Re: Playing High Level Characters

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 00:01:38 -0800


> I have just uploaded a Daylanus clan champion character sheet to the
> Everything Is Thunder scenario page on Questlines. Its a convention
scenario
> character. The character is extremely powerful - 20+ masteries - more
> powerful than everything I have ever played. I am wondering if folk with
> more experience might comment on playability and ways of making this
easier.

Rather than listing all his abilities, you can list Keywords with Ability ratings (Clan Champion 12w2, Bloodline Elder 5w, Devotee of Daylanus etc). If there are particular abilities that should have a much higher (or lower) rating than the keywords, list them seperately. For a keyword with no or one mastery, +/-3 is probably "close enough for Government work", Two masteries might have a deviation of +/-7 or so. So Karim could have "Orlanthi Virtues 17" that would cover Generous, Honorable, Just, Pious and Wise. Then, seperately, you'd list "Brave 4w" as it falls outside the "standard deviation" of the Virtues keyword. Since "Crafty" isn't one of the Orlanthi virtues, it would get listed seperately. Likewise, "Love Family 15" would cover Braggi, Taros, Danwyr and Erissa, while Olenda could have her own listing. (unless it is really important that there is a 1 point difference between Danwyr and Taros), etc.

Yes, I'm making up keywords right & left here, and encourage you to do so as well. Keywords are meant to be a shortcut to playing, and a way to cut down on all the niggely number-crunching and typing that goes into creating a character. If the abilities in the keyword don't deviate much, then listing *one* thing is (IMO) better than listing three or five or six.

If you still want to let the player know what each keyword encompasses, you can list the abilities like an Affinity: "Love Family 17 (Son: Braggi, Son: Taros, Son: Danwyr, Daughter: Erissa)", but if you don't list the abilities, you may get more imaginative roleplaying. "I'm the Bloodline Elder, I want to augment my Relationship to Karlii with my 'Bloodline Elder 4w', reminding him that my entire bloodline has supported him in the past" (no guarantees that the player will do that, though).

RR

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