Author Topic: Character Transformation  (Read 14095 times)

Offline NecroKeogh

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Character Transformation
« on: March 19, 2007, 08:41:52 PM »
Back in my World of Darkness days (specifically, Masquerade/Requiem and Awakening/Ascension), it always thrilled me to play an otherwise normal and unassuming character that, through fantastic circumstance or plain cat-killing curiosity, stumbled into an entirely new world by being reborn into one of the members of that new world. As a vampire, I consistently allowed my character's past and established personality to intrude upon and conflict with his recent identity as an undead predator. How does a former, esteem-lacking office nonentity cope with his rebirth into a vampire, for instance? Does he allow the newfound power to go to his head and corrupt who he is, or does it add only another dimension to his lack of esteem? The same went for my magi. What does a former, staunch logician do when he awakens (or ascends) to magical status? I'm hoping to replicate those experiences with the RPG being released for the Dresden Files, and since the overarching theme depicted above is change and its effects on the individual, I wonder what kind of freedom the game will allow in that respect.

Will it be possible to be a character that is an average, mortal human being and have him progress to Wizard status, for example? What if my character has no magical skill? Are there methods available to somehow increase his skill and give him the same heavy-hitting properties as Dresden's potential? Also, are there other magical beings available to play such as a Knight of the Cross? I basically want a powerless character that comes into power to explore the psychology of such a transition, and I am curious as to what extent the RPG will allow me to create that experience.

Offline Samldanach

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 11:48:11 AM »
Well, there are certainly a couple examples of such in the books.  Werewolves and vampires are the simplest and most obvious examples.  You could also easily play someone who was completely ordinary until some sort of artifact (e.g. Denarius, or even a creature like Mouse) "chose" them.  Wizards are probably not a real option, as it takes a lot of training to develop the power, so there wouldn't be the sharp demarcation of "normal life" vs. "abnormal life."

The other important difference is that the Dresdenverse doesn't have the well-defined veil that WoD does.  In WoD, generally, you either know nothing about vampires, a tiny amount of pretty generic information (if you're one of the other supernatural critters), or just about everything you could want to know (if you've been Embraced).  In Dresden, you can run the whole spectrum, and just because you know some things doesn't mean you know other things.  E.g., Michael seems to be generally pretty clueless about the Fae, and really about the NeverNever in general.  Yet, he knows a lot about the kinds of critters he usually fights.



Offline iago

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 04:03:26 PM »
Will it be possible to be a character that is an average, mortal human being and have him progress to Wizard status, for example?

Yep.

Quote
What if my character has no magical skill? Are there methods available to somehow increase his skill and give him the same heavy-hitting properties as Dresden's potential?

Yep.

Quote
Also, are there other magical beings available to play such as a Knight of the Cross?

Yep.

Quote
I basically want a powerless character that comes into power to explore the psychology of such a transition, and I am curious as to what extent the RPG will allow me to create that experience.

Baked right in.
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Offline Lady Geektastic

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2007, 12:07:59 AM »
Fred, you are funderful.
Some people are like slinkies. They're basically useless, yet you still can't help but smile as you shove them down the stairs.

Offline NecroKeogh

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2007, 04:24:31 AM »
Well, there are certainly a couple examples of such in the books.  Werewolves and vampires are the simplest and most obvious examples.  You could also easily play someone who was completely ordinary until some sort of artifact (e.g. Denarius, or even a creature like Mouse) "chose" them.  Wizards are probably not a real option, as it takes a lot of training to develop the power, so there wouldn't be the sharp demarcation of "normal life" vs. "abnormal life."

I disagree with your assessment of the wizard as a viable character for my specifications. Though an individual's power may, initially, be far from what it will eventually grow to be, the realization that such power is within one's grasp may bring about the sort of psychological alteration that I seek in a character. The differential between the normal, mundane life and the supernaturally inclined life would be more than substantial by that actualization alone. You have my gratitude for your reply, nonetheless.

Will it be possible to be a character that is an average, mortal human being and have him progress to Wizard status, for example?

Yep.

Quote
What if my character has no magical skill? Are there methods available to somehow increase his skill and give him the same heavy-hitting properties as Dresden's potential?

Yep.

Quote
Also, are there other magical beings available to play such as a Knight of the Cross?

Yep.

Quote
I basically want a powerless character that comes into power to explore the psychology of such a transition, and I am curious as to what extent the RPG will allow me to create that experience.

Baked right in.

Thank you for your input.

Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Offline Rechan

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 08:47:50 AM »
I'd also note that from what it looks like, Mortals are capable of dishing out the badassery too.

Point of fact being Murphy. While she gets pushed and knocked around, she certainly is in the middle of the action in a lot of cases. She has no powers, just her akido and gun.

Same with Marcone. He faces down the Loup-Garou and Nicodemus with knives and a rifle. Being an exceptionally talented human who just gets dropped in with all the magic may not suddenly give Joe Schmo great powers that he has to deal with, but now you have someone who's At The Top of Their Game suddenly realizing they, the big fish in the pond, are really just a little fish in the sea. And yet they still contend with the big predators.

Or if you prefer, Mr. Martial Arts Instructor or Mr. Average Priest who gets dropped into the middle of a supernatural conflict and realizes he has to survive. And where Mr. Priest believes in god and the power of miracles, he never would have realized he has the power of Faith magic on his side that he can literally wield. And Mr. Martial Artist who just thought he did this for defense now is stuck having to apply it to more difficult challenges than a mugger.

Quote
I disagree with your assessment of the wizard as a viable character for my specifications. Though an individual's power may, initially, be far from what it will eventually grow to be, the realization that such power is within one's grasp may bring about the sort of psychological alteration that I seek in a character. The differential between the normal, mundane life and the supernaturally inclined life would be more than substantial by that actualization alone.

You may have a point with regards to a full fledged Wizard. But consider the likes of Victor or Kravos, who were mortal men who just discovered later in life that they had a gift, and thus mutured it slowly on their own, with no one there. Harry called them "talented amateurs". It's possible that someone could be walking around with a gift, and not know it, and only after being exposed to something, start looking for answers and finding it. They may not have the full potential power of a Wizard, but they might be a one or two trick pony who can learn a few things.

Because remember, the werewolves really got one trick: become a wolf. In the grand scheme of things, that's not that impressive or powerful. But it's useful. So ultimately if they can do one or two things, but do them well, does that fit your definition, or would you classify that as a weak secondary character who's less interesting? Because I think a character who stumbles across the ability of say, an Ectomancer (someone who speaks/deals with spirits) may not be useful all the time, but he's great for recon, and information gathering, and maybe indrectly useful in combat. Not every character needs to be a heavy hitter, but merely a contender. Sort've like how in D&D no one wants to play the cleric or the bard, because they're "support" roles. And yet, a character who gains these abilities could likely change - even the smallest thing like the Ectomancery, the character could summon the ghosts of relatives of his co-workers, just to find out the dirt on them, so he can spread rumors.

Offline Samldanach

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 01:20:43 PM »
I disagree with your assessment of the wizard as a viable character for my specifications. Though an individual's power may, initially, be far from what it will eventually grow to be, the realization that such power is within one's grasp may bring about the sort of psychological alteration that I seek in a character. The differential between the normal, mundane life and the supernaturally inclined life would be more than substantial by that actualization alone. You have my gratitude for your reply, nonetheless.

OK, perhaps I misunderstood your specifications, then.  It would seem that you could play pretty much anyone who wasn't born into the supernatural world, and fit these specifications.  It seems like that would cut out the Fae (though possibly you could even pull off a changeling), the child of someone supernaturally inclined (assuming the parent/s didn't hide their nature), and anyone who had an obvious gift from birth (like the kid from Sixth Sense).  That leaves the field pretty wide open.


Offline Lady Geektastic

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2007, 11:42:01 PM »
Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Just expressing my happiness with Fred's inclusion of those elements. It sounds like fun, and for doing so Fred is wonderful. Ergo: Funderful.

Also, I was thinking about a Futurama episode where Bender was trying to figure out which word would destroy the world if he said it. ^.^
Some people are like slinkies. They're basically useless, yet you still can't help but smile as you shove them down the stairs.

Offline NecroKeogh

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2007, 01:15:57 AM »
Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Just expressing my happiness with Fred's inclusion of those elements. It sounds like fun, and for doing so Fred is wonderful. Ergo: Funderful.

Also, I was thinking about a Futurama episode where Bender was trying to figure out which word would destroy the world if he said it. ^.^

I understand your intentions, and believe me when I say that I took offense only in jest, unless of course your Futurama reference is intended to apply one of Bender's most frequently used terms to me (i.e calling me an a**).

Offline Lady Geektastic

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2007, 07:30:55 PM »
Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Just expressing my happiness with Fred's inclusion of those elements. It sounds like fun, and for doing so Fred is wonderful. Ergo: Funderful.

Also, I was thinking about a Futurama episode where Bender was trying to figure out which word would destroy the world if he said it. ^.^

I understand your intentions, and believe me when I say that I took offense only in jest, unless of course your Futurama reference is intended to apply one of Bender's most frequently used terms to me (i.e calling me an a**).

Nope. I just really wanted to say "funderful".
Some people are like slinkies. They're basically useless, yet you still can't help but smile as you shove them down the stairs.

Offline Rel Fexive

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2007, 11:10:47 PM »
Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Just expressing my happiness with Fred's inclusion of those elements. It sounds like fun, and for doing so Fred is wonderful. Ergo: Funderful.

Also, I was thinking about a Futurama episode where Bender was trying to figure out which word would destroy the world if he said it. ^.^

I understand your intentions, and believe me when I say that I took offense only in jest, unless of course your Futurama reference is intended to apply one of Bender's most frequently used terms to me (i.e calling me an a**).

You might be being overly sensitive.... but politely, which is good :D
THE DOCTOR: I'll do a thing.
RIVER SONG: What thing?
THE DOCTOR: I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing!

Offline NecroKeogh

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2007, 11:32:25 PM »
Fred, you are funderful.

Are you insulting me by complimenting iago and, by extension, his terse responses to my questions incased in a comparatively long-winded post which, by implication, means that you find mockery in my writing style?

I think that was a viable joke, but a lack of a sense of humor makes me doubtful.


Just expressing my happiness with Fred's inclusion of those elements. It sounds like fun, and for doing so Fred is wonderful. Ergo: Funderful.

Also, I was thinking about a Futurama episode where Bender was trying to figure out which word would destroy the world if he said it. ^.^

I understand your intentions, and believe me when I say that I took offense only in jest, unless of course your Futurama reference is intended to apply one of Bender's most frequently used terms to me (i.e calling me an a**).

You might be being overly sensitive.... but politely, which is good :D

You too, evidently, possess a streak of "diplomacy" if you will because you've refrained from calling me outright paranoid--which is a condition that I readily admit to  ;).

Offline Rel Fexive

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Re: Character Transformation
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2007, 11:48:46 PM »
Text on a screen is harder to "read" than a person with facial expressions, even with a ;) to help it along, it's true.
THE DOCTOR: I'll do a thing.
RIVER SONG: What thing?
THE DOCTOR: I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing!