Hello! I'm not new to the game but haven't played in many, many years and now that I'm returning I've found myself wanting to be way more creative than I was in my younger days. My party is primarily spellcasters (and a rogue), so I will be serving as tank/healer and as such I am leaning toward a Vengeance Paladin. The backstory that I want to go with is one of a retired older character who essentially turned his back on whatever his oath is (undecided at the moment) in order to settle down and have a family. He had some kind of job in a village to support his family but they've been murdered now by some (roving bandits, who knows - will figure that out with the DM) and he is angry and want to get revenge. I am thinking that his penance to get his powers back might be the reason he teams up with this new adventuring party, while maintaining his personal quest for payback. Since I want to play him as old, my main questions are how I can make this work knowing we'll start at Level 1 or 2. I was thinking perhaps of tanking his Dexterity as a way of accounting for his old age. He absolutely still needs his Strength so I can't give that up as easily, haha. Any tips or ideas on backstory flavor or how to account for the fact the he once was a great warrior who is now essentially starting over are very welcome.
I don;t think you need to worry to much. What you've put down so far is a good backstory to work with although for some reason I read it and got the image of Clint Eastwood from the film Pale Rider in my head. So based on that image I'd say use the Acolyte or Soldier background to represent the previous paladin life, he may have been given a honarary discharge from his order due to his age and maybe his job after leaving the previous life was as a lawman/sherrif or preacher that the local villages would come to for advice and that is where he met his wife, raised a family and ultimately why he came into conflict with the bandits. Following some event that resulted in the death of his family the character leaves town and starts to hunt down the bandits and joins up with the party to find leads as the bandits split up and left the area.
Although he might have retained his paladin powers all along and may only have been a a level 1 or 2 paladin before taking up the family life so you don't really have to account for them disappearing he was just never that powerful/high level before being discharged and if the area he lived in was pretty quiet/crime free prior to the bandits arriving then he likely wouldn't have much use for his level 1 & 2 powers and just got out of the habit of using them until this event occured.
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Although he might have retained his paladin powers all along and may only have been a a level 1 or 2 paladin before taking up the family life [...]
You misread. He said his paladin would start at level 1 or 2 after his family was murdered. It's implied that he was at a much higher level before his retirement.
Since I want to play him as old, my main questions are how I can make this work knowing we'll start at Level 1 or 2. I was thinking perhaps of tanking his Dexterity as a way of accounting for his old age. He absolutely still needs his Strength so I can't give that up as easily, haha. Any tips or ideas on backstory flavor or how to account for the fact the he once was a great warrior who is now essentially starting over are very welcome.
The solution is much simpler than you think. Being old, out of shape and not having honed his skills in a long time means that he's not as strong and skilled as he was in his prime. This can be mechanically explained by the fact that he has to start over as a low level character. You don't need to do anything special with his ability scores, he already lost all those increases he had gained by leveling up.
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Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player
I think this is a great premise and has a lot of potential for amazing roleplaying moments.
I think you can expand on the idea "he was great once but now he is old and he starts again for vengeance" with a couple of roleplay items:
1- Aging and Physical Abilities: As an older character, you can roleplay your character's physical limitations and use ability score adjustments to reflect this. You mentioned tanking Dexterity, which makes sense for an older character, but you can also allocate your ability scores in a way that prioritizes Strength for your combat effectiveness. This could represent your character's retained muscle memory and experience from their younger days. Spice it up with quirks maybe; Your character occasionally complains about joint stiffness or makes humorous remarks about their aging body, adding a touch of self-awareness and light-heartedness to the group dynamic. He might have a collection of old battle scars that serve as a reminder of their past glory and resilience.
2- Retired Paladin: Perhaps your character was a renowned and respected paladin in their prime, having accomplished great deeds and fulfilled their oath. This retirement and peaceful life could serve as an interesting contrast to their eventual return to adventuring life. He could have developed a penchant for gardening, cooking or woodworking during their retirement, often sharing their homemade recipes or related tips to the party. He could keep a hidden chest of mementos from his previous adventuring days, including trophies, letters, or a worn-out copy of their old oath that they occasionally revisit for inspiration, or just curse and abandon it. Maybe he carries a small locket with portraits of his family, frequently taking quiet moments to gaze at it or whisper a few words to their lost loved ones, refueling his thirst for revenge.
3- Penance and Power Regained: To regain some of his powers, your character can undertake a quest or a series of tasks as a form of penance for abandoning their oath. (Talk to your DM) This could be an opportunity for character growth and redemption. Teaming up with the new adventuring party can be a means to further their personal quest while also finding strength in numbers and a sense of purpose in fighting against evil.
4- Role in the Party: As a Vengeance Paladin, your character can fulfill the roles of tank and healer, providing support and protection to your spellcasting party members. You can emphasize your character's wisdom and experience to make up for any physical shortcomings caused by their age. This can be reflected in their decision-making, tactical acumen, and the insights they bring to the group. In that perspective he could have a collection of old war stories that he would share during downtime, regaling the party with tales of heroic battles or offering strategic insights based on their past experiences. No boring campfire - ever!
Sorry if it was a long answer but I really like the idea. I hope you will enjoy playing with this gem.
Appreciate the very helpful feedback and excited to play this character. I've fleshed him out a bit more, so here is his backstory as I think it's gonna stand.
I am an Aasimar how does not know his parents. I was found (?) and adopted by Humans who were Paladins and members of Order of the Golden Lions. I grew up as an Acolyte in one of Torm's temples while my parents were off working, eventually following in their footsteps and becoming a Paladin after they died on a mission when I was 25. For the next 60 years I served a Paladin of Torm and rose to great renown. I then met and fell in love with a Human woman named Luana and was compelled to give up my spear and shield to raise a family. I gave up my duties, my titles, and retired to a farm where we lived peacefully raising two daughters for the next 50 years. Then, one fateful day while I was on a trip to town, a roving murderous group of bandits razed several farms in our area and killed everyone they came across - including my family.
Now, I have re-sworn myself to Torm and taken the Oath of Vengeance. I am older and must re-learn my skills and regain my spells while dealing with aged bones and a loss of athleticism. I am required to follow the Penance of Duty and have been given the quest to aid the adventurers in this group in order to be taken back and considered for membership in the Order of the Golden Lions. While I do this, I always am prioritizing seeking out information about the band of murderers who stole my family from me. I sadly know nothing about them. The DM is aware of this, though, and will be providing me the info early on four four or five names of the bandit group, and that will become my "Arya Kill List" going forward. My Holy Symbol will be my wife's golden wedding ring inlaid with turquoise.
I like this kind of an approach to characters. I personally feel like the leap from lvl 1-2 to say 5-8 is just too much, so I often come up with this kind of backstories anyways. :P
That said, you don't need to worry about being so low level. Say you have been retired for a very long time, like a over a decade, just gardening and stuff like someone mentioned.
You are rusty, maybe gained a bit of weight, your back is stiff from all the manual labor and your reflexes aren't the same. You still have your fighting spirit, killer instinct and battle wit buried under all that dirt and lard - and that is actually most important IRL too. You don't hesitate under pressure and you can keep a level head.
So if someone handed you a sword right now, you'd be a pretty tough fighter, but out of shape and out of practice. So level 1-2. You lost a lot of your powers too.
You may have easily been a level 6 in your prime. :)
So you getting from 1-2 to 5 (which often happens relatively quickly in my experience) is just you getting used to the weight of the sword again and adapting to your new Oath. Maybe even a bit further from there it could be you getting back to your prime, but as a very different person.
You can emphasize this with a poor dexterity etc. if you want to, but I don't think it's necessary for a believable story. Dropping dex is a good idea if you want to make it more visible. Dex is an ok dump stat anyway for paladins because of Heavy Armor. You lose initiative, but that can be fixed with for example the Alert feat. Maybe depends on how old the character is. :)
Something I don't really get is why you didn't mention resurrecting your character's family. He used to be a high level paladin, so he knows how feasible it should be. His temple can keep the corpses, use gentle repose and reapply it every ten days until the paladin has obtained the necessary diamonds and completed the task he was assigned. Three uses of raise dead only costs 1,500 gp and three hours of work. Although a fortune for the common folk, it doesn't take that long for an adventurer to obtain those funds. Heck, as a paladin he could perform the resurrection spell himself, although that would take significantly more time for him to reach that level. The only thing he can't do by himself is preventing the corpses from decaying, but as an acolyte he has a temple that can do it for him in exchange for a favor.
I made a character whose only motivation to become an adventurer is to amass 25,000 gp for one use of true resurrection. The person he's looking to bring back to life disintegrated, so there's no corpse left. His connections as a courtier can allow him to get in touch with a powerful cleric, so that part of the plan is much easier. He doesn't plan on performing the spell himself because he's only a celestial warlock. A celestial had answered his prayers when he asked the gods for help.
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Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player
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Hello! I'm not new to the game but haven't played in many, many years and now that I'm returning I've found myself wanting to be way more creative than I was in my younger days. My party is primarily spellcasters (and a rogue), so I will be serving as tank/healer and as such I am leaning toward a Vengeance Paladin. The backstory that I want to go with is one of a retired older character who essentially turned his back on whatever his oath is (undecided at the moment) in order to settle down and have a family. He had some kind of job in a village to support his family but they've been murdered now by some (roving bandits, who knows - will figure that out with the DM) and he is angry and want to get revenge. I am thinking that his penance to get his powers back might be the reason he teams up with this new adventuring party, while maintaining his personal quest for payback. Since I want to play him as old, my main questions are how I can make this work knowing we'll start at Level 1 or 2. I was thinking perhaps of tanking his Dexterity as a way of accounting for his old age. He absolutely still needs his Strength so I can't give that up as easily, haha. Any tips or ideas on backstory flavor or how to account for the fact the he once was a great warrior who is now essentially starting over are very welcome.
I don;t think you need to worry to much. What you've put down so far is a good backstory to work with although for some reason I read it and got the image of Clint Eastwood from the film Pale Rider in my head. So based on that image I'd say use the Acolyte or Soldier background to represent the previous paladin life, he may have been given a honarary discharge from his order due to his age and maybe his job after leaving the previous life was as a lawman/sherrif or preacher that the local villages would come to for advice and that is where he met his wife, raised a family and ultimately why he came into conflict with the bandits. Following some event that resulted in the death of his family the character leaves town and starts to hunt down the bandits and joins up with the party to find leads as the bandits split up and left the area.
Although he might have retained his paladin powers all along and may only have been a a level 1 or 2 paladin before taking up the family life so you don't really have to account for them disappearing he was just never that powerful/high level before being discharged and if the area he lived in was pretty quiet/crime free prior to the bandits arriving then he likely wouldn't have much use for his level 1 & 2 powers and just got out of the habit of using them until this event occured.
You misread. He said his paladin would start at level 1 or 2 after his family was murdered. It's implied that he was at a much higher level before his retirement.
The solution is much simpler than you think. Being old, out of shape and not having honed his skills in a long time means that he's not as strong and skilled as he was in his prime. This can be mechanically explained by the fact that he has to start over as a low level character. You don't need to do anything special with his ability scores, he already lost all those increases he had gained by leveling up.
Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player
I think this is a great premise and has a lot of potential for amazing roleplaying moments.
I think you can expand on the idea "he was great once but now he is old and he starts again for vengeance" with a couple of roleplay items:
1- Aging and Physical Abilities: As an older character, you can roleplay your character's physical limitations and use ability score adjustments to reflect this. You mentioned tanking Dexterity, which makes sense for an older character, but you can also allocate your ability scores in a way that prioritizes Strength for your combat effectiveness. This could represent your character's retained muscle memory and experience from their younger days. Spice it up with quirks maybe; Your character occasionally complains about joint stiffness or makes humorous remarks about their aging body, adding a touch of self-awareness and light-heartedness to the group dynamic. He might have a collection of old battle scars that serve as a reminder of their past glory and resilience.
2- Retired Paladin: Perhaps your character was a renowned and respected paladin in their prime, having accomplished great deeds and fulfilled their oath. This retirement and peaceful life could serve as an interesting contrast to their eventual return to adventuring life. He could have developed a penchant for gardening, cooking or woodworking during their retirement, often sharing their homemade recipes or related tips to the party. He could keep a hidden chest of mementos from his previous adventuring days, including trophies, letters, or a worn-out copy of their old oath that they occasionally revisit for inspiration, or just curse and abandon it. Maybe he carries a small locket with portraits of his family, frequently taking quiet moments to gaze at it or whisper a few words to their lost loved ones, refueling his thirst for revenge.
3- Penance and Power Regained: To regain some of his powers, your character can undertake a quest or a series of tasks as a form of penance for abandoning their oath. (Talk to your DM) This could be an opportunity for character growth and redemption. Teaming up with the new adventuring party can be a means to further their personal quest while also finding strength in numbers and a sense of purpose in fighting against evil.
4- Role in the Party: As a Vengeance Paladin, your character can fulfill the roles of tank and healer, providing support and protection to your spellcasting party members. You can emphasize your character's wisdom and experience to make up for any physical shortcomings caused by their age. This can be reflected in their decision-making, tactical acumen, and the insights they bring to the group. In that perspective he could have a collection of old war stories that he would share during downtime, regaling the party with tales of heroic battles or offering strategic insights based on their past experiences. No boring campfire - ever!
Sorry if it was a long answer but I really like the idea. I hope you will enjoy playing with this gem.
Appreciate the very helpful feedback and excited to play this character. I've fleshed him out a bit more, so here is his backstory as I think it's gonna stand.
I am an Aasimar how does not know his parents. I was found (?) and adopted by Humans who were Paladins and members of Order of the Golden Lions. I grew up as an Acolyte in one of Torm's temples while my parents were off working, eventually following in their footsteps and becoming a Paladin after they died on a mission when I was 25. For the next 60 years I served a Paladin of Torm and rose to great renown. I then met and fell in love with a Human woman named Luana and was compelled to give up my spear and shield to raise a family. I gave up my duties, my titles, and retired to a farm where we lived peacefully raising two daughters for the next 50 years. Then, one fateful day while I was on a trip to town, a roving murderous group of bandits razed several farms in our area and killed everyone they came across - including my family.
Now, I have re-sworn myself to Torm and taken the Oath of Vengeance. I am older and must re-learn my skills and regain my spells while dealing with aged bones and a loss of athleticism. I am required to follow the Penance of Duty and have been given the quest to aid the adventurers in this group in order to be taken back and considered for membership in the Order of the Golden Lions. While I do this, I always am prioritizing seeking out information about the band of murderers who stole my family from me. I sadly know nothing about them. The DM is aware of this, though, and will be providing me the info early on four four or five names of the bandit group, and that will become my "Arya Kill List" going forward. My Holy Symbol will be my wife's golden wedding ring inlaid with turquoise.
I like this kind of an approach to characters. I personally feel like the leap from lvl 1-2 to say 5-8 is just too much, so I often come up with this kind of backstories anyways. :P
That said, you don't need to worry about being so low level. Say you have been retired for a very long time, like a over a decade, just gardening and stuff like someone mentioned.
You are rusty, maybe gained a bit of weight, your back is stiff from all the manual labor and your reflexes aren't the same. You still have your fighting spirit, killer instinct and battle wit buried under all that dirt and lard - and that is actually most important IRL too. You don't hesitate under pressure and you can keep a level head.
So if someone handed you a sword right now, you'd be a pretty tough fighter, but out of shape and out of practice. So level 1-2. You lost a lot of your powers too.
You may have easily been a level 6 in your prime. :)
So you getting from 1-2 to 5 (which often happens relatively quickly in my experience) is just you getting used to the weight of the sword again and adapting to your new Oath. Maybe even a bit further from there it could be you getting back to your prime, but as a very different person.
You can emphasize this with a poor dexterity etc. if you want to, but I don't think it's necessary for a believable story. Dropping dex is a good idea if you want to make it more visible. Dex is an ok dump stat anyway for paladins because of Heavy Armor. You lose initiative, but that can be fixed with for example the Alert feat. Maybe depends on how old the character is. :)
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Something I don't really get is why you didn't mention resurrecting your character's family. He used to be a high level paladin, so he knows how feasible it should be. His temple can keep the corpses, use gentle repose and reapply it every ten days until the paladin has obtained the necessary diamonds and completed the task he was assigned. Three uses of raise dead only costs 1,500 gp and three hours of work. Although a fortune for the common folk, it doesn't take that long for an adventurer to obtain those funds. Heck, as a paladin he could perform the resurrection spell himself, although that would take significantly more time for him to reach that level. The only thing he can't do by himself is preventing the corpses from decaying, but as an acolyte he has a temple that can do it for him in exchange for a favor.
I made a character whose only motivation to become an adventurer is to amass 25,000 gp for one use of true resurrection. The person he's looking to bring back to life disintegrated, so there's no corpse left. His connections as a courtier can allow him to get in touch with a powerful cleric, so that part of the plan is much easier. He doesn't plan on performing the spell himself because he's only a celestial warlock. A celestial had answered his prayers when he asked the gods for help.
Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player