Editing Age Of Dragons: Characterisation
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'''CHARACTERISATION:''' | '''CHARACTERISATION:''' | ||
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* Name Your Dragon | * Name Your Dragon | ||
* Aesthetic Detailing | * Aesthetic Detailing | ||
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==Name Your Dragon== | ==Name Your Dragon== | ||
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==Aesthetic Detailing== | ==Aesthetic Detailing== | ||
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− | Though the chapters on | + | Though the chapters on BIOLOGY and DRACONIC BREEDS give you a rough idea of what a Dragon of your breed will look like, bear in mind that dragons do not all look the same. |
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This does present a challenge for player characters, of course. While dragons may be obviously varying in appearance from the viewpoint of other dragons, to human eyes, all dragons can look pretty similar. In game, it can be said that dragons have equal difficulty telling different humans apart aside from referring to the most obvious features - sure, that human there has yellow hair, and that one black, and that ones probably female because she's slightly curvier, but to the draconic eye, these little scurrying mammals all look pretty similar. | This does present a challenge for player characters, of course. While dragons may be obviously varying in appearance from the viewpoint of other dragons, to human eyes, all dragons can look pretty similar. In game, it can be said that dragons have equal difficulty telling different humans apart aside from referring to the most obvious features - sure, that human there has yellow hair, and that one black, and that ones probably female because she's slightly curvier, but to the draconic eye, these little scurrying mammals all look pretty similar. | ||
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Try to avoid gross anatomical variations. Saying a dragon has an extra horn is like saying a human has an extra ear. Saying that their scales are twice as large as normal would be as strange as saying a human has fingers and toes of double length. | Try to avoid gross anatomical variations. Saying a dragon has an extra horn is like saying a human has an extra ear. Saying that their scales are twice as large as normal would be as strange as saying a human has fingers and toes of double length. | ||
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− | Instead, its worth considering superficial features that have a story to them ("my dragon has a short scar above his left forelimb, from a duel in his youth, and walks with a slight limp when grounded") and emotive features ("my dragon has a sly and slightly shifty look to him, which gives others the impression he's about to either snap or take flight at any second") | + | Instead, its worth considering superficial features that have a story to them ("my dragon has a short scar above his left forelimb, from a duel in his youth, and walks with a slight limp when grounded") and emotive features ("my dragon has a sly and slightly shifty look to him, which gives others the impression he's about to either snap or take flight at any second"). |
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==Describe Personality== | ==Describe Personality== | ||
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A good way to approach this as a group is for the GM to create some situations, and for the players to say how their dragon would react. Some examples might include: | A good way to approach this as a group is for the GM to create some situations, and for the players to say how their dragon would react. Some examples might include: | ||
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− | * '''The Obstacle''' - A Dragon will often encounter obstacles to his | + | * '''The Obstacle''' - A Dragon will often encounter obstacles to his goals, for example if he wants an artifact, but it is in the hands of another dragon. How does he approach obstacles in general? |
* '''Dealing with Defeat''' - Life never goes perfectly for any dragon. How does your dragon react to setbacks and defeats? | * '''Dealing with Defeat''' - Life never goes perfectly for any dragon. How does your dragon react to setbacks and defeats? | ||
* '''Dealing with Victory''' - When your dragon gets what he wants, how does he react? What thoughts and feelings go through his head? | * '''Dealing with Victory''' - When your dragon gets what he wants, how does he react? What thoughts and feelings go through his head? | ||
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==Create History== | ==Create History== | ||
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− | Your | + | Your Lifepaths and Milestones give you a timeline of your dragon's life till now, but this isn't the sum of his history. Its worth putting flesh on the skeleton that the timeline provides. Sure, you were a Scholar-Sage, but were you a lonely hoarder of lore who studied in the deep desert, or a sociable White Archivist in the Kalarni libraries? |
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− | As well as fleshing out | + | As well as fleshing out the timeline, players may want to create an event or two from their past, which may be personal or tied into the setting's history. These should tell us a little about the character, give something to roleplay off, or provide plot hooks for GMs. Events might be anything from small moments important to the Dragon himself, to grand melodrama. Ambitious player groups may want to roleplay out these memories, either during the prologue to character creation, or during in-game flashback sequences. Some examples to spur your imagination: |
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− | * You discovered | + | * You killed your father after you discovered that you were the product of rape. |
* You were presented with a carved stone tablet by your mentor, as a reward for years of scholarship and study. | * You were presented with a carved stone tablet by your mentor, as a reward for years of scholarship and study. | ||
* You were in a battle once, but held back from full melee because of a knot of fear in your gut. | * You were in a battle once, but held back from full melee because of a knot of fear in your gut. | ||
* You had a sister once, but she went over to the Ascendancy twelve years ago and now you consider her to be dead to you. | * You had a sister once, but she went over to the Ascendancy twelve years ago and now you consider her to be dead to you. | ||
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==Establish Character Relationships== | ==Establish Character Relationships== | ||
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Consider the other player characters and the back-stories they have made. Can you link your story to theirs? Even if you barely know them, can you say how your dragon views them? | Consider the other player characters and the back-stories they have made. Can you link your story to theirs? Even if you barely know them, can you say how your dragon views them? | ||
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− | Creating binding ties between player characters is extremely important. The power and mobility of the player characters means that it is very easy for a solo dragon player characters to move away from the others, so that he is effectively playing in his own little story away | + | Creating binding ties between player characters is extremely important. The power and mobility of the player characters means that it is very easy for a solo dragon player characters to move away from the others, so that he is effectively playing in his own little story away fromt he others. This makes for very hard work for the GM, but forcing characters to stay together unnaturally can strain disbelief (''"uh, you all meet in a tavern... a draconic tavern"''), so its the players' responsibility to give their characters reasons to interact. |
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− | That's not to say it all needs to be true friendship and camaraderie - a century long rivalry, or an unrequited love | + | That's not to say it all needs to be true friendship and camaraderie - a century long rivalry, or an unrequited love relationship works just as well as comradeship and perfect friendship. As with everything else in your character's background, his relationships are there to provide material for roleplaying and storytelling. |
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==Set Agenda== | ==Set Agenda== | ||
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==Consolidate Character== | ==Consolidate Character== | ||
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− | Finally sit back and take a look at the character you've made. If it doesn't hang together you may want to double back to earlier steps of | + | Finally sit back and take a look at the character you've made. If it doesn't hang together you may want to double back to earlier steps of character generation and tweak or redo them. Its worth letting the other players know all about the Dragon you've just created, and getting constructive feedback. If Dragons in the group don't mesh well enough to belong in the same story, you can make adjustments as a group to make the GM's life easier. |
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+ | Visualise your Dragon, and based on what you've created so far, decide where he is now, and what he is doing. Tell the group this as well, and once everyone is ready, this is the time to start playing the game. | ||
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− | + | Good luck! | |
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− | [[Category:Age_of_Dragons | + | [[Category:Age_of_Dragons]] |