Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Moonchild 01-24-05, 03:26 PM	Any ideas?
Tibs 01-24-05, 05:11 PM	Well, I've always played scout/ranger types as somewhat aloof, acting on the assumption that spending such a large amout of their time in the wilderness, alone, has made him/her unable to relate to other people as well as other characters. I also play them as a bit fierce, without any real outward show of emotion-really, I keep a peregrine falcon (any animal, really, but I like to use the falcon) in mind...the theory being that they've become something of an animal themselves. Thus, when your scout goes ahead to...well, scout...it could be more a matter of being uncomfortable with the rest of his party, rather than for security purposes. Throw in a healthy dislike of cities, city life, and city people, and I think you'll be off to a good start. Just my :twocents:.
MetalGemini 01-25-05, 12:46 AM	Any ideas? You officially win the Most Vague Post of the Day award
Trydan 01-25-05, 03:24 AM	Well... as posts go, it was straight to the point. Better that than wasting bandwidth. Okay, so lets consider what a scout does: Go ahead, hopefully without attracting attention, and then return with news of what's up ahead. Thus, I would start by developing some key phrases - they could almost border on cant. If you make a successful spot check, don't say what you've seen, but rather mimic a bird-call. Develop a system. "twoo-twoo" like an owl for an easy fight. "*whistle*" to call in a charge. "*twitter*" like a sparrow to call a retreat. Instead of calling a halt, or asking everyone to make a listen check, simply raise your hand. After a while, if a busy, rowdy gaming table sees your hand go up, they will quieten down immediately. You may want to organise something with your DM to punish those who blunder on with their chit-chat and riot, but do make sure that you then make it clear to your fellow party members what your hand signal means, before you use it for the first time. Learn some jargon. To the question of what is up ahead, it is much better to say "Right, there is a synclinal basin, 2-foot cover, thirty-second silicate, gullied water 10 degrees.", and then, after the puzzled stares, you can then follow it up with "*sigh* ... for the average peasant, that means it goes down a bit, and there are some thigh-height bushes, sandy soil and a stream, that runs quite quickly owing to the slope". Note the equipment that is scout-specific. Then, whenever the group makes camp, announce that you are taking care of some of it. For example, when the group makes camp, say "Before I eat, I'll check to make sure that no water got into my spyglass case, and make a point of recoiling my ropes neatly" Don't drop your "scoutness" when you enter combat. Instead, give hints and tips to the others. For example: "Careful, Tornhelm, two goblins, left flank, closing!" Dramatise assessment of terrain. Instead of the DM describing everything, work out a system whereas the DM announces "Ahead is an impossible-to-climb cliff", while you get passed a note which reads "DC 10". Then you can counter it with "Impossible? No it's not! Look, can't you see that ledge, and there are three hand-holds there, there and there.. Right, that should get you started. Good luck with it.
Tzu-Theory 01-25-05, 06:02 AM	Simply asking how to roleplay your character shows you are more for the enjoyment of the game than the normal number crunching... Kudos (I hate that word). Trydan gave some excellent examples. Scouts are observers, they gather knowledge and facts and try to view the world around them from different points of view. They are always aware of their surrounding and question comprimising situations. They always look for a way out of danger and are reluctant to take their party or companions into situations they would not fare well in. Even asking your DM simple questions would go a long way to show the roleplaying of your character. DM: You notice tracks leading off to the Northwest no older than 3-days. Scout: What was the weather like for the past three days in this region from what I could gather? This shows you are investigating further than what is expected. You may impress you DM and the players around you will trust you value as a capable scout. Good luck to you.
Ashlan 01-29-05, 06:27 PM	Any ideas? Yes.
RadicalTaoist 01-30-05, 12:32 AM	Yes.:rofl::ayyyy!:
TheUnknownZombie 02-01-05, 03:51 PM	The Scout I'm currently playing thinks of himself as extremely professional. The minimum his Hide & Move Silently checks come out at as are 23, so he knows he's good at what he does, and his perception (Listen, Search & Spot) is almost as good. This means he gets overconfident and can get over his head quite easily. He's always pushing the boundries of what he's doing (he went to scout out the outside security of a kobold lair on his own, and ended up exploring it in the dead of night. He was caught by a patrol and was quite badly wounded before he got away.) He also gets extremely irritated by his teammates, who don't seem to understand what he's trying to do. He'll be scouting 50 ft ahead or so, sticking to the undergrowth, and the fullplate wearing paladin is jogging behind shouting questions about what's up ahead. This is partly why he tends to go off on his own in the dead of night. Remember that whilst a Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard, Paladin and the like tend to think what they do is a way of life, the Scout is doing a job.
Moonchild 02-18-05, 09:28 PM	Thanks alot guy I apriciate it! btw meanwhile I reached level 5 and my little scout is growing VERY overconfident himslef... hide +21 move silently +17 Don't get me wrong, I'm not going for numbers but i think that number shoud in a way dictate the manner of acting your character. (especialy int wis cha)
JohnSnow 02-22-05, 07:20 PM	Well, I've always played scout/ranger types as somewhat aloof, acting on the assumption that spending such a large amout of their time in the wilderness, alone, has made him/her unable to relate to other people as well as other characters. That reminds me of something... "You're laconic. Close-mouthed. You have a strong sense of humor, which shows through frequently. You're tough. Proud of your abilities. You take a perverse delight in tormenting 'greenies.' Never talked much. Never seen much reason to. Fact is, most of the time, you don't have anyone to talk to. You're out under the wide-open skies of virgin territory, pitting yourself against the wilderness. After you come the settlers, the merchants, the traders - civilization. But you're the one to open territories. You find out what the dangers are, and how to deal with them. You find out how to survive the strange weather, dangerous beasts, and rugged terrain of a whole new territory." Quoted, almost verbatim (adjusted for medieval flavor) from the Laconic Scout template in West End Games' old Star Wars: the Roleplaying Game. Use as you will...
Moonchild 02-27-05, 01:15 PM	Thanks alot guys, won't use all the ideas, but I sure have a guideline where to go to!