Edena_of_Neith
First Post
I was not sure whether to put this thread here, or in Sci-Fi.
I decided to put it here, and hope this is the right forum for it.
- - -
There is something we see in a lot of films and books, but which is hard to quantify.
This something, is Stature.
Stature is, when reduced to game mechanics, a situation where the being with Stature is larger than life, and everything it does, and everything it says, has a greater than normal effect on those watching it or speaking to it.
In the Works of Tolkien, it is Stature that causes the Noldor to have such power.
Glorfindel can take on the Nine because of his Stature, and he appears as a shining white light to Frodo because of that Stature.
Galadriel is beautiful and worshipful (when she chooses to be) because of her Stature. And it is her Stature that enables her to stave off the Eye of Sauron.
Stature is the reason none can take up the One Ring and use it, without being destroyed - for to actually do it and succeed, they would have to have Stature equal to Sauron's, and they simply do not.
In the Tales of Hoffman, the devil decides to wreck all of Hoffman's love affairs, killing those loves if necessary.
In Act 3, the devil attempts (as Dr Miracle) to convince Crespin, father of Antonia, Hoffman's love, to let him treat her, but Crespin knows him as a murderer and a devil.
Yet Crespin does not throw him out; Crespin cringes and wails, as the devil implores him to accept his help.
And when the devil speaks, it throws fear into the hearts of all who listen, and when he does an imaginary examination of Antonia, both Crespin and Hoffman believe there is really something there.
Antonia, caught alone, is hit by the full assault from the devil, and resists to the last - but the Stature of the devil, and the trick he plays, defeats her and ultimately kills her.
Merlin is often portrayed as having Stature.
Arthur has Stature, as does Sir Galahad.
On a more mundane basis, Great Authors you meet at conventions have Stature, for you ... just look at your reaction when you meet them for the first time.
Or, imagine you meet a great celebrity whom you really like, or meet one of the world leaders you happen to like. Consider your reaction to such a meeting.
For you, they have Stature, and you react appropriately.
In the game, Stature could be thought of as a kind of magic, and it can be expressed in game mechanical terms.
A person with minor Stature, for instance, might gain:
+ 4 to all initial reaction checks.
+ 4 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 1 to hit in combat.
+ 1 to AC against all attacks.
+ 1 to all saving throws.
+ 2 to all checks associated with the Senses (sight, sound, hearing, etc.)
+ 2 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats.
A person with moderate Stature, such as Glorfindel from Tolkien, might gain:
+ 8 to all initial reaction checks
+ 8 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 3 to hit in combat (all attacks are considered + 3 magical attacks, regardless of the weapon used)
+ 3 to AC against all attacks.
+ 6 to all checks associated with the Senses.
+ 6 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats.
The Stature has a visible signature - in this case, an appearance of visible light - to those with eyes to see it.
A being with great Stature, such as Sauron, might have:
+ 32 to all initial reaction checks
+ 32 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 12 to hit in combat
+ 12 to AC against all attacks
+ 24 to all checks associated with the Senses
+ 24 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats
It is Stature that makes the Eye of Sauron (which could be interpreted as him manifesting his power against you, or his avatar, or other ways) so terrible and unendurable.
It is Stature, that makes Sauron able to swing his mace, and kill a dozen opponents with one hit, hurling their bodies 50 feet through the air (it is NOT due to acquired Feats.)
Beings such as Angels, Eladrin, Guardinals, and Einherier always have great Stature, although they may choose to hide it.
Powerful demons and devils have Stature.
Tieflings and Aasimar have minor Stature.
In 1st edition, extremely high or low Charisma could produce an Awe or Horror reaction.
That was a measure of Stature, sometimes.
Cthulu has Stature, among many other things he has.
When you die, upon looking at Cthulu - the image simply too great for your mortal mind to comprehend and yet hope to live - it is partially Cthulu's Stature that spells your doom.
To a lesser extent, this applies to the Minions of Cthulu.
Allanon, from the Sword of Shannara, had Stature.
When Allanon spoke, people listened, or shut up - Menion Leah was the only one to talk back to Allanon, and when he did everyone in the room gasped in shock and backed away.
When Allanon came walking forward, angry and determined, even hardened veterans who had orders to block the way to all visitors, got out of his way.
Some Player Characters have Stature.
They can be born with it, but this would only be minor Stature, such as a tiefling or aasimar would have.
To obtain great Stature, a Player Character should have survived many epic quests, and have accomplished many deeds that were nearly impossible.
The Player Character should have some VERY strong themes about him, whether they are related to ethics and morality, or certain viewpoints, or certain goals of the character.
Then, when your Player Character speaks, people find it hard to ignore him, or with great Stature impossible to ignore and they must fight to not believe every word spoken.
Your anger terrifies people as if it were magical anger, and with great Stature your anger sends even the stout-hearted running for cover.
Your pleasure is felt by all in the room, and their minds are calmed, and they feel more at peace - with great Stature, you can calm a barfight or street brawl with a simple, single word, and they will stop, heads hung in shame.
And when you draw your sword or mace, there is magical might in your arm, and your blows are greater in strength, and the effects are greater, and will harm what cannot normally be harmed - and if your Stature is great, your blows will shatter steel, crush large opponents, and send smaller opponents flying.
Roland and the 12 Peers of Charlemagne, had this kind of Stature, and they were all but invincible, killing countless thousands of the treasonous enemy before they were finally taken down.
To some extent, Level, in Dungeons and Dragons, is a measure of Stature.
Yet Level does not completely sum it up.
A person with Stature is greater than a person.
A person with great Stature, is greater than life.
It is not something a Wish will grant.
It is not something you get from a magical item.
It is not something you can choose to obtain at all.
It is something that just happens to your Player Character, as he does the impossible, over and over. As he survives the unsurvivable. As he completes one epic adventure after another.
I decided to put it here, and hope this is the right forum for it.
- - -
There is something we see in a lot of films and books, but which is hard to quantify.
This something, is Stature.
Stature is, when reduced to game mechanics, a situation where the being with Stature is larger than life, and everything it does, and everything it says, has a greater than normal effect on those watching it or speaking to it.
In the Works of Tolkien, it is Stature that causes the Noldor to have such power.
Glorfindel can take on the Nine because of his Stature, and he appears as a shining white light to Frodo because of that Stature.
Galadriel is beautiful and worshipful (when she chooses to be) because of her Stature. And it is her Stature that enables her to stave off the Eye of Sauron.
Stature is the reason none can take up the One Ring and use it, without being destroyed - for to actually do it and succeed, they would have to have Stature equal to Sauron's, and they simply do not.
In the Tales of Hoffman, the devil decides to wreck all of Hoffman's love affairs, killing those loves if necessary.
In Act 3, the devil attempts (as Dr Miracle) to convince Crespin, father of Antonia, Hoffman's love, to let him treat her, but Crespin knows him as a murderer and a devil.
Yet Crespin does not throw him out; Crespin cringes and wails, as the devil implores him to accept his help.
And when the devil speaks, it throws fear into the hearts of all who listen, and when he does an imaginary examination of Antonia, both Crespin and Hoffman believe there is really something there.
Antonia, caught alone, is hit by the full assault from the devil, and resists to the last - but the Stature of the devil, and the trick he plays, defeats her and ultimately kills her.
Merlin is often portrayed as having Stature.
Arthur has Stature, as does Sir Galahad.
On a more mundane basis, Great Authors you meet at conventions have Stature, for you ... just look at your reaction when you meet them for the first time.
Or, imagine you meet a great celebrity whom you really like, or meet one of the world leaders you happen to like. Consider your reaction to such a meeting.
For you, they have Stature, and you react appropriately.
In the game, Stature could be thought of as a kind of magic, and it can be expressed in game mechanical terms.
A person with minor Stature, for instance, might gain:
+ 4 to all initial reaction checks.
+ 4 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 1 to hit in combat.
+ 1 to AC against all attacks.
+ 1 to all saving throws.
+ 2 to all checks associated with the Senses (sight, sound, hearing, etc.)
+ 2 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats.
A person with moderate Stature, such as Glorfindel from Tolkien, might gain:
+ 8 to all initial reaction checks
+ 8 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 3 to hit in combat (all attacks are considered + 3 magical attacks, regardless of the weapon used)
+ 3 to AC against all attacks.
+ 6 to all checks associated with the Senses.
+ 6 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats.
The Stature has a visible signature - in this case, an appearance of visible light - to those with eyes to see it.
A being with great Stature, such as Sauron, might have:
+ 32 to all initial reaction checks
+ 32 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and like checks.
+ 12 to hit in combat
+ 12 to AC against all attacks
+ 24 to all checks associated with the Senses
+ 24 to all checks associated with the 6 core stats
It is Stature that makes the Eye of Sauron (which could be interpreted as him manifesting his power against you, or his avatar, or other ways) so terrible and unendurable.
It is Stature, that makes Sauron able to swing his mace, and kill a dozen opponents with one hit, hurling their bodies 50 feet through the air (it is NOT due to acquired Feats.)
Beings such as Angels, Eladrin, Guardinals, and Einherier always have great Stature, although they may choose to hide it.
Powerful demons and devils have Stature.
Tieflings and Aasimar have minor Stature.
In 1st edition, extremely high or low Charisma could produce an Awe or Horror reaction.
That was a measure of Stature, sometimes.
Cthulu has Stature, among many other things he has.
When you die, upon looking at Cthulu - the image simply too great for your mortal mind to comprehend and yet hope to live - it is partially Cthulu's Stature that spells your doom.
To a lesser extent, this applies to the Minions of Cthulu.
Allanon, from the Sword of Shannara, had Stature.
When Allanon spoke, people listened, or shut up - Menion Leah was the only one to talk back to Allanon, and when he did everyone in the room gasped in shock and backed away.
When Allanon came walking forward, angry and determined, even hardened veterans who had orders to block the way to all visitors, got out of his way.
Some Player Characters have Stature.
They can be born with it, but this would only be minor Stature, such as a tiefling or aasimar would have.
To obtain great Stature, a Player Character should have survived many epic quests, and have accomplished many deeds that were nearly impossible.
The Player Character should have some VERY strong themes about him, whether they are related to ethics and morality, or certain viewpoints, or certain goals of the character.
Then, when your Player Character speaks, people find it hard to ignore him, or with great Stature impossible to ignore and they must fight to not believe every word spoken.
Your anger terrifies people as if it were magical anger, and with great Stature your anger sends even the stout-hearted running for cover.
Your pleasure is felt by all in the room, and their minds are calmed, and they feel more at peace - with great Stature, you can calm a barfight or street brawl with a simple, single word, and they will stop, heads hung in shame.
And when you draw your sword or mace, there is magical might in your arm, and your blows are greater in strength, and the effects are greater, and will harm what cannot normally be harmed - and if your Stature is great, your blows will shatter steel, crush large opponents, and send smaller opponents flying.
Roland and the 12 Peers of Charlemagne, had this kind of Stature, and they were all but invincible, killing countless thousands of the treasonous enemy before they were finally taken down.
To some extent, Level, in Dungeons and Dragons, is a measure of Stature.
Yet Level does not completely sum it up.
A person with Stature is greater than a person.
A person with great Stature, is greater than life.
It is not something a Wish will grant.
It is not something you get from a magical item.
It is not something you can choose to obtain at all.
It is something that just happens to your Player Character, as he does the impossible, over and over. As he survives the unsurvivable. As he completes one epic adventure after another.
