Heroica Theatre

[JimBee]

Thoughts on Haldor's current developments?

I'll admit that Haldor's sudden drastic change since his advance to Shaman was pretty unexpected. I really liked Haldor as a character, but then he got really confusing. I think you're doing a great job in Quest 49, but there was a long period where I was kind of lost on where he was at.

[Zepher]

I like Haldor overall. Maybe because I've hosted him twice and he's always been a fun time... but who knows? He's stubborn and opinionated but still noble and strong. He's really into strength, as in it seems to really appeal to him (both moral and physical strength) and I don't think there are enough characters who lust after that (there are those that lust after power, but I'd argue that's different).

If you feel like you are slipping (ever, this isn't Haldor related) I advise going back and reading your old quests. It's fun for starters, so there's no reason to not do it, but it will also remind you of character traits. Real people have things (sayings for example) that they drop for a while and then bring back. I think it works for characters well. It will help you take what you have now and reinforce it with what you used to have as a character and sort of merge them. It allows for growth, but also keeps you in check. I reread Boomingham quests often, and also reread all the previous Wren quests before hosting one to make sure I have all plot points and to make sure I remember how characters speak, what they believe, who they worship as deities (that's always a tough one to remember), and who they've met.

[Flipz]

If you feel like you are slipping (ever, this isn't Haldor related) I advise going back and reading your old quests. It's fun for starters, so there's no reason to not do it, but it will also remind you of character traits. Real people have things (sayings for example) that they drop for a while and then bring back. I think it works for characters well. It will help you take what you have now and reinforce it with what you used to have as a character and sort of merge them. It allows for growth, but also keeps you in check. I reread Boomingham quests often, and also reread all the previous Wren quests before hosting one to make sure I have all plot points and to make sure I remember how characters speak, what they believe, who they worship as deities (that's always a tough one to remember), and who they've met.

So you mean you have trouble keeping the plot together, too? (I jest, though really, now all you have to do is read the start and end of Quest 38 if you want a recap. )

It's interesting, there are a few things about Arthur that I've drastically changed, mainly details about his life and homeland that, now that I've written things down in a cohesive manner, I realize I've contradicted. At the same time, there are some things that I think I can keep, even though I've not had a chance to play with them in a very, very long time (i.e. some of the elements from the end of Quest 17 with Emeralds, his mechanical expertise, etc.).

It's also going to be interesting to see how the situation with Jules turns out; Arthur found a kindred spirit in Jules, to lose him so soon may have profound effects on his development.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Flipz

[Palathadric]

I think Pretzel came from Anno 1701. I was playing it a fair bit at the time and I loved the "Itinerant Preacher" who comes to town every once in a while and says his "Earn your salvation or rot in hell!...etc, etc" speech. I had ideas for characters under just about every class, but I also saw that Heroica had the fewest clerics at the time, so I went with that. I can't recall if I had already put together the minifig before that or if I did so after...

[Chromeknight]

I just went the opposite of male- human-rogue.

[Pyrovisionary]

I had a spare fig that I wanted to use on eurobricks and since I couldn't use it for mitgardia I used it for heroica. No thinking was involved. Of course I regret that now.

[TheBoyWonder]

I chose Werewolf Rogue with Lycan as there was no other werewolves.

[TheBoyWonder]

Sorry for the double post, but as the last one was 19 days ago, and on a different topic (ish) I thought a whole new post would be necsessary.

I'm trying to have Lycans Darker side come out, is it working? Is he becoming more Sadistic, cruel and heartless?

[Endgame]

Sorry for the double post, but as the last one was 19 days ago, and on a different topic (ish) I thought a whole new post would be necsessary.

I'm trying to have Lycans Darker side come out, is it working? Is he becoming more Sadistic, cruel and heartless?

I'd suggest being a little bit more subtle and/or gradual. Going from somewhat mild mannered to "I'd kill inoocents just for fresh blood" is a tad jarring. Keep trying, though!

[TheBoyWonder]

No, its been happening since Rhodus smashed him in the torture session, it was the plan, head injury/crazy progg makes someone slightly demented.

[Flipz]

I still say slow it down a bit if you can. Try to find the contrasts in Lycan--in what ways does his slightly more aggressive nature actually make him gentler? Stuff like that is what makes characters three-dimensional and interesting.

---------------------------------------------------------

A while back, Zeph mentioned he keeps a list of Heroes who have affected Boomers most in his life. For Arthur, that list would look something like:

*De'kra

*Haldor

*Tensi

*Atramor

*Skrall

*Alexandre

*Cronk

*Althior

*Triad

*Wren

[Zepher]

An RP note I've suggested before (earlier this page, actually, but I'm doing it again myself, so it's on my mind):

Read back over old character interactions, they're very cool, and help re-affirm some character choice and events... and also we've got a crazy lot of good writers. Read some old talks- DarkDragon, I don't know if you recall Cinna and Boomingham meeting, but that was a great moment for him at least. And Sandy, when Ellaria confesses about her child- genius roleplaying, and great moment for Boomingham to remember about her.

This quote from Barty is something I only vaguely remembered writing, but it explains EVERYTHING about him and Boomingham:

"Of course. We only start the process for them, and then step back. The truly weak don't make it... but those in circumstances that hid their strength emerge-"

"Redemption! Pah! You mortals live such short lives, redemption doesn't figure into it. You don't have time to change. Well, dragons perhaps, and certainly some of the longer living elves, but you humans, the U'Kin, the Rito, sprites, fairies, wolves, and even the dwarves, you don't have the capacity for change. Not enough time. You've got to weed the species, not the individual."

"Then what are you doing here with me?" Boomingham asks, eyebrow cocked. Barty opens and closes his mouth and for one of the first times since his appearance, looks genuinely confused.

[Darkdragon]

DarkDragon, I don't know if you recall Cinna and Boomingham meeting, but that was a great moment for him at least.

I do remember. That was a lot of fun.

[Kintobor]

I'm curious as to how Karie's being perceived by others. As well, I'm wondering if people like the interludes, especially the pseudo- flashback while trying to look for the theater. Do they make sense, or should I try something different?

[Dannylonglegs]

I'm curious as to how Karie's being perceived by others. As well, I'm wondering if people like the interludes, especially the pseudo- flashback while trying to look for the theater. Do they make sense, or should I try something different?

I personally really like Karie's character. I'll admit, I didn't read every post in your first quest, but, from what I've seen of her, I perceive her as a bit childish and... eccentric with an good understanding of theatre and artistic talent--to the point that she could be perceived as aristocratic or snobby--if it weren't for her pick-pockety street presence. I think her brand of theatrical rogue isn't a commonly seen one, but it's one that I personally find entertaining. I myself usually play bards in RPGs, and I think Karie'd make an excellent Minstrel unless you have other plans for her. I really like how you've played her in this market interaction too. True to character Karie was the most subtle and to-the-point. I imagine if this were DnD, you'd have rolled a pretty high number on your bluff check.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Kintobor]

I personally really like Karie's character. I'll admit, I didn't read every post in your first quest, but, from what I've seen of her, I perceive her as a bit childish and... eccentric with an good understanding of theatre and artistic talent--to the point that she could be perceived as aristocratic or snobby--if it weren't for her pick-pockety street presence. I think her brand of theatrical rogue isn't a commonly seen one, but it's one that I personally find entertaining. I myself usually play bards in RPGs, and I think Karie'd make an excellent Minstrel unless you have other plans for her. I really like how you've played her in this market interaction too. True to character Karie was the most subtle and to-the-point. I imagine if this were DnD, you'd have rolled a pretty high number on your bluff check.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Minstrel is definitely in Karie's future. It's now just a decision between being a Witch or being a Sorcerer before going Minstrel. The childishness clashing with Nessa's arrogance is really proving to be fun. As for back at the market, yeah you'd of believed it too. Karie has a way to get what she wants, and I think it has to do with her personality. I really think two key individuals help shape Karie: Sally Bowles (from Cabaret), and Haruhi Suzumiya (from, well, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). As to what I plucked off of each character and how, I'm not telling.

[Dannylonglegs]

Minstrel is definitely in Karie's future. It's now just a decision between being a Witch or being a Sorcerer before going Minstrel. The childishness clashing with Nessa's arrogance is really proving to be fun. As for back at the market, yeah you'd of believed it too. Karie has a way to get what she wants, and I think it has to do with her personality. I really think two key individuals help shape Karie: Sally Bowles (from Cabaret), and Haruhi Suzumiya (from, well, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). As to what I plucked off of each character and how, I'm not telling.

Oh certainly. Out of curiosity, how much of what you told the poor man was the truth? Does she really even worship Mercutio? I find your interactions with Nessa quite amusing too. It's a great dynamic, her haughty versus your immaturity. Classic.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Cutcobra]

Minstrel is definitely in Karie's future. It's now just a decision between being a Witch or being a Sorcerer before going Minstrel. The childishness clashing with Nessa's arrogance is really proving to be fun. As for back at the market, yeah you'd of believed it too. Karie has a way to get what she wants, and I think it has to do with her personality. I really think two key individuals help shape Karie: Sally Bowles (from Cabaret), and Haruhi Suzumiya (from, well, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). As to what I plucked off of each character and how, I'm not telling.

I don't really see her as Witch but a Sorceress is possible.

[Kintobor]

Out of curiosity, how much of what you told the poor man was the truth? Does she really even worship Mercutio?

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Absolutely none of it! It was all a well fabricated lie! If anything, she's agnostic.

[Waterbrick Down]

I'm curious as to how Karie's being perceived by others. As well, I'm wondering if people like the interludes, especially the pseudo- flashback while trying to look for the theater. Do they make sense, or should I try something different?

I like the character and agree that the theatrical rogue is a great interpretation of the class, so kudos for trying something uncommon. Flash-backs can go one of two ways, if based off of a current situation that triggers the flash-black they can help add depth to your character and thus the situation (as long as you aren't doing it in every scene that is). The second way flash-backs can commonly tend, is they happen just for the sake of happening, they don't really add anything to a scene and they're basically your character monologuing, tooting their own horn, or as Zepher put it once "playing with yourself" instead of the other characters. The key thing to remember is that Heroica RPG isn't just about your character (and I give this as general advice for anyone putting more emphasis on role-playing over game-playing), it's about the story as a whole and how everyone contributes to the grand-arching themes pervading it.

[Dannylonglegs]

Absolutely none of it! It was all a well fabricated lie! If anything, she's agnostic.

Hahaha! Perfect!

I don't really see her as Witch but a Sorceress is possible.

I think the only ones she really couldn't pull off are a Black Knight and a Raider. She doesn't really have a brute side as far as I can tell, and she's not evil (I don't think). Assassin is sorta possible. She could pull-off an Irene-Adler-y type (it'd be different, but not horribly out of character, I don't think. (And I know Adler's not an assassin, that's just the closest character to what I mean)) Witch or Sorceress are certainly the best options, I think, and I'd have to agree with Eric about the sorceress. It really depends on how it's played. Neither is perfect just yet, but she's got plenty of time to grow into whichever she thinks is best.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Kintobor]

I like the character and agree that the theatrical rogue is a great interpretation of the class, so kudos for trying something uncommon. Flash-backs can go one of two ways, if based off of a current situation that triggers the flash-black they can help add depth to your character and thus the situation (as long as you aren't doing it in every scene that is). The second way flash-backs can commonly tend, is they happen just for the sake of happening, they don't really add anything to a scene and they're basically your character monologuing, tooting their own horn, or as Zepher put it once "playing with yourself" instead of the other characters. The key thing to remember is that Heroica RPG isn't just about your character (and I give this as general advice for anyone putting more emphasis on role-playing over game-playing), it's about the story as a whole and how everyone contributes to the grand-arching themes pervading it.

Can we put that last bit on a plaque, or something. Other than that its good to hear people are liking her.

[Shoker86]

I like Karie as character, i like her unpredictability. I'm looking forward to see Arnulf and Karie relationship grow, espically as time has passed and tension is still in the air.

[Flipz]

Audition Night: Crafting a Back-Story: The Present as a Key to the Past

"...and so, one of the interdimensional beings turns out to be--now get this--Henry's great-great-grandfather! Can you imagine what we could do with--"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Mr. ...?"

"Please, call me Steven, sir."

"Well, Mr. Steven...erm...perhaps our guest judge would like to share his opinion?"

"...Ah. Er--there are no words, Mr. Spielberg."

"Ah. Well put, Mr. Fox."

"So, does that mean I--"

"WANNA KNOW WHAT I THINK OF HIS IDEA?" *ka-chik!*

"Hello? Hello? Is this thing on? What am I s'posed to do with this thing, anyway?"

"Erm, Mr....Everyman is it?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you please just share your backstory with us?"

"Eh, sure. Why not?"

"OK. Part numero uno. Alright, so y'all are familiar with those guys over in the place a bit away from here? Well, after that stuff happened and the guy got me out, I talked to a guy, who turns out had told the other guy to get me out, and the guy tells me to go tell a guy the guy wanted to talk to him. I had nothin' better to do, so I told him I'd tell him. Anyway, I tell the guy, and he tells this guy to go get Lord somethin'-or-other, that they had somethin' for him to do. Anyway, that guy tells the guy the guy escaped, and so the guy tells me he wants me to go tell this other guy about the whole thing. I told him I'd tell someone who could tell the other guy, since that one guy had told me not to leave town. So anyhow, I went back and told the guy what the guy had told me to tell him, and told him I needed to tell a guy who could tell the other guy. That's when I got a letter from this guy, seemed smart enough, askin' me to tell people what he wanted me to tell them. Well, I told him, sure, long as I didn't have to leave town. Anyway, I told the guy that that one guy had wanted me to tell about the escape of that other guy, and by the time I had done that, the smart guy told me to tell a bunch of guys what he and two other guys had written letters to tell me to tell them..."

**Four hours later...*

"...and then the guy tells me, no skin off his back, and then the other guys showed up, and they told me some nasty stuff but still asked me to stay with them, but I told them no, I needed to leave town, 'cause I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was not gonna be pretty. So we sail off, but then later this guy tells me about you, and I decide to tell you everything. Any questions?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...thoughts, Simon?"

"MOO!"

"Mm. Well-said. Now, I may not be a professional judge, but I think even I'm qualified to say--"

"NEXT!" *giggle*

"..."

"<...And that's how I escaped the vampire pirates.>"

"I see. But how, may I ask, did you get back to Eubric?"

"Du-uh. Isn't it obvious, Pike-man?"

"<The girl is right. The answer is obvious.>"

"...It is?"

"<Sea turtles, mate!>"

"You wanna know how I got these scars?"

"Erm...that IS why we're here, yes."

"So do I..."

"Hi, my name is George Lucas..."

"There, he is! Get him, we shall!"

"We'll see how HE likes the 'space between spaces'!"

"The power to make crappy retcons is insignificant next to the power of the Force. Death by tray it shall be!"

"This show just got interesting."

"Erm, forgive me for asking, but...who are you and why are you judging MY show?"

"Are you batty, old gnome?"

"Halfling--"

"Whatever. I've been singing here since Grogmas, after a chance encounter with a heroic force led from my life of hopeless poverty to my meteoric rise to stardom!"

"Whoa-whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh...Didn't even have to try; I'm always a good time! Whoo!"

"You know me, Pike-man, my man! They all do! I'm the greatest star Olegia has ever seen! I'm....Carly...Swift!"

"...oh dear..."

Backstory is important to good characters, no doubt. It anchors the characters by helping to narrow down the range of possibilities for their personality and perspective. However, backstory can also be an anvil weighing the character down, creating a lot of baggage that prevents the character from fully realizing their potential choices. This is especially true of bad backstory.

Let's start with some incorrect choices. First of all, backstory, once set, should rarely be changed. The life of Mr. Lucas serves as more than enough of an example on this point. For this reason, it's important that your character's backstory should be expressed in nonspecific terms--if at all--during the earliest period of character development. Yes, knowing key events of your character's life is important, but if you have a complete timeline of your character's life within the first few months of playing them, you're probably overthinking them. Remember, the strongest characters are played from the heart, not from the mind.

Even if you have a great deal in mind for your character's history, leave yourself open to some change: only let your character express the tiniest snippets of information about their past at first. This way, WHEN (not if) you realize some portion of your prewritten backstory is unbearably stupid, you can always re-interpret what's actually been revealed in some different light. For example, one of the earliest backstory choices for Arthur Justus Regulus VII was that he literally came from the land of Minecraft via planeswalking. No, you are not hallucinating, that was his initial character conception, in its entirety. However, most of his early comments about his past were vague enough that they were able to be reinterpreted, leading to the conception of the Zut'tau'ri, a race of former Chaos-worshippers who now use their unique knowledge and perspective to create arcane items and devices from materials with naturally-occurring mystical properties (in spite of eschewing Ether themselves).

This brings us to a second point: shared history. One of the important advantages of a loosely-defined backstory is that it allows that backstory to become intertwined with that of other characters. Pulling from the example of Arthur again, the looseness of the re-interpretation allowed Arthur to, later, determine that his ancestors, in fact, had contact with the people of De'kra the Echo (or, more precisely, their alternate-universe counterparts, but for the purposes of Heroica they may as well be the same), which is where the Zut'tau'ri learned many of the technological skills they had to rely upon after denying Chaos. This opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for the two of them, and raises several interesting questions about both characters and their backgrounds.

Also important is openness to player feedback: originally, Arthur was just an average denizen of his land, and his parents were just as ordinary; however, Tanma's feedback about Arthur's technical skill and manner of speech (which he interpreted as signs of noble birth) gave rise to Arthur's family being the ruling family of the land, and moreover, a family that has fallen from grace. One should always be on the lookout for others' interpretations of your character's actions; look them over and steal whatever you think will work best. But even as you develop your character more and more, always keep some space open; this will allow you to keep adding new things as you see them. "Borrowing" others' ideas about your character is one of the most organic and powerful methods of character development--provided you don't actually change anything.

This is an important point to make note of: the reason you are keeping your backstory loose is because you don't want to have to change things later. Changing a character's backstory has the negative effects of killing off your character, without the positive benefeit of providing a completely blank slate: as roleplaying master Waterbrick Down puts it:

I've got a dozen or so characters I've been biting at the bit to start over as, it's what I like to do. However, that's really no fun for others in the long run as it would make my character hard to invest in, since people know I'm going to kill them off after a quest or two. Thus I keep playing as Skrall.

The same holds true of complete character rewrites; after all, if you think about it realistically, how much of a relationship would you really be able to forge with someone who keeps lying to you about their entire history? At best (i.e. the George Lucas scenario), everyone ignores you and your roleplaying and your character development slows to a crawl as nobody bothers to interact; at worst, your character development becomes, essentially, "pathological liar", and your character development dies completely.

An attempt to change characterization one of the FEW cases in which I would actually approve of amnesia, but ONLY as an alternative to outright retcon--keep in mind, though, for it to work, it has to be complete or nearly-complete amnesia (with ALL of the complications and setbacks that brings), and you really only have ONE shot at it in your roleplaying career. Really, it's better to just keep a loose, fluid characterization and backstory, and try to roll with what you're given instead of trying to manipulate the outcome.

You may notice that I'm using the word "characterization" a lot. That's intentional. Most of us, if we stop and thing about it, have a core set of experiences that shape who we are as human beings. Characters have these moments, too. In fact, it's usually a good idea to establish one or two (in your mind only! Try to leave things open to change!) life-shaping experiences for your character when coming up with the character concept. However! The life of a Hero is a momentous and life-altering path; whereas most real people have a dozen or so "core experiences" when you first meet them, the vast majority of your character's core experiences should be the Quests they partake in (see, for example, Karie Alderflask's interaction with the Apprentice, or Haldor Skovgaard's development after Quest 49, or the reaction of almost any character who went on Quests 19, 53, and/or the Dastan Trilogy).

Also, as I said, it's always a good idea to keep these experiences under wraps as much as you can--I don't mean you have to be overly mysterious, but try not to delve TOO deeply into the past too quickly. Karie Alderflask is, again, a good example of this; we've seen that she was once an actress, and that there was some incident in her life that changed that, but we don't know exactly what, leaving open the possibility that we'll find out when someone from that past--or, perhaps, someone uncannily similar to them--appears in the present. This last point is important: by creating these hooks, QMs can potentially create situations that tie neatly to them. Endgame has a particular knack for this as a QM; his interaction with the already-established elements of Johon's dead parents and untapped Etherial potential is exactly how backstory should be revealed: as a way to heighten the connection of the character to their situation, raising the stakes for them personally. As an important side-note: Raising the stakes for your character is ALWAYS a good way to make them more interesting; links to backstory are just ONE of several ways to do this.

At the same time, there IS a need for SOME concrete background and characterization, lest your character lose their coherence. As a general rule, your character should have a defined stance on SOME philosophic, political, and/or religious issue, and should have at least ONE solid reason for that within their past. The character needn't be OVERLY firm in their belief (after all, some peoples' core beliefs can change over time, or in the face of a major upheaval in their life), nor does the complete story behind their belief need to be defined to the last detail; what's important is that the character has an opinion that differentiates them from any other standard Hero of their class, gender, and race, and that you have some idea as to why they think that way. It may seem annoyingly vague and nebulous, but that is literally all the backstory you need to create a roleplay-driven character; everything else is just detail that can (and should) be developed over time and character interaction.

One final word: don't put TOO much stock in backstory. It's important, but ultimately it's just a base for the truly interesting and engaging elements of roleplaying: characterization and, more importantly, character development. If you've got a person instead of a puppet, you're doing just fine.

EDIT: More notes and discussion on backstory may be found here.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Flipz

[Zepher]

Great article once more.

Just from my perspective: if you want to see some excellent backstory AND the speed at which it should be revealed, check out CMP, Scuba, and WBD. WBD defines his character superbly with basic backstory, but its all we need to understand who Skrall is. CMP too has nice backstory, but keeps it loose and doesn't shove it in anyone's faces. Scuba's Guts is EXTREMELY influenced by his past, even though we don't have the full picture yet. If you're looking for masters of backstory, check them out.