Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 leliel Dec 31, 2008 20:27:34	Basically, I've changed my character Joshu Tabren-his backstory's on the Character Development page-into a planar character who came from his native world to Sigil to learn more about Bael Turath and eventually, hopefully, gain enough power to restore it. This being Sigil, he's naturally going to run into the factions, and I'm already planning for him to become an intiate of the Fated. Now here's where the dilemma comes in. You see, Joshu's a good guy-selfish and misanthropic he might be-and the Fated are, basically, Social Darwinists. If you can't control your own destiny, you don't deserve one, in thier eyes...and Joshu wants to be the archtypical "beloved king". While I myself got an idea of how to play him-just beacuse you want people to achive their own destiny doesn't mean you can't help them find the potential-it brought up an intresting question: How would you play a Good- or Lawful Good-aligned character who believes in "survival of the fittest"?
#2 wizarddog Dec 31, 2008 21:11:43	The Lawful Good Darwinist would concentrate on removing the barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their destiny. An overbearing tyrant or a corrupt poltician would make the playing field uneven for the underclass and the LG would see that removing them would be justified for others to reach their upward social evolution. The PC would subscribe to the "teach a man to fish" philosphy rather than giving handouts to the needed. He also believes that individuals should have the right to choose their path. The PC would also allow (once they have made an even playing field) for the events to take there course. He removed the tyrant, now the people must build a better life for themselves without his involvement. If famine hits the villagers, they must deal with it. He is no longer obliged to help them. He has already removed that which was a burden to them. Now they must make the choices.
#3 mahrke Jan 01, 2009 3:44:51	I'd also imagine he'd be a supporter of education, and training, over simple hand-outs. Play him as very interested in providing opportunities to help others improve themselves. Donate gold to found schools. Help people by teaching them to help themselves. Don't throw the peasant a few pieces of gold, spend a day with him, and teach him. You could also get a neat bit of depth, by playing him as extremely disapproving of charity handouts. IE: the local church giving food and such to the needy is wasteful. That money could be better spent in helping to teach them how to feed themselves: better farming practices, or sending their children to the university.
#4 jimprofit Jan 01, 2009 16:57:03	The Lawful Good Darwinist would concentrate on removing the barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their destiny. Where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by... petty morality! I don't see much of a difference between "Darwinists" and "Nihilists".. Maybe the means are different, but ultimately the same ends and the same sortof cynical rants..
#5 lina_inverse Jan 01, 2009 17:09:10	Encourage weak people not to breed. Support meritocratic social structures. Perhaps focus heavily on the evolution of society as a whole rather than the individuals that comprise it. Perhaps focus on augmentation of people, using magic to improve them. So that even people weak through uncontrollable factors can become strong.
#6 the_fae Jan 02, 2009 12:16:48	You can actually get into an interesting debate about magic and social darwinism. It depends on how your character views magic; is it unnatural or is it a part of a natural person's strength? If your character considers magic unnatural then they might oppose the use of it because its not really the person working with their own abilities its just a crutch for them. If it is natural for humanoids to have magic then sure he probably would try and make the bad people better with magic. But you will have to find a way of doing it without free hand outs.