Corruption Of Champions Character Creationl |LINK|
In this first part the main theme is corruption, but not necessarily in the more common, and sometimes more stereotypical ways. A corrupted paladin or clerk, for example, has been done a lot, but there are far more ways to introduce corruption, in one of its many forms, to a character. Hopefully my ideas below will give you some inspiration to help breath life into a new character.
Corruption Of Champions Character Creationl
The first form of corruption on the list is addiction, in this case in the form of arcane powers. Wizards, sorcerers, it doesn't matter what magical user you are, to some the powers they wield can be an addiction. How far you wish to take this is, of course, entirely up to you. Perhaps your character needs to be around some form of magic at all times, perhaps a huge burst of magic needs to be discharged every so often, or perhaps magical items must be worn at all times.
These characters can make for an interesting dynamic between how much you allow yourself to be corrupted in order to be able to undo the bigger corruption overall. Would you take being shunned by society in exchange for powers that allow you to dominate and thus get rid of demons? Would you sell your soul for powers that could save the world? In many ways these types of characters could also lead to anti-heroes, which are often a popular choice in and of themselves.
I think an interesting thought experiment and extension of this article might be: why do non-corrupt leaders implement anticorruption reforms/how do they differ from these corrupt leaders? Of the aforementioned types, the born again is the only one that strikes me as particularly characteristic of corrupt leaders (I could also see leaders disgraced by other types of scandals doing something like this, though.) The first two types seem like strategies for anticorruption reforms that both good and bad leaders could do (neutralize opposition v. low-level reforms), but may have different motives for doing so.
It is possible that these may all be insufficient to control the caprice and wickedness of man. But are they not all that government will admit, and that human prudence can devise? Are they not the genuine and the characteristic means by which republican government provides for the liberty and happiness of the people? Are they not the identical means on which every State government in the Union relies for the attainment of these important ends? What then are we to understand by the objection which this paper has combated? What are we to say to the men who profess the most flaming zeal for republican government, yet boldly impeach the fundamental principle of it; who pretend to be champions for the right and the capacity of the people to choose their own rulers, yet maintain that they will prefer those only who will immediately and infallibly betray the trust committed to them? Were the objection to be read by one who had not seen the mode prescribed by the Constitution for the choice of representatives, he could suppose nothing less than that some unreasonable qualification of property was annexed to the right of suffrage; or that the right of eligibility was limited to persons of particular families or fortunes; or at least that the mode prescribed by the State constitutions was in some respect or other, very grossly departed from. We have seen how far such a supposition would err, as to the two first points. Nor would it, in fact, be less erroneous as to the last. The only difference discoverable between the two cases is, that each representative of the United States will be elected by five or six thousand citizens; whilst in the individual States, the election of a representative is left to about as many hundreds. Will it be pretended that this difference is sufficient to justify an attachment to the State governments, and an abhorrence to the federal government? If this be the point on which the objection turns, it deserves to be examined. Is it supported by REASON?
Whenever a character commits an act that represents their growing cruelty, the HM can call for a Wisdom saving throw. The DC of the saving throw is determined by their corruption tier in the table below. If the character fails that saving throw, they gain a single corruption point. Some examples of events that might prompt a corruption roll are:
As a character reaches higher corruption tiers, the DC of the saving throw increases. Additionally, the higher tiers grant a corruption boon and inflict a corruption effect on the character. Upon reaching a corruption tier with an effect, the character must roll the appropriate die to determine which effect they receive from the corruption effect tables on the next page. If appropriate, the HM and the character's player can also come to an agreement on which corruption effect a character receives. These effects are cumulative with the effects of lower tiers of corruption.
These effects are intended to slightly shape a character's personality and action. Roleplaying how the Dark magic is twisting the character is strongly encouraged, and an HM may remind players of their corruption effects.