|
|
Post by Sidera on Sept 14, 2016 10:10:57 GMT
Hey guys this is my first post on here! I am about to start running the Out of the Abyss campaign for two players who are planning on playing a Necromancer and a Cleric of Pelor. I have told the Necromancer player that he will need to think up a good reason to have become a Necromancer which will allow him to remain a good character (which he wishes to be). I don't think we have quite got there. I personally feel that even in the pursuit of knowledge choosing Necromancy is distasteful at best and it would be hard to justify why a person made that choice to do good in the world opposed to any other type of magic. (Any ideas on that front would be greatly appreciated) My second issue is the other player has chosen to become a Cleric of Pelor as he feels we will need a healer of some kind in the group. He is going to be a Tiefling and the idea behind his character is that he wants to prove his 'goodness' and hopes it will outweigh the fact he has demonic heritage. The reason he chose Pelor was because of that good side, but apart from knowing he is a positive god he didn't really look much further into it. Now having just recently started listening to your podcast and getting to your first divine spotlight where you discuss Pelor it seems a Cleric of Pelor should have even more of an issue with a Necromancer than the average character. Is there anyway we can make this dynamic work in the game? Or am I just going to have ask one or both of them to change characters (which I really want to avoid, especially for the Necromancer as he really has his heart set on it.) Please help! Update: The necromancer player is considering changing class as he saw online it could get tedious controlling several undead minions. I'm now looking for another class he could maybe play that is based off of being intellectual in some way but will fit with his reckless play-style.
Update Update: The necromancer is now instead a Deep Gnome wizard from the school of illusion and we have started the campaign! Thanks for your advice everyone ^_^ |
|
|
|
Post by DM Mitch on Sept 14, 2016 14:45:42 GMT
Hey Sidera!
Welcome to the forums, so glad you joined!
I think your instinct in not wanting to have the players change characters is spot on. I think allowing the players to play characters that might clash is totally fine, just make sure they both understand that they need to work together as players, even if their characters don't always want to. If their characters feud, it should remain a feud i character.
I think that you have some positive things on your side as far as the two getting along, or at least tolerating each other. If the tiefling doesn't know much about his god, then that can play an important role in him not worrying about the necromancy of his ally.
Also, realize that many spells a necromancer can use, may not be outrightly "dark." Its not like every necromancy spell brings forth skeleton hoards, covered in the blood of their past selves.
The fact that the necromancer is to be good works to you advantage as well. If you are going classic Nerull, it may be hard to justify since he is an evil god, but if you want Nerull to be Neutral in your setting, why not. Perhaps your cleric can take a more lawful mindset on death...that death is a cosmic law and it comes to all. It is not evil, and thus, nor is Nerull....he is a god that needs to exist, just as death needs to exist.
When raising the dead, perhaps the necromancer believes that as long as the soul is undisturbed, what is the harm in raising the body to do his bidding? Isn't that no different that summoning a magic animal to do your bidding?
Just some thoughts, hope they help
|
|
|
|
Post by Sidera on Sept 14, 2016 15:22:42 GMT
I think that you have some positive things on your side as far as the two getting along, or at least tolerating each other. If the tiefling doesn't know much about his god, then that can play an important role in him not worrying about the necromancy of his ally. Ah sorry I meant the player doesn't know much about the god not the character, and only chose him in an attempt to show how the Tiefling is trying to be seen as good in the world. He has just started fleshing out that part of his character and is researching Pelor now. I told him a lot of the stuff you shared on the podcast too. Also, realize that many spells a necromancer can use, may not be outrightly "dark." Its not like every necromancy spell brings forth skeleton hoards, covered in the blood of their past selves. Yeh he isn't exactly going to be able to have a hoard of zombies following him from the get go. Maybe the relationship won't be an issue till he gets the ability to raise dead etc. As the idea of the campaign is to escape the Underdark perhaps they can put their differences aside for mutual survival at least until they can get out, or maybe even make a deal that the necromancer will only raise the dead of the enemies. |
|
|
|
Post by DM Mitch on Sept 14, 2016 20:54:39 GMT
As the idea of the campaign is to escape the Underdark perhaps they can put their differences aside for mutual survival at least until they can get out, or maybe even make a deal that the necromancer will only raise the dead of the enemies. I think this is a great way to get them to work together. Band together or become Drider food. SaveSave |
|
|
|
Post by joatmoniac on Sept 14, 2016 21:05:25 GMT
This makes me think of imgur.com/gallery/6yxLL haha The common threat of the Underdark could certainly be an amazing motivator for staying together. It could also be a fun feud they have rather than any sort of animosity between the characters. Either way as long as it is discussed beforehand, and issues are resolved in game then things should go fairly well. |
|
DM Rowan
Adventurer
The DM Renaissance is in full swing!
Posts: 96
Favorite D&D Class: Bard/Paladin
Favorite D&D Race: Half Elf
Gender: NB Lesbian
|
Post by DM Rowan on Sept 15, 2016 9:08:32 GMT
Perhaps your necromancer was raised in a cult or somewhere where necromancy is commonplace and left to do good but only has a necromancy skill set? Their ideology may differ with the cleric's but they have the same basic values i assume, looking out for the weak/being good people in general.
Perhaps your tiefling cleric realizes that everyone has some darkness - they definitely have theirs - and seeks to help the necromancer become a better person or help them set rules about what they can bring back to life in order to bring them closer to pelor's light? I think a dynamic like that could be really interesting, a cleric and a necromancer both from backgrounds that aren't typically seen as the epitome of good with different view points on how they should progress from there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sidera on Sept 15, 2016 15:45:32 GMT
Perhaps your tiefling cleric realizes that everyone has some darkness Yeh I thought this too, perhaps the cleric who is so keen to go from what they deem as darkness to light has to learn that everything isn't as black and white as that and there is a grey area. Great idea about the cult too, I was thinking if he played true neutral only focusing on knowledge and logic perhaps he just doesn't see the emotional attachment to the dead and its not that he is evil he just sees them as a resource that is being wasted. Sadly though after all these great ideas the player wanting to be a necromancer is having second thoughts because he read online it can be tedious to control all your undead minions. He likes things to go quick, he plays recklessly but wants to be a magic class because he likes the idea of intelligence (He is doing astrophysics at university) and thinks hack and slash characters are boring. So now I'm stuck with trying to see if I can find him something else to play  |
|
|
|
Post by lasersniper on Sept 16, 2016 4:13:53 GMT
Perhaps your tiefling cleric realizes that everyone has some darkness Sadly though after all these great ideas the player wanting to be a necromancer is having second thoughts because he read online it can be tedious to control all your undead minions. He likes things to go quick, he plays recklessly Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't their a buffing version of the necromancer you can play. One that doesn't rely on hordes of minions? |
|
|
|
Post by Sidera on Sept 16, 2016 16:55:13 GMT
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't their a buffing version of the necromancer you can play. One that doesn't rely on hordes of minions? You are probably correct but that's not the 'fun' part that drew him to the idea of being a necromancer, so isn't something that would keep him to continue playing the class. |
|
|
|
Post by joatmoniac on Sept 16, 2016 20:11:04 GMT
Sounds like they need to learn the ways of the sorcerer, and get some wild magic in there too, haha.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sidera on Sept 16, 2016 21:48:15 GMT
Sounds like they need to learn the ways of the sorcerer, and get some wild magic in there too, haha. He's looking at Wizard school of evocation now. Its 11pm here and he's been over since 7ish. We still don't have a character sorted yet. Someone pray for us. |
|
