Compelling Characters: Dragonbane RPG.
Now we’re truly into the realm of any RolePlaying Game. I know of games where my character’s statistics easily fit on a hand-written index card, but my character’s backstory and personal details fill about three typed pages. Character is what you make of it.
As a Game Master of many, many years, having compelling Non Player Characters is usually high on my priority list. I don’t need the party to adopt the goblin they met in the tavern so much as listen to what he’s trying to tell them. If they adopt the little guy, that’s cool too. I guess.
Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.
I see a duality in the definition of “compelling.”
On one hand, if the character is compelling to me as a player or NPC as a GM, I want to play that character again and again. However, if the character is compelling to the group beyond just being statistically significant, that’s awesome. If my fellow players want me to keep the character around, or the NPC has managed to grow on them- that’s an achievement to me.
One thing we have to explain to our kids a lot is just because we focus attention on one of them, doesn’t mean the rest aren’t just as important. That’s not to say my fellow players are like children, but the same effect can occur when one character manages to be a little too compelling. When the character appeals to me, I want to that character to be in the spotlight as much as possible. I think that’s true as much as it is for anyone. But then other very compelling characters can get left out, too.
We also have to remind the kids that its not a competition. We love all the kids or in this case, characters, equally. It’s important for the GM to give the PCs a chance to be compelling whenever possible. My NPCs, fun and memorable though they might be, usually find themselves relegated to utility jobs such as healing or just general comedy relief if we need to break the monotony a bit. The PCs need to be the focus of our attention as GMs.
Compelling characters are often defined by their actions in and out of combat.
Even the PC bard that picked up a rock, spouted a quick one-liner, and threw it at the boss for no damage might be more memorable than any spectacular spell or combat maneuver. In some ways, that character might be more compelling to us as players than the fighter doing a triple backflip with a half twist before plunging his sword deep into the dragon’s eye. Sure, both looked cool.
The fighter was just being a fighter. The bard, though? What was his deal? Why the absolute disdain for the main villain? Why throw a rock instead of shooting an arrow or picking up his sword? We want to know.
Compelling characters are usually the ones who are more significant off their sheet.
Think about people in real life for a moment. How many people are far more interesting than their job? I’ve known postal carriers, truck drivers, accountants, and custodians. The job is nothing to write home about. The person doing the job? Way cool and fun to talk to.
Doctors on the other hand? Lawyers? I don’t honestly care a whole heap about what they’re like off the clock. Likeable is a bonus when my life is literally in their hands or I’m going up in front of the judge. I need a doctor or lawyer to be compelling because of what they can do.
The same is true for fantasy RPGs. A healer or a thief might be as charming as mud on a fence post in character, but their skillset will carry them a long way toward being endearing to the group. I have had the (mis)fortune of running many healers over the years as PCs and NPCs. No one was all that concerned about what the character had to say, but the second the damage numbers started rolling in, that character was everyone’s best friend.
Compelling Dragonbane characters are different because…
They have to survive long enough to tell their story. The Old School game mechanics make the survivability of Dragonbane characters a bit more difficult than RPGs where the characters are basically fantasy superheroes. The first few sessions might be all the character gets for the character to ingratiate themselves onto the group.
My hope would be that a potentially short lifespan might make players put more personality onto their characters. Maybe I’m optimistic. If the players constantly believe their characters are going to croak early on, they might not care what their character is like in terms of history or personality. I feel the opposite is true.
The more compelling the character is, the more we’re going to want to interact with them- and keep them alive along as possible! Theoretically, the more the group puts into their characters, the longer they will survive. Maybe more vocal characters avoid combat and achieve their goals more readily. More opportunities to improve skills comes with more experience points.
Theoretically we’re encouraging roleplaying as GMs by rewarding compelling characters and showing off their good example. This isn’t to say the person who gives me one paragraph of character background and not a whole lot of personality should be punished, but it’s super important for that player to have every chance possible to build on their character’s non-statistical traits.
Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.
Jeff's Game Box 