Den of Dice and Drama

Planned Site Move

2005-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been working pretty hard on my personal website, and I plan on moving this blog onto my own server whenever I can manage to program comments into my personal blogging utility. This might take a little while, so I apologize for the delay in posting. What I can say is that new entries will be in full swing once the move is finally accomplished.

Satisfying Character Death

2005-07-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's a fact; characters end. The game comes to a close, the group goes out in a blaze of glory, or the character meets his fate alone. This is the way is should be, as any story must have an ending. If you read my posts on Character Craft, you'll realize that part of building a good character is envisioning the most appropriate way for their story to conclude.

I recently experienced a perfect example of character death that left me feeling satisfied. The character was a half-ogre fighter in D&D by the name of Gregor. I designed him to be a bit of a departure from my normally brainy character types and, with an abyssmal Intelligence score, he proved to be a real challenge for me as a gamer. Besides being dim, however, Gregor was peaceful and compassionate, a reaction against his savage ogre heritage. He was a hero, and would have been equally suited for the role of paladin.

Gregor met his end trying to save one of his fellow adventurers. The party cleric (played by my wife) had catastrophically failed her Climb check and plummetted down a mine shaft, at the bottom of which stood Gregor. As a player, I realized that the damage from the fall would easily kill them both, but I also realized that Gregor was too stupid and kind-hearted to care. He leapt beneath the cleric in an attempt to cushion her fall. The damage dice fell and, as expected, both characters died despite the valiant act.

Normally I don't like it when my characters die, but in this instance I felt that Gregor had lived up to his design. The DM proclaimed that he met with a hero's welcome in the afterlife, having finally come to peace with his savage nature. I regret the fact that I'll never be able to play him again, but I am gratified to know that he ended well.

Player versus Player

2005-07-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

Every game has players, but roleplaying games are distinct in that they rarely have a clear winner or loser. This is not the case in player versus player, or PvP, roleplaying, in which players pit themselves against one another. There are a number of games in which this sort of strategy is expected. Vampire: The Masquerade, for example, is a game based on the premise that the main characters are bloodsucking fiends who pursue their Machiavellian intrigues in an attempt to gain social and political power over one another.

There are many games, however, that are cooperative by nature. Dungeons and Dragons, for example, is usually a co-op game. PvP strategies in this context are not the norm, and are often disruptive to the general flow of play. When a minority of the player characters is out to exploit the others, PvP strategies hinder the growth of characters and the advancement of the cooperative storyline.

More than that, however, PvP strategies in a game not directed toward PvP play are considered by some to be rude, selfish, and inconsiderate. It is a style of game play that allows one person to have fun at another's expense. After all, few players would consider it fun to have their characters wronged or killed by another player character. If the character should choose not to retaliate, they continue to be exploited. If they do retaliate, they are being drawn into a cycle of PvP gaming against their will. To the player interested in co-op, PvP is a lose-lose situation.

Game masters should make every attempt to encourage or discourage styles of play in the appropriate games. If a player wishes to engage in PvP in a primarily co-op game, there should be safeguards and risks built into the setting to limit his or her activities. This applies equally to co-op in a PvP game, which can be a very maladaptive strategy for the character. The two styles of play can mingle together, but rarely without co-op players feeling wronged in the process.

Character Craft, Step Six: Strategy

2005-07-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

So far in the character craft series, we've given a great deal of thought to who your character is and how you'd like his or her story to play out. By now you should have a very solid image in your mind that includes the character's appearance and personality. Your character should now be well-prepared to take part in the collaborative story. However, roleplaying games are more than just stories; they are, as the name would imply, games. It is important, then, to give some thought to your character's strategy.

This is as natural a consideration as any to take into account when making a character. After all, while a roleplaying game might not have clear winners or losers, it certainly has effective and ineffective strategies. Brainstorm the kinds of challenges that your character might face. Will he or she have to fight? Does the game you're playing involve a great deal of subterfuge or innuendo? Do you expect the story to involve puzzles or problem-solving?

Whatever the nature of the game's particular challenges, you should have a general understanding of the manner in which your character will approach them. A good strategy will allow your character to proceed, aid in your character's development, and/or enhance the storyline in some way. A bad strategy will hinder your character, stunt their development, and/or detract from the storyline.

Unwise but In-Character

2005-06-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned this a few times already, but you know you're an experienced gamer when you elect to take an action, even one that might be thoroughly imprudent, because your character would do it. The point bears repeating, however, as many new players don't grasp the significance of this level of immersion.

This weekend I went to my favorite LARP. The town as a whole was engaged in fierce combat with a horde of orcs and demons. The more powerful townsfolk, myself included, waded through combat to the real target, an ancient red dragon. Before we could get to it, however, a large wall of fire appeared to block our advance.

Now, my character is a mage who is neither a great combatant alone nor prone to flights of emotion. However, in this particular instance, he believed that the dragon possessed something that was necessary to preserve the life of one of his dear friends. Without hesitation, I incanted a spell, leapt over the wall of flame, and battled toe to toe with the dragon for half a minute before the wall came down and my allies poured through.

Needless to say, this was one of the most exhilirating experiences of my character's career to date and a moment that I feel I proved the depth of my roleplaying ability. It stunned my friends and impressed more than a few of the other players, both in and out of play. More importantly, however, it showed that I was playing for love of the game rather than to win. New players take note. This is the sort of thing you should be aspiring to accomplish.

Character Craft, Step Five: Growth

2005-06-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, by now you should know how your character looks, how your character acts, and how they got that way. It's good practice at this point to re-examine your core concept to see if the character is still as you first envisioned him/her. It's perfectly okay if that isn't the case, as long as you still feel interested in playing the end result. Give it some thought and, if need be, rewrite your character concept to suit the character you have made.

The next important step is to figure out where you'd like to go with your character. What important internal conflicts might they face in their future? What issues from their life will they have to resolve before growing as a person (if they ever do)? You might want to sit down with your game master and talk this one out, as creating a story around your character will ultimately be a collaborative effort.

An important consideration that falls under this umbrella is how you would like your character to end. Nobody plays the same character forever, and it is a very special character that is played for more than a year or two. What do you think would be the most fulfilling climax for your character's life story? Does he/she become wise from experience and live out his/her golden years or burn out in flaming glory long before that time? Does your character end in satisfaction or regret over the events of his/her life?

Bear in mind that this step is brainstorming, not decision-making. Your character may head in a different direction than you plan, which is a perfectly natural part of collaborative storytelling. It is, however, important to note how your character might like or expect to conclude his/her game life, because that should ultimately effect how he/she is played.

Character Craft, Step Four: Appearance

2005-06-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

The first thing that will usually distinguish your character is his/her appearance. This occurs across genres. In tabletop games, the first question is usually, "What do I see?" or "What do you look like?" In live-action or interactive games, the answer is apparent. In either case, your character's appearance will have an immediate, and often profound, impact upon the initial reactions of others.

When planning your character's appearance, there are many factors to consider, but none moreso than your character's personality and background (which is why they preceded this step). Consider what image your character would seek to broadcast and whether it reflects or hides his/her inner nature. Then answer the following questions.

How does your character dress? Does he/she wear clothes of a particular or distinguishing fashion? Does he/she wear any sort of noticeable accessories?

What are your character's skin, hair, and eye colors? How does your character wear his/her hair (i.e. long or short, plain or stylized, etc.)? Does he/she have any freckles, birthmarks, piercings, tattoos, or other embellishments?

Does your character have any scars, permanent injuries, or physical defects that would be immediately apparent, such as missing fingers, strange skin pigmentation, or disproportionate body parts?

As always, give some thought to the effect this might have on how the character is perceived, interacted with, and ultimately played. If you are faced with practical limitations, such as costuming and props in live-action games, you may need to revise your character a bit. Chances are good, however, that there is a happy medium between your creative wishes and real-life hindrances.

Character Craft, Step Three: Personality

2005-06-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

The greatest character idea in the world is doomed to failure if you don't give some thought as to how you're actually going to play it out. Unless you're creating carbon copies of yourself, your persona in the game world should have its own distinct personality. At the very least, try to think up a few adjectives to describe how your character acts. Here are some questions to guide you.

What is your character's general mood? Is he/she dark and brooding or bright and cheerful? Does his/her mood fluctuate frequently, or is his/her mindset fixed? Is he/she a pessimist or an optimist?

How sociable is your character? Is he/she a fly on the wall or always in the spotlight? How does he/she act towards strangers? Does he/she have many friends?

How would others describe your character? Would they think of him/her as agressive or timid, clever or dense, brave or cowardly? Are these observations fair or is your character just misunderstood?

What is your character's attitude toward major groups in the game world? Does he/she have any allies or enemies? Is he/she especially fond or intolerant of any group in particular?

Does your character have any peculiar personality traits not already covered? Does he/she have hobbies, preferences, or any other foibles or idiosyncracies? Does he/she have any mental issues, such as compulsions, phobias, or plain old insecurities?

The key to this exercise is to understand how your character will generally relate to other characters encountered through the course of play. Try to imagine your character in different situations and note how he/she might act. If his/her response would be out of the ordinary, it's worth noting. Remember, the more you think about it now, the easier it will be to play the character convincingly in a pinch.

Character Craft, Step Two: Backstory

2005-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

In reality, the next few steps of character creation can be shuffled if you feel more comfortable attacking one before another. Once you have a solid character concept, you can start fleshing the character out from many different angles. The important thing is that you give careful consideration to each aspect of the character and try to list one or two items of importance at each step. If you get stuck, you may find that proceeding to another step gives you inspiration to clear the hold-up.

I personally like to follow the character concept with a simple backstory. In other words, once you've decided what you want to play, figure out the critical life events that molded your character. Even if you're playing an amnesiac, your character should never be a blank slate. At the very least, you should consider the following questions:

Where was your character born? Who were his/her parents? Is there anything particularly significant about them or their role in your character's life?

What was your character's childhood like? Was it pleasant or dark? What sort of events might have steered your character along his/her current path?

What happened when your character reached majority (i.e. adulthood)? Did they set out on their own? Were there one or more defining instances in which the character "grew up" in an emotional sense?

If you're creating a starting-level character, you may be able to stop at this point. However, it is usually useful to decide if there were any other defining events in your character's life since reaching majority, especially if they are not a starting-level character. Did your character fall in love, go to war, meet extrordinary people, make regrettable mistakes, etc.?

The more detail you can produce, the better. With enough detail, you may begin to feel like your character gains a measure of reality in a fantastical sort of way. When you hit that point, he/she will become more than a collection of stats on a piece of paper and take on a life of their own. You may even find yourself saying, "I know it's a bad idea, but it's something that my character would do." Take it from me; that's when you know you've created your character properly.

Character Craft, Step One: Character Concept

2005-06-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

If you look in any random RPG rulebook, you'll probably find that the character creation chapter has a list of steps to follow. Generating your character's vital statistics usually comes first, with key aspects such as group affiliations and skills following closely after. Occassionally you may see a blurb before all of this to the effect of, "Brainstorm what kind of character you're interested in playing." Usually, however, this guidance is no more than a paragraph or two, if that.

The key to crafting a truly enjoyable character is to begin the process with a solid character concept. This may include one or more of the core character aspects, which is perfectly fine. However, it is important to try to ignore game stats as much as possible during this formative period. Develop a well thought-out sentence or two that describes what the character will be.

Here are a few examples. Are you going to play a human fighter or, "A brooding ex-soldier with a knack for dirty fighting and numerous battle scars?" Is your new vampire a 13th-generation brujah or, "A bloodsucking street punk who flies by the seat of his pants and has a good rep in underground racing circles?" Even if you don't play D&D or WoD games, you can still get a feel for where I'm going with this. Remember, the character concept is the foundation upon which the character is built. It should be as solid as possible if you want the fun of playing the character to last.

Novelty in Character Creation

2005-05-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Invariably, all characters reflect one or more qualities possessed by their players. It's impossible to avoid and it certainly isn't a bad thing. After all, we can't bring anything to the table that we don't already possess. However, most experienced gamers will tell you that the novelty of a character often determines how fun it is to play.

For example, I recently joined a Dungeon & Dragons group and decided, "I always play pretty brainy characters. I think I'll try something a little different this time." With that criterion in mind, I created a half-ogre fighter who is dumb as a brick. So far roleplaying him has been a challenging but rewarding task. Part of the fun is fighting back the urge to be clever or cunning and play the character as the dense lumox that he is.

If you've been roleplaying for awhile, your fellow roleplayers can probably point out some consistencies between your characters. My recommendation is to create your next character with the opposite trait(s) in mind and see if you can pull it off. This should help sharpen your skills as a roleplayer and reintroduce the fun of novelty back into your game.

Which RPG is the Best?

2005-05-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Most players have one or two roleplaying games that are their favorites. I, for example, regularly play Dungeon & Dragons, but I also enjoy Talan, my monthly LARP. Of course, I've played many others in the past. And while I can easily place preference between them, I cannot in good conscience say that any one RPG is the best.

The reason for this is because each RPG has something different to offer. I played a live-action Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle for about a year, and while the combat system was horrible, it allowed me to explore the darker role of a villainous bloodsucker. I played a tabletop Fading Suns campaign one summer in college, which gave me a chance to experience how futuristic science fiction settings could be just as enjoyable as medieval fantasy settings.

The point here is that no one RPG has it all, but each is worthwhile in its own way. I would advise anyone who truly believes that they are playing the "best" RPG to branch out and explore other possibilities. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Welcome to the Den

2005-05-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome, all, to the Den of Dice and Drama, a blog dedicated to the art of roleplaying in its many forms. I have been through the gamut, from online to tabletop to live-action, from sci fi to gothic punk to fantasy, and have come to understand that all RPGs are essentially the same. The mechanics and the context may vary from game to game, but, beneath the surface, all RPGs are the same. Open-minded, creative individuals come together in the spirit of fun and, with a little imagination, live a collective fantasy. For those who have played for as long as I have, it is not just a hobby; it is a way of life. If you feel this way, then you're in good company. Bookmark this page; you won't be disappointed.