The Well Balanced Party
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Nick Hughes
(1 month ago) OK, here's another talking point: What type of characters make up a well balanced party? I'm not talking character classes, I'm talking personalities. For me, a good group should have: 1. THE LEADER. A solid, clear thinking character who cuts to the chase when discussions on what to do go round and around and who can deal with the NPC administrators and hierachies. Not necessarily the strongest but usually the most confident player in the group. 2. THE LIEUTENANT. A stalwart character who backs up the leader and who, again, is fairly level headed. Trusted by the group as a whole. 3. THE MAVERICK. They are the quirky, lone wolf of the group. Tends to do things their own special way which can lead to some good party interactions (or arguments). Often played by the most creative of the group. 4. THE REFORMED BASTARD. Or the Avon of the group. Cold hearted bad boy and ruthless but now fighting for right. Often kept in check by the others. 5. THE ALL-STAR PRO. Does one thing but is shit hot at it. 6. THE COMIC RELIEF. Doesn't mind looking silly and does the ker-razy stuff for effect. Often very good to put into peril on a constant basis. |
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Clair Umbo (1 month ago)
The opposite of the characthers in my current D&D party! |
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Nick Hughes (1 month ago)
What type of characters does your party have? Because there's always the unbalanced party which consists of: 1. THE DERAILER. Whatever the story the GM has got planned, the Derailer is having none of that. Instead, they are going to pick up on one insignificant plot thread and run wildly with it. If the party vote to go left and follow the clues, they're going to go right and engage on whatever mad plan they've cooked up...and if they're a strong personality in a group of quiet gamers, they're going to get their own way. 2. THE CAGEY PLAYER. When it comes time for the group to come up with a plan, this person will retreat into their shell. They'll never volunteer to do anything, keep themselves about 3rd from the back in a party marching order and do a couple of largely ineffectual wafts with a sword or potshots with a gun just to say they were in a combat. Won't do anything without prompting. 3. ONE STYLE SUITS ALL GAMES. Unfortunately, that style tends to be the Chaotic Neutral beserker from a game of D&D transplanted to all genres and all systems. He kills indiscriminately in superhero games, thinks it's just great to open fire on government troops in modern and sci-fi games and insists on being tooled up with big swords no matter if he's in a game of Traveller, Top Secret or Call of Cthulhu. 4. THE RAT IN THE WOODPILE. Likes playing the traitor in all RPG groups. Will sell out the entire party because they think it's fun...especially when all the others look livid and disgusted with the player when they've been sold up the river. 5. THE SLIDERS EFFECT. The glaringing out of place character in a game. Rock stars in Call of Cthulhu, transvestite superheroes, paraplegic MI6 agents or blob aliens with hypogycemia in Traveller this player forgets what type of game they are in and who else is in the group and opts for the fish out of water character. Named after the TV show "Sliders" and their soul singer character. 6. WIN AT ALL COSTS! Forget role playing, an RPG is merely a test of combat mano a mano between you and the ref. Bend those rules! Exploit your GMs lack of knowledge about the most obscure power in the most obscure supplement for a game! Wring out every point you can for your character and make sure the game grinds to a halt as you argue the toss about rule 31.15; water consumption of material plane beasts. Oh, and if you can stomp on the rest of the party, do so. 7. FUCK IT UP FOR THE OTHERS. This player does not care about the care and attention people have put into their characters. They're just along to ruin it for the others. Activate the self-destruct device and not tell anyone. Drug the party and steal everything they've got and then run away. Blab any important secret information to anyone who'll listen...just as long as the players who are taking the game fairly seriously are really pissed off. 8. THE GUN BUNNY. Gets off on guns, their calibres and reputed real world abilities. Large sections of the evening's game will involve them trying to obtain the more esoteric and funky guns available. Will often make up nonsense game statistics for his guns and will try to convince the GM to allow them. "Of course my Mauser PF-207 fires around corners and can home in on the retinal patterns of the target! It was in Jane's Defence Weekly!" |
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7. The Accountant
Keeps the 'Party Purse' and pays the landlord, buys meals and equipment etc. If the party is more-or-less in the same location will also have 'connections'.
Often a 'Scolar' (Magic User).