S1E3 – The Quest: Parties & Characters

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Alignment

Remember that your alignment is a tool to help you role-play, not a leash to limit you. There are aspects of alignment that will restrain your character and make you, the player, consider that the actions you are contemplating might not be what your character would do.

Role-playing is about being someone else, and alignments can help you define who that someone else is and guide you through their life and decisions, rather than your own.

Many, many games have alignment systems. Look at games other than the one you are playing when considering how to RP your alignment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_(role-playing_games)

Unbalanced vs Balanced Parties

Having a balanced party goes beyond class and level. Your personalities can conflict and cause an unbalancing of a group.

You can run a balanced game of like characters with great success. Don’t limit the role you choose to play in a game based on what others are playing, but keep in mind how you will be able to interact with them.

The traditional D&D party can be a good start, but isn’t needed, and can get a little boring to play over and over. Think outside the box.

Avoid being a Mary Sue! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

Playing the Sidekick

Not everyone always gets to be the hero, and sometimes the sidekick can be the most fun to play. Whether you are Dick Grayson or Sancho Panza, the sidekick is always in intractable part of the story, even if not the focus.

Sidekicks can be some of the most beloved characters in a story as well. Han Solo is, in essence, a sidekick to Luke Skywalker for much of the story. Sure, it can be argued that Han is a “co-hero”, but really, that comes a little later.

Few people remain the sidekick forever.  Han becomes one of the main heroes of the Star Wars universe, Dick Grayson becomes NightWing.

How Easy Should it be to Change Your Character in a Game?

This is a complex question, and the variety of answers is just as complex.

The most important thing to think about before making any changes to your character is, “can I change this through role-play?”

While changing a character can be a mechanical change on a character sheet, the intent of role-playing games is to experience life, and life can change us as people. Let the game change your character, roll with the changes, and if you don’t like something about the character, role-playing the character trying to change that thing about themselves.

Character Naming

What’s in a name? The answer can be harder than one may think.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130724-names-psychology-meaning-royal-baby-william-kate/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20130724news-namebab&utm_campaign=Content

Naming a character is a lot like naming a child. This name will help define who that person is and what they will accomplish in their lives. It affects the way others see them, and often, how they see themselves.

There are a lot of resources that one can use when choosing names, and several different methods as well.

Here are a few places to look for names:

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1582979200

http://www.behindthename.com/random/

http://www.babynames.com/

Remember that your name should be something you remember. You should not have to look at your sheet when someone asks you who you are. Make the name something that helps you define the character you are playing.

Final thoughts

Your character is important, but don’t be a hindrance to your party. Add something to the story and have some personality without being obnoxious.

Remember, there is always an honorable way out!

motivator

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