The Aspect Help Thread: Because It's Hard to Phrase Things Just Right...

[finnmckool]

So I was gonna come in here and ask for some help from you guys on how to word or frame an aspect for one of my players, then I saw there was no thread for this visible, so I thought I'd start one.

I need help phrasing her Where do you come from Aspect which is she's a fae changeling who doesn't know her origins. She "grew up" in Winter's Court, but she was mostly ignored/tolerated and kept in a corner, and was raised as a straight fae (though she actually has far fewer known powers). There's a whole sneaky backstory reason for this that even the player doesn't know, so I shan't utter it here, but for now I need your all's advice on how best to word the aspect of "don't know where I come from" so that it's invokable and compellable. My group is having some system adjustment issues and I want them fully exploiting this new "aspect" system to the fullest. In short, I need it to be "En Fuego!"

Any one else have any aspect assitance needs?

[ironchicken]

Cold and lonely childhood

Faeries stole my school years

Missed mortal schooling

[Tsunami]

How about "Foster Child of the Winter Court" ?

That would, for me at least, sum up pretty well what you said about her so far.

Origin unknown, growing up without really belonging, being ignored, sidelined, being raised as something you aren't.

Invoke for: knowledge about Winter, maybe some contacts, but also when going against Winter because she never really belonged. Social stuff, because you do have ties, even if they are brittle.

Compel to:
Make her fail socially in a Winter Context, make her be resentful against Winter, make her want to help a lost child...

I'm  sure with the sneaky backstory you have on hand you'll be able to think of many more possibilities for Invokes as well as Compels.

[finnmckool]

yeah, that works in some ways because she's sort of on the run from winter. and summer. tee-hee.

[Ihadris]

My child hood was a fairy-tale

Invoke for: Knoweldge of fae, particularly winter court.
Compell for: Lack of mortal knowledge and perhaps, social skills.

[Ophidimancer]

How about Red Headed Stepchild of the Winter Court?  Or maybe Bastard Child of Winter?

[CMEast]

Not a winter wonderland.

Given the cold shoulder.

I really like the 'Cold and Lonely Childhood' aspect ironchicken suggested, Tsunami's suggestion works but there's not much poetry to it.

[finnmckool]

i think Ihadris may have it. it has poetry and functionality and that's where i'm lookin.

i'll kick all of them at her and see what she likes. keep'em comin!

And anyone else need some assistance?+

[Ophidimancer]

Name:  Jasim "Jay" Bashir
High Concept: Teenage Reincarnation of an Emissary of Ishtar
Trouble:  There's an Ancient Sex Priestess In My Head!!!

Background:  Jasim comes from a Muslim family living in America and, although he was raised in a pretty devout household, he tends to just want to live the American Dream of being a popular high school jock.  As the captain of the soccer team he enjoys the perks of being in the in crowd, despite the fact that he has lost touch with his heritage.  Little does he know that it will bite him in the ass, because both sides of his family are very distantly related to an ancient bloodline of Babylonian priests.  He's lately begun to have disturbingly vivid dreams of ancient times and places.  More embarrassing for him, he's also having wet dreams about men.

Aspect:  Should I go with Not So Good Muslim Boy or All-American Muslim Boy?  Or is there some other way to phrase this better?

[finnmckool]

New World Boy with Old Country Problems?

If you wanna make it more about his family (a less potent aspect, but good embarrassing occasional fun) "How do I explain this to mom and dad?'

"But I'm an American!"

I think I like the first one better.

[CMEast]

How about something like 'Caught between two worlds'? Is he American or Arabic? Straight or gay? Popular jock or disturbed deviant? Enjoying the present or lost in the past? The character is trapped between two entirely separate, constantly conflicting lives.

Other variants are:
'Identity crises'
'Living two lives'
'Double date with destiny'

and so forth... Hope that helps!

[Ihadris]

I think CSEast nailed that one with 'Caught between two worlds' but as another option, perhaps 'Not just the American Dream' or 'There is more than the American Dream in my head'

He is drawn to more than American popular culture's ideal, has more obligations (such as to his heritage and his family) then the average kid and the added burden of the priestess and the dreams

[Ophidimancer]

How about something like 'Caught between two worlds'? Is he American or Arabic? Straight or gay? Popular jock or disturbed deviant? Enjoying the present or lost in the past? The character is trapped between two entirely separate, constantly conflicting lives.

Other variants are:
'Identity crises'
'Living two lives'
'Double date with destiny'

and so forth... Hope that helps!

Brilliant!  That does help.  This is kinda how I want this use Aspect:

Invoke:  In social situations because he has learned to get along as a popular Amrican high schooler, but he still remembers the basic etiquette and rituals pounded into his head by his family.
Compel:  Again in social situations, although he definitely is a modern American kid, he's very much not white in appearance, and his neglect of his heritage means that he often has no clue about the finer nuances of his family's culture and religion.
Declaration:  "Of course I know who won American Idol."  "Oh yeah east is that way, it's toward Mecca."

Do you think "Caught Between Two Worlds" captures that?

[CMEast]

Hmm perhaps something like:
'Torn between two worlds' - Close to my first suggestion but torn has a better feel, plus it adds alliteration.
'A foot in each world' - This works, though you could add 'not fully in either' after to make it clear I suppose.
'Two lives, both lies' - not quite lies, but I'm weak for rhyme
'Leading a double life (Badly)' - or 'leading two lives (ish) (sort of) etc

The first two are the best I think. Bear in mind that as long as the GM knows what the aspect represents that's all that matters, still it's nice to find something catchy that summarises that part of the character completely

Hope it helps!