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I am building a character for a series of modules, nothing too long term. I decided to play an Archaeologist Bard (race undecided). There are some party dynamics behind this decision and it isn't really important, just take it as a given that I am playing an archaeologist.
Secondly, looking at the Bard weapon proficiencies they can use a whip. I thought, "Hey, I've never used a whip, that could be fun." So my build is basically a whip in one hand and a longsword in the other. I will mix things up between long sword attacks and whip attacks, doing a little battlefield control and generally just trying to have a good time. (Most of the players are new, so there is no reason for me to optimize. The GM has said he plans on going easy on us)
It wasn't until after picking archaeologist and deciding to use a whip that I remember a certain obscure movie character named Indiana Jones. Seriously, it didn't occur to me because I was excitedly thinking through my build. Then came the OhCrap moment when I realized I was making Indiana.
So, I still like the build. How do I NOT make an Indiana Clone? I'm looking for character creation choices and personalities traits that will play down the similarities to Indiana Jones. Reskinning the archaeologist might work too if anyone has ideas.
Thanks
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Have him have a pet snake.
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Make him a drow. Then while you're at it, change his class to ranger, and give him two scimitars. There, now you have something that is definitively not an Indiana Jones Clone
Wear armor. That'll throw them off. Mithral breastplate will still let you cast and there are several ways to wear it without penalty. Also, be careful with your choice of hats. Also, have a good motif or colorscheme going that isn't Indiana Jones.
Do you have any particular way you want to play him? One of the big things is to play him how you like. I know friends can sometimes pick on you for resembling something, but remember your fun comes first. If you play him how you want to he may end up looking nothing like Indiana Jones anyway, and I go for the opposite they still might comment on it.
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Some easy ideas:
- Don't wear a hat.
- Or use a revolver.
- Be a chick.
- Be a gnome.
- Or an orc.
- Don't let anyone call you "Junior".
- Don't be named after your dog.
- Don't punch people so hard that it sounds like a gunshot.
- Don't have John Williams do your musical score.
- Don't have a sidekick named Short Round.
- DO have a sidekick named Chewbacca.
- Have a one-armed-man as a nemesis.
More seriously, just change the entire personality.
Indy was selfless, always seeking adventure but mainly so he could recover artifacts for museums. You could be the opposite, hating adventure, always complaining about the rain, the temperature, the danger, the darkness, the bugs, whatever, and when you find precious artifacts, keep them for yourself. More like Dr. Marcus Brody, when he got into the field (which was rare, and usually disastrous - so you don't have to be that useless), but more greedy and less dedicated to his museum.
Indy was a nice guy, mostly, though I wouldn't want to be his enemy. You could be a jerk, always looking out for yourself and your profit, working with a team because you have to but not necessarily because you personally like them or because you're a likable guy that they want around. More like Belloq from the first movie. Even he wasn't that bad, though he was far more greedy and far more willing to deliberately kill his rivals than Indy ever was.
Indy was an action hero, swinging across chasms, racing on minecarts, brawling, running, jumping, etc. Your character could be more like his dad, Dr. Jones Sr., an academic with his nose in a book and his mind on the details of the journey, fighting only when you have to (and complaining about it when you do), solving great mysteries with your brain rather than your brawn.
Are you talking about roleplaying tips?
Indy was always kinda.. grumpy. He got excited about the prospect of exploration and pure archaeology but he wasn't that much of a people person. He just wanted to do his thing and everyone kept getting in his way/tried to kill him.
Maybe your character is a lot more jovial, or very friendly.
Indy was also all about the knowledge and the history.. not the money. I dunno about the alignment of your PC or the party but maybe your a little more mercantile.
Also, Indy was a very fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants and very VERY lucky. Maybe your character can be a little more cautious, take less risks, or maybe be a major planner/tactician.
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they named the dog Indiana
Make the character female - most people can't see past a nice pair of legs.
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The problem with the whip master line, is that is is designed to make you become Indy. All of the whip tricks are things he does in all the movies. Combine it with an Archaeolgist bard, and It's next to impossible to not have some resemblance to Indiana Jones. That said, you can minimize it by how you play the character. I joked about a Nagaji, but non-human is a must if you want to minimize the similarity. Indy is also flirty, confident, and rakish, so make him hidebound or stuffy, and socially awkward. Think less Dr. Jones and more Dr. Brody.
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Another thought: actively condemn the 'Indy' style Archaeologist - those guys ruin the reputation of respectable professionals like yourself. They are all a bunch of ninny's who think that, because they can out run a boulder and can tell rubies from garnets that they somehow qualify as experts in these matters.
By actively calling out what you want to avoid, you help others associate you as NOT it.
What do they call that? Hanging a lampshade on it? something? I'm not going to TV tropes to find out.. I have too much to do today.
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@MrSin:
Actually, part of the problem is that this is a new group. Were I playing this character in my existing group of old friends, I would, as you say, be brutally mocked, but mostly tolerated. With a new group I don't want to come across as a Drizzt-playing munchkin, as Tholomyes implied (jokingly, I'm sure)
@DM_Blake
I'm giving the character a pretty high INT. The other three players are basically noobs, so the GM asked me if I might could make a character who could offer in character advice to keep them from doing something stupid. Your idea about playing the Senior Dr. Jones makes me think of giving this guy some gray around the edges and making him not too interested in doing anything risky or foolish.
Maybe I will take Eldritch Heritage to give him a snake familiar... which I will name Short Round. It might be better to just acknowledge the similarities up front.
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Go Calistrian
puts a whole new spin on the whip thing
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I'm not familiar with the Whip Master Line. I am just planning on Combat Expertise and Improved Trip. That will likely be my total investment in whip.
I was planning on half-elven, but I totally agree with the race thing. I might switch to half-orc. I could have the same stats, I'm going to lose that Skill Focus (Perception) though.
So, I am picturing a middle-aged cheerful fellow full of sage advice who believes in doing things by the book (Pathfinder Society Field Guide in this case). Not the least bit interest in women. Probably Lawful Good.
Mr. Rogers with a whip.
I think I'll wear a cardigan and have inside and outside shoes.
Half-orc may lose skill focus, but you gain darkvision.
I'm not familiar with the Whip Master Line. I am just planning on Combat Expertise and Improved Trip. That will likely be my total investment in whip.
I was planning on half-elven, but I totally agree with the race thing. I might switch to half-orc. I could have the same stats, I'm going to lose that Skill Focus (Perception) though.
So, I am picturing a middle-aged cheerful fellow full of sage advice who believes in doing things by the book (Pathfinder Society Field Guide in this case). Not the least bit interest in women. Probably Lawful Good.
Mr. Rogers with a whip.
I think I'll wear a cardigan and have inside and outside shoes.
so uh basically indy's dad
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so uh basically indy's dadI'm not familiar with the Whip Master Line. I am just planning on Combat Expertise and Improved Trip. That will likely be my total investment in whip.
I was planning on half-elven, but I totally agree with the race thing. I might switch to half-orc. I could have the same stats, I'm going to lose that Skill Focus (Perception) though.
So, I am picturing a middle-aged cheerful fellow full of sage advice who believes in doing things by the book (Pathfinder Society Field Guide in this case). Not the least bit interest in women. Probably Lawful Good.
Mr. Rogers with a whip.
I think I'll wear a cardigan and have inside and outside shoes.
The difference is, if you can play Sean Connery in a game, you [censored] play Sean Connery.
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The difference is, if you can play Sean Connery in a game, you [censored] play Sean Connery.so uh basically indy's dadI'm not familiar with the Whip Master Line. I am just planning on Combat Expertise and Improved Trip. That will likely be my total investment in whip.
I was planning on half-elven, but I totally agree with the race thing. I might switch to half-orc. I could have the same stats, I'm going to lose that Skill Focus (Perception) though.
So, I am picturing a middle-aged cheerful fellow full of sage advice who believes in doing things by the book (Pathfinder Society Field Guide in this case). Not the least bit interest in women. Probably Lawful Good.
Mr. Rogers with a whip.
I think I'll wear a cardigan and have inside and outside shoes.
I'll play your game, you rogue
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I'm not familiar with the Whip Master Line.
It's from Ultimate Combat. Whip Mastery lets you do lethal damage and damage foes regardless of armor bonus. It also lets you use a whip without drawing AoOs. Improved Whip Mastery lets you threaten with the whip as a reach weapon, and you can grab small and tiny objects with a whip, or use the whip as a grappling hook to climb/swing. Greater Whip mastery lets you grapple with the whip.
Be a half-orc and when you use your luck bonus, play a music clip that ISN'T the Indy theme. Reach back to the original (crappy) animated version of The Hobbit and use the goblin music Where There's a Whip, There's a Way. You may get dice thrown at you, but no one will say you're ripping off Indiana Jones...
don't let him use guns or quick gun like spells...and actually have him make his bluff checks...(indy can't bluff to save his/or his girl's, life) definitly no hat, don't let him find the arc.
Well if you want to be Not-Indy I definitely suggest you get this because it is in no way reminiscent of Indiana Jones in the slightest.
Be female and dress like a dominatrix. You know, like Rosie O'Donnell.
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I don't understand the premise of this thread. Why would anyone want to not be Indiana Jones?
Had a friend play a whip-using adventurer named 'Kentucky Smith' once.
It was pretty fun!
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The only reason for not wanting to be Indiana Jones is that I haven't played with this group before. Seems like an odd first impression.
Despite the Mr. Rogers stuff above, after sleeping on it I am now leaning towards a selfish half-orc who is closer to tomb robber (help me NOT make Lara Kroft) than pure archaeologist. He's got the knowledge skills, but just to intentify possible dangers and opportunities.
@Atarlost
Well, I did mention not being concerned about optimization. :)
You are correct, of course. I plan on starting combat with only my longsword out. Most of my spell casting will be buffing early on. Then the whip comes out. If I have to cast again. I'll drop one of the weapons. That's the nice thing about carrying around two.
I hope to god you were kidding when you said obscure and referenced indie...
Avoid the Dark Delver prestige class then.
Also no hat.
That said a little bit of Indie should be ok, just subvert a few of the tropes/parameters and explore things like magic a bit more. Choose an interesting race other than human. Elf perhaps?
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Make the character female - most people can't see past a nice pair of legs.
Yeah, model him instead on the Nazi archaeologist chick from the third movie (who sleeps with Indy and his dad to get information). :)
Or have the whip have some other significance, such as being the holy weapon of the characters snake-deity. (Perhaps the character is obsessed with serpentfolk lore, and feels that they have a smidge of serpentfolk blood. Not enough to warrant playing a Vishkanya or whatever, but enough to identify more with that species than their own, and to come up with conspiracy theory nonsense about how any ancient ruins or civilizations were secretly masterminded by hidden serpentfolk masters...) The character will spend off-time writing up and attempting to distribute archaeological monographs about how the ancient Azlanti were uplifted by serpentfolk, and only maintained their cultural supremacy through the secret machinations of their true masters, and all modern architecture, etc. has design elements taken from serpentfolk discoveries, such as the keystone arch.
The archaeologist isn't looking for 'the truth,' they're looking for confirmation of their own whacky theories. (The fact that the Azlanti *were* secretly uplifted by another race (just not the serpentfolk...), and certainly architectural elements were spread, by elves, dwarves, etc. only serves to leave behind 'proof' that the character can twist to confirm their theories!)
Swap out serpentfolk for 'orc' and have the whip be something adopted after finding a carving suggesting that whip-wielding orcs build the great cities of the Darklands, and you've changed it up again.
A tiefling from Cheliax might similarly maintain that devil-blooded taskmasters once ruled the world, and that those such as himself will once again dominate thin-blooded humanity, using his terribly slanted archaeological 'discoveries' to verify his Fortean view of history.