[FR] Need help on character background

[Cyrik Skylark]

Alright, I started up in a new group yesterday... had all of about four hours notice to throw together a character, so I just grabbed one of my unused characters, pumped him up to the appropriate level, and took him to the game.

So, my problem is... the game is in the Realms, and outside of the little bit of FR info picked up from NWN, BG, and ID, I know absolutely nothing about the Realms (more of a homebrew player, I generally avoid published settings). What I'd like is some Realms-specific info to back up the general background he had at creation.

The condensed, original background: Aerlyn Galondel, Elven cleric of Kord. Raised by human barbarians for the first thirty, forty years of his life, then followed along with a traveling cleric of Kord, eventually becoming one himself.

So, what would be some Realms-specific parallels for that generic background?

I would just go out and buy the FRCS, but I don't have a spare $30-$40 at the moment. >.<

Thanks in advance.

 

[NiTessine]

Well... There are two ways I'd go about this...

First, the elven way. Just make him a wild elf cleric of Fenmarel Mestarine, the CN elf god of feral elves, outcasts, scapegoats, and isolation. This would explain the barbarian upbringing of the character quite well.

The, the one that stays truer to your original story... A moon elf originally born in Silverymoon, in the North, who wound up being raised by an Uthgardt barbarian tribe. Switch Tempus in place of Kord, and you've got yourself a Faerûnian.

 

[ruleslawyer]

You've got some basic issues to deal with. First off, Kord is not an FR deity; the closest analogues would be Tempus, god of war, or Uthgar, patron of the Uthgardt barbarians and a demigod whose portfolio involves strength and combat.

For a brief overview of FR gods:

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/2596/00Deities.html

Second, elves in FR typically don't worship human deities. Your cleric certainly could be an exception, since he was raised by humans.

Third, you should decide what kind of elf your character is. The reasonable short list of options is:

a) Sun elf: These are the most "civilized" of elven subraces, the leading proponents of elven magic, art, and lore. Get +2 Int, -2 Con instead of +2 Dex, -2 Con. I don't recommend this for your cleric, for the simple reason that sun elf doesn't fit with the background I'm about to suggest.

b) Moon elf: Closest to D&D elves of the FR subraces. The majority of elven adventurers in the Realms come from this subrace. A not-bad option, although (c) may be the best.

c) Wood elf: More nature-oriented elves that inhabit the great forests of the northern Realms. +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha, favored class ranger. May not be a bad choice for you.

A suggestion: Your character is from an elven community in the High Forest (the greatest of the northern Realms' forests). His community was destroyed by a nighttime attack by drow elves, but his mother hid him. He was later found by Uthgardt barbarians of the Tree Ghost tribe, who were following the visions of their shaman, which told them that a "beacon to light the way to the Lost Tree" was to be found in the area. They adopted your PC into their tribe, and he eventually, as a young elf, helped them find the long-lost Grandfather Tree in 1364 DR. Meanwhile, your PC had been trained as a shaman (cleric of Uthgar) by the tribe's shaman.

Howzat?

For more info on FR PCs, go to the following:

http://members.tripod.com/KingsTears/downloads.htm

Scroll down to the "FR Guidelines" link, which will start the download for a 36-page PDF which should get you started on character generation.

 

[Angcuru]

What ruleslawyer said.

Don't create too much of a background to start though, for all you know he might bite the dust in the first round of combat and you'll have wasted your time.

And BTW, Playing Baldur's Gate helps you out more than you think, even more so if you played Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal.