Roleplaying
Last night was actually the most fun I've had in a tabletop roleplaying session in a while. I think some of this stems from a chance to really get into and think about some character development.
When knee-deep in an active campaign, certainly there are signs of change in characters. You can see the trends of where XP is being spent (or what feats are chosen, or whatever). But it isn't always so simple to see what those changes really mean for the character. Last night we picked up with a little time lapse after a previous campaign. It's unfortunate only two of the four players present had (surviving) characters to carry over, but I was lucky enough to be one.
When I started Rowan, she was a self-centered syvani (elf) smith. Her archery was excellent, but she would be more happy in a workshop than out on an adventure. She'd studied as a wical (priestess), but was never very serious about it.
Thrust into a foreign land under assault by a demon-guided oroka (orc) tribe, Rowan has to learn to work together. She forged a bond with her companions. And later on in the story, she saw signs of guidance from her goddess. That meshed with the focus on spells until she became the primary healer of the group. Certainly some of this was apparent along the way, but given a chance to take a step back and think about these changes was refreshing.
Now she's stronger of purpose and more devoted of faith. Though the "Order of the Swan" was sort of a joke in her mind to start with, seeing through a struggle against a demon under that figurative banner, she came to take it seriously (going so far as to get herself a swan-stylized cloak). She carries with her the sword of a fallen PC - not because it's magic, or to even use, but to honor him. She was reluctant to take up and use a magic sword the group did find, but after it gave warning of a demonic presence, she's taken that as a sign and finally swapped out her own sword.
I can see the evolution of the character, and I like it.
When knee-deep in an active campaign, certainly there are signs of change in characters. You can see the trends of where XP is being spent (or what feats are chosen, or whatever). But it isn't always so simple to see what those changes really mean for the character. Last night we picked up with a little time lapse after a previous campaign. It's unfortunate only two of the four players present had (surviving) characters to carry over, but I was lucky enough to be one.
When I started Rowan, she was a self-centered syvani (elf) smith. Her archery was excellent, but she would be more happy in a workshop than out on an adventure. She'd studied as a wical (priestess), but was never very serious about it.
Thrust into a foreign land under assault by a demon-guided oroka (orc) tribe, Rowan has to learn to work together. She forged a bond with her companions. And later on in the story, she saw signs of guidance from her goddess. That meshed with the focus on spells until she became the primary healer of the group. Certainly some of this was apparent along the way, but given a chance to take a step back and think about these changes was refreshing.
Now she's stronger of purpose and more devoted of faith. Though the "Order of the Swan" was sort of a joke in her mind to start with, seeing through a struggle against a demon under that figurative banner, she came to take it seriously (going so far as to get herself a swan-stylized cloak). She carries with her the sword of a fallen PC - not because it's magic, or to even use, but to honor him. She was reluctant to take up and use a magic sword the group did find, but after it gave warning of a demonic presence, she's taken that as a sign and finally swapped out her own sword.
I can see the evolution of the character, and I like it.
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