how to break a man of displaced fantasy chars

**Rage** · May 12th, '03, 02:43 AM

Ok so anyway, we finished up our dnd campaign, and I have been asked to do a super hero campain, so I am doing it and as the characters are new to FRed I sat them down and asked them what their char concept was. One wanted to be a Doomesque armoured scientist with a Spider man persona- thats cool. the other wanted to be a Bull themed move through specialist. but the third. the one who wanted me to run it said he would be playing a displaced fantasy character. I put my foot down, as he always ends up playing a FREAKING ELF NAMED TEL PRYDAIN. He said ok, and then came back with a displaced Jedi. I wanted to slap him, and keep slapping him. (This is kinda bad for a pacifist to think those thoughts.)

So any help with dealing with a problem like this?
NOTE: Dropping him is not an option or somthing I would do.

**Celt** · May 12th, '03, 02:52 AM

Well, my first suggestion would be to drop Mr. Lame, but you've queered that sage bit of advice from the get go. I still say that's the best go, or at least do nothing to cater to him. Maybe he'll get bored and go elsewhere.

Tell him for your campaign everyone must come from planet Earth, from the present time. Then make no exceptions, neither for him nor anyone else.

Suggest he take his displaced Jedi, change his lightsaber into a Psychic Sword, come from the Mid-West.

Nerd slap him into a quivering bowl of Jell-O.

Whatever you do, don't cater to him. You've got two other players who are being more cooperative than him. Which behavior do you wish to reward?

**Mark Taylor** · May 12th, '03, 05:36 AM

You probably did this anyway, but always make sure that players have a fairly complete character concept that you have approved before they start working on stats. It's a lot harder to tell a player "no" once they have put a whole lot of work into defining their character in game terms.

**TheTemplar** · May 12th, '03, 07:10 AM

As a player who just wrapped up a character who was a displaced fantasy character (a vampire hunter knight to be specific..)I can honestly tell you that the best way to curb that would be to simply explain to the player that he's not going to ever feel like his character has a place in the world, or that he fits in at all. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy my character at all...he was okay.. but I really didn't have a solid understanding of what my GM was wanting to run in the campaign. I would have had SO much more fun playing a more 4-color Supe.

Does the player understand the superhero genre, or is he being converted from a more DnD background? Honestly, he sounds alot like I did before I really got into the swing of Champions. I came from RPG=d20 and that's that. And, not being an avid comic book fan, I was pretty much lost on the style quirks of the genre. After learning more about the Superhero RP genre, I think the character concepts I'm coming up with now are a much better match to what would fit into a Supers campaign...as opposed to a guy from the mid 1300's in magical armor (basically, he was a powersuit..a REALLY bad powersuit, but a powersuit nonetheless.)

Anyway, if you approach the player from the angle that he'll have more fun and feel more a part of the campaign if he conforms his characters to the standards you have set for the campaign tone, then I think he should be more than willing to comply. If not, well... not to get all power trippy or anything, but you ARE the GM... if you say No to that character, then that's it. It sounds like this guy is a friend of yours, so I TOTALLY understand your reluctance to play the "I'm the GM" card on him... but taking the first explanation route should also correct the problem if he's a good friend...the GM card is always a last resort.

-T

**Pattern Ghost** · May 12th, '03, 04:03 PM

Give him a big pile of comics and let him absorb them, then come back with a character that would fit into one of those comics. Heck, even a clone of a comic character would be OK to start with.

You can also point him at Champions 5E if you have it. Very decent explanation of the genre, and a random hero generator that can be used as a basic template, as well as some sample characters.

If, after one or both of these, he doesn't get it, I'd ask him if he wants to get it. He may not be that fired up about the genre. (Which makes reading material selection important. Gotta hook 'em.)

**Evil Steve** · May 12th, '03, 07:32 PM

Mayhaps some redirection might be the way to go. As Celt suggested, pass along the idea of a psychic, granted a lightsabre by semi-pacifistic aliens and he adopts the Jedi code as his moral centre, as he's young and somewhat geeky.

One of my players came up with this one so I can't take the credit.

**JohnTaber** · May 13th, '03, 07:26 AM

If the player likes to use stuff from other source that might be ok but try to help him make them more creative. One of the tricks I recommend to players like this is to combine ideas. How about a guy with a laser sword from an alien race of elvish looking galactic police officers? Get the idea? combine several ideas then it can sometimes make things more unique...just a thought...

**KA.** · May 13th, '03, 09:07 AM

Originally posted by Rage
Ok so anyway, we finished up our dnd campaign, and I have been asked to do a super hero campain, so I am doing it and as the characters are new to FRed I sat them down and asked them what their char concept was. One wanted to be a Doomesque armoured scientist with a Spider man persona- thats cool. the other wanted to be a Bull themed move through specialist. but the third. the one who wanted me to run it said he would be playing a displaced fantasy character. I put my foot down, as he always ends up playing a FREAKING ELF NAMED TEL PRYDAIN. He said ok, and then came back with a displaced Jedi. I wanted to slap him, and keep slapping him. (This is kinda bad for a pacifist to think those thoughts.)

So any help with dealing with a problem like this?
NOTE: Dropping him is not an option or somthing I would do.

Hey Rage,
Glad to see you again from the old boards.
I don't think I have replied to one of your posts since we got the new boards, so let me begin by saying "Hi!".

Anyway, on to your question.

There is one thing in your post that gives me pause.
It sounds like everyone is willing to create a character within the "superhero" genre, except for the guy who asked for it in the first place!
If this is true, you need to talk to the player. Without being too hard on him, you need to ask him what the heck he is doing.
If he wanted to play "supers", then why doesn't he want to play a SuperHero?

Does he only feel comfortable playing the same basic character?

Does he want to enjoy the "cool factor" of being the "outsider"?

Does he actually want to expand his horizons, and in reality wants you to "force" him to create a different kind of character than he usually plays?

Or, is he just being a jerk?

(just kidding, without further evidence I would not hurl that accusation at anyone)

You may want to try telling him flat out that you expect him to design an actual, four-color, superhero character, and see how he responds.

Or, apply the Figure Four Leg Lock until he creates a proper character.

(That always works for me!)

KA

**Killer Shrike** · May 14th, '03, 12:08 AM

Let him play the displaced fantasy character.

Oops....he seems to have attracted the attention of Black Paladin or the Crowns of Krim.....

Huh, I didnt realize Elves had livers that look almost exactly like ours.....

Who knew those Crown guys had a hate on for displaced elves? Oh well. I bet I can guess what his next character ISNT going to be.

Just kidding; dont do this if you can avoid it; its wrong on so many layers I loose count.

In all seriousness, you definitely need to sit this guy down for a WTF? As KA points out its sounds like classic doubletalk. Does he want to play supers or not. Maybe his definition of supers differs from that of the rest of the world. Who knows? You need to find out b4 making any major decisions for the game.

**JmOz** · May 14th, '03, 06:01 AM

Your right down with displaced characters, they are so NOT In genera...

I mean could you IMAGINE someone wanting to play a guy with Magic Armor, a Magic Sword, and a Pegasus in a Golden Age Champions game, he even wants to say he is from Camelot and his magic items (and the horses wings for that matter) are because Merlin cast a spell on him, and worst of all the name he came up with "The Shinning Knight" come on how about some character thought

And what about this guy who wants to play a western Hero that traveled through time with the group, all he is is a fast shooter, Two-Gun Kid, come on, originality people

If you have not been able to guess this post is an attempt at Sarcasim, I say let him do it, have fun with it, just make sure the story is explained (Perhaps he is from another dimension that Lucas dreams about...)

**Pattern Ghost** · May 14th, '03, 08:10 PM

I agree that magic-based type characters are in genre, but I got the gist that the player just wanted to more or less translate his DnD character into a supers environment. Despite the window dressing, each genre has very different tropes, especially when you're talking about the DnD sub-genre of heroic fantasy.

**Agent Escafarc** · May 15th, '03, 01:26 AM

Originally posted by JmOz
Your right down with displaced characters, they are so NOT In genera...

I mean could you IMAGINE someone wanting to play a guy with Magic Armor, a Magic Sword, and a Pegasus in a Golden Age Champions game, he even wants to say he is from Camelot and his magic items (and the horses wings for that matter) are because Merlin cast a spell on him, and worst of all the name he came up with "The Shinning Knight" come on how about some character thought

And what about this guy who wants to play a western Hero that traveled through time with the group, all he is is a fast shooter, Two-Gun Kid, come on, originality people

If you have not been able to guess this post is an attempt at Sarcasim, I say let him do it, have fun with it, just make sure the story is explained (Perhaps he is from another dimension that Lucas dreams about...)

Add to that, in an early Enimies book there was a displaced dwarf character with the whole DnD schtic (Girdle, Guantlets, and Magic Axe combo)

**Rage** · May 15th, '03, 01:40 AM

But the point is he asked me to write a super hero campaign, he wanted somthing new. He then comes back with the same character he plays all the time. (An elf ranger.) This isn't just the same archtype its almost exactly the same character. I send him away reminding him of the genre. He comes back with a Jedi, a Jedi who is very similar to the before mentioned ranger- Name, personality, power set...

I gave him a pile of my comics and I think he may go with a Nova clone. I'm cool with that.

Now for my own sanity when I GM no one is allowed to be called Tel Prydain or anything too similar in my eyes. Lest they find what having Mechanon and Telios as hunteds 14- is.

Or worse, Fox Bat will become the chars side kick/love interest.

**Rage** · May 15th, '03, 01:42 AM

Originally posted by Pattern Ghost
I agree that magic-based type characters are in genre, but I got the gist that the player just wanted to more or less translate his DnD character into a supers environment. Despite the window dressing, each genre has very different tropes, especially when you're talking about the DnD sub-genre of heroic fantasy.

Magics definitly in genre, however being a forgotten realms elf named Tel WILL NEVER BE in genre.

**CrosshairCollie** · May 15th, '03, 04:55 AM

Originally posted by JmOz
I mean could you IMAGINE someone wanting to play a guy with Magic Armor, a Magic Sword, and a Pegasus in a Golden Age Champions game, he even wants to say he is from Camelot and his magic items (and the horses wings for that matter) are because Merlin cast a spell on him, and worst of all the name he came up with "The Shinning Knight" come on how about some character thought

I hate to dump on that line of thought, but in fact, there are similarities here with Marvel's Black Night, who, last revision I knew, wielded a magic sword, had a magic shield, elvish chain mail armor, and had a flying horse, all granted to him by The Lady Of The Lake, who was seeking a 'new Pendragon'. While this doesn't say anything about originality, it gives something of a precedence.

The real problem would come in if he expects the game world to conform to his character's old one. Sometimes, a player likes to play an 'outsider' (these are the folks who take 20+ points of Distinctive Features). I mean, The Thing is an outsider in a lot of ways. And it could potentially be a powerful RPable aspect of the character, trying to find people with whom he can feel he belongs (aka the supers). As far as being 'in genre', well, if you subscribe to the common comic book convention of alternate universes, he could run afoul of a Plane Shift. Another RPable hook: wanting to go home.