Re: Playing High Level Characters

From: ian_hammond_cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 11:50:09 -0000


Roderick Robertson wrote:
> Rather than listing all his abilities, you can list Keywords with
Ability ratings (Clan Champion 12w2, Bloodline Elder 5w, Devotee of Daylanus etc).

Its all just shades of personal preference, but I would tend to save this technique for narrator characters rather than player characters (I am assuming that this is a player character). It works for narrator characters because their abilities are driven by the evolving story. Rather than predict all the skills you might need to respond to at design time, the keyword method allows you to determine the ability at game time. For players slighty more fine-grained distinctions can be helpful in both directing the player and preventing the one-trick pony syndrome (below).

Most of the abilities do not look too tough. However, be careful of that high mastery in Crafty. Crafty is a very broad ability and you will find that the player will be tempted to augment everything with Crafty, or use Crafty as a Jack of all Trades skill. A disproportionately high level in a broad skill, compared to others on the character sheet, can make the character a one-trick pony. It is always their best option to use that skill, even at a penalty. Sure you may be trying to create an Odysseus like hero, reknowned for his cunning, but you want the character to be interesting in play. I have found myself becoming far stricter in applying penalties of late to prevent characters relying on a single high level broad ability. I would lower this ability to 17-3W. YMMV

In addition with some of those high masteries in affinites I would be tempted to add a few more 'new' feats out of the block. The hero must have learnt some. Use Morden defends the camp if inspiration fails you, though somehow I don't think it will.

Hope that helps,

Ian Cooper

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