Your favorite setting and two favorite PCs

[Stormborn]

Our group tends to play lots of short campaigns and thus we have lots of PCs in lots of different world (both homebrew and otherwise) and while in several cases we have moved on from the campaigns and are unlikely to go back I occasionally hear (and occasionally utter) laments that we miss this character or that one. So taking a page from the Exiles comic, I have hit on yet another great-campaign-idea-that-we-will-never-get-aroudn-to-playing:

Each player chooses two favorite PCs (or if the player is usually a GM two favorite PC appropriate NPCs) and recreates them as 8th level characters; either using the actual character sheets or reconstructions as best as possible. Using materials not availble at the time the game was played is acceptable, and even characters from other games that might not be fully compatible with the core rules are allowed, the idea is to recreate the experiance of playing the character as best as possible even if exact mechanical recereation is impossible. If, in the opinion of the GM/other players the new PC is too unlike the original it will not be allowed.

PCs have been sucked from their own Material Planes with the histories they remember up to 8th level and transported to Sigil. There a mysterious benefactor explains to them that they have been chosen because, unbeknownst to them, they have been touched by a powerful transplanar being. This being is also disrupting the Material Planes for reasons that are as of yet unclear. The team's mission is to go to various Material and other Planes to make small corrections, typically to kill certain beings or destroy certain objects. If they fail their own realties will deteriorate, resulting in nightmarish scenarios (alternate versions of already played adventures whenever possible if the PCs had been succesful); however, if they succeed their own realities will be restored and they will be allowed to go home (with the incentive of alternate versions of already played adventures if the PCs had failed originally).

Players choose 2 PCs, one to serve as backup and instant replacement if the main PC dies, and one favorite setting, preferablly a specific location.

So, just for fun, my question is: Of all the games you have played what are your two favorite PCs (or NPCs as above) that you would like to play again and what is your favorite setting?

My answers:

Fideous ap Gareth, Sentinel of the Wall: One of the last of a dying and somewhat reviled order of Paladins. Fideous was scruffy and unkempt and had traded Kn(nobility) for Survival and a mount for a Celestial Hound. The Law he was bound to was that of his Order and only his Order, but he was Good to a fault. A Paladin is the mold of a gritty Western hero. He was seeking the death of the great black dragon that had destroyed the capitol city of his order's ancient home land and turned the surounding lands into a vast swamp known as the Despair. When last we played he had recently recovered his father's sword, a family heriloom, but was seeking to remove its curse. He and his companions were traveling deep into the swamp to destroy the dragon's allies.

Will Corbie: He was a recurring Rogue NPC that had been the apprentice of a spymaster patron of the PCs. The spymaster was killed and transformed into a lich like pawn of the one of the many villains that were hounding the PCs. During the course of the adventures Will's soul got trapped in a mechanical body and was only restored when the PC that loved him used a wish granted by a grateful goddess to restore him to life. Will was charming and acrobatic, cast in the mold of Dick Grayson, but because he was an NPC in a game I was running I never let him show what he could really do.

Setting: Sharn, Eberron - no doubt about it.

 

[Mycanid]

Setting - Greyhawk. Never been another in my heart and soul. First love and it has stayed so enthroned for almost 27 years now.

Favorite PC's... A little harder to decide:

1.) Well, likely my favorite recent one would have to be Jaleel al-Qizhalem. He originated from a desert background and was a LN half-elf ranger 1/soulknife 1/psion (nomad) 2. He was TOTALLY cool to play and his name was Jaleel al-Qizhalem. He had been originally a ranger who had an inherent psionic talent developed by the Xeph, who also had been the ones to introduce him to the worship of Xan Yae.

The closest I could come to describing him is a cross between a desert ranger and a dervish with a meditative/psionic bent - almost a zen buddhist monk type. His main "theme" was gracefulness and movement (a la the nomad), and best expressed in slow, perfectly poised and stately dance - which is the main manner of worshipping Xan Yae at both sunrise and sunset.I loved playing him....

Xan Yae as a diety is often portrayed as a very tall, graceful female wielding two falchions one-handed. Eventually I had intended to develop the soulknife side of him to this ideal. Since they are psiblades, they are, of course, quite light. Of course, Xan Yae is also a patron of psionics.... Another aspect of Xan Yae, if you remember, is a love of secrets - both keeping and discovering them. The "quest for inner knowledge" sort of thing fits well with this. Jaleel was very soft spoken and formal in address, as well as quite respectful of all - even if he had no respect for who or what he was talking to ... the standard models of desert civilization based behavior. Finally, Jaleel was a very non-urban sort of fellow. He felt uncomfortable even in small villages. He could get by, of course, but vastly preferred the wilderness.

2.) Other than that probably my favorite older one would have been Leelen Birchwalker. I'll put his description in another post ... hafta find it here.... :\

 

[Mycanid]

ah HA! Found it pretty quick. Here is the description of Leelen. He went through the Toee campaign, btw, and was an Adnd 1e pc.

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"Leelen Birchwalker was born in the lands of the Far East, in the southeastern parts of the ancient Adri Forest, which lies on the border between the mighty land of Nyrond and the ancient, dying Kingdom of Aerdi. Leelen is a Grugach, that is, one of the “wild elves”, as they are known to their kin and the world at large.

What the names of his parents were Leelen has never known. What little information he has concerning them come from his foster parents. His father was nowhere near when he and his twin sister Meekola were born (it is thought he met an untimely death), and his mother died in birthing them. Nor is it known why his mother was in the Adri Forest , far away from any known clan/gathering of the Grugach. The Grugach do not dwell in the Adri Forest Tribes of the Grugach known to dwell nearest the Adri Forest are the Gamboge Forest (which lies far to the Adri’s northeast and lie between the border of Nyrond and the Theocracy of Pale) and the Grandwood Forest (which lies to the southeast of the Adri and has the capital of Aerdi, Rauxes, right in between the two). To make matters more mysterious, Leelen was told once later in life that the clothes of his mother (which were preserved by his foster parents) were the sort commonly worn by the Grugach of the Grandwood.

The Grugach infants were found next to their dead mother by a small group of Dryads very near the ancient Wood Elf dwelling of Erianrhel in the southeast part of the Adri. One of them took pity on the twins and wanted to raise them as her children, but the other Dryads wanted to ask the counsel of Elmenanibeniquen (or “Elmen” for short) - a local Treant who is something of a sage of the Grandwood in particular and unique among his kind. Elmen is friendly, kind, and even talkative for a Treant, and was well disposed towards the little orphans. After gazing at the twins for a long time in silence he agreed to the Dryads raising them, and said that he and the other faerie folk would help as well.

Thus, Leelen and Meekola were raised by the faerie folk of Erianrhel, and they taught both of them the ways of the Adri Forest. They learned about the trees, the other plants, the mushrooms, berries, the Harp river (and how to swim and fish therein while avoiding the Adri’s inhabitants), the weather and seasons, how to survive out of doors year round, how to train and care for the woodland beasts, how to lay natural snares, pits and traps, how to stay hidden from prying eyes, how to hunt, how to forage, how to make his own clothing, how to fight with blade, bow and dagger, how to ride stags, how to make nets and tree platforms and how to camouflage their dwellings and many similar things. In other words, they received an upbringing very similar to what a normal Grugach would (for Elmen knew much of the Grugach).

Yet there was much they learned that was not typical of the upbringing of a Grugach family as well. In this it was Elmen that served to form their mind foremost. The first languages the twins learned to speak and think in was Dryad and Treant. The next languages were of the faerie folk - Leelen learned Pixie and Buckawn fluently. His last languages were the common tongue of the Humans, Thieves’ Cant and Grugach itself, as will be seen. Elmen told the twins of the history of the Adri woods and the Grugach themselves, and then expanded on whatever either mind seemed to show interest in. Leelen showed the greatest interest in all types of Elvish histories, legends, poetry, ancient songs and lore as well as (curiously) that of the faerie folk. Meekola, being both smarter and wiser was more metaphysical and was interested in the forces of nature and the “Elemental” realms. Not surprisingly, Meekola later went on to become a Druid of Obad-hai under the tutelage of Immonara herself (perhaps in part because of what Elmen had revealed to her in his formative years about the most terrible parts of the Adri - the Coldwood - for the safety of protecting that knowledge) and remained in the borders of the Adri.

Yet this was what Leelen loved to hear about most of all - the tragic histories and songs of the nearby City of the Summer Stars, its mighty Queen Sharafere and her terrible son Darnakurian. He often would go for walks near the borders of where the forbidden , abandoned city was said to be - now known as the Coldwood - and would walk amongst the birch trees, going over all he had heard during the course of the day from Elmen in his mind about the city and listening to the wind blow through their boughs. In fact, this is how Leelen got his last name. Two or three times Leelen as a child even encountered one of the Sentinels, who, as usual, warned the young Grugach of the dangers of the Coldwood and were surprised when the tiny childlike Elf began to speak with them about the ancient histories of their city in ages past. They did not enter into conversation with him at any time about these matters, yet one time one of the ageless guardians asked if he knew any of the songs of that time. Leelen sang one of them in his beautiful high voice and even drew a smile from the Sentinel before it vanished.

He had learned the song from Gwydiesin of the Cranes on the one of the very rare times he had come to speak with Elmen and finally overcame his fear to ask him a question. The song was so beautiful that Leelen idolized him from that day forth, and the ancient child of Johydee, seeing the twins pure hearted love for him and their innocence, told and sang for them many things … things rarely heard in the world of Oerth any more. For Leelen, no one, not even the Dryads, the gentle and wise Treant Elmen, or any of the faerie folk are more noble or even “spiritually beautiful” in his eyes than Gwydiesin. And that has remained so to this day. At deepest root Leelen is an aesthete in the makeup of his entire being - and Gwydiesin was his “first master” in this realm.

Other than the Adri’s ancient City of the Summer Stars, Elmen taught Leelen of the other kingdoms of the Elves still in existence at that time and their histories - of the kingdom of Celene, the moon mages of the Grandwood, the elves of the Gamboge, the Welkwood’s inhabitants, the Gnarley forest, the Heartlands and the Lands of the Tree in the Vesve and the aquatic elves - particularly those known as the Silverbow Sages living around or near the Lendore Isles. Yet he also learned of the Valley Elves within the Valley of the Mage and the terrible dark elves. Of these latter two Leelen does not often speak. Of the humans, however, the only nation he learned of in any great detail was the Great Kingdom of Aerdi. Other than the Elves and the Faerie Folk, Leelen knows very, very little of any other nation or even humanoid race.

At the point, however, when Leelen and Meekola had reached 150 years of age, Elmen thought it was time to let the Grugach chose their course in life. For Meekola there was no question at all. She went to be with the druids of Obad-hai to learn from Immonara and protect the Forest she so loved and had been raised in. For Leelen, though, the answer came unexpectedly from Gwydiesin. Although Leelen had always felt much more at home amongst the faerie folk, one day after a visit from Gywdiesin, Elmen told him that he confirmed the necessity for Leelen to go out into the world to deepen his knowledge and experience. When Leelen asked where he should go, Elmen slowly shook his head and answered that Gwydiesin had just said that he should make for Verbobonc, “where he would be needed.”

So, Elmen sent Leelen to the far Western parts of the Adri forest to another small band of Grugach (only seven of them) he knew of and entrusted him to the mentorship of an ex-adventuring Fighter/Thief Grugach (of the “Acrobat” sort - one strong and agile) who lived amongst their number named Wirremn. The Grugach band, although distrustful of Leelen at first slowly came to regard him as one of their own and even began to only address him by the nickname the faerie folk had given him: “Birchwalker”. He still loved to go towards the colder parts of the forest and walk amongst the birch trees that thrived closer to the center, listening to the wind blow through their branches.

It was from Wirremn that Leelen refined and polished the arts of warfare and stealth, as well as the common tongue (he speaks that local flavor spoken of in the ancient Kingdom of Aerdi), the Grugach tongue (as spoken by the Grugach of the Gamboge Forest, where Wirrremn was raised) and Thieves’ Cant. He also spent a lot of time in the nearby “town” of Elversford and learned a little of the ways of men and the world.

After completing his training for nine years Leelen head off through Nyrond for Verbobonc.

Character Traits

In general Leelen is very quiet and listens, rarely speaking. His is completely unused to the ways of humans and civilized cultures in general, but is polite and respectful, if cool and distant. His “alienness” of behavior and bearing combined with his eerie, other-worldly beauty have raised many an eyebrow. However, Leelen loves children of any sort - although this is especially so amongst the animal world - and will unerringly become very kind and utterly gentle with them, while remaining silent as ever. Also, Leelen absolutely loves his diminutive, wise and utterly beautiful sister Meekola (more comely than Leelen - beauty of the stuff stories are written and kingdoms go to war over!) completely and utterly - she is the only blood kin he has ever known.

Leelen is quick of mind, has a natural talent for singing as well as a musical ear and a very good memory. As noted above, he especially loves tales, histories and legends - of the Elven peoples first and foremost but of all things … the stuff bards are made of. He loves to sing and listen to music, but the songs he knows are very ancient and very strange and have been learned from the faerie folk and the other strange creatures and beings he grew up with. Cruelty to the natural world elicits an ice-cold fury and his revenge upon such wanton destruction or evil will be swift and deadly.

Although he is physically beautiful and even somewhat of a “romantic” figure, he has little or no sex drive and prefers instead to spend his time in the beauties of the natural world. Once again, in his orientation of soul he is an aesthete, and one through and through, but not with respect to the other sex. His fine, almost delicate and lithe form betray an immense physical strength underneath, yet he is always very careful to be very gentle when needed - he “knows his own strength”.

Finally, he almost never speaks of the things he learned while in the Adri Forest, nor of his upbringing or those who took a lion’s share in it. This is partly based on caution from hard experience in Elversford and partly due to the inherent traits of the Grugach xenophobic nature."

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He was a BLAST to play! Ah ... those were the days, eh?

 

[Mycanid]

btw Stormborn ... sorry for such long posts

 

[caudor]

Setting: Forgotten Realms

I still can't put my finger on why this world appeals to me so much. I suppose it is because of the variety of cultures and the rich of the history. But there is also an aspect of realness that I feel but can't really explain.

My two favorite chars:

Caudor Quickcharm - Human Bard and follower of Milil.

Teggar Starglow - rogue with a good heart, but sticky fingers. "My hand fell into his pocket and something wrapped my finger, man"

 

[Doug McCrae]

Favourite published setting: Glorantha, or Eberron if it has to be D&D.

Favourite PCs:

1) Dog Girl, a superhero who believed, falsely, that her powers derived from being bitten by a radioactive dog. The concept started life as a Basic D&D fighter so would be easy to convert. I might make her a barbarian even though she was said to be a servant of cosmic order.

2) Catgirl Airu. A flighty catgirl thief who wielded a talking sword that had been intended for a paladin. Also easy to convert from BESM, make her a catfolk rogue/swashbuckler. Sword would have an int/ego, big plusses, can cast searing light 3/day.

 

[NexusMarc]

Favorite Setting: Dark Sun

 

[Piston Honda]

I've only played in Homebrew settings, but read up on quite a few of the major settings. I like the concept behind Dark Sun a lot, but I'm partial to low powered games.

Two favorites NPCs:
Artegal, Cleric of St. Cuthbert, bringer of divine justice. I don't recall if I ever used a Healing spell with him, the party was only ok with this because of my ability to drop flame strikes. I started to build a temple in the major city of the campaign, but then I broke the GM by disintegrating the big bad before he was supposed to get away.

Valin Adell/"The Grey". Illusionist, more potential than anything, the character essentially was slowly just shedding his old identity and becoming this more mysterious alter-ego that was interesting to see develop, but the campaign fell apart because of schedules. I always wanted to play this character in more of an urban campaign as a vigilante.

 

[howandwhy99]

Setting: Homebrew where the world grows

Two great PCs: My first 2e character ever, a bard, who travelled around with a monk in a 2-person game where we frequently sneaked away with treasure was awesome fun to play. I didn't know much about the game, so I played him like a wizard who fought people when he had to. The other is Brother Ben, Father Ben, Benedict. Benedict Selzkin, cursed member of the family Selzkin who slept "3 feet above the covers!"