Poll: WWYD if You had Your Fav Character’s Powers in the Real World?

[BedlamBlade]

Scenario: You wake up one morning and you have the starting level abilities of your favourite TTRPG character. This includes relevant biological changes as well, so if your fav character is a Wood Elf Ranger, you wake up as a wood elf. It’s the real world, so most people will remain as they are, but there will be other gamers that also awake with powers. Assume you can find a reasonable substitute for esoteric character options like spellbooks.

Rules: Any system is permitted but it must be the character you enjoyed playing (or thinking about if you haven’t had a chance to play) the most. No choosing the system you think would be most advantageous! (i.e. Mutants & Masterminds because the starting power level is inherently higher than D&D) There are sort of two polls here, how open/secret you would be, and how selfish/helpful you would be. Vote in each one as seems appropriate!

What do you do? Do you proclaim yourself to the world? Make a play for YouTube stardom? Do you hide out? Conceal your powers? Try to grow stronger secretly? What impact does the system you’re a part of play in your choices?

Do you use your powers selfishly or do you try to aid your fellow beings?

Feel free to share what you would wake up as in the comments, and discuss your choice and reasoning below! This is as much or more a discussion than a poll.

 

[BedlamBlade]

I’d probably wake up as a Fairest Oneiromancer of the Autumn Court (Changeling: the Lost, 1e). I’d definitely be keeping things secret, as well, points to X-Men and the mutant registration act, etc. Humans gonna human.

I like to think that I’d help others with my abilities, at least. Harder to say. I can be very risk averse. Access to magical healing right now, though, woof. That’s a big thing.

 

[John Dallman]

I don't have a single most enjoyable character, but the one I'd choose is a specialised healer from a heavily homebrewed OD&D of the 1980s. They have a major advantage in secrecy in that they don't need words or gestures to do healing (it's semi-psionic), and they get to cure just about anything at sufficient level. Being able to help my friends who have multiple sclerosis, or spinal injuries, would mean a lot to me.

 

[BedlamBlade]

I don't have a single most enjoyable character, but the one I'd choose is a specialised healer from a heavily homebrewed OD&D of the 1980s. They have a major advantage in secrecy in that they don't need words or gestures to do healing (it's semi-psionic), and they get to cure just about anything at sufficient level. Being able to help my friends who have multiple sclerosis, or spinal injuries, would mean a lot to me.

I’ve had versions of this conversation with friends in person before, and almost all the people who prefer playing healers tend to say the same! One of my friends from Uni (the first time I ever had an actual D&D group to play with) is even a paediatrician now.

 

[Marc_C]

I'd have the power to enter electronic systems, at will, and would redistribute global monetary wealth stealing from the 1%. I'd stay hidden with a modest but comfortable life to avoid suspicion.

 

[aco175]

I'd skip D&D and go marvel superheroes. I would like to think that I would use my powers for good like Superman, but fear that the man would try and force me to use them for his will, so I may need to hide until I figure it out and can come out and help people.

Remember that heroes show where you save the cheerleader bit. It has a healer that could lay on hands so to speak and cure people. Having this power brings about a lot of other problems about who do you help and who is should you help and people flocking to you for a miracle and such. Would gangsters take you or your family to force you to cure some bad guy or other governments want to cut you up to see what makes you tick. Then there is the problem is you should get paid to cure people or be more like a lawyer and some that cannot pay get pro bono help. There would also be the overwhelming amount of people who need help and if that leads to burnout.

My secret power is to just push vehicles over to middle line when turning to allow me to get by.

 

[Alzrius]

 

[Blue]

My favorite character of all time is from AD&D 2nd. A campaign we played for many years with marathons every weekend. D'Gatham of Cormyr started as a bard, and using the dual-classing (a human-only option) switched to a cleric. Between years fo play and mahuals that raise level (and wishes to be able to use more than one) he because an epic level cleric as well as a high level bard. He can cure disease, heal wounds, even bring people back from the dead. The bard list was a lot more open back then than in 5e with wizard spells and the like. Oh, and a magically enhanced charisma to be in the mid 20s. All in all a very powerful caster who could do (and did in-game) great good. How could I not use those abilities to help people?

 

[ccs]

Well if it auto selected my favorite....
I'd wake up as a 5e 1/2ling Warlock (pact of the chain, fey patron) with a slew of utility powers/spells.
Or possibly my PF1 Summoner version of the character who's virtually same (minus 1 spell) & a whole crap load of skill points - in odd things.

My 1/2lings power & skill sets are all personally useful, & only situationally usefull to a group.
Light (no dark vision), mage hand (1/2ling, everything is on the high shelf), expeditious retreat (can always keep up with the party), speak with animals, detect magic, spider climb, featherfall....
These things all greatly aid the character more than others during exploration.

So I guess I'd just go about my life pretty much as normal.
Maybe I could parley the Speak with Animals into making a living as an animal whisperer?
Vacations though could become alot more interesting as I could go rock-climbing, base jumping, sky diving, etc without fear of error.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

My favorite character is a martial artist, with super Ki powers, but unlike Iron Fist, they are not visible. When I retired the character she was the tactician and combat trainer for our campaign world's JLA or Avengers.

I'd teach martial arts, and enjoy being in tip top shape.

edit - not cheating the system - her logo is my avatar, so honestly favorite character.