The Man Out of Time

Kalaka frowned at the statue, spattered with the monster's blood. It was so utterly lifelike, with every hair and every vein looking like it was one breath away from coming to life. She touched the shoulder of the massive warrior, his ax upraised for a strike, and traced a sigil on it. Her eyes flashed with a touch of power from the charm, and she frowned.

"What?" Celindra asked, noting Kalaka's frown.

"This is no statue," she said softly, her eyebrows knitting together. "This man has been trapped in stone here for... many years."

"Can you free him?" Celindra asked.

"Potentially," Kalaka said absently. She traced the runes along his armor, noting the ancient alphabet that had fallen out of use centuries ago. His great size, and the too-long teeth, like something out of legends only half remembered by the sages. "Stand back."

She spoke the words of the incantation she'd prepared that morning, knowing the enemy they faced. The syllables rang through the air, and with every one that fell from her lips the stone seemed to shudder. To quake. As the last word rang, the stone cracked and fell away like an eggshell, revealing the man beneath. His roar, begun untold years ago, bellowed from his throat as he finally completed the swing. His ax smashed into the stone floor, the steel cleaving into the rock. He leaped back, yanking the weapon with him, and holding it in a defensive position as his eyes flicked from one woman to the other. He noted the headless corpse of the creature whose gaze had entombed him, but disregarded it as unimportant for the moment.

"Que la quora a-na?" He snarled, shifting his grip on the haft.

"What's he saying?" Celindra asked, keeping her hands visible, but near enough to her sword for comfort.

"It's Antarish, I think," Kalaka said. "I haven't heard it in years."

Slowly, ponderously, Kalaka worked through the forms of address of the half-forgotten tongue. The man's frown didn't leave his face, but he lowered his weapon. When he spoke again his words were slow and careful, recognizing that her grip on his tongue was tenuous at best. Kalaka's face shone with a combination of fear, and excitement.

"What are you smiling at?" Celindra asked.

"I can't be sure, but I think he's one of the Karashkala," Kalaka said. "If I'm right, then what he knows might be worth more than all the treasure in this place."

"If you can get it out of him," Celindra said, folding her arms.

"Him," the man said, as if tasting the word. He nodded slightly, as if storing it away for later use. Celindra jumped, but Kalaka just smiled. She had a feeling he would be a quick study.

They put him in the square to honor him, and as the years passed they forgot who he truly was.

Gone A Long Time

It is one thing to play a particularly long-lived character who has watched the world change around them over the decades and centuries (a topic I covered in 4 Tips For Making Long-Lived Characters Feel Old), but the Man Out of Time is the other side of that coin. These characters have been plucked out of their own time, and somehow placed into the far future where everything they once knew has been either lost, or relegated to the pages of dusty tomes of history known only to a select few scholars and a handful of particularly long-lived races.

Sit yourself, my old friend. Many things have changed since last we spoke.

Whether you've simply been gone for a handful of decades, or for centuries, the world has moved on since you have been gone. The nations you knew may have fallen into decay, or become mockeries of the things they once stood for. New countries may have risen, and new cultures born. Gods may have died, and new ones risen. You are truly a stranger in a strange land, attempting to pull together the skills and knowledge you still possess to explore this undiscovered country.

It's a concept that has often been attempted, but which can be difficult to pull off. Because while you need the method of your preservation, you also need to know in which ways the world has changed in your absence, and how that affects you.

Accident Or On Purpose?

The first thing you need to establish for your character is whether they went into their state of preservation on purpose or not. In the classic example of someone failing a save and getting turned to stone, they probably didn't intend for that to happen. The alternative is that your character was put into a state of suspended animation on purpose, though the reason for this might vary. Perhaps it was as a punishment, or it might have been as a protective measure against a foreseen apocalypse that may not have even come to pass. There's a lot of wiggle room, here.

It's also important to remember that something can be done as an accident or on purpose using the same mechanics with differing intent.

As an example, a basilisk or similar creature could be used as a way to preserve individuals of great skill and prowess until their services were needed again by a particular organization, like the Brim or the Aligned found in my supplement 100 Secret Societies. For a pop culture reference, this would be similar to how the Winter Soldier was only brought out of his containment when he had to assassinate a target (one of the many details I made sure to put in my Winter Soldier character conversion, for those who are interested).

Another solid choice, if you're playing Pathfinder, is to use the Awakened From Stasis background trait found in People of The Stars. For those who want something less sci-fi in feeling, though, you could instead opt for the strange difference in time between the material plane and time in the First World of the fey, as we find in stories where someone spends an afternoon or a day at a fey celebration and comes back to find they've been gone for 50, or even 100 years. Even something as simple as getting lost in the mists of the deep wild forests could have you step between worlds and times. For those looking for a reference, there are a handful of the options in 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest.

What Makes You Strange?

Once you've figured out how you survived from a time long past into the current era, the next question you need to ask is what makes you strange or unusual in this setting? Do you have unique skills or abilities that were lost to time, representing a character class or archetype that is considered particularly rare (or even non-existent) in the current setting? Do you lack a traditional shared language, needing to communicate in older tongues like high elven or infernal (or even to use magic) in order to make your way in this new age while you learn its ways? Do your traditions, fighting style, or other skills make you stand out among those who have the knowledge to recognize what them, and when they're from?

It took me several months, but eventually I learned to make myself understood.

What Connections Still Exist?

Another aspect of the character concept is to ask yourself which things have remained the same, as well as which things have changed. If there's a particular style of brewing they enjoyed (perhaps a certain elven mead or dwarven ale) that's still around, it could act as something for them to cling to in a world of change. Perhaps certain plays or music that was fresh and new when they first walked the world are now enshrined as classics, allowing them to have some kind of cultural touch stone they can share with those in this age, even if so much else has changed.

Bigger aspects to examine would be if this character's god is still part of the setting (doubly important for divine casting characters), and whether any orders or organizations they'd sworn allegiance to are still around. A church, a knightly order, or even a mercenary company with a storied history could provide a bedrock for the character to build a new foundation on.

The years have waned, but the strength of my oath has not.

If the character was gone for decades, or even centuries, it's possible there will be old companions or commanders who remember them. People who can act as a reference point for the character, and who can help ease them back into the world. If they were gone for longer, and are a part of an organization's history instead of its living memory, then they could be treated with a kind of reverence as a time capsule back to those older times. Someone who was there in its early days, and who can tell today's aspirants and acolytes what it was like, would be unique indeed.

If their Small Legend is large enough, it's possible they may have been noted in song or story during their original days... and depending on how much time has passed, those songs may have blown their true deeds a little out of proportion. Perhaps claiming they slew dragons when it was merely drakes, or that they stood and fought alone for days and nights to hold back an army when it was more like fighting against a small force for an hour or so with stalwart companions at their side.

While you can sever all connections and drop the character into an alien setting John Carter of Mars style, it's a lot easier if you carve out a small niche for them to step into in the setting. Especially if it turns out that their nemesis, rather than an old friend, is still walking the world. This is particularly good for wizards that have become liches, or evil dragons that have grown to great wyrm status who defeated a champion once, but who did not slay them. Perhaps as a form of cruel vengeance, or perhaps because they were wounded by the battle and left to tend their hurts without checking to be sure the job was done properly.

Extra Inspiration

Whether your character is a noble knight who was turned to stone, an alchemist whose experiment went awry, an assassin preserved in a frozen state to prevent their aging between assignments, or simply someone who ran afoul of a fey queen and returned home to find time had passed them by, there's a lot of potential with this concept. If you're looking for additional inspiration for organizations you can anchor yourself to, or other aspects of your backstory that could make the character feel more organic, check out the following.

- Who's in Your Rogues' Gallery?: Your enemies can define you, and if you survived into the modern day, it's entirely possible some of your most dire foes have, as well. So consider a nemesis as your new point of reference in the world.

- 100 Fantasy Battle Cries (And Their Histories): A battle cry is like a maker's mark for a warrior, and someone from a time that's passed into memory may have a particular war cry that sends shivers up the spines of foes who thought all of that blood and nation had gone down to dust.

- 100 Knightly Orders: With storied histories often stretching back as long as a nation or royal family, knightly orders tend to be where many heroes come from. And if they have lost all other sense of direction, it might be the order to which they return in a new world.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a dungeon master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Living Weapon

My Child, Be A Sword

My mother was a hammer. My father was a forge. And when I lay down in the cold, they whispered, 'Child, be a sword.'

Some want their children happy. Some want them safe and calm. Others, though, will scrape their bones, and sing them songs of war.

My mother's milk was blood. My father's love was pain. And in the dark I heard them whisper,

'Child, be a sword.'

A sword will never hurt. A sword will never cry. And if you keep it sharp, then a sword may never die.

A sword is not a comfort. A sword is not a friend. A sword has but a single task; to tear, and cut, and rend. But a sword won't be forgotten. It won't be cast aside. For a blade as sharp and cruel as you will be very hard to find.

So put away those dreams, and clear them from your head. They will do you naught but harm down the road that you must tread. For it is with great care we hurt you, and with malice grind your edge.

For good steel's hard to come by, but even harder still. To turn it to a purpose with a true, unbending will. While others dream of love, and sing of face and form, those things my dear are not for you.

My child, be a sword.

Sleep well, child. Death comes in the morn.

The Living Weapon

I originally wrote this poem as a piece of background for a Fianna ahroun I was contemplating playing in a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game, and since I spent the last month working on my 100 Fianna Kinfolk with High Level Games, it's been on my mind quite a lot. Because it represents a piece of inspiration for a certain archetype that I come back to time and time again in both my work, and in my play; the Living Weapon.

A Living Weapon is a character for whom violence is second nature. Whether they were trained by warmasters from birth, bound to deadly spirits of bloodshed, or they've been dedicated to a spirit of destruction, these characters are deadly, to be sure... but they are also ripe for engaging arcs of character growth.

As one example...

 

Living Weapons are most at-home in the thick of brutality and violence, and it's why they're so often thought of as badasses. But once the battle fades, they retreat into themselves. They're quiet, often uncomfortable, and at times they can even have a child-like fear of things outside their very specific niche. They may be surprisingly gentle, or they may lash out in a way that's completely out of proportion if they're scared by something. And gods help the person who hurts someone the Living Weapon considered a friend, because there is no measuring the lengths they will go to in order to make it clear what a mistake that was.

The difficulty with this concept is that it is very tough to get below the surface, and to bring all the feelings bubbling up so the roleplaying can be put on display for everyone else to see, and get involved in. That's why I recommend going one of two ways with it, in order to make it really stand out at your table.

The first is to make sure the character has a minder. The minder is the person who ensures the Living Weapon follows certain rules, stays involved with the group, and they can act as the can opener to help give others a peek beneath the carapace. If the Living Weapon is trying to be good, then the minder might be a gentle influence, keeping them calm and trying to introduce them to simple pleasures. They can also help bring the Living Weapon out of their killer's state, if something trips them and they go back to their old ways. On the other hand, if the Living Weapon is an evil character, the minder will be the one who holds their leash, and gives them their orders. In this case they become the mouthpiece for the Living Weapon's raging Id, though if you want to do a redemption arc then the minder could also act as the manifestation of the Living Weapon's worst impulses. If that's the case, I'd recommend making them an NPC, rather than a PC, as death is quite likely for the minder in this scenario.

The second way is to let your setup do the talking for you. I mentioned this back in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend, but if your character was part of a certain organization, tradition, tribe, or cult whose reputation is well-known, then you can get a lot of mileage out of that. A perfect example is Todd in the film Soldier. Everyone in that setting knows that Soldiers are dangerous, trained to fight and kill from birth. They know enough to know what he is, but not enough to understand who he is... which is the goal. Set up the backstory for your Living Weapon, such as making them a member of the mercenaries known as the Sons of War, who are all trained from childhood by older members of the company, or by making them a knight of the cursed legion the Howl (these are found in 100 Random Mercenary Companies and 100 Knightly Orders respectively), and you've cemented their reputation. Add some rumors about how people like them only speak with their swords, or how they're like rabid dogs once you get their blood up, and the stage is set. Once your PC starts disproving some of those rumors, and the rest of the party learns who they are as an individual, they can become a part of the Living Weapon's growth and change.

Either way, it's important to remember that it's not enough to have the pathos and character development going on beneath the surface with this concept; you need to put it out front for it to mean anything. Otherwise you just look like the sort of character who only wakes up when it's time to fight, going silent the rest of the time. Let everyone join in on the Living Weapon becoming more than just a blade... or following their descent into monstrous depravity. Whichever direction you're going, make sure everyone at the table is along for the ride.

Also, remember what I said in 10 Backgrounds For Your Scoundrels and 10 Backgrounds For Your Spellcasters; not all warriors are traditional, martial characters. A Living Weapon might be an assassin trained to deliver death with a flick of their wrist, or a sorcerer who was bred and raised to become a weapon of mass destruction. These are also options if you want to try something a little less traditional with this archetype.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Would You Like To See More Pathfinder Character Conversions?

As my regular readers know, I have a side feature where I write two Pathfinder character conversion guides every month. Whether it's Tyrion Lannister, The Winter Soldier, or even Harley Quinn, I provide a full guide that starts with your attributes, race, and traits, and goes all the way through classes, feats, special powers, and other ear marks players can use to translate these character from their original mediums and into the Pathfinder RPG.

As of right now, I have 40 different character guides sitting pretty on my Character Conversions page.

Seriously, it's a rather crazy amount of conversions.

Now, overall, the response to my conversions articles has been positive. I write them with players in mind, and I keep to the Paizo rules without including any third-party books or wonky house rules. They're useful for DMs, too, in the event you want a ready-made bad guy like Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, or Killer Croc to throw at your players.

However, I'm running into a bit of a problem, and it's a problem I'd like to ask all my readers for help on.

If A Tree Falls in The Forest...

This project started as a one-off post when I wrote up a character guide for building The Incredible Hulk, showing how I had brought the green goliath as a cohort in a game I was playing. That was three years ago. The response from my readers was so popular that I wrote guides for the rest of the movie Avengers, and Loki as well. People seemed to really like it, so I kept up on the project, trying to put up at least one new character conversion every month.

The problem I'm running into isn't that I'm running out of characters or ideas (I could, in all likelihood, keep this feature going as long as there are people playing Pathfinder). The problem I'm running into is that the amount of response the articles is diminishing, and it's a little overwhelming when compared to the amount of time and effort that goes into researching and writing them.

This is the part where you all get to be big damn heroes.

 

 If you're a fan of my character conversions, even if you just found out about them, here's what I'd like you to do right now.

- Click over to my Character Conversions page.

- Find a character conversion article that you like.

- Share that character conversion on your social media pages (Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.).

And... that's it, really. If you can help me spread the word about my character conversions by telling your friends, fellow players, DMs, and if we can get some of those fine folks to like and share them as well, then I'll be able to keep giving them the care and attention you've come to expect (since it's the traffic that pays the bills around these parts). And, best of all, this doesn't require anything from you but time, and a little effort.

Oh, and before I forget, you might also enjoy some of the other bonus gaming articles I've been putting out. As of time of writing, they include:

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Paladins
- 50 Shades of Rage: Flavoring The Barbarian's Signature Power
- Table Attorneys Vs. Rules Lawyers: How To Be Fair Without Bogging Down Your Game

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!