I'm interested in playing a soldier/war-veteran in an upcoming game. Would anybody have any advice to give on pulling off a character of this nature? I tend towards non-serious characters and would like to play a no-frills "bad ass" and have some fun with it rather than back to my old niche.
The setting is a "post-apocalyptic" version of our old fantasy setting with a WWI tech level. I'd be travelling in a truck convoy and we have plans to switch between different characters and run "adventure of the week" scenarios. Sadly I havent convinced my group into switching to Golarion for this reboot by starting a Burnt Offerings game. :P
But I'd also be interested in your takes on the roleplaying of certain character archetypes? The truly noble paladin, machevillian wizard, vagabond bard... perhaps elves or dwarves (and feel free not to exclusively talk about cliches either)... This board has away of getting my imagination rolling.
What are your takes on these "archetypical" characters? Have you seen them done well? Or perhaps cataclysmically awful?
I'm interested in playing a soldier/war-veteran in an upcoming game. Would anybody have any advice to give on pulling off a character of this nature? I tend towards non-serious characters and would like to play a no-frills "bad ass" and have some fun with it rather than back to my old niche.
The setting is a "post-apocalyptic" version of our old fantasy setting with a WWI tech level. I'd be travelling in a truck convoy and we have plans to switch between different characters and run "adventure of the week" scenarios. Sadly I havent convinced my group into switching to Golarion for this reboot by starting a Burnt Offerings game. :P
But I'd also be interested in your takes on the roleplaying of certain character archetypes? The truly noble paladin, machevillian wizard, vagabond bard... perhaps elves or dwarves (and feel free not to exclusively talk about cliches either)... This board has away of getting my imagination rolling.
What are your takes on these "archetypical" characters? Have you seen them done well? Or perhaps cataclysmically awful?
I think the key is to have more then the archtype. I often start with an archtype when thinking of my character ideas and then move on from there. Create some life shaping events for the verteran soldier. Did he lose friends in the apocalyptic war? Maybe that means he stays distant and tries not to connect with people he assumes will be dead in a week. What drove him to be a soldier in the first place? Making events in the life of the character shape the archtype i think will create a better source to roleplay. And then I generally allow the character to develop depending on what happens in the campaign.
As a soldier and a student of the mental health sciences I would like to help you with this.
First of all, you have to understand that war changes a person. Think about what your character was like before the war. Was he a happy-go-lucky guy, full of optimism? Was he more of a cynical person? Now think about what tragedy he might have witnessed that changed him. Could be he saw his best friend cut down by enemy fire. Perhaps the war went on for far too long and he just stopped caring about why he was fighting in the first place. Or perhaps he wasn't a volunteer for the war and was forced to fight for a cause/organization he didn't believe in.
There are several good examples of movies/TV shows that you could watch to give a good reference point. Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe from Firefly/Serenity, Corbin Dallas from The Fifth Element, and numerous others. Thomas Jane's character from the movie Mutant Chronicles is also another good example even if the movie wasn't the greatest.
Other archetypes really depends on the player and the setting of the game.
I think the key is to have more then the archtype. I often start with an archtype when thinking of my character ideas and then move on from there. Create some life shaping events for the verteran soldier. Did he lose friends in the apocalyptic war? Maybe that means he stays distant and tries not to connect with people he assumes will be dead in a week. What drove him to be a soldier in the first place? Making events in the life of the character shape the archtype i think will create a better source to roleplay. And then I generally allow the character to develop depending on what happens in the campaign.
This is the approach I like to take making my characters. I find that unless I start from something "out there" I tend to end up with a more boring character as an end result. And I'm of the firm belief that cliches are cliche for a reason. :P
As a soldier and a student of the mental health sciences I would like to help you with this.First of all, you have to understand that war changes a person. Think about what your character was like before the war. Was he a happy-go-lucky guy, full of optimism? Was he more of a cynical person? Now think about what tragedy he might have witnessed that changed him. Could be he saw his best friend cut down by enemy fire. Perhaps the war went on for far too long and he just stopped caring about why he was fighting in the first place. Or perhaps he wasn't a volunteer for the war and was forced to fight for a cause/organization he didn't believe in.
There are several good examples of movies/TV shows that you could watch to give a good reference point. Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe from Firefly/Serenity, Corbin Dallas from The Fifth Element, and numerous others. Thomas Jane's character from the movie Mutant Chronicles is also another good example even if the movie wasn't the greatest.
Other archetypes really depends on the player and the setting of the game.
Excellent advice, thanks!
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I would say that the key in roleplaying archetypes and have some solid fun is to play the part to the hilt when it hurts your character's power (as in powergamer).
One of the most enjoyable moment I had was when my paladin refused to take an obviously magical sword that a dog was guarding. After all, my character already had his trusted if rusty family sword and this sword was obviously important for that poor beast.
This choice hurt my character's raw power, but it strengthened his personality, which was far more beneficial to me.
Take note that you should not hurt the group or other PCs though except if their players and the GM are ok with it : purist roleplaying should not be an excuse to ruining other people's fun.
Read The Iliad, then watch The Best Years of Our Lives. Finish up with a little Hemingway or Ernie Pyle, depending on exactly how you imagine the character. Media is generally your best bet for ideas, (outside of, say, going to the local VFW's fish fry) and as of soldiery, there's a lot of media out there discussing it.
As to the more general question, the class system alone to some extent asks that players gravitate towards archetypes. However, there's an important distinction between archetypical or cliche and flat. Just because it's a stereotype doesn't mean it has to be boring. Sometimes, it's only a matter of chrome or style - like "is bald" or "doesn't drink" - not even something that necessarily breaks type, but it's surprising how fast one fact can grow.
By far, the most fascinating version of an "standard character" I can remember is where a player took the whole "lawful stupid" idea of the paladin and attacked it head on, where that was generally how the character acted, but did so possibly out of self-hatred and always with regret. It was a much darker and more emotionally wrenching take on the character, almost too much so.
I'm interested in playing a soldier/war-veteran in an upcoming game. Would anybody have any advice to give on pulling off a character of this nature? I tend towards non-serious characters and would like to play a no-frills "bad ass" and have some fun with it rather than back to my old niche.
The setting is a "post-apocalyptic" version of our old fantasy setting with a WWI tech level. I'd be travelling in a truck convoy and we have plans to switch between different characters and run "adventure of the week" scenarios.
There's a movie from the 80's/90's called Toy Soldiers (I think), about a group of military school cadets who take over their school and end up in a shooting war with the National Guard (and there's a DnD shout out). Towards the end, there's a great scene with a young Tom Cruise blazing away with a mounted .50 caliber machine gun and shouting at the top of his lungs, "It's beautiful, man! It's beautiful!"
If you wanted to take a slightly different take on the "grizzled" war veteran, instead of make him war weary, play him as someone who has truly found his calling. Or found his drug. "I love the smell of Fireballs in the morning. It smells like...victory!" That sort of thing.
Hope this helps.
As to the more general question, the class system alone to some extent asks that players gravitate towards archetypes. However, there's an important distinction between archetypical or cliche and flat. Just because it's a stereotype doesn't mean it has to be boring. Sometimes, it's only a matter of chrome or style - like "is bald" or "doesn't drink" - not even something that necessarily breaks type, but it's surprising how fast one fact can grow.
I agree with this wholeheartedly.
If you wanted to take a slightly different take on the "grizzled" war veteran, instead of make him war weary, play him as someone who has truly found his calling. Or found his drug. "I love the smell of Fireballs in the morning. It smells like...victory!"
Now this idea I REALLY like, thanks again for your input everyone. :)