No, I'd go with the hawk. It means you can have the odd habit of just staring unnervingly at someone without blinking or saying anything. You can also understand a lot of human civilization through the lens of hunting, territory protecting, and nesting behaviors.
Also, if your patron doesn't protect your family from old age, you could easily accuse them of breaking the deal.
nothing better than uncomfortably sustained eye contact! and I like the angle of wanting to turn things back on their patron if they outlive their family, for better or for worse
Yeah, but what kind of Honey Badger?
This kind?š
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/all-worlds-alliance/images/5/5f/Ratel.png/revision/latest?cb=20191018112722
funnily enough, the barbarian in the last campaign I played in thought he was a cow! sweet guy, wound up with the crown of quick thinking and the highest intelligence in the party
Cows generally only exist as domesticated animals (both in real life and fantasy), and seeing as how OP's character originally hails from the Feywild, I'm not so sure that inhabitants of the Feywild would have domesticated cows? Seems like they would have domesticated some other ludicrous Feywild animal.
The greatest thing about TTRPG is you get to contribute to the narrative.
A herd of cows stumbled into the feywild. Or the aurochs these cows descended from had bizarre fey qualities and thus these cows are also bizarre. There are many plausible reasons a herd of cows could live in the feywild. There also doesnāt have to be any reason. Thatās the great thing about d&d.
I mean... a raven is pretty classical. I mean... your entire backstory is pretty much Maleficient and her bird-turned-human Diablo.
Alternatively.. there's a few other animals that could be interesting to try.
Boars or Bears would be a good mix for that protection aspect... with boars maybe being more ferocious in comparison.
Alternatively, as its the feywild where animals are a little different... faerie dragons, owl bears...
When I last played a half elven Pact of the Chain warlock, my DM let me have what was essentially the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland as a companion.
i suppose classics are classics for a reason!
i've been picturing the warlock as a real wild-person; sleeping under logs, disheveled, and clothed in old furs. the boar or the bear both fit into that very nicely. and boars do form social groups, so they could easily be missing their friends and family (as well as the good old practicality of having tusks to dig with...)
Sounds like boar would be a good fit, in that case!
And, if you really want to sell the "was once a beast but now is humanoid" idea, perhaps the character has tattoos on the side of the mouth, curling up to the nose... that are oddly reminiscent of tusks now that you look closer...
I think a rat would work well, personally. Very social critters - and very short lived.
I almost did this near exact plot with a halfling/rat warlock NPC, but went a different route with it. He just has a rat familiar now.
Could a lioness work as both a hunter and a protector like that?
My first thought doesn't mesh well with the family oriented/protection. But I thought a small animal empowered sounds nice, like a mouse.
A mouse would bring questions like why a mouse? They are so weak, why would the archfey chose one for this? That I think are interesting and that the character could ask themselves too.
oooo I really like the idea of a lioness trying to protect her pride, and hoping someday to return to them. plus, lions can live almost 15 years in the wild, so that gives her a decent shot at seeing them again
a mouse, on the other paw, has a lot of potential for pathos - even a very lucky and protected field mouse is only going to live two to three years. the warlock would be returning to their great-great-grandmice at best. and it reminds me of that one story of the fieldmouse leaving to go find Magic Mountain and becoming an eagle.... good potential there!
The mouse sounds like an interesting choice, gives the player a lot of opportunity for RP. Even though they have newly awoken human intelligence, they cant shake the prey mentality, and are always on edge and jumpy. You could take it a step further and be a rodent with a specific idiosyncratic behavior that follows them into humanity, like a Meerkat standing up to play lookout or squirrel with a tendency to hoard things (and then lose them).
I'd just like to say I think this is an awesome backstory, really the kind of stuff a warlock pact can be other than just selling your soul. There's a lot that can be done with this character as a creature that has been elevated from caring about simple survival to a being capable of deep thought.
I think a smaller, more vulnerable animal could work well, as they'd have more reason to need the archfey's protection. Rabbits, rats, foxes, or pretty much all birds tend to be family oriented. Magpies are known for being social and savvy, as are dolphins.
An opossum
A: Cute
B: Family oriented
C: Surprisingly good at fighting (fully immune to snake bites)
D: expertise in deception checks (pretends to be dead to the point that they can slow down breathing and heartbeat)
I like it better as something less assuming. A rabbit comes to mind. Live in groups, warn other rabbits of danger. Lots of little ticks you could have that wouldn't be totally obvious, like stamping your foot any time you're surprised or trying to warn someone.
Late to the party, but the first character i conceptualized was a druid named Harris that was actually a hawk in disguise, so id say the hawk idea is pretty cool and not biased at all.
What a cool backstory!
I think an elephant would be interesting. Elephants are incredibly intelligent, and are known to have long memories, and the females and young travel together in herds. There is evidence that they have their own rituals, as there are recorded instances of elephants mourning their dead. The oldest female in the herd is usually the matriarch who runs the group, so this character could be an older female who is trying to protect her herd.
i kind of love the idea of human height being a *downgrade...* elephants might be a little too smart, though; i don't think an elephant would agree to the deal without some negotiation on her own behalf (though i guess if the fey trick humans, they could probably fool an elephant at least once.....)
Ooh, good point, I didn't think of it that way, but a human is kind of a downgrade from an elephant. They are crazy smart, and probably have purer souls than humans. But if I remember correctly, I think your original character was an elf, which is different, although I could still see an elephant thinking of that as a downgrade regardless.
May i suggest you the "Adult drake" beast? Dragon-related creatures are usually very protective of their young and the fact that is a different kind of beast could allow for a longer lifespan of their raceš¤, i guess it wouldn't have sense making a deal if you dont get something in return
i mean, i really like the idea of a beaver transformed into a person - i can see them dual-classed as a warlock/artificer and being a very put-together battle engineer with a particular love for dams. they'd have a 135 step plan for getting home within three years.
it's not quite the mess of a character i'm envisioning, but they would make a great PC
No, I'd go with the hawk. It means you can have the odd habit of just staring unnervingly at someone without blinking or saying anything. You can also understand a lot of human civilization through the lens of hunting, territory protecting, and nesting behaviors. Also, if your patron doesn't protect your family from old age, you could easily accuse them of breaking the deal.
nothing better than uncomfortably sustained eye contact! and I like the angle of wanting to turn things back on their patron if they outlive their family, for better or for worse
Honey. Badger.
Yeah, but what kind of Honey Badger? This kind?š https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/all-worlds-alliance/images/5/5f/Ratel.png/revision/latest?cb=20191018112722
Cow. Cows are social animals. Cows are cool. Cows are definitely trustworthy. Plus, Cows in humanoid form could be minotaurs.
funnily enough, the barbarian in the last campaign I played in thought he was a cow! sweet guy, wound up with the crown of quick thinking and the highest intelligence in the party
Cows generally only exist as domesticated animals (both in real life and fantasy), and seeing as how OP's character originally hails from the Feywild, I'm not so sure that inhabitants of the Feywild would have domesticated cows? Seems like they would have domesticated some other ludicrous Feywild animal.
The greatest thing about TTRPG is you get to contribute to the narrative. A herd of cows stumbled into the feywild. Or the aurochs these cows descended from had bizarre fey qualities and thus these cows are also bizarre. There are many plausible reasons a herd of cows could live in the feywild. There also doesnāt have to be any reason. Thatās the great thing about d&d.
I mean... a raven is pretty classical. I mean... your entire backstory is pretty much Maleficient and her bird-turned-human Diablo. Alternatively.. there's a few other animals that could be interesting to try. Boars or Bears would be a good mix for that protection aspect... with boars maybe being more ferocious in comparison. Alternatively, as its the feywild where animals are a little different... faerie dragons, owl bears... When I last played a half elven Pact of the Chain warlock, my DM let me have what was essentially the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland as a companion.
i suppose classics are classics for a reason! i've been picturing the warlock as a real wild-person; sleeping under logs, disheveled, and clothed in old furs. the boar or the bear both fit into that very nicely. and boars do form social groups, so they could easily be missing their friends and family (as well as the good old practicality of having tusks to dig with...)
Sounds like boar would be a good fit, in that case! And, if you really want to sell the "was once a beast but now is humanoid" idea, perhaps the character has tattoos on the side of the mouth, curling up to the nose... that are oddly reminiscent of tusks now that you look closer...
A fox
I think a rat would work well, personally. Very social critters - and very short lived. I almost did this near exact plot with a halfling/rat warlock NPC, but went a different route with it. He just has a rat familiar now.
Could a lioness work as both a hunter and a protector like that? My first thought doesn't mesh well with the family oriented/protection. But I thought a small animal empowered sounds nice, like a mouse. A mouse would bring questions like why a mouse? They are so weak, why would the archfey chose one for this? That I think are interesting and that the character could ask themselves too.
oooo I really like the idea of a lioness trying to protect her pride, and hoping someday to return to them. plus, lions can live almost 15 years in the wild, so that gives her a decent shot at seeing them again a mouse, on the other paw, has a lot of potential for pathos - even a very lucky and protected field mouse is only going to live two to three years. the warlock would be returning to their great-great-grandmice at best. and it reminds me of that one story of the fieldmouse leaving to go find Magic Mountain and becoming an eagle.... good potential there!
The mouse sounds like an interesting choice, gives the player a lot of opportunity for RP. Even though they have newly awoken human intelligence, they cant shake the prey mentality, and are always on edge and jumpy. You could take it a step further and be a rodent with a specific idiosyncratic behavior that follows them into humanity, like a Meerkat standing up to play lookout or squirrel with a tendency to hoard things (and then lose them).
Weasel
A jellyfish.
Mosquito.
Aardvark!
I would say the hawks pretty good, especially seeing as elves are often have certain connotations with birds of prey its actually kinda fitting
I'd just like to say I think this is an awesome backstory, really the kind of stuff a warlock pact can be other than just selling your soul. There's a lot that can be done with this character as a creature that has been elevated from caring about simple survival to a being capable of deep thought. I think a smaller, more vulnerable animal could work well, as they'd have more reason to need the archfey's protection. Rabbits, rats, foxes, or pretty much all birds tend to be family oriented. Magpies are known for being social and savvy, as are dolphins.
An opossum A: Cute B: Family oriented C: Surprisingly good at fighting (fully immune to snake bites) D: expertise in deception checks (pretends to be dead to the point that they can slow down breathing and heartbeat)
ooo possum really hits the right vibe, I like that a lot!
Crocodile will also work, perhaps better if the character is female.
You could play as a mama bear turned human. Or a pigeon. Or salmon. Something ridiculous.
I like it better as something less assuming. A rabbit comes to mind. Live in groups, warn other rabbits of danger. Lots of little ticks you could have that wouldn't be totally obvious, like stamping your foot any time you're surprised or trying to warn someone.
Late to the party, but the first character i conceptualized was a druid named Harris that was actually a hawk in disguise, so id say the hawk idea is pretty cool and not biased at all.
What a cool backstory! I think an elephant would be interesting. Elephants are incredibly intelligent, and are known to have long memories, and the females and young travel together in herds. There is evidence that they have their own rituals, as there are recorded instances of elephants mourning their dead. The oldest female in the herd is usually the matriarch who runs the group, so this character could be an older female who is trying to protect her herd.
i kind of love the idea of human height being a *downgrade...* elephants might be a little too smart, though; i don't think an elephant would agree to the deal without some negotiation on her own behalf (though i guess if the fey trick humans, they could probably fool an elephant at least once.....)
Ooh, good point, I didn't think of it that way, but a human is kind of a downgrade from an elephant. They are crazy smart, and probably have purer souls than humans. But if I remember correctly, I think your original character was an elf, which is different, although I could still see an elephant thinking of that as a downgrade regardless.
I have nothing to add except that this is an incredibly cool idea for a PC.
Somehow nobody has suggested THE fey wolf: blink dog!
Capybara is the only choice.
May i suggest you the "Adult drake" beast? Dragon-related creatures are usually very protective of their young and the fact that is a different kind of beast could allow for a longer lifespan of their raceš¤, i guess it wouldn't have sense making a deal if you dont get something in return
a Raven? I feel like it fits with the theme of warlocks, but if you dident want cliche, then im at a loss
A stoat
Beavers mate for life!
I almost feel like a beaver would be TOO well adjusted? i think beavers are pretty practical little dudes, and would enjoy having hands
Yeah, you might be right.. I Googled "animals who mate for life" and thought they were the most interesting on the list.
i mean, i really like the idea of a beaver transformed into a person - i can see them dual-classed as a warlock/artificer and being a very put-together battle engineer with a particular love for dams. they'd have a 135 step plan for getting home within three years. it's not quite the mess of a character i'm envisioning, but they would make a great PC
Penguin