Thoughts on RPing a party.

[Scarey Nerd]

OK GITP people, it's time for thinking caps.

Our current game is... strange, to say the least :smalltongue: We have a CN half-orc barbarian, a CN elf rogue, a CN olidammara cleric halfing, a TN elf druid, a LG half-elf paladin and a psionic of undetermined race (will edit this if and when). The campaign is situated in a war between some elves and orcs, and the characters have only just met.

How would the good people of the internet act in this situation?

[Flail_master]

OK GITP people, it's time for thinking caps.

Our current game is... strange, to say the least :smalltongue: We have a CN half-orc barbarian, a CN elf rogue, a CN olidammara cleric halfing, a TN elf druid, a LG half-elf paladin and a psionic of undetermined race (will edit this if and when). The campaign is situated in a war between some elves and orcs, and the characters have only just met.

How would the good people of the internet act in this situation?

ah lemme correct this (pally speakin btw :P) our psion is a synad, the one with three consciences, the overmind is NG, the seer or whatever is TN and the collective will be NE i believe

so yeah there ya go :P

[Scarey Nerd]

ah lemme correct this (pally speakin btw :P) our psion is a synad, the one with three consciences, the overmind is NG, the seer or whatever is TN and the collective will be NE i believe

so yeah there ya go :P

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't NE conflict rather majorly with That Which We Do Not Speak Of?

[Flail_master]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't NE conflict rather majorly with That Which We Do Not Speak Of?

lol the point in it is that its a conscienceness that only he can hear, and it only speaks through him every 20 years or so, the overmind, (the actual character) would be listening to his voice and advice, but overall he would ignore all the evil advice he gives, he wont manifest in actions or speach very much at all, make that almost never

[Scarey Nerd]

Ah, OK. All I've known prior to that post is that he has 3 consciousness and is a psionic. That's it.

[Nero24200]

What specifically do you mean by how would we act? As the DM or player?

Though the first thing that spings to mind is the split-personality psionic. If he's occasionally going to be popping out evil auras that might cause a problem with the paladin. In fact, if the paladin can't sense evil one minute but then does the next, it's not unreasonable for the paladin to assume this..

..."This person must be planning something big. Why else would he go out his way to actively hide his evil aura?"

Though to be fair, I don't like the idea of someone trying to slip an evil character in a party featuring a paladin, just in the same way I wouldn't be happy with someone trying to play a blighter when we have a druid, or two people playing clerics of gods so opposed to each other that thier followers usally attack each other on sight.

So the first thing I'd do is talk to the pally/psion player, so if one is willing to bend, since I can't see good things happening. I'd more be inclined to talk to the Psion, since RPing 3 different personalities has cause to go wrong more easily.

[Severus]

I'd start over.

This party to me looks like its going to spend all its time in-fighting rather than actually adventuring. But that's just me. I'd want the players to agree before character creation which side they're picking. Elves/Orcs/Neutral and design characters accordingly.

Of course, you can just have a big brawl first session, and just keep killing each other until you're all on one side if that's what floats your boat.

[erikun]

Someone once said: You make the choices for your character; your character does not make the choices for you.

What it means is that, if you want the party to get along, come up with some reason for the party to get along. Perhaps they knew each other, or perhaps they are forced together by circumstances, or perhaps they feel their skills complement each other. Perhaps there is something more important than the elves vs. orcs war - after all, not every person on each side of the war will share the same sentiments.

Of course, the CN/NE characters may decide to do something to compromise the paladin's code of honor, but again, this is the players deciding to mess around with the party dynamic. Please note that evil characters do not radiate evil unless they are actively doing evil-stuff.

The opposite is also true. You could certainly have the group start fighting, attacking each other, and intentionally trying to mess with each others' alignments. However, this is something that the players decide to do, not something that their characters have decided to do "because it fits the character and is a more sensible RP." I mean, if you want to play that game, there's no problem in doing so. However, it's still a decision that the players make.

[Scarey Nerd]

I'd start over.

This party to me looks like its going to spend all its time in-fighting rather than actually adventuring. But that's just me. I'd want the players to agree before character creation which side they're picking. Elves/Orcs/Neutral and design characters accordingly.

Of course, you can just have a big brawl first session, and just keep killing each other until you're all on one side if that's what floats your boat.

The whole Orc/Elf war etc was planned after character creation, so we had no idea that such a thing would arise, otherwise I would have used my plans for another PC, rather than go half-orc.

[Scarey Nerd]

Someone once said: You make the choices for your character; your character does not make the choices for you.

What it means is that, if you want the party to get along, come up with some reason for the party to get along. Perhaps they knew each other, or perhaps they are forced together by circumstances, or perhaps they feel their skills complement each other. Perhaps there is something more important than the elves vs. orcs war - after all, not every person on each side of the war will share the same sentiments.


The way around the whole elf/orc war thang that works vaguely in the orc's favour is simply that I originate from the south-west of the continent, from desert tribes, whereas this war is takingplae between an elf kingdom in the north.

[Math_Mage]

The whole Orc/Elf war etc was planned after character creation, so we had no idea that such a thing would arise, otherwise I would have used my plans for another PC, rather than go half-orc.

Hey, someone has to set up the Legolas-Gimli dynamic. :smalltongue:

It seems like the main possible conflicts that will arise will involve either the CN half-orc (racial tensions) or the LG paladin (because...you know...paladin). So give those two a really good reason to work together. Work out a justification for 'Party first' mentality (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0285.html) for those two, and the rest of the party will follow pretty easily.

[Flail_master]

Again we come to the paladin thing, many people think pallys are the whole i am more righteous than thou and i must mess with anyone messing with my morals, NOWHERE does it properly say that in the PHB, my pally is more along the lines of hinjo than anything...
her main trait is humility, she doesnt approve entirely of our clerics religion, but its her decision, she wont try to change her mind unless shes truly in despair due to her decision. Also, our CN rogue elf, she has encountered him a few times in the past, where he robbed her and others, however, her view on it is although it is best to take him into custody, its just as good to keep a close eye on him personally. as long as he fights for her cause along side her, and she can prevent any evil acts, she has no quarrels with travelling with him, i dont see any violation of the code there

also, not to mention, she has never witnessed him killing innocents, and she knows that any time he has was purely for his own safety, he only fought her in the past because if anything she was the one to attack first.

the orc and elf business... i dont believe any of our team mates are actually prejudice at all toward orcs, or vice versa, im half elf, immediate understanding toward a half orc, our CN rogue elf if anything is more prejudice toward money hungry dictators, he doesnt care much bout race i believe, i dont know of our psion yet, but i believe synads in fact LIKE pretty much most races. and our halfling is pretty much his sister in feeling so meh

also the whole different consciences business, as i said before, the evil one is one of his recessive ones, it advises the main one, the overmind, the overmind being CG, and again i said, the evil one speaks directly maybe once every 20 years, the third i now found out is in fact mute :P however the overmind is the main one in actuality. he controls what they do, the evil one may voice opinion to him about, i dunno killing some innocents, but hes a good character he wont listen to that sort of advice, if he did, hed be evil!

also yehs it is actions that are the aura... also our characters wont know at all about his consciences unless he uses all of his power points then stands around in dim light, which they tend to avoid...

i dont see a reason why we cant roleplay our party into being ok with each other. and also, i believe some of them are going to slowly change alignment anyways...

and another thing :smalltongue: why must everything be solved by fighting?
words exist in DnD, in fact one reason one of our party members left the team was cos he didnt like how in DnD everything could and was solved with a sword... its not always immediate reach for the weapon, sometimes harsh arguments can occur, its a matter of roleplay, and if anything this party (a party who are concentrating on roleplay) is a very good party for roleplaying with all the different races and conflicts

so yeah... there is my massively long opinion :smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

EDIT

also the bounty hunter half orc has no prejudice, he carries out what hes paid to do and has nothing against any races

[Cogidubnus]

Well, how's this? The half-orc was raised by the half, not the orc. It could even be he's half-elf, half-orc (it wouldn't REALLY affect his racial abilities). Therefore, lack of emnity between elf and orc, and they could even be working together to stop the war (?) to save innocent blood. Dunno about the campaign plan, but I'd have both sides being manipulated by one BBEG. The Paladin then sees this as a holy quest to restore order and protect the innocent. Smiles all around :smallsmile:

[Scarey Nerd]

Well, how's this? The half-orc was raised by the half, not the orc. It could even be he's half-elf, half-orc (it wouldn't REALLY affect his racial abilities). Therefore, lack of emnity between elf and orc, and they could even be working together to stop the war (?) to save innocent blood. Dunno about the campaign plan, but I'd have both sides being manipulated by one BBEG. The Paladin then sees this as a holy quest to restore order and protect the innocent. Smiles all around :smallsmile:

And hilarity ensues :P

[Flail_master]

mm sounds good summin like that i guess, and i reaaaaally wanna make a liked paladin character!

i will try my best!

i WILL break the mould

[Cogidubnus]

I have played with likeable paladins, but only in 4e, where they don't have quite so many specific restrictions. A paladin of the Raven Queen (aka Death) was fun. Purely because they went in for slaughter (of evildoers).

[Scarey Nerd]

I have played with likeable paladins, but only in 4e, where they don't have quite so many specific restrictions. A paladin of the Raven Queen (aka Death) was fun. Purely because they went in for slaughter (of evildoers).

lol, yeah my biggest problem with Paladins isn't the paladins themselves, but the "Has to be LG" rule, a paladin should be a crusader for an alignment, rather than afore mentioned resttriction.

[AtwasAwamps]

lol, yeah my biggest problem with Paladins isn't the paladins themselves, but the "Has to be LG" rule, a paladin should be a crusader for an alignment, rather than afore mentioned resttriction.

Lawful Good doesn't mean a cop with a stick up his bum, dammit.

Alignment is a guideline. Not a strict narrow definition of your character.

::twitch::

Every character I play tends to, in some way, be a paladin. I love the concept and while the class as written is weak, the code is not nearly as restrictive as people seem to think it is.

If you want to see a paladin in action, the fictional character I believe to be the best paladin ever is His Grace Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch and Protector of the King's Piece (that is not misspelled).

[Scarey Nerd]

Lawful Good doesn't mean a cop with a stick up his bum, dammit.

Alignment is a guideline. Not a strict narrow definition of your character.

::twitch::



I know all that, I merely meant that I always imagine paladins as knights of their cause, so can be of any alignment, evil, good, chaotic or lawful, I don't think that "Holy warrior" should only mean LG, a knight of Erythnul would still consider themself a holy warrior

[Scarey Nerd]

If you want to see a paladin in action, the fictional character I believe to be the best paladin ever is His Grace Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch and Protector of the King's Piece (that is not misspelled).

And, Samuel Vimes = Pure win. As do most characters in Discworld (Except Eric from Faust Eric, which is a stain on the series imo)

[AtwasAwamps]

I know all that, I merely meant that I always imagine paladins as knights of their cause, so can be of any alignment, evil, good, chaotic or lawful, I don't think that "Holy warrior" should only mean LG, a knight of Erythnul would still consider themself a holy warrior

Ah, gotcha.

The idea behind a lot of classes in the PBH and DMG is "Why would a player want to be evil?" DnD was, at its core, a game for people to gather around and pretend to be heroes, so the idea of an Evil Paladin is silly to most. Wizards learned (and you can see that in Unearthed Arcana) but the archetypical paladin is still Buttkicking for Goodness.

[Scarey Nerd]

Very true.