The name of the card game I'm thinking of is 'Three-Dragon Ante'.
Will post tonight, promise.
I'm just trying to come up with something that's suitably 'me' and not be a blatant novel!
;P
Ok, I gave up.
A blatant novel it is! ;)
I took Sant's and Dreamer's Ideas and wrote a little Intro story. NOW that THAT is over, maybe I can get onto the business of playing! ;P
Sant- Instead of trying to make a lame-duck gather local roll, i wrote it into the story. I'll let you decide what I hear about.
OK, the stage is almost all set, full speed ahead, phasers on FUN!
Brindol? Splendid! I had thought that was where I wanted to be from! I love it when a plan comes together! I'm sure he's not the ONLY mage in town, but he's probably the only one with a shingle over his door!
Hmmm,... 'The Wand, Staff and Orb Investigations'?!,
'Mystical Investigations and Eliminations'?
Signed 'B. Blackstone, Esq.' of course!
;)
I'd drop the "mystical eliminations" part -- sounds a bit rude. Are you going more the "Sam Spade" route this time? Could be B. Blackstone, P.I. (Pyromaniacal Investigator or Instigator, as the case may be).
PI= 'Pyromaniacal Instigator' ROFL! :D
THAT fits the character!
I luv it! Yeah, going more the Sam Spade, Harry Dresden, (and some other characters I can't remember the names of right now) route.
Actually, I don't know what the medevial equivalent of a 'PI' would be, (Closest I've ever read about was the murder-solving monk. FOrgot his name, but he was basically SHerlock Holmes with a shaved head and monk robes! They made a movie about him starring Sean Connery.) but I wish there was a 1st lvl Ritual for finding/locating things. Or detecting the truth. Those would have been perfect!
I'm Actually thinking about trying to write all of my posts in first person, al-la 'I knew she was trouble when she walked into my office' old PI stories/movies. At least we the readers will always have a clue what he is thinking! But It's not my strongest prose. DOn't know if I'd be able to keep up the quality in the long run. Still, Never know if I don't try either!
EDIT- Oh yeah. MOST people in a medieval society couldn't read, so most of the signs were just pictures. ;P
Detect Lies does exist but it isn't quite so game-breaking anymore.
Actually, I don't know what the medevial equivalent of a 'PI' would be,
The idea of detective work and applying the scientific method to human behavior and crimes is fairly new, I believe. Historically, that job would belong to an inquisitor. Or a mob on a witch-hunt. So rather than piece together evidence which points to a person, you pick a person (the most guilty-looking or least-trusted) and then pin the evidence (or make some up) on them, based on either witness testimony, hearsay, lies, or magic/divination.
I'm Actually thinking about trying to write all of my posts in first person, al-la 'I knew she was trouble when she walked into my office' old PI stories/movies. At least we the readers will always have a clue what he is thinking! But It's not my strongest prose. DOn't know if I'd be able to keep up the quality in the long run. Still, Never know if I don't try either!
First-person is an idea, but consider it carefully. Will it add or detract from the group storytelling? Back in the old days, when I was lurking JSL's RotRL, Mal was written primarily in first person, and as a result, his posts did stick out from the normal pace of things. If everyone was first-person "I do such-and-such..." then it would be more consistent.
The second issue with first-person (especially when only one character uses it), is that when you read a book in first person, the person narrating is usually the protagonist and star of the story. The story becomes his/her point of view, and excludes others' thoughts and feelings. It's easy to transfer that kind of interpretation to this type of writing. While not the intention, I'm sure, it could come off as distracting at least, and spotlight-stealing at worst.
Finally, if you choose your anachronisms well, they'll be really clever. If they're excessive or non sequitur -- or simply outlandish -- they could be detrimental to the goal at hand.
As NSpicer might say, just my two cents.
P.S. Re: pictoral signage -- I think the medieval sign for "Private Eye" might be misinterpreted by above inquisitors as "Evil Eye." Though, with the Eyebite feat, maybe that would be intentional! :)
Yah, The HArry Dresden novels are all in first -person throughout. But the author is a bloody GENIUS! He is both verbose yet brief, clueless and clever, and somehow he writes in first person, sharing the primary character's innermost thoughts. And He STILL surprises you with what the guy pulls off at the end!
All of the other novels I have read which use first-person switch between all of the characters. And usually still mix in all fo the other points of view as well. Out of ALL of the sci-Fi/Fantasy books in my personal libaray (Not to mention the ones I'ver checked out of the library!) Only the Harry Dresden Novels and (most of) the Vlad Taltos novels Stay consistently in the first person narrative throughout, and do it well.
EDIT-
P.S. Re: pictoral signage -- I think the medieval sign for "Private Eye" might be misinterpreted by above inquisitors as "Evil Eye." Though, with the Eyebite feat, maybe that would be intentional! :)
Hehee,... ;) Again, I Like!
And your time is up! Up, I say...! ;-)
Actually, give me some time to work out Ceelie's background and I'll see if I can't jump her into the storyline. I'm still unwinding from the five days I spent at GenCon (yes, I know it's the "Four Best Days in Gaming"...but if you're driving 10 hours to get there, you need a 5th day for travel/planning purposes!).
Also, going back to the points Dreamer made against having our wizardly investigator write in first-person, I too will ante up my two-cents and say that it would be distracting. If you wanted to do a journal of the game (in the other forum) with that style, I think it would be fine. But as a method for posting your character's thoughts/actions in the midst of other players using a different tense...no. It would clash and actually break up the readability of the game forum...for me, at least.
As a gamer, I prefer immersive storytelling. So when you use OOC comments that involve knowledge of names/places/things no medieval character would know, it's actually more jarring to me from a "suspension of disbelief" perspective. It no longer reads like a book. Instead, it's more like Mystery Science Theater 3000 voice-overs providing running commentary. Okay, maybe not that bad... ;-)
But that's just my two-cents,
--Neil
Welcome back NSpicer, hope you had fun!
TAke your time with Ceelie, I'm still trying out how to get my guy from HIS table to the other table without the blatant, "Hi. You guys look like your going on an adventure. Need a wizard?" Approach.
On the other hand, he IS a 'Wiz for Hire' and business is slow,... ok Very Slow,... OK, IT's LOUSY, maybe trying to drum up some business isn't a bad approach after all?!? ;P
I agree with what seems to be the consensus on the 'first-person' approach. (I was only THINKING about it!) I actually tried that once already in another fairly short-lived PbP I was in, and while the different types of narrative didn't disturb me personally, I did end up switching back to my 'normal' style. Mainly because it was easier to write! But also to help the flow of the story.
I'm still tweaking Ben's details on his background, (Did I mention I spend WAY too much time thinking about these things?!?) And adding a proposed level up plan. I'm up to lvl 5 so far. If later, say, this weekend or so, you all could take a look at that and let me know what you think? I just want to bounce ideas off of the wall of great thinkers I have here. I'm not necessarily trying to 'Min-Max', Just looking for tips/tricks/thoughts/ideas that work with the character idea.
(Little things like JSL's pointing out that without taking the Wand Mastery, a character's multi-class Wiz/Warlock power won't be likely to hit at higher levels, those kinds of thoughts!)
Also, remember that with Science Theater 3000, most of the movies they were watching were actually IMPROVED by the commentary! ;)
Thx all, laters!~
I have to hop-along and agree with Neil, here. I think the character concept for Ben is phenomenal. I like the idea of a Wizard for Hire--it's quite a refreshing break from the Seer or Wise man archetype, and I think it fits quite nicely a medieval-ish society. There were travelling minstrels, players, tinkerers...why not wizards? Malory's Merlin comes off as more of a Wizard for hire than a Gandalf type character half the time.
Thx guys, That means a lot, (Even if, like all of my other ideas, it was stolen!) ;P
The tone that I am going for with the Elsir Vale, is that late medieval/early renaissance kind of thing that I think the FR Grey Box did so well. I therefore try to spinkle in many OD&Disms (man-at-arms, for example) and nods to medieval architecture (beam and plaster, etc). Inns are probably not going the have fifty things on the menu, you'll be lucky with three or four choices of main dishes unless you're in a big city and the place is decidedly higher class. Go to lower-class taverns and you'll have what they're serving, thank you very much.
Yes, I think that the 'traveler's havens'/Inns/etc. served whatever the local hunter brought in that morning. If it was a deer, you had venison roasting on a spit, and the bones and scraps were boiling in the pot for stew. If you were a particularly rich or important visitor, they MIGHT kill one of their chickens for you, but as they were valued for their eggs, it still wasn't likely. ;)
So, please find ways to keep clearly anachronistic things off the table. I'm not saying that we need to turn this into a PbP version of a renaissance faire, that kind of thing grows tedious. Just keep in mind the setting, and I think we'll all do fine.
Thank you. I do LUV a good renaissance faire, (they are fun!) and I obviously enjoy getting into character, but give me a break guys! I live in the 21st century! (Some of the people I have met are just a LITTLE over-zealous about 'staying in character') IN other words, we should just keep doing what we've been doing, and everyone will be happy? ;) (Actually, I do steal (BORROW) my best lines from movies, but I am rather proud of myself that it has been almost a year now, and I have managed NOT to make any blatant Star Wars/Star Trek statements!)
As I side note, the Vlad Taltos series was mentioned. This is not what I'm going for at all. This has a more Eberron-like feel that, oddly, I think Brust does a bad job at (sorry if that's offensive, just my opinion). The cross-genre thing just doesn't work for me in those books. Brust shows off his skills as a writer much better in the Phoenix Guard. For that kind of cross-genre (noir-mystery/pulp/fantasy) feel, I'd take my queue from Leiber and Lankhmar. I just wanted to put that out there so as to avoid confusion.
That's funny that you should say that, (Not your opinion, as I mentioned months ago, it is your opinion and as such cannot be 'wrong', But the fact that you like the Phoenix Guard books better.) Because they are all set in the same location, just a few hundred years apart! They even involve a lot of the same characters. The primary difference is that (most of) the Vlad books are all first-person narrative, and the Guards books are more traditional narrative style.
While I thoroughly enjoyed both series, I really like the Vlad series. Maybe it's the first-person narrative, all cocky and smart-mouthed and arguing with his familiar,... (Hm, this does sound familiar), Maybe it's the fact that the protagonist starts the series as small-time hoodlum, but even though he's a mobster and an assassin, he still does the 'right thing'. (Sometimes). Maybe I just like his sense of humor. I don't know.
Lankhmar & Leiber, I just can't get into. Before you send me hate email, I have tried, really! I enjoyed reading the stories alright. But they always seemed, flat, to me. Closest I can come to explaining it is like reading a children's version book of your favorite all-time movie. Yes, you get that the characters went here and did this, but you KNOW there should just be so much more than what your reading! I get that they are very popular, and that I should probably like them more, but I just can't/don't. And I can't explain why, because they are very similar in style to the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars (Barsoom) series. Which I also Adore/Can't see how I would have survived my teenage years without! :)
(I also have the same problem with the original Conan stories. I like them, but I don't love them enough to collect them all and add them to my shelf!)
Gotta run, more later,
Laters!~
Oops! forgot the important part!
Yes, I'm cool with waiting till you get back SJ@! We can keep the ol' RP wheels turning till you get back.
Yeah, I'm cool with knowing Ceelie. Let me re-read her background and see if I can figure out where I know her from!
Laters!
Love Leiber and Howard - something very potent in such tight writing.
Don't worry overmuch about how to get Ben to one table or the other. I'm more concerned about getting Ceelie into the room...note that there is an open chair at Ben's card game. Perhaps they know or know of each other enough for her to sit and join the game???
And there are other unidentified patrons in the room, correct? Ceelie could be any of those? In fact, there could be several mercenaries/adventurer wannabes in there... Maybe we just end up being the ones crazy enough to think we can rescue the Vale!
I'm in a bit of a quandary. My family and I are leaving for California on Wednesday,
I imagine you'll be a bit to the north (Reddingish) or east (Sacramento-y), but if you happen to end up in the Bay Area and want food and a visit, let us know... :) I also know lots of good parks for kids to play at. (Enterprise Park just south of Redding is one of our favorite stops when we're travelling north. Kids play...parents maintain sanity.)
So, I propose that we get everyone in the same room by tomorrow, and you guys can either talk amongst yourselves for a week or take a breather.
I think we can drag out the history checks and do some character bonding/development. (Though, for the life of me, I have no idea what books and authors you're referring to. Just as well. Best not to get caught in a Star Trek vs. Star Wars which-is-better argument.) I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. :)
Yay! I like being the character who knows stuff, for a change!
Poor old Ehlissa only knows about noble family trees and which fork to use for the fish...
For Dreamer, a short(?) reference to fantasy works. Whether or not they are any good depends upon your point of view, obviously! ;P
Everyone else, please feel free to add, this is just the list of what we were speaking of above.
Leiber, Franz= Author of 'Fhaferd and the Grey Mouser' series. Supposedly 'Ill Met in Lahnkmar'' is touted to be his best work.
Howard= Conan. Need I say more?
Brust, Steven= Author of "Vlad Taltos' series of books, (Jhereg, Yendi, Teckla, etc.) Protagonist is a gangster/assassin/'Witch' with a small, smart-aleck dragon for a familiar. He turns out to be more Han Solo-ish than 'evil' in his actions. Usually.
Also wrote 'The Phoenix Guards' and sequels. Same setting, 1 or 2 thousand years earlier.
Edgar Rice Burroughs= Tarzan and 'John Carter of Mars' (or the
'Barsoom') series of books. John Carter is a Civil War era gentleman who discovers the ability to transfer himself to Mars by willpower. There his earth developed muscles make him stronger than everyone else, and allow him to leap great distances. He, of course, falls in love with a princess.
Jim Butcher= The 'Harry Dresden' Novels. (I don't know what else he's written, though Ive seen it on the shelf. I'm still devouring this series!) All written in first person, Harry Dresden is a 'Sam Spade/Han Solo' tough guy with a heart of gold. He is Chicago's only publicly practicing wizard. You'll find him in the yellow pages. Full of wry wit and clever (IE=Smart-@$$) banter, I love this style of writing, I can't help it!
Ursula K. LeGuinn= You'll find her books in the 'young reader/teenager' section of the bookstore. Only title I can recall is 'A Swiftly tilting planet'. The exact plot escapes me at the moment, but she IS a very engaging author. I remember enjoying the series.
(Author?)= 'A Wizard of Earthsea' and sequels. (They made a miniseries of it for Sci Fi channel. Please don't let that turkey prevent you from reading at least the first book!) Another 'young readers' classification, The book is about a young man who becomes a wizard, releasing a dangerous creature that could destroy the world in the process. The rest of the book is a fantastic voyage of self-discovery. The sequels didn't impress me as much, the first one is that good! But they are ok as well.
What else would you all consider 'Must reads', in your opinion at least?
(Notice that MY 'must read' list would have JRR Tolkien at the top, but I was going for less well-known works!) :)
If you want Ceelie to know Ben, they could have known each other from a 'business arrangement', (Maybe she needed his help to bypass a magical defense, or he needed her to 'acquire' something for him that he needed) That grew into a casual, mutual, (if cautious, due to our professions), friendship?
Perhaps we wouldn't trust each other with our gold, but we like and trust each other enough to have a continuous working relationship? Play cards and share stories over dinner? (When Ben has any money?) ;)
Just a thought!
Laters!~
|
Sounds like a good idea, though it seems like JSL left NSpicer an opening in the game thread.
One note: Madeline L'Engle wrote A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and {i]A Wrinkle in Time[/i]. Ursula K. LeGuin wrote the wonderful Earthsea books. Both are great authors. As is Lois McMaster Bujold, specifically her book, The Curse of Chalion.
Sounds like a good idea, though it seems like JSL left NSpicer an opening in the game thread.
One note: Madeline L'Engle wrote A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and {i]A Wrinkle in Time[/i]. Ursula K. LeGuin wrote the wonderful Earthsea books. Both are great authors. As is Lois McMaster Bujold, specifically her book, The Curse of Chalion.
Ah! You are correct sir! Thx for the correction!
While I'm not familiar with the above-listed books, I'm not completely ignorant of sci-fi/fantasy lit. (My extensive library includes Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, and Susan Cooper, to name a few in that genre. And I very much enjoyed Madeline L'Engle, Lois Lowry, and Jane Yolen as a kid.)
I'll look at your suggestions...when I have time. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work (and current time constraints) I have had very little interst and/or time for fiction of any variety. I talk to real people who have all kinds of drama and problems in their lives; I don't need to compound it with fictional people who are also coping with their own drama and problems. In a few months, I hope to be studying for my state exams, in which case I won't have time for ANYTHING.
So, perhaps, some day, when I have a lull in my life, I'll get a chance to read for fun again. And when I do, I'll peruse some of your suggestions.
I've posted something for Ceelie to get her at the table in the tavern. Given that her "homebase" will be Brindol, I'm going with the overall concept that she's probably done business with Dravos and Ben in the past. With the dwarf, she's met him on hired jobs for guard duty and such. And with the wizard, she's "procured" an item or two for him "no questions asked" and "payment up front" before.
Other than that, she would have kept most of her origins to herself. I'm considering having her elven ancestry tie back to the Witchwood...which means, as long-lived as Aelwyn would be, it's possible she knows/knew Ceelie's father (i.e., another elf from the Witchwood). Presumably, her mother would be a human from one of the villages closer to the forest. Growing up, Ceelie never felt like she fit in. So she ran away from home as soon as she felt confident she could look after herself and came to Brindol.
She's made her living off the streets since then, hiring out for legitimate jobs (like guard duty, protection, etc.) and the occasional illegitmate job (like burglary, petty theft, etc.). She then supplements the income from those jobs with whatever she can steal on her own (i.e., mostly food, drink, and clothes). The life of an unaligned rogue, basically...and I'm assuming she's been good enough at it to afford all of her equipment and a place to stay in town.
While I'm not familiar with the above-listed books, I'm not completely ignorant of sci-fi/fantasy lit. (My extensive library includes Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, and Susan Cooper, to name a few in that genre. And I very much enjoyed Madeline L'Engle, Lois Lowry, and Jane Yolen as a kid.),...
Ah yes, Anne McCaffery! Another One of my all-time favorites! (Sorry, didn't mean to imply that you were unaware of the genre!) ;)
I can only imagine what your daily schedule must be like. Keep up the good work! At least when YOU get done you'll have what sounds like a decent career to look forward too! Good Luck! Or, as we theatre -types say, 'Break a Leg!' :)
NSpicer-you took the post right off of my keyboard! Sounds great!
Wow, 3 hours later, that makes NO sense at all! ;P
I MEANT to say 'NSpicer, you took the words right out of my mouth', But was trying to apply it to the PC, Keyboard,... AH you get the idea,... ;P
(Ooookay, note to self, never type a post quickly in the AM. At least not before caffeine!) ;)
Wow, 3 hours later, that makes NO sense at all! ;P
It's okay. I took some ranks in Speak Language (Ragadolf-ian). So I got the gist of what you were trying to say. ;-)
Also, note to Dreamer...I'm not trying to paint Ceelie as too much of a hardcase. She's probably just a bit touchy about her elven heritage...meaning, she doesn't know much about it and kind of resents her lot in life. All of her childhood friends have aged faster than her because of her elf-blood. And she assumes she'll find no solace among the elves either, given that she'll age much faster than them. So she's nursing a bit of pain, loneliness, and resentment in that regard. Just FYI...
Lastly, I don't know if anyone noticed, but I'm making a conscious effort to give Ceelie a slightly different communication style than Zieke from our RotR game. Ceelie uses much shorter, compact statements to make her points. And she prides herself on squirreling away bits and pieces of information about other people. It's a survival mechanism she's honed over the years. Sometimes she can sell that information. Or simply use it to her own advantage. She's got a passive Streetwise of 17 and a passive Perception of 16, so I'm assuming she picks up a lot even when sitting still...
NSpicer -- No worries. I certainly don't expect everyone in the group to suddenly be friends just because they're eating together. And I kind of like that Aelwyn and Ceelie aren't instant BFFs just because they're both girls and have an elven connection. Even better, it seems like there's a certain amount of overlap between rougues and rangers when it comes to fighting style, so I like that these two have such different "styles" of relating as well.
If they bond, they bond, if not, there's fodder for good dialogue...or rivalry...or whatever happens.
Maybe Aelwyn is perceptive enough to catch all of Ceelie's baggage in that one comment... :) Nah, that would be cheating.
One other thing I like about Ceelie thus far is how much of her personality comes out of her actions and her way of doing things. I haven't pinned down Aelwyn's personality quite yet (though I have two people in mind when I write her), so I apologize if I haven't given a lot for people to play off of yet. It will come, I'm sure, as we go on.
Note that in 4E, elves and half-elves reach maturity at the same rate as humans, they just live longer... unless SJ wants to rule differently.
Note that in 4E, elves and half-elves reach maturity at the same rate as humans, they just live longer... unless SJ wants to rule differently.
Ah...lovely. Because there was such a need to mess with the lifespans, too? [/rant]
...it seems like there's a certain amount of overlap between rougues and rangers when it comes to fighting style, so I like that these two have such different "styles" of relating as well.
Exactly. And I wanted to make sure I didn't step into Aelwyn's niche from a character role standpoint. We'll see how things go. But for now, I'm just trying to establish a separate identity for her and making adjustments on the fly depending on how each of you portray your characters, too.
It does make more sense to me to have elves not be children for 100 years... that's just a bizarre image... but anyway...
It does make more sense to me to have elves not be children for 100 years... that's just a bizarre image... but anyway...
OK, two things,
FIRST, I have to agree with NSpicer, why 'fix' it if it aint broken?SECOND, as a parent, I can't IMAGINE changing DIapers for 50 or 60 years! No WONDER the elves never have many babies! ;)
(I had to say it, I just HAD too!) :D
But, to me personally it is 'broken', but to each his own... I vastly prefer the new age fluff.
It's not so much that elves are babies but that they are mentally children for so long that vexes me.
But anyway, I feel that I may be in a minority over what is essentially an ephemeral issue, so I shall commence the shutting up process.
:D
Instead of various editions of the Monster Manual, I grew up with Gnomes and the descriptions of cultures and creatures in that book.
Still new at this, of course, it's interesting to see how the same words and names are redefined for different stories, books, and editions. (There are elves in the fairy tale "The Elves and the Shoemaker" and Orlando Bloom famously portrayed an elf -- but they're nothing alike.) The 3e and 4e elves do vary in terms of height, lifespan, alignment, etc. And I imagine half-elves vary even more, depending on which rules from which raes apply.
I think the point is less how they ARE (which changes) vs. how they are PORTRAYED by US in OUR campaign, which I believes allows a little more freedom.
P.S. If elves weren't to spend the vast majority of their lives in their prime, would it be worse to be...
...an infant for 30-40 years
...to be a child for up to 100 years
...to be physically adolescent/adult but act like a child for up to 100 years
...to have 50-100 years of adolescence
...or to be elderly for the last 400 years of one's life?
You're quite right, Dreamer in all particulars. Elves are essentially whatever we make them, as are half-elves by derivation.
So it is entirely up to SJ and/or the half-elf players to determine these sorts of things.
I myself have extrapolated from the Dragonborn pages in the PHB and the Ecology article, that at least Kriv's people dress in a vaguely traditional Japanese way.
So it is entirely up to SJ and/or the half-elf players to determine these sorts of things.
I'd prefer to go with what I know. Of course, Dreamer should have a say in it as well. She's playing an elf, which is even longer-lived. And JSL is playing a dwarf, so the same situation applies. I have no idea of the life-expectancy of a dragonborn, but it would seem to be an issue there as well, right?
My interpretation has always been that an elf (or any of the longer-lived races) just have all of their age categories stretched...not a single one. So, although they have a longer childhood, they also have a longer period of puberty, and middle-age crisis, and golden years as an elder. Culturally, I've always interpreted those lifespan differences to distinguish these other races as something "magical" and "alien" from human society.
For instance, I don't just picture the babies of elves, dwarves, etc. growing up alongside humans at the same rate and then suddenly the aging process shuts down for an incredibly long-time while their human friends die out. I like to see elves who have lived more years than their human counterparts, but don't yet have the same maturity because their childhood lasted longer. That explains a fair amount of the mercurial nature of a "young" elf who's actually older than a human companion.
The same situation applies doubly for the "half" races like half-elves and half-orcs. Their lifespans are different from both of their ancestors. So it makes them different psychologically. They never really "fit in" with either culture. And that's something that motivates them at the same time it can isolates them or forces them to become independent. And so, for me, that would be a cornerstone of why Ceelie behaves the way she does...and how she sees herself in relation to everyone else.
But that's just my two-cents,
--Neil
Dragonborn become adults at 15, and if I remember rightly (book not in front of me) have a lifespan comparable to that of humans. Kriv is probably early to mid thirties and is a seasoned adventurer.
My interpretation has always been that an elf (or any of the longer-lived races) just have all of their age categories stretched...not a single one. So, although they have a longer childhood, they also have a longer period of puberty, and middle-age crisis, and golden years as an elder. Culturally, I've always interpreted those lifespan differences to distinguish these other races as something "magical" and "alien" from human society.
Thinking out loud...
I can see the stages of life being stretched out, but not exactly proportionally. The description in Races of the Wild emphasized elves' independence and self-values (self-sufficiency, self-respect, self-centeredness, etc.) and indicated that there is no "old age" as humans understand it, but rather a gradual transformation into a creature of light and nature. I can see childhood and adolescence being lengthened -- to a degree -- maybe the first 40-50 years or so of life.
But I don't see an advantage to an extended gestation (unless the fetus ages and grows very slowly) or a much-longer period of infancy and childhood (maybe 20 years instead of 12), just because elven parents do not seem as though they would have the patience or inclination to care for a dependent child for an extended period of time.
I guess the important point isn't exactly how long the lifespan is or exactly how old the characters are. Rather, it's what an impact the lengthened or shortened life expectancy has on one's culture, worldview, and personal interactions.
Knowing that she differs from both groups of her ancestors, I imagine Ceelie is afraid to get to close to anyone because loss is inevitable. Aelwyn seems to have all the time in the world, and sees the major events in human history as tiny knots in an endless string of time -- this too shall pass -- so very little is going to get her ruffled.
For more on the implications of agelessness and immortality, I recommend the children's fantasy book Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit.
Gosh, I really have opened a can of worms here! Didn't expect such a great deal of response! :D I used to think a lot about this sort of thing and be very into world-building, but recently I've got more sort of into a winging-it, 'let's just roll the dice' mentality (which in my rl games is more fun for me, as I think so much at work!), so it's interesting to see such lively discussion.
I agree on JSL's points. It's the background that winds up being different because of the age question. And I like (or prefer, rather) the variety in how an elf would view the 100-year war vs. a human. It makes for more interesting characterization, both for my character and the NPCs.
In addition to the background, however, I still think it's important from a cultural standpoint, because it will effect how I choose to portray an elf, half-elf, or dwarf vs. a human in actual gameplay. It will color my character's moods, word choices, etc. I can understand Fabes point about "let's-just-roll-the-dice" but I guess I look for a lot more immersive detail in my games.
No biggie, though. It's just how I am...not an indictment of how Fabes plays the game. My only point is that those differences are at least some small part of how we both approach the age issue. It'll be interesting to hear Santinj's take on it. As always, this is his game...so it's the GM's call. It sounds like the rest of us (JSL? Dreamer? Rags? And me...) favor the age difference thing rather than going with the newly interpreted 4e explanation.
--Neil
Let's rock :D
Kriv's packing erudition and a flaming breath weapon, and he's right out of erudition...
Cannot wait to have a bar-room brawl involving Ben setting people on fire haha.
Let's rock :D
Kriv's packing erudition and a flaming breath weapon, and he's right out of erudition...
Cannot wait to have a bar-room brawl involving Ben setting people on fire haha.
THAT makes two of us! Hehee!
ACtually, I've been thinking,... (A dangerous pastime, I know!) And I think I've come up with a way to use at least one of Ben's powers in an unusual and creative way, (If not really improving it's effectiveness, It should read good if it goes off as I've planned!)This may indeed harken back to 'the good old days' when I was capable (In both thought and allowed by the rules) to be creative in a spells use!
One of my favorite quotes from a Harry Dresden novel,... kicking open a door with no preamble,... "And I'm all outta bubble gum!"
RE: the age issue(s)- I never really thought about the childhood of an elf or other before. That last comment of mine was actually the first I thought about it! But I DID try to think of how having lived longer than the others he traveled with would color his perception. He might notice that a large ant colony had split since the last time he was there. Or that a tree he remembers as a sapling is now mature and producing fruit,... that sort of thing.
In the meantime, I'm with the lizard,...
"I'm here to take names and kick @$$! Ah, I was never that good with names!" :) (Insert favorite spell here!)
Reposting here, make sure I cover all my bases,...
FYI- I am closing on a house next Tuesday. SO, between that, and having to move out of (and clean) the apartment in 5 days, (AND have a daughters B-day party!) on top of all the usual interruptions that moving brings to web-based communication, I may not be my usual chatty self next week.
I will have access to a PC at work, but I need to actually DO work sometime, and I plan on not being at work much next week because I'll be moving! :) Kind of a catch-22 thing,...
So, just letting you all know. I'll be back to my usual over-wordy self ASAP.
Thx for understanding,...
Fair warning from me as well. I've got a family beach trip scheduled next Wednesday through Sunday. I'm not going to have internet access, so I hope to get as much done as we can between now and then.
Good luck with THAT SJ@!
Drive safe, and see ya when you get back.
Just a reminder, Closing house today.
See you all in a looooong day or two (or three, who knows?)
Wish ME luck! ;)
Ben will go in B or D 16, back -to-the-wall kind of thing. ;)
Oh, I forgot to mention on the other thread,...
Welcome Back Sant@!