Need help Roleplaying an Idealistic yet Greedy Character

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

My character is a Void Master in WH40K Rogue Trader (officer of piloting, STL navigation, gunnery and boarding actions). Yes, the Lieutenant occupying a Michman post. Due to peculiarities of RT chargen, he ended up being rather idealistic - loyal to subordinates, goes out of his way to help fellow Humans, including total strangers, and tries to do the right thing no matter what (think BSG Helo) - but also greedy - his motivation is Fortune, so he likes rewards, especially material gain. The problem is, I appreciate the challenge and an trying my best, but I don't think I'm doing a good job combining there two traits. Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[Johan Larson]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

My character is a Void Master in WH40K Rogue Trader (officer of piloting, STL navigation, gunnery and boarding actions). Yes, the Lieutenant occupying a Michman post. Due to peculiarities of RT chargen, he ended up being rather idealistic - loyal to subordinates, goes out of his way to help fellow Humans, including total strangers, and tries to do the right thing no matter what (think BSG Helo) - but also greedy - his motivation is Fortune, so he likes rewards, especially material gain. The problem is, I appreciate the challenge and an trying my best, but I don't think I'm doing a good job combining there two traits. Any advice?

If you find it difficult to play one side of this conflicted character, you could agree with your GM to require formal self-control rolls whenever he is presented with an opportunity for immediate gain.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Johan Larson

If you find it difficult to play one side of this conflicted character, you could agree with your GM to require formal self-control rolls whenever he is presented with an opportunity for immediate gain.

We're kinda trying to stay away from rigid rules in RP, and being a GURPSologist I find it hard but interesting.

[Rendu]

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with the game system or setting, just riffing on the OP.

"His motivation is Fortune"- that might not be greed, so much as a fear of poverty. He constantly worries about being broke (again?), and has a compulsion to keep a large reserve of cash in case things go bad. He's a loyal, helpful, even noble, fellow- until someone dangles cash in front of him. Then his fear gets the better of him. Afterward, he may feel guilty. Perhaps his willingness to help total strangers is his way of making up for whatever he did "because the money was too good", of convincing himself he's not a bad person. Play up his internal conflict.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Rendu

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with the game system or setting, just riffing on the OP.

"His motivation is Fortune"- that might not be greed, so much as a fear of poverty. He constantly worries about being broke (again?), and has a compulsion to keep a large reserve of cash in case things go bad. He's a loyal, helpful, even noble, fellow- until someone dangles cash in front of him. Then his fear gets the better of him. Afterward, he may feel guilty. Perhaps his willingness to help total strangers is his way of making up for whatever he did "because the money was too good", of convincing himself he's not a bad person. Play up his internal conflict.

Okay, I'll add some more detail:
He was born aboard a battlefleet ship; his father was a mid/high-ranking space navy officer, so as was customary for children of his status, he, after spending the earliest childhood years on a planet with his mother, returned to the ship and started the path of an officer-in-training from the age of 12. He went to the navy academy and was a very focused student with high grades. At some point he and his father went separate ways in the navy (reassignment). After that, he went on with his own military career, feeling a sense of duty to humanity (he doesn't exactly hate Xenos [aliens], just feels they are a threat to humanity; pirates, OTOH, are traitors in his opinion).

The big test of his life is a situation when he was acting as one of the higher-ranked officers on a far patrol. An FTL malfunction occurred, and the ship was stranded for roughly a year until the rescue arrived. He was the main person responsible for preventing a mutiny up until the very point of their arrival: when the other officers were barricaded at the bridge with most of the supplies, he voluntarily went to the lower decks to delay the growing riot. Rescue arrived, he got his medal, finished his term in a couple of years, and resigned, only to soon be recruited by another ex-Navy officer on a commercial ship (think armed merchant of the deep space).
Essentially, this is the point where he heard the ringing of coins (as Rogue Trading is much more profitable than navy service).
In some more years, the commanding officer/ship owner died of heart attack during a minor encounter with pirates (IIRC), and the ship was bough and its crew re-hired by a different Rogue Trader.
We're now on mission of rescuing survivors and salvaging anything valuable from a far-off colony that came under some sort of attack (some players suspect Tyranids).

[tHEhERETIC]

Originally Posted by Rendu

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with the game system or setting, just riffing on the OP.

"His motivation is Fortune"- that might not be greed, so much as a fear of poverty. He constantly worries about being broke (again?), and has a compulsion to keep a large reserve of cash in case things go bad. He's a loyal, helpful, even noble, fellow- until someone dangles cash in front of him. Then his fear gets the better of him. Afterward, he may feel guilty. Perhaps his willingness to help total strangers is his way of making up for whatever he did "because the money was too good", of convincing himself he's not a bad person. Play up his internal conflict.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

The big test of his life is a situation when he was acting as one of the higher-ranked officers on a far patrol. An FTL malfunction occurred, and the ship was stranded for roughly a year until the rescue arrived. He was the main person responsible for preventing a mutiny up until the very point of their arrival: when the other officers were barricaded at the bridge with most of the supplies, he voluntarily went to the lower decks to delay the growing riot.

Like Rendu I don't know the system. However, having been poor IRL I think I see a definite way to handle this.

Rendu is on the right track--it's less a desire to acquire and more a fear of starving again. The incident above...he probably spent a significant amount of time below, with the people who did not have resources.

In a poverty situation, I might have a little cash this week but know somebody who's struggling for food. Financially the smart thing would be to hold onto my cash and save up against the bad times. However, I know that our situations will likely be reversed in a week or two when that other person just got paid and I'm broke...so I help them out now. Later, they remember me fondly and help me out. From this grows a genuine feeling of kinship, not just quid pro quo.

Your young fellow may have experienced this in the lower decks, for the better part of that year. In his mind, being kind is a natural thing...consciously. Unconsciously, it's storing up goodwill that will be paid back when he needs it. There's his Idealism and generosity: but for the grace of God, there go I.

But he has starved, he has had to function without necessities, and he'd be a bit neurotic about running out of things. I have two different shampoos, five different conditioners, and I don't know how many soaps. Dozens of pairs of socks (I wear an odd size). My pantry fits a similar description--I hoard certain things. I don't need them, and I don't consciously fear running out of them. But put me in a store with some cash, and I 'stock up', 'just in case I run out'. It's an ingrained habit. Your character has developed this same habit. Whatever he lacked below decks, he's going to be a little insane about acquiring now. Use that, to build your Fortune motivation.

I hope that helps.

[Johan Larson]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

We're kinda trying to stay away from rigid rules in RP, and being a GURPSologist I find it hard but interesting.

OK, then a useful rule of characterization is, "Why? Why? Why?".

The character is generous, but highly motivated to improve his financial position.

WHY?

Because his father was very successful, but insisted his son should make it on his own.

WHY?

Because the father was from a wealthy family, and was the only successful one of five siblings. The rest managed to squander their fortunes.

WHY?

Because they couldn't agree on how to run the inherited family business. Ten years later the competition had bypassed the company, the lawyers were set for life, and there was nothing left but a shell.

If you follow this rule, I think you will find yourself creating believable motives for your character, and a bit of back-story will reveal itself out of thin air.

[hari]

I'm afraid I have to disagree. Being afraid of poverty and being greedy are two totally different things, at least in my eyes. I would play him as greedy, but generous and not at all stingy. He has a big heart and a love of life.

"Of course I want to be rich, doesn't everybody? Who wouldn't love to build their dream house or dream ship?" "Yeah, I'm doing it for the money. I'm looking forward to buying a round for the entire bar when I get back." "It's great having money, I love the feeling of being able to help out my friends when they're in need." "Money is almost like some kind of life essence or something: if you don't have any, you can't live, and the more you have, the more you can live. I'm here to live." "Call me greedy, fine. That's not a bad thing. It's bad to be stingy. I'm not stingy, I'm generous."

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

We're kinda trying to stay away from rigid rules in RP, and being a GURPSologist I find it hard but interesting.

RT has mechanical support for rolls to resist. don't be afraid to use them.

[trooper6]

The key is to decide why he has a desire for the money. What the money means for him. What it represents.

1. Money as a way to avoid poverty (Motivation for Greed: Fear). That is a good one, Rendu. Perhaps, while his father wasn't poor, his mother really, really was...and he's decided he doesn't want that.
2. Money as a way to enjoy life (Motivation for Greed: Libertinism). That one's from Hari.
3. Money for an overarching large purchase. You want to buy your one ship. (Motivation for Greed: Independence?). You want to have enough money to get your mother out of poverty (Motivation for Greed: Familial love)
4. Money to gain someone's respect. This could tie into why you left the service. Perhaps the father is indeed from a wealthy family. And perhaps he only respects people who earn their own wealth. So maybe the PC has become greedy out of a desire to become rich to gain the father's love (Motivation for Greed: Need for Respect).

Another question to think about:
Does your PC see this greed a shameful thing or a noble thing?
There is a difference in the characterization between someone who is greedy and sees his greed as a black mark and someone who is greedy but has rationalized that greed as being about something else.

Which one would be more interesting for you to play?

Here's another thought, related to the fear of poverty. The PC has never really been part of unprotected capitalism. He grew up in the service where there is always housing, food, and health care. And maybe he didn't learn how to manage budgets and deal with the "real world." Perhaps when he left the service he had a rude awakening and ran into some initial trouble. So now, maybe he thinks being greedy is the only way to survive in the real world.

Maybe he believes that money = virtue. I've met many a person who believe that poverty is a manifestation of laziness and/or stupidity, and that people who are rich are better people. So maybe he is that way as well. He is a kind and nice and virtuous person, but the only way to prove that is to become rich.