Character Archtypes

[akaihyo]

Looking over some old files, I would one which briefly discussed the

The Naive Expert / Talented Innocent
This is one of my favour conceptions, someone who is very, very skilled in a specific field but naive about the greater world. These character are very good at what they do and very confident of their own abilities in their field and totally lost once they step out of that narrow area. This allows them to ask lots of questions as they try to figure out the world around them, usually in context of their specialized field. (“Ah, so this is like a mass-energy conversion then?”)

I think this is my most often used archetype, most recently as Graceful Wanderer in wuxiadaddy’s Qin game and Moky the Narcoalchemist in nemloen's world underground game.

The Pro from Dover (to steal a title from Aaron Alston)
Another variation on the expert theme, the top man or woman in their field, or at least one of the top people. I like having characters that are good at what they do and who are recognized for it. Rarely that is the focus of the characters existence.

My Champions martial artist, Demon, had being the best as an obsession.

The Reforming Zealot
A religious true believer who wishes to insure that his the other followers of his faith does not go astray. Almost inevitably in conflict with the hierarchy of his faith who support the status quo to which the reformer is opposed. I rarely play characters with this level of dedication/obsession with religion but when I have it has been in a world with a monotheistic ‘quasi-Christian’ faith. These characters wish to see the truth they see as self evident spread throughout the faithful to bring the people closer to their god.

My paladin Kolya in Pat Leavenworth’s Rosaria campaign (“Yes, God does speak to me. Why do you ask?”) and the Priest Martaine in Wayne Peacock’s Palaestra game (“Slavery denies free will, Logos’ greatest gift to us. How can the Church tolerate it?”) are examples of this archetype.


I like to occasionally play characters that have an entirely different worldview from me, it gives me a chance to explore new view points. But most of my characters share a broad similarity in beliefs with me.

What sorts of characters do you like to play?

Comments

interesting.

[achariya.livejournal.com]

The huge badass tank -- in dumb or insane variations.

I think it reflects who I am on the inside. Ya know?

Re: interesting.

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

So I had noticed in the (far too few) games we have been in together.

[sraun]

I like to play Wizards.

In fantasy campaigns, I run magic-users. In SF campaigns, I run psionicists if they're available. Otherwise, I run characters with a high expertise in something, who would probably be called weird or geeks by most of the rest of the people in their world.

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

Interesting, I also like playing wizards and techies, people who can invent and make things. Playing into both the The Naive Expert and The Pro from Dover strains of my style.

However psionics have never really interested me that much perhaps because there is not the same sense of being able to create with it.

[sraun]

In some ways, it's rather strange that my wizards never use illusions - it's not something I think about. However, the GURPS Create Object spell is my all-time favorite spell - I have this generic character that starts with it, a missile spell, and major healing, and he's a practically joker. Other customizations depend on how many points I've got to spend, and what the campaign needs.

He can be a real pain - he'll do things like reach behind himself, bring a mug forward, fill it with ale, and hand it to you. If you're lucky, he tells you not to set it down. If you're not familiar with GURPS Create Object - it creates an object that exists as long as it's in close proximity to a person - touching skin is best, in your pants' pocket will work as long as you're actually wearing the pants, in a backpack is right out. A Created mug disappears as soon as it's set down a surface and let go of - spilling the contents all over whatever you set it on.

[sraun]

My current character design problem is a GURPS Traveller character - I need to come up with someone that can usefully serve aboard a free trader. No magic, very limited psionics, relatively simple tech - not a lot of computerization, nothing really high tech - I'll have to ask about weaponry. It'll take some research.

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

That is the sort of clever use of magic I like.

The last wizard I played started the game without any powerful combat spells, only a few low powered one, as he was an academic wizard not an adventurer.

[laughingfang.livejournal.com]

The Unusual/Iconoclastic Concept - I have a tendency to play somewhat strange and/or unusual usage type characters. For example, in my high school group, I played a DnD 2ed Zatoichi/Rutger Hauer/Blind Fury-esque blind swordsman, which I then converted to HERO system in college, which gave the character a ton more depth (he was a second banana to my high school friends' characters), A wandering shaman in Mage, and of course, my LJ namesake, who I have played twice, and have envisioned in myriad forms, from a DnD rouge/ranger, to a Scion of Coyote named Michael Latrani.

I'd say weird innit, but let's face it, weird is part and parcel of gaming. ;)

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

I often ponder such odd characters. But these days I try to create characters that play well with others, which does not mean that they cannot be unusual.

[shieldhaven.livejournal.com]

The core of Constantine's nature matches up with one of the archetypes I play: Nobleman Warrior. (The fact that he could heal and buff was... sort of irrelevant to his personality.) Extreme emotional isolation isn't quite as strong of a recurring theme, but it's there. I'm currently playing Cassio in King's Gate and Gracchus in Pendragon, both of whom would be instantly recognizable as quite similar to Constantine. =)

The other characters that I play quite frequently are the Clever Scholar (who may or may not be a nobleman). The "clever" comes from always having just a few more tricks up his sleeve to either escape from jams, or BS his way out of them. Balthasar at SI and Teagen in Eberron are the real poster children of this type.

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

Constantine was certainly a bit isolated, but loosing ten of so years of your life trapped in a magic portrait will do that to you.

You also seem to have a noble subtheme running there.

[shieldhaven.livejournal.com]

I think it's my internal elitist expressing himself in a not-so-subtle but inoffensive kind of way. =) In an Exalted game that comic_monkey is running, I'm playing a Lunar ranger-type. He will eventually go deeply into Deadly Beastman Transformation, just to break up my limited range of character types.

[akaihyo.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with elitism. Indeed, it is a positive thing to my mind.

How are you enjoying Exalted? It look like a very interesting system.

[shieldhaven.livejournal.com]

I've played one session so far, and since we're going from Heroic Mortals to Exalts in-play, I don't even have all of my basic powers yet. I think it'll be a lot of fun once I'm able to throw down a bit more convincingly. =) It's a lot to learn, too - I'm having to overcome/ignore years of nWoD training in how combat works.