Age Of Dragons: Characterisation - Revision history

Asklepios at 15:18, 24 March 2009

2009-03-24T15:18:11Z

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 There are twelve [[Age Of Dragons: The Twelve Breeds|draconic breeds]], and which you select will go a long way towards determining what sort of dragon you are depicting.
-Its worth checking with the GM which breeds are available at the outset of the game, as the nature of the ''Dragonwar'' means that often players will all be on one side of the battle or the other (i.e. Alliance or Ascendancy).
+<br>In the default '''Age of Dragons''' setting there are twelve Dragon Breeds to select from:
 <br><br>
 ==Name Your Dragon==

Asklepios: /* Consolidate Character */

2009-03-24T15:09:31Z

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 characterisation and tweak or adjust details. 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.		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 characterisation and tweak or adjust details. 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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	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 putting numbers to the character sheet...		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 putting numbers to the character sheet. You can always come back to characterisation later in the character generation process, and tweak and modify as you go, but its worth avoiding writing anything on the character sheet till you have at least a fairly good idea as to who your dragon is.
	<br><br><br>		<br><br><br>
	----		----
	[[Category:Age_of_Dragons\|Characterisation]]		[[Category:Age_of_Dragons\|Characterisation]]

Asklepios: /* Establish Character Relationships */

2009-03-24T15:08:06Z

Establish Character Relationships

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:08, 24 March 2009
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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 from the 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.		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 from the 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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	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.		That's not to say it all needs to be true friendship and camaraderie - a century long rivalry, or an unrequited love work 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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>

Asklepios: /* Create History */

2009-03-24T15:07:37Z

Create History

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 24 March 2009
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	==Create History==		==Create History==
	<br>		<br>
	Your Lifepath ~~gives~~ you an outline of your dragon's activities till now, but this isn't the sum of his history. Its worth putting flesh on the skeleton that the lifepath 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?		Your selected ''Lifepath'' will give you an outline of your dragon's broad activities till now, but this isn't the sum of his history. Its worth putting flesh on the skeleton that the lifepath 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?
			<br><br>
			If this is your first character, you might not yet have any idea what lifepath you may want for your dragon - in this case it might be worth coming back to your history later, and filling in these details as the character generation process continues.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	As well as fleshing out their timelines, 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:		As well as fleshing out their timelines, 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:
	<br>		<br>
	* You ~~killed your father after you~~ discovered that you were the product of rape.		* You discovered recently that you were the product of a 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.

Asklepios: /* Describe Personality */

2009-03-24T15:05:20Z

Describe Personality

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 24 March 2009
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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:
	<br>		<br>
	* '''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?		* '''The Obstacle''' - A Dragon will often encounter obstacles to his goalsHow 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?

Asklepios: /* Aesthetic Detailing */

2009-03-24T15:04:39Z

Aesthetic Detailing

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:04, 24 March 2009
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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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	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"). Describing your dragon in these terms allows you to maintain versimillitude, while at the same time allowing for a degree of aesthetic variation.
	<br><br>		<br><br>

Asklepios at 15:03, 24 March 2009

2009-03-24T15:03:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 24 March 2009
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	<br>		<br>
	'''CHARACTERISATION:'''		'''CHARACTERISATION:'''
			* Select your Breed
	* Name Your Dragon		* Name Your Dragon
	* Aesthetic Detailing		* Aesthetic Detailing
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	<br>		<br>

			==Select your Breed==

			There are twelve [[Age Of Dragons: The Twelve Breeds\|draconic breeds]], and which you select will go a long way towards determining what sort of dragon you are depicting.

			Its worth checking with the GM which breeds are available at the outset of the game, as the nature of the ''Dragonwar'' means that often players will all be on one side of the battle or the other (i.e. Alliance or Ascendancy).
			<br><br>
	==Name Your Dragon==		==Name Your Dragon==
	<br>		<br>

Asklepios: /* Consolidate Character */

2009-03-24T14:59:58Z

Consolidate Character

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 24 March 2009
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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 characterisation and tweak or adjust details. 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.		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 characterisation and tweak or adjust details. 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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	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~~.		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 putting numbers to the character sheet...
	~~<br><br>~~
	~~Good luck!~~
	<br><br><br>		<br><br><br>
	----		----
	[[Category:Age_of_Dragons\|Characterisation]]		[[Category:Age_of_Dragons\|Characterisation]]

Asklepios at 15:30, 5 January 2009

2009-01-05T15:30:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:30, 5 January 2009
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	<br><br><br>		<br><br><br>
	----		----
	[[Category:Age_of_Dragons]]		[[Category:Age_of_Dragons\|Characterisation]]

Asklepios: /* Aesthetic Detailing */

2008-08-27T16:24:26Z

Aesthetic Detailing

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:24, 27 August 2008
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	==Aesthetic Detailing==		==Aesthetic Detailing==
	<br>		<br>
	Though the chapters on [[Age Of Dragons: Biology\|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.		Though the chapters on [[Age Of Dragons: Biology\|biology]] and [[Age Of Dragons: The Twelve Breeds\|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.
	<br><br>		<br><br>
	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.