Overview:
This is a concept for a character that has a lot of potential for inner conflict in the game. For this build, I wanted to create a character that is, due to the nature of their class / background combination, torn between two worlds. Not literal worlds (i.e. planes of existence) but spheres or facets of their life. In this case, the character will be choosing between a path they've chosen and a path they have not. They're choosing between duty to a religion or ideology and their family history.
This isn’t a new idea. This is just my personal take on the idea. Inner conflict is always worth exploring in D&D and storytelling. It’s an opportunity for growth and change for that character, and it’s an opportunity for that character to bond with other characters if they want to try and help. This concept really hammers home that idea because the inner conflict doesn’t show up until after the party has already formed.
Race, Class, Stats, and Background
For me, to make this build work, there are only a few options for classes and backgrounds. Remember though, this concept can be interpreted however you want to interpret it. This is just how I personally would do it. This build is a multiclass, so make sure your DM is okay with you playing a multiclass before you go playing this character.
For background, I'd pick Acolyte. (Player's Handbook) The way I'm viewing this is that the character comes from a religious background. They were abandoned at the temple of a deity that is good-aligned. They've grown up in this faith, and they are a devout follower of this faith. If you're using the Forgotten Realms pantheon, I'm partial to Lathander for this: the god of dawn, birth, and renewal. If you're not using this pantheon, pick a god with a similar portfolio. Trust me, it works out really well. If you don't want a particularly religious aspect to this character, then go with something like Folk Hero. (Player's Handbook) In that case, you still get the sense that the character is part of or started something that was good for others.
For your first class, I'd go with either Cleric or Paladin. I'm more partial to Paladins in general but especially for this build because Paladin stats will also help us with our second class. Both of those will also help us hammer home the religious aspect of the build. If the character is a devout follower of a god, it would make sense that they would pursue these types of classes. Charisma (for Paladin) or Wisdom (for Cleric) should be your highest stat. Follow that up with Strength. Again, if you're not super into the "religious" aspect of this build, there are other options. I'd, honestly, still go with Paladin. Paladins don't necessarily have to be devoted to a religion. Paladin oaths are great for determining that. For example, with something like Oath of the Crown (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) a Paladin can be devoted to a people or nation. The new Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has given us the Oath of Glory, which is all about being a hero and overcoming hardships. Either of those could work in a non-religious build.
I would keep this class until about level 3, 4, or 5 before multiclassing. Give your party time to get to know this character as how they want to be perceived: a Paladin of a certain variety or faith or what have you. Picture this: you and your party wake up on a new day, you're about to delve into a dungeon, everything is going exactly as planned. An encounter begins, and you roll initiative. And… your character suddenly knows a spell and casts a spell that they've never had before… and it's not something their god or oath would have given them.
No, I'm not going Warlock here. I'm going Sorcerer, and here's why:
- The character never knew their parents. They have no knowledge of their lineage. Maybe this is something that has decided to manifest itself at a certain age, and that character has (unknowingly) reached that age.
- It should be noted that you or your DM can work out another determining factor if you so desire.
- If they're religious, there's no worry about retribution or consequences from a god about making a pact with another being.
Subclass? Nothing good-aligned. I want the source of these powers to be, at first, unknown to the character and when they find out, absolutely terrifying. I'd go with Shadow Magic (Xanathar's Guide) or Aberrant Mind. (Tasha's Cauldron) Make their great-great-great grandfather a lich or some Lovecraftian abomination. Either way, the goal is to create some kind of juxtaposition. They were working their way towards becoming a pillar of goodness and justice, or a hero of their faith… and now they know, deep down, that something evil has (and always will have) a hold on them.
Race can be pretty much anything. I don't have one in mind for this build. If you go with the Paladin / Sorcer combo, you may want to consider a race that boosts Charisma, like Half-Elf (Player's Handbook) but that's up to your discretion.
Roleplay Potential:
The character’s potential for development lies in which path they choose: the path of a Paladin or the path of a Sorcerer. A lot of that is internal conflict, but it can also be external depending on the setting of the campaign and how the other characters react to this knowledge about their friend.
The idea of the character being orphaned or abandoned also allows them to go on a quest or mini-quest to learn more about the family that they come from, once they get their Sorcerer powers. There's also great opportunity for the DM to play with that, to create something that surprises even the player of this character. It's like how DMs love to have characters at the table with amnesia. They're blank slates. It can be the same with this; the heritage can be unknown until the characters figure it out in-game.
If it were me, I'd make this character descended from some eldritch monstrosity that had a cult like centuries ago. For generations, this character's family was part of this cult. Maybe the cult was wiped out, or maybe they're lying in wait... for this exact moment, when this character gets their powers. Maybe this character coming of age is the key to bringing this eldritch being back to the material plane. Maybe this is what they were always meant to do, and they were taken from this life by a traitor to the cult.
But the character never asked for this. In fact, they want the opposite; they're a good person, a hero, a pious follower of a good, divine deity. How could they do this? Why would they want to? Or, after they learn more, do they want to? Do they change their mind? Is the supposedly evil cult not actually evil at all?
There's a lot of possibility there. I like this idea because it allows for the player to lean either way - more Sorcerer or more Paladin, or even half and half - and that is how the character chooses to balance who they are in the world. There's room for growth. There's the idea present that, no matter how they may seem, nobody is all good or all evil.
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