Excellences and Quirks if you will, or Virtues and Vices if you won't *
*There are lots of role-playing games out there with the purpose of becoming all-powerful or pwning your enemies or amassing a trove of treasure that would finance an entire continent (and yet still conveniently fits in the six bags you are carrying). In contrast, Alatha is driven by story. If you remember fourth grade, story has three mains elements: setting, characters, and plot. Setting is what this website sets out for you, with enough openness to flush out many areas. Plot is what the game master creates, driven along by the actions of the characters. So the characters need to be interesting. Everyone balks at the main characters in so many action movies. You know the ones, the two dimensional, better than everyone, lacking of personality except for a few catch phrases, Steven Seagal type. This is part of the drive behind Alatha's character system and one of the reasons I enjoy role-playing. You are not limited to one of five character classes. You can say whatever you want, pick up more items in a room than whatever is in the ubiquitous chest. One of the best ways to create a memorable, enjoyable, and distinct character is to come up with a list of flaws he or she possesses and some of the areas he or she most excels in. Arrete is the Greek word for excellence and should denote one or two areas the character is incredible in. Even more important are the flaws which make characters realistic, stoppable, and interesting. Flaws help in pushing plot, creating tension, and adding humor. Examples of each are listed to the left. | The following list is taken from Five Point Fudge and is by no means exhaustive, exclusive, binding, or my own invention. I blatantly cut and pasted. Also the stats listed are for the FUDGE system and should be adapted when used. Flaws
Arrete
The following list of gifts is taken from the brilliant webpages for the world of Agyris at http://www.agyris.net/v3/articles/article.asp?id=49 also see their reasoning behind applying faults to characters at http://www.agyris.net/v3/articles/article.asp?id=17. Again these are written for that system and are simply meant as examples.
| This is a list of motivations, also courtesy of Fudge. Motivation is everything in determining how a character will play and thus what role you will play. Its always complicated, never as simple as an alignment system, so be complex, not one-sided.
|
As of March, 2004, Grey Ghost Press holds the copyright to Fudge. Please see their website for legal details: www.fudgerpg.com. The names, data, and all associated details are owned by Grey Ghost Press.
Agyris content, images, names, creatures, cartography Copyright ©1986-2004 Daniel M. Davis. www.agyris.net
Check them both out, as they are both amazing and served as sources of hope and inspiration in the creation of Alatha and its webpages.