Player Burnout

[The_Dood]

I have been given about five weeks warning to create a character for this weekend's game. Having purchased the Drow edition of Dragon, I was inspired to create a Pale Master. After seeing what the other player's are playing (Dwarf Fighter 5, Human Paladin 5, Cleric 2/Rogue 3) and the DM encouraging me to be good, I scraped the Pale Master idea and created a Shaman(OA). Unfortunatly as I progressed him to level 5 he became more and more evil.

I usually build my characters around a concept: Good, Evil, Undead, Rulership, etc. Unfortunatly I cannot be evil, The DM says undead would be considered gray necromancy but in his heart thinks it is evil, He also said their would be little room for empire building and diplomacy and if I were to create a character based around good it would mimic or pale in conparision to the paladin.

So here I am, stuck with character builds that lack substance, seeking ideas that are dark in flavor but not evil, something that will complement the party and that will keep me interested. So how do you come up with characters?, what themes do you use? and do you have any flavorful ideas to throw my way?

 

[Crothian]

Create an evil character that through some dramatic event has turned good and is now going to take care of the lose ends that lead him down the evil path.

 

[MerricB]

Have a character that is geased or otherwise required to quest. Tormented as much as you like.

Cheers!

 

[LostSoul]

Play a Neutral Fighter who wants to be good but keeps faltering at the important moments. His self-preservation instinct (and his desire to protect friends and family) keep him from making truly self-sacrificing actions (or attaining enlightenment).

 

[Knightcrawler]

You could always play a character pretending to be good. Of course this would require a private conference with the DM and his okay on it.

 

[Pyske]

My last character concept seems to fit very well the feel you're looking for: an assassin, evil with all the excuses (I was an orphan, they beat me as a child, I had to steal to survive, love is just an illusion, trust is a weapon used against the gullible, etc.), who died and went to hell. A villain needed information from her, and since speak with dead was not sufficient, he raised her. Now she is looking for an opportunity to redeem herself, but she doesn't believe that "right action" is sufficient. She falls in with the party, who she is relying on to teach her how to value all the things good in life. At the same time, she is terrified of dying again before she gets the "goodness" thing right.

Other possible themes: The masochist. The doomed person trying to leave a lasting mark on the world. The glory hound. The pseudonaturalist. The ringer who will eventually come to value the PCs more than his employer. The rogue who secretly tries to "help" the other PCs when their morals are interfering with the best course (i.e. steals things and slips them into the next treasure hoard, forges orders to the paladin from his superiors, etc.).

. . . . . . . -- Eric

 

[Wicht]

Dark but Good makes me think Goldie from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". Go for the rough, individualist who while he can work in a team, doesn't need them and knows it.

 

[Palantir]

I've used Highlander as my source of inspiration for dark and moody heroes. Duncan and Connor had to contend with the fact that other immortals tried to kill them, all the while being unable to seek assistance from the mortals around them. Use alienation and isolation as your tools.

Your character may be part of a guild or cult that he now wishes he wasn't. Make it something truly horrific, something even the other characters wouldn't understand, and then watch the struggle as members of the organization try not to kill the PC, but bring him back under the (magical?) sway of the cult/guild. Your PC must contend with the knowledge of his past actions while never being able to let on the real reason these liches or vampires or illithids keep trying to kidnap and/or charm him. And, darn it, these troublesome meddlers keep saying things like, "You were one of us once" in front of the whole party!

Just a thought.

 

[hammymchamham]

I was playing a Drow Necromancer (Wizzard style) who was CN. He basically hated the evil his race commited, and would use stuff considered evil to, well, fight evil. He was going to eventually be a Shadow Adept from the FRCS. Too bad that campaign didn't last long, it was lots of fun. (The DM liked my campaign a lot and we started playing that alot.)

 

[radferth]

LN cleric of Wee Jas, with the death domain. Should get along with paladin, and death touch is a much better bluff than an attack.