Desdichado
Hero
My PCs are precious and unique snowflakes.
Are you special?
- Thread starter Quasqueton
- Start date
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
The PCs are special to one degree or another. The best way I can think of the illustrate the degrees is with examples from other media.
At a bare minimum, they're special like Indiana Jones, Han Solo in Star Wars, John McClain in Die Hard or the crew in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - extremely capable people whose capabilities happen to come into play at a significant juncture in their world's history.
A step up from these are special like the SEEDs in Final Fantasy 8, the crew of the Enterprise in a mainline Star Trek series, or most superheroes in mainline comics. They deal with world-shaking issues because they're not just extremely capable, they're widely recognized in their societies as the MOST capable of dealing with those issues; they aren't just elite officers, they're the crew of the flagship; they aren't just powerful mercenaries, they're the best fighting unit in entire the world. This rank also includes characters who, while not necessarily widely recognized, are SO superior (and proactive) that they shake the pillars of heaven by their own immense talent - for example, Conan, Batman or Hyuga Ricdeau.
A step up from these are special in having a destiny they and they alone can complete - the pilots (especially Shinji Ikari) inNeon Genesis Evangelion, Paul Atreides in Dune, Fei Fong Wong in Xenogears, Anakin and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, or Neo (and Agent Smith) in The Matrix. These characters may actually be "weaker" than class two elite characters, but at the end of the day they're the ones who decide the destiny of entire campaign worlds. Of course, as Anakin and Shinji's examples attest, that doesn't give them plot immunity - they can screw up (or, in theory, even die), it just means the whole campaign world will go to hell if they do.
I've run campaigns at all three of these levels and even some at mixed levels (though this can be very tough).
At a bare minimum, they're special like Indiana Jones, Han Solo in Star Wars, John McClain in Die Hard or the crew in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - extremely capable people whose capabilities happen to come into play at a significant juncture in their world's history.
A step up from these are special like the SEEDs in Final Fantasy 8, the crew of the Enterprise in a mainline Star Trek series, or most superheroes in mainline comics. They deal with world-shaking issues because they're not just extremely capable, they're widely recognized in their societies as the MOST capable of dealing with those issues; they aren't just elite officers, they're the crew of the flagship; they aren't just powerful mercenaries, they're the best fighting unit in entire the world. This rank also includes characters who, while not necessarily widely recognized, are SO superior (and proactive) that they shake the pillars of heaven by their own immense talent - for example, Conan, Batman or Hyuga Ricdeau.
A step up from these are special in having a destiny they and they alone can complete - the pilots (especially Shinji Ikari) inNeon Genesis Evangelion, Paul Atreides in Dune, Fei Fong Wong in Xenogears, Anakin and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, or Neo (and Agent Smith) in The Matrix. These characters may actually be "weaker" than class two elite characters, but at the end of the day they're the ones who decide the destiny of entire campaign worlds. Of course, as Anakin and Shinji's examples attest, that doesn't give them plot immunity - they can screw up (or, in theory, even die), it just means the whole campaign world will go to hell if they do.
I've run campaigns at all three of these levels and even some at mixed levels (though this can be very tough).
Arkham
First Post
The PCs in my campaign are as special as their deeds have made them.
They are special in having survived exploring most of the top layers of Undermountain in their early careers.
They are special in having interveened in various world-threatening plots in their mid-careers.
And they are special in seeking out the cause of repeated planar collapses in their current activities.
And while they had to buy permits to pass into the underground river Sargauth when they were starting out, when they return to Waterdeep now, they get invited to meetings with Khelben so that he can ask their opinions on matters of security as a respected equal.
They are special in having survived exploring most of the top layers of Undermountain in their early careers.
They are special in having interveened in various world-threatening plots in their mid-careers.
And they are special in seeking out the cause of repeated planar collapses in their current activities.
And while they had to buy permits to pass into the underground river Sargauth when they were starting out, when they return to Waterdeep now, they get invited to meetings with Khelben so that he can ask their opinions on matters of security as a respected equal.
thedungeondelver
Adventurer
In my standard campaign, my players have the potential to become legendary. Recognizing this, they set out to become adventurers and find out.
Aeric
Explorer
In the WHFRP game I'm currently in, the PCs were brought to a certain site in the wilderness by a priest of Ulric who'd been having visions of us. Credibility was lent to his story in that he was blind, so he couldn't have simply seen us and made something up. We suspect that he might have been influenced by some kind of chaos spirit (the wizard saw some kind of shadow creature messing with his head), but he died last session in a massive beastman attack, so who knows.
Haven't run a "Heroes of the Prophesy" game in a long time...maybe I'll do that next.
Haven't run a "Heroes of the Prophesy" game in a long time...maybe I'll do that next.
Blind Azathoth
Explorer
They're ECL 6 characters operating in Sigil, so the answer is a resounding "no." 
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