RB idea wanted.

[der_kluge]

I'm starting up a new campaign, and the sorcerer's brief history (that I've been supplied with thus far) has him being adopted as a payment towards the church for something. He has only recently found this out, having grown into adulthood.

Now, the details of this I can change, but essentially, he's not who he thinks he is, nor does he know where he came from.

I was trying to think of *what* or *who* he could be. It's not so easy to make him any kind of Outsider, since he'd be able to clue into that fairly easily. Plus, he didn't want to be hindered by any kind of type like that that he wouldn't be able to compensate for. So, if he was an outsider, he could be held back with protection from good spells, etc. He doesn't want that.

One idea I was toying with was to make him a clone of someone else. But, the description states that the duplicate is inert until the soul from the original claims the new host. So, that won't exactly work, but I figured it'd be pretty shocking for him to somehow meet his dying self who wanted to take over his body now, and that he would have to somehow keep the original self from dying so as to not lose his own identity.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

I'm starting up a new campaign, and the sorcerer's brief history (that I've been supplied with thus far) has him being adopted as a payment towards the church for something. He has only recently found this out, having grown into adulthood.

Now, the details of this I can change, but essentially, he's not who he thinks he is, nor does he know where he came from.

I was trying to think of *what* or *who* he could be. It's not so easy to make him any kind of Outsider, since he'd be able to clue into that fairly easily. Plus, he didn't want to be hindered by any kind of type like that that he wouldn't be able to compensate for. So, if he was an outsider, he could be held back with protection from good spells, etc. He doesn't want that.

One idea I was toying with was to make him a clone of someone else. But, the description states that the duplicate is inert until the soul from the original claims the new host. So, that won't exactly work, but I figured it'd be pretty shocking for him to somehow meet his dying self who wanted to take over his body now, and that he would have to somehow keep the original self from dying so as to not lose his own identity.

Maybe he's a twin? The king had to give up his first born son to the church, and he was it. Technically the kingdom is his, but for roleplaying fun, maybe his brother is a wonderful ruler who doesn't want to step aside for this interloper. Making the sorceror the outcast.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Perhaps the clone belongs to an enemy of the Church. The Church found out that this enemy (demon-worshipper/heretic/etc) had a clone created, and used some sort of magic to short-circuit the clone growth process - normally the clone grows to full size in a short period of time, maybe they stopped it/circumvented it when the body was child-size (ie: many years ago, and they then brought him to his adoptive parents to raise) - or else they took the fully formed clone, and hired a powerful psion or wizard to do extensive memory modification (in which case the PC could literally only be months old!)

 

[Nifft]

He's a Yuan-ti Pureblood, son of the mightiest Sorcerer of the Yuan-ti people, stolen by the Fey as revenge against the snake-men's depredations. He will have Fey allies so long as he fights the Yuan-ti.

He's the son of a Nighthag, and she will come for his soul when he is 21 years old.

He's the son of an Elemental Prince: Djinn or Efreet. His father will either reward him (if Djinn) or his brothers will seek to enslave & remove him (if Efreet). He can pay levels to gain the Half-Elemental template.

He's the son of a powerful plane-traveling Wizard who's gone insane. His soul's connection to his father's soul will be the only way to track the wizard down in the Far Realms -- why the human race needs to track the wizard down is up to your DM.

-- N

 

[arwink]

You could well be the illigitimate son of the temple's high priest (or a legitimate son, if the clerics aren't supposed to marry). Unable to send you away, he put you in a church orphanage and kept your heritage hidden. The clone idea works for this as well.

 

[Crothian]

He's a reincarnation of someone very important in the Campaign Worlds past.

 

[cperkett]

Right now, he's an enigma. Leave him that way until you have your campaign story arc thought out. Then plug him in. Any of the above suggestions may work great, but only if they fit in with the story YOU are creating.

The other question is: does the player have a definite way he intends to go with this character? Having him be a pureblood Yuan-ti would likely (but not totally) prevent him from taking up the Dragon Disciple prestige class.

My advice is: don't rush into knowing his background just yet until you are ready to have him figure it out. If you are just starting, that's going to be a while. In a campaign I play in, we had two characters that were foundlings. We're now about 10th level or so and one of them is just beginning to learn a little about his true heritage. The other died before he could find his parents.

Just my random two pence.

Chris

 

[Dougal DeKree]

Hello

You could make him a hostage that doesn't even know it is a hostage.
Maybe the church he thinks he belongs to has struck a deal with a competing church to cease hostilities and enforcing this by exchanging hostages.
Then the possibilities are many - e.g. the other cult breaks the contract and his church is suddenly after him...

Dougal

 

[der_kluge]

Interesting ideas.
Some more info, if it helps. I'm the DM, btw. I'm not sure that I was clear on that...

This characters are all starting the game at 9th, and this particular character is a sorcerer who is specialized in [Force] and etherealness-based magic. For what it's worth...

What type of creature are Yuan-ti, are they monstrous humanoids? Obviously, they're not in the SRD for me to look up...
The Yuan-ti idea is intriguing. I could make him look perfectly human, and then as he progresses in power (at some point, the characters may discover a pool of Godsblood from Malhavoc's Requiem for the Gods book) and that may create some drastic changes in his appearance. This player would FREAK out if he found out that he was a Yuan-ti! I also like the Fey angle to this. I intend for them to encounter a group of Fey creatures as part of their expeditions into the unknown. So, the Fey could figure out that this character is really someone they removed from the Yuan-ti as a baby, and would be much disheartened over his return!

I do like the CLONE idea, though, as well. Given that I don't have all the details on this idea fleshed out as well, I may go with the Yuan-ti. It's definitely rat-bastard, and quite original. Thanks, Nifft!

 

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

A few quick comments -

As far as the yuan-ti go, he'd have to have some level adjustment due to ECL - which might tip him off, or might not depending on how you dealt with it...

Building on the twin/clone idea, two routes:
1) Cloned via a powerful wish, doesn't know it, meets his 'original' on his deathbed - problem: he has a childhood, so why clone a child?

2) Twin - Not quite true twin, as sometimes happen, one twin was born a full 24 hours before the other, or mother was impregnated with child 2 while carrying child 1 - regardless, first born son had to be given away for (insert diabolical plot here, demon sacrifice, saved by paladin, given to church to raise was my first thought) and second son was raised to be extremely powerful noble figure (king?). However, nobles of the realm learned of the sacrifice, the saving, and recognized their 'true' leader, and come looking for him - both good and bad nobles - some want to crown him, some want to kill him, some want to use him as excuse for civil war.


I *like* the twin base idea


As a different idea altogether, try this:

Whatever alignment he chooses, find a dragon of similar alignment - almost all dragons have shapechange/polymorph into human form. Make him a dragon child, given to the church to raise, let him 'discover' half-dragon abilities as he gains in power - this could be 'quite' disturbing to a player if done right

Or, have his parent come looking for him, freaking out cities and villages, demanding to know where his son his

Even better - Have two dragons who have done this at approximately the same time, to different children. Now, the evil dragon comes looking for his child and finds your PC. As the complete and utter FREAK of your player begins to subside, the good dragon appears and demands 'her' son back .

Combine with the twin idea above for one 'hell' of a time for the player .