Off-Genre Characters: The Do's and Don'ts

[Marchwarden]

I've noticed that a number of this board's users seem to harbor a pronounced dislike for the off-genre character, the kind who seem to be in the wrong game. Paladins, cowboys, Klingons...they catch a pretty bad rep. And yet, in a genre whose established icons include wizards, mutants, aliens, cyborgs, thunder gods and ninja masters, who can say what's "off-genre"? I've seen several such characters work out fine in the past; in fact, I'm playing one currently who seems to fit right in.

 

I've come to believe that the "Annoying Off-Genre Character" problem stems not from which genre the character is drawn from, but rather from how the character is played. I've tried to codify what, IMO, separates an odious OGC from a successful one.

 

1. DO: Create OGCs who can do the job at hand. When Thor is with the Avengers, he acts like a superteam member (albeit one who talks funny). His mythological origin doesn't prevent him from understanding what the Avengers are supposed to do (defeat the bad guys, save the world). The team isn't constantly hampered by Thor insisting on doing "god stuff" instead of working with the team. His "Thunder God" schtick simply becomes a colorful character trait.

 

2. DO: Create an "amalgamation of settings". The Marvel and DC Universes have both linked satelite genres into their primary milieux. For instance, Gotham City, Paradise Island, Legion HQ and Jonah Hex's Wild West all share the same continuity, and so it's not hard to contrive a plot that could transfer characters andd plot seeds between them. For Marchwarden, the lynchpin was our team's nemesis group, the Crowns of Krim. Let's see: some huge evil bad guy was defeated at the end of a magical age long past, he's back, there are these evil artifacts of power which ultimately corrupt those greedy enough to accept them...there are enough points in common to adapt a certain other mythos so that the stories mesh.

 

DO: Keep the OGCs in the minority (unless you'd enjoy playing Captain Bewildered and the Wheretheheckaretheyfroms!). One barbarian or Jedi among four mask-cape-and-spandex types won't spoil the flavor of the supers genre. Three out of four, and what you're really playing is a crossgenre game, a la TORG or Tales From the Floating Vagabond. If that's what everybody wants, fine; but if some of the people desired and expected a Supers game (not merely to play a super in an anything-goes game), those people will not be happy.

 

DON'T: Play a specific pre-existing character. Actually playing Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker or Conan rarely works. It can be fine to amalgamate a few icons ("He's sort of a cross between Turin Turambar, Elric and Miyamoto Musashi"). It's also possible to use an original design but yield up the occasional homage: you might, say, design your own 30's pulp hero and occasionally borrow a line from Alan Quartermain, Indiana Jones or, argh, can't remember name, Brendan Fraser's character from "The Mummy".

 

DON'T: In similar vein, avoid using unaltered settings unless your GM wants to add them to the existing gameworld. Being straight out of Star Trek is dubious; creating a Federation-like future setting that ties in with the current setting can actually enhance the campaign.

 

DON'T: On the opposite end of the spectrum, don't be from a generic, undeveloped alternate genre. "I come from a fantasy world" usually doesn't work. Either work with your GM to create something from scratch, or take a preexisting world and modify it.

 

Your thoughts?

[Hermit]

Nice post!

 

Not sure what else to add but this

DO be prepared to have the purity of your concept compromised for the Super Hero Genre.

 

For example, one mythology may or may not recognize other culture mythologies as valid. In a Super Hero Genre, if you give validity to Mount Olympus, Then you might do the same for Asgard, or the "Happy Hunting Grounds".

 

Another thing, you might be 'watered down' for game play. If you decide to play Magni, Son of Thor who in some tales can 'lift anything', don't think the GM is obligated to give you a +100 STR just for that purpose.

[winterhawk]

Re: Off-Genre Characters: The Do's and Don'ts

 

I agree with Hermit, good post!

 

Originally posted by Marchwarden

DON'T: Play a specific pre-existing character.

 

I not only think that applies of off-genre, but in genre as well. I had a player who wanted to play Daredevil, right out of the Frank Miller run, in a non-Marvel 4th Champs campaign and was shocked to find out that none of his Rogue's existed and that no one really knew who he was. After a few weeks of frustration, one of the better players helped him morph DD into more of an homage based in the campaign world and we had some fun.

 

I disagree with what Marchwarden states, and this is my own personal predjudice, in that I do not think that AD & D styled fantasy characters belong in a comic book campaign. Before I get flamed, I base this statement on the fact that every player that has ever tried a character like this in one of my campaigns has always done what Marchwarden lists as a DON'T: "My character is from a fantasy world...like D&D". Most often, its is a player that just plays D&D and is only playing in a supers campaign "because everyone else is". I am sure there are terrific fastasy-ala-Champions players out there (like Marchwarden, I'm sure ), unfortunately I haven't met one yet.

["V"]

I once enjoyed sadistically blending two of my campaigns without informing the players.

 

Their AD&D characters faced an epic struggle to obliterate an evil elvish cabal who were attempting to flee their dying world (the elvish cabal had wrecked the ecosystem with their vampiric magic) and managed to do so by disrupting the spells that were ready to take the evil elvish types cross dimensionally to the PC's homeworld, forcing them instead into the empty void between planes.

 

Later in my Champions campaign the PCs came into contact with a disembodied race of psionic refugees trapped in a limbo like dimension and managed to rescue them and arrange their return "home" courtesy of the team teleporter and some psionic assistance from the poor disembodied creatures.

 

I did enjoy the moment when one of my more alert players realised, after the event, that their superhero PCs had just "rescued" the arch enemies of their AD&D PCs AND neatly transported them to my AD&D campaign world (with my AD&D campaign about to resume).

 

Not really "off genre characters", but sort of on-topic.

 

Heck, guess I'm still just gloating about it really...

[Evil Steve]

Marchwarden, you cover all the angles nicely, so all I can add is if one makes an OGC, ensure there is a good reason for that character to be in this world and be able to function in it. Try to avoid the disruptive stereotypes (all cars are dragons, evil sorcerers are responsable for loud music, attack anyone who looks like a monster), they do not enhance game play and frequently reduce the fun for other players.

[Evil Steve]

Originally posted by "V"

{'scuse the edit}

I did enjoy the moment when one of my more alert players realised, after the event, that their superhero PCs had just "rescued" the arch enemies of their AD&D PCs AND neatly transported them to my AD&D campaign world (with my AD&D campaign about to resume).

 

Not really "off genre characters", but sort of on-topic.

 

Heck, guess I'm still just gloating about it really...

 

That's beautiful. Well done, your gloating is earned.

[Marchwarden]

Re: Re: Off-Genre Characters: The Do's and Don'ts

 

Originally posted by winterhawk

I disagree with what Marchwarden states, and this is my own personal predjudice, in that I do not think that AD & D styled fantasy characters belong in a comic book campaign. Before I get flamed, I base this statement on the fact that every player that has ever tried a character like this in one of my campaigns has always done what Marchwarden lists as a DON'T: "My character is from a fantasy world...like D&D". Most often, its is a player that just plays D&D and is only playing in a supers campaign "because everyone else is". I am sure there are terrific fastasy-ala-Champions players out there (like Marchwarden, I'm sure ), unfortunately I haven't met one yet.

 

Fear not the wrath of the Galadhrim, Winterhawk; you are free to disagree.

 

I'll concede this: the sword-and-sorcery archetypes are probably the hardest to make work in a supers genre, for precisely the reasons you describe. A time-tossed cowboy, a Jedi-analog, a Minbari-analog, even a caveman...I've seen them managed without too much difficulty. Fantasy types *do* have a low success rate. Marchwarden is working out well, it's true, but credit must be shared with an Oxford linguist turned author, a kiwi filmmaker, a cooperative GM and a great group of players. We end up with a Green Arrow who moves like Nightwing and talks a bit like Thor. The pieces all fit.

[ShinDangaioh]

Re: Re: Re: Off-Genre Characters: The Do's and Don'ts

 

Originally posted by Marchwarden

Fear not the wrath of the Galadhrim, Winterhawk; you are free to disagree.

 

I'll concede this: the sword-and-sorcery archetypes are probably the hardest to make work in a supers genre, for precisely the reasons you describe.

 

Which is kind of odd, considering Sir Justin of the Seven Soldiers of Victory of DC comics. A knight in shining armor with a magic sword riding a winged horse time tossed into WWII from the days of yore

[Doug McCrae]

Marchwarden: Good points, I agreed with most of what you said especially -

One off-genre character = still superhero

A majority of off-genre characters = not superhero

 

Jedi is a tricky one. I don't think I'd allow even a jedi homage unless they were 'superheroised'. You can keep the powers and the energy sword but the hooded robes have got to go.

 

OTOH I remember an insert comic where Superman met He-man and the Masters of the Universe.

[Doug McCrae]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Off-Genre Characters: The Do's and Don'ts

 

Originally posted by ShinDangaioh

Which is kind of odd, considering Sir Justin of the Seven Soldiers of Victory of DC comics.

And Marvel's Black Knight.

 

Superhero comics observe, in part, an anything goes mentality - you can have time travel, magic, super science, aliens, gods, mythical monsters, etc, etc. But on the other hand, in order for the protagonists to be superheroes they should observe several, ideally all*, of the Pillars of Superheroism:

 

1) Name

2) Costume

3) Powers

4) Secret ID

 

There are also a bunch of lesser pillars like having a sidekick or an alliterative name, that are certainly not essential but are characteristically 'superheroy'.

 

Sir Justin AKA Shining Knight has got a superhero name, partial costume (bright colours are the only superhero element), powers - magical weapon and armour, Who's Who gives a secret ID, Justin Arthur, but I suspect that's a Roy Thomas retro add-on. I would say he is a superhero but a somewhat borderline one. The name 'Shining Knight' is really important for his claims to superherodom. If he was just called 'Sir Justin' I don't think he'd be included in the long underwear brigade.

 

*Not having powers is what makes Batman less 'superheroy' than Superman

[Rage]

Don't: port a character from a fantasy game directly over to the champions campaign unless you have strict DM approval.

 

DO: Remember that the other players are out there for fun, not just to entertain you.

 

Don't: State every thirty seconds that DunD is better than hero because of X, X, and G...

 

Do: remember that as the story teller the DM's Decision almost always has to be final.

[Nucleon]

Nucleon never had a problem with OGC characters. He had more problems with OGP (Off-Genre Players).

 

I a gaming group, I once had 2 Jedi-like characters ("Phantom menace" just got out at the time), a grey-type alien E-Proj and a street-mentalist skater girl. Eventually one of the Jedis changed for a Rhino-like character. We looked like the DC multiverse before "Crisis".

 

Each player potentially brings an ambience; as a GM, my job is the see which one of these ambiance "wins". If they're all goofs, that's no problem; Champion works well in a goofy way. If only one of them is, say, a tragedian among goofs, he might tire after a few sessions.

 

My world setting's got lots of parallel universes and parallel timelines where the hero can come from, or live. I don't always like it, but if the player can come up with a reasonable (or more precisely a relative) reason for being there, it should work out.

 

Peer player pressure is a great deterent. I would recommand that GM use it well.

 

The group's size may also be a problem. If a OGC character with intricate background steps in in a large group, chances are he will stay a curios for most of the campaign.

[Stargazer]

it was a jedi and a sith!! get ur force weilder right nucleon

i remember that campaing well..as the character creation process brought one to many very heated arguments....ogc are not always worth the poblem they cause before the game starts...

[Koshka]

Originally posted by Nucleon

Nucleon never had a problem with OGC characters. He had more problems with OGP (Off-Genre Players).

 

That's the real question -- is the player of the OGC willing to follow the "new" genre rules? Sir Justin works in the All-Star Squadron because he's not slicing heads off the bad guys. Back in his home time, that would have been acceptable, but not in his new Golden Age setting.

 

A generic "I'm a D&D knight who fell through a gate and wound up in Millenium City" character who keeps the D&D approach to problems (kill them) is going to cause problems, the same character run by someone willing to alter the character's mindset to closer to 4-color will fit in. It's really up to the player whether the OGC is going to work or not.

[Marchwarden]

I think that Nucleon and Koshka have it right. I make no claims to gamer-godhood, but the simple fact is that I skillfully detected that we were playing Champions, not MERP or LOTR:RPG. The charcter origin became merely a bit of colorization. Marchwarden is a Champion. Granted, he's a bit out of his element, but no more so than Obsidian or Ironclad.

 

Not OGC, but OGP. I like that. Well said.

[Wildcat]

I agree I have more problems with OGP, then OGC. But at the same time I tend to run into an OGP playing an OGC.

In all cases, I like to give the player/Character a chance to fit in, but it normally pushes me to my limit of patience. I'm a very strict GM when it comes to my world, yet I want my Players to have an affect on the world, but sometimes....

Example: I had a player want to create a Cyborg, Genetic Construct with mental abilities, and Cyber Armor. She was a silvery blue, and had thin chains (20) with barbs on them, flowing around her. (Yeah I had my work cut out for me) But I'm a nice GM, and want the players to be happy... I tried to dissuade the Player from making this Character, but to no avail.

So here I am with this PG-rated Cenobite (As another PC put it) So I asked...

Me: Where did she come from, who made her?

Player: Oh an Evil Dictator in South/Central America.

Me: Hmm... Now I have to make up this guy, and his Country. What did he make you for?

Player: Oh I was his Interrogator... You know Pry into the minds of his enemies. And I did a good Job! But then there was a Coup and they killed all my 'sisters' and I escaped with one of my 'sisters' but she's only 12 (But was made to be an Assassin)

Me: Wonderful

 

Now as most of you would just say "NO!" I on the other hand am soft hearted, and willing to atlas give it a try, But I warn the Player... I will let you play her, but!! I will expect certain things... and she'll have to BE a Hero... Someone who wants to be a positive influences on the world and help others. (She said OK) I thin warned her that once I created this Dictator, and his country... They were MINE to do with as I pleased. This kind of bothered her, but didn't stop her. (I think she saw it as an empty threat)

 

In any event, the Character is beginning to work out in the game (its been about 4 months) But she was exceptionally taken aback when I described the life that she had just come from, and that I expected it to take her a while to:

1) Adjust to the new world

2) Get the other PCs to trust her, not as a comrade in combat, but as a fellow person on the team off duty (A BIG deal in this group)

3) Accept that in my eyes, that anyone powerful enough, and sick enough to create a dozen Cyber-Chicks (that were all 20 Com, and spoke in British Accents) would have treated them with anything than as property to be used/abused as he (and his Generals) felt like at any time (Not a pretty conversation I'll tell you)

 

So in closing I will say that ... No I will not, Not allow OGC in my game, but I'll sure be a whole lot more picky before I do so again... It’s caused myself, the Player, and the rest of the group many headaches, and I'd rather avoid those in the future.

 

WC