Help with character background.

[Melkor]

My previously burned out DM has started to get excited about running a game again, and he emailed me and asked me to have him a character concept by Monday, and be ready to play on Wednesday night.

He hasn't decided on a Campaign Setting yet, but it will be Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk.

I always play Fighters or Rangers - and I do mean ALWAYS, so I thought I would play an Elven Wizard who specialized in Conjuring (Outsiders to fight his battles for him). Tying into that concept, he would have researched summoning creatures from the lower planes....and his family would have cast him out for studying "dark arts"...The family was a highly influential Noble elf house, and he was an embarassment. I'm going to have him fight with a Spiked Chain just for the heck of it.

The DM also would like me to come up with 5 NPCs that he will flesh out and tie into the story.....I'm kind of stumped on this. I would like to roleplay some attachment to people and family the character knew before being "banished".....Thoughts for possible NPCs:

1) Love Interest
2) Rival
3) Sibling (brother or sister - not sure how they feel about character yet)
4) Mother OR Father
5) ?

Any ideas to help me flesh out this character and NPCs that he interacts with ?

Cheers.

 

[cdsaint]

My first thought would be his mentor in the dark arts of summoning. Someone not entirely evil, but not exactly good either. Could this mentor be redeemed? Or will he slide entirely into evil, possibly becoming a powerful undead?

 

[cdsaint]

Whoops!

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

How about a crazy old grandmother who's presumably senile, but her arbitrary statements start to have significant synchronicity with the character's life.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Familiar.

Best Friend who taught the character how to use a spiked chain. Sort of like Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four. Phsyical and practical to your cerebral and arcane.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

My previously burned out DM has started to get excited about running a game again, and he emailed me and asked me to have him a character concept by Monday, and be ready to play on Wednesday night.

He hasn't decided on a Campaign Setting yet, but it will be Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk.

I always play Fighters or Rangers - and I do mean ALWAYS, so I thought I would play an Elven Wizard who specialized in Conjuring (Outsiders to fight his battles for him). Tying into that concept, he would have researched summoning creatures from the lower planes....and his family would have cast him out for studying "dark arts"...The family was a highly influential Noble elf house, and he was an embarassment. I'm going to have him fight with a Spiked Chain just for the heck of it..

Well, for FR, perhaps a gold elf wizard (spec. conjurer). Could later gains the Thaumaturgist PrC (in the DMG, IIRC). Or, since it's FR, maybe he could be a user of the Shadow Weave (esp. if he's evil/sorta evil/neutral but leaning towards evil).

For Greyhawk, a grey elf wizard who goes for Thaumatugist.

Hmm... lower planes, eh? Demons? Devils? Yugoloths? Demodands? Which kind of lower planes creatures in particular (or eventually)? What about slaads?

Could use a spiked chain, but couldn't get the Exotic Wpn. Prof. for it until 3rd lvl. or so (need a BAB of +1 for Exotic Weapon Prof., IIRC). May want to consider multi-classing him as a monk (if so, then his focus would be on devils & other lawful outsiders). A high Dex would work great for his AC, Weapon Finesse with the chain, & Reflex saves. A good/high Wis would augment both his AC & his Will saves. Main class focus (of course) would be wizard, but the monk levels would give him a bit of extra "oomph."

If possible, get the issue Dungeon of that has the Critical Threats section feat. Evard (of Evard's Black Tentacles). He's also a conjurer who lets others do his fighting for him, IIRC. May give you a few ideas to work with.

The DM also would like me to come up with 5 NPCs that he will flesh out and tie into the story.....I'm kind of stumped on this. I would like to roleplay some attachment to people and family the character knew before being "banished".....Thoughts for possible NPCs:

1) Love Interest
2) Rival
3) Sibling (brother or sister - not sure how they feel about character yet)
4) Mother OR Father
5) ?

Any ideas to help me flesh out this character and NPCs that he interacts with ?

Cheers.

Well for the linked NPCs, how `bout this:

1. Love Interest: How about a tiefling, half-fiend, or even a a full-blooded fiend like a succubus or erinyes? Could explain why he's so intent on learning summoning spells & summoning lower planes creatures.
2. Rival: An abjurer specialist wizard. Really focuses on spells that go against you PC's focus (like protection from evil, dismissal or banishment).
3. Sibling: A brother or sister who's a cleric--for FR, Azuth seems a good choice. For Greyhawk, Boccob would work well (maybe Wee Jas).
4. Parent: A mother or father who's a "respectable" wizard, unlike the PC. Most likely a multi-classed aristocrat/wizard.
5. ?--perhaps a future follower/cohort of the PC. Probably a fighter or the like to provide muscle for the wizard (when needed). Or, maybe a monk--could look & dress like an ordinary unarmed person, but is actually a fearsome opponent & very adept bodyguard.

Any of this useful for ya?

 

[pawsplay]

Let's change things up, shall we?

1) Love Interest - A simple elf girl. Sure, she distrusts him immediately and totally, but she can't deny there's something there. He finds her charmingly naive, but is easily wounded by her disapproval. He wants to master the powers of magic to smite his rivals, she just wants to settle down and start a family.

2) Rival - his master was killed by some kind of fiend. That Fiend is after him, and delights in disguising itself as a human and getting him into trouble. Once it has broken him, it will kill him.

3) Sibling (brother or sister - not sure how they feel about character yet)

Maybe some kind of bladesinger? I'm thinking the sibling does not hate him, but merely views him as misguided.

4) Mother OR Father

Father, a studious Wizard, completely scrupulous and kind, but very self-absorbed. He, of course, regards the PC as selfish, and has come to condemn him without addressing his own sense of guilt. He had a formerely adversarial relationship with his in-laws, but has since earned their sympathy.