RPG a Day - Day 3

Continuing the trend of actually making content for the site, the topic for Day 3: Your proudest character moment.

It's difficult to answer this question because I actually don't like most of the characters I've played over the years. I'm still trying to figure out how to give my characters personality, to make them seem like interesting, three-dimensional figures in play. I can give them motivations and interests, to be sure, but when the gaming actually starts? They're mostly "generic hero" at the table, following along with the narrative.

That's not a terrible thing, per se. Nothing annoys a GM more than players who won't bite the plot hooks or keep trying to take the narrative off the rails. Still, my characters have never surprised me or done anything I would say was interesting. They've never transformed a game moment from "textbook" to "iconic."

I can think of one exception.

During a D&D campaign run by my friend Larry, our party interrupted an ongoing fight between some kobolds and orcs. After the dust settled, a single orc was left, wounded by kobolds and hiding in a corner. He'd bleed out without intervention. Most of the party was content to move on; his comrades had no qualms about trying to kill us without provocation, so there was no good reason to believe he'd be different.

Devon, Human Cleric of Bahamut, messenger of justice and mercy, thought otherwise.

My character healed the orc and took the time to bind his wounds. The orc, impressed by this display of charity, swore an oath of loyalty to Devon and pledged his axe to our cause.

The result was interesting all around. Grog the Orc Warrior was never supposed to stick around as long as he did. I was less proud of my Cleric, in this case, as I was of the orc as he changed and grew throughout his time with the party.

Eventually, the adventures were becoming too dangerous for Grog to keep on with us (he was only gaining XP at half our pace, so he was decidedly under-powered for the challenges.) When the time came for him to leave,  he resisted. My Cleric produced a bag of gold and a letter of introduction to send him to the High Temple of Bahamut where he could continue his training. The gold would pay for his journey and his admission to the temple. Or he could take the gold and go where he pleased.

Grog's good-bye was actually rather moving for a game that was mainly by-the-book adventuring. I've always wanted to revisit the character again. An Orcish Paladin of Bahamut (well, probably a divine champion of some kind, if not a Paladin) seemed like such a strange and interesting character to explore. Maybe someday.