Star Wars: Need help with Jedi Guardian PC backstory!

Iron_Chef

First Post
I need help designing a backstory for my Star Wars d20/Knights of the Old Republic era Jedi Guardian, Verex Nal. Because my co-GM and I have been switching GMing duties, sometimes Verex Nal acts as a regular PC or GMPC (don't want to talk to myself or show favoritism!), depending on who's in the driver's seat. Nal has some moderately developed people skills (thanks in large part to his 17 CHA) and can be convincing (but he is kind of a smart-aleck that tends to get him in trouble), but he is more of a combat monster into fighting with two lightsabers. He did convince a Jedi Master/Council Member to part with a large amount of credits to cover promises made to temporary allies during a Council-backed mission. But this is a rare and surprising bit of eloquence from a guy who is widely derided as a "thug" with a lightsaber, LOL. Nal basically relies on orders from superiors and then he enforces those orders, typically in a combat role.

Nal is a 5th level Jedi Guardian. My unnamed, undeveloped master is off on an undeveloped mission (there's a war on, the campaign is set just prior to the start of the KOTOR CRPG). On good terms with Master Zhar Lestin (Twi'Lek Jedi Master/Council Member/Swordmaster from KOTOR). Was assigned to monitor progress of Jedi Consular Tegaris Ren, whose former master, Omara, fled the Order and joined the Sith, later rising to Darth. Council was unsure of Ren's loyalty. Ren turned out to be ridiculously loyal, but Nal found his loyalty tested time and time again on mission after mission. He finally earned a Dark Side Point for being greedy and trying to gain control of a bunch of rare lightsaber crystals (which he only got one of in the end). His weakness seems to stem from a need for approval, and a desire to gain personal power. See, he continually rolled HORRIBLY on Will saves for fear checks, cowering when he should have been brave, and he also flopped in battle several times, which is the one thing he's supposed to be an expert at.

The one time he really kicked butt was when he became totally reckless and accepted the invitation to lightsaber duel a Sith Force Witch when he was not at full health. He beat her and instantly gained the grudging respect of the Sith troops/dark jedi under the witch's command, and the respect of Vron Marr, a Jedi apprentice to Trago, a powerful Jedi Master running a secret rogue faction that seeks to overthrow the Republic and replace it with a "New Jedi Order"). He then became much more chummy with both the Sith (who became temporary allies during the rest of the mission) and Vron Marr. He also realized that to get the power/respect he craved, he needed money; money to buy the materials for his personal defense and offense, and money to influence his career path. He doesn't trust the Order to see to his needs and dislikes being dependent on them to do anything.

He sees the corruption inherent in the Old Republic and Jedi Order (there's a lot of it in my game) and is a bit of a Sith sympathizer from his limited contact (their troops fought valiantly and without question and honored their bargains, they did not have any of the Jedi Code restrictions, plus those Sith chicks are HOT!). He's not as swayed by Trago, as Trago is always trying to frame/kill him, LOL, but he is sympathetic to his cause, if not its leader. If Trago falls, as may be the case soon, he may depart with Vron Marr to take over the rogue Jedi faction, or else eventually be swayed by the Sith. At any rate, he's terribly prone to Dark Side temptations, rarely dismissing them out of hand and giving them serious consideration if not obviously "evil."
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Verex Nal, human male Jedi Guardian 5: Str 12, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 17; VP/WP 45/15; Init +4 (Dex mod); Defense 19/20 (+5 class, +4 Dex mod/+1 Dodge); BAB +5, Rep +2, Sympathy: +1 Sith (thinks it's with the Exchange, LOL), +1 Jedi Order; FP 6; DSP 1; Fort +6, Ref +9 (+4 class, +3 Dex mod, +2 adrenaline regulator), Will +6 (+3 class, +1 Wis mod, +2 neural regulator); Melee +6 (+5 BAB, +1 Str mod); Ranged +8 (+5 BAB, +3 Dex mod); Lightsaber +6/+6 (Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse), Damage 3d8+1/3d8+1.

Feats: Agile Riposte (HG), Alter, Control, Dodge, EWP: Lightsaber, Force Sensitive, Sense, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse: Lightsaber, WGP: Blaster Pistols, WGP: Simple Weapons.

Advantages (5 pts.): Ambidexterity, Trivia Buff (Knowledge: Jedi Lore +1 bonus).
Disadvantages (5 pts.): Careless (-1 penalty to Search and Spot checks), Deep Sleeper (-4 penalty to Listen checks made while asleep, requires 1 full round flat-footed to react upon waking); Glass Jaw (unarmed melee combat damage gets a +1 bonus against this character); Unmistakeable Appearance (-4 penalty to Disguise checks/reduced to -2 if wearing a full face concealing helmet).

Force Skills: Affect Mind +7, Battlemind +2, Empathy +1, Enhance Ability +5, Enhance Senses +2, Farseeing +2, Force Defense +3, Force Grip +3, Force Light +3, Force Lightning +3, Force Stealth +3, Force Strike +3, Friendship +5, Heal Another +5, Heal Self +5, Illusion +7, Move Object +10, See Force +1, Sever Force +1, Telepathy +2.

Skills: Appraise +3, Balance +5, Bluff +5, Climb +1, Computer Use +5, Craft: Lightsaber +11, Diplomacy +8, Disguise -1/+1 (full face concealing helmet), Escape Artist +4, Gamble +1, Gather Info +3, Hide +4, Intimidate +5, Jump +5, Knowledge: Jedi Lore +5, Knowledge: Sith Lore +4, Listen +1 (-4 if asleep), Move Silently +4, Pilot +4 (+0 starships), Read/Write: Basic, Sith; Repair +3, Search +2, Sense motive +5, Speak Language: Basic, Binary, Sith, Spot +0, Survival +1, Swim +1, Treat Injury +1, Tumble +12.

Weapons: Lightsaber x2; Blaster Shield (KOTOR), Blaster Pistol, Knife.

Equipment: Adrenaline Regulator (belt slot), Neural Regulator (head slot), Rubat Lightsaber Crystal (KOTOR), Tighthold Battleglove x2 (+4 resist Disarm attempts), Jedi Robes, All Weather Cloak, Fabritech PAC-20 WristCom, Electro-Compass, Allewon Vennoc-X Chronometer, Interstellar MK-11 Computer Diagnostic (+2 Computer Use), Merr-Sonn Binder Cuffs, Automated Winch/Grappling Hook, Degan Syntherope (100 m.), Jedi Utility Belt.
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Future Level-Ups: At level 6, we are playing as Conan OGL, and raising everyone's stats by +1 (normal +1 to one stat of your choice every four levels and +1 to all your stats every six levels). I'm tempted to get either Offhand Parry (+2 defense against melee dodge opponent) or Redirect Attack (if melee opponent misses me, can force them to attack an adjacent target of my choice, they must reroll their attack). Both feats in HG. I have my eye on snagging Weapon Focus: Lightsaber as my free Jedi Knight feat as a 7th level Jedi Guardian so I can take a level of the Master Duelist PrC (in HG) at 8th level (allowing me to add my INT mod to Dex mod for Defense when unarmored and not flat-footed). It's either this route, or try to go for Jedi Weapon Master PrC (PotJ), but Weapon Master is a pain in the butt to meet the prereqs for (did not have PotJ art character creation so could not prepare for it, although I'm happy with Agile Riposte and my other feats).

Need backstory for this character and advice on level-ups in future. Thanks! :)
 

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Well...what kind of backstory help do you want, exactly? I can give you a bunch of info on the details of the era, but I'm not sure if you want to work with estabolished stuff(which is odd in this period, because the KoTOR game changed a lot about the era in this time) or just general advice. Honestly...seems like you've got a pretty well done background already.

Just to throw out some era notes, that may or may not have relevance depending on how long this is before the KotOR game, here's a few. This would be post-Sith War and the destruction of the library world Ossus, so essentially the Jedi Order has lost all the good stuff...dark side temptation's great for the era since the order's in a lot of chaos after all of that. Also, at some point before the KotOR CRPG, the Jedi Council was formed...note that this didn't exist roughly 50 years earlier from the Sith War-era comics, so its probably still gaining real control in the order and might even be part of the reason for why people distrust the order and think things should be reworked.
 

LOOKING FOR: Details on the character's master/padawan relationship, ideas on who the master is/what he's about, what he is up to, and ideas on how to bring him into the story. Details on Nal's life prior to joining the Jedi Order, his family, friends, etc.

Ideas for the future of this character (either storyline or game mechanics and RPing tips based on the character's past history). I have not ruled out making him an antagonist to the PCs in the future if the right opportunity arises. ;)

I think Nal, while he likes and respects the Consular, is also jealous of his seeming infallibility, bravery and paladin-like nature. He is also resentful of the devotion others seem to extend to the spotlight-hogging Consular, while they tend to disregard Nal as dumb muscle so much so that Nal has begun pointing out "I'm not just some thug with a lightsaber" whenever anyone seems surprised that he's pulled off some bit of diplomacy or non-combat related activity.
 
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Hmm...ideas on the Master. Depending on how old you want him to be, he could have fought in the previous Sith War against Ulic-Qel Droma, Exar Kun, and the other fallen Jedi. That would give him combat experience, a reason why Nal is well trained combat wise(if you need it, of course), and also put the Master in a good position for commanding other Jedi in the current war. I'm assuming the current war is the Revan/Malak that happened just prior to the KotOR game...if that's right, then anyone with previous experience in a similar situation would be a great asset(though very aged).

That could also give the Master a bit of leway and power with the Council, even if he isn't a member. And that could ALSO give Nal the same kind of power...or at least attention, maybe even just a bit of influence. Ideas are running dead about now...may have some more later tonight.
 

Ankh, you are right. My game starts months prior to the KOTOR video game with Malak being in command of the Sith. Revan has been "dead" almost two and a half years. The whole Find Bastila/KOTOR plot will unfold with or without the PCs very shortly.

To read all about my KOTOR campaign (including how to run it yourself), click here:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=479218

To read the continuing campaign log (the present situation), click here:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=501426

Warning: These threads are very long, but include all my cool cut scenes, speculation on branching off the plot and other goodies a SW GM may find useful.
 

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