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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Marius Delphus" data-source="post: 60816" data-attributes="member: 447">On Ankhegs: Enormous burrowing predators are "good for the soil." Hmmm... I also remember that from the "Baldur's Gate" CRPG. It struck me as asinine *then*, and it doesn't make any more sense *now*. IMC, ankhegs are mistaken for dragons even by competent farmers; the fact that they're not reptilian and lack huge batlike wings tends to escape one when one is fleeing for one's life from a great big monster. Sounds like a good subject for an "Ecology of..." article.On Cowardly PCs:There *are* ways to keep cowardly PCs adventuring. I don't know whether the player buzzard encountered had any deeper motivations... but I wouldn't discount a cowardly character concept out of hand. (1) The PC's belief that adventuring leads to "easy money" outweighs (but only barely) the shock and terror the PC experiences when threatened by physical danger. Or, the PC needs a large sum of cash for some reason, and believes adventuring is the only way to go about gathering it. A PC like this, if scrupulous, might take less than an "even" share in gratitude, and might even seek out opportunities for adventure (plunder); if unscrupulous, the PC might be tempted to steal from the other party members to accumulate the needed sum more quickly.(2) The PC labors under some kind of curse that prevents a settled, comfortable life. This PC has taken up with a band of adventurers because of a firm belief that it's the only way to stay safe in a lethal, and therefore terrifying, world.(3) The PC is "on the run," either from legitimate authorities or some villain group. This PC may have figured out some way to be of benefit to fellow PCs, and in return receives a measure of protection and anonymity. But it doesn't ameliorate the stark cold terror brought on by blood and danger....On Identical "Different" Characters:Not to be *too* pedantic, but (a) a limited number of character races multiplied by a limited number of character classes yields a limited number of race-class combos, so statistically speaking it's probably fairly easy to run into more than one of each, and (b) "half-orc bard" *is* a race-class combo that wasn't available in 1E or 2E, so to that extent it *is* novel and different.That said, though, I agree the novelty *is* wearing off. More than "odd" combos, as a DM I'm entertained by players that take on an RP challenge using an "ordinary" race-class combo. Like an elf wizard that finds humans interesting. Like a dwarf fighter that has a sickeningly positive attitude, doesn't drink, and thinks combat is kind of risky. Like a morose halfling thief with a sour, acerbic comment for every situation. Like a human cleric who has serious problems with his church's doctrine. (And yes, these examples lack depth beyond "reversing a stereotype"... they're just examples, after all.)I guess my attitude toward "different" characters, as a DM, is that I don't care what's on your character sheet... *show* me what "different" is like.</blockquote>

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