About Zeldrith AngothaneCrunch:
Name: Zeldrith Angothane
Male Tiefling (Pitborn) Magus (Eldritch Scion) 1 NG Medium Outsider (native) Init: +1 Senses: Perception -1, darkvision 60 ft ------------------------------ DEFENSE ------------------------------ AC: 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +1 Dex) HP: 8 Fort: +2, Ref: +1, Will: +1 Resist: Fire 5, cold 5, electricity 5 ------------------------------ OFFENSE ------------------------------ Speed: 30 ft Melee: Longsword +4 (1d8+4 S or P, 19-20), Claw +4 (1d4+4 S or P) Ranged: Ray of Frost +1 (1d3 cold) ------------------------------ STATISTICS ------------------------------ Str: 18, Dex: 12, Con: 10, Int: 12, Wis: 8, Cha: 16 Base Atk: +0; CMB: +4; CMD: 15 Traits: Sandpoint Faithful, Starchild, Deadly Rush, Poverty-Stricken, Self-Doubting Feats: Arcane Strike Skills: Diplomacy – 1 rank (+7) Intimidate – 1 rank (+7) Perform (Sing) – 1 rank (+4) Perform (Strings) – 1 rank (+4) Survival – 1 rank (+4) Use Magic Device – 1 rank (+7) Languages: Common, Abyssal, Varisian ------------------------------ SPELLCASTING ------------------------------ Cantrips – Detect Magic, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Spark Level 1 (2/day) – Shield, Chill Touch ------------------------------ SPECIAL ABILITIES ------------------------------ Fiendish Resistance, Darkvision, Variant Tiefling Abilities (53 - Scent), Fiendish Sprinter, Prehensile Tail, Spell Combat, Arcane Pool (4 points), Light Armor, Bloodline (Arcane), Disrupting Bloodrage ------------------------------ GEAR/POSSESSIONS ------------------------------ Carrying Capacity Light: 100 lbs or less Medium: 101-200 lbs Heavy: 201-300 lbs Current Load Carried: 59 lbs Money: 11 GP, 3 SP, 3 CP Equipment: Silver Holy Symbol (Desna) Explorer's Outfit Chain Shirt Longsword Spell Component Pouch Backpack Bedroll Belt pouch Flint and steel Iron pot Mess kit Rope (50 ft) Soap Torches (10) Trail rations (5 days) Waterskin Musical Instrument (Kobza) Appearance:
Zeldrith is a wiry man of modest height (an inch or two under six feet) with olive skin stretched over a wiry, muscular frame and a mess of lanky black hair on his head. His mouth is filled with rows of needle-like teeth, and his left eye has a deep red iris, while its twin is a solid black - both emit smoke whenever he becomes agitated. Aside from his eyes, the symmetry standard for humans is broken by his arms - while the right is relatively human-looking, the left has a prominent bone spur on the elbow and seven spindly fingers, which near-constantly twitch, except when they are casting spells or curled around the hilt of a weapon. His fingers are tipped with razor-sharp talons, and his thin tail and cloven hooves make his fiendish nature clear. He bears a large Thassilonian tattoo on the left side of his face. He generally wears functional clothing, complete with a sturdy jacket and a pair of boots specially designed for his hooves, with a wide-brimmed hat shielding his eyes from the sun. He keeps his sword and his spell component pouch in plain sight whenever he can, as a way of avoiding unnecessary fights. Zeldrith takes pride in his heavy red scarf, a gift from his father. Personality:
Those acquainted with Zeldrith would describe him as genial but quiet, slow to speak but with an easy manner and a level head when he does choose to act. His friends, however, know that his heart is good, and he has a genuine desire to help others. He faithfully worships Desna, just as his parents do, and despite his fearsome appearance, he is far from a 'lone wolf' - he works well in groups and is moderately competent leader, taking charge of difficult situations and doing what is needed of him without complaint. He has a great deal of combat experience from his time in a mercenary company, and he is focused and direct in times of crisis, readily deferring to more skilled tacticians but also keeping a level head. Backstory:
Zeldrith was born in the squalid Rag's End district of Magnimar, the son of the Varisian human Risli Zenej, a local ratcatcher, and Kandac Angothane, a (mostly) human pawnbroker. The Angothane family was distantly descended from kings of old, or so the family stories went, though most of Zeldrith's relatives dismissed these old tales as simply legends without a grain of truth. Still, there was no denying that the family was practically the landed nobility of Rag's End - they scrabbled for silver shields more often than copper pinch, they had three whole cramped rooms in which to live above the shop, and they went hungry every fifth day instead of every third. As a boy, the young Zeldrith was exceptionally amiable, making friends easily despite his frightening appearance. He became quite a troublemaker, falling in with an informal gang of local youths led by a charismatic boy named Garam. In the years that followed, he became smitten with the group's sole voice of reason, a level-headed girl named Nirmae with friends in the Sczarni, and he began courting her. As he grew, he took to the role of a mercenary with ease, serving as a guard for the wealthy or paranoid using a blade he won in a dice game with a waterfront smuggler.
Though his family barely managed to make enough money to survive, they were wealthy by the standards of Rag's End, and shortly after his older sister Vayath lost her job as a driver for House Versade, the slumlord Rassimeri Jaijarko, who owned the Angothane pawnshop, tried to drive them out of business. Zeldrith began to supplement his coin purse so his family could eat - when Desna's luck was with him, he won money gambling, but when Desna's luck was against him, he made up his losses with loans from a Chelish crime lord named Molatius Falco. Eventually, he took drastic action to get his family out of their dire straits - with a massive loan from Falco, he managed to buy the family's shop outright from Jaijarko, ending his harassment of their business. Shortly thereafter, his sister joined her father in managing the family business, and the family's finances stabilized to the point where they no longer needed Zeldrith's money, but the debt still remained, and Zeldrith was reluctant to tell his family about it for fear they would worry about him. His life was shattered, however, when the robbery of a wealthy merchant by Nirmae's Sczarni friends went wrong, and she was blamed for the resulting murder. Zeldrith tried to prove Nirmae's innocence - in fact, the two had snuck into the backstage of the Triodea playhouse to listen to a performance of The Harpy's Curse - but as a known scoundrel and troublemaker, his word was discounted, and Nirmae was found guilty and executed. This marked a turning point in Zeldrith's life - while he once had a flippant, lackadaisical attitude towards life, he felt that his own irresponsibility led to Nirmae's death, and he decided that he would do what Nirmae would have done if she had the time, devoting himself to doing good deeds in his love's memory. Seeking glory or death, the young man became a mercenary, fighting in the Goblinblood Wars in the southern reaches of Varisia. Four years later, he returned to Magnimar a changed man - while he still had a kind heart, much of his joviality and lightheartedness was gone, left behind on the bloody battlefields of the war. Aside from Nirmae's death, the second most impactful moment of his life was when he entered the employ of Tara Nirodin, a dilettante scholar from a local noble house, accompanying her to a series of chambers in the depths of the Irespan to frighten away the cutthroats and thieves of Magnimar's shadier areas, as well as whatever things lurked in the depths of Thassilon's legacy. He listened with indifference as his employer recited the long and convoluted rites of demon-worship practiced by the Bakrakhani noble houses, and he did not feel the call to learn more of Thassilon itself until he uncovered the mural. Hidden in a deep corner of the Magnimaran ruins, its text was nearly completely obliterated and its colors had faded with the years, but the image was clear enough. From the chiseled walls of the mural, a tall, austere man garbed in Bakrakhani noble's robes gazed back at Zeldrith - his features the spitting image of those of the young tiefling. His employer paid little attention to the mural itself, as its lack of text bored her and she failed to notice the familial resemblance due to ignoring the 'hired help,' but Zeldrith later found his way back to the mural on his own and began to examine it. Fascinated but slightly unnerved by the uncanny resemblance, Zeldrith devoted himself to the study of the strange mural, which depicted the Thassilonian nobleman casting spells that tore mountains asunder and scattered armies before him. Shortly after the shock of the nobleman's resemblance to him had worn off, Zeldrith was caught off-guard by another shock - while examining the mural, his hand mimicked that of the nobleman as he cast a spell that conjured a massive barrier of force, only for a small shield of energy to spring into existence before him. Simultaneously fascinated and intimidated by his newfound powers, Zeldrith began to investigate the secrets of Thassilon and its history in the hopes of learning more about the conundrum that faced him. However, it was at that time when the crime lord Molatius Falco called in Zeldrith's debt, which had grown to the staggering sum of 500 gold sails - an unpayable sum for the impoverished young man - but offered him clemency if he would join the crime lord's gang as an enforcer. Faced with a dilemma, Zeldrith decided to join a local merchant caravan as a guard - the caravan was leaving Magnimar for Sandpoint, where a priest his grandfather knew had many years ago taken up residence. Zeldrith set out for Sandpoint, where the priest might have the wisdom to help him solve his dilemma... Twenty Questions:
What is your character's name? - Zeldrith Angothane, but he asks that his friends call him Zel.
How old is your character? - 30 What would somebody see at first glance (i.e. height, weight, skin color, eye color, hair color, physique, race, and visible equipment)? - Average height, lanky, olive skin, black hair. Appears human from the waist up, but his lower half is clearly fiendish, with cloven hooves and a tail. He wears sturdy, practical clothing, with his blade and his spell component pouch both openly worn on his belt, and his wide-brimmed hat and red scarf frame his face. He has a prominent tattoo in Thassilonian on the left side of his face, forming the ancient language's character for 'good fortune.' What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)? - He speaks Taldane with a mild Varisian accent, and he has a tendency to hum to himself when he thinks. Where was your character born? - A ramshackle tenement in the Magnimaran slum of Rag's End. Where were you raised? - The streets of Rag's End, serving as the voice of reason for his best friend Garam and the other hot-headed youths he grew up alongside. By who? - His parents, Rilsi and Kandac. Who are your parents? - Rilsi Angothane, nee Zenej; Kandac Angothane. Are they alive? - Yes, both still live in Magnimar. What do they do for a living? - His mother Risli is a ratcatcher, and his father Kandac is a pawnbroker. Do you have any other family or friends? - His younger sister Sashe, a clerk at Red Kestrel Imports and a more or less full-blooded human; her relationship with her family is strained, and she has taken on the name Yeesha Salvok to distance herself from them. His older sister Vayath, an apprentice in the family pawnshop who like Zeldrith bears her family's abyssal curse; she has always had a good relationship with her family, and she is Zeldrith's closest confidant. His five-year-old nephew Revek, Vayath's son; Zeldrith loves his nephew, and dotes on him whenever possible. His best friend Garam Kestrel, a low-ranking member of the Lord-Mayor's personal guard; Zeldrith has known him since both were children in Rag's End, and while Garam was quite the troublemaker then, he has mellowed with age. What is your character's marital status? - Unmarried, though he had a relationship with a girl his age (a pickpocket named Nirmae, a member of a local Sczarni gang) when he was younger. Kids? - None, though he does have a young nephew he dotes on. What is your character's alignment? - Neutral good. What is your character's moral code? - Protect those in need, lighten the loads, both physical and metaphorical, of those around him, explore new places. Does your character have goals? - Discover the truth about the mysterious Thassilonian mural, mend his relationship with his sister Sashe, get his family out of trouble with Molatius Falco, a Chelish crime lord. Is your character religious? - Yes, he faithfully worships Desna. What are your character's personal beliefs? - All are worthy of respect, those with power should use it in the aid of others. Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. anti-social, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)? - Optimistic but quiet attitude towards life. Why does your character adventure? - He wishes to help others and learn more about his connection to Thassilon. How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer? - He believes that his role is to take action to prevent the suffering of others, cutting down the wicked with sword and spell. Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birth-marks, scars, deformities)? - Left elbow has a prominent bone spur, left hand has seven fingers. How does your character get along with others? - Generally gets along well with others, has an easygoing personality and a pleasant attitude. Is there anything that your character hates? - Dislikes the cruel and arrogant. Is there anything that your character fears? - Due to a harrowing experience in the Goblinblood Wars, he has a crippling fear of heights. Deep Character Creation:
1. What emotion best describes your character? Find one primary emotion your character expresses. Try to use a colorful, specific word to describe it. For instance, instead of "angry" you might say "vengeful" or "raging," or instead of happy you might say "cheerful" or "exalting."
Quiet Determination: Zeldrith is quite capable of long-term planning and working towards set goals, and he approaches most situations with an intense focus. 2. What emotion does your character evoke in others? How do others react to you? Do you impress, scare, calm, excite, or perhaps annoy? Again try to find the most specific term you can. Is this reaction different between friends and enemies? Varies: Most who meet Zeldrith for the first time are wary around him, simultaneously intimidated by and distrustful of his strange appearance. As they get to know him, those who find his genial attitude refreshing generally become his friends, while those who find it annoying tend to develop enmity towards the young tiefling. 3. What does your character need most? If your character had everything he or she needed, why go on an adventure? Most people's needs are fairly universal, although they can change over time. Common needs are survival, security, companionship, esteem, romance, family, or wisdom. Consider what your character's starting needs are, and where you want them to be by the end of the adventure or campaign. It helps to establish this need with the GM, to ensure it fits with the themes of the game. Power: Zeldrith adventures largely to gain more power that he can use to help others - even his exploration of his ancestral ties to Thassilon is largely born of a hope that his newfound magical talent will give him the power he thinks he needs to make a difference. To a greater extent, though, he wants to bring security to others, using his skills with spell and blade to vanquish those who would harm his friends. 4. What is your character's goal in life? This should be the principle, underlying motivation for everything your character thinks, says, and does. If your character were lying on the brink of death, what makes him or her cling to life? What could your character lose that he or she would consider worse than death? This goal is often broad, and sometimes unachievable. Whatever the nature of the goal, it should be something your character can strive for his or her entire life. The best goals are ones that can be threatened, as they will help create more compelling adventures. Ideas include justice, revenge, protecting loved ones, redeeming one's self, or gaining some kind of power. When you think of something, ask yourself "why?" to make sure it isn't because of some larger, more important goal. To save those he cares about. 5. How does your character believe this goal can be accomplished? Because the goal can often be ideological, the method to achieving it is sometimes equally insubstantial. Your character's methods should be strongly tied to beliefs (or lack of beliefs), and primarily be a decision of lifestyle. A character bent on revenge might consider perfecting a fighting discipline, while a character devoted to a cause might consider a religious or philosophical doctrine. By gaining the necessary power to help others: Growing up in poverty, Zeldrith is convinced that only by becoming powerful and wealthy can he do anything of significance. 6. Where did your character come from? Consider your character's initial roots, before he or she was a teenager. These times are what shape your character the most. Who were your parents? Where did you live? What was your family's economic and social status? How were you educated? What were the three most important lessons you learned? Zeldrith was born in poverty in a Magnimaran slum, the son of two hard-working but poor parents, and he grew up on the streets of Magnimar. His education was informal and piecemeal, picked up here and there over the years. The repeated lessons of his friend Nirmae, compounded by her untimely death, have taught Zeldrith the importance of being responsible and having a conscientious attitude. 7. When did you grow up? Everyone begins taking responsibility for their own lives at different times and in different ways. Describe the events related to when your character started taking care of him- or herself. Likely the single most significant incident in Zeldrith's adolescence was the death of his friend Nirmae, who was framed by her Sczarni friends when a robbery of a wealthy merchant turned into a murder. Found guilty by a local magistrate, Nirmae was executed for the murder, despite her innocence. This marked a major turning point in Zeldrith's life - before, he was a fairly mischievous troublemaker who had relied on Nirmae's level head to keep him and his friends out of trouble, but afterwards, he took on Nirmae's mantle himself, working to keep his friends safe and serving as the voice of reason for the group. 8. What values does your character hold? Name three things your character considers sacred, and three things he or she is ideologically opposed to. These things will usually stem from a combination of your goals and your personal history. Consider especially where the values came from. Was your character taught these values? Did they develop as a reaction to something your character considered noble or diabolical? Establish lines that your character will not cross in pursuit of his or her goal to add challenge to playing your character. The three primary values Zeldrith holds are altruism, truth, and justice - his dedication to doing good deeds makes him appreciate the value of good deeds done for their own sake, his experience with manipulative friends and family has led him to value forthrightness, and the death of his love Nirmae has instilled into him a respect for even-handed justice, as he is aware of its rarity. On the other side of the coin, the aforementioned deceitful acquaintances have given him a hatred for deceit, a life at the bottom of society's ladder has instilled resentments for those who use their power cruelly, and despite his work as a mercenary, he in fact detests violence - he would much rather solve problems with words than with the sword. 9. How does your character dress? Start generally with an overall statement of the quality of your character's appearance, such as projected social status, trade, common activities, or how groomed or slovenly your character is. Begin to hone in on telling details, especially those things that most people take for granted. How exactly does your character style his or her hair? What decorative articles does your character wear, such as jewelry, decorated buttons or buckles, a belt, gloves, etc.? One especially telling detail is footwear. Describe in detail what your character wears on his or her feet, including cut, tightness or looseness, heel height, sole hardness or softness, lacing/buckling/tying or lack thereof, toe shape (square, round, pointed…?), color, material, shininess, cleanliness, repair or disrepair, and any other details you can think of. Zeldrith wears sturdy, drab clothes of varying quality - most are in poor condition, and even the newer articles such as his jacket would not look out of place on a member of the lower middle class, but he wears these newer items with pride, as if "lower middle class" is a long-unattainable goal he has worked towards. All his clothes are made of worn cloth, with the exception of his cherished hat, which is made of second-hand felt. His wide-brimmed hat and heavy red scarf are both heavily worn, in stark contrast with his newer jacket and the like, but he still wears them whenever it is practical, as both were gifts from his father. He wears no jewelry, but he does have a liking for buckles due to their low price, and his jacket is moderately adorned with these fasteners. His boots are complex, made specially to work with his hooves, and their thick, hard soles and sturdy hobnails speak to a life of hard work, but their workmanship is amateurish and their materials are second-grade. Overall, his clothing is old but well-cared-for, the outfit of someone with modest means but a conscientious turn of mind. His armor is the oldest piece of his equipment, an heirloom from his grandfather Endru, a gravedigger who was given it as a gift from a colleague. His most treasured possession, however, is a simple woman's engagement ring, forged of bronze with a lapis lazuli stone set in it - the ring was his gift to Nirmae the day she was arrested, and he keeps it as a memento of her. 10. What are your character's means? Consider all the resources your character has. This should include material resources such as money and property, social resources such as friends and allies, and personal resources such as skill, courage, strength, wits, etc. It might help to make a list of all your character's resources that he or she might use to overcome adversity. Consider challenges like fights, puzzles, traveling, persuading (and being persuaded), and any others. Relatively little money, no significant amounts of property to speak of, several friends in minor places in Magnimar, strength, swordsmanship, perseverance, easygoing nature, level head. 11. What are your character's personal tastes? Name at least three things your character enjoys for no reason other than personal preference. A good place to start is with each of the five senses. Consider a sound, smell, taste, feeling, or sight that is uniquely pleasing to your character. Also consider activities such as hobbies or habits. Name three things your character dislikes, as well. Zeldrith actually quite likes drab, unobtrusive colors, viewing them as utilitarian and practical versus the inherent impracticality of bright, flashy colors, which he thoroughly dislikes. Likewise, he has a preference for spicy food, the stronger the better, but he moderately dislikes the taste of fish, having eaten it for most of his childhood. However, even more so than spicy foods, he has recently discovered a love for sweets - while he never had the opportunity to eat many as a child, he has found a love for sugar as a young adult, and he tends to carry around a bag of cheap candies at most times. 12. What are your character's opinions? Decide upon at least three major aspects of local society and your character's opinion on them. This could be generalizations such as rich or poor people, more specific areas like a particular political or religious group, or very specific things like a prominent individual or an aspect of the character's job. Check with your GM for relevant things in the campaign to have opinions about. Because of an incident in his adolescence, he intensely hates the Sczarni, and he works against them whenever he can. Zeldrith has limited experience with nobles and the wealthy, but what impressions he does have are generally of thoughtless cruelty and entitlement, which has colored his perceptions of the upper class, though he is willing to keep an open mind. He bears long-standing resentments regarding the place of tieflings in most civilized societies (that is, at the bottom), and he hopes to work towards changing that through his good deeds. 13. What is your character's comfort zone? What environment, activity, or mindset puts your character at ease? This can add a lot of color to your character during stressful moments, as he or she will have a place to go or a thing to do at these times. It helps to have a comfort zone broken up into the above parts so at least some of it is portable. Strangely, given his extroversion, Zeldrith is most comfortable in an isolated area, where few others are present to disturb his solitude. He finds singing comforting, humming to himself even at the darkest of times to bolster his spirits, and his mind strays to his friends and family in Magnimar when he is at ease. 14. Who has had the biggest impact on your character's life? Name and briefly describe at least one person who had a significant impact on how your character perceives the world today. You can name more than one, but they should each reflect different aspects of your character's beliefs. Use this as a reference point when your character has to make difficult decisions (i.e., "What would so-and-so do?"). When interacting with others, he strives not to be like his sister Sashe, who he feels is deceitful and manipulative, instead following the example of his love Nirmae, who was calm and level-headed, going out of her way to do good deeds and help others. In times of crisis, he aspires to be like his grandfather Endru, a quiet, good-natured man who had hope even in the darkest of times. 15. What are some of your character's unexpected quirks? Name three things that are unexpected about the way your character behaves, such as things that go against his or her normal social status, age, or trade. How about three unexpected talents or abilities like being able to sing, or knowing some trivial knowledge, or being good at math? Three things your character can't do that most other people can such as whistling, swimming, or reading well? How about three things your character fears, such as heights, dogs, or insects? Despite his fierce appearance and rough profession, Zeldrith always keeps an eye out for books of stories and the like - his nephew Revek wants to be an explorer, so he tries to collect what tales of thrilling adventure he can as gifts for the little boy. He also has an excellent baritone voice and a wide repertoire of peasant songs, unusual for a mercenary. He is accomplished at sketches, frequently making drawings of important people in his life and interesting features of the local terrain in the journal he fastidiously keeps. 16. What kind of story does your character belong in? Who are the characters your character interacts with? What settings does he or she inhabit? What themes are important? What conflicts does your character face? These things are important to understand so your GM can create adventures that will engage your character, and so you will have a better chance at getting along with your fellow players' characters. Zeldrith works best in a sword-and-sorcery or epic fantasy adventure - his rather rough combination of martial and magical pursuits fits the concept of sword-and-sorcery well, but his altruistic nature and dedication to good deeds in the face of despair work well for an epic fantasy quest. His major conflict is his guilt - he is convinced that all the struggles those close to him have faced are due entirely or in part to his own actions, and he hesitates to take action for fear he will cause more problems. 17. What role does your character fill? Roleplaying is all about the ensemble cast. Make sure you fill a unique role in the party, and you aren't stepping on anyone else's toes. Consider your role in the interpersonal relations of the party, your role in combat, what skills your character is best at, and what thematic note your character hits. In roleplaying, Zeldrith is a face of modest skill, with a high Diplomacy modifier and a good fallback Intimidate modifier. He has a degree of competence in arcane matters, but this aspect of his skill set is utilitarian, and he has a poor grasp of the theory.
18. What should the other players know about your character? These should be major thematic points, your character's general emotion (if it isn't secret), potential surprises or areas that might be difficult, and any other pertinent information. Also start sketching out potential interactions, such as another character you might go to for help (or who might go to you for help), or someone you'll probably butt heads with. Getting these things out in the open is important to ensure there aren't unpleasant surprises. Zeldrith's quiet optimism and skills in mediation mean he's likely to get on relatively well with most other characters. In times of danger, he seeks out clerics of his goddess or charismatic leaders for direction, but he is likely to conflict with the cruel or the arrogant. Likewise, he could potentially conflict with wealthy or excessively straight-laced characters, who might look down on his low social status or somewhat checkered past. 19. What is your play style? Do you like heavy character immersion, or attention to detail in the rules, or perhaps you're especially goal-oriented? Maybe you're a bit competitive. Do you prefer lots of colorful descriptions, or a quicker framework understanding of situations? Do you speak in your character's voice? You may not even be aware of your own play style. Keep this in mind as you play so you can better communicate with your fellow players about the direction of the party as a whole, and the course of the adventure. This also helps your GM understand your personal needs at the gaming table. I generally become heavily immersed in my characters (I often wake up in the middle of the night to jot down notes about them, and it is not uncommon for me to fill five to ten pages with notes and miscellaneous information), and I thoroughly enjoy roleplaying and getting to develop my character. I do not have strong feelings towards adhesion to the rules one way or another - I think Pathfinder's rule set is fairly good as-is, but I have also quite enjoyed several homebrew adjustments, and I rarely delve into the minutiae of the rules. However, I have experienced frustration with homebrew rules adjustments for the sake of realism, as they tend to bog the game down. 20. How do you want your character to die? Your character won't live forever, although you might not play him or her to the end. If you had your choice of deaths for your character, what would it be? Death of old age, having survived through all his or her trials? Perhaps a bloody, violent death? A noble sacrifice? Happenstance? It can also provide an unusual layer of texture to your roleplaying, as you have a better understanding of your character's fate. It will also tell you if your character is a tragic or heroic one. Finally, it can help your GM in resolving conflicts in-game if he or she has an idea of your comfort zone with threats to your character's life. Quite frankly, top choice would likely be through a heroic sacrifice, laying down his own life to help the rest of the party flee from/kill a foe too tough to take on without casualties. However, all else being equal, I would prefer to see the campaign through to the end. Of Debts Owed (RP Sample):
One end of Molatius Falco's mouth turned upwards in a smirk, disappearing into his large blond mustache as the battered mercenary was dragged before him. The young tiefling glared at the Chelish crime lord, smoke curling from the edges of the eye not swollen shut from his beating. "What do you want, Falco? Why'd you bring me here?" The crime lord's smirk widened into a grin as he replied. "Why, my young friend, I simply wanted to show you that I have gone up in the world. After all, in Cheliax, even the most powerful nobles are in debt to devils - but here I am, with a devil in debt to me." He leaned forward, and his grin became the predatory look a wolf gives its prey. "Let's get to business, shall we? Mister Angothane, from your loan of three years ago, you owe me five hundred and three gold sails, eight silver shields, and three pinch." Falco shook his head mockingly, tsking disapprovingly. "To be frank, little imp, we both know you've never even seen five hundred gold sails in the same place - which is why I'm willing to offer you a deal. You see, a few of my people were recently hanged for murder, and I'm afraid I'm a bit short-handed. If you agree to work for me as an enforcer, I'll forget your debt - in return, you'd go where I tell you, rob who I say to rob, kill who I say to kill." The lean crime lord settled back in his seat, waving a hand dismissively. "Of course, you could always choose not to take me up on my offer. Choose... but choose wisely. Remember, little imp, I know all about you. It's Red Kestrel Imports where your sister works, isn't it? I could send a few of my people around there to... demonstrate the consequences." The tiefling glared at Falco, hissing out a reply. "I'll never work for you, Falco. Your a thief and a murderer, and if I followed you, I'd be no better than a cutthroat." The crime lord scowled, leaning closer to the bruised young mercenary. "Think very carefully about your answer. I can hurt your family if you refuse me. Take whatever time you need to decide. I can wait - to a point." He waved his hand dismissively, and his enforcers dragged the mercenary from the room.
Later that day, Zeldrith made his way to the dilapidated pawnshop in Rag's End, rapping his knuckles on the wooden doorframe as has always been his custom and wincing as the motion sends jolts of pain through his bruises. After a moment, the door opened, revealing a lanky woman with bright crimson eyes, her sharp talons crossed confrontationally in front of her, though she visibly relaxed when she saw Zeldrith. "Zel. Why are you here? I thought you were signed on to guard that House Vanderale trade shipment." The young mercenary grinned in response, embracing the woman in a hug. "They finished early, said I could go. Besides, c'mon, Vaya - do I really need a reason to visit my sister?" Just then, a small boy pushed past Vayath, rushing forward to tug at Zeldrith's pant legs. "Uncle Zeldrith, Uncle Zeldrith!" Zeldrith returned the boy's enthusiasm with a friendly laugh, kneeling down next to him and producing a small wooden top from somewhere within his jacket. "And how's my little nephew today? I've got something for you - hold out your hand." The little boy looked down at the top placed in his hand, and Zeldrith smiled, reaching out a seven-fingered hand to ruffle the quills atop the young boy's head. "Now, that's no ordinary top, Revek. That's a trinket snatched from the very clutches of the Beast of the Tagas Labyrinth, it is! An ancient relic from a lost civilization - and it's all yours!" Revek looked up, grinning. "Thanks, Uncle Zeldrith!" "Don't mention it. You're the best nephew I could ever ask for." Laughing with delight, Revek rushed back into the house to play with his new toy as Zeldrith stood back up. After a moment, his sister fixed him with a sidelong glance. "Where'd you really get the top, Zel?" The young mercenary smirked, raising his hands defensively. "Found it in a trash heap, back of the Kaddren mansion. Those high-born would have thrown out that perfectly good top if I'd let them, so I took it, made up a story for Revek." Zeldrith sighed. "Fact is, Vaya, I'm in big trouble. You remember five years back, when the Versades fired you, and you with Revek just born, and Jaijarko breathing down all our necks? Remember how I brought in all those extra-large paychecks until Pa was able to buy the shop outright?" Realization - and horror - started to dawn on Vayath's face. "Zel, you didn't -" Zeldrith scowled, cutting her off. "I made the extra gambling, when my luck was good. When it wasn't so good, I took loans from a man named Molatius Falco, a crime lord from Cheliax. I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it, but when your infant nephew cries because he's hungry and you don't have the money for food, you do what you can." The young mercenary sighed, hanging his head. "Problem is, he wants the payment. Now. All five hundred gold crowns of it. If I don't pay, I'll have to become one of his thugs, or else he'll come after my family - come after you, and Sashe, and Revek. Grandpa always used to talk about a priest he once met who was good at dilemmas - he moved to Sandpoint, from what I heard, and I've found a merchant caravan going there in three days. I'll sign on as a guard, get to Sandpoint, and see if she can help me figure a way out of this problem." Vayath shook her head. "I... I just don't know, Zel. I don't think this priest will be able to give you five hundred gold crowns, and I know Caravan Master Tolmar - he'll only hire you on one way, figures he can hire guards for cheap on the way back." Zeldrith shrugged, but his posture betrayed his concern. "I'll work my way back if I have to. Who knows? It might help pay back that debt. Anyway, there's no harm in going. He won't come after you and Revek for a while - should be enough time to hear what this wise woman has to say." The young mercenary sighed, defeat written on his face. "If... if it comes down to it, I'll take him up on his offer. I'll follow him into Hell if it means my family will be safe, you know that. Still, this trip to Sandpoint has all the marks of a last chance, and a last chance is a terrible thing to waste..." |
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