Which leaves me with a lot of GMing, but not so much playing. Lots of keeping track of things, but no room to annihilate and totally ruin a GM's expectations as my players do to me.
I want to play as a D20.
Luckily, there is some hope for me - Andrew has claimed that he will write a campaign himself for us to play in. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, as there is quite a long time to go in the Council of Thieves.
Tiger also mentioned he will at some stage maybe run an online version to play in IRC. I don't know how well it would work on IRC, and availability is funky as well, but we shall see.
Anyway, I looked through some things, and decided that, if the Advanced Player Guide is permitted, I would much like to play as a Dwarven Drunken Master. Drunken Master being an archetype (specialisation) of Monk. I have yet to look at much else due to time constraints, but the only problem I see here is my natural aversion to playng any Lawful type character - which Monk kind of shoehorns me into.
So I set about trying in my head to come up with some kind of backstory. I have come up with something, and have decided to post it here. Critiques would be much appreciated - though much of it is subject to change. I will also point out that this is somewhat influenced by a book I began to read last week, titled "The Dwarves", which is about a dwarf who was raised in a human land - having reached the ripe old age of 69 or so without so much as meeting another dwarf.
I also don't have any idea for a name for him just yet, so I won't even refer to his name.
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He was found as an abandoned dwarven child on the doorstep of the local mages tower, in a country almost exclusively inhabited by humans. His hometown - being a large magical center of some renwon, was known and renowned for the skill of their magi.
Orphaned children tend to be left at this particular tower quite often, and provide a good source of new students. Being a dwarf, however, left little options to the child. Some rudimentary magic lessons were given to him at a young age - as is the custom for children living in the orphanage, but being a dwarf, it seemed that arcane power was destined to escape him.
As per regular procedure for children without the skills required in the magi orphanage, he was passed on to the clergy - where he was given some rudimentary cleric teaching. Alas, it seemed that divine power shied away from him, and he was left unable to cast even the most rudimentary healing spell on his own. Not willing to cast him out of their home, being devoted to a benevolent deity, they raised him as their own with the teachings of their deity - Strength, Honour, and Sobriety.
Eventually an emissary from the head Church brought fortunate tidings for the lad - he was to be transferred to their head branch and trained in the martial arts along with their monks. When he was ready, he was to be dispatched to smaller branches to help spread the word, as well as provide some much needed physical backup in the event that they were attacked by forces of evil.
As it stood, at the time he began his training with the monks, he had never met another dwarf - or touched a drop of ale.
Years later, he had become an accomplished monk, and was sent to a small outpost to help out the clergy. Shortly after his arrival, a band of Dwarven adventurers arrived. Curious as to what his own people were like, he snuck out to meet them in the tavern. He quickly befriended the dwarves, who introduced him to a typically Dwarven vice - ale. Remembering his oath of sobriety, but desperately wanting to be a "true dwarf", he tried the forbidden drink - and became hooked.
However, word travels fast in a tiny town such as that - by the time he arrived back at the Church, the Head Priest of the branch was waiting for him. Excommunicated from the Church, he packed his bags and joined the adventuring troupe - who welcomed him with open arms. Together, they spread good throughout the land - without the religious hogwash he had been brought up with. As they travelled, he learnt about his heritage, and even picked up some typically Dwarven skills!
Eventually, however, the troupe fell on hard times, and began to take jobs that not quite so honourable, and sometimes a little less than legal. After enough of these, he decided enough was enough - he couldn't take the change, and confronted the group.
They turned on him, leaving him within an inch of his life, devoid of all worldly possessions - and worst of all - without a beard. Somehow, he lived, and continues to perfect his martial art alone - combined with the alcoholism of a dwarf once scorned, he seeks to bring his once-compatriots to justice.
Oh, and his beard's grown back. I feel this is an important detail to note.
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