So, hey. I know I haven't posted in a loooong time. Sorry. I'm not going to turn this into one of those blogs that are composed almost entirely of "Sorry I Haven't been Updating" posts, though, so let's move on to the purpose of this article: A quick little reflection on the importance of good party dynamics in a tabletop RPG. (Though with the warning that today's article will be horrendously short.)
By "good party dynamics" I don't mean that every character gets along. On the contrary, sometimes a party can have amazing dynamics when everybody is out to kill or, at least, seriously harm everyone else, something beautifully integrated into the game Paranoia. By "good party dynamics", I mean a party wherein every single character has a good, strong reason to continue traveling with, working with, or staying in the general proximity of, at least two other characters in the party. This is for two distinct reasons:
1) It provides a solid roleplayed reason for the characters, be they violent wandering hobos or average joes, to be do things together, preventing strange questions like "Why the hell am I even in this abandoned warehouse at midnight being stalked by a ghost with you people?" from cropping up.
2) It provides better reasons for everyone to be involved at all times. Skullsplitter might decide he wants to go to the market today, so Jane the Paladin, having vowed to make sure he doesn't kill anyone while traveling, follows him. Jim the Magnificent follows her because he's hopelessly in love with her, Morgrin the Vile tags along because he's only traveling with the party so he can try to assassinate Jim and Jane, so he doesn't want to let them out of his sight. And now all four members of the party are in the same place together.
Granted, this won't always keep the party together. There will be instances where Skullsplitter feels like staying in the tavern drinking, Jane sneaks away from Jim to avoid his constant awkward and failed advances, and Morgrin needs to go meet with his dark masters, splitting the party. But most of the time, it will work. And, as any game master/dungeon master/story teller can tell you, trying to run a split party, or worse, a party with no reason to not split, is a real pain in the ass.
A third, if you're into this sort of thing, is character development. Through Jane's constant intervention, perhaps Skullsplitter slowly becomes more civilized. Maybe Morgrin realizes he actually likes the people he's traveling with, and so double-crosses the people who hired him. Perhaps Jim decides that Jane has spurned him long enough, and eventually betrays the group. Not all character development needs to be on that level, but such ties really do help to develop characters personalities, which naturally leads to character development over time.
"But how will I convince my players to ensure that their characters are connected?" you may ask? Well, you could just tell them that you want them to do that when they make their characters. I try to push my players to fill out questionnaires, and usually I ask that they find a way to make the necessary social ties during that part of character creation.
If your group isn't the type to fill out questionnaires even when asked, as some are, you could also have a session without play, where everyone simply sits down and makes characters. During this time, you can easily foster the kind of background development you want (That being ties to other characters). It also provides the added bonus of everyone getting a better idea of the other player characters. You wouldn't believe how many "No-Win" scenarios my fellow players and I have survived simply by having a better understanding of both the mechanical and roleplaying aspects of each other's characters.
Simply put, it takes a lot of strain off of you, the GM, to have the characters all connected. And it doesn't hurt the players one bit, either.
In other news, if you're the type of enjoy roleplaying in MUDs, have I got some news for you! There's a new MUD that's still in a bit of development called Lament. It has 4 playable races, and what may be the coolest travel system I've seen in a MUD. It's also got a huge world, and is a really cool setting over all. If you're interested, here's their homepage:
http://lament.ghostglass.net/
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Keeping the RPG Industry Alive, and the Important Role of the Players (A Call to Arms)
Hey again, everybody. Earlier this week, I discussed a really cool free indie game called Warrior, Rogue & Mage. In that article, I mentioned how it's a very good thing when anyone can just pick up and play a tabletop RPG, because, using a metaphor for the human body where players are blood cells, the Roleplaying Game Industry is in desperate need of a transfusion.
Fluids aside, this is an undeniably important fact. In today's economy, it is difficult for dead tree publishers to remain afloat, especially when they publish for a niche market such as the roleplaying industry. The playerbase is aging, and as it 'matures' (I would argue that there are some very 'mature' game-lines out there, but whatever) it slowly loses members, many people do not know about certain games, and many companies do not have the revenue to advertise to even the extent that Dungeons and Dragons does. And when was the last time anyone saw an ad for D&D? I have a Game Informer from the early 2000's with a single ad in it, but that's about it. In fact, this (being the RPG Industry's current lack of consumers and their ilk) is one of the many facts cited by players (though, I can't claim whether or not I know they're true) for White Wolf's switch to Print on Demand. The fact is, the RPG Industry is slowly become unsustainable. You've probably realized by now that I know next to nothing about business strategies and economics, but even I can figure out that Diminishing Consumer-base + High Cost of Production = Loss of Profit.
Quite frankly, dear reader, there is only one thing I can think of, one plan I can concoct, to solve this grave and terrible threat to the way of the RPGs. And it relies on a very important, and very heroic group: The Players. That's right, the consumers must find more consumers, like some sort of psychotic zombie invasion characterized by people pretending to be other people while rolling dice. But, this isn't as odd as it sounds.
Many people find getting into RPGs to be a daunting task. Many people have never really heard of any RPGs other than Dungeons and Dragons, after all, and while that rules system is not incredibly complex, it is complex. If they are able to jump the hurdle of finding a system with easy to learn rules, or simply decide to learn how to play anyways, these same people are then stuck without a group to play with. After all, with the currently diminished playerbase, it isn't like there are gamers (of the old school variety) everywhere.
Here's where the currently established player-base comes in: They need to introduce prospective players to RPGs (even if it's one they already know, such as D&D), and help them along in learning how to play. They then need to help provide these prospective players with a group to play with. Simple, isn't it? Now, here's the tricky part: YOU need to be one of the currently established members of the player-base who are assisting these newbies. The why's have already been dealt with.
You (ie. all three loyal readers) no doubt all know potential new players, be they a nephew or cousin who happens to have an interest in games like The Elder Scrolls( or Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, or even Pokemon), a fellow member of your fraternity who happens to be big on the Lord of the Rings movies, a co-worker who happens to be a fan of fantasy novels, or someone else who doesn't fit some kind of stereotype. So, next time you see them, extend an invitation to play with you sometime. Then, of course, teach them the ropes, introduce them at your local gaming store (if you have one), and induct them into your group/help them form a group of your own.
And, if I'm wrong and the industry is just in a bit of a slump right now? You now have someone new to play with, or you've passed on the gaming torch to the next generation, or something like that. Either way, it can't hurt.
Fluids aside, this is an undeniably important fact. In today's economy, it is difficult for dead tree publishers to remain afloat, especially when they publish for a niche market such as the roleplaying industry. The playerbase is aging, and as it 'matures' (I would argue that there are some very 'mature' game-lines out there, but whatever) it slowly loses members, many people do not know about certain games, and many companies do not have the revenue to advertise to even the extent that Dungeons and Dragons does. And when was the last time anyone saw an ad for D&D? I have a Game Informer from the early 2000's with a single ad in it, but that's about it. In fact, this (being the RPG Industry's current lack of consumers and their ilk) is one of the many facts cited by players (though, I can't claim whether or not I know they're true) for White Wolf's switch to Print on Demand. The fact is, the RPG Industry is slowly become unsustainable. You've probably realized by now that I know next to nothing about business strategies and economics, but even I can figure out that Diminishing Consumer-base + High Cost of Production = Loss of Profit.
Quite frankly, dear reader, there is only one thing I can think of, one plan I can concoct, to solve this grave and terrible threat to the way of the RPGs. And it relies on a very important, and very heroic group: The Players. That's right, the consumers must find more consumers, like some sort of psychotic zombie invasion characterized by people pretending to be other people while rolling dice. But, this isn't as odd as it sounds.
Many people find getting into RPGs to be a daunting task. Many people have never really heard of any RPGs other than Dungeons and Dragons, after all, and while that rules system is not incredibly complex, it is complex. If they are able to jump the hurdle of finding a system with easy to learn rules, or simply decide to learn how to play anyways, these same people are then stuck without a group to play with. After all, with the currently diminished playerbase, it isn't like there are gamers (of the old school variety) everywhere.
Here's where the currently established player-base comes in: They need to introduce prospective players to RPGs (even if it's one they already know, such as D&D), and help them along in learning how to play. They then need to help provide these prospective players with a group to play with. Simple, isn't it? Now, here's the tricky part: YOU need to be one of the currently established members of the player-base who are assisting these newbies. The why's have already been dealt with.
You (ie. all three loyal readers) no doubt all know potential new players, be they a nephew or cousin who happens to have an interest in games like The Elder Scrolls( or Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, or even Pokemon), a fellow member of your fraternity who happens to be big on the Lord of the Rings movies, a co-worker who happens to be a fan of fantasy novels, or someone else who doesn't fit some kind of stereotype. So, next time you see them, extend an invitation to play with you sometime. Then, of course, teach them the ropes, introduce them at your local gaming store (if you have one), and induct them into your group/help them form a group of your own.
And, if I'm wrong and the industry is just in a bit of a slump right now? You now have someone new to play with, or you've passed on the gaming torch to the next generation, or something like that. Either way, it can't hurt.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Warrior, Rogue, & Mage: An Awesome Rules-lite Game, and Also an Upcoming Actual Play
Hey again folks. I'm writing this at about 1 in the morning, so expect some fairly wonky stuff, but I find that I'm sometimes more creative when suffering from a head-ache and sleep deprivation. Anyways, enough about me, and more about this amazing little gem of a system called Warrior, Rogue, & Mage(Henceforth referred to as WRM). Now, I don't normally go around advertising for tabletop game systems (Well, OK, I do it with the World of Darkness, but that's because it is so very awesome), but WRM is special.
Envision the Tabletop RPG economy as a landscape, alright? You've got all the generic little Medieval Fantasy titles forming a field where each blade of grass is one such title. FATAL sits off to the side, a steaming pile of diarrhea, and nearby a herd of Golden Calves, one for each of the iterations of Dungeons and Dragons (Except maybe 4th edition, but I digress), quietly rest beneath the shade of a dark, sinister, and magnificent tree named World of Darkness. In the very far distance, one can see the great cities of Paranoia and Shadowrun. In the sky above, a great math equation constantly rewrites itself, this is GURPS. But in that field, that seems to stretch on for eternity, there is a single blade of grass that is unlike any other. This blade of grass represents WRM, and it is made of gold, and whomever holds it will be rich. And anyone can hold it, and it regrows.
Ok, maybe I'm hyping it up a little too much, but you get the idea of how I feel about it now. Let me explain why. WRM has two amazing things going for it:
1. It is rules light, but with good customization.
What does this mean, exactly? Well, it means the rules are simple and easy to learn. It means that anyone can pluck this blade of grass from the fields, or, in a more real sense, that anyone can pick up this game and learn to play it. Which is good, since if the roleplaying system were a person instead of a landscape, and players were blood, it is bleeding out and needs a transfusion very badly (More on that later this week, maybe). But every character has the potential to be different, too!
You see, there are three stats: Warrior, Rogue, and Mage. These are basically just the regular attributes, and describe how good a person is at fighting, rogueish stuff, and spellcasting-stuff. You spread 10 points out amongst these any way you want. Then, you pick three skills and one talent. The skills list is simplistic, and has no numerical value. It takes up a single page. The talent list is also simplistic, and takes up a single page, no numerical value here either. The only stats that require numbers are Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Health, Mana, and Fate (Which lets you just mess around with the world, sort of).
So, basically, anyone can pick it up and create their own character any way they want.
2. It's Free.
That's right, it's free. And unlike most free games, it's fun. Anyone can pick it up at any time, by just heading over to Drivethru RPG. Which is good, because spending money is not fun, and it also means that, one again, anyone can pick it up and start playing.
Now about the setting. WRM's pdf actually contains a few premade areas to play the game in, but they consist of a paragraph at most, encouraging the GM to come up with things on his own. Which is cool, because it means one is open to do almost anything with this book. I, personally, feel it fits light-hearted semi-comical dungeon crawls nicely, but it can also be used for a more serious game. Which segues nicely into my announcing two upcoming Actual Plays:
1. Derelicts of the Broken Lands: This will actually be a series of episodic Actual Plays, played in an IRC Channel. I won't be running it. The basic premise is that a terrible calamity befell the world a moon before the first episode, and a powerful archmage saved a single town (and a hub for heroes and adventurers) by tearing it from the earth and making it float in the sky. The town's heroes must teleport to the dangerous world below in order to gather supplies. Characters will switch in and out as people are available, though the game will be serious (with maybe some light comedy relief).
2. The Vampire Killer: A quick Hunter: The Vigil -style One-shot story, played over an IRC Channel. I will be running it. In New York, a serial killer stalks the nightclubs, leaving his victims dead of blood loss days later. An FBI Task Force, the Vanguard Serial Crime Unit, is formed to assist local law enforcement in the investigation.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Mood in Horror: "The Supernatural Pervades All"
Ok, so I lied. Last time, I said that I would focus on creating Heroic characters. Considering how iconic heroes are, though, I think something like that can be ignored, in favor of something that I find far more interesting than character creation: The mood and feel of a story. Or, more specifically, the mood of a Horror Story.
One of my favourite authors of horror Glen Hirshberg is said to (in a forward by an editor in a compilation I can't precisely remember the name of) describe the world in such vivid detail that it feels as if, in his, stories the "supernatural is bleeding through the walls of reality". To me, when it comes to Horror, that's what the mood should be all about -- a feel of unreality. One of the goals of any horror writer, whether they're writing a story to run with some friends in World of Darkness or they're writing short fiction in the hopes of being published, should be to maintain such a feel. But why is that?
In short, Horror fiction has two main purposes: To incite fear and terror in the reader (or players), and to make the reader (or players) think. It is undeniable that mood plays a large role in any story (as it is, basically, the story), and so the mood in question must assist in those two goals.
Fear is, undeniably, the first goal of a Horror writer. H.P. Lovecraft, one of the greatest horror writers of the Twentieth Century (and, I would argue, all time), once said "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." What, I ask, is more unknown than the supernatural? It is, after all, defined (by Merriam-Webster) as "departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature". By utilizing a mood of 'unreality' in one's work, a Horror writer is capable of establishing this feel of being 'out of place' or in an 'unknown' area from the start, even if the story takes place in the reader's backyard.
The way in which a mood of 'dark mystery' assists a writer of Horror in making their reader (or player) think, then, is almost a given. From a purely detached and unemotional view, one may argue that religions have formed throughout the centuries as a means of answering the fundamental questions of existence. It is, of course, obvious that nearly all religious doctrine involves the supernatural in some sense. And, though, the supernatural, in this case, answers the questions, it no doubt also leads to more questions (whether or not the answers given to these new questions should be accepted is something that I don't think I want to cover in this blog). In short, anything that cannot be explained (such as something that has departed from what is usual or normal) invariably leads to questions. By filling a story with a sense of the abnormal (and thus the need to question the abnormality, as is human nature), a writer is setting up the reader (or player) to ask whatever questions they want their story to represent.
The question, then, is how does one do this? There are many ways to go about it. Hirshberg uses incredibly vivid imagery, along with the occasional 'not-so-real' landmark, such as a desert, or a volcanic beach. H.P. Lovecraft utilizes gothic architecture in modern-hubs, along with the sense of 'smallness' that comes from the literary philosophy of Cosmic Horror which he invented.
Personally, I prefer to use a mix of 'out of place' architecture with incredibly vivid imagery (when appropriate) and heavy use of personification.
One of my favourite authors of horror Glen Hirshberg is said to (in a forward by an editor in a compilation I can't precisely remember the name of) describe the world in such vivid detail that it feels as if, in his, stories the "supernatural is bleeding through the walls of reality". To me, when it comes to Horror, that's what the mood should be all about -- a feel of unreality. One of the goals of any horror writer, whether they're writing a story to run with some friends in World of Darkness or they're writing short fiction in the hopes of being published, should be to maintain such a feel. But why is that?
In short, Horror fiction has two main purposes: To incite fear and terror in the reader (or players), and to make the reader (or players) think. It is undeniable that mood plays a large role in any story (as it is, basically, the story), and so the mood in question must assist in those two goals.
Fear is, undeniably, the first goal of a Horror writer. H.P. Lovecraft, one of the greatest horror writers of the Twentieth Century (and, I would argue, all time), once said "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." What, I ask, is more unknown than the supernatural? It is, after all, defined (by Merriam-Webster) as "departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature". By utilizing a mood of 'unreality' in one's work, a Horror writer is capable of establishing this feel of being 'out of place' or in an 'unknown' area from the start, even if the story takes place in the reader's backyard.
The way in which a mood of 'dark mystery' assists a writer of Horror in making their reader (or player) think, then, is almost a given. From a purely detached and unemotional view, one may argue that religions have formed throughout the centuries as a means of answering the fundamental questions of existence. It is, of course, obvious that nearly all religious doctrine involves the supernatural in some sense. And, though, the supernatural, in this case, answers the questions, it no doubt also leads to more questions (whether or not the answers given to these new questions should be accepted is something that I don't think I want to cover in this blog). In short, anything that cannot be explained (such as something that has departed from what is usual or normal) invariably leads to questions. By filling a story with a sense of the abnormal (and thus the need to question the abnormality, as is human nature), a writer is setting up the reader (or player) to ask whatever questions they want their story to represent.
The question, then, is how does one do this? There are many ways to go about it. Hirshberg uses incredibly vivid imagery, along with the occasional 'not-so-real' landmark, such as a desert, or a volcanic beach. H.P. Lovecraft utilizes gothic architecture in modern-hubs, along with the sense of 'smallness' that comes from the literary philosophy of Cosmic Horror which he invented.
Personally, I prefer to use a mix of 'out of place' architecture with incredibly vivid imagery (when appropriate) and heavy use of personification.
So, in the comments, tell me what you think about mood in Horror. What have you found to work? How do you prefer to go about it? If you disagree with any of the points I made, refute them. Tell me whatever else you might want me to discuss.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
On Heroic Sacrifices
Hey there folks. Last week, I talked about creating antagonists using a relatively simple three step process:
1. Concept or a basic premise and theme
2. Modus Operandi or the means by which the antagonist commits his crimes)
3. Backstory or the origins and motivations of the villainy.
This week, I want to step away from the villainy and take a look at heroic characters. I intend to cover creating heroic characters at a later date, but right now I intend to simply discuss heroic characters, heroic acts, and, specifically, heroic sacrifices.
Let's start out by defining Heroes. What is a Hero? At its core, a Hero is an archetype that pervades the collective conscience of the masses. Most people know what a Hero is. They've grown up hearing tales about King Arthur or Hercules. A Hero is both a Jungian Archetype and a Literary One; heroes are everywhere. There are many kinds of heroes, but to be clear, nearly any Hero can be defined as, according to Dictionary.com, "a man of distinguished courage or ability".
Please note that I did not quote the rest of the definition. A Hero can be a Hero even if they are not admired for their prowess or fortitude. This is important, because not every Hero need be famous. Some may feel they are better off working under the radar.
So we've established that a Hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability. That is not all that a Hero is, though. Many villains are courageous. And many villains are capable of great feats. What sets a Hero apart from the rest is both their courage, their abilities, and the fact their actions benefit others in a positive way. Heroes are the defenders. They protect the weak, and they protect the innocent. Some Heroes only protect certain groups, whereas others will act to protect any in need of their protection.
When a Hero is protecting someone, it need not be from bodily harm, either. One Hero may be protecting the world at large if he stops some horrible demonic force from breaking out of the underworld, whereas another Hero could be defending a schoolroom full of children by working to ensure that their teacher can actually teach (though many would argue that might make for a bland story). The Hero protects a group of people from either a danger which they perceive (though this could lead to a Fallen Hero, if they are blind to the truth) or, unknowingly, a danger which they are not full aware of (often in the case of a reluctant hero).
So now that the requirements to be a Hero have been established (Courage, Prowess, and Protecting Others), what exactly constitutes a heroic act? To avoid getting wordy with this, I'll simply provide some well known examples of heroes and what they do:
-Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings is a hero for leading an army into battle against Mordor, protecting the people of Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
-Superman, the comic book character, who defends the world from a variety of villains.
-Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, who battles the evil Imperial Army in order to liberate the galaxy.
-Mario, who saves Princess Peach from Bowser repeatedly.
-Wulfgar from the Legends of Drizzt series who battles a large variety of evil in order to protect his homeland, his love, and his friends.
Those five examples should more than illustrate heroic acts: Saving people, preventing people from causing harm to others, and protecting those who can not protect themselves.
That's all well and good, but Heroic actions have to have meaning. In some cases, this can be shown solely when the Hero is thanked, or when they know the feeling of a job well done. But in many cases, that simply isn't enough. Heroism without sacrifice simply is not very heroic, from a reader's standpoint and, in some cases (such as my own), from a roleplayer's standpoint. This is not to say there should be a shades of gray around every turn (if that were the case, the Hero could cease to be heroic very quickly), or that the Hero should lose something every time they try to do good (though, in some cases, this may fit a theme. I'll deal with that later), but that from time to time, doing the most good has its price. Bittersweet victory tastes the best, after all.
So what kind of sacrifices can be made? Wulfgar, listed above, is (SPOILER) outright killed trying to protect his fiance (END SPOILER), but in many cases that is a bit too bitter, with not enough sweet. Luke Skywalker, on the other hand (no pun intended), loses an appendage while attempting to stop Darth Vader. While in Star Wars he does not succeed in defeating Darth Vader in that particular battle, that is still a very good example of a noble sacrifice. Body parts tend to be precious to their owners, after all. In the end, after the rebellion has won, Luke has lost a hand, and some good friends and mentors (Yoda, Obi-wan-kenobi), but he has saved the world from a terrible darkness, learned a lot about himself, found his long-lost sister, and made new valuable friends along the way. Such an ending has the right amount of bitter, with the right amount of sweet. The readers/viewers in both cases are usually torn (assuming they were rooting for the Hero), they are saddened by the Hero's loss, but they are also happy that the Hero won in the end.
In short, victory without sacrifice is nearly meaningless.
What does this mean to a writer, gamemaster, or person in charge of running a roleplay? Victory should not come easily. Make the Heroes, even if they are not truly heroes (Some people may be looking out only for themselves) work for it. The Knight could easily chase down the caravan before it escapes with slaves from a recently raided village, but he'll need to leave behind his prized armor because otherwise his horse will not be fast enough. The gunslinger can easily hunt down his bounty now, but some of his ranch's cattle may get away, he could starve this winter. The Police Officer could save a child's life, but to do so he'll need to make a deal with the devil (literally, or figuratively).
In all those cases, the Heroes must make a choice between a heroic action and a selfish one. Such situations should not take place too often, but when they do they can lead to amazing character development. The guilt of not saving the slaves could stay with the Knight forever, driving him to do more good than ever before. Or perhaps the loss of his prized armor is a small price to pay to see people go free; the Knight loses a family heirloom, but gains so much more (in an immaterial sense, usually) in return.
Such decisions are difficult to make, but in the end, they're nearly always worth putting into a campaign/chronicle/etc. Because it is only by making the sacrifice, in those situations, that a character is truly a Hero.
So that basically concludes my thoughts on Heroism and Sacrifice (that being that you can't really have one without the other and that they're amazing plot devices). Next week, I intend to both discuss creating Heroic characters (and thus discussing what drives people to be heroes) and also discuss making use of Heroic Sacrifice in games without being a jerk to your players. I then intend to step away from the alignment spectrum for a bit, and discuss other aspects of roleplaying.
Anyways! Tell me your thoughts, ideas, and feelings about this. Let me know whether you agree or disagree, or if there's anything discussed in this article that you want me to elaborate on (that I haven't already said I intend to talk about some time in the future, of course). Let me know what you think about Heroic Characters, Heroic Sacrifice, or anything else in the comments section below.
1. Concept or a basic premise and theme
2. Modus Operandi or the means by which the antagonist commits his crimes)
3. Backstory or the origins and motivations of the villainy.
This week, I want to step away from the villainy and take a look at heroic characters. I intend to cover creating heroic characters at a later date, but right now I intend to simply discuss heroic characters, heroic acts, and, specifically, heroic sacrifices.
Let's start out by defining Heroes. What is a Hero? At its core, a Hero is an archetype that pervades the collective conscience of the masses. Most people know what a Hero is. They've grown up hearing tales about King Arthur or Hercules. A Hero is both a Jungian Archetype and a Literary One; heroes are everywhere. There are many kinds of heroes, but to be clear, nearly any Hero can be defined as, according to Dictionary.com, "a man of distinguished courage or ability".
Please note that I did not quote the rest of the definition. A Hero can be a Hero even if they are not admired for their prowess or fortitude. This is important, because not every Hero need be famous. Some may feel they are better off working under the radar.
So we've established that a Hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability. That is not all that a Hero is, though. Many villains are courageous. And many villains are capable of great feats. What sets a Hero apart from the rest is both their courage, their abilities, and the fact their actions benefit others in a positive way. Heroes are the defenders. They protect the weak, and they protect the innocent. Some Heroes only protect certain groups, whereas others will act to protect any in need of their protection.
When a Hero is protecting someone, it need not be from bodily harm, either. One Hero may be protecting the world at large if he stops some horrible demonic force from breaking out of the underworld, whereas another Hero could be defending a schoolroom full of children by working to ensure that their teacher can actually teach (though many would argue that might make for a bland story). The Hero protects a group of people from either a danger which they perceive (though this could lead to a Fallen Hero, if they are blind to the truth) or, unknowingly, a danger which they are not full aware of (often in the case of a reluctant hero).
So now that the requirements to be a Hero have been established (Courage, Prowess, and Protecting Others), what exactly constitutes a heroic act? To avoid getting wordy with this, I'll simply provide some well known examples of heroes and what they do:
-Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings is a hero for leading an army into battle against Mordor, protecting the people of Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
-Superman, the comic book character, who defends the world from a variety of villains.
-Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, who battles the evil Imperial Army in order to liberate the galaxy.
-Mario, who saves Princess Peach from Bowser repeatedly.
-Wulfgar from the Legends of Drizzt series who battles a large variety of evil in order to protect his homeland, his love, and his friends.
Those five examples should more than illustrate heroic acts: Saving people, preventing people from causing harm to others, and protecting those who can not protect themselves.
That's all well and good, but Heroic actions have to have meaning. In some cases, this can be shown solely when the Hero is thanked, or when they know the feeling of a job well done. But in many cases, that simply isn't enough. Heroism without sacrifice simply is not very heroic, from a reader's standpoint and, in some cases (such as my own), from a roleplayer's standpoint. This is not to say there should be a shades of gray around every turn (if that were the case, the Hero could cease to be heroic very quickly), or that the Hero should lose something every time they try to do good (though, in some cases, this may fit a theme. I'll deal with that later), but that from time to time, doing the most good has its price. Bittersweet victory tastes the best, after all.
So what kind of sacrifices can be made? Wulfgar, listed above, is (SPOILER) outright killed trying to protect his fiance (END SPOILER), but in many cases that is a bit too bitter, with not enough sweet. Luke Skywalker, on the other hand (no pun intended), loses an appendage while attempting to stop Darth Vader. While in Star Wars he does not succeed in defeating Darth Vader in that particular battle, that is still a very good example of a noble sacrifice. Body parts tend to be precious to their owners, after all. In the end, after the rebellion has won, Luke has lost a hand, and some good friends and mentors (Yoda, Obi-wan-kenobi), but he has saved the world from a terrible darkness, learned a lot about himself, found his long-lost sister, and made new valuable friends along the way. Such an ending has the right amount of bitter, with the right amount of sweet. The readers/viewers in both cases are usually torn (assuming they were rooting for the Hero), they are saddened by the Hero's loss, but they are also happy that the Hero won in the end.
In short, victory without sacrifice is nearly meaningless.
What does this mean to a writer, gamemaster, or person in charge of running a roleplay? Victory should not come easily. Make the Heroes, even if they are not truly heroes (Some people may be looking out only for themselves) work for it. The Knight could easily chase down the caravan before it escapes with slaves from a recently raided village, but he'll need to leave behind his prized armor because otherwise his horse will not be fast enough. The gunslinger can easily hunt down his bounty now, but some of his ranch's cattle may get away, he could starve this winter. The Police Officer could save a child's life, but to do so he'll need to make a deal with the devil (literally, or figuratively).
In all those cases, the Heroes must make a choice between a heroic action and a selfish one. Such situations should not take place too often, but when they do they can lead to amazing character development. The guilt of not saving the slaves could stay with the Knight forever, driving him to do more good than ever before. Or perhaps the loss of his prized armor is a small price to pay to see people go free; the Knight loses a family heirloom, but gains so much more (in an immaterial sense, usually) in return.
Such decisions are difficult to make, but in the end, they're nearly always worth putting into a campaign/chronicle/etc. Because it is only by making the sacrifice, in those situations, that a character is truly a Hero.
So that basically concludes my thoughts on Heroism and Sacrifice (that being that you can't really have one without the other and that they're amazing plot devices). Next week, I intend to both discuss creating Heroic characters (and thus discussing what drives people to be heroes) and also discuss making use of Heroic Sacrifice in games without being a jerk to your players. I then intend to step away from the alignment spectrum for a bit, and discuss other aspects of roleplaying.
Anyways! Tell me your thoughts, ideas, and feelings about this. Let me know whether you agree or disagree, or if there's anything discussed in this article that you want me to elaborate on (that I haven't already said I intend to talk about some time in the future, of course). Let me know what you think about Heroic Characters, Heroic Sacrifice, or anything else in the comments section below.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Creating a Monster
Hey again, folks. Last week I experimented with Cracked.com's format, and made a list with reasons that people don't enjoy playing characters who aren't-so-nice (By all accounts, I should stay away from that format). This week, I'll return to the "block of text" format found in my first post, but the theme of the article will remain the same: Evil characters, villains, etc.
In this article, I'm going to create an antagonist for a New World of Darkness game (Particularly a Hunter/Mortal game). Where last week's article on villainy dealt more with forum based RP, this week's will deal with tabletop RPGs. Traditionally, evil characters are normally run by the Game Master/Dungeon Master/Story Teller of the group, and so this article will be geared towards such a role, but a player who wishes to play an evil character in any setting, tabletop RPG or otherwise, should find some useful advice here assuming I'm as good at explaining things as I think I might be. Finally, while I will not be specifically providing information on the creation of a villain mechanically (that is, in the manner of numbers and statistics and whatnot) I will give some basic guidelines to create the character, that way he can be ported over to any other system with some minor tweaks. So, without further ado...
In this article, I'm going to create an antagonist for a New World of Darkness game (Particularly a Hunter/Mortal game). Where last week's article on villainy dealt more with forum based RP, this week's will deal with tabletop RPGs. Traditionally, evil characters are normally run by the Game Master/Dungeon Master/Story Teller of the group, and so this article will be geared towards such a role, but a player who wishes to play an evil character in any setting, tabletop RPG or otherwise, should find some useful advice here assuming I'm as good at explaining things as I think I might be. Finally, while I will not be specifically providing information on the creation of a villain mechanically (that is, in the manner of numbers and statistics and whatnot) I will give some basic guidelines to create the character, that way he can be ported over to any other system with some minor tweaks. So, without further ado...
As I've already stated, I will be making this antagonist with a game of New World of Darkness in mind. As nWoD has multiple game lines/types to choose from when making a character, I think I will choose one of my favourites, Changeling: The Lost as it fits the concept I have in mind almost perfectly.
A key part in character creation in the World of Darkness is concept, this should also be the first step in creating a villain. This, basically, effects nothing mechanically except for any stat-placement required to adhere to the backstory that comes along with said concept. It is entirely based on roleplay. Some concepts I have seen in the past range from "The Ex-Marine Demolitionist" to "Disillusioned Stock Broker" to "Former USMC Fire Team Leader Turned Homeless Conspiracy Theorist". A concept is useful not only for creating player characters, but also important NPCs. In fact, it is also quite useful when making characters for any sort of writing exercise. A good concept, even if it is a vague one, provides a baseline when making the character. It tells you about the person at a glance.
The concept I have chosen for this character is "Insane Cannibalistic Kidnapper". This gives me a lot of information off of the bat: I know that the character is mentally damaged in some way, he's both insane and a cannibal (both do not necessarily go hand in hand), and that he happens to abduct children. How he is insane, why he abducts children, and why he is cannibalistic is left up to me to decide with the backstory, but at least I have those three baseline traits to work towards. Since the character is being made with nWoD's Changeling: The Lost, I can also posit that he has been driven insane by his durance (his time spent in the captivity of a fae), that his cannibalism likely comes from having been the slave of an Ogre or Troll (or some other fairy creature known for devouring people), and that he kidnaps children because of something related to the fae. This presents a running theme, which is quite common in Changeling where those of the Ogre Kith are concerned, "The Abused Become the Abuser".
Before I go any further, I think I should talk a little about Changeling: The Lost. Like most World of Darkness games, Changeling is highly psychological. It deals with people who have somehow escaped emprisonment, slavery, and abuse to find themselves in a world where they no longer belong. These Changelings, not quite fae and not quite human, as their time in Arcadia has changed them into something else, now must survive on the fringe of existence, belonging in neither the world of the Fae (and hoping to never be returned to such a place) or the world of Mortals. Because of their attunement to the chaos world of the fae, they risk going insane themselves as they lose clarity, which is essentially sanity. In many cases, a changeling takes on the traits of their abusers, further strengthening the above theme of perpetuating abuse. With that said, let's continue.
Terms which I will use here that someone unfamiliar with the game may not understand are mask, mein, pact, and keeper.
The mask is a magical illusion that prevents mortals (and some other creatures) from seeing the true nature of all things Fae. A mein is said true nature. A pact is a magical and binding agreement, allowing several different magical affects. Finally, a Keeper is a Fae who has captured a mortal and keeps them as a slave/pet/etc.
The mask is a magical illusion that prevents mortals (and some other creatures) from seeing the true nature of all things Fae. A mein is said true nature. A pact is a magical and binding agreement, allowing several different magical affects. Finally, a Keeper is a Fae who has captured a mortal and keeps them as a slave/pet/etc.
So we know that our antagonist's past is tragic. He was kidnapped by otherworldly beings as a child, horribly abused till he was driven insane, and eventually escaped to a world that went on just fine without him. We'll deal with his past later; The second step to creating a villain is deciding what he's doing that is so horribly villainous. We already know he kidnaps children, and we also already know he is a cannibal, but let's elaborate, give him a modus operandi if you will.
First off: He does not have much finesse, since he's taken after his Ogre captor. To that end, when he kidnaps children he tends to break windows or basically storm into the house. He is at least intelligent enough to do this while the parents are away, or at least under the cover of night, so as to not leave too much of a trail.
Secondly: He leaves a calling card. When the Fae steal children, they leave behind a fetch. To someone who can see past the 'mask', this fetch appears to be a doll or an effigy made of corn husks and whatnot. When a fetch is killed, that is what it reverts to. Whenever our Ogre friend kidnaps a child, he leaves a doll in the child's bed (or wherever he took the child from). This doll is always made using strange materials: Corn-on-the-cob arms and legs, spool of yarn for the head, etc.
Thirdly: The kidnapped children are often found dead, usually deep in various forests. They have usually been eaten and flayed, and forensics may show that they were alive as he did this to them. But not every child has been found yet, and they may still be alive. In fact, one of the first children to go missing has yet to be found.
The modus operandi outlined above should do two things: provide some flavour to the villain (he isn't your typical psychotic child-eater, now is he?) and make him despicable enough for the players to want to stop him. Even the most hard-hearted antihero is going to want to go after this bastard and, while the police don't have many leads, the lack of finesse and the calling cards will certainly give the Players some important clues.
Now let's elaborate a little further.
Gordon, we'll call him, is not actually all that bright. But he is strong, and he is cunning. Gordon's base of operations is an old abandoned factory in the middle of a large city. He kidnaps children from all over, but never from his city in general or anywhere within a twelve hour drive. When he wants to kidnap someone, he goes a long way out to do so. The 'fetches' he leaves behind are made from things found in the factory: Rubble, metalworking instruments, scraps of metal, etc.
Gordon also kidnaps under the cover of night, normally kidnapping children around the age of two to four years, and normally in poorer neighbourhoods where his battered pickup truck and angry demeanour won't be too noticeable. He waits till he is sure the parents, or babysitter, is asleep and then breaks the window to the child's room as quietly as possible (which is not very quiet). He then utilizes chloroform (or some other similar chemical) found in his warehouse home to knock his victim unconscious before absconding quickly into the night, leaving an effigy in his wake. If a parent or anyone else is somehow able to get in his way, he will literally maul and bite them, but will not stick around long enough for help to arrive. Being obscenely strong due to his inhuman nature, he is also likely to just toss them aside. Nobody has been able to confront him in such a fashion as of yet, though. His truck is usually parked on a nearby side-street, usually in a near-empty parking lot if possible.
After capturing the child, he takes it back to his lair, of course. Very few children survive the tortures then inflicted on them, but the two who have have begun to take after him in more than a few unsettling ways. He has two prodigies, one now six years of age and another four. Both are terribly scarred, as he has used them for food in the past and has flayed them frequently (though he only inflicts either punishments when they anger him, now-a-days), and both take delight in cannibalizing any victims he brings back. Soon, Gordon may allow the eldest of the two to go out and 'play' with the neighbourhood children: he can not be the only one bringing home food.
Additionally, the street the warehouse is located on is the turf of a local gang. A few members of that local gang know that Gordon can be of occasional assistance dealing with any transgressions on gang-turf, usually for the price of their continued silence (as to his whereabouts), a few trinkets and other baubles, and some groceries (usually uncooked meat, it does not even need to be fresh). They do not know of his depravities, though.
For those who plan to use this character in a Changeling: The Lost game, Gordon is not aligned with any court, and, for whatever reason, kidnapping children and eating them/flaying them provides him with quite a lot of glamour.
The above description of Gordon's style of crime provides many clues that will assist the PCs in hunting down Gordon: the two living children, the battered pickup truck, the fact that only the area around his city is currently being hunted, and several other things. Next, we need a backstory to explain why he does what he does.
The three integral things that need to be addressed in any villain's backstory are: Origin, Drive/Motivation, and Means. The means has been dealt with above. All else is basically secondary to these three things; your players won't be delving to deeply into what college the antagonist went too, for example.
Gordon's origin can be summed up by describing his durance, and his escape. His Drive and Motivation will likely center around his insanity, brought about by his durance. In almost all cases, Drive should be caused by the Origin. The Means should stem from the Drive, as they are a way to accomplish the Drive's goal(s).
Gordon's origin can be summed up by describing his durance, and his escape. His Drive and Motivation will likely center around his insanity, brought about by his durance. In almost all cases, Drive should be caused by the Origin. The Means should stem from the Drive, as they are a way to accomplish the Drive's goal(s).
Gordon's drive is, no doubt, to kidnap children and eat them. Possibly to make others like him. Essentially, he thinks that he is a fae (hence the leaving of dolls, as fetches are made in much the same way). To that end, his Origin/Durance will leave him with that drive and the belief that he is a fae. Therefore, Gordon's durance will involve being captured at a young age (two to three years of age) by a cannabalistic and abusive fae. This fae flayed him repeatedly, and tended to eat the skin and meat that had been torn away. He was not the only victim, though, and as time went on he was taught to flay and consume his Keeper's other charges. In time, he became much like his Keeper, but a glimmer of humanity remained. It was through this that he eventually escaped, but upon returning to the real world, his lack of humanity pushed him over the edge. Having run into some sort of problem reintigrating into human society, he became convinced that he had become a fae. The warehouse has become his own little "Arcadia" (the top floor may even be a hollow, a secret area in the Hedge that only he and those he wishes to do so or those with the means of accessing the Hedge can enter), where he takes his victims, becoming their Keeper. So, let's put this all into a nice little narrative format:
Gordon was born to a lower middle class family in CITYNAME. At the age of four, he was abducted from his bed by a group of Hobgoblins. As he was taken at such a young age, Gordon had very little memory of the mortal world, save for the loving memory of his mother. This alone, though, allowed him to maintain some measure of sanity through the twenty years of hell he was submitted to after being sold at a Goblin Market to a terrible Ogre known as Grom the Flayer.
Gordon was born to a lower middle class family in CITYNAME. At the age of four, he was abducted from his bed by a group of Hobgoblins. As he was taken at such a young age, Gordon had very little memory of the mortal world, save for the loving memory of his mother. This alone, though, allowed him to maintain some measure of sanity through the twenty years of hell he was submitted to after being sold at a Goblin Market to a terrible Ogre known as Grom the Flayer.
Likely many changelings, his durance was little more than jumbled memories upon escaping, but he remembers this: Intense pain, crude stones being used as surgical instruments, and incredible hunger that was only sated by raw flesh, and then rarely. For days after his escape, his sleep was tormented by memories of others being stripped of flesh by his own hands, the vivid colour of blood, and the sweet taste of another's pain. After a week, these nightmares came to an abrupt end, coinciding with his approaching his mother, in an attempt to reenter the mortal world of which he no longer played a part.
His fetch had died several years prior in a car accident (chalk it up to a drunk driver at two in the morning) and his mother vehemently denied that he, the real Gordon, was her son. This was the final straw for Gordon's already taxed sanity, for the horrors he had faced in his durance and the week-long lack of sleep had forced him to develop a derangement similar to "Paranoid Schizophrenia".
Upon being convinced that he was not Gordon, at least not the Gordon he thought he was, he came to believe that he was actually Gordon the Flayer, successor to Grom the Flayer. Despite this, Gordon still keeps a close eye on his mother, and she may be the only person in the world he ever has cared for (save for the psuedo-caring he feels for his two living captives). Within another week he had found his factory, and with another week he had taken his first victim. A month later, three more children were missing and the first child's corpse had turned up in a forest close to the third victim's hometown. His third victim is his eldest living captive, and though he has not taken any pains to ensure the child's safety, he calls the boy "son" and the child, having developed Stockholm Syndrome, calls him "father". The younger boy was kidnapped about five months after the eldest, and only rarely calls Gordon "father", though he is slowly being indoctrinated into the ways of his abducter.
Both boys wear ratty clothes, and are very unkempt. The thick layer of dirt they wear covers their scars, to some extent, but they are still very visible. Both have filed their teeth, and both, through a pact with Gordon, are able to see past the mask. To those who can not see past the mask, Gordon appears as a tall and incredibly strong man, with oddly coloured skin (the hue seems to randomly vary). His eyes are dark and predatory, and his hair is lanky and greasy. His teeth appear to be sharper than they should be. To those who can see past the mask, his mein is that of a massive ogre, covered in scars and discoloured skin. His teeth are all very jagged and pointed, and his eyes glow a malicious dark red. He often wears ratty, torn and stained clothing, likely scrounged out of the trash.
The above is brief, and to the point. It could use more information, it could likely be more flowery, more deep, etc. But it has the basic requirements of a villain's backstory. As a bonus, if anyone wants to use said character in their own game, there is room for changes so that the character will easily fit. If I were to stat said character out, he would be of the Ogre Seeming, with stats that allow him to hit hard, take a lot of hits, and escape quickly. He would not be intelligent, but he would likely be cunning (Low Int. High Wisdom, for example), and very capable of intimidating others.
By looking into the character's past somehow, players will find a potential weakness in his mother. They can find out who the character is directly through careful detective work, and they can find some small amount of information in the local gang. They may even be able to find allies in the form of a rival gang who Gordon has been asked to deal with in the past. Finally, his two living victims present a lasting problem: How will the players deal with Gordon's "sons"? While not an incredibly deep character, Gordon is certainly a complete one, ready for use in a game.
And so that is how I would go about creating an antagonist. Start with a concept, work over to the means (and thus the ways that the players would find about the character), and then develop the backstory and reasoning. One can start with a backstory and reasoning, certainly, and one can even skip the concept. But this is the easiest way, I've found, to create an antagonist (not counting my method of randomly coming up with stuff as I go, if I haven't planned ahead of time). Later, perhaps, I'll use Gordon in a game (a one-shot, maybe, or perhaps a full chronicle) and provide an example of the character in Actual Play. Later, I may also do a segment on running a story/adventure with this character.
Anyways, tell me what you thought of this article in the comments below. Let me know about other antagonists you've seen, interesting villains you've run in a game, played as, or played against. I don't think this character would be very good for a forum roleplay, but with some careful tweaks it could be possible, let me know if you feel the same way.
By looking into the character's past somehow, players will find a potential weakness in his mother. They can find out who the character is directly through careful detective work, and they can find some small amount of information in the local gang. They may even be able to find allies in the form of a rival gang who Gordon has been asked to deal with in the past. Finally, his two living victims present a lasting problem: How will the players deal with Gordon's "sons"? While not an incredibly deep character, Gordon is certainly a complete one, ready for use in a game.
And so that is how I would go about creating an antagonist. Start with a concept, work over to the means (and thus the ways that the players would find about the character), and then develop the backstory and reasoning. One can start with a backstory and reasoning, certainly, and one can even skip the concept. But this is the easiest way, I've found, to create an antagonist (not counting my method of randomly coming up with stuff as I go, if I haven't planned ahead of time). Later, perhaps, I'll use Gordon in a game (a one-shot, maybe, or perhaps a full chronicle) and provide an example of the character in Actual Play. Later, I may also do a segment on running a story/adventure with this character.
Anyways, tell me what you thought of this article in the comments below. Let me know about other antagonists you've seen, interesting villains you've run in a game, played as, or played against. I don't think this character would be very good for a forum roleplay, but with some careful tweaks it could be possible, let me know if you feel the same way.
Basically, let me know what you think and, also, let me know if there are any particular articles you'd like to see me write.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
5 Reasons People Are Reluctant to RP Evil Characters
In all my years of roleplaying (and I have been doing so since I was about ten, though at the time perhaps it was not as serious or ‘deep’), I have noticed that people do not often play evil or morally gray characters. Such characters, whether they are psychotic murderers or manipulative and corrupt public officials, are exceedingly rare.
Nobody wants to play John the Master of Endless Forms
Nobody wants to play John the Master of Endless FormsThat being said, not many people realize why people don't enjoy playing such characters. Some even go so far as to being the cause. That end, I've compiled this short list...
5. People Want to Be Heroes
This first reason is perhaps the simplest. People roleplay because they want to pretend to be something that they can not otherwise be in real life. Roleplaying is, after all, as much playing pretend as it is collaborative story telling. If someone is going to be, effectively, pretending to be someone else, they're going to have much more fun pretending to be whatever it is they've always wanted to be. Not many people's secret fantasies involve taking the role of maniacal villains. In fact, most people prefer to be knights in shining armor, or even heroes like Superman or Power Girl.
They can never be too big, Power Girl.
5. People Want to Be Heroes
This first reason is perhaps the simplest. People roleplay because they want to pretend to be something that they can not otherwise be in real life. Roleplaying is, after all, as much playing pretend as it is collaborative story telling. If someone is going to be, effectively, pretending to be someone else, they're going to have much more fun pretending to be whatever it is they've always wanted to be. Not many people's secret fantasies involve taking the role of maniacal villains. In fact, most people prefer to be knights in shining armor, or even heroes like Superman or Power Girl.
They can never be too big, Power Girl.So, basically, the reason that so few people roleplay villains is because so few people actually want to be villains. Weird, huh? It just isn't within most people to want to be evil, and so many don't know how. Meaning...
4. Being Evil is Hard
4. Being Evil is Hard
That's right. A lot of people don't play evil characters because being evil takes more effort than playing a good guy. Coming up with a nefarious scheme takes a hell of a lot more effort than it does to foil a nefarious scheme, and even if you are able to come up with a scheme that is almost unstoppable (likely one that adheres to this list) you may not have the resources to put it into action. And if you do have the resources, perhaps you need to spend so much time maintaining them that you can not realistically enact your scheme. Simply put, it's easier to play a good guy because heroes tend to be good at working alone with few resources, or in groups while funded by a secret government agency (or, y'know, some other manner of being funded). Even then, heroes don't exactly need to plan ahead, for the most part being good is reactive: Problem starts, stop problem. But the bad guys have got to be proactive: Start problem, find way to prevent problem from stopping, watch hero stop problem.
On top of this, many players don't want to find a reason for their villain to be villainous. It's far easier to make a sociopathic murderer than it is to make an evil mastermind with a full set of ideas, despite how rare sociopaths actually are (about 4% of the population). And if you're going to go through the trouble of giving someone a life that is so difficult that they need to become antisocial and evil, why not just make an antihero?
Seriously. Antiheroes are awesome.
On top of this, many players don't want to find a reason for their villain to be villainous. It's far easier to make a sociopathic murderer than it is to make an evil mastermind with a full set of ideas, despite how rare sociopaths actually are (about 4% of the population). And if you're going to go through the trouble of giving someone a life that is so difficult that they need to become antisocial and evil, why not just make an antihero?
Seriously. Antiheroes are awesome.Because, after all, antiheroes are far more bad ass. They've got all the moral ambiguity of a well made villain, they happen to be good guys, and they're just as likely to not have any friends.
3. Jerks Have No Friends
This one is actually pretty simple. Jerks, whether antiheroes or straight up villains, generally don't have many friends. It may come as a shock, but generally people just do not want to hang out with the emotionless dude that enjoys disemboweling puppies and devouring babies. There are instances when the jerk may have friends, such as a well-played manipulative character. But for the most part, these guys are alone. And, no, henchmen do not count as friends. Going back to numero cinco, most people want to play something that they will enjoy. Even if you have lots of friends in real life, you likely do not want to play a friendless freak when you roleplay. A lack of friends means a lack of fun, non-depressing scenes in roleplay (and, let's face it, sometimes you don't want to roleplay an insanely depressing scene every single time. Sometimes, that gets old).
Of course, sometimes a lack of friends is a good thing. It certainly works for White Wolf's Promethean Gameline. But even in Promethean, those inhuman monsters have a branded throng of other freaks to back them up. (Unless it's a solo game, of course, then they're screwed). Simply put, when you have no friends, you have nobody to help you when shit hits the fan.
2. Legions of Good
On the other hand, the good guys (and the neutralish sometimes-we're-good-but-we-definitely-are-not-evil guys) are very capable when it comes to rubbing shoulders and making friends. Even the antiheroes, in many cases. Most good guys are also pretty trigger happy, people love to roleplay fight scenes. This means that when your serial killer character is finally tracked down, or your manipulative chameleon-type is finally found out shit is going to get real. And it is going to get real very fast. And what might start as an evenly matched one on one fight will quickly become One Man Against an Army. And guess who that one man is? Not the good guy.
Most Roleplays do not have this.
3. Jerks Have No Friends
This one is actually pretty simple. Jerks, whether antiheroes or straight up villains, generally don't have many friends. It may come as a shock, but generally people just do not want to hang out with the emotionless dude that enjoys disemboweling puppies and devouring babies. There are instances when the jerk may have friends, such as a well-played manipulative character. But for the most part, these guys are alone. And, no, henchmen do not count as friends. Going back to numero cinco, most people want to play something that they will enjoy. Even if you have lots of friends in real life, you likely do not want to play a friendless freak when you roleplay. A lack of friends means a lack of fun, non-depressing scenes in roleplay (and, let's face it, sometimes you don't want to roleplay an insanely depressing scene every single time. Sometimes, that gets old).
Of course, sometimes a lack of friends is a good thing. It certainly works for White Wolf's Promethean Gameline. But even in Promethean, those inhuman monsters have a branded throng of other freaks to back them up. (Unless it's a solo game, of course, then they're screwed). Simply put, when you have no friends, you have nobody to help you when shit hits the fan.
2. Legions of Good
On the other hand, the good guys (and the neutralish sometimes-we're-good-but-we-definitely-are-not-evil guys) are very capable when it comes to rubbing shoulders and making friends. Even the antiheroes, in many cases. Most good guys are also pretty trigger happy, people love to roleplay fight scenes. This means that when your serial killer character is finally tracked down, or your manipulative chameleon-type is finally found out shit is going to get real. And it is going to get real very fast. And what might start as an evenly matched one on one fight will quickly become One Man Against an Army. And guess who that one man is? Not the good guy.
Most Roleplays do not have this.
Frankly, the Dark Knight could be a very powerful dude. But when heroes are literally coming out of the wood work as fast as someone can broadcast that their is a villain about (which is usually pretty damn fast), he isn't going to stand much of a chance for long. Especially since in most roleplayed fights, people can take a lot of hits before going down.
This guy isn't even started yet.
This guy isn't even started yet.
And even if you win, or avoid a fight altogether, there are still going to be quite a few issues, because...
1. Out of Character Whine-Bags
People are going to complain out of character. Quite honestly, this is unavoidable. Evil people do evil and malicious things, and this generally negatively effects other people. Generally. And, generally, the people being negatively effected are other player characters. People put a lot of effort into developing their characters, and because of that they really don't like it when something they can't control effects their characters.
For the most part, there is no way to deal with this. You could try warning them what your character is trying to do through an Out Of Character venue, but you never know whether someone will metagame (use out of character knowledge in-character), consciously or not. And metagame will ruin your experience as much as, or more-so, than your actions might ruin theirs. Even then, they may still complain about what goes down. And in most roleplaying societies, complaints tend to blacklist people, alienating said blacklisted people from the community as a whole. Frankly, people who whine incessantly (and there are quite a lot of them on the internet) ruin things for everyone, evil or not.
The fact that a person playing an evil character is likely to find themselves shunned is a big deterrent to playing evil characters, in and of itself. But the other reasons mentioned here are also major detriments as well. Conflict is necessary to a story, though, and so characters who are not necessary nice are, generally, also needed for a good story. So, next time you're about to go ballistic on someone who's playing a villain, take a moment to think things over. And, next time you're about to make a villainous character, please take a moment to make sure you'll do so properly, with motives in the like (I'll do an article about villainous motives some other time, for those who want to see my thoughts on that), and make sure you aren't simply doing it to grief your victims.
Have you played an evil character, seen an evil character played particularly well, disagree with me, want to complain about some sort of injustice, or otherwise have something to say? Tell me about it in the comment section below this post!
1. Out of Character Whine-Bags
People are going to complain out of character. Quite honestly, this is unavoidable. Evil people do evil and malicious things, and this generally negatively effects other people. Generally. And, generally, the people being negatively effected are other player characters. People put a lot of effort into developing their characters, and because of that they really don't like it when something they can't control effects their characters.
For the most part, there is no way to deal with this. You could try warning them what your character is trying to do through an Out Of Character venue, but you never know whether someone will metagame (use out of character knowledge in-character), consciously or not. And metagame will ruin your experience as much as, or more-so, than your actions might ruin theirs. Even then, they may still complain about what goes down. And in most roleplaying societies, complaints tend to blacklist people, alienating said blacklisted people from the community as a whole. Frankly, people who whine incessantly (and there are quite a lot of them on the internet) ruin things for everyone, evil or not.
The fact that a person playing an evil character is likely to find themselves shunned is a big deterrent to playing evil characters, in and of itself. But the other reasons mentioned here are also major detriments as well. Conflict is necessary to a story, though, and so characters who are not necessary nice are, generally, also needed for a good story. So, next time you're about to go ballistic on someone who's playing a villain, take a moment to think things over. And, next time you're about to make a villainous character, please take a moment to make sure you'll do so properly, with motives in the like (I'll do an article about villainous motives some other time, for those who want to see my thoughts on that), and make sure you aren't simply doing it to grief your victims.
Have you played an evil character, seen an evil character played particularly well, disagree with me, want to complain about some sort of injustice, or otherwise have something to say? Tell me about it in the comment section below this post!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)