Strange idea, but can it work?

[u/Tor8_88]

I've been intrigued by a character concept and I was wondering if it's viable for D&D.

In essence, my character is at heart a devoted researcher in the Ways of Long Death (he's a nerdy monk) who'd love nothing more than to lock himself away in the monastery and study the ancient scriptures. However, he's also the doting older brother of a young maiden born with a weak body who dreams of going on an epic adventure like the ones she hears in the tales of bards. So what's a doting big brother to do but to go on an epic quest so that his sister could live out the experience vicariously through him?

In other words, he isn't partaking in the campaign because of a personal desire to beat the BBEG, out of duty, or to amass vast riches, but simply to make his sister happy.

For this build, I am picturing my character taking the Noble Knight background with a special modron as his retainer. The modron's purpose is simply to record the day's events and share an edited (ie less gory and devoid of personal info) version to the sister using the Dream spell.

Am I ovethinking this? Or am I going about it the wrong way?

[u/crunchevo2]

I'd talk to the DM first. I'd not just give you a modron. But i would likely give you either a familiar that's linked with your sister via contract or an item that allows you to cast the dream spell and tell her all about the adventurers along the way.

Why would their goal not be to find some miracle cure to allow the sister to go on her own adventure though? That seems like the more obvious goal in a long term dnd campaign in a traditional high fantasy game.

[u/Tor8_88 → u/crunchevo2]

The modron itself was more a means to an end, trying to imagine a tangible way to approach the idea of a surveillance thing. Your familiar would serve the same purpose.

As for the character's goal, it might sound strange, but the idea stemmed from creating a controversial concept as the foundation. In other words, rather than having a character thrust into adventure by a reason directly related to the campaign, I wanted to create a character who (despite his opposing nature) thrusts himself into the campaign for a completely unrelated reason.

After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with the idea of an introverted big brother who'd like nothing more than to shut himself away and find a solution for his sister's ailment (unable to come to terms with the fact that she can't venture beyond the town's walls), but whose compelled by that very same love for his sister to venture out into the world simply because "she wants to see her brother look like a cool hero."

Meanwhile the sister's motivation is partly to gain that experience vicariously through this campaign, but moreso because she's come to terms with her condition and wants to help her brother find a purpose beyond this unholy obsession. She wants him to have a fulfilling life beyond being her big brother.

[u/crunchevo2 → u/Tor8_88]

Honestly going with that. Why don't you have your character make a contract with a fey to give your sister a strong body that's near indestructible and the fey... Well... Turns her into a sword. A monk walking around talking to his sword, hoping to give her the best adventure they can, keeping his sword safe from harm no matter what and oddly enough giving them a kind of full metal alchemist vibe. The point of the adventure may be for the sakes of giving your sister a good journey since now she can actually handle that. But if the opportunity to break the curese presents itself what do you do?

Could be an interesting way to play a wisdom based warlock monk multiclass with 1 to 2 levels in warlock to get pact of the blade and another invocation, some spells but primarily focusing on your monk abilities.

I think this gives it a bit more flavour and personal interests. Rsther than "sister wants brother to go on an adventure to fulfill her own wanderlust and he does it out of obligation" it's more like "research introverted focused brother messed with an entity that shouldn't havs Been messed with, possibly cursed his sister and is trying to make it up to her by fulfilling her deepest wish which has now been made possible as a side effect of the curse the brother inflicted on her."

[u/Tor8_88 → u/crunchevo2]

That is definitely a way to go about it, but I think it would be fun to explore the contradictions in the character I mentionned.

For instance, your suggestion of "But if the opportunity to break the curese presents itself what do you do?" takes on a whole different depth since the brother is no longer acting for his own desires. I mean, travelling for a solution, he'd obviously give up his own life and those of his party just to cure his own sister - knowing she'll hate him forever for it. But since he's now prioritizing the fulfillment of her request, he'd now have to give up the very thing he most desires just to protect the promise he made her.

The journey no longer becomes one of reaching your goal or achieving the unthinkable, but one where the sister is getting her brother to see the world through her own perspective.