So I'v been rehashing a character from my early early days of D&D for a IRL game and now a PBP here on DDB and I have a problem. My standards for developed characters wore a lot lower back then. And all this guy amounts to basically is just your archetypal Well... ass hole wizard, who throws everyone under the buss the moment that its advantages for him. And I don't want to change the basics because coming up with witty insults on the fly, and convoluted schemes is still really fun. But especial in a PBP medium he really doesn't give any of the other PCs any reason to interact with him. and I'm probably going to spend 95% of the time RPing his familiar instead (A super affectionate, playful and attention seeking *cat.)
So what Can I do to make this ass of a wizard into a lovable ass, I don't necessarily need the other characters in the story to LIKE him but I want to give the other players behind those characters and the DM something more fun to interact with then just a hoity bastard.?
Filtch Red-whisker | N/G | Nim | 3rd lv Fighter | Brute | "We fight for the youth, we fight at all cost. For as long as we fight, we have not truly lost"
Zanthin Abrax | N/G | Human | 6th lv Wizard | Lore master | "I'd tell you how astronomically dull you truly are, but I'd need to visit the far realm just to find the words to do so."
You could take inspiration from various Marvel movies. I think they have some interesting personalities that could be referred to as "asses" but they get a lot of interesting plot and character. Take for instance Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, or Tony Stark in the first Iron Man. They are great at what they do and relish that greatness as well as a snarky response every now and then. If his heart is in the right place, and he helps whenever his "friends" need it most, I think you're up for some great RP moments.
Give him a compulsion - something mechanics neutral and somewhat self-depricating. Give him a very easily upset stomach, for example. IRL, I have a great friend who has incredibly sentitive teeth, so he's completely incapable of eating even moderately warm food. It's friggin' hilarilous, still, years later. A final option needs some help from your DM. If your character can have an incredibly traumatic experience, you can easily rationalize a change/addition to his personality. Happy Gaming!
Try giving him a redeeming feature or trait. Something that he feels uncomfortable or even embarrassed about but is such a core personality trait that he is unable to suppress it. A stutter when around beautiful women, a protective instinct to fluffy animals, an inability to enjoy a meal if others are going without, a habit of tidying up when stressed.. It can be anything really, as long as he is uncomfortable admitting / talking about it and it is something that hints at a softer caring side.
A wizard that will happily burn down a building and then casually walk over the corpses to gather loot, but who risks his life to save a family of ducklings from a runaway wagon or blushes and stammers when a pretty barmaid pays him a compliment is a lot more fun to role play than an ultra cool one dimensional toon.
Try giving him a redeeming feature or trait. Something that he feels uncomfortable or even embarrassed about but is such a core personality trait that he is unable to suppress it. A stutter when around beautiful women, a protective instinct to fluffy animals, an inability to enjoy a meal if others are going without, a habit of tidying up when stressed.. It can be anything really, as long as he is uncomfortable admitting / talking about it and it is something that hints at a softer caring side.
A wizard that will happily burn down a building and then casually walk over the corpses to gather loot, but who risks his life to save a family of ducklings from a runaway wagon or blushes and stammers when a pretty barmaid pays him a compliment is a lot more fun to role play than an ultra cool one dimensional toon.
Be that guy that just GUSHES over his pet cat (familiar), OH MR SHNOOKUMS! I was so worried about you *proceeds to hug the cat and rub his face on the cat* don't ever wander away like that again. This can be immediately followed by a 180 persona change of being back to seriousness right after a though nothing happened. I think of this as being the big bad biker guy that just can't resist animals.
The suggestion of someone who tidies up could be taken into context of "everything needs to be in order even if I have to do it for you". No that is not how you should store the cookware you will damage it, don't leave water in the cast iron pan you will cause it to rust! Little bits of *minor* control freak issues can be rather fun to play out, trying to 'help' the other players since they are obviously incompetent at whatever.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
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So I'v been rehashing a character from my early early days of D&D for a IRL game and now a PBP here on DDB and I have a problem. My standards for developed characters wore a lot lower back then. And all this guy amounts to basically is just your archetypal Well... ass hole wizard, who throws everyone under the buss the moment that its advantages for him. And I don't want to change the basics because coming up with witty insults on the fly, and convoluted schemes is still really fun. But especial in a PBP medium he really doesn't give any of the other PCs any reason to interact with him. and I'm probably going to spend 95% of the time RPing his familiar instead (A super affectionate, playful and attention seeking *cat.)
So what Can I do to make this ass of a wizard into a lovable ass, I don't necessarily need the other characters in the story to LIKE him but I want to give the other players behind those characters and the DM something more fun to interact with then just a hoity bastard.?
Filtch Red-whisker | N/G | Nim | 3rd lv Fighter | Brute | "We fight for the youth, we fight at all cost. For as long as we fight, we have not truly lost"
Zanthin Abrax | N/G | Human | 6th lv Wizard | Lore master | "I'd tell you how astronomically dull you truly are, but I'd need to visit the far realm just to find the words to do so."
You could take inspiration from various Marvel movies. I think they have some interesting personalities that could be referred to as "asses" but they get a lot of interesting plot and character. Take for instance Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, or Tony Stark in the first Iron Man. They are great at what they do and relish that greatness as well as a snarky response every now and then. If his heart is in the right place, and he helps whenever his "friends" need it most, I think you're up for some great RP moments.
Subclass: Dwarven Defender - Dragonborn Paragon
Feats: Artificer Apprentice
Monsters: Sheep - Spellbreaker Warforged Titan
Magic Items: Whipier - Ring of Secret Storage - Collar of the Guardian
Monster template: Skeletal Creature
Give him a compulsion - something mechanics neutral and somewhat self-depricating. Give him a very easily upset stomach, for example. IRL, I have a great friend who has incredibly sentitive teeth, so he's completely incapable of eating even moderately warm food. It's friggin' hilarilous, still, years later. A final option needs some help from your DM. If your character can have an incredibly traumatic experience, you can easily rationalize a change/addition to his personality. Happy Gaming!
Try giving him a redeeming feature or trait. Something that he feels uncomfortable or even embarrassed about but is such a core personality trait that he is unable to suppress it. A stutter when around beautiful women, a protective instinct to fluffy animals, an inability to enjoy a meal if others are going without, a habit of tidying up when stressed.. It can be anything really, as long as he is uncomfortable admitting / talking about it and it is something that hints at a softer caring side.
A wizard that will happily burn down a building and then casually walk over the corpses to gather loot, but who risks his life to save a family of ducklings from a runaway wagon or blushes and stammers when a pretty barmaid pays him a compliment is a lot more fun to role play than an ultra cool one dimensional toon.
Be that guy that just GUSHES over his pet cat (familiar), OH MR SHNOOKUMS! I was so worried about you *proceeds to hug the cat and rub his face on the cat* don't ever wander away like that again. This can be immediately followed by a 180 persona change of being back to seriousness right after a though nothing happened. I think of this as being the big bad biker guy that just can't resist animals.
The suggestion of someone who tidies up could be taken into context of "everything needs to be in order even if I have to do it for you". No that is not how you should store the cookware you will damage it, don't leave water in the cast iron pan you will cause it to rust! Little bits of *minor* control freak issues can be rather fun to play out, trying to 'help' the other players since they are obviously incompetent at whatever.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."