The Obsessive

Character Description: The Obsessive is motivated by a single, all-consuming goal. This goal might be learning a particular spell, locating a long-lost mentor, acquiring a particular magical item or artifact, or avenging the death of a loved one. The goal might also be completely unrealistic, such as ridding the world of all evil, or filling his spell books with the formulas of every known spell.

The Obsessive focuses on the resolution of his goal to the exclusion of all else. He views his association with an adventuring party as a means to an end; for instance, he might join an adventuring party if he learns that they are journeying to a faraway kingdom where he believes an artifact might be located. The Obsessive cooperates with an adventuring party only to the extent that their goals don't conflict with his.

If his goal is realistic, it is unlikely that a character will remain an Obsessive forever. A player selecting this personality type might want to choose a second personality type for his character once he reaches his goal. This second personality type might also suggest a goal for the Obsessive. For instance, if a character is a Commander at heart, he might become an Obsessive if he is consumed with finding an evil NPC responsible for killing all of his men. When he brings the NPC to justice, the Obsessive reverts to Commander.

Best Suited For: Characters of any alignment can be Obsessives, though certain obsessions are more appropriate for certain alignments. For instance, an Obsessive bent on avenging his daughter's murder probably has a strong sense of justice; he's probably of lawful alignment. A greedy Obsessive who seeks a legendary fortune in gold could be of a neutral alignment, possibly neutral evil.

Any kit can be used for the Obsessive.

In Combat Situations: The Obsessive tends to be a brutal, savage fighter, since he sees opponents as another obstacle between him and his goal; he wants them out of the way as quickly as possible. Negotiation makes him impatient; he would rather blast his adversaries to bits with a fireball than waste time talking. That does not mean that the Obsessive takes unnecessary risks-- after all, he cannot reach his goal if he's dead-- but he is prone to recklessness and can easily endanger his companions if he is not kept in check by a firm leader.

In Role-Playing Situations: In all cases, the Obsessive is more concerned with his personal goal than the goal of the party. He'll question NPCs intently for information about his goal, and if they have nothing to offer, he will seek out other NPCs to interview. If the party leader convinces him that he is operating to the detriment of the party's goals as well as his own, the Obsessive will restrain himself, but this will probably be only temporary.

In a campaign, the Obsessive is self-absorbed and humorless. He will talk incessantly to his companions about his own goal, but his eyes will glaze over when they share their problems or opinions with him. The Obsessive's attitude does nothing to endear him to his companions, but depending on the nature of his goal, they may feel sympathy or compassion for him

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