Non-Evil Horseman of War worshiper suggestions?


Advice


My friend is starting up a new campaign and specifically asked for the group to make non-evil worshipers of evil gods and I would like some suggestions both for character build and roleplay. I'm going with a Neutral worshiper of Szuriel the Horseman of War. Her favored weapon is the greatsword, so I'm thinking of using the two-handed fighter archetype. Daemons generally just eat their worshipers' souls after death, and I know I'll be making a fighter, so as far as characterization goes maybe do something like a grizzled old veteran who has seen too much and just wants the pain to end even if it means oblivion. Does this sound appropriate for the lore surrounding Szuriel and daemons in general?


That's certainly one option. Like Colonel Kurtz: "He just wanted the pain to stop. He just wanted to go out... like a soldier."

Of course, an issue here is that it doesn't leave a lot of room for growth or change. He's pretty much fixed as a character (at least as long as he's worshipping Szuriel, anyway). But this may not be a problem -- not every PC needs a character arc. (Honestly, the majority of them do just fine without, really.)

An alternate option: dude LOVES war and conflict, and just thinks Szuriel is the only deity that's honest about the whole thing. "War makes men into heroes! Cities into empires! Inspires legends that live forever! Yes, the cost is horrible! But that's the way the world is! Turning loose the Horseman is the only way anything ever gets done!" -- This version of the character is willing to take his chances after death; maybe he'll get eaten, maybe he'll get turned into some b%&!~in' daemon that eats everyone else. He's okay with it either way. This guy is a brutal nihilist, but not actually evil -- he's not cruel and has no interest in unnecessary violence. No need! There's already more than enough necessary violence to go around...

Doug M.


Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

That's certainly one option. Like Colonel Kurtz: "He just wanted the pain to stop. He just wanted to go out... like a soldier."

Of course, an issue here is that it doesn't leave a lot of room for growth or change. He's pretty much fixed as a character (at least as long as he's worshipping Szuriel, anyway). But this may not be a problem -- not every PC needs a character arc. (Honestly, the majority of them do just fine without, really.)

An alternate option: dude LOVES war and conflict, and just thinks Szuriel is the only deity that's honest about the whole thing. "War makes men into heroes! Cities into empires! Inspires legends that live forever! Yes, the cost is horrible! But that's the way the world is! Turning loose the Horseman is the only way anything ever gets done!" -- This version of the character is willing to take his chances after death; maybe he'll get eaten, maybe he'll get turned into some b~%&*in' daemon that eats everyone else. He's okay with it either way. This guy is a brutal nihilist, but not actually evil -- he's not cruel and has no interest in unnecessary violence. No need! There's already more than enough necessary violence to go around...

Doug M.

What you're describing is an evil character as he clearly does not care about the pain and suffering that is inflicted as collateral damage.


Quote:


What you're describing is an evil character as he clearly does not care about the pain and suffering that is inflicted as collateral damage.

Arguing alignment is a mug's game... but he'd say that the pain and suffering is inevitable and necessary. That's just the way the universe is wired. Does a revolution overthrow an evil tyrant? That's great, but someone's gonna die. Does a peaceful kingdom wage a successful defensive war to fend off a marauding barbarian horde? Good for them, but someone's gonna die. Does the village need defending from the orcs? Sure, he'll defend the village... for a price. And now a bunch of orcs are gonna die. And that's just fine.

Birth is an event full of blood and pain; is birth evil? A surgeon cuts you open with a knife; is the surgeon evil? A panther tears a deer's throat out; is the panther evil? Pain and suffering are an unavoidable part of life. And in the end, everything dies anyway.

Maybe not good company at a tea party. But not, in the D&D system, necessarily evil.

Doug M.


DM_DM wrote:
Quote:


What you're describing is an evil character as he clearly does not care about the pain and suffering that is inflicted as collateral damage.

Arguing alignment is a mug's game... but he'd say that the pain and suffering is inevitable and necessary. That's just the way the universe is wired. Does a revolution overthrow an evil tyrant? That's great, but someone's gonna die. Does a peaceful kingdom wage a successful defensive war to fend off a marauding barbarian horde? Good for them, but someone's gonna die. Does the village need defending from the orcs? Sure, he'll defend the village... for a price. And now a bunch of orcs are gonna die. And that's just fine.

Birth is an event full of blood and pain; is birth evil? A surgeon cuts you open with a knife; is the surgeon evil? A panther tears a deer's throat out; is the panther evil? Pain and suffering are an unavoidable part of life. And in the end, everything dies anyway.

Maybe not good company at a tea party. But not, in the D&D system, necessarily evil. You're the Ares who always sets himself up for Wonder Woman's intervention.

Doug M.

When you're advocating war solely for love of conflict, without regard to whom it hurts, you've placed yourself solidly in the banner of Team Evil.


Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:


When you're advocating war solely for love of conflict, without regard to whom it hurts, you've placed yourself solidly in the banner of Team Evil.

Don't see where I said that. He loves war, but that doesn't mean he'd start a war (or any other conflict) for *no* reason. There are surgeons who enjoy cutting people open. Does that make them evil?

-- But anyway: for game purposes, the final question is what the OP's DM thinks.

Doug M.


It's probably a perfectly valid perspective for a neutral character to say "starting wars is above my pay grade, I just make sure to finish them."


Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

That's certainly one option. Like Colonel Kurtz: "He just wanted the pain to stop. He just wanted to go out... like a soldier."

Of course, an issue here is that it doesn't leave a lot of room for growth or change. He's pretty much fixed as a character (at least as long as he's worshipping Szuriel, anyway). But this may not be a problem -- not every PC needs a character arc. (Honestly, the majority of them do just fine without, really.)

An alternate option: dude LOVES war and conflict, and just thinks Szuriel is the only deity that's honest about the whole thing. "War makes men into heroes! Cities into empires! Inspires legends that live forever! Yes, the cost is horrible! But that's the way the world is! Turning loose the Horseman is the only way anything ever gets done!" -- This version of the character is willing to take his chances after death; maybe he'll get eaten, maybe he'll get turned into some b~%&*in' daemon that eats everyone else. He's okay with it either way. This guy is a brutal nihilist, but not actually evil -- he's not cruel and has no interest in unnecessary violence. No need! There's already more than enough necessary violence to go around...

Doug M.

What you're describing is an evil character as he clearly does not care about the pain and suffering that is inflicted as collateral damage.

The idea of a brutal nihilist is appealing to me, but I do see that being difficult to maintain as a neutral character. A bit too easy to go from simple indifference to sadism. If you can sleep soundly after slaughtering people in a war that didn't need to happen, you're probably evil. Szuriel wants to cause as much death as possible through war, and I think someone who has seen the horrors of war for years on end, the 'true face of war' if you will, could easily turn to the Angel of Desolation out of bitterness. Something along the lines of "he's not evil, just deeply hurt." Maybe even make him an alcoholic. If he isn't attempting to die on top of a pile of bodies to end the pain, he's trying to numb the pain with booze. That is fairly fixed as a character, but there is room for some development.

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