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Need help in creating a solid character. This question is not about builds and feats, but only about the very nature and idea.
Introductory concepts:
1. Half-orc.
2. Paladin.
3. On some moment, the Abyss start to speak 'throw him'. It's a shock and horror for him and he is unable to full control it, only partially (so as not to do evil).
Technically it will be two levels of paladin and oracle after. Or alternately, we'll see. As oracle, he'll get an Outer Rifts Mystery (and it will exactly Abyss, yes). As oracle's curse he'll have the Tongues (with abyssal language certainly) and The Powerless Prophecy (with half-orc's sacred tattoo the idea will be that in these tattoos writings his future and his mission, but he is unable to decipher it; and they appeared that day when the Abyss 'opened' in him). Curses will be two because of archetype. Last but not least, his mind a bit shaken from it all, and his wisdom will be only 7 .))
That's the idea, now I want you to help me to enrich it with details. First of all, how does the unfortunate paladin will live with this event, as he became "the Oracle of the Abyss"? What will he do? How will this affect the codex? How he should behave in order to combine these two opposite vectors?
Please help me to come up with the backstory of the guy and his current. I like this dilemma, the drama of the character. And I want to develop this in something that will beautifully and intelligently fit into the world of Golarion.
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.)))
HERE is a guide to the Oradin (Oracle / Paladin) that is pretty good.
Dude, I specifically highlighted in bold that the question is not about build. I'm interested in the fantasy of living people on the history of the character and his temper, not another guide on "how to make a super-killer". Thank you for your attention, but it's really not quite what I need ;)
As you have seen, the question remains open. I'll wait for ideas! Any possible interesting backstories and concepts of the behavior of the character - in the studio! Thanks in advance to anyone who can find 5-10 minutes and give interesting ideas. Any clue might be useful to "revive" the character.
Paladins heavily emphasize redemption. A Paladin that hears voices from the Abyss is probably being called by some power to find their own redemption by redeeming others.
Adding in Oracle is essentially doubling down on the mystical aspect of the divine. You have powers you cannot fully control, driving you to an end.
Pathfinder has a lot of story elements where angels go bad and fall or demons repent and are saved.
I'm not loving the 7 wisdom, unless you intend to invest your level increases in it to simulate his growing control over the voices.
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Thank you, sir!
This is already much closer to what I need. The idea about increase of wisdom just so gorgeous. Really, it's like a visual demonstration of gradual "mastering oneself".
Perhaps there is some suitable story to be inspired? About the redemption of demons and falling angels in the framework of Golarion. I'm still not familiar enough with small stories on the theme of folklore of this world - only the basic strokes. Maybe there's a good book on the subject? I hope that the influx of people to the website soon subsides (or the site will technically handle it) and it would be possible not only to buy, but to download after .)
And secondly, any ideas for background? What first comes to mind for this character.
The Paladin struck down an enemy connected with the Abyss, either a demon or a mage in the act of summoning a demon. As the mage/demon died, he gave off a death curse. The Paladin would forever hear the call of the Abyss every moment of the rest of his life.
The Paladin spends the next year of his life nearly going mad. He almost kills himself several times. But through his devotion, he begins to find a way to use the power he was cursed with. Still, every time he does so, he knows he's tempting fate and the demonic powers are ready to claw at his soul and pull him into evil.
So, is he righteous enough to live with this curse and use the dark power to fight evil? Or will he fail to control the power and fall to the demonic realm? Or should he simply end his doomed struggle by suicide?
Pure gumption. He uses his Charisma to tough it out. He draws upon his inner strength to ignore those evil whispers lapping at the base of his mind.
Maybe a little bit like Spawn, using evil power sources to combat evil powers. (But obviously not as brutal as Spawn.)
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With respect to concept: Keep in mind that the Abyss has more than just Demons and Entropic Fiendish creatures in it. For instance, it has Qlippoths, which REALLY DON'T LIKE DEMONS. Qlippoths generally feel the same way about mortals, whom they view as being responsible for the continued amassing (even if not the initiation) of Demos, but Qlippoths that can see beyond that might actually find some use in being patrons for a Paladin who is fighting Demon-spread and Demon-spawning sin, as opposed to an Antipaladin, who is probably spreading sin instead of fighting it, even though they are closer in alignment to the Demons that they are fighting than they are to the Paladin. Of course, being as they are, any contact they make with a Paladin is going to go horrifically wrong . . .
With respect to build: If you aren't wedded to Dual-Cursed, you could go Paladin VMC Oracle instead of true multiclassing, thereby retaining full Paladin progression. Although taken literally, this gives you the Curse at 1st level, since you don't get any net benefit from VMC Oracle until 3rd level, I see no reason why the VMC Oracle part couldn't kick in at 2nd or 3rd level instead of 1st.
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Why is he a Paladin ? Of which deity and why ? Did he become a Paladin because he heard the voices or did he start hearing them later ?
Dual cursed archetype : which curse will never progress ?
I like the low WIS because it reflects the fact that he has only a tenuous grasp on what is real, torn as he is between conflicting impulses and voices clamoring for dominion over his soul. With time he will learn to master them and be his own individual rather than the pawn of mystical powers
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Enchanter Tim - it's just so good! Thank you so much.
UnArcaneElection - thanks! Never heard about this creatures before. Gonna think about this.
SmiloDan - you're got the idea! Good 'mood' for the character.
The Raven Black - I think it is patronised by one of the Empyreal Lords. There will be no progress in the curse of Tongues.
Thank you all. So.
Based on those thoughts that you gave me:
I think he is from Mendev. He was just grown in the order of the Paladins, and being a paladin was not his choice, but maybe just his fate. Maybe he doesn't know his parents, and those who know conceal this secret. The years have passed, he's grown up, began to fight evil as it should. Perhaps, one day 'slayed' demon cursed him, and dropped words, that all his ancestors are already in the Abyss, and soon he will join them. At night after this event, he gone crazy and lost control of himself, and when woke up, he was covered in his own blood and tattoos, the meaning of which he does not understand (and all this he has done himself).
Since then, he constantly feels especially acute some dark low desires, which become particularly strong in the time of stress (combat, etc.) and transform into full-fledged voices in his head.
(Btw, it looks really more like a Paladin / Bloodrager. Never thought about that, although that makes perfect sense with this backstory - unknown ancestors, etc. I'll think about it.)
However, these dark voices inside have some advantages too - they tell him a different perspective on things, give the power to defeat evil... And the main thing is not to listen to them too much - otherwise he can fall completely and irrevocably (so there is a struggle within).
Anyway, he leaves his 'house' (the monastery/order/fortress) and sent to travel. He wants to understand what is the meaning of the mysterious letters-tattoos on his body, who were his ancestors and what to do with all this. Somewhere deep down he feels that he cannot commit suicide, etc., and the demon wasn't lying - his soul will fall into the Abyss (a little in the style of John Constantine).
He devotes himself, of course, not only the search for personal answers, but also aid in the redemption of any creature that chose the path of darkness not by his own will, and who wants to find a way to light. He believes that coupled with his own research, this noble way will save his soul and perhaps the souls of his mysterious ancestors.
...
I agree that it's a little corny (Hello from Baldur's Gate, Constantine and others), but the genre of "stories of the paladins" is a bit like this, I think. In any case, how reasonable/logical it sounds from the point of view of the world of Golarion?
P.S. And thank you all again ))
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Just an interesting potential add-on as I'm digging the concept of a character being pulled at from multiple sides: what if he had the Chosen One archetype?
So on one hand, he has this celestial emissary familiar trying to guide him towards light, and on the other, Abyssal forces trying to use him for their own nefarious ends?
By the way, Half-Orc has a Redeemer Paladin archetype that suits your wish to redeem creatures that fell to Evil without their own choice. Unfortunately not compatible with the Chosen One archetype, because they both alter Smite Evil, but they both alter it in ways that should be compatible, so it's worth asking your GM. Note that for Chosen One, you really need Paladin full progression to make use of this (True Form for the Familiar is at 7th level, and you DON'T want a Familiar without progression anyway), so you would need VMC Oracle (unfortunately no VMC Bloodrager exists).
And if the Abyssal voices in his head are Qlippothic rather than Demonic, they could be wilfully telling him the truth about how to defeat Demons. Of course, who says the voices in his head are from just one subtype of creatures? Maybe he has BOTH Demons, Qlippoths, and maybe even Demodands and other rarer types of Abyssal creatures whispering (or maybe even shouting) in his head . . .
If you do go with Chosen One, especially if your GM lets you shoehorn Chosen One and Redeemer together, it's worth working with your GM some more and instead of True Form building upon you having had some time to argue with the voices in your head and apparently influence them, and giving you an Arbiter, Cassisian, Harbinger, or Silvanshee Improved Familiar, you get something totally off the wall: A (apparently redeemed) Quasit (Demon) or Cythnigot (Qlippoth). Just when you thought you were starting to beat the voices in your head, you pass into a new frontier in madness . . . And if that wasn't enough, the existing rules about alignment subtypes and creatures that do not match their alignment subtype already indicate that such a creature would ping on both Detect Evil and Detect Good (and be vulnerable to both types of Smite).
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Two purple goblins and broken iron box did not allow me to send messages. So.
Gulthor This is a very interesting idea. I did not pay before attention to this archetype, thank you!
UnArcaneElection thanks, that's really cool. A lot of ideas and creativity. Yes, I also think about the Redeemer. And another option is the Dusk Knight from the Blood of Shadows. This is the darkest paladin of all - incredible stealth and interaction with shadows is very cool and can help to create an image of the paladin, using darkness to fight darkness. And thanks again for your ideas, they are really cool.
the existing rules about alignment subtypes and creatures that do not match their alignment subtype already indicate that such a creature would ping on both Detect Evil and Detect Good (and be vulnerable to both types of Smite).
Actually, i think that was changed, because if i remember correctly
Actually, i think that was changed, because if i remember correctly ** spoiler omitted **the existing rules about alignment subtypes and creatures that do not match their alignment subtype already indicate that such a creature would ping on both Detect Evil and Detect Good (and be vulnerable to both types of Smite).
I was just going by the Rules As Written.