Sierra

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away... - MxF

I always like to check up on Star Wars. Haven't scratched that itch in a while.

Now ... what haopens if I happen to be a fan of the dark side?

There Will Be Blood

Finally got around to adding those sweet additions. Have a bump and enjoy!

Character Sheets: Where do you stand?

I find it strange, somewhat ironic, and even a bit funny how @Lady Amalthea can be the source of almost everything I know about GMing and yet we have such radically different views on the subject. Roleplaying is a collaborative storytelling exercise at its core and I can't imagine trying to do that in an environment where I fundamentally distrust applicants and players. I even say that as a particularly cynical individual who has become rather ruthless in my enforcement of rules. But I digress as any further elaboration on this becomes a discussion on game management methodology and that's a topic that can fill a thread on it's own.

Famous Quotes You Shouldn't Say During Sex

"Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise? I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life… He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself."

Character Sheets: Where do you stand?

I take a pretty harsh view of digging through profiles to judge people. Matter of fact it's a good way for me to end up blacklisting a GM and passing otherwise-good roleplays by. If you want to judge someone, you should judge them in the present rather than in the past.

Back to topic, my last response was rather brief and only partially descript. A better response than my previous is to drop this absolute unit.

wew lad

Basic:

Name: Name given at birth/legal name.
Aliases: Include both accepted and resented pseudonyms/nicknames.
Sex: Needs no explanation.

Appearance:

Physique: Include any relevant identifying characteristics. No amount of pictures can substitute for a well-written description.
Wardrobe: Include signature apparel and general fashion preferences.
Demeanor: Include all non-physical components of general appearance e.g. mannerisms. Focus on baseline rather than specialized interactions.

Psych Profile:

Goals/Motivations: Where does this person see themself down the road? What is it they hope to do? What keeps them doing what they’re doing? Section by item and explain.
Fears/Regrets: What is this person running from? What do they wish they could take back? What do they avoid at all costs?
Psychology: Describe more general thought patterns & processes. Be detailed and thorough. Explain in detail why they make the decisions they do.
Daily Routine: Walk through a daily routine. Make note of the (lack of) personal significance of all things.

History:

Upbringing: Focus on early history and any relevant events within.
Defining Period/Event: Describe in detail the event that set them on their current path. Clearly show how the events that take place achieve that.
Noteworthy Incidents: Describe any other events in more recent history that are of relevance to the character or their reputation.

Abilities:

Best Qualities: Defining positive personality attributes
Worst Qualities: Defining negative personality attributes
Strengths: Defining positive skills and physical abilities.
Weaknesses: Defining negative physical limitations.

Ties:

Family: Section by relevant family members. Focus on describing perception and relationship.
Friends/Allies: Section by individual. Explain relationships well.
Enemies: Section by individual. Explain relationships and the causal circumstances.
Trinkets/Paraphernalia: Any physical object that holds meaning to the individual.

This is my latest character framework. Note that this is NOT meant for public or GM consumption. This is a framework to help me work through building an incredibly complete character that I've adapted for public release. When I work through these, it's often not super coherent in places, but it's the content that counts. This is what I use to develop my characters to a ridiculously thorough degree. When filled out right, it's thousands of words, rambly as hell, and generally indecipherable to everyone except myself. And I'm gonna give this to my players and tell them to fill it out too.

I stress again this is NOT what I'll be using to vett characters. I don't expect players to actually finish these things for weeks. Its an exercise I merely encourage them to undertake to really build out their characters more than they may have initially considered.

This is what I would say it takes to really define a good, well-written character accurately.

Sierra's Crap Vault

Character Framework

Basic:

Name: Name given at birth/legal name.
Aliases: Include both accepted and resented pseudonyms/nicknames.
Sex: Needs no explanation.

Appearance:

Physique: Include any relevant identifying characteristics. No amount of pictures can substitute for a well-written description.
Wardrobe: Include signature apparel and general fashion preferences.
Demeanor: Include all non-physical components of general appearance e.g. mannerisms. Focus on baseline rather than specialized interactions.

Psych Profile:

Goals/Motivations: Where does this person see themself down the road? What is it they hope to do? What keeps them doing what they’re doing? Section by item and explain.
Fears/Regrets: What is this person running from? What do they wish they could take back? What do they avoid at all costs?
Psychology: Describe more general thought patterns & processes. Be detailed and thorough. Explain in detail why they make the decisions they do.
Daily Routine: Walk through a daily routine. Make note of the (lack of) personal significance of all things.

History:

Upbringing: Focus on early history and any relevant events within.
Defining Period/Event: Describe in detail the event that set them on their current path. Clearly show how the events that take place achieve that.
Noteworthy Incidents: Describe any other events in more recent history that are of relevance to the character or their reputation.

Abilities:

Best Qualities: Defining positive personality attributes
Worst Qualities: Defining negative personality attributes
Strengths: Defining positive skills and physical abilities.
Weaknesses: Defining negative physical limitations.

Ties:

Family: Section by relevant family members. Focus on describing perception and relationship.
Friends/Allies: Section by individual. Explain relationships well.
Enemies: Section by individual. Explain relationships and the causal circumstances.
Trinkets/Paraphernalia: Any physical object that holds meaning to the individual.

---

Certification Sheet

Primary Alias: The name they give when asked.
Appearance: Abridged, but sufficient, visual definition of the character.
Reputation: The information other characters would be expected to know.
Recent History: A writing excerpt from their relatively recent past. Doubles as writing sample (under 1000 words please).

There Will Be Blood

Quick bump on this. Other stuff in the pipeline ahead of some juicy additons for this but they will come in due time.

Sierra's Crap Vault

The world of Avalon lives under an unyielding prophecy. As long as intelligent beings can sense and wield the magical powers of the aether, the miraculous energy of the gods that grant mortal beings a mere sliver of their power, then the cycle will continue.

As long as the aether flows, there will rise a congregation of sorcerers taken by the dark powers, united in vision and purpose to upheave and reshape civilization. With their rise, dynasties end.

-- Lord Cairn Christian

King Friedrich Vahlen, third of his name, has stopped at nothing to see the recurrent devastation come to a close. Yet his people resent him. The once-great elven kingdoms of the forests and plains were savagely annihilated half a century ago at the dawn of Johann Vahlen’s reign, and his sights settled on the dwarven people’s of the Siegfried Mountains soon after when the cut off his supply of war gear in protest. They eventually sealed themselves away within their mountain fortresses to avoid a similar fate. The cost of that war was placed squarely on the shoulders of the citizenry as it was a war “for their protection.” Taxes and high demands on the tradesmen of the Vahlens’ kingdom that have not subsided. Now they pay for the tyrannical hunt for any man, woman, or child brave or foolish enough to explore the mystical powers of the aether that are soon to be a relic of a bygone age. Friedrich’s Royal Inquisition listens around every corner and pounces without mercy on those caught.

Now the fifth incarnation of the Sorcerers’ Cycle is upon the world. The Kingdom of Man is poised to finally crush the sorcerers’ rise once and for all. The only obstacle remaining is to find them among the populous. But a rumor is spreading throughout the kingdom: This incarnation of the cycle could undo much of what the Vahlen family has done in its long and bloody tenure; that the races of Avalon long thought extinguished would return to save humanity from its grim fate, whether they deserved it or not. But first the aspiring sorcerers would have to escape the insidious talons of the Royal Inquisition.

Who are you?

You are no one. A commoner, a tradesman perhaps, no one the kingdom would ever really care about as an individual, for now. By a convenient happenstance, dumb luck, or maybe fate, you found something from the sacred library of the old mage’s academy. Most people would rip it to pieces, burn it even. The possession of just a page from an old spellcraft text would have a mere commoner staring down an Inquisitor’s blade. Yet you keep it hidden instead of doing the sensible thing and destroying it. Perhaps given time, you can learn something from it. Prophecy works in mysterious ways, and it is nothing if not relentless. You are now a part of the Sorcerers’ Cycle.

What can you do?

It takes months of study, practice, discipline, and a clear and focused mind to practice even the simplest techniques when conjuring aetheric power in its purest, cleanest form. It takes less than ten minutes and some frustration for a desperate soul to summon power beyond description. The power of the aether is bent and shaped by the willpower of the wielder, but is attracted to and colored by the emotions of its host. This is the danger of the aether’s multifaceted nature. Even an amateur will realize that strong emotion seemingly amplifies their power, and that power feels good. Without formal training, most self-taught magic wielders fall into the trap that is the darker form of aetheric energy, and everyone who wields it is invariably twisted and consumed by the emotions they feed it with, by unrelenting powerlust, or are destroyed by the raw power they cannot hope to contain.

The magical possibilities of channeling the aether are as limitless as the imagination of the wielder. Given enough willpower and aetherial energy to make it so, anything is possible. A great and powerful fighter can defeat dozens of opponents and slay any beast living or undead, but a great and powerful mage can level whole cities in seconds. The capability of a would-be sorcerer is limited only by what they can will to happen, and how much power they can channel and contain within themself without being ripped apart.

What happens now?

It is only a matter of time before Vahlen’s inquisitors find you. They seemingly smell the magic emanating from those who channel aetherial power. Some believe the ancient knowledge of the old academy has been given to the Royal Inquisition to aid in their hunt. Some even believe the mage academy is not shut down but instead trains inquisitors in the ways of magic for themselves. No one dares speak such heresies aloud.

You must avoid the bloodhounds for as long as you can. Whether with dangerously intoxicating power, or with steel of your choice, you must prepare yourself to fight for your life. Sooner or later, you will need to. It will take all of your practiced skills, and no small amount of luck to survive and escape. How far are you willing to go when everything is on the line? How far is too far?

Character Sheets: Where do you stand?

I like surprises, so in my upcoming attempt at taking the GM reins again, I've opted to go for a ridiculously small CS for an advanced section RP. Though, that's just what I'm going to have people send me and post publicly. I'm also going to give my players the same character-building framework I use when I write a new character and tell them to go work through that on their own time. I have no plans to ever ask for that sheet; its entirely meant for personal reference and doesn't need to be readable to anyone other than the author. Maybe that's a risk since I'm relying on people's word, but in the advanced section I feel that's not too much of a risk. People there are willing to put in the effort even without me wanting verification. As a disclaimer, I would not be trying this if I intended to post this in the casual section for several reasons.

What Are You Listening To?

The brand new Within Temptation album that dropped the other week.