Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Thayne
A common problem in RPGs with designated healing classes is that sometimes no one wants to play the healer. Several solutions to this problem exist, including issuing the party with a less-powerful sidekick who can heal. But what if instead they happen upon an NPC who's technically built to player character specs, but has disadvantage choices that make him totally unsuited for delving? I might actually use this character in conjunction with I Smell A Rat, so feedback is appreciated.
Vow (No Edged Weapons) [-10]
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First, I like the character idea, I mean Im flat stealing it I like it so much. Reading this gave me a great idea for one of my campaigns that has been sort of lacking an NPC with some interesting flavor.
Your idea works with some minor tweaks as an NPC healer 'non-participant'... "I'll just wait here and you come back to me with your healing needs."
A couple changes I would/will make to make the character a little more viable as an NPC or even a PC (I don't really do the "Delving" trope):
This I would do regardless - Lower DX by one (just to recoup some points)
This I would do regardless - Drop Lazy
This I would do regardless - Cowardice at the normal -10 for a control roll of 12. Anything more would be debilitating to the point he would have a reputation that was fairly well known at this point in his life, and he would honestly be useless in all stress situations including being left at camp in an unfamiliar place
I think your vow is to many points for too little restriction.
For Vow -5 I would say can not touch edged weapons, meaning not even to pick one up and hand it to someone.
There are far too many effective alternative weapons and to be frank its not even out of trope for a non-combat PC to not use edged weapons. A 10 point disad requires a little more than restricting himself to one class of weapon. I'm not even sure that would constitute a 5pt disad, in this setting there are surely people that go their entire life without using an edge for anything more than cutting their meat to eat it. In fact he would be at a bit of a disadvantage with certain healing rolls if he can't even use a knife (though I am perversely ok with this as I think it would add fun moments).
-10 would be like can not touch a metal weapon, even to pick it up or hand it to someone. This would limit him a great deal in defending himself but gives one small out for wood clubs, staves, and stone.
This would allow him to use stone edges for surgery (Obsidian is insane sharp but not ideal for cooking prep, which probably has him always trying to foist off the food prep to someone with a proper knife).
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These are my personal tweaks for how I will use him ...
Change Hem and Haw quirk to a Carousing quirk. He likes to find groups to tell his stories, he's always trying to invite himself to parties and events.
I would add a Compulsive lying about his adventurers, his metal/edge issues, and value/contribution to his group(s) -5.
I would add a Delusion that people don't realize/recognize his cowardice, he's soooo good at covering it up -5.
(or drop this one if it seems crunchy, I have a vision in mind for how I will play this character as a GM, a player would deserve some kind of credit for this I'm just not sure how it would manifest as a specific disad).
I would add the Skills: Carousing [2], Fast Talk [2] and Cooking [1] (cooking gives him another reason to be behind at the camp), if you use the -10 vow then add skills for making flint edges.
He can often be found in taverns and talking his way into lower status events, regaling people with stories of his adventures and making promises/signing his X without really thinking through the consequences. He might even be generous with his healing to the less fortunate, at least minor ills (could swap Charitable with his healing CR12 for -5 instead of Unfit).
He talks a great game, and he has skills and abilities, but he never seems to run with the same crew for long and its always something other than him being the reason he had to move on (Blames his religion, disagreements over treasure/treatment/behavior, the group wanted to go north and he's not fond of the cold, etc). He's inclined to give away his healing anyway just to relieve peoples suffering, this is the best way he has found to make some money doing it since he's horrible at holding out when the person is standing in front of him.
Oh, how he misses being on the road where he can bring the glory of ?????? to the masses and the thrill of not knowing whats around the next bend. You seem like a great group of fellows, maybe you could use my services?