Post by dmjack on Jul 12, 2015 0:35:09 GMT
What's the Plan, Gyven?
or how I learned to stop whining, and love character limitations.
Years ago, my group and I were in a homebrew campaign run by a friend. The campaign circled around an elite group in an army at constant war with it's neighbor. At our group we had a Myopic Samurai from a distant land, sworn by the sword to fight for this country, a treacherous Ranger double agent meant to undermine the group, and my character: Gyven, Junior Hunter.
A little backhistory on Gyven. Gyven was a man from a primative tribe, who barely spoke the common language (I spoke with a russo-slavic accent with the speaking manerisms of a South Korean man learning English as a second language). Gyven always smiled, constantly amazed with this medieval world, while never truly grasping it. You see, Gyven cam from a tribe of hunters, wherein hunting was not only central to the tribe, but dictated the rank of society. This tribe of Hunters shyed away from no game, including people, considering them no less worthy of the hunt than bears, or wolves, or other animals. This meant that this happy-go-lucky, barely speaking common guy, was at heart a vicious hunter, and yes, he was a cannibal.
In Gyven's defense, To him hunting people was no different than hunting wolves. In his tribe's eyes, hunting and eating people was a worthy goal. This extended so far, that the idea of burying the dead was offensive to Gyven, reasoning that it is a waste of food and tools. All of this is to say, Gyven had very little grasp on so called: "Civilized culture." And that worked just fine.
Despite being apparently evil, though he had a strict sense of honor in the hunt. Gyven could only be described a happy-go-lucky. You know that scene in Guardians of the Galaxy where Groot takes down an entire hallway, and then turns to his collegues with a grin? That was Gyven in a nutshell. A savage fighter, just happy to be here.
You see, Gyven had been enlisted against his will in the military. But the military was able to frame it in his mind as a giant hunt, which Gyven took to with gusto. This lead to an observation by another character that one of the greatest soldiers, didn't even understand what he was fighting for, and didn't know enough to even understand that concept. But onward we pressed, fighting a swaying battles left and right, a Samurai, a traitor, and the Samurai's best friend, an honor bound cannibalistic savage.
All of this leads us to the story of the day. We had just finished a battle to take down a fort, wherein we found the game-breaking evidence. The perpetual war we had been fighting had been perpetuated this long by the Church of the land. The church, which had famously not taken sides, have wearing down the two armies so that it may take full control over both lands.
This revelation lead to a huge discussion on how we should tackle the church. Bringing in strategy, psychological warfare, tactics to gain allies with the other country, ways to end the war, etc. Despite the fact that I am generally the planner of the group, I stayed silent, as Gyven, the one with absolutely no concept of the ideas that they are talking about, would. People began to wonder about this, and I would later reveal, that Gyven didn't even know what a Church was. Or what war was, much less the concept of peace. All Gyven knew was the hunt.
Then the moment of truth, finally, the Samurai turned to Gyven and asked:
"What do you think? What's the Plan, Gyven?"
After a moment of internal reflection of the character, I gave my answer.
"I Think..." People move in closer, waiting at the edge of their seats. "We go up to Church... And Stab It In Face. Is Good Yes?"
or how I learned to stop whining, and love character limitations.
Years ago, my group and I were in a homebrew campaign run by a friend. The campaign circled around an elite group in an army at constant war with it's neighbor. At our group we had a Myopic Samurai from a distant land, sworn by the sword to fight for this country, a treacherous Ranger double agent meant to undermine the group, and my character: Gyven, Junior Hunter.
A little backhistory on Gyven. Gyven was a man from a primative tribe, who barely spoke the common language (I spoke with a russo-slavic accent with the speaking manerisms of a South Korean man learning English as a second language). Gyven always smiled, constantly amazed with this medieval world, while never truly grasping it. You see, Gyven cam from a tribe of hunters, wherein hunting was not only central to the tribe, but dictated the rank of society. This tribe of Hunters shyed away from no game, including people, considering them no less worthy of the hunt than bears, or wolves, or other animals. This meant that this happy-go-lucky, barely speaking common guy, was at heart a vicious hunter, and yes, he was a cannibal.
In Gyven's defense, To him hunting people was no different than hunting wolves. In his tribe's eyes, hunting and eating people was a worthy goal. This extended so far, that the idea of burying the dead was offensive to Gyven, reasoning that it is a waste of food and tools. All of this is to say, Gyven had very little grasp on so called: "Civilized culture." And that worked just fine.
Despite being apparently evil, though he had a strict sense of honor in the hunt. Gyven could only be described a happy-go-lucky. You know that scene in Guardians of the Galaxy where Groot takes down an entire hallway, and then turns to his collegues with a grin? That was Gyven in a nutshell. A savage fighter, just happy to be here.
You see, Gyven had been enlisted against his will in the military. But the military was able to frame it in his mind as a giant hunt, which Gyven took to with gusto. This lead to an observation by another character that one of the greatest soldiers, didn't even understand what he was fighting for, and didn't know enough to even understand that concept. But onward we pressed, fighting a swaying battles left and right, a Samurai, a traitor, and the Samurai's best friend, an honor bound cannibalistic savage.
All of this leads us to the story of the day. We had just finished a battle to take down a fort, wherein we found the game-breaking evidence. The perpetual war we had been fighting had been perpetuated this long by the Church of the land. The church, which had famously not taken sides, have wearing down the two armies so that it may take full control over both lands.
This revelation lead to a huge discussion on how we should tackle the church. Bringing in strategy, psychological warfare, tactics to gain allies with the other country, ways to end the war, etc. Despite the fact that I am generally the planner of the group, I stayed silent, as Gyven, the one with absolutely no concept of the ideas that they are talking about, would. People began to wonder about this, and I would later reveal, that Gyven didn't even know what a Church was. Or what war was, much less the concept of peace. All Gyven knew was the hunt.
Then the moment of truth, finally, the Samurai turned to Gyven and asked:
"What do you think? What's the Plan, Gyven?"
After a moment of internal reflection of the character, I gave my answer.
"I Think..." People move in closer, waiting at the edge of their seats. "We go up to Church... And Stab It In Face. Is Good Yes?"
