Character idea...

[Damocles Guile]

Wanted to get the general opinion of those who have played this AP on a character idea that someone in my group is going to try out... I'm putting it in spoiler text for our players as much as the rest of the board.

Spoiler:

The character in question is going to start off playing a Bard - an Arcane Duelist probably - but is going to 'retire' to run the Golden Goblin with his paramour the half-elved cyphermage and introduce a new character when the AP makes its dramatic shift at the beginning of Book 3. He's planning on introducing an Elven Paladin one with a mysterious past who joins the fight against the Drow and his true origins won't be revealed until very late, perhaps even at the climax of the adventure - he's going to be born a drow elf who's innate goodness caused him to spontaneously turn into a surface elf late in his adolescence, forcing him to flee from the underdark and find his calling on the surface - the only known instance of the event occurring in reverse.

What does everyone think?

[Pendagast]

Meh.

This player already knows WAY too much about the 'reveal'. Enough to really spoil the whole thing. The drow are supposed to be a "surprise". I also can't see a once drow paladin putting on dead skins of possible family members.

Why not just make the Elf an Elf, who is an envoy of the winter council, who eventually breaks ties with them due to what comes to light in the adventure.

I don't like the idea of a players planned background based on events that haven't even come to happen yet (like taking control of the golden goblin)

[MuseAmused]

This players knows ahead of time either way and there's no going back there. The way this AP is set up, I actually think it's GOOD for them to be aware that they won't be staying in Riddleport, because I know that's been an issue for various parties in the past.

Howeeeever... The idea of not trying to make a character that'll last through the campaign seems really weird to me. I kind of like the "reverse drow" thing, although I think that could end up with one player set up to have a bit of a leg up over the other players, information wise, which is rather unfair...

I'd recommend seeing if you guys can't find something that'll last him through the campaign as a whole, that'll reduce the friction of changing up the party's composition midway, and everyone will be on the same page. Overall you've got some interesting concepts here for if it was just a written story, but for an RPG, I'd recommend you guys work to come up with something else. That, or make it so ALL the players get a bit of inside information.