As a DM who runs in the Realms I would raise my eyebrow at Paladin of Conquest of Ilmater. Lawful Good deity of compassion, martyrdom and self suffering to whom usually the oppressed pray hardly strikes as an ideal patron of someone who "seeks glory in conquest and subjugating their enemies".
I was looking for a deity that would dismiss him out of hand and drop him straight to Oathbreaker, procedurally a bit tentative I admit, but Ilmater was never going to accept :)
I was also going to point out that a Paladin of Ilmater doesn't fit your character's ideology lol. But in your initial post, you made it sound like your character is still planning to take the oath, but then you say you want the god to drop your character? I'm wondering why your character is still wanting to take the oath, if he doesn't really follow its ideals, anyway? A paladin strongly believes in the dogma of the god they follow (especially in the Realms, where the gods are very real), so if your character doesn't really share the views of Ilmater, why swear the oath in the first place? Unless this is all part of the character's past and has already happened? I'm just confused by "will swear my oath"" , as it sounds like it hasn't happened.
Also, love the name Mykiel (I like gods and celestial stuff).
The back story is before the adventure and swearing the oath comes at level 3 of the game. I am trying to imply that the character doesn't feel he has done anything wrong, so he is going to continue as before. Impiltur society is based on the worship of the Triad—the collective faiths of Ilmater, Torm and Tyr. I picked Ilmater as he was the most likely to reject my broken paladin, so when the character swears to Ilmater at level 3 he is rejected and ends at Oathbreaker.
I'd love to claim responsibility for the name Mykiel, but I got it from a name generator :)
Interesting, could you explain your reasoning on this
And Thank you for taking the time to help
In my opinion, a sociopath is more likely to consider themselves good than psychopaths.
He is definitely evil, but if I am heading for psychopath (I'm looking for no emotional connection rather than too much of the bad ones) so could I use unaligned as he just doesn't care enough to classify himself
He is definitely evil, but if I am heading for psychopath (I'm looking for no emotional connection rather than too much of the bad ones) so could I use unaligned as he just doesn't care enough to classify himself
Yeah, unaligned and "RACE WAR NOW!"/"Only good ork is dead ork" attitude don't add up. He's very clearly NE. He have a clear goal, the goal is obviously evil (genocide) and he does not care about following or breaking the rules in pursuing that goal.
I feel it´s a bit lazy to reach for a DSM classification of a biological error to describe evil. It just says "cuz he´s broken", end of story.
His conclusion that the humans were traitors isn´t illogical at all in such a value system that you describe, rather the response. Why´s that is more interesting. Maybe he was bullied and overcompensates to "get back"? He had an excellent chance to prove his might and right which went awry. But admitting that would imply his hated ineptitude and make the bullies right, so he doubles down on it instead. (See a famous politician who just left office for a poster boy example of such behavior) Etc., etc.
As a DM who runs in the Realms I would raise my eyebrow at Paladin of Conquest of Ilmater. Lawful Good deity of compassion, martyrdom and self suffering to whom usually the oppressed pray hardly strikes as an ideal patron of someone who "seeks glory in conquest and subjugating their enemies".
I was looking for a deity that would dismiss him out of hand and drop him straight to Oathbreaker, procedurally a bit tentative I admit, but Ilmater was never going to accept :)
I was also going to point out that a Paladin of Ilmater doesn't fit your character's ideology lol. But in your initial post, you made it sound like your character is still planning to take the oath, but then you say you want the god to drop your character? I'm wondering why your character is still wanting to take the oath, if he doesn't really follow its ideals, anyway? A paladin strongly believes in the dogma of the god they follow (especially in the Realms, where the gods are very real), so if your character doesn't really share the views of Ilmater, why swear the oath in the first place? Unless this is all part of the character's past and has already happened? I'm just confused by "will swear my oath"" , as it sounds like it hasn't happened.
Also, love the name Mykiel (I like gods and celestial stuff).
The back story is before the adventure and swearing the oath comes at level 3 of the game. I am trying to imply that the character doesn't feel he has done anything wrong, so he is going to continue as before. Impiltur society is based on the worship of the Triad—the collective faiths of Ilmater, Torm and Tyr. I picked Ilmater as he was the most likely to reject my broken paladin, so when the character swears to Ilmater at level 3 he is rejected and ends at Oathbreaker.
I'd love to claim responsibility for the name Mykiel, but I got it from a name generator :)
I am aware of the Triad (been a Forgotten Realms fan for several years). Hmm...actually, I wonder if Ilmater would in fact be the least likely to reject your paladin. Tyr and Torm are far more rigid and about justice and deliverance of it. Ilmater is about easing the suffering and pain of others. That said, your character is still likely to fall to oathbreaker, if he continues on his current path, but if he is a "broken human", Ilmater, who is about helping the broken, may take some pity on him, though he wouldn't keep him as a paladin, as a paladin represents and upholds his god's ideals, which your character will not, so the end result is likely to be the same, but it might make for an interesting dynamic.
Ilmater is a good choice: servants of a god of compassion would be repulsed by a descent into genocide. Developing psychopathy would be marked by a loss of empathy: victims are weak; they suffer because they aren't strong enough to fight back. Ego out of control: your former teachers are misguided fools; only you see clearly. No remorse: evil humanoids are vermin that deserve to be destroyed. You probably need to reframe that goal a little. If you no longer care about those who suffer under their violence, why keep destroying them?
Samael might be lawful evil, not neutral evil, depending on the importance of his genocidal goal to him. Neutral evil creatures have no allegiance but their own self interest. Goals are something you give lip service to - a facile facade hiding the murderer within, and abandoned when no longer useful. As neutral evil, Samael kills evil humanoids because he loves to kill and is less likely to face reprisal murdering orcs than halflings. The language you use, though, has an edge of the grandiose. You have purpose, but your companions' ideals are petty. If Samael believes that what he is doing is right, and not just fulfillment of his own dark desires, then he has a need to keep true to that belief. A lawful evil character would have some twisted justification for genocide, and would abandon it only if necessary to save his life. He's still a psychopath, but he's a psychopath that clings to his own aberrant logic to explain his need to destroy. There's also an argument to be made for chaotic evil. That's the sweet spot for psychopaths. You murder evil humanoids because they are strong, killing them shows you are stronger, and proving you are strong proves you were right to abandon your former mentors, because might makes right. That would be the extent of your "cause", though. It's just a name you've given to your self-gratification.
Seldarine has an interesting point about Ilmater, if you want to work that into the story. Mykiel might have been a lower ranked angel, a bit too straightforward to see the long game and had to bail. A wiser (and more powerful) angel might now be watching over Samael, looking to guide him to redemption. A lawful evil interpretation would support that better if you want there to be a chance. Samael is broken, but still believes that purposes are important, and might be guided back. Chaotic evil and neutral evil are too self-serving perhaps, but also possible. It would take an extraordinary event to reawaken compassion that far gone. Can Samael be redeemed, or will his new watcher eventually judge him beyond salvation and seek to end him?
Probably not gonna see this, but there is a good evil character to check out. Belkar Bitterleaf from the Order of the Stick webcomic is someone that you should look at. A part that really exemplifies him is "So, I did exactly what I always do—murder people horribly—but because I killed the people everyone else wanted me to kill, I get presents instead of prison time?
Thanks for that you are thinking along lines that I had taken onboard, I decided to lean him towards LE, also as a noble knight needing a squire and a couple of servants I need some that were also LE so as to not have problems from them.......... so with a rewrite.......,.,
I was born to a noble family from the Giantspire Mountain region of Impiltur, I was isolated from my human family as I was obviously Aasimar. My Angelic Guide Mykiel, loyal to the Demigod Ankur, had no idea how the world worked forever advising me to do stupid things like forgive and follow his code.
Excelling at combat, I was enrolled in the Most Holy Order of the Sacred Shrike and was sent back to the Giantspire Mountains, with my mentor Malark to train and fight Hobgoblins and Orcs. It was here that I found my purpose in life, to destroy all the evil humanoid races, I have Goblins, Hobgoblins and Orcs on my list for now they will do I may add others. In my training cadre, I was partnered with Cakul a half-Orc and fought alongside him against Orcs. So half-Orcs, though tainted, deserve a chance to show where their loyalties lie.
I was initiated to become a Paladin of Ilmater and will swear my oath of conquest to him when I am ready. I was out scouting when I found a small band of Orcs trading with a human hamlet for arms, there weren't many, so I killed the Orcs and then everyone in the traitorous hamlet.
When I reported back, they tried to arrest me for killing the 3 traitorous human families. It appears it was the women and children they had the most problem with, I don’t understand; if the children of the traitors grew up they would be trainers too hating us more for the death of their fathers and the women would go on to have more traitorous baby. I will give it some thought.
I escaped and made my way towards the Sword Coast. Just outside of Orogoth on the High Moor Mykiel withdrew and I fell. My wings still appear but they no longer work, there appears to be other changes too I will have to investigate.
I decided to make my way to Waterdeep. But outside a small village my horse stepped into a rabbit hole and snapped its leg, my new abilities as a Paladin (at least those abilities are still working) are not enough to fully fix it but at least he can walk. After some enquires in the village, I get directions to Morena Raven, the local hedge witch, in a cabin in the woods.
Once Morena had healed my horse, she told me that she had a problem that maybe I could help with and introduced me to her 2 house guests she had found in the woods need to death a Szarkai Drow , Rilrae of House Baenre, and her lover a Duergar, Tiznera of Clan Duergar. Now apparently exiled to the surface, if you need more, ask her, but have a weapon in your hand if you do. It is apparent that it has something to do with her refusal to kill Tiznera who was a slave in House Baenre (her loyalty to Tiznera was put before her best interests hence LE rather than NE as would be expected of a Drow)
The deal with Samael, sanctuary, food and board, teach them to survive in the surface world and not harm, or allow his companions to harm, her or Tiznera. In return she will act as his squire, payment required of course, she does not have to fight for him, but will defend herself, Tiznera and any non-combatant in his party. She will not harm Samael or any of his party, including servants. She will remove the poison from her weapons. The deal is apparently magically sealed.
Same deal for Tiznera except she will act as his weapons smith, payment required of course, new armour for Rilrae, paid for by me after she creates me normal plate armour, but before she creates him magical armour.
The deal is sealed but any other favours can be negotiated.
For the next few weeks whilst the girls healed, I explained fitting into surface society. I surprised myself, I know how, so why aren’t I doing it? Maybe Mykiel was right about one thing, I need a code and I need to follow it, not his code of cause.
Shopping trips to the village, rest and recuperation, long nights talking and two weeks later we are ready to leave, I have a new code, a squire, a blacksmith servant, a sound horse, 2 new pack horses, one loaded with new gear (blacksmith tools, food, and personal gear), the other loaded with the dwarf (we have agreed to descriptions of Dwarf and Elf not Drow and Duergar) yes loaded, the blacksmith tools ride better than she does. The Elf says she can keep up. I also have a contact name, Lul Twofoot, in Waterdeep for someone Morena says might help us get situated.
The gold is running out, so I have attached myself to a party of adventurers, so after a brief stop in Waterdeep we are going to find Glory and Riches, I have no interest in what everyone thinks of me, but riches are need, with a squire and a servant I look like a noble knight again, but I also need the resources.
In Waterdeep, I find and meet up with Lul Twofoot, who turns out to be a female Halfling with connections to the underworld (agent for the Shadow Thieves, looking to re-establish in Waterdeep) she needs a cover to stay much longer and in return will help get me established in Waterdeep. So, she finds me a small house to rent and signs on as a cook and housekeeper, payment required of cause, but she can take a rain check for now. She will not go into danger for me her mission is too important.
The money has run out, but it is time to set of on an adventure ……….
Personal Code
I will not break my promises.
I will follow my personal code above all else.
I will respect and follow the authorities that I recognise.
I will harm and eliminate others for personal gain and for advancement, but carefully and after thought.
I will not help the weak and needy unless it serves my needs.
I will promote order in society.
I will seek power and control over others.
I will always stand up for my allies.
I will always tell the truth to those I respect.
I will eliminate all Orcs, Goblins and Hobgoblins I come across and I may add others to The List.
I will eliminate all who aid those on The List, but I will be careful about it, and think first.
As a last thought, can anyone see a reason why as a LE Oathbreaker Paladin I can't use Summon Magical Steed to acquire a Nightmare?
Gonna assume that you mean Find Greater Steed or Find Steed. First of all, that is way more powerful than the other options in the spell, those being a griffon, a pegasus, a peryton, a dire wolf, a rhinoceros, or a saber-toothed tiger. A nightmare also confers fire resistance, which is super good. It can also fly, and go in and out of the ethereal plane at will, allowing you to bypass pretty much any puzzle or situation.
As a last thought, can anyone see a reason why as a LE Oathbreaker Paladin I can't use Summon Magical Steed to acquire a Nightmare?
Gonna assume that you mean Find Greater Steed or Find Steed. First of all, that is way more powerful than the other options in the spell, those being a griffon, a pegasus, a peryton, a dire wolf, a rhinoceros, or a saber-toothed tiger. A nightmare also confers fire resistance, which is super good. It can also fly, and go in and out of the ethereal plane at will, allowing you to bypass pretty much any puzzle or situation.
Yes but it has very little in the way of an actual attack. and is of cause very steed like :)
Thank you for that yes that is the spell I meant, I'll edit the previous post to help save confusion
As a last thought, can anyone see a reason why as a LE Oathbreaker Paladin I can't use Summon Magical Steed to acquire a Nightmare?
Gonna assume that you mean Find Greater Steed or Find Steed. First of all, that is way more powerful than the other options in the spell, those being a griffon, a pegasus, a peryton, a dire wolf, a rhinoceros, or a saber-toothed tiger. A nightmare also confers fire resistance, which is super good. It can also fly, and go in and out of the ethereal plane at will, allowing you to bypass pretty much any puzzle or situation.
Yes but it has very little in the way of an actual attack. and is of cause very steed like :)
Thank you for that yes that is the spell I meant, I'll edit the previous post to help save confusion
I think that the "Hooves.Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage" definitely counts as a powerful attack. Also, riding a flaming death demon horse into town will scare people. If you really wanted a cool demon steed, maybe a hell hound but fire breath on short/long rest cooldown and no pack tactics. I like your backstory, but talk with your DM first. It's really cool.
Regarding the nightmare, it's of course up to your DM. The other steeds mentioned by the spell are all CR 2 or lower, and it's CR 3. As HDungeonMaster mentioned, the nightmare offers some significant bonuses to the rider that are a step up from the listed options. If I were your DM, I'd probably say you could start with a fiendish pegasus (with black hair and mane, tail, and wings of fire) and offer you a story point/side quest to learn a greater ritual to summon a nightmare.
Are you actually going to play this character or is this just an exercise to work those creative muscles?
You mention that you are trying to write out a roadmap for levels 1 - 20, but you have started writing the adventure, not the backstory!
Unless your DM is running a homebrew is happy to weave your desired story beats into the campaign (and you are patient enough to not hog the limelight even though you know where you want to get to), you're probably setting yourself unrealistic expectations and limiting your character within a prescribed set of events rather than ideals, traits and flaws.
If you are starting at level 1, I would highly recommend you keep your backstory to a paragraph only, and then spend more time thinking about what your character would do in, or think about, specific situations.
A lawful character is consistent (lawful means following a set of rules, rather than making it up as you go along), and evil character does what they want, with disregard for the suffering of others. In some situations, they may actually choose an outcome that leads to the suffering of others. They are more likely to be focused on acquiring personal power and the ability to dominate others, particularly if lawful.
I think the lawful/consistency bit is easy, as you decide a code (as you have done above) and stick to that. You just have to make sure it is suitably selfish, otherwise it will be harder to be evil. You decide a minor or grand goal (being the most powerful mage in the world, reclaiming a throne by any means necessary, etc)
Evil is tougher as it will of course put you in conflict with the others in the party. One way around this is to make sure you have a major goal in mind for your character: everything in between is just a means to an end. If saving the princess gets you the gold to buy your way into the right social circles, or the stolen holy relic is in a dungeon with other powerful magic items, you won't deliberately sabotage things due to your evil nature - you are playing the long game.
You state your ambition is to destroy all "Evil Humanoid Races". This sounds like a "Lawful Good" ambition, because you state Evil races (appreciate this is my personal interpretation). Depending on how grand a scale your campaign and character arc is going to be, you might want to step that up be a god killer - perhaps identify some specific gods? Maybe Lloth, Yeenoghu? Then the destruction of their followers becomes a means to an end.
I dunno. My most complicated backstories have been around two paragraphs. I would change four things.
1stly, make your character lean towards LN. Your character destroying "evil" with evil methods seems odd to play and not fun to play with, so I would rephrase it as "I destroy evil, even if I have to do morally questionable things to do it."
2. Forget the "I will kill sh*t if it is evil, no hesitation" mentality. Have him be open to whatever happens with the campaign, and don't plan out your whole character at the start.
3. Have an avenue open for change. It would be cool if you maybe became a good paladin after seeing something that changed your mind.
A lot of the reason for doing this is to get to grips with the game mechanics as I'm quite new to this.
Also in the last 2 characters I tried I did make errors in choices early on that I lived to regret, so its also being done so I don't make similar mistakes
Absolutely I will play the character with an open mind, (No battle plan survives contact with the enemy)
I have come to the conclusion to steer him more to lawful evil by giving him a code to work with and not playing him as deliberately evil more that he doesn't emotional connect what he does as evil ( he understands how he should behave intellectually, but the emotional side of it isn't there)
Thank you all for your input, its been a great help.
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Dum Vivimus vivamus
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The back story is before the adventure and swearing the oath comes at level 3 of the game. I am trying to imply that the character doesn't feel he has done anything wrong, so he is going to continue as before. Impiltur society is based on the worship of the Triad—the collective faiths of Ilmater, Torm and Tyr. I picked Ilmater as he was the most likely to reject my broken paladin, so when the character swears to Ilmater at level 3 he is rejected and ends at Oathbreaker.
I'd love to claim responsibility for the name Mykiel, but I got it from a name generator :)
Dum Vivimus vivamus
He is definitely evil, but if I am heading for psychopath (I'm looking for no emotional connection rather than too much of the bad ones) so could I use unaligned as he just doesn't care enough to classify himself
Dum Vivimus vivamus
Yeah, unaligned and "RACE WAR NOW!"/"Only good ork is dead ork" attitude don't add up. He's very clearly NE. He have a clear goal, the goal is obviously evil (genocide) and he does not care about following or breaking the rules in pursuing that goal.
I feel it´s a bit lazy to reach for a DSM classification of a biological error to describe evil. It just says "cuz he´s broken", end of story.
His conclusion that the humans were traitors isn´t illogical at all in such a value system that you describe, rather the response. Why´s that is more interesting. Maybe he was bullied and overcompensates to "get back"? He had an excellent chance to prove his might and right which went awry. But admitting that would imply his hated ineptitude and make the bullies right, so he doubles down on it instead. (See a famous politician who just left office for a poster boy example of such behavior) Etc., etc.
I am aware of the Triad (been a Forgotten Realms fan for several years). Hmm...actually, I wonder if Ilmater would in fact be the least likely to reject your paladin. Tyr and Torm are far more rigid and about justice and deliverance of it. Ilmater is about easing the suffering and pain of others. That said, your character is still likely to fall to oathbreaker, if he continues on his current path, but if he is a "broken human", Ilmater, who is about helping the broken, may take some pity on him, though he wouldn't keep him as a paladin, as a paladin represents and upholds his god's ideals, which your character will not, so the end result is likely to be the same, but it might make for an interesting dynamic.
Any future plans for Mykiel?
Here are some comments, in no particular order.
That is actually quite good for an evil character
i lik it
Probably not gonna see this, but there is a good evil character to check out. Belkar Bitterleaf from the Order of the Stick webcomic is someone that you should look at. A part that really exemplifies him is "So, I did exactly what I always do—murder people horribly—but because I killed the people everyone else wanted me to kill, I get presents instead of prison time?
Thanks for that you are thinking along lines that I had taken onboard, I decided to lean him towards LE, also as a noble knight needing a squire and a couple of servants I need some that were also LE so as to not have problems from them.......... so with a rewrite.......,.,
I was born to a noble family from the Giantspire Mountain region of Impiltur, I was isolated from my human family as I was obviously Aasimar. My Angelic Guide Mykiel, loyal to the Demigod Ankur, had no idea how the world worked forever advising me to do stupid things like forgive and follow his code.
Excelling at combat, I was enrolled in the Most Holy Order of the Sacred Shrike and was sent back to the Giantspire Mountains, with my mentor Malark to train and fight Hobgoblins and Orcs. It was here that I found my purpose in life, to destroy all the evil humanoid races, I have Goblins, Hobgoblins and Orcs on my list for now they will do I may add others. In my training cadre, I was partnered with Cakul a half-Orc and fought alongside him against Orcs. So half-Orcs, though tainted, deserve a chance to show where their loyalties lie.
I was initiated to become a Paladin of Ilmater and will swear my oath of conquest to him when I am ready. I was out scouting when I found a small band of Orcs trading with a human hamlet for arms, there weren't many, so I killed the Orcs and then everyone in the traitorous hamlet.
When I reported back, they tried to arrest me for killing the 3 traitorous human families. It appears it was the women and children they had the most problem with, I don’t understand; if the children of the traitors grew up they would be trainers too hating us more for the death of their fathers and the women would go on to have more traitorous baby. I will give it some thought.
I escaped and made my way towards the Sword Coast. Just outside of Orogoth on the High Moor Mykiel withdrew and I fell. My wings still appear but they no longer work, there appears to be other changes too I will have to investigate.
I decided to make my way to Waterdeep. But outside a small village my horse stepped into a rabbit hole and snapped its leg, my new abilities as a Paladin (at least those abilities are still working) are not enough to fully fix it but at least he can walk. After some enquires in the village, I get directions to Morena Raven, the local hedge witch, in a cabin in the woods.
Once Morena had healed my horse, she told me that she had a problem that maybe I could help with and introduced me to her 2 house guests she had found in the woods need to death a Szarkai Drow , Rilrae of House Baenre, and her lover a Duergar, Tiznera of Clan Duergar. Now apparently exiled to the surface, if you need more, ask her, but have a weapon in your hand if you do. It is apparent that it has something to do with her refusal to kill Tiznera who was a slave in House Baenre (her loyalty to Tiznera was put before her best interests hence LE rather than NE as would be expected of a Drow)
The deal with Samael, sanctuary, food and board, teach them to survive in the surface world and not harm, or allow his companions to harm, her or Tiznera. In return she will act as his squire, payment required of course, she does not have to fight for him, but will defend herself, Tiznera and any non-combatant in his party. She will not harm Samael or any of his party, including servants. She will remove the poison from her weapons. The deal is apparently magically sealed.
Same deal for Tiznera except she will act as his weapons smith, payment required of course, new armour for Rilrae, paid for by me after she creates me normal plate armour, but before she creates him magical armour.
The deal is sealed but any other favours can be negotiated.
For the next few weeks whilst the girls healed, I explained fitting into surface society. I surprised myself, I know how, so why aren’t I doing it? Maybe Mykiel was right about one thing, I need a code and I need to follow it, not his code of cause.
Shopping trips to the village, rest and recuperation, long nights talking and two weeks later we are ready to leave, I have a new code, a squire, a blacksmith servant, a sound horse, 2 new pack horses, one loaded with new gear (blacksmith tools, food, and personal gear), the other loaded with the dwarf (we have agreed to descriptions of Dwarf and Elf not Drow and Duergar) yes loaded, the blacksmith tools ride better than she does. The Elf says she can keep up. I also have a contact name, Lul Twofoot, in Waterdeep for someone Morena says might help us get situated.
The gold is running out, so I have attached myself to a party of adventurers, so after a brief stop in Waterdeep we are going to find Glory and Riches, I have no interest in what everyone thinks of me, but riches are need, with a squire and a servant I look like a noble knight again, but I also need the resources.
In Waterdeep, I find and meet up with Lul Twofoot, who turns out to be a female Halfling with connections to the underworld (agent for the Shadow Thieves, looking to re-establish in Waterdeep) she needs a cover to stay much longer and in return will help get me established in Waterdeep. So, she finds me a small house to rent and signs on as a cook and housekeeper, payment required of cause, but she can take a rain check for now. She will not go into danger for me her mission is too important.
The money has run out, but it is time to set of on an adventure ……….
Personal Code
Dum Vivimus vivamus
As a last thought, can anyone see a reason why as a LE Oathbreaker Paladin I can't use Find Greater Steed to acquire a Nightmare?
Dum Vivimus vivamus
Gonna assume that you mean Find Greater Steed or Find Steed. First of all, that is way more powerful than the other options in the spell, those being a griffon, a pegasus, a peryton, a dire wolf, a rhinoceros, or a saber-toothed tiger. A nightmare also confers fire resistance, which is super good. It can also fly, and go in and out of the ethereal plane at will, allowing you to bypass pretty much any puzzle or situation.
Yes but it has very little in the way of an actual attack. and is of cause very steed like :)
Thank you for that yes that is the spell I meant, I'll edit the previous post to help save confusion
Dum Vivimus vivamus
I think that the "Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage" definitely counts as a powerful attack. Also, riding a flaming death demon horse into town will scare people. If you really wanted a cool demon steed, maybe a hell hound but fire breath on short/long rest cooldown and no pack tactics. I like your backstory, but talk with your DM first. It's really cool.
Regarding the nightmare, it's of course up to your DM. The other steeds mentioned by the spell are all CR 2 or lower, and it's CR 3. As HDungeonMaster mentioned, the nightmare offers some significant bonuses to the rider that are a step up from the listed options. If I were your DM, I'd probably say you could start with a fiendish pegasus (with black hair and mane, tail, and wings of fire) and offer you a story point/side quest to learn a greater ritual to summon a nightmare.
Are you actually going to play this character or is this just an exercise to work those creative muscles?
You mention that you are trying to write out a roadmap for levels 1 - 20, but you have started writing the adventure, not the backstory!
Unless your DM is running a homebrew is happy to weave your desired story beats into the campaign (and you are patient enough to not hog the limelight even though you know where you want to get to), you're probably setting yourself unrealistic expectations and limiting your character within a prescribed set of events rather than ideals, traits and flaws.
If you are starting at level 1, I would highly recommend you keep your backstory to a paragraph only, and then spend more time thinking about what your character would do in, or think about, specific situations.
A lawful character is consistent (lawful means following a set of rules, rather than making it up as you go along), and evil character does what they want, with disregard for the suffering of others. In some situations, they may actually choose an outcome that leads to the suffering of others. They are more likely to be focused on acquiring personal power and the ability to dominate others, particularly if lawful.
I think the lawful/consistency bit is easy, as you decide a code (as you have done above) and stick to that. You just have to make sure it is suitably selfish, otherwise it will be harder to be evil. You decide a minor or grand goal (being the most powerful mage in the world, reclaiming a throne by any means necessary, etc)
Evil is tougher as it will of course put you in conflict with the others in the party. One way around this is to make sure you have a major goal in mind for your character: everything in between is just a means to an end. If saving the princess gets you the gold to buy your way into the right social circles, or the stolen holy relic is in a dungeon with other powerful magic items, you won't deliberately sabotage things due to your evil nature - you are playing the long game.
You state your ambition is to destroy all "Evil Humanoid Races". This sounds like a "Lawful Good" ambition, because you state Evil races (appreciate this is my personal interpretation). Depending on how grand a scale your campaign and character arc is going to be, you might want to step that up be a god killer - perhaps identify some specific gods? Maybe Lloth, Yeenoghu? Then the destruction of their followers becomes a means to an end.
I dunno. My most complicated backstories have been around two paragraphs. I would change four things.
1stly, make your character lean towards LN. Your character destroying "evil" with evil methods seems odd to play and not fun to play with, so I would rephrase it as "I destroy evil, even if I have to do morally questionable things to do it."
2. Forget the "I will kill sh*t if it is evil, no hesitation" mentality. Have him be open to whatever happens with the campaign, and don't plan out your whole character at the start.
3. Have an avenue open for change. It would be cool if you maybe became a good paladin after seeing something that changed your mind.
You couldn't, but you could always get a pegasus and cut off it's wings.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
A lot of the reason for doing this is to get to grips with the game mechanics as I'm quite new to this.
Also in the last 2 characters I tried I did make errors in choices early on that I lived to regret, so its also being done so I don't make similar mistakes
Absolutely I will play the character with an open mind, (No battle plan survives contact with the enemy)
I have come to the conclusion to steer him more to lawful evil by giving him a code to work with and not playing him as deliberately evil more that he doesn't emotional connect what he does as evil ( he understands how he should behave intellectually, but the emotional side of it isn't there)
Thank you all for your input, its been a great help.
Dum Vivimus vivamus