03-25-2012, 03:04 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
curious is their a way to know if im 'overdoing it" on a NPC?
as legitimate arguments can be made that an angel millenia old can know all kinds of rare songs and attunements, and furthermore that even with many takign long hiatuses to do mroe menial jobs occasionaly... Ive noticed most Statted NPCS have only a few songs and skills even the powerful ones, any thoughts on that? |
03-25-2012, 03:59 PM | #2 |
Petitioner: Word of IN Filk
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Longmont, CO
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
I think in the end, you just have to have a clear picture of what you want the Wordbound to look like and design the character to fit that picture, regardless of what the final power level comes to.
One thing to remember -- ancient characters can also have lost Forces in battle as well. Likewise, old skills may have been put to one side or forgotten, attunements may have been revoked or suspended for a few centuries as punishment for a mishandled assignment, and there's always the possibility of Discord. Even a completely virtuous angel may still have acquired Ethereal Discord after getting its Mind whomped in The Marches. On a similar note, if a particular Wordbound (or any celestial NPC) has been doing the same sort of job over and over for centuries, they may have few or no abilities outside that job specialty. If you're the Angel of Hammerhead Sharks, Driving (Auto) may not come up often enough to be worth learning. One great example in Night Music is the Old Guy, a Malakite Seneschal who may be old enough to remember dinosaurs. Despite all that, the old veteran only has 9 Forces, partly because a human succeeded in poisoning his Tether, the "Treaty Oak" near Austin, Texas. Skills and songs he still has in plenty -- not to mention cunning -- but the raw power just ain't there anymore.
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03-25-2012, 04:27 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
point.
Was writing up (mostly out of academic curiousity) the "angel of curtseying" (that is to say the act of doing so) I decided the word fell under Laurence since Its a part of ettiquite, and he has the angel of Ettiquite serving him. But hmmn any skill other then Savoir Faire and Dance that would probaly work with that Job? I at first almost gave her 4 or 5 roles as Socialites in various conservative parts of earth, but decided to give her 2 roles that Traveled a lot instead. What I thought up for backgruon is someone who ONCE worked a job almost completely unrelated to their current one, not something widely encouraged for obvious reasons, but probaly happens on both sides, someone who gets tired of acting as a secretary for 19 millenia wants to go to earth, or someone assigned to combative roles wants to work in a more people oriented position. Alon with a nifty talisman or two again for Savoi Faire, and the Ethereal song of opening. Anything Im missing? Last edited by PenitentDemon; 03-25-2012 at 07:42 PM. |
03-25-2012, 08:01 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Life imitates art--I'm in Pohang
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
Quote:
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03-25-2012, 08:14 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
True enough, lol.
Thoughts on the "Someone doing a job totally unrelated to one they did for millenia" bit? as a way to justify potentialy ludicrously over qualified wordbound. As some people may take a strong interest in a relatively minor word, which though their superiors may sigh a bit, if their over qualified for it, I doubt theyd try to stop them. Heres special power I came up with "add corporeal forces, to Savoi-Faire rolls, towards anyone she curtsey unironcily to" Last edited by PenitentDemon; 03-26-2012 at 05:54 AM. |
03-26-2012, 10:30 AM | #6 | |
In Nomine Line Editor
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
Quote:
An Angel of Curtsying would probably want to exemplify the elements of Grace, Courtesy, and Respect. (It's otherwise a pretty trivial Word -- how would the Seraphim Council be convinced that assigning an Angel to this Word would serve the Symphony?) As curtsying is assigned as a "female" behavior (...what do people in kilts do?), the angel might also, depending on its personal religious beliefs (and if they align with Laurence's), have certain beliefs on the Ideals of female obedience to the head of the household. (Much as angels should be obedient to their Archangel... What, what, it's different for some humans, what???) So skills would reflect what curtsying means, as ideals which the angel is striving to model/teach humans in order to promote harmony, beauty, and respect for each other -- and probably respect for (fair, just) authority. Though it would probably be non-combat, as a Servitor of Laurence, it'd almost certainly have some amount of weapon-skill with a blade -- though it might be a dagger, not a sword, and it might not be much skill. (I'd suspect Mercurian. This is an intensely social Word. The "sword-play" would more likely be with words and witty banter.) Ugh, that's disjointed. Sorry. Still sick. O:(
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03-26-2012, 12:29 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
Actually, dancing is an excellent focus for such an angel in the modern world. Many types of folk dances include curtsys as part of the dance, and there are a lot of quite dedicated folkdancing societies around still. She might well be a strong proponent of those societies, and by extension preservation of folkways generally.
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03-26-2012, 04:39 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
Thanks... hmmmn
two more things on this issue First I came up with a bit of background someone created by uriel right before the Fall, who served faithfully across millenia gaining mroe and more songs forces and attunements, and did a good job say, inciting mortals to violence against the Ethereal gods in the purification crusade. She Melloed a VERY LITTLE after uriels recall unsure WHAT his recall was supposed to mean. But then swore aleigance to laurence... she'd been a bit of a hothead, for a mercurian enoguh some would probaly worry if she was likely to fall, but never did thankfully. Anyway, point is she winds up going on a important mission to convince some human noble to do something (what doesnt matter I think) Then when she does a inhumanly perfect curtsey (divine intervention) not only gets everything she asks of him and more, but god gives her a word directly that seems trivial superfluous and not in keeping (at the time) with her personality. That and as I wrote it up wondered how do you think most superiors will feel about their wordbound working with superiors their hostile towards, if their word overlaps with that Superiors influence. (sorry for so much on a pet project lol just am curious) |
03-27-2012, 07:08 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mainz, Germany
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
Irrelevant to the discussion at hand, but since the Archangel asked, men in kilts bow slightly (unless before royalty, obviously), and make a slight back-step while crossing their legs and making a mock kneel, not unlike women curtseying. The foot movement is basically the same (both related to the bows/curtseys made in renaissance and baroque times), only you don't bend your knees as much as you would in a curtsey, instead using the momentum to bend over further than a curtseying woman would (or could, given cleavage of most baroque dresses - men, not hampered with such details, can theoretically bow as deeply as they like as long as they bend their knees appropriately to avoid their ...sporran... showing).
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03-28-2012, 09:01 PM | #10 |
In Nomine Line Editor
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
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Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it
*giggle* Thank you! I had wondered, indeed.
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--Beth Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related) |
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theories, word-bound |
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