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Arioch
Learned Scribe
Italy
222 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 08:49:53
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As a DM I found myself short of ideas to provide a good background for a player of mine.
He wants to play (DnD Next) a human Fighter / Eldritch Knight from West Gate, and I'm looking for a good lore based reason for this.
I tend to consider Eldritch Knights a more elven related sort of class, suitable for humans coming from cultures/nations close to them.
If not related to elves, I can consider having Eldritch Knights in the ranks of War wizards of Cormyr, Netheril Shades, Harlruaan refugees, or even Raumathari Battlemages.
Before resorting to githyanki planar travelers that taught him the way of spells&blade while spending their holidays in Westgate, could someone suggest me some ideas? Thanks!
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 10:15:40
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As a 2e player, I don't really see what the problem is. He's basically a fighter/wizard dual class. Since this is Westgate, he probably started as a merchant guard (either on land-based caravans or ships). Then he either was spotted by a wizard who wanted a decent bodyguard, or saw a couple of wizards battling it out, and decided that was what he wanted to do.
As a tougher-than-average wizard, he'd be in high demand among the merchants to guide and guard their shipments. It's a dangerous world out there, after all, and if you have both blade and spell at your command, you're a valuable person. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Arioch
Learned Scribe
Italy
222 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 11:09:37
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| The idea of looking for an explanation on how he became an eldritch knight in westgate by focusing on his private past instead of using a more cultural related point of view is nice. |
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JohnLynch
Learned Scribe
Australia
243 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 11:49:56
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Would you need a justification if he wanted to be a College of Valor Bard?
They're effectively the same thing. Arcane casters who use their arcane spells to assist with their martial fighting ability (or martial fighters who dabble in arcane spellcasting to enhance their fighting ability). |
DM of the Realms: A blog for my Forgotten Realms adventures. |
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Arioch
Learned Scribe
Italy
222 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 12:24:31
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Well my point is: he is a fighter, first of all, in a city not known for a great tradition in arcane arts. The city is big enough and a crossroad of cultures so it is legit to suppose that such a fighter exists but... One thing is to say that a fighter at some point of his history, fascinated somehow by magic, became a wizard too, another one is having to explain (best if following the lore) a class that includes magic along with martial training. (And that's why I listed above some FR prestige classes suitable for humans, none of which I can plainly connect with Westgate).
A bard starts dabbling with magic differently from a fighter.
Aside from my specific case, I think that the question can be of more general interest. Maybe other DMs are interested in how to include the eldritch knight class for humans not related to any elves/high arcane cultures.
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2015 : 14:20:52
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| Perhaps this fighter read chapbooks about warrior mages, they inspired him to research said tales, and he learned by asking merchants who frequent the town for training manuals on Eldritch Knights? Perhaps he asked a traveling mage to teach him magic like the warriors in the stories he read? |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Arioch
Learned Scribe
Italy
222 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2015 : 07:59:26
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Yes, I think that in the end I'll go for something like that. Sadly I wasn't able to find any specific human group involved with martial and arcane arts, that plausibly can be connected with Westgate.
(As far as the story of my PC is concerned: his father was a retired war wizard of Cormyr, and the PC finds himself, as a boy, fascinated by his spell book. The father never taught him magic, but when the PC grew up and ended working for the mercenary company of Westgate, during one campaign in Sembia he encountered an eldritch knight from which he learned the class. I still have to decide who the teacher was, but in this case I'm plenty of options). |
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Human Eldritch Knights of the Realms
