FRCS: Character Concepts. Help!

[Tetsuwan]

I have been invited to play in an upcoming Forgotten Realms Campaign and I am feeling a bit daunted. Why?

Up until recently, all of my campaign games have been in well developed home-brewed worlds, of which I know back to front. It was never a problem creating a well-thought out PC.

With the entrance of this new Forgotten Realms campaign the DM (along with all the other players) have been playing in the Realms for many years and as such, they are looking for well developed characters. E.g, Detailed backgrounds including the PC’s early life and adventuring years, where they grew up, etc etc. Now this is where my problem lies….

My knowledge of the FRCS is very very limited, and I am to create a Level 10 character, of any class or race, using the FRCS rules (including point buy system for stats) and including the character concept details listed above. Yikes!!!

Whilst I own the FRCS and am currently reading and learning it as quickly as possible, the campaign is to start in a few days and my character is no where near started.

What I’m hoping for, is that some of you, regular, all-knowledgeable FRCS types, would be able to give me a bit of advice on creating a character that will get me by in this campaign, whilst I have the chance to learn more about the Forgotten Realms, its history etc etc.

The PC is to be level 10, can be any race (except Drow), class and from any region. Any character concept ideas would be much appreciated by this FRCS virgin……

 

[Methinkus]

My advice is to “roll” up a region at random (that means close your eyes and point to a spot in the section of the book that goes over geography and nations) and read all about it. Then design your character based on what you like from that region. There is a whole world of possibilities to chose from, but if you don’t have the time to get into too much detail, almost all of the area’s outlined in the FRCS have enough information to inspire several interesting characters each.

After that, make sure you check up on popular deities from the region you chose, as resurrection is impossible in FR if the character is not strongly aligned with a specific church.

If that fails, just be another chosen of Mystra. God knows there are already 50 of them and no one would notice if the crazy witch vomited some more of her divinity into a mortal for no good reason.

 

[Nightfall]

Go as Elminster! No just kidding. What I think you SHOULD try is definately a wizard. Wizard or some arcane sorcerous type (bard/sorcerer) and your thing is, you enjoy playing pratical jokes on the locals. Like for example, you enjoy making fool's gold, to pay people to take demening jobs, but you ONLY do this to people that are selfish, arrogant or generally disliked by all. You also don't care much for the gods, even though you are devote worshipper of Savars, the god of diviners. (You see yourself as a kind of truth seeker.) Thus you are both clever, a little brash but never cruel or facitious.

That help? Oh and you're from Athkatla, the capitial city in country of Amn. Hope that was a little more helpful.

 

[Oni]

If the DM is using the current timeline, what about a refuge from the City of Shade (most of the populace is human) that just recently appeared in the desert of Anauroch. Either someone trying to escape persecution by the shades or an explorer that wants to have a gander at the new world they've just landed on .

 

[BadMojo]

The PC is to be level 10, can be any race (except Drow), class and from any region. Any character concept ideas would be much appreciated by this FRCS virgin……

Sounds like fun!

Do you have any idea what kind of character you would like to play? I think it might make it easier for folks to help you out if you give us a starting point. Any kind of character concept, however vague, would be a nice place to start.

 

[Nightfall]

I think that's kind of the problem Mojo, he's not sure. I just suggested arcane caster because of the AMOUNT of arcane casters in FR is pretty DARN high.

 

[Chun-tzu]

How about an awakened hamster that pretends to be the familiar, but actually is the wizard? Can you take a commoner as a familiar? If not a commoner, than maybe a disguised zombie or unseen servant could be your "master."

(That thread on awakened animals has twisted my mind!)

 

[fba827]

One FRCS character concept that I wrote up but never got to play because the game died before it started :

(this presumes you are allowed to use PrCs from FRCS as well)

A wizard from Thay. He subsequently joined the Red Wizards of Thay (al la PrC) after a couple levels of that though, he had an experience that changed his life (by changing his alignment) and he decided he no longer wished to be part of the Red Wizards.

he leaves.

This means the Red Wizards don't like him because he knows more than a typical outsider should know. He may have some "wrongs" that he did that he may want to correct if he can (or at least feels a little guilty if he runs into someone whose life has been altered by something done by the red wizards or done by himself).

In this aprticular campaign, I had tied the character to the rest of the group by stating that the life changing event was something related to the current group of PCs that is what gave him reason to join them.

Anyway, that aside -

Seriously, since you don't know much about FRCS off hand and do not have the time to sit and read a lot -

1) Pick a random location to be from
2) Develop a concept based on that locations description
3) Fill in details from there ...

 

[Tetsuwan]

You are an astute man Nightfall. I seriously don't know where to begin with the character concept. There is so bloody much of the FRCS to absorb that my brain has turned rather mushy.

Oni: The refuge from the Shade City sounds like cool concept....if I had any idea what this shade city thing was... :-(

As an aside, I have a tendency to lean toward spellcasters. I enjoy figuring out new ways to use spells and the like. Though in truth I am pretty much happy to play anything so long as I have a good concept.

I also lean towards playing friendly, outgoing, goodly type PC's. I love heroic.

Thanks to everyone that has given their advice, it IS appreciated.

I have been mulling over the concept of an archer type character. A bold, brash man, with a keen eye, wicked wit and a sharp tongue to match.

Any suggestion on a FRCS region that would suit this type of concept? What about prestige classes?

Thanks

 

[hong]

The thing about the Realms is that it's so big that nearly every character concept could conceivably be made to fit. That includes the completely mundane ones too.

Play a mercenary fighter from the Dalelands. This is about as "generic adventurer" as you can get. The Dalelands are basically your classic isolated-area-with-dungeons starting ground for campaigns. To the north you have Zhentil Keep, which is your classic evil power with designs on world domination. To the south you have Cormyr, which is (more or less) your classic shining realm of truth, law and righteousness. Somewhere in the surrounding forest is Myth Drannor, which is your classic abandoned elven city, crawling with monsters. Lately drow have also been seen in the area, to make life even more interesting.

Elminster also lives in the Dalelands, but I'd refrain from working him into your character background. Trust me, this is for your own good.