Hi!

Ive played Oblivion vor a very long time now and my new character should be an assassin of the dark brotherhood.

Ok. But now to his Background: Why is he a murderer? I mean, no normal thinking person would consider killing people for fun and/or money. He would have to be mad but I don't want him to be mad. I want him to be a rational thinking person.
Do you have any ideas how to do this? Why should he just start murdering? I need a decent background story but sadly I have no really good ideas. I just need some food for thought.

Thanks in Advance.

- he needed money quick and joined the Dark brotherhood. after a little while he realised he liked being an assassin because of the power it gives him over the target.

- he was raised in the brotherhood.

- Argonian under the shadow birthsign, shadowscales are given to the brotherhood at birth.

- he infiltrates it with plans to destroy it. killing the people is meant to keep his cover. the goal justifies the actions.

- he just likes killing and when you can get money from it, all the better.

- ... can't think of anything else at the moment.

Maybe he/she is just a real elitist, brought up in an environment where those deemed 'unworthy' to live were killed for being 'plagues on humanity'. I suppose that seems pretty mad, but due to his/her upbringing, he/she would in fact believe they're doing Tamriel a favour -- they think they're the 'good guy', so to speak.

By murdering on that basis alone you'd be welcomed in to the Dark Brotherhood, though the DB and a character similar to the one above doesn't really seem to match. Hmm. Perhaps the Brotherhood's friendlyness changes your character, or he/she truly does find a love for murder after all, and sees it as the best possible profession.

It is difficult, I must say, but with a good imagination, I'm sure you'll find something. You could research on some of the world's greatest assassins/murderers and find out their incentives for killing, then base your character's personality and motives off of thiers.

Good luck! Once you get into the swing of things, you'll have a great time.

Imo if you lack a strong reason let the game make one up for you.
Create him with his skills find a simple backstory suggesting where he learned them, then explore a bit.
The game will at one point put you in a situation were you murder someone, outside of the DB faction.
That or just the next time you commit a minor boob like activating a owned locked door, or hit a friendly by mistake turning them hostile carry that error through to their death.
That way you're not just some psycho, rather a man forced to kill for survival and blackmailed into recommiting these crimes.

The other way is to play on impulse, Osmundas my dark elf is arogant and concieted, everyones beneath him which leads often to "Duels" with upstarts when he does not get his way.
He technically is a DB member, but they too are inferior to his grandness.

Anna my new character is not from Nirn rather retro fitted from Ad&d planescape, her native enviroments are urban, grim, and utterly hostile..
Leading to being Impulsive, tough, prone to anger, prideful, jealous, curious, greedy and hardend to the point of true chaotic insanity / nirvana.
Add to this she was bound and captured which is the one thing to cause her intense shame, and is on a strange plane with no knowledge of language, power, coins, politics or general behaviour.
She too is not a true DB member but akin to the thieves guild they are independents taking what they wish when they want it with only a passing enforced loyalty.
Which suits her need to strive, and remain tough as nails to peel the next berk that gets in her way.
Although Lucian got smacked for "expressing" his loving embrace of the family, "Aye bet I ken what kind of games yer lot get up tah".

Edit: My lazy knowledge of spelling.

Your family was murdered when you were young. You were raised by your grandfather, who believed strongly in "an eye for an eye." Seeking revenge, you choose to join the Dark Brotherhood as a cover for being able to do a little more investigation on your case. After endless missions, you become numb to emotion and feeling, killing now, for only gold or pleasure. You find yourself navigating a mysterious world of your own tangled emotions. You go to the Shivering Isles. You run rampant with Sheogorath, pleasing your sadistic whims. The Felldew, however, has an interesting effect. You come to your senses, and must change your ways, and repent wicked one! How to repent you might ask? You hear of something worthy, something with which to prove yourself, that you are not a lowly murderer, but a good, kind decent person. And you hear of the pilgrimage.... but as you walk the Pilgrim's Way, there is a nagging thought from your previous life..... and what of the murderer of your family?

For me its because over the years he acquired certain skills, but morals were dubious. Maybe an ex-military scout or something, who got stripped of rank and kicked out for murdering a superior for some reason. Since he had no other skills, and was approached by DB, he took the opportunity.

Since DB approaches you, all you really need to do is have killed someone before, out of anger, desperation, rage, whatever. DB presented you with a lucrative job, you took it.

My assassin, Kain Nightwatch, was raised by the Dark Brotherhood since he was 5 years old. So he repaid his debt by becoming an assassin.
I mean, he quit later, but hey.

You were walking around Leyawin and some guy gave you a dirty look, then you turned to him and shot him between the eyes with your bow. Then you figured out how fun it is to be a murderer

What race? How old?

I don't know anything about him yet. But I think it will be a human race, Imperial, Breton or Nord.

Because your parents were killed by the count when you were young and then you want your revenge. Later you turned out to be a very skilled assassin

This is one idea I've toyed with based on an Imperial. I'll probably never ever use it so feel free if you like it. A political assassin. Basically the idea is the PC is employed by the Empire as a political assassin. Any physical threat to the Emperor was dealt with by the PC in a very quiet manner. PC never met the Emporer but did the Empires bidding. He/she lived well in the IC (You'd need a mod for this part to give yourself a nice home in the IC) or fake it up good if not. Now seriously ticked off, PC does the escape route, can't go to IC for obvious reasons and is left to try and survive on their own. DB welcomes with open arms and PC gets paid well for doing what he/she has done all their life. Just now, there is not much justification. Can do the MQ if want to find the culprits involved in the PC's downfall, or walk away for being spat upon by the empire

Ok thanks so far. Im now thinking about which idea i will take or whether I can link some of them.

But another thing: Can you think of a greater goal a DB Assassin has? Other than becoming Listener. Something that keeps him motivated. Just killing and killing and killing seems a bit boring.

Cash.

Never gets boring.

My assassin http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Oblivion471.jpg was your typical spoiled rich Imperial. Until she went on a trip to Bravil and her uncle Rufio [censored] her and left her for dead on the way. She crawled off into the woods and vowed revenge. That night a withered old crone came to her in a dream, and told her that if she made herself strong, that blood would be hers to revel in. Already knowing magic, she learned to fight, and to sneak. In time the old woman was right, and she took Rufio's life with her own hand as her first official assignment in the Dark Brotherhood. She found that she had a taste for murder, so she did not stop there. Nothing in life ever made her feel so alive and in control. She did not believe in Sithis, or the Nine, or anything after that. Just killing.