How to play a kindly old lady?

[SangoProduction]

I was reading through the Sage class, and one of the possible talents was named "Soul Stitching", which suddenly made me remember my grandmother, and how she used to sew blankets and stuff for us.

And so all of the sudden I want to play a Sage, fluffed where all her "powers" are just a kind heart, and really good sewing needles. A support/healer. Maybe some good cooking at that.

But there is some cognitive dissonance of this kindly grandma archetype walking around just casually taking part in combat (even if slightly removed from it). I've been trying to resolve this dissonance to little avail. Thus why I am here - to get inspiration from a group with greater collective roleplaying and theorizing time than a hundred of my life times.

[Elvensilver]

That sounds like an awesome concept, honestely. I'd say simply find a motivation for her to go on an adventure like for any other character:
Maybe one or more of the other PCs are her grandchildren, and she supports them on their quest? As for why combat doesn't faze her: she could have been a more active adventurer back in her day before she had some sort of epiphany that motivated her to step back and concentrate on putting her, I dunno, skills with a rapier into sewing to help her familiy. Or you could play up the mystic shtick associated with sages (I don't know the class, but old sages and mystic powers sounds right) She had a Vision/dream that she could help a group of diverse young people on a noble, goodly quest, and as alien as she is to concepts such as killing monsters, there was nobody that particulary needed her at home, so she decided to support them?

[BlackOnyx]

And so all of the sudden I want to play a Sage, fluffed where all her "powers" are just a kind heart, and really good sewing needles. A support/healer. Maybe some good cooking at that.

But there is some cognitive dissonance of this kindly grandma archetype walking around just casually taking part in combat (even if slightly removed from it). I've been trying to resolve this dissonance to little avail. Thus why I am here - to get inspiration from a group with greater collective roleplaying and theorizing time than a hundred of my life times.


A fairly simple motivation for a "grandmotherly" character to engage in combat could be the protection of her "adopted grandchildren" (that is, the rest of the party). A warm & gentle individual can still rise to the occasion if those she cares about are being threatened.


I imagine a character like this would probably try to keep the rest of the party out of combat whenever possible. She would likely prefer to be diplomatic or cunning, giving adversaries a chance to stand down or avoiding potential confrontations altogether. (Perhaps she could even have a bit of a mischievous streak, employing innocent pranks/diversions/illusions to keep her fellow PCs out of trouble.)


In situations where combat is unavoidable, falling back into a support role would still be a valid option. Buffing players, erecting barriers, obscuring the battlefield; there's a number of nonviolent means by which she could contribute to keeping her "grandchildren" safe. When possible/practical, she would probably try to convince the party to avoid killing anyone outright, either by incapacitating the enemy or retreating.


As time goes on, a character like this could come to realize that it has become necessary for her to take on a more active role in combat. She could slowly branch out to powers that incapacitate enemies (i.e. those that contain them, induce status effects, or control their actions) without causing them direct physical harm.


This said, for a character like this to work, the disposition of the rest of the party would probably have to trend toward more toward "good." A grandmotherly character might be difficult to play/justify in a party of battle junkies or antiheroes. (As long as there's one PC she cares about though, that should be all the motivation she needs to watch over them and come to their aid.)

[BWR]

A kindly, supportive and nurturing person does not need to be pacifistic, weak of stomach or unused to violence. I'm in a game with a character almost exactly like this. She's a small, elegant and well-mannered woman who dislikes violence and is always ready to lend an ear to anyone in trouble, and she gives good advice when needed (even if not asked for). She is basically the best mother/grandmother/great-grandmother anyone could hope to have. She is also perfectly capable of brutally murdering anything that threatens her family. She prefers to find peaceful solutions to problems, is a believer in forgiveness, and she will mourn the necessity of violence, but nothing is going to harm her family while she's around.

I can easily imagine a motherly type who accompanies the youngsters on adventures. She ensures the kids are eating well, are clean and well-dressed, makes sure they mind their manners, and she is the perfect party face. Maybe she won't wield a weapon but she is the heart of the group.



On a related note, I conceived of a kindly old lady interrogator. She's a sweet, lovable old bird who genuinely likes everyone. She gets confessions not by torture or clever investigation or coaxing and wheedling but by sitting down and talking to suspects and exuding such an overwhelming air of sad disappointment in them that they break down and confess, just to be forgiven and comforted by her. Probably a Laundry Files NPC in the future.

[grarrrg]

On a related note, I conceived of a kindly old lady interrogator. She's a sweet, lovable old bird who genuinely likes everyone. She gets confessions not by torture or clever investigation or coaxing and wheedling but by ...

Spider-man's Aunt May was once held hostage in her own home by a villain. She cooked him dinner while knitting.
She snuck sleeping pills into the food, and the scarf (?) had "gotcha" (or similar) stitched/written on it.

Be Aunt May.

(Also, Ultimate-J. Jonah Jameson is terrified of her)

[Biggus]

A kindly, supportive and nurturing person does not need to be pacifistic, weak of stomach or unused to violence.

This. My grandmother was a very kind and decent person, but she grew up in an inner-city slum and lived through two world wars. She was tough in a way I'll never be.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by SangoProduction
But there is some cognitive dissonance of this kindly grandma archetype walking around just casually taking part in combat….

Keep in mind, as others have mentioned, that grandmothers are old, and they’ve seen and lived through a hell of a lot.

And I don’t think it would be “casual” by any stretch, since an older person knows better than most the fragility of life.


Originally Posted by grarrrg
Spider-man's Aunt May was once held hostage in her own home by a villain. She cooked him dinner while knitting.
She snuck sleeping pills into the food, and the scarf (?) had "gotcha" (or similar) stitched/written on it.

I remember this one; absolutely hilarious. The villain was shapechanged into Peter, but Aunt May wasn’t fooled for an instant.

I think it was cookies, actually. She baked him cookies with sleeping pills in the dough.

[Particle_Man]

A bard could work. Perform storytelling or what have you. Maybe a witch could work depending on what hexes you choose.

Or just go full on Sigdi, the retired fighter.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by SangoProduction
I was reading through the Sage class....

Where is this from? All I can find is a Pathfinder bloodline, which doesn't seem to be what you mean.

[Telonius]

Where is this from? All I can find is a Pathfinder bloodline, which doesn't seem to be what you mean.

Appears to be from Champions of the Spheres (Pathfinder book from Drop Dead Studios).

[Palanan]

Okay, thanks. I'd never heard of that one.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the trope of the totally senile but still competent/badass old person, accompanying the party but apparently oblivious to the actual bloodshed/danger.

[Bohandas]

Is the dissnance with her decision to go along or with an NPC who doesn't come from a life of adventure having the implausible resiliance that comes with being high level?

The former could be explained away as her being slightly insane (like when Treetrunks became an adventurer in that one episode of Adventure Time. The latter could be corrected with some kind of custom template that reduces HD size and attack bonus (down to a minimum of d3 and 1/4, respectively) in exchange for more skills per level and/or negative level adjustment

[The Glyphstone]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the trope of the totally senile but still competent/badass old person, accompanying the party but apparently oblivious to the actual bloodshed/danger.

I was going to suggest she has very poor eyesight, so when her glasses get knocked off she can't see the fighting and doesn't know what is going on.

[MisterKaws]

I remember needles being listed somewhere as d2 damage improvised weapons. Looks at Crusader

On a side note, Incantatrixes are seamstresses by lore. And you do need to have a minimum access to arcane magic, for Prestidigitation(don't you dare tell me there's a grandma who doesn't have it).Is the joking tone obvious enough?

[DMVerdandi]

Hmm...

I'd make her a Venerable Grey Elf, Erudite [319] with Spell to Power, Take 10 levels of that, and then take Thrallherd. Her thralls can be her grandkids, and followers just extended family.

I'd give her a +5 Psychokinetic,Collision,Throwing,Teleporting Sap called Chancla.
She also dual wields a club which she uses as a walking stick.

She wears a monk's robe.

She really uses her powers heavily, but they are all pretty subtle. Lots of mind control stuff. Demoralize is just her telling bad guys how ashamed their mothers would be for their behavior. Disable is her trying to convince people they are sick, even though they say they were okay. Then they even start believing it.

She will use things Like inertial armor or prescience to increase her defenses, but it's just explained away that she is just a tough old bat.

She will also use things like teleport or hustle for movement, but it's more like that granny that is unusually spry, like in nursing homes, but she ends up giving everyone the slip. Same thing with cloud mind with her being like Es okay niño, I will just go over there, and then poof, she's gone.

Charm is self explanatory, but dominate is often accompanied with a grapple, in which she takes someone's ear, and pulls them to give them the business.
Share pain is the psychological damage people take from seeing her hurt, which she "recovers" from because she was "faking it" to get sympathy.

Lots of fear effects, which are her using her Brujeria to give people the evil eye.
Enchanting the chancla with Greater Mighty Wallop is a thing.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

I'd see this as a bard/war weaver/cloistered cleric/mystic theurge , but I'm not familiar with PF at all.

Oh I wanna play this now. Venerable strongheart halfling grandma, ride a brixashulti, knit and sing. Think the skills for fochlucan lyricist would be too rough, might try to break it down.