Mystics and playability

From: Ian Gorlick <ian_gorlick_at_sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 08:53:27 -0500


Keith said,
"I don't see that this solves our problem with the Taraltaran whirling blade mystics. Apart from saying that they are not really mystics, or that the whirling bladers are failed mystics or something along those lines."

        So instead of the grad student who's ABD (all but dissertation), you have a mystic who's ABE (all but enlightenment)? This might be playable. If you're seeking the great mystical experience, but are otherwise still part of the normal emotional world, you still have a chance to connect with a party. Rather like Grasshopper, who spouted all the lines he'd memorized, but still pitched in and helped like an ordinary bloke.

        Mystics certainly exist; everybody agrees with that. Mystics as NPC's who charter PC's to do stuff, or grant oracles, again, no probs. Mystics as PCs are a problem because, like dragonewts, they live in a mental world that's so different from our own that we don't comprehend many of their motivations or actions. And that's where the problem lies. Perhaps a player could successfully play a mystic realistically, but it would probably come down to situations like the following:

"Damn it, why didn't you help Tarker? He was screaming for help! There were
three guys all over him, and you were just sitting there!"

"Calm yourself. Everyone is on the Wheel. It was his time to follow Yelm
into the Underworld. Was the sunset not truly beautiful just then?"

        One or two of these, and the player not showing proper party loyalties will rapidly be persuaded to roll up one that does. It would take an exceptional group of players to cope with this bizarreness, when it is at times actually dangerous to them. In this regard, it's rather like the problems with Eurmali as PC's. You can't trust them, you can't predict them, and that's bad for player and PC morale.

        At any rate, that's the take from Ian and Alison. Comments?

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