AtwasAwamps
2010-11-12, 10:56 AM
Party dynamics always amuse me in games, especially when in-character based friendships occur that you didn’t think could happen. I had one recently and it just amused me to no end. I’d like stories of “Odd Couple” friendships that develop between characters in games. I think its fun to see.
My Character: Paladin/Crusader of Heironeous
Friend’s Character: Church Inquisitor of Wee Jas (seeks out those who would misuse magical knowledge and punishes them)
We are currently in a party together seeking to stop the end of the world. So that’s kind of important. The player was actually dreading my arrival to the game...it was the first time I’d met the group and he tends to play dark, creepy folks…and I was like “I wanna be a paladin!” Groans from around the table.
But I play a rather fun paladin, really I do. He grew up on a farm, so he knows a lot about the realities of life…he wears his farm boy past on his sleeve with no shame about it, either, happily relating stories about when it was pig-birthing week or why he can dance so well to fiddle music. He cuts the others some slack when it comes to normal debauchery…he’s seen what backbreaking work in the field can do to someone, let alone what trying to save the world will do to a psyche.
His understanding nature came as a surprise and has been commented on by almost every party member. But what is more commented on? His friendship with the Inquisitor. They get along really…really well. It helps that most abuses of magic are outright evil abominations, so they’re on the same side there. The friendship actually started when, to find out what had destroyed a ship they were tracking, the cleric had to cast Speak With Dead in a potentially hostile area. The paladin stood watch over him…he was the only person willing to do it. Stuck on a potentially sinking ship with a cleric talking to a corpse was not his idea of a pleasant time, but he wouldn’t let an ally take a risk on their own. Mutual respect occurred, and has thus blossomed into the most hilarious friendship ever. Our characters have saved each others lives multiple times now without even thinking about it (if you read the Noble Death thread I made so long ago, he was the one who voluntarily threw himself through fiery dragon breath to drag my unconscious body out of the trap that I’d saved the rest of the party from…also the person who asked me if I hadn’t “had enough heroics for the day”).
It’s gotten to the point where most recently, he and I went around a town infected by dark, depressing magic. Originally, we were looking for the source of said magic while the rest of the party talked to the MacGuffin person. After we determined that said source was far away, I was determined to make the town feel better…to give them hope. Cleric of Wee Jas: “…If it’ll make you happy.” Which resulted in the two of us wandering around town and bringing hope and joy to people. Or well, I did, and he sullenly walked behind me, smiling and waving whenever I nudged him. During this time, we did such things as:
*Invent the fist bump (gauntlet bump!)
*Eat bacon sandwiches (talking about pigs made us want bacon)
*Named my new +2 holy long sword (“Lightbringer!” “No.” “Darkcrusher!” “No.” “Archpaladin’s Light!” “Look, your damn sword says Justice on the side of the sheathe, call it that.” “But that’s so predictable!”)
*Came up with catch phrases for when I draw and activate my new badass holy long sword (“By the name of Heironeous!” “Your god’s name is a mouthful.” “Yours is a slang word for urine.” “Good point. How about “By light be purged!”” “That sounds kind of like a bowel movement. How about ‘In the Archpaladin’s name’?” “Ooooh, that’s good. Gauntlet Bump! -clang-”)
*Played foursquare with children (“You jump over there.” “Are you sure?” “Yes. Didn’t you have a childhood?” “Wee Jas isn’t big on childhoods.” “Didn’t you have hoops and sticks, at least?” “Hoop OR stick. How am I supposed to jump in all this armor?” “Don’t be a wuss and hurry up, Sally goes next.”)
*Engage in serious discussions about the nature of our crisis (“We’re all going to die.” “You’re such a Debbie downer.” “My name isn’t Debbie.” "Then don't act like a whiny girly girl." "Aren't paladins supposed to be good?" "Good doesn't mean nice, Ms. Debbie.")
This was all going on while the other party members had serious discussions about the main plot…an entirely side RP vignette. At one point the party monk asked if he could come find us, because we seemed to be having so much fun.
My Character: Paladin/Crusader of Heironeous
Friend’s Character: Church Inquisitor of Wee Jas (seeks out those who would misuse magical knowledge and punishes them)
We are currently in a party together seeking to stop the end of the world. So that’s kind of important. The player was actually dreading my arrival to the game...it was the first time I’d met the group and he tends to play dark, creepy folks…and I was like “I wanna be a paladin!” Groans from around the table.
But I play a rather fun paladin, really I do. He grew up on a farm, so he knows a lot about the realities of life…he wears his farm boy past on his sleeve with no shame about it, either, happily relating stories about when it was pig-birthing week or why he can dance so well to fiddle music. He cuts the others some slack when it comes to normal debauchery…he’s seen what backbreaking work in the field can do to someone, let alone what trying to save the world will do to a psyche.
His understanding nature came as a surprise and has been commented on by almost every party member. But what is more commented on? His friendship with the Inquisitor. They get along really…really well. It helps that most abuses of magic are outright evil abominations, so they’re on the same side there. The friendship actually started when, to find out what had destroyed a ship they were tracking, the cleric had to cast Speak With Dead in a potentially hostile area. The paladin stood watch over him…he was the only person willing to do it. Stuck on a potentially sinking ship with a cleric talking to a corpse was not his idea of a pleasant time, but he wouldn’t let an ally take a risk on their own. Mutual respect occurred, and has thus blossomed into the most hilarious friendship ever. Our characters have saved each others lives multiple times now without even thinking about it (if you read the Noble Death thread I made so long ago, he was the one who voluntarily threw himself through fiery dragon breath to drag my unconscious body out of the trap that I’d saved the rest of the party from…also the person who asked me if I hadn’t “had enough heroics for the day”).
It’s gotten to the point where most recently, he and I went around a town infected by dark, depressing magic. Originally, we were looking for the source of said magic while the rest of the party talked to the MacGuffin person. After we determined that said source was far away, I was determined to make the town feel better…to give them hope. Cleric of Wee Jas: “…If it’ll make you happy.” Which resulted in the two of us wandering around town and bringing hope and joy to people. Or well, I did, and he sullenly walked behind me, smiling and waving whenever I nudged him. During this time, we did such things as:
*Invent the fist bump (gauntlet bump!)
*Eat bacon sandwiches (talking about pigs made us want bacon)
*Named my new +2 holy long sword (“Lightbringer!” “No.” “Darkcrusher!” “No.” “Archpaladin’s Light!” “Look, your damn sword says Justice on the side of the sheathe, call it that.” “But that’s so predictable!”)
*Came up with catch phrases for when I draw and activate my new badass holy long sword (“By the name of Heironeous!” “Your god’s name is a mouthful.” “Yours is a slang word for urine.” “Good point. How about “By light be purged!”” “That sounds kind of like a bowel movement. How about ‘In the Archpaladin’s name’?” “Ooooh, that’s good. Gauntlet Bump! -clang-”)
*Played foursquare with children (“You jump over there.” “Are you sure?” “Yes. Didn’t you have a childhood?” “Wee Jas isn’t big on childhoods.” “Didn’t you have hoops and sticks, at least?” “Hoop OR stick. How am I supposed to jump in all this armor?” “Don’t be a wuss and hurry up, Sally goes next.”)
*Engage in serious discussions about the nature of our crisis (“We’re all going to die.” “You’re such a Debbie downer.” “My name isn’t Debbie.” "Then don't act like a whiny girly girl." "Aren't paladins supposed to be good?" "Good doesn't mean nice, Ms. Debbie.")
This was all going on while the other party members had serious discussions about the main plot…an entirely side RP vignette. At one point the party monk asked if he could come find us, because we seemed to be having so much fun.