Why are you all arguing about thin air, guys? i thought of a character like that once myself, but it doesn't work. If you don't give a major character at least some characteristics that other people can identify with, they suck - no one will really care about them. Someone who likes killing for no reason can't be liked, but they can't be hated either, because they're obviously insane and they can't help it.
PS, if i were that barmaid, I'd've given that champion bastard a run for his money. Go to Comment

Hmmm...Bland but usable. Is there a reason he likes to kill people? Some scarring childhood incident with a kitchen blade? Does he have any hobbies aside from killing...something to breathe a little more personality into him?

ephe! Go to Comment

"but they were so upset by his actions". No kidding.

No personality! A grey, bland, vague character. Even more vague than the previous one. Does he do anything but run around and kill? Does he like anyone besides himself? Does he live somewhere?
Remember: Who, what, when, where, why. Answer all that when you're writing. Go to Comment

By the way:
Assuming that the culture he lives in demonizes murder, he would be doing something bad. He would be an insane person by cultural standards because he doesn't follow the taboo against killing others. Because it is part of the culture, it would be ingrained in him to not kill, unless something had happened to him which didn't allow this taboo, thus making him effectively insane. What is it in this character's past that prevented him from forming this taboo against murder?
Is it, as Eph suggested, a bad kitchen knife incident? Go to Comment

Bugger that!
It's just a bad character.
I'm sure he is a novice, but why should that keep us from being harsh? If we soften it up for him, he'll never really know how he has to improve! Go to Comment

ASS-ASS-IN. Go to Comment

Your typical maddened slughterer :)
Ok, usability: 3/5 - He can be used as a section in a quest for adventurers, or perhaps if you were campaigning as thieves and assassins, he could be part of the party, but mind he doesnt kill you first.
Background: 2/5 - Not bad, but a bit bland.
Appearance: 1/5 - Very basic appearance. The appearance should include personality traits, likes and dislikes, hair colour basic habits and the like.

All in all, I'll give it a 2/5. It does show some promise. Go to Comment

that's harsh, Echo. Maybe he is a novice, who needs guidance from a wiser, more experienced player, perhaps one such as your self... Go to Comment

Oh my oh my, what a little pointless killer this is, with no background, motivation or meaning ... he kills because he likes to. Owwwww, too lazy to think of a better reason, aren't you? Over and over again, this clichee keeps popping up here and there, perpetuated by novice players and those who have not learnt better alike.
1/5 Go to Comment

No, I am not too harsh...too often a stupid pseudo-character like this has popped up in a game I happened to GM or play in, and has spoiled all attempts at roleplaying...why talk to the NPC when I can kill it, right? And if the other players/characters tried to reason with their 'party member' (would you keep someone like that around?), they got ignored or attacked - and if the rabid dog was finally put down (doesn't happen all too often, as the psycho invests all his resouces into combat skills, right?) it was the reasonable players' fault, for 'spoiling that kid's right to play his character'...yeah.
But as to be kind, a few tips:
*Motivation: why do I exist? What drives me?
*Associates: my relatives, friends and loves constitute a large part of who I am. That charcter has NONE. How empty and lonely...
*History: does the fact that I was beaten as a child somehow correlate with the anger that wells up wiothin me regularly?
*Future: what the hell are my plans?

Think about it.

P.S.: when making an assassin character, learn to write the word first. Just put in as much ASS as you can into a single word :D Go to Comment

I completely agree with EchoMirage. Go to Comment

Hmmm...
Basic, detail-less background.
Interesting concept.

2/5. Go to Comment

Yes, the background is what I'm asking for here. Something worthy of the excellent name. Go to Comment

Strange item Not very good, even back then, but it does have some charm to it. Makes me want to write up some more magical goblets, though.

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I like the idea behind it, but more emphasis on the background would be very good.

Is there, perhaps, a particular incident which made the harper king have need of this cup? Maybe he was almost assassinated by someone he thought his friend, so now he gets all who are close to him to drink from the goblet while 'rue' is in effect.


"Yes, I plan to kill you, king." (Three minutes up) "Uh... hm? Sorry, I must have blanked out there for a moment.."
"No problem" Smiled the king, "Let me refill that cup for you" The king takes the goblet, refilling it with wine and pressing on the emerald. "Har!"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing, sorry. Here is your wine"
Whilst the assassin is laughing uncontrollably, the king simply slides a dagger through his ribs.

3/5 Go to Comment

You could have other effects if you press the gems and say the wrong thing.
e.g.
Cycle by one anticlockwise: it affects the cup.
Cycle be two anticlockwise: it only affects the presser, not anyone else who drinks from the cup.

So we have:
Emerald/har: as stated
Emerald/rue: Cup starts bubbling and water keeps jumping up and down.
Emerald/hep: presser is overcome by laughing for five mins if he drinks from the cup.

Ruby/har: Only presser must tell truth for 3 mins if he drinks from it.
Ruby/rue: as stated
Ruby/hep: Cup gives off a low but penetrating hum for 3 mins. Not very loud but quite irritating.

Diamond/har: Cup becomes polished, shiny and new looking.
Diamond/rue: Only presser will be healed of a wound if he drinks from it.
Diamond/hep: As stated. Go to Comment

Nowhere near todays standards for even a 2.5 in my opinion, but still. This has a certain charm, and its an oldie.

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I once had a whole mini campaign that revolved around goblets with distinctive art work-so maybe I biased.

 

Despite being a lame item, it has a backstory and a function but really unnecessary mechanics to it.

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Needs a background and a description. The magical effects are good. 2/5

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Maybe you could be more specific about which artifact he recovered from the mountains. Or tell us who the wizard was, instead of just calling him "the wizard". How did he lose his fingers? I think this is part of what people mean by vague. It's a good start, though.

ephe! Go to Comment