Panellists: Helen Gould, Phil Bettinson
My Notes – Manipulative Bastards
– A tragic past to balance out ‘evil’ or ‘dark’ actions can lead to them being sympathetic.
– Having a close relationship with a nice person can also add to our liking them.
– Intelligence is another favourable characteristic.
– Each character has a fatal flaw; something which gets them into conflict.
– Its’ often more interesting to watch malevolent acts than benevolent.
My Notes – Believable Clerics
– Often the cleric’s role in games and stories is to wear a robe, cast healing spells and maybe hit things with a mace.
– However, this misses the great scope for why they take their journey and what’s made them believe; what experiences they must have had.
– There must be reason they chose that god. “Mumble mumble PHENOMENAL POWER AWESOME” may be a believable reason.
– There must be reason they chose that god. “Mumble mumble PHENOMENAL POWER AWESOME” may be a believable reason.
– Common themes for clerics are that they were left outside a temple. However, the best way to lose faith is to be in a religious school. How did they survive that: low intelligence, reason to not question or spent it drunk?
– If a cleric of a religion with afterlife, then may not have a fear of death.
– No one sacrifices everything for nothing: what does your character gain form their religion?
– It’s unnerving to shift from agnostic to religious: you’re changed to someone who feels the need to act. Often friends will shun, family may not like the change. Sudden conversion is not realistic.
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Do your characters have a sympathetic past and a fatal flaw?
Have you ever had a religious character or cleric? How did you decide upon their backstory?
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