Character Creation Workshop

[ho_mods]

The fun part about alternate universe games is all the liberties you can take in crafting just the right character for the setting. Would you like to create a background that closely mirrors a character's original canon? Or would you prefer seeing how they would have turned out if their lives had been different? In this world, a villain could very well be a hero, or a hero might find themselves drifting deeper into the realm of the morally grey after dealing with one too many hardships.

This workshop will give you a chance to discuss character possibilities with other prospective players. Maybe you'd like someone to play your character's sibling, parent, love interest, or rival? Go ahead and ask! Set up teams and friendships! Mentors, gather your students and apprentices! Ask questions if you're not sure what class would be good for your character. Perhaps you need a good PB for your original character and have no idea where you can find a decent gnome with blue hair. If you're an artist who takes commissions, you might have some fantastic opportunities to help people get exactly what they need!

Below is a sample form you're free to use, but don't be afraid to tweak it to suit your particular needs. Erase parts you don't need, add parts you think would help, or make up your very own.

<b>Character Concept:</b> [Write a short paragraph describing who your character is and what they're all about. What sort of profession do they have? How did they come to Rendezvous, or decide to take up the life of a dungeon delver? What makes this person unique and interesting?] <b>Relations Wanted:</b> [What type of pre-planned CR opportunities are available for other players to consider? Do you want family members? Old war buddies? Guild members? Villainous allies? Let people know where they can fill in the vague blanks in your character's background.] <b>Adventures Wanted:</b> [List what sorts of plots and scenarios you would most enjoy playing. Make note of any content preferences, such as whether you prefer light-hearted quests or dark horror situations dealing with the nastiest villains around. This may help you choose which players you'd gel with best when forming an adventure party, or when considering a campaign.]

OR...

If you're feeling really bold and want to get a head start on planning a campaign, how about a campaign form instead?

<b>Campaign Summary:</b> [Describe what sort of campaign you're looking to run. For instance, 'the mayor is being blackmailed by a rogue alchemist who claims to be the only one capable of keeping his wife's terminal illness at bay, and people are starting to question these strange new laws he's making!' You needn't give away any spoilers, but it should give players an idea of what their characters are getting into.] <b>Content Warnings:</b> [Any particularly disturbing content that players should know about before they sign up (i.e. all characters start out with amnesia and gradually regain memories of a terrible crime committed in their past).] <b>Players/Characters Wanted:</b> [What sorts of players or characters would work best for what you have in mind? Any restrictions?]

You can also add any other world building elements you like to the workshop, such as monsters, locations, lore, and history.

NOTE: This will be a permanently open workshop, with new threads set up for each month rather than having the workshop posted on a monthly basis. If you're not sure if your concept will be allowed or if you have any quick questions in general, feel free to ask a mod in the comment thread below. We're also happy to freeze or delete threads if you need to close them to further responses.

Comments

February 2020

[ho_mods]

Harry Dresden

[no_love_potions]

Character Concept: An experienced adventurer and investigator active for a number of years now, Harry has eked out something of a reputation for himself. Either as a dependable ally... orrr a mad wizard leaving rubble in his wake. Depends who you ask.

He's a wizard with a specialization in evocation magic, wielding the elements in flashy and destructive fashion, but with a level of skill in divination which adds to his investigative ability.

Relations Wanted: Like in canon Harry is probably an orphan with not much of a family to speak of but I'm open to changing that around. Siblings and kids are welcome, adopted or otherwise. He's tougher than the average wizard but could still use a meat shield or two as teammates and allies.

Most welcome would be younger adventurers to take under his wing. Magic users who want a bad influence are most welcome.

Enemies are good as well. He's kind of an outsider who doesn't make any secret of his distaste for authority or stuffy tradition and he'll eagerly take the opportunity to sock any would-be dark lord in the nose or just call them names to their face.

Adventures Wanted: Harry leans toward the more altruistic end of the adventurer spectrum. He doesn't go in for the big money and renown adventures, more likely to take the ones that involve helping out. Whether that's fireballing a cave of goblins menacing a village or tracking down a missing child and/or pet. He always seems to wind up in over his head somehow.

[specialist_snowflake]

How about investigator hired to find the missing Schnee heiress and having to put up with her frosty attitude while helping her get back home? AND MAYBE UNCOVERING FOUL PLOTS ALONG THE WAY? Also she'd be young enough to fall into the young adventurers category for him to mentor and influence poorly.

[no_love_potions]

I will take that CR just for the possibility of Harry Dresden ending up in the same room as Jacques Schnee some day. Gonna call him Jack Sneezes to his face.

But hey it sounds good. Maybe Willow hired him not trusting Jacques and his bullshit.

[specialist_snowflake]

Ah, yes, the character everyone voted Most Desirable to Punch, ha ha! I'm leaving her family options appable for cross-canon so I can't guarantee it'd be Willow and Jacques, but until that void is filled we can definitely assume.

Teach her to fight dirty and to ineffectively roll marbles on the ground in a failed attempt to trip up an ogre.

[no_love_potions]

Fair enough. He'll want to knock somebody out anyway, or at least do some tricky wizard tricks to bring him down.

And hey in his defense that would have been hilarious if it had worked.

Skeletor

[the_evil_forces_of_me]

Character Concept: Still largely an object of mystery and rumor the self-proclaimed "Overlord of Evil" has been active for roughly two decades now, amassing power to his side. While a relative newcomer to the ranks of darkness, he's certainly left his mark in the villages razed and sites plundered (both ruins and occupied) for magical secrets and items. Not to mention the considerable force of monsters and minions he's already gathered to his side.

There's still plenty of mystery to be uncovered about this villain and plenty more steps for him to take on his relentless quest for greater power. The question at this point is who will stand against him and if they can put a stop to it.

Relations Wanted: Skeletor is a bad guy through and through so there isn't much room for friends and family in his life. Minions though, are absolutely a plus, if they don't mind working for the quintessential Bad Boss. Rival evil overlords are always a plus as well

There's also a chance to have a connection to Skeletor's mysterious dark past and the secrets there. Hit me up if you're interested in that and we'll talk it over.

Adventures Wanted: Honestly, for a dark overlord Skeletor's a relatively hands-on guy so it's not out of the question that he'd get his hands dirty himself. Skeletor's main ambitions involve amassing power, whether that's through stealing magical secrets and artifacts or enslaving a powerful monster to his will.

As hinted at above he doesn't really care if what he wants is currently owned or in use by somebody else so he can also serve as a viable obstacle on your character's adventures as well.

[sealteam6]

I can see some fun points in there to play with. If he's been around for two decades already, maybe he had dealings with one (or both) of Zelda's parents -- enemies, or possibly former allies. I am also super on board to play Race for the Magic Artifact, maybe snatching up a macguffin he really effing wants so that he clashes with whatever adventure party she's with on numerous occasions.

[the_evil_forces_of_me]

He may have at some point in his mysterious past. We can work with that.

As for the rest, that sounds great. Skeletor will be very ticked off at some elf girl taking his things (everything is his things) and will chase her down to get it back. Maybe he'll even backstab her some time when she agrees to give him something in exchange for somebody's life, only for him to go through with it anyway. Always glad to give a newbie her first look at evil.

Re: Skeletor

[aryte]

Skeletor has a good reputation of working well with furries different kinds of humanoids. If he wants minions to do violences, this lizard is game.

Zelda

[sealteam6]

Character Concept: Elven artificer most likely! Curious about the world, eager to learn more of its history and lore, desperate to get out and explore and go on so many damn adventures. Could possibly have some hidden levels of sorcerer that she taps into during moments of extreme duress. I haven't decided yet what sort of background to go with, considering last surviving heir (she thinks) of a rare type of elven race that used to have a lot of power and influence, daughter of a noble or elder in a kingdom that borders Evil Kingdom, could be she sets out to find people who will fight for her village/kingdom and/or teach her how to be a fighter herself. I'm super open to this and have lots of ideas.

Relations Wanted: Bodyguard for sure, someone to keep her from getting into too much trouble (as she's prone to go exploring in places full of monsters). Maybe several someones (especially those like Urbosa and Link). She'd also be completely enchanted by bards and their stories and wealth of history knowledge. Teachers to help her find her true potential and open it up. Someone to teach her basic archery.

Adventures Wanted: Anything that even comes close to matching the above ideas. She'd be very easy to rope into campaigns of all kinds, since she's both a good person and a zeal for exploration and discovery. I don't mind having a first meeting be a straight up rescue either.

Winter Schnee

[specialist_snowflake]

Character Concept: A concept I've been dying to do with Winter is play her younger 18-year-old self that had to deal with that initial challenge of whether she should keep playing the role her father planned for her, or break out on her own. She'd start out as a brand new adventurer kidnapped from her manor/castle, who managed to escape by summoning her first creature. Now she's hundreds of miles from home and has to get back by teaming up with others who are willing to help her get there, and she gets a taste for adventure and fighting monsters to protect people. Class-wise, a combo of duelist and summoner (or maybe a wizard that specializes in conjuration? magus? help me out).

Relations Wanted: Family for sure, whether it's her scheming father, her bitter mother, or her siblings. I don't have to mirror canon for these, so she doesn't have to be the oldest. A mom that gave up the adventuring life for love and wound up with Crap Schnee would honestly be really cool, especially if she gets a character arc of her own. Someone could have been hired by her father to go save her and bring her home. Strangers she runs into when she first escapes her kidnappers to take her in and help her out. A fiance she was supposed to marry. I can make something work if you want CR with her. She'll be less harsh and militaristic since she doesn't have the soldier background, but still kind of imperial and condescending at first.

Adventures Wanted: I'm really flexible on just how evil and scheming her father is. Maybe he was just a hardass and she really did get kidnapped by greedy thugs. But it would also be cool if her father hired the kidnappers when she showed reluctance to an arranged marriage, so that the fiance can "rescue" her -- she's humbled by her frightening ordeal, and has no choice but to be grateful to her hero so she'll definitely marry him, right? Only she escaped before he got the chance, oops. Kidnapping thug could also have done it in order to protect her, or because he loved her too. POINT IS, a long escort mission where she learns to be an adventurer and help others would be so good.

Maleficent

[darkestfairy]

Character Concept: An ancient Fey, talked about in legend, and much more rarely in history books. The "Mistress of all Evil" operates largely in secret, and on her own. Believing she is the best, and therefor deserves the best, she plots the downfall of all she sees, wishing to claim dungeons, and entire kingdoms, as part of her growing domain.

Being old enough that anyone could have heard about her, it'll probably come as a surprise if you see her in person, flanked by her forces of darkness and basking in the light of green flame. She can be amicable, but don't expect to win any favors with her, she's not the easily persuadable type.

Relations Wanted: People who have heard of her through myth and text, villainous allies, former villainous allies, experienced adversaries, the works.

Adventures Wanted: I'm all for exploring not just the lighthearted silly stuff, but the deeper, serious end of fantasy. Stuff like a new batch of adventurers that want to antagonize the local witch and realize they may be in too deep. Or experienced adventurers learning that a ancient fey is planning to curse the land with eternal slumber. Or villains vying for the spot at number one and getting into scrapes about it. Even unlikely truces that involve escaping a dungeon together.

[the_evil_forces_of_me]

This world isn't big enough for two overlords of evil!

For real though these two are absolutely rivals, if only because Skeletor is completely not capable of working with others. From Maleficent's point of view I'd figure Skeletor's kind of an upstart but also amassing power fairly quickly and willing to cross any line and tap into any forbidden whatevers for power.


On the other end there's Harry who'd be a great thorn in her side. With his tendency to probably sniff out and reverse curses and all that. If she works by fey rules they may have some kind of Business together. All the excuses to see who can out-wordplay each other.

[darkestfairy]

Yes, please. To all of this.

Maleficent is only capable of working with others if she considers them her underlings, and that's not gonna happen with Skeletor. Although he interests her with just how much power he's gathered in a relatively shorter time.

The back and forth with Maleficent and Harry would be amazing though.

Re: Maleficent

[aryte]

Down for villainous allying! And depending on how much she identifies with or likes the fey, there could be something deeper/darker there.

[darkestfairy]

apologies for being so late but yes!!! All the more monstrous allies to add to her coven.