Hey everyone! Im working on a new D&D character and would love some feedback on her backstory. Do give context she is a warlock and she a half elf.
Evelyn is a bastard princess, the result of her mother’s affair with a dark entity (possibly a dark fae or sorcerer). Her mother was executed for treason, and Evelyn was locked away in the highest tower of the castle, a secret no one wanted to acknowledge.
However, she was cursed for ex, flowers wilted in her presence, misfortune struck those who wronged her, and entire places fell into sickness after she left them. Feared and isolated, she eventually attempted a dark ritual to break her curse, but instead, she awakened something inside her. And there she was thrusted into something dark into the webs of tSpider Queen, who sensed the darkness locked with her and there she promised her love and guidance. Desperate for acceptance, Evelyn made a pact with her and escaped the castle, finding refuge with a faction called the Eclipsed a gathering of supernatural misfits, outcasts, and those who no longer fit into normal society.
Now, Evelyn is trying to forge her own path while bound to the Spider Queens influence. She teeters on the edge of fate, struggling between the darkness within her and her desire for freedom.
Does this sound like an interesting backstory? Do you think it would be fun to explore in a campaign? Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
and give context were using god from the critical role book exandria better we have our own kind of world.
Hey everyone! Im working on a new D&D character and would love some feedback on her backstory. Do give context she is a warlock and she a half elf.
Evelyn is a bastard princess, the result of her mother’s affair with a dark entity (possibly a dark fae or sorcerer). Her mother was executed for treason, and Evelyn was locked away in the highest tower of the castle, a secret no one wanted to acknowledge.
However, she was cursed for ex, flowers wilted in her presence, misfortune struck those who wronged her, and entire places fell into sickness after she left them. Feared and isolated, she eventually attempted a dark ritual to break her curse, but instead, she awakened something inside her. And there she was thrusted into something dark into the webs of tSpider Queen, who sensed the darkness locked with her and there she promised her love and guidance. Desperate for acceptance, Evelyn made a pact with her and escaped the castle, finding refuge with a faction called the Eclipsed a gathering of supernatural misfits, outcasts, and those who no longer fit into normal society.
Now, Evelyn is trying to forge her own path while bound to the Spider Queens influence. She teeters on the edge of fate, struggling between the darkness within her and her desire for freedom.
Does this sound like an interesting backstory? Do you think it would be fun to explore in a campaign? Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
and give context were using god from the critical role book exandria better we have our own kind of world.
Well, it's your backstory, so if you like it, then it's good. And as a DM, I could see many plots I could build around it. But I have some opinions... they're just opinions, so disregard any you don't like. I don't wanna yuck someone's yum.
First thing: You're describing passive powers like the ability to spread misfortune, disease, and a certain passive kind of necrophage that affects plants. If your build doesn't meet the requirements to accomplish that, your DM will have to make a decision whether to allow that or not. Because simply wiping out an entire village by being there are some pretty high-powered passive abilities.
Next: The Spider Queen is notoriously racist. And definitely hates elves. Even if you're half Drow... which might even be worse in the eyes of Lolth. She'd be more likely to send a yochlol to eat you up, rather than bless you with magic powers. Or just have you gobbled up from the inside by a horde of spiders. If it were me, I'd change my species to dark elf, or pick a different god. Warlocks have their own deities, and sometimes just worship powerful aberrations as Patrons. There are plenty to choose from.
Last: The dead parents thing is often a dead end for DMs and is kind of a stock backstory for most PCs. It may explain why you have no real home or links to any land (which can cause you to be an adventurer, sure), but it also makes it so your DM can't build plotlines around your family. Not all DMs care about that. But I'm a DM, and I do. If you have a family, a rival, a hometown, or anything I can link your character's emotional bond to, I'm going to use it in the story.
I'm a bit late to this but reading this struck me and that is you could go a different route that might bear better fruit narratively. Switch out Lolth in favour of Elistraee (or whatever the Crit role/Exandria variant of her is), the reason for this is you mention a faciton called "The Eclipsed" and Elistraee is a Moon Goddess (link to wiki here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Eilistraee) who has Freedom as part of her portfolio . All the other things you mention such as sickness, dying plants, misfortune etc can all be things that just happened to have happended during her confinement and might be represented by the Ruined background (See the Book of Many Things) or that some other, more sinister entity, swpet through the area and caused the areas woes and the influence of a more benefical Deity can then play off against whatever inner angst you wish the character to have.
EDIT: Also there if you want an evil patron then the Arch Devil Levistus might be worth looking into inplace of Lolth (wiki for Levistus here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Levistus) the TLDR of it is:
Levistus was also a patron of survival, since Asmodeus had decreed that as part of his punishment, he was required to offer those in danger, typically life-threatening, a chance to escape. Like ordinary bladereavers, such followers weren't actual cultists, simply individuals trapped in seemingly inescapable situations, such as drow pushed to their breaking point by their cruel society. Normally he granted would-be-escapees a singular chance to escape in exchange for their souls, although sometimes the nefarious followers in question would make a deal for a later getaway. Once the deal was made, the follower would be teleported somewhere within a mile of their previous location chosen by Levistus completely healed of their wounds, either by choosing to activate the boon or as a response to their eminent demise.
Works so far. I agree with Inexorabletruth, in that Loth might not help someone with a human heritage. But who is to say she is is the only spidery demon out there.
Backgrounds, not sure which rules you'll be using, but this might work for Abbarent Sorcerer or Great Fiendish Warlock. A Chonic Tiefling might also work. Or maybe you could be Assimar and just do the Necrotic Shroud as your default transformation.
What were your thoughts on species and class?
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Hey everyone! Im working on a new D&D character and would love some feedback on her backstory. Do give context she is a warlock and she a half elf.
Evelyn is a bastard princess, the result of her mother’s affair with a dark entity (possibly a dark fae or sorcerer). Her mother was executed for treason, and Evelyn was locked away in the highest tower of the castle, a secret no one wanted to acknowledge.
However, she was cursed for ex, flowers wilted in her presence, misfortune struck those who wronged her, and entire places fell into sickness after she left them. Feared and isolated, she eventually attempted a dark ritual to break her curse, but instead, she awakened something inside her. And there she was thrusted into something dark into the webs of tSpider Queen, who sensed the darkness locked with her and there she promised her love and guidance. Desperate for acceptance, Evelyn made a pact with her and escaped the castle, finding refuge with a faction called the Eclipsed a gathering of supernatural misfits, outcasts, and those who no longer fit into normal society.
Now, Evelyn is trying to forge her own path while bound to the Spider Queens influence. She teeters on the edge of fate, struggling between the darkness within her and her desire for freedom.
Does this sound like an interesting backstory? Do you think it would be fun to explore in a campaign? Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
and give context were using god from the critical role book exandria better we have our own kind of world.
Well, it's your backstory, so if you like it, then it's good. And as a DM, I could see many plots I could build around it. But I have some opinions... they're just opinions, so disregard any you don't like. I don't wanna yuck someone's yum.
First thing: You're describing passive powers like the ability to spread misfortune, disease, and a certain passive kind of necrophage that affects plants. If your build doesn't meet the requirements to accomplish that, your DM will have to make a decision whether to allow that or not. Because simply wiping out an entire village by being there are some pretty high-powered passive abilities.
Next: The Spider Queen is notoriously racist. And definitely hates elves. Even if you're half Drow... which might even be worse in the eyes of Lolth. She'd be more likely to send a yochlol to eat you up, rather than bless you with magic powers. Or just have you gobbled up from the inside by a horde of spiders. If it were me, I'd change my species to dark elf, or pick a different god. Warlocks have their own deities, and sometimes just worship powerful aberrations as Patrons. There are plenty to choose from.
Last: The dead parents thing is often a dead end for DMs and is kind of a stock backstory for most PCs. It may explain why you have no real home or links to any land (which can cause you to be an adventurer, sure), but it also makes it so your DM can't build plotlines around your family. Not all DMs care about that. But I'm a DM, and I do. If you have a family, a rival, a hometown, or anything I can link your character's emotional bond to, I'm going to use it in the story.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
I'm a bit late to this but reading this struck me and that is you could go a different route that might bear better fruit narratively. Switch out Lolth in favour of Elistraee (or whatever the Crit role/Exandria variant of her is), the reason for this is you mention a faciton called "The Eclipsed" and Elistraee is a Moon Goddess (link to wiki here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Eilistraee) who has Freedom as part of her portfolio . All the other things you mention such as sickness, dying plants, misfortune etc can all be things that just happened to have happended during her confinement and might be represented by the Ruined background (See the Book of Many Things) or that some other, more sinister entity, swpet through the area and caused the areas woes and the influence of a more benefical Deity can then play off against whatever inner angst you wish the character to have.
EDIT: Also there if you want an evil patron then the Arch Devil Levistus might be worth looking into inplace of Lolth (wiki for Levistus here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Levistus) the TLDR of it is:
Levistus was also a patron of survival, since Asmodeus had decreed that as part of his punishment, he was required to offer those in danger, typically life-threatening, a chance to escape. Like ordinary bladereavers, such followers weren't actual cultists, simply individuals trapped in seemingly inescapable situations, such as drow pushed to their breaking point by their cruel society. Normally he granted would-be-escapees a singular chance to escape in exchange for their souls, although sometimes the nefarious followers in question would make a deal for a later getaway. Once the deal was made, the follower would be teleported somewhere within a mile of their previous location chosen by Levistus completely healed of their wounds, either by choosing to activate the boon or as a response to their eminent demise.
Thank you so much i appreciate the feedback
Works so far. I agree with Inexorabletruth, in that Loth might not help someone with a human heritage. But who is to say she is is the only spidery demon out there.
Rob76 also has some good ideas.
Backgrounds, not sure which rules you'll be using, but this might work for Abbarent Sorcerer or Great Fiendish Warlock. A Chonic Tiefling might also work. Or maybe you could be Assimar and just do the Necrotic Shroud as your default transformation.
What were your thoughts on species and class?