Any tips for Demon Hunter RP?

[Bløndy-argent-dawn]

The stars have aligned and for some reason I’m curious about roleplaying an Night Elf Demon Hunter.
Now normally I’ve stayed clear from roleplaying Death Knights and Demon Hunters, since I like to roleplay flawed, grounded, and vulnerable characters. Roleplaying a mercenary is a great start to get into a lot of adventures, since you don’t hold a certain alignment. And people like roleplaying with a character that isn’t the great hero of the story.
It doesn’t help either that most of the examples I see of people roleplaying a Demon Hunter are 2 edgy 4 me. Being very tragic, sad angry loners, that shout how difficult their job is to anyone in hearing range. Or are just standing there… alone… not getting involved in the RP.

Now it is easy for me to know what I DONT want to do with my Demon Hunter RP. I don’t want to be a distant edgelord that hangs around the corners of inns doing that cool shot of Aragorn sitting in the Prancing Pony.

However, it’s difficult to imagine what my options are with a DH character. I can’t join a holy religious order, do my part of the Stormwind cookies contest, become a bar maiden, or help the town’s watch catching night criminals. I mean I can, but it’s kinda strange for a Demon Hunter to get involved with little mortal affairs if you have sacrificed your very being to defeat the legion. How can someone be bothered with daily human distractions if you have felt the torture of demonic energies?

Now how I thought of RPing my Demon Hunter was keeping it low-key, keeping her small horns and other demonic features hidden from the public. Wearing somewhat normal clothing, and weapons. Help people, specially with demonic problems. More like a Witcher, who is really powerful, but doesn’t brag about it in public because lynch mobs will still tear that freak apart. She still has to meditate to not to give in to the voices in her head, and has a discipline lifestyle not to become that what she swears to destroy.

What are my options here? Any tips for the DO’s and DONT’s? Any veteran Demon Hunter RPers that are willing to share their problems and solutions? I like to know! Thanks.

[Marinya-argent-dawn (Marinya)]

@Bløndy-argent-dawn

What are my options here? Any tips for the DO’s and DONT’s?

Consider that you’ve gone out of your way for big, muscular V Vengeance and abandoned all you were to become a weapon against an infinite army in a largely futile war of doing as much damage as possible.

All that is done now, the demons defeated (sort of) but you’re still a living weapon with severed ties to wider kaldorei society. This is important. Who and what did you leave behind? And now, despite your efforts to spare your people the fel flame, most of your race have been burned by The Horde/Sylvanas. How does that make you regard your Horde collegues?

The subject of your Cult of Vengeance; Lord Illidan who Knows the Way is gone so what do you do? This is just me but I think it sensible to turn that demon fuelled rage and fel power to the defence of the kaldorei who yet live. They may not like you very much for it but that doesn’t matter.

You still need food and shelter so you may be travelling, solving problems as you go. An endless guerrilla to conduct against those responsible for so much suffering awaits.

And whatever you do, don’t be one of those who ate a succubus and for all intents and purposes became one in the process. Your fellow demon hunters will and should destroy you for succumbing to this.

[Bløndy-argent-dawn]

Thanks!
I’ve tried my character and walked around Stormwind for a bit. And I was thinking of making her a former Illidari Acolyte. She wasn’t a full Demon Hunter yet during BC, and isn’t a full Demon Hunter now, but still powerful in her own right.
The reason I’m thinking of doing this is so she can go off the beaten path. She can join a criminal organisation, or some other group that servers her needs.
Because in the end, she isn’t as powerful as other Demon Hunters, and she likes to crave more, using her teachings to hunt Demons and steal their power.
And no, haha, she won’t be that kind of RPer that is a succubus. She looks more like a female Darth Maul to tell you the truth.

[Merendar-the-shatar]

I just want to add - building on Marinya’s reply - that, given the powers and abilities of the demon hunters, it might be ideal for them to counteract “the next big threat” (whatever that might be).

It would seem that could be the whole Shadowlands situation, at the moment, but there may be other, subtler threats lurking around Azeroth (or beyond).

Perhaps there is a struggle among demons to fill the power vacuum left by Sargeras?

Or cultists?

Scourge?

[Bløndy-argent-dawn]

Yes. What I’m now thinking of doing is that she’s a somewhat powerful Illidari Acolyte that isn’t a full demon hunter YET (for growth purposes). Right now she does hunt demons, undead, and other unholy activities. But she isn’t near what others have gone through.
However, bills need to be paid. And she also takes up contracts as a mercenary under the condition she only works on the defence, not the offence, trying to avoid attacking other humanoid beings with her unholy power. She also tries to serve her own selfish needs, getting that sweet sweet demonic energy to become stronger, maybe she can get some information by working more closely for that group of mages?
This way I can get involved in more roleplay activities without power RPing too much. Because I don’t want to be that kid on the playground with the laser shield. I want to keep it cool, playing a rather exotic, yet reserved character.

[Merendar-the-shatar]

I know some people like to RP (all-)powerful characters, but as far as I know, NO canon Warcraft character can survive being shot (or stabbed through) the head…

So, personally, I’m fine with my characters being powerful (not ‘Champions of Azeroth’ powerful, but ‘might earn access to their class order hall at some point’), because both I and all my characters know that they are not invulnerable nor unkillable, so they don’t rush into dangerous situations.

(Edit: Well, they might, but they know full well that such actions can get them killed, so they exercise a certain level of caution.)

[Marinya-argent-dawn (Marinya)]

@Merendar-the-shatar

I just want to add - building on Marinya’s reply - that, given the powers and abilities of the demon hunters, it might be ideal for them to counteract “the next big threat” (whatever that might be).

Verily, voidspawn, maw monsters and whatever waits beneath the waves or beyond the stars takes poory to having a blazing glaive shoved in their faces.

Like Liam Neeson, you have a particular set of skills and there won’t be a shortage on demand just because there’s no scheduled demonic pillaging of ashenvale next week.

[Bløndy-argent-dawn]

I’m actually cool with people who play powerful characters. The Elder Sin’dorei Mage, the Four Wars Veteran Orc Warrior, the Human Paladin Highest in his order. The only condition I think it’s reasonable is that that overpower is accepted by the RP community, so exclusive for someone who is known within the RP community, not someone who just starts out and decides he’s the next Khadgar or whatever. Because it does give an interesting RP dynamic to have your character speak to someone who is experienced, and can teach, or give quests to your character. In short, I’m for a Roleplay hierarchy accepted by the RP community.

However, my character just started out. She’s probably more powerful than the average warrior or rogue, having trained swordplay and the use of fel magic, trained in the Black Temple itself. I think that’s honest to my character at least.

Faster speed, better swordplay, able to use unholy magic, and greater perception aside; even a Illidari can make mistakes. And a traitorous shotgun blast in the back, is a shotgun blast to the back. So even Westfall Sheriff Derick, and his deputy cousin Lou, can outplay the lone Illidari if they play it right. Let alone a zealous Paladin that might have a different opinion about Illidari walking around unchecked.

I use the Lone-Ronin archetype for my new character. She wanders from town to town, or stays for a while within a city, taking jobs as she goes. She prefers not to get a lot of attention by wearing a hood, and use swords instead of the typical warglaives used for grander battles by her kind.

She prefers to use her great agility and speed when fighting other humanoids on her way, avoiding the abuse of fel magic against mortals. Since if she does, what would be the difference between the Demons she hunt and herself?

I think this would give a great dynamic to my character. She can be powerful, burning that dumb bandit from the inside with the fires of fel. But she doesn’t because:
A: It would cause unwanted attention, and strike fear and persecution into the locals.
B: Its largely that voice in her head persuading to do so, and giving in to that one is a slippery slope to madness.

The Legion has been defeated, but she now knows the next big threat is herself. And she will struggle not to become what she swore to destroy. Her quest is survival, and helping people with any unholy situation. She does a step-down by accepting quests or contracts which are kind off beneath her. But help to give her some income, and help people in some other way. The only code to her is to never use her dark powers on mortals, relying instead on her most basic skills.

So yeah, my character is still a bit edgy, can’t avoid that. But atleast she’s not powerplaying as she goes, and can be open for larger adventures by other RPers.

[Merendar-the-shatar]

@Marinya-argent-dawn

Verily, void wigglies, maw monsters and whatever waits beneath the waves or beyond the stars takes poory to having a blazing glaive shoved in their faces.

Like Liam Neeson, you have a particular set of skills and there won’t be a shortage on demand just because there’s no scheduled demonic pillaging of ashenvale next week.

I love this!

(Fun fact: It took me three tries to type “I love this”, and two tries to type “Fun fact”, and two more tries to type “two tries”.

I assume everything else I attempt today, will be immediately successful.

Either that, or a meteor will hit me…)

@Bløndy-argent-dawn

I’m actually cool with people who play powerful characters. The Elder Sin’dorei Mage, the Four Wars Veteran Orc Warrior, the Human Paladin Highest in his order. The only condition I think it’s reasonable is that that overpower is accepted by the RP community, so exclusive for someone who is known within the RP community, not someone who just starts out and decides he’s the next Khadgar or whatever. Because it does give an interesting RP dynamic to have your character speak to someone who is experienced, and can teach, or give quests to your character. In short, I’m for a Roleplay hierarchy accepted by the RP community.

However, my character just started out. She’s probably more powerful than the average warrior or rogue, having trained swordplay and the use of fel magic, trained in the Black Temple itself. I think that’s honest to my character at least.

Faster speed, better swordplay, able to use unholy magic, and greater perception aside; even a Illidari can make mistakes. And a traitorous shotgun blast in the back, is a shotgun blast to the back. So even Westfall Sheriff Derick, and his deputy cousin Lou, can outplay the lone Illidari if they play it right. Let alone a zealous Paladin that might have a different opinion about Illidari walking around unchecked.

I use the Lone-Ronin archetype for my new character. She wanders from town to town, or stays for a while within a city, taking jobs as she goes. She prefers not to get a lot of attention by wearing a hood, and use swords instead of the typical warglaives used for grander battles by her kind.

She prefers to use her great agility and speed when fighting other humanoids on her way, avoiding the abuse of fel magic against mortals. Since if she does, what would be the difference between the Demons she hunt and herself?

I think this would give a great dynamic to my character. She can be powerful, burning that dumb bandit from the inside with the fires of fel. But she doesn’t because:
A: It would cause unwanted attention, and strike fear and persecution into the locals.
B: Its largely that voice in her head persuading to do so, and giving in to that one is a slippery slope to madness.

The Legion has been defeated, but she now knows the next big threat is herself. And she will struggle not to become what she swore to destroy. Her quest is survival, and helping people with any unholy situation. She does a step-down by accepting quests or contracts which are kind off beneath her. But help to give her some income, and help people in some other way. The only code to her is to never use her dark powers on mortals, relying instead on her most basic skills.

So yeah, my character is still a bit edgy, can’t avoid that. But atleast she’s not powerplaying as she goes, and can be open for larger adventures by other RPers.

This is very well laid out and explained, I dig it!

[Bløndy-argent-dawn]

Alright. I played in Stormwind tonight and got some compliments, so I think it works.
I got an IC compliment that my character was cool be around, for an Illidari.
And I got two OOC compliments that I actually did Demon Hunter work by reading people’s TRP and confront them if they have a suspiciously dark aura.

I’m going to join a mercenary guild. And a friend told me that the guild would probably not be open for the idea having an Illidari in the mids, but he would do a good word about my character’s code and personality.

So yeah. I think it works?
I’m going to sort-of close this topic. Thank you everyone.
People who have more advice are more than welcome.

[Lytherael-argent-dawn]

I’m late for the party but I like talking about demon hunters, so, maybe someone’ll find it useful for future reference;

What I want people to remember when RPing a demon hunter, is that their character was a person before all the demon hunting, eye poking out, heart eating business.
So you need to build your character up how they were before joining the illidari, what their motivations were to do so - tragic backstories are, unfortunately unavoidable here, but you should treat it as a sore point in their past, not a fancy scar in their psyche they’re proud to be showing off, thus they should only ever talk about that in a conversation with sufficient emotional charge, or to people who’ve sufficiently gained their trust - and then think of how the unreasonably brutal training and the constant mental torture has affected them.
They’re still people, and still somewhat the person they were before becoming a demon hunter, but they’re now also an incredibly broken and damaged person.

@Bløndy-argent-dawn

However, it’s difficult to imagine what my options are with a DH character. I can’t join a holy religious order, do my part of the Stormwind cookies contest, become a bar maiden, or help the town’s watch catching night criminals.

Demon hunters are actually very good RP initiators if you play your cards right and like DMing pve events.
The Legion is defeated, but there were always demons on Azeroth even when the Legion wasn’t invading, so it’s not like DHs are out of a job. There’s also plenty of other threats you can have your character deal with - Illidan’s goal was, after all, just to defend Azeroth, the Legion just happened to be the biggest threat he saw to it - like leftover k’thir who survived Ny’alotha’s destruction, the rampant Scourge still kinda out and about after Sylvanas broke the sky, or whatever you feel like fighting at the moment.
Who better to rally a dozen fighters to clear out a Scourge infested cave in the Wetlands, or investigate some ruins rumoured to be used for Old God worship, then a demon hunter?

@Bløndy-argent-dawn

Wearing somewhat normal clothing, and weapons.

I approve of this, highly. It makes sense to have readjusted to Azeroth’s customs as your new hunting ground. I love using normal leather armour with swords and axes instead of running around half naked with felfire coming out of your shoulders and massive warglaives on your back.

@Merendar-the-shatar

So, personally, I’m fine with my characters being powerful (not ‘Champions of Azeroth’ powerful, but ‘might earn access to their class order hall at some point’), because both I and all my characters know that they are not invulnerable nor unkillable, so they don’t rush into dangerous situations.

Power is fine, as long as you know how to use it. Using metamorphosis in a street brawl, or tearing your way through a dozen ghouls with creative uses of your fel rushing and immolation aura are two very different ways your character can be powerful.
Demon hunters have a lot of storywriting potential, beyond the crappy average “hue hue my char is OP” dodges everything that most demon hunters seem to be doing in RP.