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LagomorphPrime
12-14-2006, 11:46 AM
So I'm trying to work up a full character concept but I'm having a little trouble on some parts. Here's the basics.

Warmages (Complete Arcane class) spontaneously cast from a set list of spells (almost exclusively damage spells) and can wear up to medium armor with no spellcasting penalties. They are basically a sorcerer that chooses all nuke/artillery spells and gets to wear armor. The flavor of the class says that Warmages come from elite colleges that teach them how to cast this limited set of spells wearing what they wear and spontaneously. They tend to be very respected members of the military/guards for the areas they are in, as it takes a lot of money and power to have such a college in the first place. It's kind of like the military colleges here in the US, you go to one and when you get out you owe some years of service, which you enter into as an officer.

Obviously to adapt this type of character to a party means I've served my time (I don't wanna go the whole "rich family so we just paid tuition and I'm free now") or am on hiatus now, being granted time to adventure for the sake of increasing my own skill sets and broadening my experiences that I might make a more competant and well rounded commander. Or something like that. But I definitely don't want to be the "party leader" type. I've done that lots of times before and it gets tiring, plus I'm joining a new group (hopefully) and if that happens I don't wanna come right in and start trying to dominate the table.

So I'm thinking that maybe I've served my initial obligation, but I'm essentially on call for life with whatever kingdom/army I served in. I'm looking to see how things work more on the "squad" level and want to get out and see how the mercenary world is. Not from a monetary stand point, just to see and experience it. Maybe see myself as the quiet observer in the party, attentive but unobtrusive, supporting whoever the party leader is.

I'm also gonna take the feat that bumps of the armor level one, so I'll be able to wear heavy armor and cast w/o penalties. The class can also use light shields w/o problems. I was thinking of getting full plate as soon as I can, using a light metal shield and possibly a morningstar as weapon of choice. Class is proficient with all simple weapons, btw. But I'm not sure on what to wield, really. Just the heavy armor I know for sure.

I can't pin down a look for this character. I've always thought that the weapon you carry does a lot to help define the character, so it's not a small decision for me. How do you see this guy? Human, btw. Gotta love that extra lvl1 feat. :D

Also, I'm gonna take Improved Toughness if I can and will have a Con of at least 14, so with 1d6+3 HP/lvl I'll definitely be a healty caster. Beyond that feat, the heavy armor feat, and Extra Edge (adds Int modifier to spell dmg, will take at lvl 6) feats, I don't know what to take. They get Sudden Enlarge, Sudden Empower, Sudden Widen, and Sudden Maximize as part of the class, but do you think any other metamagic feats would be worth picking up? What about Spell Penetration and GSP? I like to plan a character concept from 1-20. Even though I've never made it past lvl8. :p

Any help is greatly appreciated.

ed
12-14-2006, 01:37 PM
what if instead of the usual rich benefactor, he's got a shady underworld benefactor who expects your PC to perform useful and unique favors now & again in exchange for fronting your training costs, academy tuition, etc?

ed

LagomorphPrime
12-14-2006, 01:40 PM
Oh, and obviously Lawful. I'm thinking either Lawful Good with the intent of traveling to help do some outside good and to get a better feel for the "big picture" to see how to best do good in the long run OR Lawful Neutral with the intent of traveling to explore more of that Neutral or even nab a small taste of Evil since the years of service were to a LG nation-state and he's been chafing under that ideology all this time. I'm leaning towards the latter, with it being played as more of a curiousity/relaxing thing to not have to be good all the time.

Also general attitude of quiet and analytical, with a short temper for incompetance.

Important stats for the class are Cha and Int, though I'm gonna make Con high too and Str a little above average (for lugging around all that heavy armor and generic gear :p).

LagomorphPrime
12-14-2006, 01:43 PM
what if instead of the usual rich benefactor, he's got a shady underworld benefactor who expects your PC to perform useful and unique favors now & again in exchange for fronting your training costs, academy tuition, etc?

ed

Like being Michael Corleone?

ed
12-14-2006, 01:46 PM
well, was thinking more like a jumped-up version of badger (firefly), to be honest. maybe he's seeing your PC as his ace in the hole for something big.

ed

LagomorphPrime
12-14-2006, 01:52 PM
I think I like that idea as a background hook. Still had to do service out of the academy, but Mr X pulled strings to get me in there in the first place and I owe him. Thanks ed.

ed
12-14-2006, 01:55 PM
my pleasure, lampy. and you know your GM is gonna love to take that plot hook and string you up by it--in grand fashion. :>

i figure we're all gonna be screwed by our plot hooks but at least this way, we have some influence over it.

ed

Stephane
12-14-2006, 02:11 PM
So you're going with the militaristic mage. I'm picturing a crewcut guy somewhat belligerent or impatient.

Morningstar is a nice choice. Blunt with spikes. Nasty and effective, like the spells he uses.

BlueNinja
12-14-2006, 05:22 PM
Personally I favor a flanged mace over a morning star, but I think the damage is the same, so it's just a matter of taste.

An important thing you should think of is how your warmage got this underworld contact to pull these strings for him. Family connection? Did a small favor that was worth a slightly larger one? Caught the underworld boss in bed with a Halfling female? :D

LagomorphPrime
12-19-2006, 12:38 PM
Joe "Blondie" Monco (Neutral)

Born poor and a bastard, Joe Monco had little to look forward to. The slums of the Dock Ward offered no way out to a boy too busy trying to survive to notice that. Until a local wizard with ties to organizations that like to operate outside the law noticed the spark of magical talent within him. When a higher up learned of this talent he approached the young blonde headed ragamuffin and offered to pull the necessary strings and provide the necessary finances to send him to the prestigious Battlemage Academy here in Waterdeep. Never imagining himself capable of such heights young Joe immediately leapt at the opportunity, not fully realizing what the man meant when he spoke of "future favors owed".

Fast forward to a man who has just finished his obligatory term of service with the City Guard. After a long and difficult education in the academy, made even more unpleasant by the constant reminders from his classmates that he was poorer, more peasanty (which they assured him is a word), and less valuable as a person in general, he is glad to be free and out on his own again. Try as he might, he could never get comfortable in the role of City Guard with the chip on his shoulder and feeling that he'd somehow abandoned his "roots" in the Dock Ward. Life wasn't meant to be so complicated, orderly, strict, and demanding. Though his experiences thus far had done him good, he was looking forward to slowing down a bit and taking life as it came. And if that meant going out and knocking on life's door, well, that was okay too.


___________________

Sound good? I changed a bit of the idea because of some last minute inspiration for character role playing. Bonus points for figuring out the 3 main movies referenced. :D

Hitcher
12-20-2006, 03:29 AM
Your character could be of the nobility, titled - but poor. Could be bad lands, spendthrift or gambling parents, robbery, etc. You've got a few possessions of note for appearances sake but not much cash for schooling.

And then one day a member of the court arrives and makes you an offer. He'll pay for schooling and even a small annual allowance, in exchange for your future services for King and Crown.

Lots of plot hooks there.

ed
12-20-2006, 04:15 AM
i like the concept posted but am utterly failing to recognize the three movies in question. so at some point you get to RP through the idea of seeing just what kinds of favors he will/won't do? very interesting. i like it. :>

ed