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Post by kore on Jan 27, 2011 12:33:15 GMT -8
1. i hope I am doing a good job at creating the environment. There is a lot of stuff that I have allowed characters to fumble with, and the most character growth so far I have seen is from players who have an invested backstory. 2. I agree that it sucks to lose a character with an invested back story, but is it really so hard to take another approach to the world and see how to import yourself? For example, when I lost Ael'Thir to the Roc in Revenge of the Giants. I was really upset because of the rich hopes and dreams i put into the design of the character. Then I came across Neji, who took a bit more to get into the game, but after coming across a persona that I thought fitted, it allowed me to RP freely. 3. This is the problem i find the most. A lot of players don't have ideas stored or want to even attempt to integrate new characters into the world after a loss. I even have/had players who refuse to even look at the campaign setting to try and find their own niche. Characters who currently have a higher investment, Nantiki and Rhogar, RP more consistently for the story. The issue here though isn't an integration of character to story, it's the integration of character to character. For your example of Aero'neth, it really helped that Brinjin and Aero'neth decided to work together as mercenaries protecting each others backs. It helped us develop that RP relation and further flush out the understanding of the campaign. When new players came in, like Watcher, both Brinjin and Aero'neth provided RP with Watcher to both integrate him, and try and get a feel, character-wise, of the metal man. This doesn't happen in my game currently. And I am not sure what to do. 1. With a published campaign setting like Dark Sun your job is to own the setting, make it yours. I'm not passing any judgement, I'm just pointing out that the players already have a ton of material with which to work. This makes your job easier in one respect, content creation (not that you don't have any content to create), and difficult in another, knowing enough about the elements your players have chosen to embrace. 2. I suspected I didn't make my thoughts on losing a character, or the prospect of such an event, as clear as I should. Essentially, I recognize an evolution in my attitude toward character loss where, at one time, it was a troublesome thought because I was worried I exhausted my imagination. However, I've realized that, provided a robust setting, it only requires a single element to be the seed for a fully developed character. 3. If my thesis is correct, then that sounds like the problem. No one, player or DM, can ignore the setting. The concept of nature versus nurture just came to mind. Both elements are defined by the setting: halflings are cannibals and arcane magic is taboo (nature); being a halfling sorcerer will have some profound effects on one's life (nurture) leading up to the events that are being played out on the table. If such effects are ignored, then a character seems out of place and unbelievable. I mean, this was (for me) the underlying theme of Inception. That is, one can suspend belief only so much before the "reality" falls apart. Reality, in this case, is defined by the setting. One can bend the rules of said reality only so far until it breaks that reality, thus nullifying the whole point of the setting. I think that character to character integration depends, firstly, upon having a believable character for the setting. That said, the relationships will develope naturally, for good or bad, based upon players interacting true to their character. At the same time, one shouldn't put their character into box. The character should be organic, even if they're a construct , and there should be room for development and evolution. Creating believable interactions is roleplaying and not dependent on the individual but on the whole group. That is why I say that, at its core, roleplaying is collaborative. For me, I find enjoyment in a created reality when everyone at the table plays in a way that is true to the setting, in a way that is believable.
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zude
Iron Golem
Posts: 171
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Post by zude on Jan 27, 2011 12:53:34 GMT -8
This post is just to get something more permanent than the thoughts floating about in my head.
-Dawn is an ex-slave from Urik -She was born into slavery, but as is often the case, her family was broken up and she was shipped away -She grew up as a slave in a noble household, serving as a companion to the children of the house. -She was "adopted" by a dwarven hand-maiden from the settlement of Kled, which is where she learned how to speak the language -Still haven't fleshed out how she escaped, but it's my intent to have her try to flee to Kled where she might find refuge among her adoptive mother's family, but harried by halfling slave hunters, Dawn was forced to flee into the Forest Ridge instead
Possible Character to NPC connections include the daughter of the noble family who she was a companion to, the unnamed dwarf's brother in Kled (Dawn would possess some indicator of her connection to his sister, whether it be a phrase in Dwarven, or a mark, or even an item of some kind), and... Perhaps a templar tasked with hunting her down by the noble family?
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Post by frobones on Jan 27, 2011 12:57:13 GMT -8
Do I play that out of character with Nantiki in your eyes? When I try to defend how Nantiki reacted in situations, there's usually a problem with the way I carried things out. Maybe make a list of things you feel I should be concerned about to openly express and I'll incorporate them into Nantiki.
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Post by reiphil on Jan 27, 2011 14:42:38 GMT -8
@zach - That's fine. How long have you been in the Forest Ridge? How were you trained in your Combat? And why is your interaction so cold and stern with other players? I'd like to see some of that stuff as well in your future layouts for your characters, just as a background knowledge.
@stephen - It's not really if I see it or not. My point is you seem to take points of roleplay and hammer on those, but don't see the full picture with Nantiki's eyes. To me it may or may not be out of character, but Nantiki hasn't really presented himself as much.
Somethings maybe Nantiki should remember or reanalyze: 1) The dream state in which Nantiki revealed the presence of Ul'Athra and the Crown shards to a Templar of Urik. 2) The crown shard simply floating above Sharo's head. 3) The presence of people who are not originally quested by the shard, suddenly showing up. 4) The society Nantiki helped create that has no notice or knowledge of Nantiki's current whereabouts.
From your backstory, I felt as if Nantiki would be a bit more secretive and protective of/from certain objects or people around him. Pavu might be a "tool" to carry survival days, but he's the first Goliath you have ever seen with such strange marking tattooing his skin. Plus his "magic" isn't primal, and you've never quite seen tattoos light with that kind of power.
Dawn might be a "tool" to guide you in the forest, but she appeared after having followed you without notice and aided you in battle, as well as decided to guide you through the forest without cause.
Wouldn't a thri-kreen who has a past with secrecy, hate for templars/governments, and an urge to restore Athas be a bit more concerned with how things are a little... out of control?
That's all I'm really asking Stephen. seriously analyze how Nantiki would feel about current situations, and his own motivations/secrets, and move forward from that. I'm not asking to rectify anything from the past. Just to help you seek to justify the actions for the future.
Right now we have another entrance of a character, albeit, a "inorganic" character, but a character none the less, who happens to be there at the right place right time... What does Nantiki do?
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zude
Iron Golem
Posts: 171
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Post by zude on Jan 27, 2011 16:49:16 GMT -8
Dawn's been in the forest ridge for about a year and a half, I think. Enough time to befriend some of the less hostile halfling tribes, but not enough for her to completely let go of her fear of being hunted down and dragged back to Urik.
And I'm thinking that Dawn is self-taught. The flavor text for a Magic card comes to mind; "Every scar a lesson, every battle a test of what you have learned."
She learned to fight because she had to in order to survive the harshness of Forest Ridge, and this may have been supplemented by knowledge garnered from watching the halfling's, but every skill she has applies to her time in the Ridge.
Acrobatics to perch in the trees. Endurance to overcome illness. Heal to conquer that which her Endurance cannot. Perception so as to avoid the cannibals. Nature reflects her observations of her environment. Bluff comes from her time as a slave, where a quick tongue was often the difference between a loaf of bread and only a slice of it.
In regards to how she treats her companions... It's an act. By using an over-simplified method of speaking, she hopes they will view her as simply another uncivilized dweller of the forest. Beyond that, I think the only person she's said more than a word to is Rhogar, and those have all been insults because that's how she truly feels about him.
She thinks that, out of the entire party, he's the most out of place out in the wild.
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Post by reiphil on Jan 27, 2011 16:59:58 GMT -8
Dawn then, should consider herself lucky as she isn't naive enough to believe it as her own skills that let her survive first in the forest ridge. But cool.
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Post by frobones on Jan 27, 2011 21:43:06 GMT -8
So new development... some of my family will be coming into town this weekend and only for the weekend. Actually just Friday and Saturday. So, placing family > D&D... I'll have to bail :(
So that means someone will need to pick up Zack.
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Post by reiphil on Jan 27, 2011 21:54:26 GMT -8
So only, Gilbert, Davis, and Eric? Possible Zach?
Should we just call it? If you guys want a GW run, I can do that... Not sure if you guys wanna play it or not!
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kumatsu
Orc
I bless this board
Posts: 71
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Post by kumatsu on Jan 27, 2011 22:43:16 GMT -8
Hmm, this Saturday is also the pre-release for the next Magic set, so I'd be fine either way.
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Post by reiphil on Jan 28, 2011 5:47:37 GMT -8
i'm just gonna call it off, rather have rhogar and nantiki in game for the shard issue anyways.
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Post by reiphil on Jan 28, 2011 11:07:45 GMT -8
--- INDEFINITE HIATUS! ---
News! News! I have decided to give you guys a break from DS right now until I can remodel the campaign and create a more succinct adventure for you guys. Till that time comes, we will now adventure in the new lands to be created by JP.
Start thinking up character points. Basic campaign information and character building rules will be revealed BY 2/12.
Please for the love of god, everyone try to make at least "good" characters! Come up with multiple character innovations to see what may fit in this new exciting world!
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Post by frobones on Jan 28, 2011 11:17:18 GMT -8
I guess Nantiki can retire a champion of Athas for the time being
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