Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Orion Polaris 01-19-05, 03:51 PM	Well, I'm just starting to play in an Eberron campaign and I picked up a character whose been frozen in time since before the Great War. How would you guys suggest me RP him at first? Thanks.
Sephyr 01-19-05, 04:08 PM	Bewilderment at first, but after accepting his fate, he would fall into a state of extreme loneliness, for everything he knows is long gone (unless he knew elves who lived back then, which he would try to seek out). Otherwise, as a very lonely guy, first thing on my mind would be companionship... ;)
Mirikon 01-19-05, 04:20 PM	Definately shock, bewilderment, and a bit of anger. Especially if it wasn't his choice to be frozen in time. Things to consider: What was his social status at the time? Does he have any descendants still living? Was he the only one stuck in time, or were there others, that he might want to try and find? And Sephyr is right. After the whole acceptance thing, a bit of companionship would go a long way.
Bard-of-all-trades 01-19-05, 04:25 PM	What type of character if it? You could go with the “tried and true” aspect like Captain America. I’d picture him a paladin or LG fighter who was frozen (literally) in time for 50 years. You could try and use old terminology or slang for different things. You might want to start using thee’s and thou’s when your character talks. You would definitely see things from a different perspective. Now I’ve never seen or read anything about Eberron, but if this Great War had definite reasons for being fought, your character might not really see either reason as acceptable/justifiable. Or your character might have completely different ideas all together as if he wasn’t really from that world at all. You might flip through “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” for ideas.
Orion Polaris 01-19-05, 04:36 PM	The character is a Half Elf Bard. Our DM did character generating differently because he wanted to get started right away. We had to choose what we'd want from a two sentence description. I thought this would be interesting. After the first session, I've found that it's harder to stay in character and I have to constantly ask myself 'Would this be a new experience for the character?' He gave us two sentences and a filled in character sheet and left us to fleshing out the characters history and personality. Right now he's trying to surround himself with some Pre-War common items and luxuries. He's made a bit of a name for himself by singing Pre-War sones at the local tavern. Other then that it was just a basic dungeon crawl...
Darklion 01-20-05, 08:35 PM	It sort of depends on your character. What sort of ties did he have to his old life? Did he have family, or was he a loner? Did he place a lot of emphasis on loyalty to his nation, family, or house, or was he more easy-going and selfish (not necessarily in a bad way; selfish in the sense that he was more looking out for himself than anybody else)? Was he sedentary, or was he an adventurer (an adventurer, someone who is used to being from home for long periods of time and who is open to new experiences, may adapt quicker than someone who is sedentary and not as used to change)? What was happening when the character was frozen? Was his nation on the winning or losing end of the Great War? Was the outlook bleak and pessimistic, or upbeat and positive? (If the outlook was bleak, the character may be glad he escaped the situation, especially if the current time period has his nation as making out better than expected. Conversely, if his nation is worse off than when he left, that may make it harder to adjust.) Was he being attacked or attacking when frozen, or was it a more passive, less antagonistic experience? Did he actively choose to be frozen in time, was it a malicious effect, or was it an accident or side-effect of another process? (Someone who chooses to be frozen may be more accepting of the time difference; someone accidentally frozen may be able to rationalize it better as a twist of fate than someone who was maliciously frozen in time.) What sort of environment or people did the character meet upon being "unfrozen"? Were his first few contacts and experiences in the present time pleasant or hostile? Was he immediately exposed to the differences between the two time periods, or was he gradually exposed to the differences? (A character who is slowly exposed to the differences may cope better than one who is exposed to many differences quickly, the latter more apt to overwhelm the psyche.) How long has it been since he was unfrozen? Immediately? A year? A few months? The longer a character has gone since being unfrozen, the more likely he is to be "up to speed" on the changes. A character immediately unfrozen will be confused and may be more panicky when confronted by obviously different things (the sighting of his first warforged, for example). Or he may be less panicky, if he rationalizes what he is seeing as impossible (or an illusion). A character who has been unfrozen for weeks or months may still not be comfortable around warforged, or still be a little wary of them, but would no longer be surprised by seeing one. Just some things to think about.
Nedlum 01-20-05, 10:38 PM	I'd ask this in the Eberron forum, personally. Some thoughts: As he missed the Last War, he may be more inclinded to support the people who consider none of the resulting nations legitamite. He might take very seriously the old Galifar codes of justice, . Another thought: Half-Elves live a while, but not forever. So while he may know some living souls, they would be few and far between, and signifigantly aged. If he has a daughter, she might be alive, but far older then him. Or she might have even died in battle long ago. Imagine everyone you know long dead. You are utterly alone. Of course, if he's in a Dragonmarked house, he has a foundation, but he'll have to relearn the ropes. Not much good knowing the names of the important people in your house when they're all long dead. Warforged? Air ships? What madness! And who gave those barbaric dwarves a nation? Just some thoughts.
TheMightyMcClaw 01-21-05, 09:35 PM	I like Nedlum's ideas. Certain demihumans he knew before may still be alive, but with another century under their belts. He could be looking for said people; since he's a bard, and assumably well-known in many social circles, they could range from innkeepers to outlaws to aristocrats. Perhaps if another PC is playing a demihuman, he could be a friend from before whatever froze him.
CJ1720 01-22-05, 02:28 AM	I don't know a lot about Ebberron, but I do know that the war was one of the most significant events in its history. Here's a link to a story about a diehard third generation Red Sox fans who was in a coma during their World Series wins. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/050120 It gives some insight into what you might feel like if you missed the most important event in your community. A lot of how this character will act will depend on why he was frozen. Then decide on how difficult it would be for him to update his thoughts and conceptions. He'd retain many of the old prejudices that might not fit the world anymore. You've got some good ideas to flesh your story out with. Good Luck
Dishliquid 01-22-05, 11:37 PM	This is great, because I too am playing a half-elf bard who has awoken from a thousand year sleep. When he was put to sleep, a magical plague was rampaging through in the pristine world "Didymus" was raised. When he awakens, civilization has fallen to is knees and chaos reigns. There are different ways I am role-playing his reaction. On the one hand he is horrified by what has happened to his world. But he does'nt have time to mourn for the country's loss, because he has fallen in with a group of adventurers who have the potential to rid the world of the plague. I am considering having him begin to lose his grip and begin taking out his rage and frustration on his enemies, which is translated in game as beginning to multiclass in barbarian. But I'm not sure how or if I'll do it