Catch-phrases, actions and mentality of the overly dedicated.(My players out!)

[alsih2o]

In the new campaign my group is starting (I am a player this time) I am playing a strong, intelligent, agile, and incredibly un-wise fighter. His name is Orrin Porter Rockwell (Aka Cooper Rockwell, Cooper Porter, Orrin Cooper) and he is about 30.

Porter has been a cooper his whole life (Barrelmaker) and travels a small circuit making his barrels. For various reasons that don't matter much his life has gotten tough. Everything seems to be falling apart. Porter will come to the campaign at his breaking point. He has never been a religious man, but he is desperate.

In a moment of high stress he will be introduced to the other characters (already arranged with the DM). Having lost everyhting but his Coopers hammer (A sledge, warhammer for game purposes) he will fall to his knees and look to the sky. He will beg any God who has a purpose for him to show him "The Way" and give him a sign as he is prepared to end his life otherwise.

Enter the other PCs. I want him to have a totally irrational belief that he is the champion and protector of a member of the group or the cleric, depending on how I meet them. I see him looking to the sky and saying "Good 'nuff." And immediately seeing his purpose in life.

This is where I need help. Porter is a polite man, and will believe his hand is guided, a reluctant prophet (and very not-wise). I already envision him using his Intimidate skill by getting wihtin 5 ft and saying things like-

"No offense, but (Insert god name) wants me to hit you with this hammer 'til you die."

"Nothing personal, but I'ma gonna have to kill you now. Please don't resist, it how (God X) wants it."

I see him as having a perfect moral compass, whatever Character X says is Good must be Good.

Wis 5, strength 17, sense of purpose straight form a god, he just keeps waiting for his Divine spellcasting ability that never comes.

Any suggestions or pointers for playing someone this dedicated and shallow but good at heart?

 

[Rel]

A literary character that came to mind when I read your description was Tazendra from Steven Brust's Phoenix Guards and the subsequent books in the series. If you've read them then you probably know what I mean.

She is skilled at Sorcery and Wizardry (i.e. smart) but sort of clueless in many ways. She is always itching for a fight and eager to go on any adventure with her friends if the possibility of battle exists. She looks to her friends for guidance all the time and would gladly, eagerly lay her life down for them.

As for how this might relate to how you play the character, you mention that he's both intelligent and polite. Perhaps you could adopt a very "aristocratic" speech pattern for him. For example he might say to an enemy they are confronting:

"Good sir, you perceive that we have arrived at crossed purposes inasmuch as you have views that we feel are intolerable and I can only assume that you feel likewise about ours. As such, and since I am armed with this rather large hammer, the use of which I must admit I'm tolerably well aquainted with, I can only recommend that you make ready to defend yourself, perhaps paying particular attention to the area around your head as, if I am able, and I must admit that I believe that I am, I am about to stave it in. Here I come!"

 

[WayneLigon]

Depending on how the GM runs his deities, that plea and that amount of dedication might well get the notice of something. What would be really fun would be to give him a level of cleric or paladin. Sometimes he just knows things (augury), hits when he really needs to (true strike or magic weapon), or 'isn't quite dead yet' (CLW). He'd never realize it, though, with his low wisdom. Maybe the gods do look after fools after all....

 

[der_kluge]

"What are you doing with that hammer?"

"I aim to kill you with it. mmm-hmmm"


Couldn't you just rename him "Karl" and be done with it?


"I like french-fried taters, mmm-hmmm."

Heh. I love that movie.

 

[Rel]

"I like french-fried taters, mmm-hmmm."

We'll call this the "opposite end of the spectrum from Rel's suggested approach" or "The Billy Bob Solution" for short.

As catch-phrases go, it's certainly easier to commit to memory than mine.

 

[Rhun]

In the new campaign my group is starting (I am a player this time) I am playing a strong, intelligent, agile, and incredibly un-wise fighter. His name is Orrin Porter Rockwell (Aka Cooper Rockwell, Cooper Porter, Orrin Cooper) and he is about 30.

The name frightens me...but maybe that is just because I am from Utah. Are you modeling your character after the real person?

 

[nakia]

With that low wisdom, he may not realize (nor care about) many worldly complexities that would make sense to abide by in order to stay out of trouble. He could frequently resort to force (polite force) to solve problems or repay insults of the protected PC, which could put the party in awkward social situations. What's his intelligence and charisma? With an average or low charisma, combined with that low wisdom, you could play him as being always brutally honest. Come to think of that, you don't need a low charisma for that -- part of his dymanic could be always telling the blunt, simple truth and people still liking him.

With such a strong faith in his god and the other PC, he could put much of the imptetus for acting on a focus outside himself. Things are no longer about what Cooper wants, but about what god or the other PC wants. And, with such a simple faith, whatever happens is what god wants. Depending on his intelligence and how you want to play him, he may never have to wrestle with any doubts whatsoever about his faith and his chosen PC. A catch phrase could be "What/If (insert god name here) wills" He could say that for everything.

An interesting question to ask up front is what, if anything, could give Cooper doubts about himself and his faith?

 

[alsih2o]

The name frightens me...but maybe that is just because I am from Utah. Are you modeling your character after the real person?

Very, very loosely. In his dedication to a religious leader, yes. And the name.

However I have also mixed in some Robin, Lancelot, my high school wrestling coach, some Lenny form Of Mice and Men and the main character form SLapstick, by Vonnegut.

But I do LOVE that name.

 

[alsih2o]

He could frequently resort to force (polite force) to solve problems or repay insults of the protected PC, which could put the party in awkward social situations. What's his intelligence and charisma?


An interesting question to ask up front is what, if anything, could give Cooper doubts about himself and his faith?

Int 13, Cha 15.

I don't see anything being able to shake his faith as he is not so much a product of faith gained as a broken man rebuilt on instantly aquired faith. I DO see him doubting himself though.

 

[diaglo]

the low wis also explains his poor Profession (Cooper) skills.

i would avoid taking any ranks in other wis based skills.

pump up the str and cha based ones. but avoid wis altogether. otherwise you will feel like you are compensating. even though they are crossclass. like sense motive...