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Post by grumblyarcher on Oct 9, 2015 5:42:41 GMT
As we all know, it can be the little details that make a character. Small things like hobbies or strange talents can be the difference between a block of numbers for manipulating probability and an interesting fictional being. For instance, one of my Pathfinder characters put a few ranks in Craft (Cooking) and carried a small supply of assorted spices as he was from a far flung land and adventuring in a fantasy analogue of Medieval England and found the food unbearably bland.
So let's hear 'em. I want to hear some from you guys. What odd little talents or abilities did you sink a bit of resources into that were not immediately relevant to the game's plot.
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Jonny
Member of the Order of the Quill
Host of The Magnus Archives
Turns out I was a ghost all along.
Posts: 114 
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Post by Jonny on Oct 9, 2015 9:57:48 GMT
I generally run Savage Worlds, which doesn't have much in the way of superfluous skills or abilities to sink actual points into. Generally, I usually see my players really start to get their characters about about 3-4 sessions in, and from that point whatever weirdness they have in them tends to be channelled and amplified through whatever skills they do have. Also, if it's fun enough, the players always find a way to make it plot-relevant.
Example springs to mind is I was running a Deadlands Noir game a year or so back - 1930s supernatural New Orleans setting, and one of my players decided he was going to play "Smilin'" Mike Malone - a comedian. It didn't take many bungled Perform rolls before it was established that he was a specifically a bad comedian. This became powerfully relevant during the finale of the campaign, when Smilin' Mike had been kidnapped as a ritual sacrifice, and kept rolling so good on his Taunt that he delayed the ritual for six hours with bad jokes, while the rest of the party searched for the ritual site. The cult gagged him, beat him, morphined him, but nothing could stop him disrupting their chanting with a long, rambling, drugged-up comedy set until the cavalry arrived. It was beautiful
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Post by Brave Sir Robin on Oct 9, 2015 11:44:19 GMT
Depending on the system I will often give a character some points in a 'hobby' - generally crafting of some kind. (I also had one character who really enjoyed cooking.) This often ends up developing into some sort of magical crafting ability if the campaign extends too far and there ends up being a bunch of downtime.
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Post by Alex Newall on Nov 2, 2015 15:43:24 GMT
I normally insist all PCs have a "proper job" and hobby in games I run. I have many answers to this but unfortunately I am almost certainly going to make use of them for NOCs so I have to wimp out on the question personally.  |
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Post by grumblyarcher on Nov 2, 2015 18:15:35 GMT
One of the more recent variant rules Paizo released tried to make having an 'everyday job' easier for characters, especially those that only get two skill points a level. They divided the skill list into adventuring and background skills, the major difference being that the background skills are less often directly useful in an adventure, and then granted all characters two more skill points per level to be spent specifically on the background skills. It can be a nice little boost if you want to toss it in.
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Post by Alex Newall on Nov 3, 2015 1:34:23 GMT
Not really necessary at this point but good to know for future games.
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Post by grumblyarcher on Nov 3, 2015 6:06:59 GMT
Yeah, it's one of the things I like about Paizo is that they aren't shy about offering interesting side systems for Pathfinder. A great example is their special systems for one-on-one duels with both magic and mundane means. I'm probably never going to use them but by gods the systems are there incase I may need them.
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Post by Brave Sir Robin on Nov 3, 2015 17:46:14 GMT
One of the more recent variant rules Paizo released tried to make having an 'everyday job' easier for characters, especially those that only get two skill points a level. They divided the skill list into adventuring and background skills, the major difference being that the background skills are less often directly useful in an adventure, and then granted all characters two more skill points per level to be spent specifically on the background skills. It can be a nice little boost if you want to toss it in. I love this idea! It may not work for RQG, but I will definitely include it in any future games I run. |
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