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I have a player who made a request to play a cleric of Hextor (in a good party) who would eventually repent and become a cleric of Heironeous. Any advice? I thought of using Theldrick in his background. Perhaps said PC is from the former Great Kingdom and followed Theldrick to the Diamond Lake area from whatever reason. Or perhaps my player could be from Redhand and I could involve Zeech in his background. Also, how should I handle the conversion? How long do I let him stay a cleric with no spells before he atones? Should he be a cleric of Hextor in secret? If he gets badly hurt/drained/cursed/killed early on, who's going to heal him?
I'm hoping a few members of this board have some good advice. Character redemption is a cool concept but the potential for disaster is there.
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The first two adventures, perhaps he's looking for Theldrick because T disappeared when he went over to the Kyuss heresies. Maybe T's superiors suspect why he disappeared and they've tasked his former student with hunting down and bringing his former master to "justice". Even though the clerics in 3FoE can cast spells, it's implied this is from Kyuss and not their nominal patrons. I wouldn't necessarily make that adventure the turning point for conversion. For early healing &c., you've got the Cuthbertines, and the Weejians out by the cemetary.
You could have Marzena in Blackwall Keep be a Heironian. That actually makes more sense to me than a Sorcerer because of the benefits to clerics from Knowledge(Religion). Allustan's also smart enough to omit without lying the fact that your PC is going to rescue a rival. After all, A's true neutral, and could plausibly say (after the fact, of course)"I didn't initially think the fact she was a Heironian would be relevant to your research into the green worms, since I had no way to know she would be taken captive. Later, I just wanted to see my friend rescued instead of eaten." Hextor might shun the PC at this point for rescuing a traditional foe, and/or for negotiating a peace between equals with the lizardmen, rather than subjugating/destroying the tribe after staging the coup.
If that fails, you could have Telakin, Myrianas, or even Zyrxog be Hextorians. In which case, the NPC's motivation is to rule the Free City from behind the scenes with "more reliable people." This could also forshadow Zeech's secret police.
Based on the somewhat noble bearing of the art for Ekaym Smallcask, I see no reason why you couldn't swap his fighter levels for paladin levels. In that case, he hires the PCs because he's not powerful/subtle enough to get to Raknian, not because he's unsure if he's up to no good. Ekaym might also hire them to snub/discredit Raknian, since I thought Raknian's publicly a Hextorian. If you've had too much madness from SCAP, you could change the rain barrel man into a favored soul(Heironeous)/Prophet of Erathaol with vow of poverty. I wouldn't wait too much longer to have the coming to the light moment, though, since you probably want the player to have some time to get established before Zeech makes him squirm.
I'd be really interested to hear how you handle this character in your game. one of my players also came to me citing the possibility of his character being a cleric of hextor, LN of course.
He plans no redemption in his character's future, and stated that if he does it he will not be shoe-horned into the role of "party healer". When he mentioned it I immediately thought of Theldrick and Alhaster, deciding that there could definately be some interesting role-playing opportunities with the character.
Repentence might not be necessary if your player is having a lot of fun. Personally, I really like the idea of this antihero cleric of Hextor working with traditional good aligned PCs to avert the same catastrophe. Just because his ethics differ from the rest of the party doesn't mean that he can't work with them or see the rest of the party as viable comrades. A lawful evil character may see himself as a great champion and defender of law and civilization. He should just save his love of bloodletting and slaughter for the party's enemies, rather than the rest of the party. Maybe he despises weakness more than anything and views the other PCs as some of the few outstanding and capable individuals (despite their lack of "morals") that he has met. He would just take a more "ends justify the means" outlook. I like the idea of hunting down Theldrick (his former mentor) to force him to pay for his heresy against Hextor.
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I'd be really interested to hear how you handle this character in your game.
Unfortunately, it'll be a while. Right now we're halfway through Shackled City, in which I'm a player. Afterwards, I'll be DMing Age of Worms. We're still a year away from starting and I already have most of my players hyped up and planning characters. As for me, I'm working on an Age of Worms Player's Guide and I'm about halfway through.
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Repentence might not be necessary if your player is having a lot of fun.
Actually the idea behind his character is the repenting anti-hero. THAT's what makes it fun. My player wants his character to change alignments from Lawful Neutral to Lawful Good throughout the course of the campaign, to abandon Hextor in favour of his half-brother. My job is to make it possible, to give him opportunities to change his ways. To me, this is much more interesting than playing an anti-hero. Imagine a final confrontation between my player and Zeech, a once-paladin of Heironeous turned into a blackguard of Hextor. Seems appropriate that a cleric of Heironeous who once was a cleric of Hextor should be the one to confront Zeech at the end of the campaign.
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I wouldn't wait too much longer to have the coming to the light moment, though, since you probably want the player to have some time to get established before Zeech makes him squirm.
That's a good point. When would be the best time to have his character repent his Hextorian ways? I was thinking I could use adventures such as Three Faces of Evil to sow the seeds of doubt. Make Theldrick more vile. I like the idea of making Marzena a devout follower of Heironeous. I should probably make more use of the Heironeons in Diamond Lake as well: Valkus Dun, Velias Childramun, and Mélinde. Maybe the final blow to his faith should happen during the Prince of Redhand, where he would witness firsthand the depravity of a Hextorite ruler. Luckily, the Prince of Redhand also has the least amount of combat so the group might not be hurt so bad by the fact that the party cleric wouldn't be able to cast any spells. I could add some extra stuff like an opportunity to start a resistance movement in Alhaster.
The key thing in using evil deities in the AOW, I've found, is to remember that the Ebon Triad represent something that is heretical and anathema to them. That provides a very big hook for evil players to take part in this quest.
I like the above idea of having Hextor turn against your cleric... it's a good way to jump-start a conversion, and could conceivable take place any time it strikes the deity's fancy. Just make sure your player understands you're not railroading him down a certain path, that it's the result of his character's choices and actions.
The key thing in using evil deities in the AOW, I've found, is to remember that the Ebon Triad represent something that is heretical and anathema to them. That provides a very big hook for evil players to take part in this quest.
I like the above idea of having Hextor turn against your cleric... it's a good way to jump-start a conversion, and could conceivable take place any time it strikes the deity's fancy. Just make sure your player understands you're not railroading him down a certain path, that it's the result of his character's choices and actions.
Yeah, it definately sounds like something that is originally the player's choiceand not the DM's in Hagen's situation. As far as the situation i'm in, where there would be no conversion/redemption, the point about the Ebon Triad is still very important to my potential LN Cleric of Hextor.
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From Greyhawk - The Adventure Begins (page58):
"After the garrison commander and the Landgraf of Selintan were both assassinated in 209 CY, the next officer in line declared martial law and led his force into the town itself. His soldiers burned several evil temples to the ground, massacred every worshipper of evil gods that could be hunted down, and seized their property. This event, the Expulsion of Evil, established the policy of intolerance for wicked deities and priests that continues to this day."
Assuming that evil religions are illegal throughout the Domain of Greyhawk, this would prevent any cleric of Hextor from operating out in the open. I don't have a problem with this, but my player might. But, then again, Greyhawk isn't the Great Kingdom and the faith of Heironeous is well established amongst the militia and nearby kingdoms such as Furyondy and Nyrond. I doubt that followers of Hextor would be tolerated and if my player wants to worship an evil god he probably expects me to make it hard for him. So how should I play this up? According to the Player's Handbook, clerics don't actually have to choose a patron deity. I suggested to my player that perhaps it would be best if he pretended to be a cleric of Law or War. At least that should prevent the other PC's from outright killing him. Displaying the holy symbol of Hextor would probably be a bad idea, but I could let him use an archaic symbol of Hextor (Knowledge Religion DC20 to recognise) that the priesthood used many centuries ago in the Great Kingdom. Perhaps a mailed fist holding a flail or something similar.
Two short comments:
1. Reinforcing the idea that the Hextorians are for (in their own minds, at least) law, order, and "civilization." If you're playing in GH a Great Kingdom connection might make this feeling even stronger. Maybe Daddy was a Knight Protector of the Great Kingdom, or something like that.
2. It seems to me that to make this work, you have to leave open the possibility that the hoped for repentance doesn't happen. Sometimes life takes PCs in different directions than their players are planning. So, your job as DM would be to provide him with several opportunities (maybe even calls) to repent, but there also should be temptations to backslide--the forces of evil are famous for not letting go once they've got their meathooks in you.
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I've been doing some reading on Hextor and Heironeous. Not much out there actually. Basically, they're half-brothers, both having the Oeridian demigoddess, Stern Alia, as their mother. Who their fathers were remains a mystery to me. An interesting note is that they have another brother: Stratis, the four-armed god of war in the Sundered Empire (the Chainmail setting in western Greyhawk), recently killed by mortals.
Here's what I have in my list of GH Gods, compiled from sources I now forget...
Heironeous The Invincible, champion of rightful combat and chivalrous deeds, is the half-brother of Hextor. Heironeous is strong as a fighter and as a protector, and this duality attracts many worshipers. He is widely revered throughout the nonevil lands of the Flanaess. The church closely resembles a knightly order, and includes fighter / clerics. Heironeous is typically a God revered by officers, leaders, and paladins rather than the common warrior, but this is changing. The priesthood has a military organization and maintains excellent armouries and systems of communication. Services to Heironeous include triumphal singing of battle hymns, offerings made to a copper statue of the God, (such statues adorn most of his finely decorated temples), and sharing of strengthening foods – meat, full-bodied red wine (in moderation) and spiced, stewed kara-fruit. Clerics of Heironeous who knowingly commit an evil act must atone in the manner of a paladin, this atonement typically requires prayer, fasting, and a feat of great heroism. Success is no guarantee of atonement, the cleric must both feel contrition in the soul and test the body to the greatest extent possible – but any who die in the act of atonement are brought into the fold of their god. Older priests are revered for their strategic skills and as teachers. Opposition of priests of the hated Hextor is mandatory. Possession of magical chain mail and/or a battle axe brings great kudos within the cult.
Hextor is the half-brother of Heironeous, and as diabolic as his brother is angelic. He delights in torture, bloodshed, and strife, and preaches a creed of iron-fisted dominance. The Scourge of Battle and Champion of Evil, he is the patron God of many evil warriors and a few humanoids. Hextor is worshipped by evil warriors and assassins, mercenaries and murderers. His following has always been strongest within the lands of the Great Kingdom, where his priests hold sway in many residual fiefs and attend upon Ivid. Services to him include discordant music from wind instruments, shouting and screaming, and the striking of iron weapons. The greatest temples are built on sites of great battles or bloodshed.
His clerichood consists of two factions: the Bringers of Strife, and the Legion of Battle. The Bringers are traditional clerics, and typically have two or more lower-ranked members of the Legion as guardians. The Legion is a military order organised much like a feudal knighthood, consisting of clerical warriors (fighter / clerics). The Bringers keep the populace in line, while the Legion spreads the word of Hextor to those who will convert, and death to those who refuse. Most Clerics of Hextor are in the Great Kingdom and the See of Medegia. They hold a deep-rooted enmity with worshippers of Heironeous, and will attack his clerics on sight. His priests are skilled combatants and assassins, cruel and violent, bereft of subtlety while still being cunning and wily. The hierarchy is rigid, dominated by strength and cruelty.