Suggestionf for a Half dragon background

Otterscrubber · Jun 10, 2004

I'm having trouble coming up with a name, much less a background for a half dragon/human ranger. My friend is starting a heaven vs. hell campaign where the group we are creating will be based in celestia and be a mid-level good aligned strike team from the heavens. Kinda like the "A" team. There will be plane hopping and demon fighting I'm sure but probably some mundane stuff as well.

The character I have chosen will be a 6th level Half Brass dragon ranger whose favored enemies will be evil outsiders and undead. He does not have to be from celestia, in fact I'm thinking he is from the Prime Material but he resides in celestia now. His main weapon is a 2 bladed sword, one blade is cold iron +1 bane vs evil outsiders and the other blade is +1 silver. It is designed to be used to kill fiends obviously. This sword will be his only weapon throughout his career. I plan on getting Ancestral relic as a feat in 3 levels so that he can upgrade it on his own with the story that the weapon gets more powerful along with its wielder.

Other than that I'm at a loss for his background and was hoping the helpful people of the ENWorld forums could help a guy out.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Napftor · Jun 10, 2004

Well, Otterscrubber, since your PC is half-brass, it'd be best to work in some kind of desert story in your background. Was the dragon parent nearby to raise him...maybe he was the only parent. This should get the creative juices flowing: a character raised by a dragon! Perhaps the sword the character owns is from the dragon's hoard; earned after adventuring for the dragon. The wyrm's lair became infested with evil desert-dwelling beasties around the character's age of maturity and he helped to fight off the creatures in exchange for bits of the hoard before leaving to make his way in the world. A draconic background may be one reason he was chosen for this "A-Team." But your DM may have a background in mind for the group's formation. Best to ask before developing your own this far.

Otterscrubber · Jun 10, 2004

Solid feedback, thanks Napftor!

Napftor · Jun 10, 2004

Otterscrubber said:
Solid feedback, thanks Napftor!

No prob. Ideas are my business!

Otterscrubber · Jun 10, 2004

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 12, 2004

Some odd thoughts-

While you cannot qualify for Dragon Disciple PrCl (which bans half-dragons), you might keep your eye on the Geomancer PrCl.

While you have chosen the double sword as your weapon, might I humbly suggest you take a weapon common to a desert culture- Scimitar, Falchion, Whip, and Khopesh spring to mind. Check out an encyclopedia of weapons (a real one, not one for an RPG.), or perhaps the old Al Quadim setting.

Perhaps you could also draw inspiration from the more famous Arabic legends- Ali Baba, Sinbad?

As for names- here is an exerpt of a discussion about the constellation Draco (the Dragon):

This is exactly what is foreshadowed by this constellation of Draco. Its name is from the Greek, and means trodden on, as in the Septuagint of Psalm 91:13--"The dragon shalt thou trample under feet," from the Hebrew Dahrach, to tread.

In the Zodiac of Denderah it is shown as a serpent under the fore-feet of Sagittarius, and is named Her-fent, which means the serpent accursed!

There are 80 stars in the constellation; four of the 2nd magnitude, seven of the 3rd magnitude, ten of the 4th, etc.

The brightest star a (in one of the latter coils), is named Thuban (Heb.), the subtle. Some 4,620 years ago it was the Polar Star.
It is manifest, therefore, that the Greeks could not have invented this constellation, as is confessed by all modern astronomers. It is still a very important star in nautical reckonings, guiding the commerce of the seas, and thus "the god of this world" is represented as winding in his contortions round the pole of the world, as if to indicate his subtle influence in all worldly affairs.

The next star, b (in the head), is called by the Hebrew name Rastaban, and means the head of the subtle (serpent). In the Arabic it is still called Al Waid, which means who is to be destroyed.

The next star, g (also in the head), is called Ethanin, i.e., the long serpent, or dragon.

The Hebrew names of other stars are Grumian, the subtle; Giansar, the punished enemy. Other (Arabic) names are Al Dib, the reptile; El Athik, the fraudful; El Asieh, the bowed down.

Or perhaps he could take his name from one of the creatures of the desert, like the scorpion?

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 12, 2004

BTW Otterscrubber- did you take your name from a certain comedian's routine? If so, could you remind me of his name-I loved his stuff, but I'm blocking on his name.

Otterscrubber · Jun 14, 2004

Dannyalcatraz said:
BTW Otterscrubber- did you take your name from a certain comedian's routine? If so, could you remind me of his name-I loved his stuff, but I'm blocking on his name.

Well I don't know why but I found it really amusing that some people have odd jobs. When the Exxon Valdez had its spill I remember the news covering the cleanup and I saw footage of workers who were helping to clean up the wildlife, one in particular was in charge of scrubbing the otters clean of oil. This struck me as an odd job. Did he apply for it? Was he normally a receptionist or a baker who was drafted into the job? I don't know, but I do know he was an otterscrubber. As I grew up I usually referred to one of my more liberal friends as an otterscrubber when I wanted to point out any unusually liberal attitudes he was taking in a conversation.

Then along came the internet and I need to come up with a username that other people weren't using. Otterscrubber worked well, for awhile anyways. The name seems taken now whenever I try to use it these days. Not sure when other people started using it but its useless to me now.

So sorry, no comedian info here. Perhaps he is the one using it and beating me to the punch when I try to use it on other message boards

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 14, 2004

I remembered the guy's name- Randy Kagan. Great routine in which he interviews a crotchety old otterscrubber, then starts to ask him inane questions not related to the job at hand (scrubbing otters), and the old guy goes off on him.