Hi all,
for some reasons my GM wants me to play a vanara (swashbuckler). Although I didnt have any issues creating a proper working build, I am still struggling with the question how to make this character as "realistic" as possible.
I am looking forward to get some proposals which behaviour/manners/attitudes a vanara should show from your point of view.
I d like to avoid playing a "human with a tail" as much as playing a "pure" monkey.
Dont hesitate to let me knwo about your ideas.
Regards
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Check out any legends about the Chinese Monkey King. Not so much a monkey, but a lovable practical joker who protects the weak and enjoys giving more serious individuals their comeuppance or at least embarrass them with their own seriousness.
The Monkey King is one of the true bon vivants in mythology. He loves life and finds joy in the simplest things. He uses his actions and lifestyle to show others how to truly live without getting bogged down in the minutiae.
AFAIK this is one of those things where Paizo has said "they exist", and given stats for them, but there is practically no setting information for them, no indication of political or social organization, either in terms of internal dynamic or external relations with other species/nations, or really anything at all.
re: Monkey King, I would not connect that to Vanara at all, there is specific Sun Wu Kong explicitly described as Monkey King, and he if anything is associated with Tian Xia not mentioning Vanara at all.
The name Vanara is obviously derived from Indian mythology, NOT Chinese, which is unsurprising because the only thing we know about them in Golarion is that they live is Casmaron and are depicted with Indic attire/ accoutrements, so invoking Chinese lore is not productive IMHO.
In Indic lore, they aren't much more specific other than monkey people who aid lore hero in Ramayana, although weak speculation has inferred they are representation of non-Aryan non-Dravidian tribal peoples in India. So modelling them after such marginal tribes in India would be the most coherent basis to start from IMHO. Of course that's extremely weak because one could imagine any number of hypothetical cultural/political evolutions starting from that base in a world of magic.
All in all, I don't think there CAN be any particular reason for the GM to want you to play this, other than generic image of 'monkey person' and whatever they choose to project/imagine on that canvas (I am guessing they are not amateur anthropologist with interest in non-Aryan/Dravidian tribal cultures) I see similar sentiment to e.g. Catfolk which I had similar aversion to given there just wasn't anything there, although at least Catfolk HAVE by now gotten smidgens of backstory and setting context compared to Vanara. Basically, they're blank slates for people to project what they want re: 'furry' / animal-folk. Take it or leave it.
Anybody who owns Blood of the Beast: Did Paizo go into any more detail about vanaran culture or characterization in that supplement?
True, that was the "Furry" book... But that isn't setting-specific at all, is it?
Could be. The Player Companion line does have a lot of setting-specific stuff.
"As described in the epic [the Ramayana], the characteristics of the Vanara include being amusing, childish, mildly irritating, badgering, hyperactive, adventurous, bluntly honest, loyal, courageous, and kind."
Sure, but Paizo often takes great liberties with ideas rooted in real-world mythology. (NTTAWWT!)
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Blood of the Beast is very setting specific. Most Player Companions are.
Simultaneously sage and mischievous, vanaras are respected for their wisdom, and yet display a carefree attitude that humans often scoff at as being naive and irresponsible. Constantly on the search for unexpected opportunities and experiences, vanaras have migrated in small numbers to both the Inner Sea region and to Tian Xia, where they form small but vibrant communities in the Mwangi Expanse and the mountains surrounding Goka.
Hi all,
for some reasons my GM wants me to play a vanara (swashbuckler). Although I didnt have any issues creating a proper working build, I am still struggling with the question how to make this character as "realistic" as possible.
I am looking forward to get some proposals which behaviour/manners/attitudes a vanara should show from your point of view.
I d like to avoid playing a "human with a tail" as much as playing a "pure" monkey.
Dont hesitate to let me knwo about your ideas.
Regards
Well, going somewhat off of normal 'monkey king' style characters, along with your class, it is fairly straight forward to make someone that is arrogant as hell.
Sometimes, you don't necessarily have to play it as a racial stereotype to make it feel like you are nonhuman- you can get that from reactions of those around you, marking you as 'other'.
So an easy way to take arrogance and draw an 'other' reaction- have your character be attracted to 'furless ape girls' (read: humans). Have him hit on every girl he meets. Have the obvious result when girls are hit on by monkeymen. Have angry villagers yell at you for 'trying to take our women'. Find the mild surprise when you actually get a positive reaction, accompanied by the disgust from everyone else in the room.
I don't think the OP is asking how to play the racial stereotype. He just wants to know what IS the racial stereotype, or even more specific details of Vanara culture beyond a singular trope. Those all are equally of value when playing against type. Because you first have to understand what social norms are before one can imagine a 'rebel' against those norms. Otherwise you have a furry with amnesia about their species and culture.
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I don't think the OP is asking how to play the racial stereotype. He just wants to know what IS the racial stereotype, or even more specific details of Vanara culture beyond a singular trope. Those all are equally of value when playing against type. Because you first have to understand what social norms are before one can imagine a 'rebel' against those norms. Otherwise you have a furry with amnesia about their species and culture.
Yeah, but the specific paizo race might only get a paragraph blurb. So I work off of other tropes.
And a lot of the tropes i work with are the human tropes- the tropes of how they react to other races. If we can't get a positive definition of this race, then I might as well define it through the negative (ie- "it is not a human", "It cannot pass for human", "it is not close enough to human for normal romantic relationships").
Even if you are adrift, without a background to define you, definitions can be created based off how the world reacts to you. And how you respond in turn to those reactions.
And if you respond by hiring the bard, Barry White, and sitting next to a nice mood setting fireplace... then you can at least get a laugh.
OK, I think I misread you. I do think the qualities from Ramayana quoted above by PCScipio are best starting point, albeit extremely narrow. Honestly, I find it strange for GM to suggest this with zero elaboration. But that's me.
I have been paying a vanara for several months and I too had the same concerns at the beginning. I thought it best to not overdo anything though. That can lead to forced RP. He is a bit of a practical joker, but nothing malicious. He also thinks that humans are way too serious. There is another vanaran in the party and sometimes the two of them make jokes to each other about the other party members. You have a prehensile tail, which is handy and come back if you remember to use it. More importantly remember to use it for this and that out of combat. It's a small touch. The other thing I decided to do, and this has nothing to do with anything I read about the race, is to make him a vegetarian.
HIT MONKEY!!!