For an upcoming home game I am thinking of making a Halfling Paladin that goes into Dragon Disciple. I do not have all of the details on the setting or campaign rules but I believe that it will be based in Golarion. We have been talking about running a system where things have to happen in game to unlock the use of non-core material. It seems like an interesting concept so I’m inclined to support this concept and play in it.
One of the facets of this campaign concept that I suggested was to allow 1 non-core item in the character based on character background. I like to write character backgrounds for each character that I play. The problem is that I do not know a ton of lore about Golarion and to be frank with the amount of content that is out there currently it can get a bit overwhelming. I was hoping for little direction on where to start reading for what lore would best fit my concept.
Let me tell you a bit about my character concept. I would like to make a sword and board style Halfling that goes into Dragon Disciple via mostly Paladin levels with a dip into Gold Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. The character will focus more on melee early on and fall into the arcane side of things later. My plan is to go for Mithral Agile Breastplate and Light Shield. I’ll be going for a Str based attacker. Even with the racial negatives to Str I make up for it with a size bonus to hit and scaling Str bonuses from Dragon Disciple. I will be trying to work in Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Shield Bash and Power Attack. With Fey Foundling and Greater Mercy the concept is to have a pool of self-healing to the character able to get in and stay in for extended fights. It will actually be refreshing to get back to a character who can benefit from the big six.
So, with that being said the only non-core things that this character would use are:
Fey Foundling
Greater Mercy
Bracers of the Merciful Knight
Oath of Vengeance Paladin
Now, Fey Foundling is obviously what I would need to start with at first level for the concept to work correctly. And with taking a level or two in Sorcerer to get the Gold Draconic Bloodline it muddies his ancestry a bit. I’m fine with that and would actually like to embrace it. I know the typical places that are popular for Halflings to live in but I’m not sure where would be the best place for this character to be from. I’m thinking a deeply forested region where fey are prevalent.
I’m not going for the annoying Halfling trope. I would rather break stereotype there and do something completely different. I would the character to encompass everything you typically picture in a dragon knight. Chivalric, virtuous, calm and collected, insightful and wise. But not drab and boring either. I plan on having the character sport a multi-colored fauxhawk that he will be keeping up with Prestidigitation. He will retain the cheery, adventure loving wanderlust from his Halfling heritage. As for where the Fey part comes in, I’m not sure because I can easily see that leading down the path of “annoying Halfling” so I think I may have to downplay that a bit as far as how he acts but will likely have the character keenly aware of all parts of his heritage and actively trying to dispel negative stereotypes through action.
So what I basically need help with here is firming up how this character’s heritage came to be and where this all went down at. My DM isn’t big on “high fantasy” (a rather subjective term, really given the genre) so I would prefer not to have anything too fantastic. Not sure how I can do that with both Dragon and Fey ancestry but that is my goal here. Maybe something with a Quetzacoatl? They are kinda somewhere between a Fey and Dragon sorta, right?
Anyone have ideas where in Golarion I could fit him into? Any ideas for fitting his ancestry in without getting overly fantastic?
I have been thinking something of being from the Verduran Forest in Taldor as the Inner Sea World Guide talks about both fey and Halflings being present there. I don't want to do the former slave seeking vengeance thing.
I was thinking about the old 3.x Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil and the similarities it holds to Shelyn. Perhaps my character could have had his magical abilities awakened within him by a Half Gold Dragon Couatl. This creature could have been a First World beast worshiped by the local Fey, themselves defendants of First World Fey. I'm not sure what their motivation for doing so would have been...
If you want to go further with the Draconic theme, consider having your halfling worship the Lawful Good dragon god Apsu. He even has his own custom Paladin code.
Yeah, that was my first idea. But it seems like every Dragon Disciple would worship him so I was thinking of switching it up. But maybe I will go with Apsu.