who was shunned for his appearance by the more "civilized" races. Only instead of being a big, strong, intimidating bruiser like a tiefling fighter, maybe the drow learned to be nimble in a fight, and possibly a good liar, if you want to make bluff your primary social skill. That sort of thing would work for a swashbuckler.

For my tiefling, though, I was hoping to get a little more detailed, even if I do play up the cliche intimidating thug from the streets. I was looking at oni-spawn and oni to find things about the race that might make an oni-spawned tiefling different from other tiefling varieties. Their typical alignment is lawful evil, and they're described as having voracious appetites for sensory pleasures, whether it means food, sex, violence, or other tactile sensations. That could give me a plot hook to work with. Even if I decide to make the character good, I could give him a passion for food or something, just as a starting point for a personality.

Also, they're most common in Tian Xia (Oni originated in Minkai), along with Belkzen and Cheliax, so those could also give me geographic starting points, or ideas. Cheliax would be the obvious cliche. Belkzen is the chaotic evil orc nation, so that could be a good excuse for him to have learned to fight from a young age, having grown up some place so brutal.

Ok, I think I'm on to something. He grew up among the orcs of Belkzen, so he's not used to civilization as humans know it, and he needed to be tough to survive. So he trained with weapons to become a mercenary, and learned the art of intimidation as a survival skill from a young age.

His lawfully aligned genetic heritage pulls him towards being more civilized than his home country, so he decides to leave once he reaches adulthood, to become a mercenary in more civilized lands. As soon as he leaves Belkzen, he gets a sample of some food and realizes that orcs have downright lousy culinary traditions. All of a sudden, he has this new passion for food, and he hears about these Pathfinders who travel all over Golarion. So he decides to join up just for the opportunity to travel so far and wide, sampling cuisine from every possible country. You know, this kinda works.

So this gives him a reason to focus on intimidation as a social skill, without having to really be a bully about it. Of course, it means I'll have to blow a skill rank at 1st level on linguistics to get orc as a known language. His back story just wouldn't work without it. That sucks, since fighters don't get many ranks, he'll never be that good at the skill, and it's not even a particularly useful language to know in Society play.

Ok, now I'm picturing this really ugly beast with big enough fangs for a bite attack and a prehensile tail, who talks about food in an eloquent, snobby, food critic type of way, but then reverts to nearly growling when he's angry and yelling at his enemies. ie He'll sound like Major Charles Emerson Winchester when talking about food, but more like Mad-Eye Moody when interrogating enemies.

Now I just need to name him. Oni-Wan Kenobi is the obvious pun, and there's no way in hell I'd ever use such a stupid name. If I was the type to watch the food network or something, maybe I'd name him after a real world foody, but I just don't know any. Maybe a nickname like "Fangs" or something, to go with his bite attack and food obsession. I'll have to think about it.


zauriel56 wrote:
I'm working on a female paladin dhampir, and all I got is that she is fiercely protective of children.

As you describe her as only knowing women to be victims I could see her not taking other women serious, keeping to men to get stuff done.

Among men she'd most likely be wary and ever ready to believe it when some evil motives are implied.

What you should thing about how she feels about the holy power she wields, which is totally capable of outright killing her (lay on hands). Or are you playing a no drawbacks dhampir paladin who can heal herself with lay on hands?


If I might add a lighter alternative for the tiefling tank...

Tex Spookyraven (that's his name now) is the son of a proud and noble house with a dark and ignoble past. Many generations ago the patriarch of the family was Ignatius Spookyraven, and he did the whole "Lord of the Damned" demon-summoning and evil-doing with his Demoness wife right up until their half-fiendish son (named David) told them, "nuts to this, I'm goin' good."

He stopped the evil, redeemed the family name, and among the Spookyraven clan both David and his fiendish blood are seen as a symbol of both shadow and light. The randomly-appearing tiefling traits in the family tree might be a curse, but the fact the family never fell again to evil makes it a symbol of will overcoming such adversity.

But since the rest of the world doesn't generally see tieflings that way, when little Tex was born with a tail, he was trained to prepare for the outside world. He was taught to fight, he was taught to protect himself, and he was instilled with the important virtue that fighting to protect is right, fighting to fight is wrong.

He was meant to the bodyguard of his normal (brother/sister) who was being groomed to take over as head of the household one day, but the path has diverged.

From here he can be guarding another party member, he can be lost because the House of Spookyraven was brought low, or he can be cast out because of false accusations by either his own family or unjust laws of the land. But he goes intimidate (bodyguards are supposed to be intimidating) he has formal training (soldier's weapons instead of back-alley thug's weapons), access to cosmopolitan skills/feats, and he's not an evil jerk.

Just an idea.

Silver Crusade

So the tiefling fighter is pretty much settled. I had that mechanical character idea in mind even before the announcement that tieflings and aasimars would no longer be legal for new PCs in Pathfinder Society after GenCon. Now he's all detailed, with a name, personality, and character sheet, and I'm signed up to play him on Monday.

So moving on to my next new character (because I have way too many ideas in my head to keep up with making and playing them all)...

I've also wanted to do a melee paladin for a while, and I figured I'd go angel blooded aasimar while I can, just for something different. I've never played an aasimar before, though I know it's a stereotype in PFS already, which is part of why they're being banned.

Just to get away from the stereotypical Iomedae worshiping paladins that are all over PFS, I decided to go with Shizuru for a patron goddess, the lawful good Tien goddess of the sun, honor, ancestors, and swordplay, with the katana as her favored weapon.

I'm not sure why, but I've started thinking of this PC as female in my head while building her, so I'm just gonna go with it.

She'll have the Fey Foundling feat for optimization reasons, but the fluff about "You were found in the wilds as a child, bearing a mark of the First World" is a good plot hook I could use to start my back story.

Also for min/maxing reasons, I'll be dumping wisdom to 7 or 8, though probably keeping intelligence at 10 or 12 for skill ranks. So her personality should be naive, but not stupid.

I haven't decided on traits for her, which could help with plot hooks. Top possibilities for mechanical reasons include Anatomist, Indomitable Faith, Birthmark, Valashmai Veteran, Dangerously Curious, Scholar of the Great Beyond, and Bully. But I don't know about doing too many that give skills as class skills, since paladins don't get enough skill ranks to train them all, even with 12 int.

I definitely want the character to be from Tian Xia, though I haven't decided which country. I'm also no expert on Asian names, so I could use some help in naming her, probably something Japanese, though Chinese might fit better for certain Tien nations.

Her primary weapon will be the katana, and she worships the goddess of swordplay, so I'm thinking that maybe she was raised somewhere relatively isolated, studying swordplay relentlessly, but lacks exposure to the outside world. This would work with the "young and naive" wisdom penalty. But where exactly? And why? Maybe because she was an abandoned child, so the government or a monastery raised her specifically to be a soldier or something? And how would her being a foundling and not knowing her genetic ancestry, while necessarily having an angel in that ancestry as an aasimar, work with worshiping a goddess who focuses on revering your ancestors?

As for why she traveled to the Inner Sea and joined the Pathfinder Society, I'm thinking maybe she was intentionally sent away to see the world and get some real life combat experience, to make her a better soldier. This would give an excuse for her to have the Valashmai Veteran trait, without having to be a native to that country. Focus on soldier training would explain the Anatomist trait.

Thoughts?

The Exchange

I'm thinking about creating a Lawful Evil Samurai who is a Peri-Blooded (Emberkin) Aasimar who worships Asmodeus.

This character will be involved in moderate to heavy RP in a Kingmaker style game.

First off; Can Aasimars be Evil?

Silver Crusade

Yes, aasimars can be evil. There's even a Paizo Adventure Path where the main villain in one of the books is an aasimar.

1 to 50 of 72 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / Roleplay Character Creation Advice All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.