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PoopStainMcGee
2013-03-27, 10:18 AM
A few buddies and I are preparing to launch into a 4e campaign in which we are the four horseman of the apocalypse. So far we have Pestilence, a Wizard/Swarm Druid Hybrid who seems really really badass. Famine is going to be a leader, War a Defender, and Death a Striker.

I have been tasked with building Death, and the character I have rolled up is a lvl 15 female Changeling Assassin who dual wields Sickles. I love what I have mechanic wise and thematically, and am really looking forward to the campaign, but I am unsure of how to RP a party leader.

I haven't had much experience in groups that have a clear hierarchy like this one does, and am relatively new to tabletop RPGs in general(I've only been playing about a year). Any advice on how I should go about RPing this character, or advice in general?

nyarlathotep
2013-03-27, 12:46 PM
You said that Famine would be the leader why are you worried about playing one?

PoopStainMcGee
2013-03-27, 12:50 PM
You said that Famine would be the leader why are you worried about playing one?

Not leader as in leader type class.

The hierarchy of the Horseman we are using is Death, then War, Famine, and then Pestilence. Also the guy playing Famine wanted to play a Leader, and we all thought Death would be good as a Striker. DM said I am the party leader, so I will be the party leader.

Keep in mind, I am strictly thinking about this from a role playing perspective at this point.

Angel Bob
2013-03-27, 08:35 PM
There have been countless characterizations of Death in literature and other works.

The most famous is probably the Death of Discworld, who speaks in SMALL CAPS with a voice described as sounding "like a tomb's doors being closed forever" (paraphrasing, okay, actually making it up, but in that style). He's an... intriguing character, who goes about his job with a detached mentality, often making morbid observations or strange jokes. He attempts to imitate humanity, including installing a toilet in his abode and adopting a daughter, but he doesn't "feel" emotions -- more like he "thinks" them.

Another would be Death a la The Book Thief, an entity who's altogether tired of his job, tired of the all the sadness he must witness. This Death is much more human, but at the same time has a strange mindset. He makes many philosophical or sentimental observations, and eventually confesses that he is scared by humanity, because he doesn't understand it.

The third option would be possibly the most common portrayal of Death: a bloodthirsty menace who relishes cutting down people in their prime, and basks in how utterly unavoidable he is. He's frustrated by clever people who avoid him (such as the three brothers in Harry Potter), and often seeks revenge on them through trickery of his own (again, in Harry Potter). This Death is not without care, though, and can sometimes befriend mortals (yet again, in Harry Potter).

Okay, so perhaps my reference pools may be small. A helpful link might be TVTropes' article on The Grim Reaper and related tropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheGrimReaper

Deathkeeper
2013-03-27, 08:47 PM
Bob gives a pretty good description, so I'll just add another bit of the spectrum: Darksiders 2 portrays Death as essentially a professional. He's a little over-the-top in combat for the sake of gameplay, but he clearly treats his role as a job, somewhat regretful sometimes but not often questioning it and without ever hesitating. When something needs to die, he kills it, plain and simple. Regret can be dealt with later. For an actual personality, there's still a sense of humor (and a tendency for one-liners), but in the end he's putting aside his personal feelings for his job, which is symbolized by his always wearing a mask while 'on the job.' Now, the game makes his definition of "his job" change, but that's more of a personal honor thing than anything else.

Not a suggestion, just thought I'd put another archetype out there.

PoopStainMcGee
2013-03-27, 09:57 PM
Bob gives a pretty good description, so I'll just add another bit of the spectrum: Darksiders 2 portrays Death as essentially a professional. He's a little over-the-top in combat for the sake of gameplay, but he clearly treats his role as a job, somewhat regretful sometimes but not often questioning it and without ever hesitating. When something needs to die, he kills it, plain and simple. Regret can be dealt with later. For an actual personality, there's still a sense of humor (and a tendency for one-liners), but in the end he's putting aside his personal feelings for his job, which is symbolized by his always wearing a mask while 'on the job.' Now, the game makes his definition of "his job" change, but that's more of a personal honor thing than anything else.

Not a suggestion, just thought I'd put another archetype out there.

This game is actually inspired by Darksiders, so that is definitely appropriate.

Hyde
2013-03-27, 10:33 PM
Alternately, you could adopt death from my poem- "The Grim Reaper's Most-Nearly Day Off" Which I just realized might be lost forever, and that will make me sad.

Dundee15
2013-03-27, 11:00 PM
I was always under the impression that death wasn't a leader but a follower (as in Death follows the other horsemen and 'cleans things up' as it were.)

Strong silent type would work well for that but as a leader it would be quite difficult to pull off.

CarpeGuitarrem
2013-03-28, 12:08 AM
Well, a properly RP'd death tends to involve dramatic screaming, flailing about, a poignant speech, and then a weary collapse with final words.

Oh...that's not what you meant...

Strawberries
2013-03-28, 02:06 AM
I was always under the impression that death wasn't a leader but a follower (as in Death follows the other horsemen and 'cleans things up' as it were.).

I always thought the same. As I see it, the leader of the four Horsemen would be War. War opens the gate, so to speak, to famine and pestilence, and then death follows.

Supremely unhelpful, I know. I'll shut up.

Oh, talking about fictional portrayals of death, there is also Death in Sandman (young goth girl, very friendly and kind), but I don't think it would fit the theme of the game.

nyarlathotep
2013-03-28, 11:38 AM
The way I ended up roleplaying the horsemen NPCs as a DM was as follows. Note however that the horsemen in this case were Conquest, War, Famine (lack of all resources not just food), and Death.

Conquest: The life of the party, able to make you feel good about whatever topic he is on an encourages you help make it a reality. Particularly adept at making people feel patriotic and good about their country, makes it easy to swallow horrible things he asks you to do.
War: Semi-honorable warrior type. He enjoys fighting and killing and wants the opposing side to be a worthy matchup. When he fights near equal opponents he is boisterous and happy, but against weaker foes can become disinterested and careless.
Famine: Obsessive in the extreme really more of an accountant that a fighter. His job is to ensure that there is just enough resources for everyone to be in conflict with one another but enough lack for every bit to be precious and worth dying over. He tries to avoid contact with outsiders at all costs but when directly confronted he tries to put on an air of authority and respectability, despite his lack of charisma.
Death: The responsible big brother to his three somewhat child-like companions. He comes and clears up what they have left over, and takes on those challenges that were not vulnerable to their particular specialty. He is usually quiet and serious, being more active throughout the world for longer than any of the other horsemen. Rarely sees anything as particularly urgent due to his long life of experience.

TheCountAlucard
2013-03-28, 05:08 PM
I like Exalted's scissors-bearing Maiden of Endings - she's hardly a "grim reaper," existing more as the fate-goddess who sees that all things end as they should, be they lives or nations or wars or marriages. For, you see, in every ending is a new beginning.

Every Calibration, she gambles with the Unconquered Sun; the stakes are never named, but so far, the Sun has always won.

"Perhaps next year," she says softly.

"Perhaps," he acknowledges with a nod.

Studoku
2013-03-28, 09:12 PM
Well, a properly RP'd death tends to involve dramatic screaming, flailing about, a poignant speech, and then a weary collapse with final words.

Oh...that's not what you meant...
Unless it's in D&D, in which case it involves the phrase "so if everyone chips in 1,000 gold, we'll res him tomorrow morning."