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Title says it all. I am starting a new group and new campaign with a Dwarven Wizard2/Fighter1. I have chosen for weapons a MW Cold Iron Scythe, a MW Silver Kukri, and a MW Repeating light crossbow. I traded out the ability to have a familiar with the Armored Mage(light) special feature and chose a MW Chainshirt for my armor. For feats I took Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, and EWP(repeating crossbow).
I want to do an even progression of the 2 classes.
True Neutral with a slight tendency towards Good.
I would like to mix it up in melee a bit and plan on using Trip alot.
I have the mechanics for what I want down, now I want some help with some personality traits and looks. I want to try something that I may not have thought of but that will roleplay well. Nothing too dysfunctional but maybe something that will be memorable.
Thanks in advance guys.
FH
Wow, that's one eclectic dwarf! Very interesting- just as an aside, I hope you don't end up suffering from identity crises!
Okay, this guy is strange, much stranger than most dwarves. I'm seeing a grim, barrel chested dwarf with his head partly shaved, though a few thick braided cords of hair still run in ridges from front to back along his scalp. Small black tatoos (symbols of arcane power, or perhaps related to his unusual past?) also adorn his skull. Maybe even a larger, circular symbol on his chest, which has a sparse coverning of coarse hair. Maybe an earring or even a small fetish hangs from an ear. His "beard" is a pair of braided strands of thick hair, but the rest of his chin is clean-shaven.
Again, very outlandish and strange. Likes to spook people. Walks around with voodoo-like fetishes and speaks in strange ways, often threatening curses and hexes (whether he would, or is even capable, or not). Scowls and squints a lot. Private and cloaked in mystery, but willing to jump in and help the party or NPCs. Why? Well, that's part of the mystery. What's he up to? Or is he just crazed?
Wears dark and red outfits, exotic in appearance. An outcast amongst the rigid dwarves. Comes from some backwater clan lost deep in the bowels of the earth, constantly at war with hostiles and forced to survive by whatever harsh, strange ways they can.
As another aside, you may want to consider swapping wizard for sorcerer and picking up Bluff. Some Intimidate woulnd't be bad, either, if you can find a way to get a half-way decent modifier on it.
How's that? Any ideas worth salvaging?
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Good start! I want to see a bunch before making a decision but for appearance you hit EXACTLY what I had in my minds-eye, even down to the tattoos on his head!
O' BTW I forgot to list stats.
Str-12
dex-16
con-12
int-15
wis-10
cha-8
I didn't want to do the sorcerer thing because I wanted faster access to higher level spells and overcoming a -2 charisma on a 28 pt. buy is not real fun. Also I wanted intelligence for the combat expertise tree of feats. Fight smart, not hard!
FH
Small and lean for a dwarf, he's often been mocked by clansmen, who often referred to him as "the gnome". The fact that he intended to use magic and trained with a repeating crossbow of all things certainly didn't help. Were it not for skirmishes with orc and goblin clans nearby, he may have neglected the use of arms entirely. Since he was barely accepted as a dwarf in his home, he decided to make his eccentricity his own and his attire reflects this.
He wears a set of goggles on his head to protect from sunlight and from dust and grime in the caves of his homeland. He is dark skinned and bristling with body hair. A crimson turban hugs his shaven head. He has an aquiline nose that contrasts sharply with his square features. To even out his nose, he has shaven himself a pointed goatee and a sweeping mustache, greased to points on either side. His hands are small and delicate, capable of great finesse or reasonable power. He looks heavier than he truly is by virtue of the hauberk of chainmail hidden beneath a white shirt. Over this, he wears a crimson and purple checkered vest with a fur collar, a handy place for storing his small notebooks, secret messages and small valuables (which he may hide in the lining to prevent detection). A broad leather belt holds pouches of varying size and shape (think Batman or Hellboy) containing anything from jars of ink and quills to potions and reagents, as well as a quiver for his bolts. Striped pants that match his vest lead into short and sturdy boots, which can easily hide a dagger or pouch of reagents. He typically keeps his scythe strapped on his back within easy reach next to his backpack. His crossbow is usually in hand, though his backpack has a holster for it, should locals demand he keep it safely out of easy reach. Should the weather turn foul, he keeps a purple cloak stashed in his pack on the top for easy access.
His most precious possession is a battered spellbook he inherited from an eccentric uncle. His fine repeating crossbow's bow...piece..thing..resembles a set of horns coming from the forehead of an angry dwarf with a braided beard carved into the stock.
Used to being picked on, he has learned to take very few insults personally. However, he has picked up an acid tongue and anyone remarking on his appearance, parentage or choice of weaponry should be prepared for a scathing reply. He insults friends with a bit less venom than enemies, but he sees these remarks as a kind of backhanded form of affection. This has made true friends difficult to come by, and he may never want to admit it, he is a bit lonely. His eccentric get-up is a means of always commanding attention wherever he may go, since he considers himself a moving and eloquent speaker and likes to be at the center of everything.
That's the best I could do, hope that helps.
Expanding on Saern's post, mabye you could play up this guys true neutral alignment. Make him devoted to balance, or give him the idea that good, evil, law, and chaos are nothing more than meaningless social constructs. He could be a disillusioned and jaded character, mabye some sort of catastrohpe in his past. The scythe is an unusual weapon outside the cult of Nerull (even if it is CRAZY good). That weapon could hold some sort of significance, and mabye he's even a former cultist? As for habbits and quirks, make him grim and fatalistic, but still a good guy (you said he tends towards good). He hates dreamers and moralists, and shirks religion, believing that people need to make their own destinies, and not leave it to the gods to make it for them. I keep coming back to Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil" here. It's a difficult read, but if you can find it, browse through it a bit, may give you some ideas.
Tattoos are so fifteen minutes ago. 8-)
Perhaps scarification instead?
Scarification is so 7 1/2 minutes ago. Now it's all about the Prince Albert peircing.
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Really need some quirks and odd behaviors/tendencies. Appearance is pretty well laid out, I just need some of the mannerisms and things like that.
FH
He keeps his beard in a bag slung over his shoulder (like a blacksmith). He's really really sensitive about his beard; he spends extreme amounts of time combing, styling, and braiding it. And any elf he knows, he simply MUST see if they can braid his beard for him.
After every meal, he has to spend 15 minutes making utterly certain he didn't lose a crumb of bread in it.He's high-beard maintenance, man.
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For something kinda different, how 'bout a beardless dwarf? His low(ish) CHA score could represent a complete lack of interest in style or theatrics. Thus, he dresses in well-made, yet plain and unadorned leathers and mail and uses a repeating crossbow because "it is the best way to fill a critter full of holes". He shaves his beard ("gets burnt when I cast Burning hands") and keeps his hair real short ("easier to keep it clean that way"). He was given the scythe by some adventuring relative who took it from an evil cultist's dead body ("I use it 'cause it's good for killin' baddies"). Make him a treasure trove of boring anecdotes and pithy sayings, all delivered with no flair whatsoever in order to "help" his co-adventurers; after all, he is the brains of the outfit. In short - make him an accountant who just happens to cast powerful spells and skillfully cut his enemies to shreds with his polearm. In the right party, it could make for a refreshing change from stereotype.
I would make this character a true outsider, so for one reason or another he (or his parents) have been cast out from dwarven community. He has been raised in outskirts of human or gnome peasant (or maybe lizardman?) community (scythe and kukri are both rather peasant-style weapons), maybe some subtropical marsh or something (go for voodoo witch doctor style).
I would also go for that scariness aspect Saern suggested, he likes to spook people and uses that to gain respect (to quote Calvin, "notoriety isn't as good as fame but it sure beats obscurity"). Sharp sense of humour, not that verbal but he likes practical jokes and also to manipulate people for no real reason. Likes to give people intensive stares while grinning silently like for a private joke (very off-putting).
I would also go for no-beard style while keeping him fussy about his appearance, clothes and weird trinkets he collects and constantly fiddles with. He cares how he looks but he wants to look scary (so tattoos, scars and Prince Albert are all fine ideas), thus explaining his low charisma (you might want to put couple of skill points in Intimidation though).
Oh, and for the inevitable question: I have ruled that having a Prince Albert does not add an extra ring slot, however it is possible to make a magical one following rules for rings. Yes, this question has been raised in a game *sigh*
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I think I will throw a slight accent onto Ben Stein's voice and use that for his voice. "Dly eyes, Dead eyes." Add a slightly sadistic streak and the mix of tattooes and cleanliness and I think I have his appearance down. I think I can cobble together his mannerisms from the various posts. I debut him tonight so I'll let everyone know how it goes.
Thanks all,
FH
Sorry, but I have absolutely no clue what a Prince Albert is in the sense that it seems to be being used in this thread.
Well, I do have a clue- it's a ring/piercing thing of some type, I take it?
Oh, and for the inevitable question: I have ruled that having a Prince Albert does not add an extra ring slot, however it is possible to make a magical one following rules for rings. Yes, this question has been raised in a game *sigh*
lol. Seems like a worthy question for an adult game full of lunatics but the minute you let PCs have an extra ring slot you have to let the BBEGs have one as well... and considering that many demons may have a bunch of extra slots available due to bizarre anatomy. You just don't even want to get into it. There's no winning here.
Sorry, but I have absolutely no clue what a Prince Albert is in the sense that it seems to be being used in this thread.
Well, I do have a clue- it's a ring/piercing thing of some type, I take it?
Wiki if you must, and prepare to taste your breakfast coming back fast the wrong way.
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Sorry, but I have absolutely no clue what a Prince Albert is in the sense that it seems to be being used in this thread.
Well, I do have a clue- it's a ring/piercing thing of some type, I take it?
I'll just say that it's not something that you want to search at work, and discussing it in more detail would probably be a violation of Paizo's TOS. And let me just say that any D&D game in which you need to discuss these intimate (so to say) aspects of your character has an oversharing problem.
Really.
8-)
Got a pretty good idea about it from just reading the posts. I thought about including, "Do I even want to know?" in my query, but decided against it, thinking to myself that "It probably wasn't that bad." Guess I was wrong!
Got a pretty good idea about it from just reading the posts. I thought about including, "Do I even want to know?" in my query, but decided against it, thinking to myself that "It probably wasn't that bad." Guess I was wrong!
Yep. I looked it up last night after mentioning it because I only recently heard the term. I was sorry I did.
We had to fight a villain who had him a ring of regeneration down there....
What a bastich!
Yeah... who would look? He could just keep coming back over and over again and no one would have a clue.
"A ring of protection that doesn't go on any fingers or toes."
:O ;)
I can see this guy with the "Engineering" mentality. By that I mean he sees the most direct solution to problems as beeing the best one. It also fits with the True Nuetral allignment and choice of weaponry.
Rot Grubs in your arm? Lets just chop off... at the shoulder to make sure.
Why a repeater xbow? Can't get hurt by bad guys who are dead before they reach me.
Scythe and Improved Trip? (one of my personal favs BTW) Guys who are flat on their back can't run from my spells, like Scorching Ray.
A very dry, literal personality, which can lead him to say things at time that will make the rest of the party break down laughing even though he meant each word.
Just my two coppers - Roth :-)
You've probably got a pretty good handle on him now, but this is fun, so here is what I see in my Crystal Ball of Dwarf Stereotypology:
He is one of the few Dwarves with an interest in magic, and he takes the attitude of "it's a tough job, but someone has to do it." He approaches magic practically and scientifically, like an engineer as the above poster suggested.
He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder where other Dwarves are concerned, as he feels like he constantly has to justify his choice of profession to them. He compensates for this by being a little condescending to others, especially non-arcane Dwarves, and tends to regard people who aren't magicians as being not quite as intelligent as he is, whether or not that is true. He takes the "you wouldn't understand anyway" attitude with others when someone questions his motives, and is a big fan of the "*sigh*, if you want something done properly you gotta get a Dwarf" school of thought when dealing with other races.
Despite this he is very keen to prove that arcane magic is useful, especially to other Dwarves and his allies. He is helpful and a bit of a know-it-all but he's basically an alright bloke. And he DOES know what he's talking about, after all.
I see him as wearing thick layers of red robes under a mass of webbing and straps. He is festooned with weapons and bandoliers of bolts. He has a wide brimmed hat and smokes cigars. I see him leafing through his grimy spellbook and yelling "I got just the thing!" in the thick of a firefight.
A friend of mine in real life tried getting that extra ring slot, if you know what I mean. A horrifying experience to be sure. He went in for a tattoo and then abruptly changed his mind. So remember kids: when it comes to body mods, commitment is not a dirty word.
That's it in a nutshell.....
I don't even want to know what a nutshell is. Is that like the PA?
A friend of mine in real life tried getting that extra ring slot, if you know what I mean. A horrifying experience to be sure. He went in for a tattoo and then abruptly changed his mind. So remember kids: when it comes to body mods, commitment is not a dirty word.
LOL - My friend did the same thing, but didn't walk away. Got it, then afterwards, had to go to the bathroom. The piercer neglected to tell him certain details and the experience was, uh, painful.
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WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! *fatherly stern voice* I go away for a few hours and THIS happens to my thread?!? Piercing of genitalia discussions! Go to your rooms! Your lucky your mother's aren't here to see this! I am very disappointed in you young men, and Lilith! I'm surprised! I leave you in charge of the kids and THIS is what I find when I come home!?! I'm docking your allowance! I just don't know how you can earn back my trust...... I'll deal with you all in the morning, but now go to bed!
FH
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! *fatherly stern voice* I go away for a few hours and THIS happens to my thread?!? Piercing of genitalia discussions! Go to your rooms! Your lucky your mother's aren't here to see this! I am very disappointed in you young men, and Lilith! I'm surprised! I leave you in charge of the kids and THIS is what I find when I come home!?! I'm docking your allowance! I just don't know how you can earn back my trust...... I'll deal with you all in the morning, but now go to bed!
FH
My biggest laugh of my day. Thanks, Fakey.
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Hee-hee. That was fun.
I played this character last night, and I like him. I went for totally bald (head & face) with tribal/mystical tattoos running around his head. 2 earring from the left ear with a bit of fur and feathers on one and a small animal skull on the other (a shrew). I forgot to add the goggles that I wanted to, so I need to work them in next time. Dressed in well kept dark leather(not quite black) with red stitching and patches on the knees and elbows and many pockets. Chain shirt underneath. His first action in the first combat: fire crossbow and hit 1 of 4 minotaurs for 3 pts., second action in combat: ray of enfeeblement critted a minotaur for 10 pts of strength damage! Next round tripped that sucker with my scythe! Good stuff!
I like Ray of Enfeeblement combined with Improved Trip! Unfortunately I have a companion who is a Knight (phb2) and didn't realize that he couldn't engage in combat with a prone opponent, that was cool.
"How's the view from down there? Ya won't be seeing it for long!" I never even got hit because of the strength loss in my opponent! I think I like this group and character. I still need to incorporate more of his attitude but all-in-all a great start!
Thank you, guys and gals, for helping me come up with something I wouldn't have thought of!
FH
..and Lilith! I'm surprised! I leave you in charge of the kids and THIS is what I find when I come home!?! I'm docking your allowance! I just don't know how you can earn back my trust...... I'll deal with you all in the morning, but now go to bed!
FH
LOL! Good thing I didn't mention the "sprinkler system" part.
Oops. :P
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Tattoos are so fifteen minutes ago. 8-)
Perhaps scarification instead?
Scarification is so 7 1/2 minutes ago. Now it's all about the Prince Albert peircing.
Man, Prince Albert piercings are SOOO 45 seconds ago. Everyone who's anyone is getting themselves decked out in 3rd-degree burns!
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Man, Prince Albert piercings are SOOO 45 seconds ago. Everyone who's anyone is getting themselves decked out in 3rd-degree burns!Tattoos are so fifteen minutes ago. 8-)
Perhaps scarification instead?
Scarification is so 7 1/2 minutes ago. Now it's all about the Prince Albert peircing.
Dude, 3rd degree burns are so 10 seconds ago! The cool kids are all chopping off pinkys now! Take that tea-sipping pinky-extenders!
FH (can't seem to type the QAZ and P;/ keys anymore!)
Dude, 3rd degree burns are so 10 seconds ago! The cool kids are all chopping off pinkys now! Take that tea-sipping pinky-extenders!
FH (can't seem to type the QAZ and P;/ keys anymore!)
Pinky chopping is so 5 second ago. Kids these days are shotgunning off the top of their mop-topped pates, sprinkling seeds atop the resultant mash, and growing out a nice lil patches of Kentucky Bluegrass with which to let their trained squirrels tee off with tiny li'l golfballs. Heck of a thing to see, a hipster strutting down the thoroughfare with an athletic rodent glued to his head.
They call it getting a putt-putt.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Pinky chopping is so 5 second ago. Kids these days are shotgunning off the top of their mop-topped pates, sprinkling seeds atop the resultant mash, and growing out a nice lil patches of Kentucky Bluegrass with which to let their trained squirrels tee off with tiny li'l golfballs. Heck of a thing to see, a hipster strutting down the thoroughfare with an athletic rodent glued to his head.
They call it getting a putt-putt.
Okay, okay... you win.
They call it getting a putt-putt.Okay, okay... you win.
Lol. Winning is so 2 and a half seconds ago...
~laughter~ Man, it is a good thing you all do not have some real toys to play with! ~shakes my head~
C'mere wyrm. Git on this hook.
I'm trolling fer to citch me a Dagon fishes.
~smirks~ Should I tell the were-rabbit or should I leave it a suprise? ~Gives you an evil, fang filled smile~ Try it abolith bait! You really have noooo idea of who you are messing with! ~clicks my teach at you and scrapes my right claws agains each other, giving off a sound worse than fingernails on a blackboard~
~lazy grin~ Ah! Bravado! The refuge of the foolish! If you say so, oh hairball of doom!
~wicked laughter~ Ah, but that was not my hoard you pillaged, oh foolish mortal! It was Saern's hoard! I learned my lesson long ago. Now I just use my silver Capital One card and all of my lovely savings are protected.