Category: Steal this Background

It’s throwback-time, where we revisit an awesome article from years ago…

In my last article, Character Connection = Player Satisfaction, I talked about hooks that connect the character and the player to the campaign.  One of the three fundamental questions I suggested readers to ask themselves was, “Why did my character choose his class?” The answer to that question helps connect your character to the setting.  Connection to setting, along with connection to story and group, form the basic foundation for us to continually enjoy our characters.  Of course, prior to coming up with an answer, you must have a fairly solid understanding of the setting in which the character is to be connected to.

With that in mind, here are a few ideas for class-based character backgrounds.  These are by no means complete backgrounds but they do form a starting point upon which to build your character’s connection to class and setting. Continue reading “Class-Based Character Backgrounds [part 1]”

[The following description of Hellknights was borrowed from Pathfinder Wiki…]

The Hellknights are a collection of knightly orders with a unique focus on the promulgation of law. They are interested less in the social goodness and charity typical of paladins, but rather in the foundation and stringent maintenance of order at all costs. They are not concerned with morality or methods, only results. If people cannot be trusted to obey the law out of their own senses of civility and social righteousness, Hellknights provide the need to obey out of fear of a master’s stern hand.

Regardless of their severity, Hellknights are not an evil group. Although there are doubtlessly numerous evil members, the majority of the orders are impartial arbiters and enforcers of order and justice. However, in truth, some of the orders are very much evil.

Every order of Hellknights has a distinctive, intimidating style of full plate armor that distinguishes them from the others. All Hellknights wear the armor of their order as a matter of pride and are rarely seen without it. Each particular order also has a favored weapon. For example, the Order of the Pike (located in Fort Inevitable) favors the long spear.

GUNSTON CROAN

As a young lad, Gunston Croan couldn’t wait to join the Order of the Pike. In fact, he AND his brother trained like fiends to become Hellknights. When the order came looking for “volunteers,” the paralictor nearly choked on his own spit as he saw the two brothers eagerly step forward. Soon after training began, Gunston started having second thoughts – sparring against a summoned devil was not his idea of how a lawful order should operate. Regardless, there was no way out – he would just have to deal with it.

Over the years, Gunston got into more and more trouble as he really just didn’t give a shit. For the most part, he did his duty (at least, enough of it to get by), but he quickly became known as a troublemaker and subpar Hellknight. One thing that got him into trouble was his lack of discipline on the battlefield – he was a scrapper, after all. Sure, he would train with the long spear like everyone else, but when in battle he would drop it in favor of up-close-and-personal weapons.

If it weren’t for his highly decorated brother, the Order would have shed Gunston a long time ago in a very messy way. When his brother became the Lictor of the Order of the Pike (head leader of this order of Hellknights), Gunston simply stopped reporting for duty. Without his distinctive armor and pike, he’s taken what little money he’s saved and went to the Stagger Inn. He’s been drinking there for weeks now – not really sure if the Hellknights come to kill him or leave him be – he doesn’t really care either way.

[Editor’s note: this character was made for a game that’s set in Pathfinder’s Andoran nation.  I’m sure with a little tweaking, he could work anywhere.  Also, the first two paragraphs were borrowed from Pathfinder Wiki.]

Andoran prospered as a part of the empire of Cheliax until 4606 AR. The death of the empire’s patron god, Aroden, resulted in a power struggle among the nation’s various noble houses. This civil war ended with House Thrune eventually claiming control of Cheliax.

House Thrune, a noble line dedicated to the service of infernal powers, demanded strict obedience and servitude from the citizens of the empire. Initially, the ruling body of Andoran followed the mandates of Cheliax’s new queen.

The queen and her house worshiped infernal powers. She soon began the arduous task of converting the clergy from various faiths to hers. Sometimes this was done with force, and sometimes this was done with tact. One way of doing this was to reward certain clergy with nobility – in a move that could be seen and heard by many…

As reward for their allegiance, certain priests, clerics, and paladins were knighted, and thus allowed to own lands, wealth, and slaves. Becoming a “Knight Priest” was a very visible promotion to nobility, one meant to help show that allegiance to House Thrune would benefit all of Andoran.

At the age of 16, the poor and orphaned Bale Highwarden had become the youngest to attain the status of Cleric for the church of Iomedae (because by now there were so few of them in Andoran). House Thrune saw this as an opportunity, and quickly granted him knighthood. What a story it made around the commons that a young, orphaned lad had become a noble knight!

The sudden and giant leap in his social status quickly went to his head, and he was soon taking advantage of his new position. For the next few years, booze, women, gambling, and unjust violence became a daily thing. He was untouchable… that is, until he destroyed the orphanage that he was raised in – simply because he wanted to make room for his new house.

Three children perished in that fire. Three. His actions finally caught up with him, and the goddess Iomedae immediately and violently took away his divine powers with extreme prejudice.

Shortly thereafter, Andoran revolted and claimed its independence from the empire, casting aside its own noble class and establishing Common Rule. The newly-established nation abolished the practices of nobility, slavery, and servitude, and embraced the belief that all are equal.

The revolution left no room for knights, and so they were stripped of their nobility, titles, and lands. Most were able to escape persecution by voluntarily handing over their wealth and lands, but others were either exiled or imprisoned for “crimes against the people.” For his crimes, Knight Priest Bale Highwarden was imprisoned, and sentenced to ten years. He knew this was coming, so he buried part of his wealth in the glen.

While in prison, Bale spent the first few years asserting his presence. As a large man, he had no trouble getting what he wanted. Soon, he became the prison’s “Top Dog” and could do as he pleased. He even had guards in his pocket, bringing him contraband and even women of the brothel. However, as he got closer to the end of his sentence, he became more and more reclusive. Eventually, he gave up the position of Top Dog without a fight.

“Something” happened to him, the likes of which he wouldn’t acknowledge.

With six months left of his sentence, he broke out of prison… then returned three months later without explanation. Of course, the guards beat him severely, and more years were added to his sentence.

Over the years he has continued to break out of prison for reasons he won’t discuss, only to return again – and each time he is punished for it. Now in his 60’s, he is coming up on 40 years of a 10-year sentence. At this point, the guards don’t even go looking for him – they know he’ll return. Sure, sometimes he gets a beating when he gets back, but what doesn’t kill him only makes him stronger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHAT HAPPENED? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a young knight, Bale fathered a bastard child with a whore. She sent the child to the orphanage, and he was one of the three that perished in the fire. Bale did not find this out until he was in prison as the Top Dog – when he bed the same whore. As an orphan himself, this began to wear on him (a little at first, and then quite heavily). Six months before he was to be released, he left early. He dug up his money and anonymously funded the creation of a new orphanage. He even showed up to help build it. Three months later he returned to prison knowing that he could very well be beaten to death.

He took the beating, and put up absolutely no fight.

Soon after, through sheer force of will, he commanded a divine audience – and made a deal (he *thinks* with Iomedae). He’s seeking redemption, and he has a long way to go (if he can get there at all). He has escaped from prison several times (either to help with a worthy cause, or fight a nasty evil) and he gets beaten down for it every time he returns.

As a Dual-Cursed Battle Oracle, there’s no turning back…

Art by Rhineville, used with permission.

I should have stayed in Bellis. I have… well… had a family, a dog, and a good paying job. Had I known how good I had it (cutting wood, having large family dinners, occasional hunts), maybe I wouldn’t have been impressed by that damn recruiter when he came through town. He was a tall man, dressed in a smart blue jacket with golden pips. Knowing what I know now, I would have seen him for what he was; a parchment-pushing coward who sent others to fight for him while he pranced around in his fancy uniform.

In years past, Sgt. Vorell was just a lad tagging along with an adventuring group – a henchman, really.  Throughout his younger years he’s seen and done a great many things.  There were goblins and orcs, zombies and werewolves, and even dungeons and dragons – he has seen and done quite a lot indeed.  As a henchman, however, he rarely received any notoriety or fame, but no matter – he did his job and he did it well.  He liked being part of a team, a group of heroes.  Sure, he was “just” a henchman, but that in itself is still an important responsibility.  He’s not just helping to protect his heroic patrons, but also helping to protect the land and populace as well.

In fact, while his particular actions and deeds did not garner much attention among the population, there was one deity who did take notice, and began following his exploits in the latter years of his career.  It wasn’t his hardiness, or skill with a weapon; it was his actions and words themselves that made such a deity pull interest.  Vorell had a kind heart and a steadfast set of morals, the kind any man or woman could aspire to have for a lifetime, but never fully attain – and he had them in spades.

In a bit of irony, though, he ended up being the last to survive amongst his band of mighty heroes.  Where his great warrior and wizard patrons fell gloriously, he barely survived, only to mourn and bury them.  In his battered heavy armor and bloody long-axe, he set off for the nearest town.

With the loss of his patrons – his friends, he decided to retire.  Well into his middle age, he took up a post as a town guardsman in Sandpoint.  The sheriff welcomed his experience, but Vorell really just wanted to relax in an easy job… he was tired.  He’d run the gauntlet of heroic adventures for twenty years and felt it was time for the younger lads and lasses to take their turn.  Of course, his post of choice was that of a town guardsman, as he still had a little trouble shaking that need to protect others.

Within a month of his new post, his patrol came across a small pack of orcs.  For some reason, this pack had a lone orc (possibly from another tribe) shackled, and was being led by another.  A fight erupted, and Vorell warned his younger partners to leave their prisoner alone, that he was not a target unless he picked up a weapon.  However, it wasn’t long into the fight that Vorell swung his long-axe wide, decapitating both his target and the prisoner.  This immediately caused his peers to give him the nickname, “The Axecutioner.”

Vorell didn’t like the events of that fight.  And he certainly didn’t want to be called “The Axecutioner.”  He knew full well that even if they let that orc go, that orc would kill them if given the chance.  He didn’t pity the death of the orc; just his error in letting the orc die.  “Betrayal, whether it is against others – or your very own morals and ethics, is still betrayal.”  Just two days later, Vorell cleaned up both his heavy armor and long-axe, bundled them carefully, and then put them away into storage.

The sheriff flat-out told him, “You are not retiring.”

To which he replied, “No sir. I’m promoting myself to Sergeant.”

Sgt. Vorell has been at this position for the last nine years, and every year he feels that he’s one year closer to bringing out his old armor and weapon, because a storm is coming, and he can feel it…

He just hopes his nickname doesn’t follow him out there…

~~~~~

Vorell is a character that was made up for our Pathfinder game.  Mechanically, he is a Paladin/Bard Multiclass, but most of his magical abilities are flavored as skills and leadership.  Divine intervention (thematically) is minimal.  Still, there is a divine presence in relation to Sgt. Vorell.  His patron deity has accepted his atonement, and (as soon as Sgt. Vorell is needed again) this deity is prepared to make him a Paladin.  All Vorell has to do is choose to get back out there…

THE PROFESSOR

When The Professor was a child, his father would bring him along on trips to Sandpoint. Sandpoint was just a small town then, but it had a great and magnificent ancient tower, one that this boy liked to play near. He imagined many great knights and princesses once lived there, and since it was still standing, it must have seen quite a few battles. Oh, the imaginations of a child.

As an adult, The Professor has no home. His trade as an alchemist makes him a decent living (one that would be better if he would just settle down and join a guild), but it’s also that trade that allows him to travel the lands. He searches high and low for new and rare ingredients, and has gotten to know the lands (and sea) quite well.

Whenever possible, he always tries to include Sandpoint in his travels, if nothing more than to stir up and relish old memories. He’s grown quite fond of the town, and has come to know and befriend many of the locals. However, his latest venture has taken him directly to Sandpoint on purpose – as word of a giant blob ooze-like monster was said to have been seen in some ruins just outside Sandpoint’s border, to the east. A sampling of that specimen would do wonders for his work. He hasn’t found the ruins yet, and he’s not leaving until he does.

He DID work for a trade guild in Magnimar for awhile, but left abruptly after an incident in his lab. He doesn’t talk about what happened, but a noted few will tell you that he left a changed man…

Image by Larry Rostant