I am creating an Orc Barbarian/Fighter, and my character is intended to be disgusting! It is grossly overweight, and smells horribly, and belches and farts constantly. To add insult to injury I would like my PC to have a companion slave girl. I normally play lawful good characters, however recently the party I am playing with have taken a decidedly evil turn, though they believe themselves to be morally ambiguous. My Orc character will not be an evil character, though I like the idea of introducing some moral ambiguity of my own. I also found a great pic of a Half-orc female I would like to use, though I would not want to play her as a standalone character.
Is there any precedent for adding a noncombat companion or is it entirely at the discretion of the GM? I once played a game with someone who chose the knight background and was allowed to have a squire.
Short answer this is a discussion with the DM. It's basically an NPC that follows the party. Unsolicied opinion, I'd be uncomfortable in a game where a PC keeps slaves so I'd make sure everyone at the table is ok with that aspect of the character. If that aspect is too much for the party you might tone it down to someone that believes they are above most people the party interacts with and just straight up orders/and uses of intimidation heavily on regular NPCs.
That's a matter of optics. Most people see familiars as cooperative and the player (not the character) controls both with the player's character making requests and the player's character's familiar agreeing with the request.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything has some stuff in "This is Your Life" regarding NPC companions including non-combat options. (XGtE seems to me to be data collected and organized by a Beholder who, in my opinion, is kind of a ninny, but the info is good for some ideas or, if you are okay with risking something outlandish ranging anywhere from goofy to edgelordy to ordinary to epic, for random rolling a backstory foundation which has a greater chance at NPC companions the older a character ends up being.)
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
If your character has a noble background, you may select this background feature instead of Position of Privilege.
You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused
and see if the DM will let your retainers be your slave girls?
I think 'slave' is such a harsh word. I will instead use the word 'servant'. I believe I have developed a good backstory. My character, the Orc, Gorlag, was tasked by his long time friend to track down his wayward son whom he thought to be dead, but was recently seen living in seclusion with his human wife and child, and execute them, as is the practice among the clan for any who betray their own kind. After traveling for many weeks Gorlag hears rumors of the Orc and his family, and approaches a cabin beset by goblin raiders. After dispatching the raiders and saving the Orc and his family, he explains the purpose of his visit. The daughter of the Orc, a teenage half-orc, implores him to have mercy. Moved by her pleas, and in a life debt of gratitude, she agrees to be his companion and servant for a period of time. Knowing that if he accepts he will be unable to return to his clan, but secretly wishing to move on to greater adventures, he agrees. After many years the two become deeply attached. She grows to love Gorlag like a father and he grows to love her, in a way. Though he treats the girl like a servant, he would go to any length to protect her and would give his own life to save her.
What do you think?
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I am creating an Orc Barbarian/Fighter, and my character is intended to be disgusting! It is grossly overweight, and smells horribly, and belches and farts constantly. To add insult to injury I would like my PC to have a companion slave girl. I normally play lawful good characters, however recently the party I am playing with have taken a decidedly evil turn, though they believe themselves to be morally ambiguous. My Orc character will not be an evil character, though I like the idea of introducing some moral ambiguity of my own. I also found a great pic of a Half-orc female I would like to use, though I would not want to play her as a standalone character.
Is there any precedent for adding a noncombat companion or is it entirely at the discretion of the GM? I once played a game with someone who chose the knight background and was allowed to have a squire.
Thanks
Short answer this is a discussion with the DM. It's basically an NPC that follows the party. Unsolicied opinion, I'd be uncomfortable in a game where a PC keeps slaves so I'd make sure everyone at the table is ok with that aspect of the character. If that aspect is too much for the party you might tone it down to someone that believes they are above most people the party interacts with and just straight up orders/and uses of intimidation heavily on regular NPCs.
Morality in D&D is very weird. Isn't that the same thing as, for example, having a familiar?
That's a matter of optics. Most people see familiars as cooperative and the player (not the character) controls both with the player's character making requests and the player's character's familiar agreeing with the request.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything has some stuff in "This is Your Life" regarding NPC companions including non-combat options. (XGtE seems to me to be data collected and organized by a Beholder who, in my opinion, is kind of a ninny, but the info is good for some ideas or, if you are okay with risking something outlandish ranging anywhere from goofy to edgelordy to ordinary to epic, for random rolling a backstory foundation which has a greater chance at NPC companions the older a character ends up being.)
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Pick the Noble background
and see if the DM will let your retainers be your slave girls?
Thanks.
I think 'slave' is such a harsh word. I will instead use the word 'servant'. I believe I have developed a good backstory. My character, the Orc, Gorlag, was tasked by his long time friend to track down his wayward son whom he thought to be dead, but was recently seen living in seclusion with his human wife and child, and execute them, as is the practice among the clan for any who betray their own kind. After traveling for many weeks Gorlag hears rumors of the Orc and his family, and approaches a cabin beset by goblin raiders. After dispatching the raiders and saving the Orc and his family, he explains the purpose of his visit. The daughter of the Orc, a teenage half-orc, implores him to have mercy. Moved by her pleas, and in a life debt of gratitude, she agrees to be his companion and servant for a period of time. Knowing that if he accepts he will be unable to return to his clan, but secretly wishing to move on to greater adventures, he agrees. After many years the two become deeply attached. She grows to love Gorlag like a father and he grows to love her, in a way. Though he treats the girl like a servant, he would go to any length to protect her and would give his own life to save her.
What do you think?