Character Background

Christopher: Um.....Baladar isn't my first HackMaster PC and he won't be my last. I don't often have much of a background on my HackMaster PCs, unlike my D&D PCs, and Baladar isn't much different.

In my old D&D group it seems that most of the PCs (not all) were started out at levels higher than 1st, so having some sort of background is essential to explain the transition from 0 level to level X.

In HackMaster, unless your GM is unwilling or flat out disallows it's use, you have a set of background tables to roll representing your schooling days. Between those rolls, the ones for your family background (siblings, parents, honor, etc), and all of your quirks and flaws......I don't really feel a huge need to come up with a background. If your GM starts you out in a specified place that you have some history on, go for it.

Hmmmm...just had an idea for HackJournal-background story mad-libs! You remember mad-libs, right? Right down a bunch of words based on the adjectives they ask for and before you know it you have a crazy story. Imagine a whole series of mad-libs where you right down the words and then your roll a die and use a specific background story based on your class.

Anyway, I don't have a background for Baladar. Heck, I can't even locate my notes for his seminary days. He started out as a "regular" cleric and then became a Chosen One. I thought about dual-classing to Zealot, but I'd lose out on a lot of my mid-level bonus spells and the honor window is so freakin hard to get into anyway. Multi-class/dual-class PCs use their highest level + 1/2 of their other levels (rounded up) to determine their effective level for Honor. This isn't so bad for PCs with multiple classes as they usually have more class-based Honor awards they can earn from, but Baladar's two class are in the same base group so he doesn't have any extra oppourtunities to earn Honor.

What I can offer you three readers of this blog is some wonderful pictures of Baladar's activities during his "off" days.....back before he became a Chosen One. Clerics may get a vacation, but I doubt Chosen Ones ever do. The first pic is of Baladar at the amusment park. The second is Baladar trying to get converts in Amsterdam.....for some reason they don't really want to see the light of Lathander in the dark recesses of a porn store. The pic on the left is Baladar at a church retreat on the beach. He tried to follow the "casual dress" code posted in his travel guide, but the man could only do so much.

There has been some question about this guy I'm using as Baladar. No it isn't me and no, I have no clue who he is. I did a web search for Lathander and this one photo of some dude in his get-up called out to me. I prefer glasses that are a bit smaller and more square....and I've done my absolute best to ensure that any incriminating photos of me are either destroyed or bad enough that I'm unidentifable. Those "nekkid" pics of me..........all form behind and my visible tattoos are not identifiable in the pics. I'm not sure if the folks have any photos of me in my buckskinning get-up, and I'm almost sure that the pics of me getting stripped out of my buckskinning gear have been lost to time (not cool to play "capture the flag" with a guy's loincloth......especially if he is wear it at the time.)

There will be more photos of Baladar because, quite frankly, I find it fun to do. Enjoy.......