Kleptomania - how have you handled / roleplayed it? - Page 2

~~evileeyore~~ · 05-01-2016, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

Among many other problems that make them into horrible, horrible little monsters that need to be drowned in a lake of fire.

I love playing Kender...

simply Nathan · 05-01-2016, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evileeyore

I love playing Kender...

I hear some people like to play orcs too. I don't judge the people who play as monsters, just the monsters themselves.

fifiste · 05-02-2016, 02:58 AM

Some of the wording of these disadvantages is a bit too heavy for actually being playable if just go by the letter. Like Pyromania (-5 cp) that states For good roleplaying, you must
never miss a chance to set a fire. If you are of sufficient TL to carry a box of matches or a lighter then you'd be obliged to put things on fire CONSTANTLY or suffer from "bad roleplaying"
Nevertheless I'd think you'd be hard to find an pyromaniac of that level IRL and for a game purpose a -5 cp that will either force you to set fire in the throne room at the audience of a king/president/chancellor (hey those drapes are flammable and I have a lighter -- so I have a chance to set a fire ) or lose all your cp for the session for bad roleplaying is somewhat underpriced.
So some arbitration is definitely needed - (thats what the GM is there for) - I'd say that as these things are meant to be a disadvantage then it would be best to cram at least one situation per session where it would kick in but other than that it should more be of a judgement call .

patchwork · 05-02-2016, 05:01 AM

Actual kleptomaniacs don't steal random things simply because they aren't nailed down. It'll be something that catches their interest (not cash, unless perhaps they're a coin or bill collector). I've known one that stole books, one that stole tools, one that stole figurines and dolls...and by definition, they will gravitate to places where they can get their fix. But leaving one's (genuinely expensive) jewelry unattended near any of those three was perfectly safe. And it's something they can't simply not do - as Flyndaran observes, it would be so much easier if they actually could wait until they were unseen. Lots of people steal without being manic about it; rational people can be deterred from theft because it is a fundamentally rational act. The people with the Disadvantage are not rational actors.

It's not something I've had to deal with in game really, because in most gaming troupes there's going to be one person who feels like Nathan, and while I emphatically don't, creating a campaign that person really won't enjoy is almost never the easiest or best plan anyone comes up with during the planning sessions. But if everyone thought it would be fun, I'd have a chat about the kinds of things the klepto would want to steal before play, be sure to work in plenty of opportunities, and make sure their failures would invite horrific consequences, and even their successes invoke strong reactions.

~~evileeyore~~ · 05-02-2016, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fifiste

Some of the wording of these disadvantages is a bit too heavy for actually being playable if just go by the letter. Like Pyromania (-5 cp) that states For good roleplaying, you must
never miss a chance to set a fire. If you are of sufficient TL to carry a box of matches or a lighter then you'd be obliged to put things on fire CONSTANTLY or suffer from "bad roleplaying"
Nevertheless I'd think you'd be hard to find an pyromaniac of that level IRL and for a game purpose a -5 cp that will either force you to set fire in the throne room at the audience of a king/president/chancellor (hey those drapes are flammable and I have a lighter -- so I have a chance to set a fire ) or lose all your cp for the session for bad roleplaying is somewhat underpriced.
So some arbitration is definitely needed - (thats what the GM is there for) - I'd say that as these things are meant to be a disadvantage then it would be best to cram at least one situation per session where it would kick in but other than that it should more be of a judgement call .

Yeah, I had a long talk with someone in a game I'm only playing in, who thought that Stubborn meant he had to basically try to force everything to be his way (or the highway) every single time there was a conflict.

I had to explain that you need to weigh the character points of the Disad in determining how much of a hassle it should be, and a -5 point Disad should not be causing that much conflict and trouble all the time.

Npow, -15 points for Klepto is another story. -15 points is hefty Disad, it should cause some issues every game session. Maybe not 'derail the game' levels of problems, but problems or more to the point drawbacks and complications, should arise from it. It's as disadvantaging as a -15 Code of Honor and should have that weight.

Vernon King Avaritt III · 05-02-2016, 06:22 AM

Thieves dont have kleptomania they plan thefts

simply Nathan · 05-02-2016, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernon King Avaritt III

Thieves dont have kleptomania they plan thefts

Dungeon Fantasy thieves are required to take either Kleptomania or Trickster (another no-no trait in my books) which is why I'd never play one using the recommended disadvantages on the template.

~~evileeyore~~ · 05-02-2016, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

Dungeon Fantasy thieves are required to take either Kleptomania or Trickster (another no-no trait in my books) which is why I'd never play one using the recommended disadvantages on the template.

Ditto.

Though in bog standard DF neither would be too much of a hassle as there are only minimal repercussions for tom-foolery of that scale in the Town. They would primarily be of hindrance in any friendly or neutral dealings with Dungeon dwellers.

starslayer · 05-02-2016, 11:18 AM

I have had a lot of fun with trickster characters; this is one of those disadvantages where its playability will be directly related to what powers/skills the PC has.

Dedicated fighter with trickster- hard, perhaps you can target clothing clasps in combat to satisfy it by stripping a foe naked rather than knocking them out or killing them.

Thiefy-type trickster- much easier, reverse pickpocket some 'interesting' things onto fellow party members/quest givers (opposite gender undergarments in pockets, dity magazines, etc). Trickster 'tricks' need not be malicious- just, obvious. Swapping the big burly combat machines solid slug rounds with +P overloaded discarding saboot self-spin imparting rounds will give him/her/it one hell of a start when they are used next, but it will be a fun suprise to see $.25 solid slugs turn out to be $10/ea super-slugs.

Creation/change-type abilities- easiest.

My current trickster uses illusion with mental and permanent; we were sent to invesitgate if the king's champion was illegally doping himself, and he got into a fight with the PC (verbal disagreement). PC hit him with 'everything tastes like cotton candy' as he was leaving.

By the same token kleptomania changes its level of imposition based on the character it is assigned to and the setting it is used in.

high court intrigue game where your playing the brute- disaster.

Standard murder-hobos game: As long as you can either clear 'I don't steal from my friends' or 'my friends all keep their stuff well hidden' with the GM/other PCs- not so bad, your going to be killing stuff and taking there things most of the time anyway.

Character with enough skill to take 'no nuisance rolls: Feltch'; almost turns into an advantage because you'll constantly have pockets full of 'neat things' to look over.

05-02-2016, 02:58 AM	#13
fifiste Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Estonia	Re: Kleptomania - how have you handled / roleplayed it? Some of the wording of these disadvantages is a bit too heavy for actually being playable if just go by the letter. Like Pyromania (-5 cp) that states For good roleplaying, you must never miss a chance to set a fire. If you are of sufficient TL to carry a box of matches or a lighter then you'd be obliged to put things on fire CONSTANTLY or suffer from "bad roleplaying" Nevertheless I'd think you'd be hard to find an pyromaniac of that level IRL and for a game purpose a -5 cp that will either force you to set fire in the throne room at the audience of a king/president/chancellor (hey those drapes are flammable and I have a lighter -- so I have a chance to set a fire ) or lose all your cp for the session for bad roleplaying is somewhat underpriced. So some arbitration is definitely needed - (thats what the GM is there for) - I'd say that as these things are meant to be a disadvantage then it would be best to cram at least one situation per session where it would kick in but other than that it should more be of a judgement call .

05-02-2016, 05:01 AM	#14
patchwork Join Date: Oct 2011	Re: Kleptomania - how have you handled / roleplayed it? Actual kleptomaniacs don't steal random things simply because they aren't nailed down. It'll be something that catches their interest (not cash, unless perhaps they're a coin or bill collector). I've known one that stole books, one that stole tools, one that stole figurines and dolls...and by definition, they will gravitate to places where they can get their fix. But leaving one's (genuinely expensive) jewelry unattended near any of those three was perfectly safe. And it's something they can't simply not do - as Flyndaran observes, it would be so much easier if they actually could wait until they were unseen. Lots of people steal without being manic about it; rational people can be deterred from theft because it is a fundamentally rational act. The people with the Disadvantage are not rational actors. It's not something I've had to deal with in game really, because in most gaming troupes there's going to be one person who feels like Nathan, and while I emphatically don't, creating a campaign that person really won't enjoy is almost never the easiest or best plan anyone comes up with during the planning sessions. But if everyone thought it would be fun, I'd have a chat about the kinds of things the klepto would want to steal before play, be sure to work in plenty of opportunities, and make sure their failures would invite horrific consequences, and even their successes invoke strong reactions.

05-02-2016, 06:22 AM	#16
Vernon King Avaritt III Join Date: May 2015	Re: Kleptomania - how have you handled / roleplayed it? Thieves dont have kleptomania they plan thefts

05-02-2016, 11:18 AM	#19
starslayer Join Date: Dec 2006	Re: Kleptomania - how have you handled / roleplayed it? I have had a lot of fun with trickster characters; this is one of those disadvantages where its playability will be directly related to what powers/skills the PC has. Dedicated fighter with trickster- hard, perhaps you can target clothing clasps in combat to satisfy it by stripping a foe naked rather than knocking them out or killing them. Thiefy-type trickster- much easier, reverse pickpocket some 'interesting' things onto fellow party members/quest givers (opposite gender undergarments in pockets, dity magazines, etc). Trickster 'tricks' need not be malicious- just, obvious. Swapping the big burly combat machines solid slug rounds with +P overloaded discarding saboot self-spin imparting rounds will give him/her/it one hell of a start when they are used next, but it will be a fun suprise to see $.25 solid slugs turn out to be $10/ea super-slugs. Creation/change-type abilities- easiest. My current trickster uses illusion with mental and permanent; we were sent to invesitgate if the king's champion was illegally doping himself, and he got into a fight with the PC (verbal disagreement). PC hit him with 'everything tastes like cotton candy' as he was leaving. By the same token kleptomania changes its level of imposition based on the character it is assigned to and the setting it is used in. high court intrigue game where your playing the brute- disaster. Standard murder-hobos game: As long as you can either clear 'I don't steal from my friends' or 'my friends all keep their stuff well hidden' with the GM/other PCs- not so bad, your going to be killing stuff and taking there things most of the time anyway. Character with enough skill to take 'no nuisance rolls: Feltch'; almost turns into an advantage because you'll constantly have pockets full of 'neat things' to look over.