Buffy Season 8: Evaluating Her as a General

[roguerouge]

I saw an interesting article today analyzing Buffy as a general in seasons seven (TV) and eight (comics). There's a lot of good theory on what makes a good general, using The Mask of Command.

Even though it's on an old series, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here, since DMs and players think about how command and heroism fit all the time. It's here: “We Just Declared War”: Buffy as General.

What do you think of Buffy as a general? Good work? Flawed? Is she acting like a PC?

[LazarX]

roguerouge wrote:

I saw an interesting article today analyzing Buffy as a general in seasons seven (TV) and eight (comics). There's a lot of good theory on what makes a good general, using The Mask of Command.

Even though it's on an old series, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here, since DMs and players think about how command and heroism fit all the time. It's here: “We Just Declared War”: Buffy as General.

What do you think of Buffy as a general? Good work? Flawed? Is she acting like a PC?

Buffy's not the conventional General. That would be more in the Initiative crowd. She's more like a Maud'dib type figure, an inspirational leader as opposed to general.

It's also important to note that she's not fighting a war that would fit into Sun Tzu's crib book. What she fights are more like outbreaks she operates more like a U.S. Marshal than a Commander in Chief.

[LazarX]

roguerouge wrote:

I saw an interesting article today analyzing Buffy as a general in seasons seven (TV) and eight (comics). There's a lot of good theory on what makes a good general, using The Mask of Command.

Even though it's on an old series, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here, since DMs and players think about how command and heroism fit all the time. It's here: “We Just Declared War”: Buffy as General.

What do you think of Buffy as a general? Good work? Flawed? Is she acting like a PC?

She doesn't fight a conventional war that would fall anywhere near Sun Tzu's comprehension. For that matter she doesn't fight a typical RPG campaign either. She's a messianic figure to first the Potentials, and even more so after she activates all the Slayers on the planet.

It gets even more interesting when Angel and his buddies take over Corporation Evil, otherwise known as Wolfram and Hart. Let's just say it doesn't get pretty.

There are ideas to mine for sure, but for something way different than a standard campaign. Not many players cotten to the idea of a special status "Chosen One" in their ranks, but some groups can rock with it.

[MutieMoe]

Hannibal she ain't, after reading season 8 it makes me think closest analogue would a PC that has gotten chosen one status and then rides a very railroaded path to campaign end where DM is grasping straws and cohesion breaks down.

In last season of the TV-series she seems to grasp importance of seizing iniative like a leader would, making her own rules and adapting, in the comic stuff happens to her and and slayer army and she reacts. I expected more. It is sort of disappointment when you think that series masterfully subverted some genre expectations by having the blonde gal being predator that kills monsters instead of helpless prey.