Author Topic: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters  (Read 2316 times)

Lyrithean

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Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« on: July 19, 2008, 05:08:23 PM »
In the Realism and balance thread I posted a suggestion that I feel might be more appropriate with it's own thread.

Several times people have asked and suggested some kind of reward and incentive for their characters permanently dying. Now for most this reward should be the mark you left upon the server. However some perma-death situations really don't make a whole lot of a mark. I can think of two recent ones that didn't really leave any lasting impression and, in another couple of months the characters will probably be forgotten. Not everyone can have a spectacular death, not everyone should. There are plenty of characters out there that are currently warranting a perma-death, however such action would more then likely severly detract from their enjoyment of the game.

My suggestion was this, as an incentive for people to finish off their character, upon perma-death the player will have two options. First option is already open to them, they can make another character, start it from level 1 and progress it however they see fit. The second added option would be that they would have a choice of one character off a list of characters categorized to a Setting specific role. These characters would be premade on paper only, would be leveled to a specific level on creation and their background set. It would then be the players job to flesh out that character and fulfill the characters role in the server. The choices of character would be limited according to previous level, with the highest level being 10 (half of twenty), and would be divided into two categories (instead of the 3 that I suggested in the other thread). These categories would be Static and Plot. Static characters would be designed to fill certain static roles in the setting (ie Vallaki Guard, Barovian Guard, Vallaki Militia, Red Vardo trader, Morninglord Lightcarrier, Ezrite Anchorite) These characters would be meant for day to day roleplay and would have no real specific plot goal. What would happen to them would be determined by the players actions and in game events. Plot based characters however would have a very specialized role to play, would have a little more detailed background creation and would have their end already predesignated. Plot characters would be created specifically to further DM/Player plots (short term or long term) and their life expectancy would vary from a few days to a few months. Due to the Plot characters life expectancy upon death of the plot character the player would be able to select another pre-made character of either category of the same level.

I personally think this would aid alot in roleplay and help fill some niches in the server at times of need.
Please feel free to post comments or suggestions. But please limit it to something constructive, this is after all.. Only a suggestion.

Doom

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2008, 05:35:25 PM »
We call those NPC's.

Lyrithean

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2008, 06:43:19 PM »
We call those NPC's.

Well I'm kind of challenging the requirement for NPC's to a certain extent. In Pnp games you only had maybe 5 or 6 people, all playing their characters. It was then the DM's job to flesh out the myriad of extra's that they had to create to fill out their campaign or scenarios. Online we have up to 30 players at one time, and that's not including those who just aren't logged on for the moment or sitting in hiatus until they find something that catches their fancy on the server. Why not use players to give you a hand? Even if it is just a short term plot. It was mentioned in the previous thread that such chars could be App only. So a DM could put up a request for Apps from qualified players to play certain characters during their events. The DM could then pick and choose between the players. This would allow for plot continuance even if the DM wasn't online along lines that the DM could specify. The static premade characters would be there to bring life to certain niches in the server that are lacking and would just be characters to play. No big backgrounds, no epic destinies. Honestly, if Lyr was put to death tomorrow and someone told me. "Well unfortunately your character is now permanently dead, but how would you feel about playing a static level 8 Warrior for the Guard faction?" I'd jump on it, I'm a static character player, I don't go for the big destiny type characters. I go to work in the morning everyday, I come home and I log in and play. Sometimes I avoid huge plots simply because I don't have the time or the mental or physical energy to sit at the PC for 4 or 5 hours. Going from my currently established static pc to another static pc isn't a problem for me. Starting a whole NEW pc would be an extreme pain and honestly I'd probably just disappear rather then having to deal with the frustrations of starting a new character and trying to find it's niche in the server.

Doom

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2008, 08:44:30 PM »
I will aquiesce starting a new PC can be very frustrating and our server has a somewhat -close- environment. It's like trying to break into the mob. Gotta push a button on a body to get made.

hi-di-ho

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2008, 10:28:17 PM »
I came up with a similar idea long ago, but that the character made is a plot specific, DM requested character that would be buddies for the DM for a "plot of the day" type of quests in which the player calls the shots within reason and prior DM permission and planning between the two. Sorta like the specially endowed player playing bait for other players to eat while the DMs are Fishermen wanting to snack on his catch.

Sadly it got shot down long ago due to many of the "villains" saying: "You can already do that in game, just make a villain and we'll back you up."  :roll:

I just think that if your character dies, you can start anew (Peasent Farmer that everyone gets), get a proportional leveled character back (a legion commander or experienced people), or one can take Dhragyn's idea and ask the DMs to make your proportional leveled character to fit in their plots, quests, or certain roles (Foreign Red Vardo, a recently promoted Guardsman, Morninglordian from another place, etc). That way there are three choices, everyones happy.

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2008, 10:39:25 PM »
giving people Rerolls would be a clerical nightmare though.

Ellana Twiggy

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2008, 06:44:38 AM »
i could forsee some who played well enough to be allowed to act as an 'npc' char for a dm plot. So long as the dm explains everything that the villian or damsel in distress needs to do via the rp and possible pc reactions. It would add an odd new skin of life perhaps if there were certain selected people who were like dm assistants.

I wouldn't mind playing some street urchen, who has no purpose other than to pick pocket some one and run, just to see what the players do. Get the guards? chase after and kill? etc. and so forth. It would never be a perminent player obviously but might add something interesting to the atmosphere.

i think in two years i ahve only lost three chars to perma death. My first one, who was burned in the first hour of playing, lol, for being a witch at the center of town.
Calous, my second one, who was burned for being a witch and member of the resistance. . . who rose up again, and then died again, via trying to secure dinner. . . hehe. . .
And some misc char who was poking about some where he shouldn't have and got eaten by some undead.

all in all i must say i would rather see a new char perma killed. . .rather than one i have gotten to level 12 or so. . .after months of trying to get them to that point. . it is frustrating.  I'm sure once something perma kills ellana i will be sad, but i expect her to be fading out soon any way. . for a human she's getting old.  lol

EO

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2008, 11:30:21 AM »
I'm not opposed to the idea, but if I wanted a PC NPC in my plot, I'd handpick the player. I wouldn't grant it to someone whose previous character died just for the sake of it.

Gary T

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Re: Suggestion - Setting specific Premade Characters
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2008, 01:23:30 PM »
I personally had a charcter permadeathed by my own choosing as that is what the charcter driven plot dictated.  This was a 10th lvl character i had been playing on for almost a year.  Did I want to give her up? No, but one some level it adds to the realism and enjoyment for everyone else in the game, I mean she was decapitated, did we really need to see her running around with her head stiched back on (unless she was an zombie or something).  Resolution is a part of any story and sometimes that resolution is forced on us, now I'm playing on a brand new character and it is fun trying to establish a new character, you make new relationships with different players and you get to try things you couldn't do with the old one.

The consequence/reward for a permadeathed character is a public execution for a perceived villian and a fitting funeral for a perceived hero.  What more are are you hoping to accomplish as a character?  You either get the acknowledgement from the community that you were a pain in their backside (villian) or the acknowledgemnt that you are missed because for a brief time you made the world a little better (hero).  Are you in your grand plans hoping to enact long-term change, really make an impact, and your distraught because those plans were cut short?  Forget it!  This is Barovia, nothing real has changed here in over 500 years and nothing will as long as Strahd the MMCXXVIII or whatever number he is upto calling himself rules!