Funny thing my character did in our last game

[der_kluge]

I had to share this.

My character is a 17-yr. old female rog1/sor3. She has charm person, change self, and shield as her 1st level spells. Her whole thing is that she's kind of a con-artist character. Her alignment is true neutral, and you basically can't trust her as far as you could throw her. She is eventually going to take the mindbender PrC.

Anyway, the campaign has taken place primarily in the city, and she's used her cash, and her great looks and natural personality to gain her own personal beggar army. She's got all these bums all over the city that keep her aprised of the latest goings on, and they act as spies and messengers for her.

So, long story short, we're in this warehouse fighting these assassins who attempted to prepare an ambush for us by capturing one of our allies. The combat was wrapping up, and one of the assassins fled on foot. I threw my owl into the air and told him to follow the man. The owl followed him all the way to a tavern on the other side of town where he proceeded to enter. I told the owl to make sure he didn't leave. I ran all the way to the tavern, where I used my last spell to change myself into Joe Sixpack. I walked into the bar and slipped some gold to the barkeep and he pointed the guy out to me (now no longer wearing his assassin outfit). We caught eyes, and the guy fled again. I ordered a mead. I told the owl to follow him again.

After I got my mead, I left the tavern and followed him to this plaza area, where the guy was trying to lose me in the crowd. So, I dropped my change self, and started passing out silver coins to the bums in the area and told them to follow the guy for me. "Make sure you don't lose him." To which the bums responded "follow him, or do you want us to just roll 'im?" Fine, grab him.

So, there I am, with my mead in my hand, and my own personal army of bums in an alley with this guy, now claiming that he's a "simple merchant". I didn't fall for his ruse, and got him to give me the name of his leader. Then he asks, "how do I know you're not going to kill me?" To which I replied, "you don't" He told me what he knew, and then I sheafed my rapier and said, "1 gold coin to the bum that brings me this man's head."

Then all hell broke loose, and I stood back in the alley (with my mead!) and waited for one wiry bum to land at my feet with the head yelling for me to take it! I paid him 2 gold for being entertaining.

That next day, the guards were giving us a report of all the activities during the night. Of particular interest was a report of a bunch of bums eviscerating a simple merchant in the plaza district. To which my character replied, "hmmm, that's interesting."

 

[Wolfspirit]

Well, none of the groups I've been in ever had a bum army, but familiar owls have been popular for tracking people. They also dobule as a way of judging an enemy's strength, since if they can recognize the fact that it's a familiar and take it out, we get a bit more wary (I've seen more familiars go to negative hp or die that way...)

 

[der_kluge]

That's true, but it was nighttime, and I told it to go high. So, I don't think the guy ever did see the familiar. The GM was just trying to make it hard on me, I think.

 

[Mobius]

In a Rolemaster game I play in, my beastmaster character has a she-wolf 'familiar', and I really like how my GM handles the relationship. She won't come near me when there are other people around, is skittish even when we are alone (ever see wolves interact with people?) and does not understand my speech at all. The first time I met her, I had to wait for two hours in the bush alone so that she could get used to me enough to come in to meet me. She circled and bobbed in and out just like a real wolf would when unsure of the situation.

So far, I have trained her to come at a whistle if I am in trouble, but even then she has to be within hearing of my whistle (pretty far for a wolf, though). The training took a couple of weeks in game time, so this is definitely a long term relationship.

What I like about it is that the wolf isn't just a personal animal slave that I can order around to do things for me. I have to interact with her as if she was an actual animal - which she is. It is a departure for me that I like because most of my GMs let me do the owl thing you describe.

 

[Renaissance Man]

Mobius, you're lucky to have a GM who puts this kind of thought into the animal's behavior and role. Most of the familiars, animal companions, psicrystals, etc., that I've encountered are flat and two-dimensional. They fade into the background until they can be put to some use - more tools than creatures. The same can be said for most of the henchmen I've met.

 

[Vaxalon]

I had to share this.

Don't be surprised if your DM hasn't already put a note on his private copy of your character sheet that says something like "edging towards chaotic neutral". Do you think that just because she paid for the hit, she shares no guilt for it?


Oh, and in my game, beggars who are actually willing and able to do something valuable don't stay beggars for long, so it's clear that you've got a pretty damn generous DM.

 

[der_kluge]

Chaotic neutral wouldn't be far off, and wouldn't bother me that much, actually.

As for the beggars, they've all I've got! My character is actually quite weak, so when I get a chance to actually do something that's useful, it's quite a switch. I'm planning on taking leadership in a couple of levels, so I can inspire the beggars to even greater heights. I just need money so that I can train them to be fighters.

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

Pretty cool story.

If there is a thieves guild in town, or political control freak, better watch out. Bums aren't the kind of people that will keep their mouths shut for a couple of gold or some drinks.

You might end up in some sort of power squable.


Enjoy your character!

Taren Nighteyes

 

[the Jester]

This is a great story, and a great example of a dm allowing a pc to run with his concept and not nerfing it. Also, it's a pretty good example of beggar behavior in a fantasy setting.

While we're on the subject of beggars- I've found in my experiences with the homeless that they often don't really mind being homeless, and even given the ability to "rise above" their situation, a lot of them don't. I think it's all about the comfort of the familiar, and I certainly don't want to say all homeless people are like that, but some certainly are. You might be surprised at how lucrative panhandlling can be.

 

[toberane]

You might be surprised at how lucrative panhandlling can be.

I've seen interviews in magazines with bums and ex-bums who used to make enough money begging in New York that they had a nice house in Long Island, a couple of cars, a family, etc. When Dad was going to work, he'd get dressed up in rotten, filthy, smelly clothes, head into town, beg for several hours, then head home to relax, just like a regular job.