[S7S] dramatis personae - our heroes (3)

[reverancepavane]

Name:Oliver Ramonson, Chevalier du Lis du Lac Motivation: Justice! Foibles: Secret Identity: The Russet Fox*, Ex-Musketeer* Nationality: Good [+2] Colronan Royalist Profession: Good [+2] Aristocrat Swashbuckling Forte: Master [+6] Russet Fox Other Fortes:Average [+0] Fopish Noble Techniques: Idiom: Acrobatic!, Foe: Aristocrats!, Situation: Outnumbered!, Weapon: Rapier!, Feat of Disguise!, Feat of Escape! (all chained to Swashbuckling Forte). My background (avoiding the word foible, since it has a game mechanical meaning) is that I was a spoiled brat growing up, full of upper class privilege. When my older brother died an accidental death (in the country and unreported) I "ran away", assumed his identity and joined the Musketeers. There I learnt of the arrogance of the aristocrats, and grew to detest it. Upon the death of my father, I resigned my commission to take up my title. But country life grated, and I took up a double life, with one identity in the family seat and another in the city (now I'm veering from The Scarlet Pimpernel to The Importance of Being Earnest). So several groups of people know me as different people. My old Musketeer friends know me as Garrick Ramonson, a serious and honourable man. To the populace at large I am Oliver Ramonson (my real name), a fopish nobleman. And to those in need, and those who help me, I am The Russet Fox, friend of the common man. Chris wanted a Scarlet Pimpernel type character, and trying to create the character involved lots of emails involving the word Portmanteau. In fact I could hear Chris celebrate on the far side of the city when the term was relegated to history with V2. The problem was in actually identifying the nature of The Russet Fox#, and this opened up a difference in gaming philosophy between us. The fundamental difference is that I saw that The Russet Fox as the swashbuckling character who was disguised as Oliver some of the time (it just happened to be his real identity), but Chris didn't want to seperate the two identities and wanted to operate as both. Chris' idea of a Russet Fox# Portmanteau basically replicated the Musketeer Portmanteau with the addition of Stealth and Disguise. Combined with the Ex-Musketeer# and Aristocrat# Portmanteau it was a rather cheesy character (his words). Besides, I had to point out that he belonged to the organization of Wanted Outlaws before he would agree that it was an eligible Portmanteau under the 3 out of 4 conditions test. My modification of this version used Sanctum, Disguise, Stealth, and Friend of the Common Man as the Fortes in the Portmanteau, with Sanctum having the attribute of Wealth and representing the Fox's Den beneath Oliver's estate. Anyway while I found this discussion on how to create a decent Portmanteau very interesting, this was all made moot with the move to V2. The only real distinguishing feature of The Russet Fox is that Chris wanted him to be a Master of Disguise. One of the reasons for doing so was that Chris really wanted the Feat of Disguise! which he wanted to treat it as an Aspect [1] in Spirit of the Century [2]. Now I really liked the idea of having a Feat of Disguise! which would enable the character to turn up in appropriate situations. I allowed him to dictate Minor Facts at no cost (which he used to eavesdrop and monitor other players at the Birthday Ball), Significant Facts at 1 Style, Major Facts at 4 Style, and possible even More Important Facts at 8 Style ("take these supplies to the old mine up in the hills, will you"), appropriate to his disguise. But I really should have put my foot down more and gotten Chris to choose. During actual play he seemed to end up suspended between the two poles of his character and ended up being neither Oliver nor The Russet Fox (to my disappointment). His Average [+0] Forte of Fopish Noble was a (literally) last minute switch from an extra Foible of Fopish Noble* to the Forte. Now I see Foibles as passive aspects of the character, which are generally invoked by other characters and the gamemaster, but Fortes as something the character has to be active with for them to take effect. As it was, there was very little foppish behaviour evident, and I'm glad that Chris later took the first damage on this Forte, leaving me a Story Hook for later: in a subsequent game his companions would know that he wasn't the fop that he tries so hard to be. This would, of course, raise questions as to what else he was hiding. I'd also seriously suggest that Chris change the Forte into something he might make use of, perhaps a Foible of a Secret Identity: Garrick Ramonson*, and ressurect/reinforce that plot line. I should note that all the players knew each others Foibles, even the "secret" ones. This is highly recommended if you have players that won't take advantage of this knowledge. For example, one of my fondest memories in the game was when Oliver (who was The Russet Fox "in disguise") and Sebastian (whom you haven't met but who is a woman in disguise) roundly scolded Victor on not seeing what was in front of him (in regard to being willingly manipulated by The Baroness). The game was much enhanced by the players "accidentally" tweaking each other's Foibles (such as trying to get young Sebastian laid). [1] May be a Stunt? Sorry drivingblind but it's been a while since I read the rules. [2] A really really good pulp-era game which is soon to turn into a "Return to Castle Wulfenbach" campaign because I can't wait all that much longer for kajafoglio to finish writing GURPS Girl Genius.

Comments

[chadu.livejournal.com]

Systemic madness aside (mea culpa, mea culpa), I LOVE this character idea.

CU

portmanteau

[maelorin]

"A really really good pulp-era game which is soon to turn into a "Return to Castle Wulfenbach" campaign because I can't wait all that much longer for kajafoglio to finish writing GURPS Girl Genius."

ditto! [*paces*]