I'm currently in the process of making a character with the knight background. She comes from a long line of noble knights but eventually runs away from her home to become an adventurer. The problem that I'm having is that I can't come up with a good reason that ultimately makes scene as to why she would run away from it all. I would really appreciate any and all ideas you might have. Also, I know some dm's might have a problem with the 3 retainers but aside from that, is there anything else I should avoid/ look into?
The most cliched reason would probably be escaping an arranged marriage.
The real issue with having a character who's run away from their family but has the noble or knight background is that such an action should really deprive her of her status AKA her backkground ability. After all, if she's run off and abandoned her duties, why would the family still be supporting her?
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Well, "noble" doesn't necessarily mean "good". So maybe her father, the King, was a cruel and violent dictator who used his retinue of knights to oppress the people and to viciously punish any who spoke out against him. So of course the player ran away from home and has made it her mission to get her father off the throne and to restore her family name to its former honor.
And if the DM has a problem with you having three retainers, there are two ways to resolve that. One is simply to say that they were loyal to the King and when they learned of your plans they attacked you and you had to kill them. Or you could say that they're loyal to you and your mission, but they don't always travel with you. Rather, you send them off on missions of their own to help further your cause.
Forced to a life of dictated duty, responsibilities, and predertermined future, as planed by her family, might be also a reason, if she is more of a free thinking independent type.
Breaking out of the rigid structure that comes with nobility and tradition.
Does she have to run away? Or are you just looking for an excuse to get her adventuring?
If the latter, then take a leaf out of Boromir's book. She's sent on a quest and gets tied up doing other quests (aka adventuring with the party). Alternatively, it could be that it's tradition amongst her order that knights go on a "gap year" of sorts where they just go about serving the people. Or they must do some mighty deed of renown. Or perhaps that is what her order is based around.
You could have her be a batman type figure - not necessarily disguised, but is upset with the inability of the militias to deal with injustice, crime etc and so forms a band (aka party) to tackle it more directly.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You could leave because your parents don't handle very well your identity or orientation, which some of your retainers could be confident opting to follow you.
Perhaps because in her family women are expected to learn the gentle arts and not pick up a sword. History is riddled with such strong women who would not accept that.
Kit Cavanaugh
Anne Bonny
Hannah Snell
Joan of Arc
and of course Dorothy Lawrence
Typically a level 1 character would not have retainers, and if she ran away would 3 retainers go with her. If she ran away it would not make sense that she would have retainers.
It will mostly depend on the campaign but, taking on many of the ideas here you have many options: - You are a Knight thats part of your noble House (heir or vassal is your choice), you first go adventuring because you were sent on a mission by your order/lord/family (I may tie or not to the events of the first session). And your initial focus is that mission (as campaigns go there's always a subsequent mission, and another, and another). The Order or Noble House is just the place to tie you into the Campaign World, and maybe have influence in the Campaign (purely a tool for the DM). Your tie in with the rest of the PCs is mostly as hired help for your mission, or you have common goals, or you just met and helped an stranger and now travel together (You are a Knight with a code you follow, either an Order or your Kingdoms beliefs).
- Another choice is to make you part of an Order of errant/roaming knights (or you are just one because thats what you believe in like Don Quixote but not crazy). So you adventure because that's your nature. Your tie-ins with a Noble House or Lord could be non-existant or maybe just exist outside, but you dont want to name them or be connected to them (or maybe you are from a foreing country in a far away land).
- Then there is the "my family are or of completely opposite morals/ethics and I escaped to confront them", which is a valid option and gives you a bigger objective to confront late in your adventuring life or a possibly constant source of RP encounters your DM can plan if needed to tie your backstory with the main villian (as allies, or the main BBEG).
The retainers could be members of your PC party (talk to them first)(giving plenty of RP opportunity) or just people that will help you in your travels (a squire, a herald, your hairdresser a butler, a prisoner escort, whatever you need as your entourage), they could travel with you or just stay in a "home base", or travel into the next city preparing your arrival or looking for important info... it all depends on how the DM wants to use them or just make them RP material. Another one suggested they died or attacked you (for any reason) just before you meet the PCs.
Thank you all for the interesting suggestions. After thinking it over for a bit this is what I came up with so far.
Just prior to running away from her homeland there was a coup orchestrated by the 2nd prince to assassinate the king and crown prince. A sorcerer hired by the prince used mass suggestion on the noble knights, ordering them to spill royal blood. realizing something was off, she managed to escape from an unjust imprisonment. her goal is to eventually find out the true identity of the one who framed her fellow noble knights.
Interesting, but I'd talk with your DM about how much they plan to integrate backstories into the campaign, if only to give you a sense of what your expectations should be for where this goes. Also, technically Mass Suggestion isn't really a good spell for mind controlling people to attack and betray others; it would be really pushing the envelope of "reasonable". The broad stroke of "the sorcerer enchanted the knights to attack the royal family" still works, the specific spell just seems a little off.
If you expect the story to be relevant in your campaign, might want to flesh out some details too; what exactly was the "unjust imprisonment" and how did she get away? The latter in particular is a good area to set up some connections to NPCs the DM can use for plot hooks down the line, and just helps connect the character to the setting.
Interesting, but I'd talk with your DM about how much they plan to integrate backstories into the campaign, if only to give you a sense of what your expectations should be for where this goes ...
Yeah, backstories are typically just that, and then you get on with adventuring.
A common thing might be, there's trouble back home. Maybe karma will deal with it but, otherwise, I'm going to build up my experience and assets and later look to return and address things, if I'm still alive.
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The most cliched reason would probably be escaping an arranged marriage.
The real issue with having a character who's run away from their family but has the noble or knight background is that such an action should really deprive her of her status AKA her backkground ability. After all, if she's run off and abandoned her duties, why would the family still be supporting her?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Well, "noble" doesn't necessarily mean "good". So maybe her father, the King, was a cruel and violent dictator who used his retinue of knights to oppress the people and to viciously punish any who spoke out against him. So of course the player ran away from home and has made it her mission to get her father off the throne and to restore her family name to its former honor.
And if the DM has a problem with you having three retainers, there are two ways to resolve that. One is simply to say that they were loyal to the King and when they learned of your plans they attacked you and you had to kill them. Or you could say that they're loyal to you and your mission, but they don't always travel with you. Rather, you send them off on missions of their own to help further your cause.
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Forced to a life of dictated duty, responsibilities, and predertermined future, as planed by her family, might be also a reason, if she is more of a free thinking independent type.
Breaking out of the rigid structure that comes with nobility and tradition.
Does she have to run away? Or are you just looking for an excuse to get her adventuring?
If the latter, then take a leaf out of Boromir's book. She's sent on a quest and gets tied up doing other quests (aka adventuring with the party). Alternatively, it could be that it's tradition amongst her order that knights go on a "gap year" of sorts where they just go about serving the people. Or they must do some mighty deed of renown. Or perhaps that is what her order is based around.
You could have her be a batman type figure - not necessarily disguised, but is upset with the inability of the militias to deal with injustice, crime etc and so forms a band (aka party) to tackle it more directly.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You could leave because your parents don't handle very well your identity or orientation, which some of your retainers could be confident opting to follow you.
Perhaps because in her family women are expected to learn the gentle arts and not pick up a sword. History is riddled with such strong women who would not accept that.
Kit Cavanaugh
Anne Bonny
Hannah Snell
Joan of Arc
and of course Dorothy Lawrence
Typically a level 1 character would not have retainers, and if she ran away would 3 retainers go with her. If she ran away it would not make sense that she would have retainers.
It will mostly depend on the campaign but, taking on many of the ideas here you have many options:
- You are a Knight thats part of your noble House (heir or vassal is your choice), you first go adventuring because you were sent on a mission by your order/lord/family (I may tie or not to the events of the first session). And your initial focus is that mission (as campaigns go there's always a subsequent mission, and another, and another). The Order or Noble House is just the place to tie you into the Campaign World, and maybe have influence in the Campaign (purely a tool for the DM). Your tie in with the rest of the PCs is mostly as hired help for your mission, or you have common goals, or you just met and helped an stranger and now travel together (You are a Knight with a code you follow, either an Order or your Kingdoms beliefs).
- Another choice is to make you part of an Order of errant/roaming knights (or you are just one because thats what you believe in like Don Quixote but not crazy). So you adventure because that's your nature. Your tie-ins with a Noble House or Lord could be non-existant or maybe just exist outside, but you dont want to name them or be connected to them (or maybe you are from a foreing country in a far away land).
- Then there is the "my family are or of completely opposite morals/ethics and I escaped to confront them", which is a valid option and gives you a bigger objective to confront late in your adventuring life or a possibly constant source of RP encounters your DM can plan if needed to tie your backstory with the main villian (as allies, or the main BBEG).
The retainers could be members of your PC party (talk to them first)(giving plenty of RP opportunity) or just people that will help you in your travels (a squire, a herald, your hairdresser a butler, a prisoner escort, whatever you need as your entourage), they could travel with you or just stay in a "home base", or travel into the next city preparing your arrival or looking for important info... it all depends on how the DM wants to use them or just make them RP material. Another one suggested they died or attacked you (for any reason) just before you meet the PCs.
Thank you all for the interesting suggestions. After thinking it over for a bit this is what I came up with so far.
Just prior to running away from her homeland there was a coup orchestrated by the 2nd prince to assassinate the king and crown prince. A sorcerer hired by the prince used mass suggestion on the noble knights, ordering them to spill royal blood. realizing something was off, she managed to escape from an unjust imprisonment. her goal is to eventually find out the true identity of the one who framed her fellow noble knights.
Interesting, but I'd talk with your DM about how much they plan to integrate backstories into the campaign, if only to give you a sense of what your expectations should be for where this goes. Also, technically Mass Suggestion isn't really a good spell for mind controlling people to attack and betray others; it would be really pushing the envelope of "reasonable". The broad stroke of "the sorcerer enchanted the knights to attack the royal family" still works, the specific spell just seems a little off.
If you expect the story to be relevant in your campaign, might want to flesh out some details too; what exactly was the "unjust imprisonment" and how did she get away? The latter in particular is a good area to set up some connections to NPCs the DM can use for plot hooks down the line, and just helps connect the character to the setting.
Yeah, backstories are typically just that, and then you get on with adventuring.
A common thing might be, there's trouble back home. Maybe karma will deal with it but, otherwise, I'm going to build up my experience and assets and later look to return and address things, if I'm still alive.