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View Full Version : 4e-Need Help, stumped on coming up with a background/motivations.



Asbestos
2010-01-21, 03:35 PM
Been working on an upcoming game in a setting based mainly off of a 3rd Party Publisher's setting but with my own mix of ideas thrown in. Anyway, in order to help introduce the players to the setting, and the various new races/classes that exist I have been making several 'pre-gen' characters with moderately fleshed out backgrounds. The players can choose to make their own characters or choose one of the pre-gens. So far the character I've made have followed a basic formula.

1. Official classes are paired with unofficial races and vice versa.
2. Background fluff focuses on the unofficial race or class, it is assumed that the standard races/classes fill similar roles in the setting as they do in others. 3. Background fluff also includes some information as to how the world interacts with those living in it.
4. The background doesn't have to be anything groundbreaking, mainly I've been stealing basic tropes from a number of sources. One character even has a 'white whale' of sorts in the form of a mutant-Kraken that murdered his father.
5. Every character has a primary goal. For example, the Ahab/Inigo Montoya from the above has the primary goal of exacting revenge on the Kraken. These primary goals are the raison d'etre for the characters engaging in their 'current' adventure.
6. These primary goals should be distant enough that the players aren't encouraged to rush off and try to complete them immediately. One character so far violates this rule, but that is for the purpose of planting an adventure seed.
7. The character should have two secondary goals/motivations. Such as "Investigate rumors of X" or "Find Mr. Y who may have info about my long term goals". Mr. Montoya there has the sidequest of "My mystical mentors have asked for my aid while I am out in these foreign lands" and a tie-in to his long term quest "Rumors tell of a sailor with a similar story to yours, though his is much more current. He may have relevant information, but like all sailors he is often on the move and could be in any city along the coast. I last saw him in Town Z".

Anyway, one of these characters has me stymied! I can't figure out much beyond race and class.

Race: Entobian, 3rd party race. Small sized 'bug men', Entobians are gregarious, generally-friendly beings with a hedonistic bent. They are genderless until they undergo a metamorphosis later in life, only exceptional Entobians ever reach this stage of life with most living their entire lives as larva. Given that Entobian mothers can lay thousands of eggs, this strange life-cycle keeps their populations in check. Entobians in the world: There is no record of this race before the cataclysm that brought about the 'Shroud' (http://www.onebadegg.com/egg/worldseeds/shroud/). It is noted that Entobians seems to be immune, or at least highly resistant to the negative effects of the Shroud. Entobians are not known to have their own civilization and rarely even associate with each other. They often attach themselves to whatever sentient communities they can find. Some groups blame the Entobians for the Shroud, some view them as part of it, and others see them as just another strange side effect. If the Entobians know the answer, none have told it yet.

Class: Monk, per standard monk-stuff.

For some reason I can't figure out a reason that I'm satisfied with as to why or how he became a monk. I think part of this may be because of my ascetic image of the monk and the race's hedonistic tendencies. Also, any ideas for a primary motivator/secondary objectives? I have enough to describe how he/it fits into society/the world from a racial perspective but I haven't been able to come up with anything about the character in particular. So, any suggestions for the background of a character from a strange/shunned-by-some race who happens to be a monk, despite his potentially hedonistic tendencies? Ideally he is located in/near the Shroud and his goal most certainly should lead him deep into that forsaken land (that tends to be the running theme with the other characters).

Odd request, but after thinking out 6 or so of these characters I guess I'm running out of steam and could use some fresh input.

dsmiles
2010-01-21, 04:18 PM
Maybe he's/she's/it's a monk of a small sect of Entobians who worship a Sune (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/deities1.pl)-like deity?

Perhaps the hedonistic lifestyle of his people wasn't enough, and he/she/it is in search of spiritual ecstasy?

Maybe he/she/it was abandoned at a monastary dedicated to holding back "the Shroud," or returning the land to its previous, fertile state?

Shardan
2010-01-21, 04:29 PM
Two Words...

Drunken Fist!

What better combination of hedonism and martial arts do you need?

realbombchu
2010-01-21, 04:31 PM
It's an interesting combination, but some schools of thought see laws as a way of preserving freedom. Limiting some freedoms allows others to flourish.

If you look at things that way, lawful becomes the ideal alignment for your character because it would believe that the law supports the best freedoms, including simple pleasures. It could even study the nature of laws, when its not out having fun, trying to create a perfect legal code.

It's not everything you asked for, but maybe those ideas will help others give you something you like better. I hope it helps a little.

Mando Knight
2010-01-21, 04:40 PM
Maybe he's/she's/it's a monk of a small sect of Entobians who worship a Sune (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/deities1.pl)-like deity?

That site uses some kind of script to search the deities, so it doesn't link to Sune herself. I'd use a link like this one (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sune), to the FR wiki. Sune also has a subordinate deity, Sharess (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sharess), who is more focused on the hedonistic part of the love-related domains.

You'll have to play against type somehow, here. Perhaps a disciplined hedonist? (i.e. that happiness is achieved through discipline, or somesuch) Or hedonistic discipline? (that the best discipline is one that brings pleasure)

Perhaps it's just someone who likes to do everything (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IfYouKnowWhatIMean) while unencumbered and unarmed?

dsmiles
2010-01-21, 04:42 PM
Perhaps it's just someone who likes to do everything (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IfYouKnowWhatIMean) while unencumbered and unarmed?

I'm not sure I want to click that link....:smalleek:

Asbestos
2010-01-21, 04:55 PM
I'm not sure how well the love-goddesses or this...


Perhaps it's just someone who likes to do everything (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IfYouKnowWhatIMean) while unencumbered and unarmed?
Would work out because the character is in effect sexually immature/genderless. They do love to eat/drink/experience life though.

Wasn't there some sensate faction in Sigil?

http://mimir.net/factions/sensates.html

Not that much help...


@realbombchu: Explain.

Mando Knight
2010-01-21, 05:04 PM
Then figure out what's most pleasurable to the creature. You can't make a race with a hedonistic bent without figuring out what they like. Hedonistic deities tend to have a sexual bent in humanoid pantheons due to humans finding that kind of thing really pleasurable.

In other words,
1.) Figure out what the Entobians find most pleasurable and why they pursue it.
2.) Figure out how this particular Entobian desires to achieve that pleasure through discipline.
3.) Figure out where the guy learned his unarmed/unarmored combat discipline.
4.) Unite 2 & 3.
5.) ????
6.) Profit!

Yakk
2010-01-21, 05:32 PM
Know the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland?

Not a Drunken monk, but a hookah using monk.

Maybe he is chemically dependant because of an old injury, and uses it to dull the pain.

realbombchu
2010-01-21, 06:07 PM
I'm not an expert on hedonism myself, but it seems to me that hedonism would be hard to pursue in a society that forbids whatever the hedonist enjoys.

You said drinking was important to these little guys, so what if there is something like the Bill of Rights where your character grew up (minus prohibition, of course), that stated that the government was not allowed to limit the sale of spirits in any way? What I'm proposing is a legal code where certain rights and freedoms are unconditionally promised and protected by the law, rather than limited. By making something illegal (limiting the sale of spirits in this example), the people have actually become more free (they can drink whenever, wherever).

It might even be fun to write up a quick code of behavior for the character (say five things he won't do, and five things he believes are his right, including drinking). Just don't make it too long or full of loop holes. Think Bill-of-Rights-meets-Ten-Commandments (in that the code is short and to the point). You could start the don'ts with "I will not (blank)" and the rights with "I am always free to (blank)." I seem to have rambled a bit, but I hope that clears up what I meant.