So I think a lot of people can have trouble making interesting characters out of your standard mundane fighty types and tend to default to "I WANNA BE DE BEST SWARD GUY EVAR" for their fighters/street samurai/whatever but then that's more of a cardboard cutout with a sword than a character.
Have any of you had or came across any good character background or concepts for mundane fighty types that are actually interesting?
Fuck backgrounds and concept, it's personality that matters.
>>44719512
Fuck background and personality, it's concepts that matters.
>>44719512
Personality tends to be based off of these things and play into them, so I'd say they all matter.
>>44719525
>>44719528
An entertaining/interesting personality doesn't rest upon backgrounds or concepts, and is what will most of all will determine how fun the character is to play or interact with. You don't need a Batman or even Peter Parker to be motivated to do things, and no concept will make anyone (else) care about a dull character. "Fuck 'em" might be going a bit too far, background and concept have worth, but they can't save a flat character nobody enjoys.
>>44719472
I like playing fighters BECAUSE they're mundane.
The last one I played was actually a merchant who was a hobbyist with a bow. He only fought because he was thrust into situation he had toyes, I purposely made him suck in combat.
Eventually he became a general in a mercenary army, because he was a thinker and a strategistor- rather- shrewd enough to properly administrate the financials of the army at any rate
Another fighter I played was a former guard looking for better pay. His connection to the party was that they hired his services in the first session. He quickly learned that he that he got himself way over his head.
I find it's the little things that make fighter backstories interesting. There's nothing wrong with being mundane in a fantastical world. That's what makes fighters all the better for it.
>>44719472
>tend to default to "I WANNA BE DE BEST SWARD GUY EVAR" for their fighters/street samurai/whatever
The last fighter I played was Zoro so you got me there
Maybe some kind of murderous rapist? Or rapacious murderer? One of those, probably.
>>44719472
I tend to make fighters with the goal of:
1. Acquire keep
2. Hire troops
3. Be ready for action
I want to be the one the king sends for.
>we've got trouble in bumblefuck village
>a tribe of rapeorcs and ogrebabykillers have attacked it.
>can you deal with this?
>>44720496
>he bravely leaps into action, rapes the orcs, and kills the ogrebabies
Our champion!
>>44720572
No no, you got it all wrong. He's fighting to protect his ogre subjects from rape orcs and others who're out to kill ogre babies.
>>44720572
Nonono anon.
He leads. He orders his troops to do that stuff.
Then, if there are complaints about his tactics, he has someone flogged/hanged, he apologies, and its all good.
>ya, sorry that one soldier disobeyed my orders. He's been dealt with.
>>44720664
>He's fighting to protect his ogre subjects from rape orcs and others who're out to kill ogre babies
I've got my next character's mission in life all ready to go now
>>44719472
Unlike most other classes, a fighter more easily lends itself to being some nobody who just picked up a sword. You've got one of the blankest canvasses possible, which allows for both wide creativity but also lends itself to creative block.
I have one real character that I played and might try to play again, but I haven't actually been a player in about 3 years since I started DMing.
If I were, it would be some foreign, probably ex-military warrior/scholar. Massively un-optimized, but someone who has the ability to comment on things outside of combat. Usually calm and composed and gentlemanly, except on the battlefield where he becomes sort of like a commander, shouting orders and tactical directions, and using his skills to push enemies and allies around the field in the only way he knows how.
>>44720752
>If I were, it would be some foreign, probably ex-military warrior/scholar. Massively un-optimized, but someone who has the ability to comment on things outside of combat. Usually calm and composed and gentlemanly, except on the battlefield where he becomes sort of like a commander, shouting orders and tactical directions, and using his skills to push enemies and allies around the field in the only way he knows how.
Basically your standard fat-ass fedora-tipper.
I bet he wields a katana, too, doesn't he?
>>44719472
I had a fighter once who really wanted to be a wizard, because going face-to-face with the things the party fought was insane. He always cursed his luck that he didn't get into the academy and thus never learned wizardry and had to make do with his great-sword.
>>44720775
I bet he acknowledges the existence of the gods, but says that he refuses to worship them just because they're powerful. Hell, he probably disputes that they're even gods, and not just supremely powerful wizards or whatever.
I also bet he wears a cloak.
>>44720775
>>44720881
Did you just reply to yourself?
Overweight father of four who looks like John Goodman dressed as the guy from Dragon's Lair. Usually way over his head. As he levels up fluff him as gaining a measure of reasonable authority and self-confidence, as well as getting into shape, albeit a Mr Incredible strongfat shape.
>Come home to loving wife after the adventure, dressed in platemail and a cape
>"Presenting, Sir Jack Strongmen. They made me a 'sir'."
>>44720902
No
But I see now that I did start both of my sentences with "I bet", same as he did with his.
Just one of those things I guess.
... unless YOU are the other poster replying to me accusing me of replying to myself, in which case, are you replying to someone else while accusing them of being you?
>Kobold fighter
Let's build off of this cooperatively.
>Took up the sword and shield after his warren abandoned him due to a unsuccessful hunt was blamed upon a mistake he made.
>>44720926
FLIPSIDE
Shellshocked soldier who hits his wife during an episode. She isn't seriously hurt, but he sees the terror in her eyes and he must flee his home forever. Takes up adventuring to dull the pain and hopefully die gloriously because he's too afraid to face his family or deal with his emotions.
Guy inherits his mother's sword. He doesn't really want to be a fighter, but her ghost won't stop nagging him about letting her most prized possession collect dust on the mantle like some poncy noble's wallhanger.
Homeless veteran of some foreign war. Held onto his equipment even though he could have sold it for enough to get his life back together. Clearly unhinged, but takes better to the life of an adventurer than that of a civilian.
Mostly normal guy who just got out of prison. He survived by developing keen senses and a taste for violence. Goes adventuring out of an inability to find or hold more legitimate forms of employment. Pretty similar in personality to the veteran.
Blacksmith wants to do more with her life than keep the local constabulary's longswords and chain shirts shiny. She goes out into the world with a group of weirdos bearing exotic weapons made of strange materials, honing her ability to both make and use arms. Not super-optimized for combat, but probably focuses on sundering.
>>44720752
Seriously though, this (>>44720775) guy here, it sounds like a pretty cool concept, I was just joshin ya. Only pretending to be retarded.
Detail that concept some more and you'd have an interesting Sun Tzu type.
>>44720716
This really. There are infinite reasons a person might have to become a fighter. It takes a bit of creativity to come up with a story for a guy who specializes in close combat but isn't aggressive and tough.
>>44719472
let's see, concepts I've used:
>Country Bumpkin who was fed up that his sister got away with murder while he was saddled with "Family responsibilitahs!" and decided to take grandpa's sword and run off, see the world, and eat interesting things.
(died because of low AC because GM would literally give out a single gold piece to each party member at level 5 and our starting gold was only 50)
>Amnesiac member of a town militia who decides to follow the party because they bring clues of his past and are finding more.
>Martial Adept who is seeking his wayward master and ultimately refound the Temple of Nine Swords.
Concepts I've only played with:
>Sengoku samurai (who uses MORE than just his swod) who seeks to reunite his broken country
>Incredibly bored Dragon who has locked themselves into mortal form and wants to feel the thrill of battle again. (and grab more stuff since it's hard to fit into dungeons in full dragon mode)
>Barbarian frontiersman whose primary goal is to fuck shit up to help civilization expand, then move on to the next frontier.
>Roaming, reincarnating, monster slayer
