Introduction.
There are many of possible goals & play styles, people can play as they wish ... but not everyone will want to play with those who abuse, and i think it's wise to avoid harmful 'company'.
... playstyles can be combined - one can include skills/powers in talk, expressions, descriptions, etc.
Powergaming doesn't have to exclude 'playing roles'.
... initial character idea often evolves after character's creation.
... failinig is character development, i think.
Evoking moods.
i started Game-Mastering with 'Ravenloft' AD&D Horror Game setting. Earlier tries with 'Crystals of Time' were far too unsignificiant to consider them a true start.
Various types of scares, romaticism, evoking various feelings & moods were taught & considered to play with, to entertain.
Word plays, acting, voice modulation were considered, as well as building up tensions, drama & other tools.
Intelectual Game.
Many players love intellectual challenges - social games, politics, puzzles, plotting, scheming, combat tactics and/or problem solving.
Power Gaming.
Many players like to feel power, advantage over others - either over other players, their characters or game-master-guided adversaries.
i think that lessons of skillfull and responsible power-wielding can be nice challenges, ... - but there's danger of very quick escalation into immaturity, into conflicts and/or worse.
...
... is 'dressing nicely' a form of powergaming?
...
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
Going beyond a Class & Archetype.
There are roleplaying games with character classess, such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Strictly adhering to selected class is somewhat limiting, as far as character's description & idea originality goes.
Class is a stereotype, but also a 'framework' for a character.
To enrich storytelling, characters & game masters can use character class to describe character's abilities, then come up with alternate description & name for an in-character's profession.
This can include unusual background, morality, personality, goals - as well as a weapon, armour & tool choices, etc.
Examples:
1. Is Your Monk-class character in fact a Yogin? Which of monastic vows he did take, which he did not?
2. Is Your Fighter-class character is in fact ceremonial warrior of a temple? Does he fight in Ceremonial Robes instead of in a Full-Plate Armour? How he thinks about violence & harm, how he thinks about self-defence & protecting others? Does he eat meat?
3. Is your Cleric-class character coming from far-eastern continent in fact a Mage-Priestess caste member, a worshipper of light & shadow? A godless sect believing in self-realization & self-ascension? Is she gentle & pragmatic or ruthless & brutal? Did she swore to not use certain weapons because of her religion?
There's lot of possibilities for character design, even with limiting factor of a character classes - but let's not deny it - skill based character creation usually offers more of flexibility for character creation than class-systems.
Strictly adhering to selected class is somewhat limiting, as far as character's description & idea originality goes.
Class is a stereotype, but also a 'framework' for a character.
To enrich storytelling, characters & game masters can use character class to describe character's abilities, then come up with alternate description & name for an in-character's profession.
This can include unusual background, morality, personality, goals - as well as a weapon, armour & tool choices, etc.
Examples:
1. Is Your Monk-class character in fact a Yogin? Which of monastic vows he did take, which he did not?
2. Is Your Fighter-class character is in fact ceremonial warrior of a temple? Does he fight in Ceremonial Robes instead of in a Full-Plate Armour? How he thinks about violence & harm, how he thinks about self-defence & protecting others? Does he eat meat?
3. Is your Cleric-class character coming from far-eastern continent in fact a Mage-Priestess caste member, a worshipper of light & shadow? A godless sect believing in self-realization & self-ascension? Is she gentle & pragmatic or ruthless & brutal? Did she swore to not use certain weapons because of her religion?
There's lot of possibilities for character design, even with limiting factor of a character classes - but let's not deny it - skill based character creation usually offers more of flexibility for character creation than class-systems.
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