With the latest release of the "Aberrant Mind" sorcerer subclass, I was curious if anyone had conjured any interesting backstories for their characters.
Honestly, I had created more than a few "Haunted One" backstories for several characters, where the "Aberrant Mind" would have been a perfect fit.
I had a Changeling who was actually a fragment of a Great Old One who got separated from the whole, thus becoming his own thinking, feeling "self".
Another was a hard-boiled detective who was investigating disappearances in his city, and had bizarre visions of nightmarish creatures he believed to be responsible. Turns out, he was the one responsible, having blackouts and delusions whenever he attacked, and lost his memory afterwords.
What are some Aberrant Sorcerer backstories you'd think would work with this maddening new subclass?
I made a char for curse of strad. Hospitality halfling who owns the Dragon Flagon. One day he gets a blinding migraine and passes out, waking back up in the mists of barovia. I've been having fun making him do stuff subconsciously and having a char that knew him before react, forcing him to react ("I just did what?" "All I did was light the fireplace....from across the room?")
I just posted an aberrant mind for a player recruitment PbP:
"Oh him? Yeah, he's a weird one."The barkeep tells you as you ask about the slimy faced man at the end of the bar, his raggedy dark hair obscuring some of his face."Says he was abducted six months ago, something about purple people eaters. What's he doing here? Your guess is as good as mine. Says he's here to 'enlist', though I'm not sure they'll take someone like that. Says he keeps getting thoughts and dreams about something 'being there', but he doesn't bother my patrons, and he pays for his drinks."The barkeep collects the empty tankard from in front of the stranger, who is not taking two pieces of string, twisting them beside one another, muttering under his breath before they appear to become one single piece."Just don't press the guy, a couple of thugs decided to lead him down the side alley the other night, and they were found the following morning with scorch marks up their bodies, like he brought a storm down on them."
The strange man raises his hand again, holding two fingers up, one of which has a strange scar in a spiralling fashion that leads down along the bandaged hand. The barkeep chuckles, "Guess he's buying your next drink for you." The barkeep then proceeds to pour from the cask, bringing a foaming tankard to you, then one to the stranger. "You said you're on your way to Gudsrocke? Well, luck be with you, and I guess he'll be keeping you company."
if I ever play one, he'd probably be a drow (because I'm a fanboi) who's mother was detailed in the 4e Menzoberrazan: City of Intrigue book: Uluruela Drael Tuabbar. She's an agent of the Sect of Ill'Ghact; a group of mindflayers trying to re-create the elder brain of Phanlinksal. The character would be "tampered" with, which unlocks his psionic potential. He overhears that he's about to be handed over to the illithids to serve as a host now that his powers have started to manifest, and decides to book it to the surface and take his chances.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
if I ever play one, he'd probably be a drow (because I'm a fanboi) who's mother was detailed in the 4e Menzoberrazan: City of Intrigue book: Uluruela Drael Tuabbar. She's an agent of the Sect of Ill'Ghact; a group of mindflayers trying to re-create the elder brain of Phanlinksal. The character would be "tampered" with, which unlocks his psionic potential. He overhears that he's about to be handed over to the illithids to serve as a host now that his powers have started to manifest, and decides to book it to the surface and take his chances.
Ooh...lots of potential for a DM to work with there.
For instance, if the DM decides to use a mindflayer in the game, maybe your character gets "flashes" of seeing through the eyes of the mindflayer, since you're "somewhat" linked to their hive mind.
I have yet to come up with the perfect Aberrant Mind, but the one I favor the most so far is actually a verdan. Their racial history (and attributes) scream "SORCERER!" to me, and while Wild Magic fits, That-Which-Endures is also an Old One from beyond knowable reality.
A verdan who was transformed underground, then had to flee to the surface in terror, defending itself and its family with eldritch powers it had only just begun to manifest and clumsily control. Basic, and not fleshed out yet, but I love the verdan race and keep trying to find a good way to use them. Aberrant Mind seems a great fit.
I made a drow who was enslaved by an Aboleth at a young age and forced to lead others to its lair as followers or food. The connection was severed a week later.
I wasn't sure how nightmares would work since trancing isn't really the same as sleeping, but they experience occasional flashbacks of their time under the Aboleth's control during trances. I also considered that spells like charm person or dominate person could trigger more vivid flashbacks that tap into the remains of that connection, so their vision goes hazy and the Aboleth is able to talk to them for a few seconds (this only happens when the spell ends and not at all if they make the saving throw).
I have a character on the back burner that will be a Simic Hybrid Abberant Mind Sorc who is reflavored fo Eberron as someone caught in the Mourlands and mutated and twisted by whatever is going on in there. The Simic Hybrid animal features are physical manifestations of whatever warped and twisted him within the Mourlands
I’ve got an idea I’m trying to figure out for an Eladrin Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. Maybe you can help me flesh it out?
I’ve wondered how much I need to adhere to the fluff of the subclass, or if I can do a bit of reskinning. For example, could the origin be not from interaction with an Aberration, but with one of the more Giger-esque denizens of the Unseelie Court?
I’ve got an idea I’m trying to figure out for an Eladrin Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. Maybe you can help me flesh it out?
I’ve wondered how much I need to adhere to the fluff of the subclass, or if I can do a bit of reskinning. For example, could the origin be not from interaction with an Aberration, but with one of the more Giger-esque denizens of the Unseelie Court?
Given that the Fey are known to rend minds and manipulate emotions to the point of insanity...that actually fits neatly into the Aberrant subclass.
Even the new "Fey Wanderer" Ranger had a multitude of psychic-damage flavor.
How would you "reskin" some of the more aquatic features? Like the 14th-level "Revelation in Flesh" stuff?
The flying could simply be dream-like floating...the aquatic features and true sight could easily be flavored as enchantments or gifts of the Fey...the formless feature could remain as is.
Fey like to mess with people, as well...maybe a hag gave you grotesque shapeshifting.
I made an Eladrin Aberrant Mind Sorcerer who fell in love with a Fey Lady whom a God took a fancy too and ascended to Goddess status. Her tried to win her back but was cast into a deep swamp on the material plan where an elder Aboleth lived. Obviously, he was enslaved for many years... or centuries. Eventually, the aboleth grew bored of the swamp but couldn't leave, so she took interest in her oldest slave and set him free but tethered. He takes power from his time enslaved and even has brief memories of the time before Gods from the aboleth Racial Memory. He is now driven by love and Revenge to return his Fey Lady from Goddess status.
With the latest release of the "Aberrant Mind" sorcerer subclass, I was curious if anyone had conjured any interesting backstories for their characters.
Honestly, I had created more than a few "Haunted One" backstories for several characters, where the "Aberrant Mind" would have been a perfect fit.
I had a Changeling who was actually a fragment of a Great Old One who got separated from the whole, thus becoming his own thinking, feeling "self".
Another was a hard-boiled detective who was investigating disappearances in his city, and had bizarre visions of nightmarish creatures he believed to be responsible. Turns out, he was the one responsible, having blackouts and delusions whenever he attacked, and lost his memory afterwords.
What are some Aberrant Sorcerer backstories you'd think would work with this maddening new subclass?
I made a char for curse of strad. Hospitality halfling who owns the Dragon Flagon. One day he gets a blinding migraine and passes out, waking back up in the mists of barovia. I've been having fun making him do stuff subconsciously and having a char that knew him before react, forcing him to react ("I just did what?" "All I did was light the fireplace....from across the room?")
I just posted an aberrant mind for a player recruitment PbP:
Quite the introduction!
if I ever play one, he'd probably be a drow (because I'm a fanboi) who's mother was detailed in the 4e Menzoberrazan: City of Intrigue book: Uluruela Drael Tuabbar. She's an agent of the Sect of Ill'Ghact; a group of mindflayers trying to re-create the elder brain of Phanlinksal. The character would be "tampered" with, which unlocks his psionic potential. He overhears that he's about to be handed over to the illithids to serve as a host now that his powers have started to manifest, and decides to book it to the surface and take his chances.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Ooh...lots of potential for a DM to work with there.
For instance, if the DM decides to use a mindflayer in the game, maybe your character gets "flashes" of seeing through the eyes of the mindflayer, since you're "somewhat" linked to their hive mind.
I have yet to come up with the perfect Aberrant Mind, but the one I favor the most so far is actually a verdan. Their racial history (and attributes) scream "SORCERER!" to me, and while Wild Magic fits, That-Which-Endures is also an Old One from beyond knowable reality.
A verdan who was transformed underground, then had to flee to the surface in terror, defending itself and its family with eldritch powers it had only just begun to manifest and clumsily control. Basic, and not fleshed out yet, but I love the verdan race and keep trying to find a good way to use them. Aberrant Mind seems a great fit.
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I made a drow who was enslaved by an Aboleth at a young age and forced to lead others to its lair as followers or food. The connection was severed a week later.
I wasn't sure how nightmares would work since trancing isn't really the same as sleeping, but they experience occasional flashbacks of their time under the Aboleth's control during trances. I also considered that spells like charm person or dominate person could trigger more vivid flashbacks that tap into the remains of that connection, so their vision goes hazy and the Aboleth is able to talk to them for a few seconds (this only happens when the spell ends and not at all if they make the saving throw).
I have a character on the back burner that will be a Simic Hybrid Abberant Mind Sorc who is reflavored fo Eberron as someone caught in the Mourlands and mutated and twisted by whatever is going on in there. The Simic Hybrid animal features are physical manifestations of whatever warped and twisted him within the Mourlands
This is brilliant, and I will be stealing it at some point.
Exactly what my Rogue told an NPC.
I’ve got an idea I’m trying to figure out for an Eladrin Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. Maybe you can help me flesh it out?
I’ve wondered how much I need to adhere to the fluff of the subclass, or if I can do a bit of reskinning. For example, could the origin be not from interaction with an Aberration, but with one of the more Giger-esque denizens of the Unseelie Court?
Given that the Fey are known to rend minds and manipulate emotions to the point of insanity...that actually fits neatly into the Aberrant subclass.
Even the new "Fey Wanderer" Ranger had a multitude of psychic-damage flavor.
Thanks! That's kind of what I was thinking too.
How would you "reskin" some of the more aquatic features? Like the 14th-level "Revelation in Flesh" stuff?
The flying could simply be dream-like floating...the aquatic features and true sight could easily be flavored as enchantments or gifts of the Fey...the formless feature could remain as is.
Fey like to mess with people, as well...maybe a hag gave you grotesque shapeshifting.
Yeah, maybe it was a sea hag, or some other aquatic unseelie fey.
That fits with the character concept. Thanks!
I made an Eladrin Aberrant Mind Sorcerer who fell in love with a Fey Lady whom a God took a fancy too and ascended to Goddess status. Her tried to win her back but was cast into a deep swamp on the material plan where an elder Aboleth lived. Obviously, he was enslaved for many years... or centuries. Eventually, the aboleth grew bored of the swamp but couldn't leave, so she took interest in her oldest slave and set him free but tethered. He takes power from his time enslaved and even has brief memories of the time before Gods from the aboleth Racial Memory. He is now driven by love and Revenge to return his Fey Lady from Goddess status.
its a bit more involved, but you get the gist.
You'll multiclass that character into Necromancer, though, right? :)
I was thinking bard, but Necromancer sounds cool, what would drive that for this guy? It sounds awesome.