Character arcs

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by lachimba

What about yourself!?

I think I've planned out a character arc for myself.

Oh, absolutely not. I'm of an age at which I'm legally entitled to start collecting social security; I've lived through seeing many plans and expectations for my life fall apart, often because I truly *did not know enough* when I made them to know why they were unrealizable, which things that I had no expectations about have become vital, from the venture at writing for Steve Jackson games that turned into a secondary career to the relationship that turned into a marriage after 31 years. By now I have rather a Taoist stance toward all this. And of course, at my current age, I have to be conscious that whatever I plan on doing has the potential for being suddenly interrupted.

[Irish Wolf]

I had a character arc planned for myself. It didn't work out, obviously - there were some factors I didn't take into account, and others I didn't plan for. The whole thing went seriously awry about three years after I started it, and never went back on track.

The same thing applies to characters I've played for a long time. They had their initial plans - which have gone differently than they intended, and they had to start vamping. (The barbarian Mordo, for instance, who wound up forming a partnership with the intelligent blade that he found because it was smarter than he was.)

[Kalzazz]

My characters may or may not have long term goals

As a player I may or may not have goals for them

My current most favorite character has IC no particularly pressing long term goals, her short term goals are 'do whatever quest I'm on right now in a manner properly honorable and in keeping with my profession', she is embarked on a long term goal of 'get a new weapon', but IC it is 'my friend says I need a new weapon, we'll OK, I can try to do this in my spare moments since would make her happy' as 'going along with my friends' is also a goal

OOC when first created the OOC goall was 'wear heavy layered armor', but said armor was super expensive, so 'save CP toward buying more Wealth', but from characters perspective she went on quests, her paycheck ending up increasing, and she at one point visited armor mart

Then for a stretch of time no new OOC goals beyond 'play game, have fun'

Then I noticed 'hey, character is still using the same weapon she started game with 150 CP ago!'

So did a silly sketch about her being badgered by a sidekick 'I can't believe your using that cheap old thing, you need a real weapon to be real hero, let us visit weapon mart'

But DM complications ensued, so 'get a new weapon' has morphed into a quest of epic proportion

[Kalzazz]

Possibly related, but usually I haven't seen that much connection to 'specific acts in game' and 'accomplishing objectives'

If Katie the Kensai wants to become better with a sword she needs to earn CP / XP / level up whatever . . . so 'do whatever the DM has in mind for today's session' is as perfectly valid approach to superior swordplay as anything else

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

If Katie the Kensai wants to become better with a sword she needs to earn CP / XP / level up whatever . . . so 'do whatever the DM has in mind for today's session' is as perfectly valid approach to superior swordplay as anything else

At least as I run GURPS, she has to either (a) study the sword and make monthly study rolls or (b) use the sword successfully under stressful conditions and spend the eeps she earns on buying more skill with it. If the sessions don't involve swordplay the second route is out.