RE: Let's Burn Up a Character
12-22-2012, 11:29 PM
Sold on the bracelet. We'll keep working on the names.
Stats:
The next step is the hardest and also the most important. We need to come up with three Beliefs and three Instincts. These, along with Traits, are what tie the character as a fictional character into the rules and mechanics. They set the conditions for the reward/advancement cycle and ultimately drive the plot of the entire game! We need three of each, plus one Oath Belief that the dwarf has sworn to a relationship.
BELIEFS are the character's major, passionate motivations. They are ideological, but it also is good if they contain concrete goals that can be completed: "The duke is an evil man. I will remove him from the seat of power." Concrete goal or no, they should contain clear action: "I will protect the weak at any cost."
In play, the player earns points for pursuing these Beliefs, so the action component is important. "The king is a good man" might sound like a reasonable Belief, but how do you pursue it? How do we know when you've accomplished it? How the heck do you get those points? "I will rally the outlying towns and villages under the king's flag" is a much better Belief. Now there's action! If you're persuading town councils to declare an allegiance, you're earning those points!
INSTINCTS are things the character does instinctively, so the player doesn't even have to say anything - it's assumed that the character did it. "Always draw my sword at the first sign of danger" means that if a fight breaks out, the player doesn't need to spend an action drawing the sword - we assume the character already pulled it out. They should be conditional statements: "Always," "Never" or "If/Then." When the conditions are met, the character does the thing.
The player can choose not to have the character follow Instincts if they'd get him into trouble, but following Instincts into trouble also earns points, so troublesome Instincts are good too: "If asked a direct question, answer honestly" might not work to the character's advantage much, but it's rich for point-earning when those suspicious chaps from the city watch come calling with some awkward questions.
So, go ahead and toss out some ideas!
Stats:
The next step is the hardest and also the most important. We need to come up with three Beliefs and three Instincts. These, along with Traits, are what tie the character as a fictional character into the rules and mechanics. They set the conditions for the reward/advancement cycle and ultimately drive the plot of the entire game! We need three of each, plus one Oath Belief that the dwarf has sworn to a relationship.
BELIEFS are the character's major, passionate motivations. They are ideological, but it also is good if they contain concrete goals that can be completed: "The duke is an evil man. I will remove him from the seat of power." Concrete goal or no, they should contain clear action: "I will protect the weak at any cost."
In play, the player earns points for pursuing these Beliefs, so the action component is important. "The king is a good man" might sound like a reasonable Belief, but how do you pursue it? How do we know when you've accomplished it? How the heck do you get those points? "I will rally the outlying towns and villages under the king's flag" is a much better Belief. Now there's action! If you're persuading town councils to declare an allegiance, you're earning those points!
INSTINCTS are things the character does instinctively, so the player doesn't even have to say anything - it's assumed that the character did it. "Always draw my sword at the first sign of danger" means that if a fight breaks out, the player doesn't need to spend an action drawing the sword - we assume the character already pulled it out. They should be conditional statements: "Always," "Never" or "If/Then." When the conditions are met, the character does the thing.
The player can choose not to have the character follow Instincts if they'd get him into trouble, but following Instincts into trouble also earns points, so troublesome Instincts are good too: "If asked a direct question, answer honestly" might not work to the character's advantage much, but it's rich for point-earning when those suspicious chaps from the city watch come calling with some awkward questions.
So, go ahead and toss out some ideas!