[Dark Sun] Need help with a character concept...

[calypso15]

So, here's the thing - I'm working on a character for a Dark Sun game, and I don't know a lot about the setting. I played the original computer games (Shattered Lands and Wake of the Ravager), but that was years ago. But the real glitch is that I'm not allowed to read up on the setting. The DM has asked that I not research the setting.

So, I need to come up with a character without knowing anything about the setting.

My idea so far is to play a claw-fighter. A dex-fighter that uses two gloves with long, sharp blades on them (and before you say it, he's not based off Wolverine. He's based off Vega from Street Fighter 2 ). I'm thinking he was a gladiator, but now that the gladiator pits have fallen from favor he's moved to something else.

That's really the extent of my knowledge of the setting. I know Tyr is a big city. It had a gladiator pit.

To give a bit firmer impression for my character, I'm thinking a combination Rogue/Fighter, with Tumble, Perform (Dance), dunno what else.

So.... any thoughts? (Note, I'm not looking for build suggestions, though you can if you want. I'm looking for help fleshing out the concept, background, etc.)

Calypso

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

So, here's the thing - I'm working on a character for a Dark Sun game, and I don't know a lot about the setting.

...

The DM has asked that I not research the setting.

So, I need to come up with a character without knowing anything about the setting.

That's odd. Has he explained why he wants you to be a totally clueless newb, given that your character has likely grown up in the setting?

That being said, DarkSun is a heavily psionic setting. (I hope I'm not spoiling any surprises with that comment!) If you've ever wanted to experiment with psionics, now might be a good time to do so. There are a number of powers that work by giving you claws, and enhancing said claws, so that would fit in pretty well with your current concept.

 

[Gaiden]

Knowing a bit more about information available to you would be helpful.

For example - what races have you been informed of, what classes outside the PHB are you aware of (allowed to know about), are you interested in playing a non-demihuman humanoid, do you want a "magic" or non-"magic" based class.

For your Vega concept, you could probably get away with any combination of fighter, rogue, bard, gladiator (KoK), or swashbuckler (CW, IIRC) levels at early levels.

 

[calypso15]

That's odd. Has he explained why he wants you to be a totally clueless newb, given that your character has likely grown up in the setting?

That being said, DarkSun is a heavily psionic setting. (I hope I'm not spoiling any surprises with that comment!) If you've ever wanted to experiment with psionics, now might be a good time to do so. There are a number of powers that work by giving you claws, and enhancing said claws, so that would fit in pretty well with your current concept.

I'm not really sure. I think he's afraid I'll metagame (he doesn't know me, I just met him for the first time last week) or something. Even his regular players don't know jack about the setting.

Oh, and *GASP*, psionics? Oh man, I'll have to try not to metagame. I have a problem when I try to make a psionic character. That is, I start off thinking "Oh, I'll take a couple levels of psionic warrior. It fits well." and I end up with 8 levels of Psion. I don't understand it.

Calypso

 

[calypso15]

Knowing a bit more about information available to you would be helpful.

For example - what races have you been informed of, what classes outside the PHB are you aware of (allowed to know about), are you interested in playing a non-demihuman humanoid, do you want a "magic" or non-"magic" based class.

For your Vega concept, you could probably get away with any combination of fighter, rogue, bard, gladiator (KoK), or swashbuckler (CW, IIRC) levels at early levels.

I'm allowed to use PHB, DMG, and some stuff he's pulled and house-ruled from Athas.org.

Races allowed: Standard PHB except Gnomes and Half-Orcs, Bird-men, Pteredactyl men, half-giants, Muls, Thri-Kreen.

For Gladiator, he's using the one from Sword and First. That's the only thing from splat-books allowed (Besides XPH of course).

I wish I could take Swashbuckler. I'm actually considering Monk now, because, apparently, they get Tumble and Perform, which would get me into Duelist.

But I digress. With as little I know about the setting, the best I can do is be from Tyr and always have been from Tyr. But.... I mean, what is Tyr like? I don't know anything about it other than the name.

Calypso

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

But I digress. With as little I know about the setting, the best I can do is be from Tyr and always have been from Tyr. But.... I mean, what is Tyr like? I don't know anything about it other than the name.

The answer to that question depends very, very heavily on when in the DarkSun timeline you're playing.

 

[calypso15]

The answer to that question depends very, very heavily on when in the DarkSun timeline you're playing.

Hrm. Someone that was ruling Tyr was killed/left. It's a free city now. That happened a couple years ago I believe.

 

[Storyteller01]

Hrm. Someone that was ruling Tyr was killed/left. It's a free city now. That happened a couple years ago I believe.

I know that, in the last novel, a dragon king 'left' his city to meditate/sit in a volcano for X years. When he came back, the spirit of the city had taken his place. No one knew he left.

I read that a LONG time ago though.


According to the Dragon Mag for Darksun, each race has its own innate psionic power (small amount of hit points and one power) except for Thri-kreen, who gain 1 point and a few psionic abilities per day. Thing is, the abilities are based on the Expanded psionics handbook. This the same same book that introduced Dark Sun abilites and equipment without being a 'Darksun' title (Much the same way OA intro'ed L5R d20 without actually saying so).

I'd check out the d20 SRD for psionics. Could give you some heads up on equipment, powers, etc.

Things like this will be in the Ex. psionics hand book:



Chatkcha: A crystalline throwing wedge with a range increment of 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of piercing damage, threatens on a roll of 20, and deals double damage on a critical hit. If it misses, the chatkcha returns to the thrower at the start of his next action.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Hrm. Someone that was ruling Tyr was killed/left. It's a free city now. That happened a couple years ago I believe.

Well, see, that's the thing.

If he's setting his game before the Prism Pentad novels, then that's not necessarily the case.

If he's setting his game during the Prism Pentad novels, then it's pretty much up in the air as to who's in charge of the city, seeing as the political situation was very unstable at the time.

If he's setting it after the novels, then the group in power is pretty firmly ensconced, but are under more or less constant attack from those outside the city.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I know that, in the last novel, a dragon king 'left' his city to meditate/sit in a volcano for X years. When he came back, the spirit of the city had taken his place. No one knew he left.

I read that a LONG time ago though.

That would be what happened to Hamanu, the Lion of Urik, not Tyr.