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prototype00
Acolyte
48 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Jun 2005 : 13:41:30
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Hello All,
This is my first post here, but it seemed the right place to get FR advice.
As the Subject says, I have in mind a Hammer of Moradin Character that I wish to play. (now I only need to find an enterprising FR campaign to play him in)
He's a very basic build I suppose, Paladin 8/ Hammer of Moradin X, and I was planning to give him, as opposed to the stereotypical noblesse oblige Paladin, the hardened outlook of a career Sergeant. (Think of a normal Paladin as a Commissioned officer, if you will and you will see the difference more readily) Not all who are called are the Sons of Clan Chiefs and Kings. In his case I was going to make him the son of a Smith.
Citadel Adbar is constantly in a state of military build up, and I reasoned that it would not be too far a flight of fancy to construct a character like this.
Now for the questions:
1.) General Roleplaying advice. I already plan to use the media stereotypes of Sergeants being Gruff and Taciturn (Even more so in Dwarven society I would assume) however, as I also have had first hand experience of being in the Chain of Command myself, I would have to say that good Sergeants are at heart concerned with the welfare with the men directly in their command, as such they tend to their welfare before their own, they use tough and realistic training to increase their men's chance of survival and in general while officers are expected to lead by example, Sergeants are expected to be in there duking it out alongside the men.
The problem here is that I'm afraid of the furor I might cause by having a Paladin who does not view himself as a cut above the rest of his race and civilization. The Lawfulness and Goodness of a Paladin is in this case tempered by realistic assessment of situations and a genuine concern for his allies. Thus I would appreciate all advice as to how this character might be effectively roleplayed.
2.)Roleplaying religion.
Since the formation of the wyrmskull throne, shield dwarves have viewed Dumathoin as their patron deity. Tenacious and enigmatic, Dumathoin has shaped the racial character of the shield dwarves. Clangeddin Silverbeard on the other hand is the de-facto dwarven deity of war and greatly revered in Citadel Adbar. Moradin, finally is the father of the race and his worship is more prevalent among the Gold Dwarves of the south. Thus upon reading the description of the Hammers of Moradin, I was somewhat troubled. How does one roleplay the distinctions between the worship of these three deities, all who make up a very large part of shield dwarf culture. They all seem interested in the defense of the dwarven people. I was wondering how to impart a specific Moradin stamp on my character.
Well any advice is appreciated,
Thanks a lot.
Ben
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Sgain
Acolyte
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2005 : 16:16:01
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One thing I try to do when I'm playiing clergy is look at historical examples of priests and religions, then 'twist' it into a fantasy setting. In the case your describing of multiple gods aharing certain aspects of same faith it seems pretty obvious that a cleric would most likely use a 'trinity' docturne to represent them to his followers.
So we have cleverness (Dumathion) and war (Clangeddon) with Moradin over all. Each god could be refered to as an aspect of the faith...
Thats a really quick and dirty way to describe the religion. Look at it as how Medieval catholics looked at the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) or The three earthly representations of god (Jesus, Joeseph and Mary) or something along those lines.
One book that I've read that described medieval religions in an interesting fashion was "The Name of the Rose" as it gives great examples of several 'types' of clergy; bookish monks, poor wanderers, fanatical inquisitors, holy 'fools', a whole bunch of great character ideas (I've tried playing all of the types at various times). Give it a look for some inspiration/motivation. Just be creative.
cya
Sgain |
Wanna play online? Try out Klooge! www.kloogeinc.com
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jun 2005 : 00:49:45
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Well, the first thing to remember is that the dwarven gods, or at least the ones you mention, all live in the same plane. Its not likely to upset Moradin if a dwarf reveres Dumathoin from time to time or says a prayer to Clanggedin before a major battle.
An actual devoted follower of Dumathoin, as opposed to a dwarf that just holds him in high regard, likely has a profession that leads him deep withing the mountains, and is concerened with matters that have to do with learning secrets. He might be a miner, a meturalurgist, or even an engineer designing deep fortification.
A follow of Clanggedin is most likely a dedicated soldier, military planner, or general. Devoted followers, as opposed to dwarves that just revere Clanggedin, are likely career warriors, as opposed to adventurers or even tradesmen that have been trained to fight.
Moradin's followers, even martial followers like Hammers of Moradin, are more "big picture" types, worried about the overall concerns of dwarvenkind. |
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hammer of Moradin
Senior Scribe
USA
758 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2005 : 05:42:44
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quote:
Originally posted by prototype00
1.)General Roleplaying advice. I already plan to use the media stereotypes of Sergeants being Gruff and Taciturn (Even more so in Dwarven society I would assume) however, as I also have had first hand experience of being in the Chain of Command myself, I would have to say that good Sergeants are at heart concerned with the welfare with the men directly in their command, as such they tend to their welfare before their own, they use tough and realistic training to increase their men's chance of survival and in general while officers are expected to lead by example, Sergeants are expected to be in there duking it out alongside the men.
The problem here is that I'm afraid of the furor I might cause by having a Paladin who does not view himself as a cut above the rest of his race and civilization. The Lawfulness and Goodness of a Paladin is in this case tempered by realistic assessment of situations and a genuine concern for his allies. Thus I would appreciate all advice as to how this character might be effectively roleplayed.
I think you are looking at this from a "human" perspective. This seems to be a nobility POV, with the paladin being a lord or nobleman. With dwarves, especially shield dwarves, as you state below, there is a strong individualistic streak. However, they are very loyal to their king, kin, and clan. A dwarf paladin would likely come from a venerated clan, with quite a history of heroic deeds and helping defend their homes, yet he may at that same time be a son of a smith. Individual honor and ability make the dwarf, and it is these qualities that many dwarves strive for. It is the dedication to an ideal or god that makes them a paladin. There are probably one hundred times as many dwarves who could be paladins in every aspect except they don't dedicate their lives to their god as a paladin might. Instead these other dwarves are fighters or other classes. You have to also look at what makes a paladin a paladin, not just what makes a dwarf a dwarf, who wants to be a paladin. In short, social class matters less, except, of course, in the south with gold dwarves.
quote:
2.)Roleplaying religion.
Since the formation of the wyrmskull throne, shield dwarves have viewed Dumathoin as their patron deity. Tenacious and enigmatic, Dumathoin has shaped the racial character of the shield dwarves. Clangeddin Silverbeard on the other hand is the de-facto dwarven deity of war and greatly revered in Citadel Adbar. Moradin, finally is the father of the race and his worship is more prevalent among the Gold Dwarves of the south. Thus upon reading the description of the Hammers of Moradin, I was somewhat troubled. How does one roleplay the distinctions between the worship of these three deities, all who make up a very large part of shield dwarf culture. They all seem interested in the defense of the dwarven people. I was wondering how to impart a specific Moradin stamp on my character.
One way to look at it, somewhat in the vein Sgain suggests, is follow a RL example. Here, however, view it that Moradin is still the big guy. Many dwarves still love the guy, they just don't feel right going straight to the top when they need spiritual assistance. They go to Dumathoin, one of Moradins close associates. Or, even Clangeddin when it concerns war. The hammers of Moradin, and the clerics of the same, are in devout followers of Moradin. They have no quarrels, for the most part, with the other dwarven gods, or their followers. They may even take a fatherly tone and demeanor with those faithful to other dwarven gods. Most dwarves still love the big guy, they just use intermediaries in their worship of the gods, or, some dwarves just vibe better with some of the other gods, but they still respect Moradin for his position.
Just some suggestions, and I hope they make a little bit of sense. |
"Hurling himself upon his enemies, he terrified them with slaughter!"
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium
Candlekeep proverb: If a thing is said often enough, fools aplenty will believe it to be true. |
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prototype00
Acolyte
48 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2005 : 01:46:00
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Thank you all for your replies, I must admit, there is a lot here I must ponder. It seems that I had neglected to explore the paladin aspect of my character.
The descriptions of the dwarven deities by the way were very helpful, thank you guys. |
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Hammer of Moradin advice, please
