Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Talen Lee 03-31-05, 11:32 AM	First and foremost, the players in this little band. Rhandis Sha'darin, my character, an Elan Urban Ranger variant who lacks a divine spellcasting power (but in exchange, is expanding his psionic ability). Avael, my wife's character, an avariel elf born without wings, who has a huge inferiority complex. He's scrappy and cranky and tends to take things as personal slights. Desdemona, the potential problem. A woman played by a man, and a woman who has a tragic past (oh noes!). The only problem is, the practical upshot is that she acts like a barely socialised three-year-old with a mental deficiency. Will, an otherwise unnamed combative magician, who has a pet rat. Lintafea, an elf noted in Rhandis' notes as 'Prancibald'. A thief, by all accounts, and in Rhandis' paralance, a 'cat'. Alfonse Wallsworth, the scatty wizard and one of Rhandis' best friends. So, with this group firmly in mind, why do I post here? Some background, perhaps... Rhandis is an Elan, who, since there was no defined place for the Elan in the gameworld, simply woke up on a slab one day in a morgue (ala the Nameless One in Planescape Torment). He's spent the remaining twenty-nine years trying to find some link to what happened to him, and to explain the tattoos that lie dotted around his body. He has noticed that in twenty-nine years, he hasn't aged a day, and that he doesn't seem to need food or water if he doesn't want it. This has given him a very, very, easy-going Rhandis' personality is one of patience. He doesn't put himself forward, and when a point of decision arises, he will only suggest courses of action, and not actually act on them without other people's opinions. He's passive and reactive, and will do as he's asked - his animal companion is more proactive than he is. Herein lies a twofold problem. First, this means that when a task arises where he can excel (at level 4, he has something in the order of a +12 to Gather Information), he tends to not mention it (in our first session, we wanted information, so Des decided to go out and beat people up for information, despite her -1 to gather). This means that, unless people know his strengths - and only Alfonse has a chance to - we're going to have people pulling on areas of proactive skills, and struggling, when Rhandis could do better if they'd ask. This is, while interesting and fun to roleplay, is going to be an enormous pain if it proves a detriment to the continuation of the plot; I've too many times been gypped by a player who role-played someone else's character into a corner and didn't so much as help. So, here's the trick; I want to help the party, and bring my strengths forward. But I want to do so without being obnoxious, and preferably without talking to people about these things. Worse still, Rhandis is male. This means that Des is going to ignore everything he says. Since his field of expertise is combat - and she's better at it than he is, thanks to better rolls on hit dice and an equipment list that is 'weapon + armour + gloves of strength', - he's going to be overshadowed by her, and the thing is, she is an awful human being. She's rude and extremely negative to everyone, and a hypocrite of the highest order. Except, she's 'part of the party'. So, how can I possibly get along with this character, despite being largely, what she hates (Rhandis' current attempts at being helpful are seen as being superior; his failings are taken as being a pathetic male), and her being a person that Rhandis would distinctly dislike dealing with? Does anyone have any ideas?
Tweedledope 03-31-05, 01:12 PM	First and foremost, the players in this little band. Rhandis Sha'darin, my character, an Elan Urban Ranger variant who lacks a divine spellcasting power (but in exchange, is expanding his psionic ability). Avael, my wife's character, an avariel elf born without wings, who has a huge inferiority complex. He's scrappy and cranky and tends to take things as personal slights. Desdemona, the potential problem. A woman played by a man, and a woman who has a tragic past (oh noes!). The only problem is, the practical upshot is that she acts like a barely socialised three-year-old with a mental deficiency. Will, an otherwise unnamed combative magician, who has a pet rat. Lintafea, an elf noted in Rhandis' notes as 'Prancibald'. A thief, by all accounts, and in Rhandis' paralance, a 'cat'. Alfonse Wallsworth, the scatty wizard and one of Rhandis' best friends. So, with this group firmly in mind, why do I post here? Some background, perhaps... Rhandis is an Elan, who, since there was no defined place for the Elan in the gameworld, simply woke up on a slab one day in a morgue (ala the Nameless One in Planescape Torment). He's spent the remaining twenty-nine years trying to find some link to what happened to him, and to explain the tattoos that lie dotted around his body. He has noticed that in twenty-nine years, he hasn't aged a day, and that he doesn't seem to need food or water if he doesn't want it. This has given him a very, very, easy-going Rhandis' personality is one of patience. He doesn't put himself forward, and when a point of decision arises, he will only suggest courses of action, and not actually act on them without other people's opinions. He's passive and reactive, and will do as he's asked - his animal companion is more proactive than he is. Herein lies a twofold problem. First, this means that when a task arises where he can excel (at level 4, he has something in the order of a +12 to Gather Information), he tends to not mention it (in our first session, we wanted information, so Des decided to go out and beat people up for information, despite her -1 to gather). This means that, unless people know his strengths - and only Alfonse has a chance to - we're going to have people pulling on areas of proactive skills, and struggling, when Rhandis could do better if they'd ask. This is, while interesting and fun to roleplay, is going to be an enormous pain if it proves a detriment to the continuation of the plot; I've too many times been gypped by a player who role-played someone else's character into a corner and didn't so much as help. So, here's the trick; I want to help the party, and bring my strengths forward. But I want to do so without being obnoxious, and preferably without talking to people about these things. Worse still, Rhandis is male. This means that Des is going to ignore everything he says. Since his field of expertise is combat - and she's better at it than he is, thanks to better rolls on hit dice and an equipment list that is 'weapon + armour + gloves of strength', - he's going to be overshadowed by her, and the thing is, she is an awful human being. She's rude and extremely negative to everyone, and a hypocrite of the highest order. Except, she's 'part of the party'. So, how can I possibly get along with this character, despite being largely, what she hates (Rhandis' current attempts at being helpful are seen as being superior; his failings are taken as being a pathetic male), and her being a person that Rhandis would distinctly dislike dealing with? Does anyone have any ideas? When you get psychic abilities make her your Thrall. :D
Morka 03-31-05, 02:49 PM	Rhandis is an Elan, who, since there was no defined place for the Elan in the gameworld, simply woke up on a slab one day in a morgue (ala the Nameless One in Planescape Torment). He's spent the remaining twenty-nine years trying to find some link to what happened to him, and to explain the tattoos that lie dotted around his body. He has noticed that in twenty-nine years, he hasn't aged a day, and that he doesn't seem to need food or water if he doesn't want it. This has given him a very, very, easy-going Rhandis' personality is one of patience. He doesn't put himself forward, and when a point of decision arises, he will only suggest courses of action, and not actually act on them without other people's opinions. He's passive and reactive, and will do as he's asked - his animal companion is more proactive than he is. Ok even if he is passive, he somewhat "spent 29 years trying to find what happendd to him". Seems that when he is personally involved, he is somewhat able to act in his own interest. What if he somewhat discover that the his own interest goes by the "group's interests". So the next time "the group" needs to investigate on something, you could secretly roll your Gather Information while the other ones are torturing people, and once you are all in jail, you tell them: "By the way, I learned this, this and that." And them: "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" :headexplo
invinible 03-31-05, 06:15 PM	Here is an odd trick that should work: Have her lead the party at a point where it will make it obvious to her that she could be wrong and other right while not putting the party in too big a risk.
Talen Lee 03-31-05, 06:56 PM	Well, as far as the thrall stuff goes, never getting any powers that tool with other people's minds; Rhandis' psionics is stuff like Stomp and Biofeedback - things that influence him. Now, as far as not piping up till it's too late, that's what I'm trying to avoid. I'm trying to concoct some way in which he'd find himself needing to be a little more immediate with things, and doing it without irritating people. And as far as having Des lead the party... that is a little dangerous. That is, right now, we're wanted criminals. So, she went to the Watch House and grabbed the first watchman outside, beating him up because he wouldn't answer her question, "So what do you think you're doing, then?". To her, it was a sensible question, because she's the center of the universe, and she had to be referring to the fact that we were wanted for a crime we hadn't committed. To the guardsman, she seemed a loony. Cue guardsmen pouring out of the watchhouse to beat the living hell out of her. And she has the gall to act indignant. I'm really, really tempted to not bail her out. So, I'd really like to avoid giving this woman choices over Rhandis' fate. I like him, after all.