Over the last couple of sessions of the campaign I play in (not the one I run), I have come to an interesting conclusion. No matter how a player designs his or her character, if there are certain truths about the player or the way s/he plays, those truths will show up in the character despite its initial design.
For example, say some bloke creates a Wizard character with an Intelligence score of 17, but he himself is as dumb as a rock. No matter how smart the Wizard would be if he were real, he will always act much stupider in-game, since his player doesn't think the way a person of 17 Intelligence would think.
That's relatively easy to understand, and I think widely accepted in the gaming community already. However, I think this kind of thing applies to other aspects of roleplaying characters.
So for a more personal example: I'm a very romantic person. Raised myself on fairy tales and all that jazz. So, the characters I play tend to get into romantic relationships, and often with my girlfriend's characters, since it would be awkward otherwise. I was criticized for this, so I tried to prove a point by playing a character who is very much not a relationship person, and sleeps around. I mean Tanisevania, my current character, Gnomish Druid. This was very difficult for me to do, since she started sleeping with characters played by my friends, but I muddled through it and it was going very well for a while.
Still, certain parts of my romantic tendencies kept popping up. She kept sleeping with one other character more than others, validating it by believing it was necessary for the plot. This character became her best friend since they spent so much time together, and kept growing closer, even though she still slept with whoever she wanted. She even taught this character that if a person wants to be sexually active with many other people, that's fine and a lot of fun, so he behaves that way to a certain extent too.
And then, this character got very angry and stomped off one night to continue the quest without us, and my character got more worried than angry at him, and realized that she had succumbed to my biggest pitfall.
Yes, Tanisevania is in love with Grimsflame. And this is especially ironic considering that he-who-plays-Grim is the one who criticized me in the first place.
So in this example, no matter how hard I try (and I did try as hard as I could and did everything I could think of to prevent it), my characters will end up falling in love with another character. Its less awkward when its my girlfriend's character, since I love her in real life, but even if I try to prevent that, it'll just happen with someone else's character or an NPC. And you know what, the game is less fun for me when I try to fight that tendency. So screw proving any points from here on in.
This actually happened with another of my characters too, one that was already sorta paired up with my girlfriend's character. They were already sleeping together, but it was platonic, until my character, Cyd, had to make a decision regarding my girlfriend's character, Leila. And the only reason she would have made the decision she made was love.
Of course, Cyd reacted much differently to this realization that Tanisevania did. Cyd got angry at herself, but directed that anger at Leila instead, and even when that anger passed she never told her the truth about how she felt. Only when they became Goddesses, and had eternity together, did a) Cyd confess that (if even in words) and b) Leila reciprocate.
Tanisevania's plans are altogether different. She got very upset at first - she has broken many hearts with her sexuality in the past, and thinks that since she did that, she deserves to be rejected now. But thanks to what some of the NPC's said to her, and how my girlfriend's character Kaleena reacted when she found out (how people would normally react to such news), she's decided to risk telling him anyway. She tried already once, and failed, and almost told him again, but decided against it because we were headed into a very important meeting. Grim's kind of....oblivious to certain things, this included, so she has set an intricate plan into motion so that he might understand better when she finally gets the courage to say the words. He used to have two tiny metal goblin heads attached to the two smaller braids on his beard, but they've gotten "lost" throughout the course of the campaign (we do have a Kender rogue, after all). So Tanisevania is getting them remade, and she's bought herself a very nice kimono, since Grim seems to like how she looks in one (picture this, on a fat Gnome woman, in green - http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/oa_gallery/Bayushi_deceiver.jpg ). She's going to make herself look extra pretty, and dress up in that kimono, then present the new goblin heads to him. Then, if he's willing, she's going to cast Owl's Wisdom on both of them - on herself to fortify her willpower, and on him to up his wisdom and understanding. Then she'll tell him. ...And if it goes badly, she may have to ask the arcane casters if they have any memory modification spells ^^;
Oh, and if anyone cares to see what these characters look like:
Tanisevania and Grim - http://comethime.deviantart.com/art/Educational-Relationship-94595610
Leila and Cyd - http://comethime.deviantart.com/art/Fantasized-73527805
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Shite + fan = KABOOM!
The very end of last night's gaming session was very intense. Like wow.
At first, it was all good. We had a couple random encounters. Tanisevania talked to/hit on Indigo as the group travelled. We stopped to camp and had two uneventful watches.
Then, third watch happened. Kaleena, our Kender rogue (played by my llovely girlfriend), and Vesa, our human bard (played by our friend Mark) always take third watch together. And since Vesa enjoys Kaleena's Kendery antics, he encourages them, often to the torture of other party members. This is especially true of Kankuro, one of the NPC's, and Grim, our Dwarven barbarian (played by our friend Wayne). Grim has been getting really sick of their antics affecting him, but has not said anything to anyone about it, so his frustration has just been building up and building up and building up. And apparently he's been getting frustrated at having to restrict his behavior because of Tanisevania's beliefs, despite the fact that she told him that a) he doesn't have to do anything because of her and b) she doesn't want to control him.
So last night, after another incident where Kaleena and Vesa turned Grim's armor plaid, then bronze, he took watch with them. The two of them got bored and decided to go find something to surprise everyone with for breakfast, and ended up finding poison ivy instead. Kaleena, not knowing what it was, asked Vesa, and he told her it would make her really itchy if she touched her skin with the (gloved) hand she had picked it up with. Then he told her they should go give some to Grim, and Kaleena, not knowing how bad "itchy" really meant, agreed whole-heartedly. Kaleena managed to touch him with the hand that held the poison ivy before, and was very bother-and-climb-all-over-him-or-at-least-try-to in doing so, so he knew something was up. His point in taking watch with them was to catch them doing something to him, so having done so, he decided to retaliate. His plan in retaliating was to try to throw Kaleena into the camp fire.
...Yeah.
Vesa got between them, so Grim threw Kaleena at Vesa, who was able to catch her and stand his ground. However, Grim then tried to bull rush both of them into the fire. Kaleena jumped away, and even though Vesa got an attack of opportunity, he still ended up in the flamity-flames. All of this commotion woke up the rest of the party, including Tanisevania, who was screaming at Grim to stop. Vesa got out of the fire and cast Suggestion on Grim that he was cold, suggesting also that he should warm himself over the fire. Grim leaned over it, and Vesa tried to use his whip to trip him into the fire too, but it didn't work. At this point both Kaleena and Tanisevania were still shouting and screaming at them both to stop; Kaleena shocked that it had gone this far when she only wanted to lighten the mood, Tanisevania mortified at Grim's actions.
So Tanisevania shoved Vesa away from Grim, and once Grim was up, lit into him about what he had done. He defended himself by saying that they were always screwing with his stuff. She told him that harm to material goods is not the same as harm to another living being. He told her that she'd feel the same way if they screwed with Frances, her animal companion, like his stuff had been screwed with. Hurt especially by this because he compared Frances (who is her closest friend) to an object, she grew angrier. At this point, both Vesa and Kaleena has jumped into the argument too. Then Grim just exploded, shouting about how he hated that he's always the one doing something wrong and how he always has to do what Tanisevania says and he always gets harassed and picked on and etc. Then he turned his back on Tanisevania mid-sentence, wished us all a painful death, and stormed off (planning to go on to the capital without us). This left all of us (especially Tanisevania) staring, shocked, after him.
This is what's going through her head right after that, and will be going through her head for the rest of the night: She had no idea that Grim was so upset about all those things, since he never talks to her about that kind of stuff. Still, he had no right to say those things about Frances, and wish that they all die. He also had no right to claim that she restricts him from behaving certain ways, since she made it clear to him on several occasions that she doesn't want to control his behavior. She had hoped he did not have it in him to do that to Vesa, or to anyone that wasn't an enemy. She realizes that she has given him a lot of allowances, overlooked things that she normally wouldn't overlook. She realizes that despite her nature, and her pacifism, she is a little bit in love with him. She is worried about him going on to the capital all alone, but in her pain and anger, will not go find him now. And she'll probably end up crying herself to sleep :(
Soooo yeah. Yay for crazy game angst.
At first, it was all good. We had a couple random encounters. Tanisevania talked to/hit on Indigo as the group travelled. We stopped to camp and had two uneventful watches.
Then, third watch happened. Kaleena, our Kender rogue (played by my llovely girlfriend), and Vesa, our human bard (played by our friend Mark) always take third watch together. And since Vesa enjoys Kaleena's Kendery antics, he encourages them, often to the torture of other party members. This is especially true of Kankuro, one of the NPC's, and Grim, our Dwarven barbarian (played by our friend Wayne). Grim has been getting really sick of their antics affecting him, but has not said anything to anyone about it, so his frustration has just been building up and building up and building up. And apparently he's been getting frustrated at having to restrict his behavior because of Tanisevania's beliefs, despite the fact that she told him that a) he doesn't have to do anything because of her and b) she doesn't want to control him.
So last night, after another incident where Kaleena and Vesa turned Grim's armor plaid, then bronze, he took watch with them. The two of them got bored and decided to go find something to surprise everyone with for breakfast, and ended up finding poison ivy instead. Kaleena, not knowing what it was, asked Vesa, and he told her it would make her really itchy if she touched her skin with the (gloved) hand she had picked it up with. Then he told her they should go give some to Grim, and Kaleena, not knowing how bad "itchy" really meant, agreed whole-heartedly. Kaleena managed to touch him with the hand that held the poison ivy before, and was very bother-and-climb-all-over-him-or-at-least-try-to in doing so, so he knew something was up. His point in taking watch with them was to catch them doing something to him, so having done so, he decided to retaliate. His plan in retaliating was to try to throw Kaleena into the camp fire.
...Yeah.
Vesa got between them, so Grim threw Kaleena at Vesa, who was able to catch her and stand his ground. However, Grim then tried to bull rush both of them into the fire. Kaleena jumped away, and even though Vesa got an attack of opportunity, he still ended up in the flamity-flames. All of this commotion woke up the rest of the party, including Tanisevania, who was screaming at Grim to stop. Vesa got out of the fire and cast Suggestion on Grim that he was cold, suggesting also that he should warm himself over the fire. Grim leaned over it, and Vesa tried to use his whip to trip him into the fire too, but it didn't work. At this point both Kaleena and Tanisevania were still shouting and screaming at them both to stop; Kaleena shocked that it had gone this far when she only wanted to lighten the mood, Tanisevania mortified at Grim's actions.
So Tanisevania shoved Vesa away from Grim, and once Grim was up, lit into him about what he had done. He defended himself by saying that they were always screwing with his stuff. She told him that harm to material goods is not the same as harm to another living being. He told her that she'd feel the same way if they screwed with Frances, her animal companion, like his stuff had been screwed with. Hurt especially by this because he compared Frances (who is her closest friend) to an object, she grew angrier. At this point, both Vesa and Kaleena has jumped into the argument too. Then Grim just exploded, shouting about how he hated that he's always the one doing something wrong and how he always has to do what Tanisevania says and he always gets harassed and picked on and etc. Then he turned his back on Tanisevania mid-sentence, wished us all a painful death, and stormed off (planning to go on to the capital without us). This left all of us (especially Tanisevania) staring, shocked, after him.
This is what's going through her head right after that, and will be going through her head for the rest of the night: She had no idea that Grim was so upset about all those things, since he never talks to her about that kind of stuff. Still, he had no right to say those things about Frances, and wish that they all die. He also had no right to claim that she restricts him from behaving certain ways, since she made it clear to him on several occasions that she doesn't want to control his behavior. She had hoped he did not have it in him to do that to Vesa, or to anyone that wasn't an enemy. She realizes that she has given him a lot of allowances, overlooked things that she normally wouldn't overlook. She realizes that despite her nature, and her pacifism, she is a little bit in love with him. She is worried about him going on to the capital all alone, but in her pain and anger, will not go find him now. And she'll probably end up crying herself to sleep :(
Soooo yeah. Yay for crazy game angst.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Getting in the Mood, again
So obviously there's been another big gap between postings ^^; My gaming group has met all of once in the last month or more, due to life's little complications, so I haven't had much to write about. We're playing again today, however, so its time for me to catch back up on where my character left off.
Tanisevania managed to find the Ni-Shanese Druids after all, and after being invited to feast and chill, she got to talk to an elder named Jin. She told him why she was here, and asked about the Disease. Apparently that has not reached Ni-Shan's forests yet, though they are aware of its existence. She also told them about the tower of undead, and it turns out they were oblivious to it even though it was only 2 days away from them. Concerned, Jin decided to send one of his own - a very very pretty Gnome boy Druid named Indigo - to accompany her back and take a look at the tower. They left immediately, and immediately Tanisevania began flirting, as Indigo is very attractive and she wants to jump his bones.
They reached the tower, and got inside safely, then met everyone as they were waking up that morning. She introduced him to Frances, and the rest of the group too. Vesa is making his dislike of Indigo clear, because they have the same Cha. score, and Grim is suspicious (not out of jealousy, apparently, but because he thinks everyone is a ninja). The group agreed to move on to the capital then, since we've been recruited as bodyguards for the Ambassador we rescued, and that's where he needs to go. Tanisevania asked Indigo if he was going to come along, since he was only sent to check out the tower. He asked her if she wanted him to, she told him that she thought the answer to that was obvious. At that, he agreed to come along after all (stating also that he didn't have orders to return immediately anyhow).
So off we went, and that night, Kaleena and Vesa spent their watch using Kaleena's bag of colors to dye something of everyone's as a surprise gift. Some of us were angry, some were pleased. Indigo's hair is now actually indigo, which he doesn't mind, and Tanisevania's drum is aqua on top (the leather that's stretched over the top, you know).
Aaaaaaand now I gotta go, cause my boss is back. Dammit.
Tanisevania managed to find the Ni-Shanese Druids after all, and after being invited to feast and chill, she got to talk to an elder named Jin. She told him why she was here, and asked about the Disease. Apparently that has not reached Ni-Shan's forests yet, though they are aware of its existence. She also told them about the tower of undead, and it turns out they were oblivious to it even though it was only 2 days away from them. Concerned, Jin decided to send one of his own - a very very pretty Gnome boy Druid named Indigo - to accompany her back and take a look at the tower. They left immediately, and immediately Tanisevania began flirting, as Indigo is very attractive and she wants to jump his bones.
They reached the tower, and got inside safely, then met everyone as they were waking up that morning. She introduced him to Frances, and the rest of the group too. Vesa is making his dislike of Indigo clear, because they have the same Cha. score, and Grim is suspicious (not out of jealousy, apparently, but because he thinks everyone is a ninja). The group agreed to move on to the capital then, since we've been recruited as bodyguards for the Ambassador we rescued, and that's where he needs to go. Tanisevania asked Indigo if he was going to come along, since he was only sent to check out the tower. He asked her if she wanted him to, she told him that she thought the answer to that was obvious. At that, he agreed to come along after all (stating also that he didn't have orders to return immediately anyhow).
So off we went, and that night, Kaleena and Vesa spent their watch using Kaleena's bag of colors to dye something of everyone's as a surprise gift. Some of us were angry, some were pleased. Indigo's hair is now actually indigo, which he doesn't mind, and Tanisevania's drum is aqua on top (the leather that's stretched over the top, you know).
Aaaaaaand now I gotta go, cause my boss is back. Dammit.
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