My initial idea for this NPC was just some guy who shapeshifted all the time (similar to the little girl at Spellhold). I thought it would be an interesting thing to work with and after making sure the technical stuff wouldn't be overly hard (as I'm very new to modding) I started adding some flesh and bone to the gimmick.
I've already mentioned him in a thread over att PPG but since that was pretty much just for dealing with the technical part of his shapeshifting, I figured another thread was in order for the actual NPC. As for why I posted it here instead of at PPG, it seems as if SHS's Mod Ideas forum is a little bit more active then their counterpart.
Anyhow... everything below is pretty much open to change and I'd be glad to hear what people have to say about it, both positive and negative. As I mentioned, I'm very new to modding so I don't even know how to do half the stuff on my list but I'm learning as I go which so far has worked... well, decent, but I'm hoping I'll pick up the pace soon.
Name: Samae (SAH-may)
Race: Tiefling
Class: Bard (without spell casting in an attempt to balance things. If you want an in-game reason, consider why learning magic while you're basically a one man wild magic zone is probably not a good idea.)
Alignment: True Neutral (leaning towards Chaotic Neutral but as a tiefling bard, Samae really doesn't need more reasons to be compared to Haer'dalis.)
Stats:
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 15
(Although because of his... problem, he'll spend a lot of time with fairly different stats.)
Personality:
Samae's most distinctive feature at first glance (besides the whole shapeshifting bit) is his cynicism and taste for sarcasm. Still, he's a fairly friendly guy and can be both kind and loyal if the need arises. Due to the fact that he's on the run he has grown a little distrustful, especially of authorities, and he's a little on the edge around most wizards at first.
Although not noticeable most of the time, he can have some anger issues and if he's scared and/or pressured he can get pretty angry (which will have some interesting effects during his quest).
Finally, his constant shapeshifting has given him something of an identity crisis and while he occasionally shifts into himself, he knows it doesn't last and while he doesn't like to talk about it, he's pretty upset about that.
Bio:
When asked about his past, SAMAE gets an odd expression in his eyes, tendrils, fore-legs or whatever else serves to express his emotions at the moment, before starting to tell his tale. Despite his planar ancestry he grew up as the rather ordinary son of a rather ordinary woman in Athkatla. Unlike most tieflings Samae didn't have any obviously demonic characteristics that could make him an outsider. His interest in music and stories made him an excellent apprentice of a local bard and for many years it seemed as he would live a happy, if ordinary, life. That could have came true if not for Calisho Taran, a powerful wild mage, who ambushed and captured the young tiefling. The mage had discovered that Samae had a natural ability to channel magical energies, similar to that of a sorcerer, and for almost a year Samae was held captured and experimented on by Calisho. Eventually the illegal experiments were discovered by the Cowled Wizards who captured Calisho and would have taken Samae as well if not for their suprised reaction to his abilities which allowed him to flee. Leaving the city unnoticed would prove a harder task though and Samae was forced to stay hidden at all times. Eventually he met Jako who offered him protection in exchange for his services as a one man freak show.
What I actually have done so far:
- Created .cre's and initial dialogue for Samae and his "manager" Jako.
- Created a prototype version of a spell that transforms the user into a randomly choosen creature (so far only including ten creatures, I'm aiming for at least twenty or so).
- Begun scripting the initial meeting where Jako (for a little bit of cash) invites the party to a show which consists of Samae changing into various creatures. Afterwards the PC can talk to, and possibly recruit, Samae which upsets Jako. You'll probably have to either fight him or bribe him.
- Been given a script that, properly modified, should cast the custom spell at Samae every two minutes or so but doesn't.
What I plan on doing fairly soon:
- Get the script mentioned above working.
- Finish the initial meeting and recruitment stuff.
- Build a small-ish quest tied to the Cowled Wizard's interest in Samae. (Yes, I know they are already involved in a lot of quests but they really seems like the ones who'd be interested in someone with Samae's abilities).
What I hope to be doing in a more-or-less distant future:
- Add banter with both the PC and other NPCs. Especially Haer'dalis whom Samae doesn't think very highly of.
- Expand the spell with more creatures to turn into.
- Other stuff that I'll think of later.
Edited by Lykainon, 20 November 2008 - 08:46 AM.
