Torturer (5e Background)
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Torturer[edit]
Whether a torturer is employed by those in power or their own desires, they are skilled in the art of breaking the body and the mind. A torturer may choose to rip into the minds of their victims with honeyed words or devilish threats. They may choose to rip into the body of their victims with blade and club, using pain to get the answers they need. Whatever the case, no secret can hide from their razor’s edge.
When making a torturer, consider what drives them. Are they torturing under the local crown's orders? What is the compensation for these activities, material or spiritual? Have these acts taken any toll on them mentally? When thinking about why you are traveling, consider what torturing achieves for a character on the road. They might be in pursuit of an elusive wanted criminal. Or, perhaps they are desperate to find someone at any means necessary. Even simpler, maybe they just want to extort as much as they can from anyone they meet, and torturing is the only way they know how.
Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Medicine
Tool Proficiencies: torture tools
Equipment: A set of common clothes, a black hood or balclava sack to hide your face, torture tools, A souvenir (an ear, a ring, maybe a finger or a chunk of your favorite victim's hair), and a belt pouch with 5 gp
Operation Type[edit]
Torturers run a variety of operations given by circumstance. It can be considered a specialty of sorts. What is your favorite, signature method of torture?
| d6 | Operation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Water Torture |
| 2 | Electric Conduction |
| 3 | Burning |
| 4 | Bone Breaking |
| 5 | Flesh Peeling |
| 6 | Psychological Scarring |
Feature: Master Interrogator[edit]
You are well versed in telling if someone is lying, and your victims can tell from your torture style that you are no rookie. People are less inclined to lie to you, for fear of being found out and being dealt worse torture.
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
Those skilled in the art of torture are affected by their sessions depending on their mental stability or susceptibility to guilt. Most sane individuals disconnect themselves from emotion, for the guilt of causing such pain to others would cause them great depression. However those mentally ill might experience the opposite, dropping down into depressive lows till they can cut open another victim. In both cases, any innocence the individual had dies with their previous life.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I always keep a personal belonging or a piece of my victims. |
| 2 | I believe that the torture is an art and put a lot of effort on doing it flawlessly. |
| 3 | Sometimes I give false information to higher ups after the torture session. |
| 4 | I don´t bother in releasing the victims after I´m done with the session and let them rot in a dark cell. |
| 5 | I always reward those victims who collaborate with the interrogatories. |
| 6 | I´m always praying to recieve forgiveness on my actions and to be stronger in doing so. |
| 7 | My instruments must be in optimal conditions and perfectly clean, as well as my working place. |
| 8 | The mind of my victims is way more fun to work to than their bodies! |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Creativity. I´m always crafting new tools and thinking of different methods to use. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Dread. The more the suffering and pain I inflict, the more I enjoy my work. (Evil) |
| 3 | Compassion. There is no need to overdo the pain I provoke and I will be as kind as posible. (Good) |
| 4 | Righteousness. Collaborate and leave unharmed. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Ethics. If you need a medic I will stop. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Proffesionalism. If the coin is good enough, I will cut into anyone. (any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I had a master and want to make him proud. |
| 2 | My work has to become legendary. |
| 3 | If I don´t do this, other people will have to carry the horrors I have witnessed. |
| 4 | I see my work as a divine comission. |
| 5 | Truth must be known at any cost. |
| 6 | I can't stop doing this, no matter how hard I try. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I secretly feel disgusted by the things I do to my victims. |
| 2 | Sometimes I feel the impulse of doing harm in the wrong place to the wrong or innocent people. |
| 3 | I have no idea what I'm doing and most of times I kill the people I torture without results. |
| 4 | I tend to hurt myself after I finish a session. |
| 5 | I feel really uncomfortable outside my workplace after years of this practices. |
| 6 | I do not comprehend how the people act and think. They should be tortured. |
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