Too versatile!

[CrosshairCollie]

Looking back over my past several characters, I've noticed that I have a tendency to play characters that are extremely versatile and flexible.

 

-Arsenal is a nanite-shapeshifter and can form whatever weapons she needs.

-Vixen could channel power from one of something like 15 celestial power sources (multiform with each form having different special effects for the powers; aka 'wind power' form, 'light power' form, etc). She was kind of a Ben 10 homage in that she didn't always channel the right power, but I digress.

-Various power armor, robot, and gadgeteer type characters who can create and install myriad weapons systems when the XP arrives, from blasters to entangles to flashes ...

 

I really feel I need to break this habit. It has to be frustrating for both the GM when I always have the answer, and for the players when it seems like I can do anything ... nobody says anything about it, but it has to be in the back of their heads somewhere.

 

How do I break myself out of this without feeling horribly limited? It's not like I want to necessarily make a one-trick pony, but I need to stop making nigh-unlimited-trick ponies.

[Ice9]

Re: Too versatile!

 

Sounds like you enjoy having a variety of abilities at your disposal, so what about a character with a lot of tricks, but in a very limited area? For instance, a light-controller - able to sculpt light into holograms, lasers, fields of brilliant light or darkness, bend light to see around corners or obscure themselves - but light only, nothing else. So you should be able to pull a lot of tricks from your sleeves, but still have plenty of situations where you're stymied, or at least have to fall back to a supporting role.

 

Other ideas for versatile but limited fields:

Telekinesis - not including pyrokinesis/cryokinesis/TK-healing, just physical force.

A metamorph, but limited to purely structural changes - so no breathing fire, for instance.

Bio-control - the ability to enhance or suppress biological processes (assuming "enhance" is limited to the extent that you can't turn into The Hulk).

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Too versatile!

 

Do you usually represent this with VPPs? or with multipowers, variable effects, and variable special effect? I'm trying to get a handle on the mechancis because I'm not sure if this is a problem with builds, or with concepts.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Too versatile!

 

As someone who loves versatile characters myself, I would make a couple suggestions.

 

First, pick a limited concept and run with it, like Ice9 suggests. Consider that the more limited the concept, the more creative you will have to be to make your character effective. This will require a little balance so that you don't cripple him but at the same time you don't get ridiculous with the power concept. Put the powers in a Multipower, not a VPP, to keep his abilities well defined. Some of the best limited concept characters involved TK and illusion-type powers - these allow a lot of flexibility depending on the situtation and environment even though it is just a single line on the character sheet.

 

Second, when you play, focus on the character, not the character sheet. Consider this an opportunity to shift the focus so you can plumb the depths of the character in a group story-telling environment rather than using the character as a Swiss-army knife to solve every problem. I love effective characters, but I also like psychologically compelling characters; if you are giving up some of the former, make up for it with the latter.

[OddHat]

Re: Too versatile!

 

I have the same bad habit. I've tried to deal with it in a few ways.

 

One approach is to copy a literary or comic book character I like as faithfully as I can. Making the best Batman or Superman you can possibly manage will automatically limit your scope somewhat on most game budgets, but still give you someone who will be useful almost no matter what.

 

Another trick is the PC as NPC. This is a mental shift. Stop thinking of the character as "me" and firmly think of him or her as "my NPC in the game". It takes some of the Mary Sue out of the build and lets you take pleasure in your character's limits and defeats as well as his powers and victories.

 

Narrow Power plus Power Skill works pretty well. Build the very best narrow concept Brick / Blaster / Whatever you can, but rely on Power Skill rather than a VPP or huge MP for special occasions. It reminds you not to over use odd tricks, but they're still there when you need them.

 

Finally, talking with the other players about Tropes and Teritories as you build helps. Make sure you're not stepping on their toes before starting the game, and step back intentionally to let others shine when you know that being The Smart One or The Ghost Savy One isn't really your character's role. There's a lot of fun in cheering on your team mates as they take the spotlight, and you're much more likely to get cheered yourself when the spot turns back to you.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Too versatile!

 

I tend towards this as well, though more so with skills than powers.

 

But then, I've only been able to truly play a handful of HERO characters.

[Fryguy]

Re: Too versatile!

 

I actually like the opposite. Most of my PCs have a limited range of what they can do which promotes team work with the other players and we tend to complement each others powers instead of having 4-6 PCs who overlap. My suggestion is to bite the bullet and build a PC with say...1-2 capabilities (an elemental of nature perhaps?). You may find a renewed interest and challenge in the game by not having all the answers nor abilities to solve every problem.

[OddHat]

Re: Too versatile!

 

There's a lot to be said for talking over party composition with the rest of your gaming group before the campaign begins. Even if you don't want to do a unified origin or link characters together, you can work out who will be best at what.

 

Dave wants the Super Detective. Tom want the World's Strongest Man. Sasha wants Batman, and she and the Dave agree that her version of Batman will have minimal detective skills that he'll only use if Dave needs backup. And so on. If you want to be Mr. Can Do Everything, you can work out an agreement that you'll always accept stepping back and letting the Specialists have the first shot. It's all about not stepping on the other player character's idiom.

 

This works fine even when coming in with a new character to an established team.

[Nevenall]

Re: Too versatile!

 

...Another trick is the PC as NPC. This is a mental shift. Stop thinking of the character as "me" and firmly think of him or her as "my NPC in the game". It takes some of the Mary Sue out of the build and lets you take pleasure in your character's limits and defeats as well as his powers and victories.

 

Narrow Power plus Power Skill works pretty well. Build the very best narrow concept Brick / Blaster / Whatever you can, but rely on Power Skill rather than a VPP or huge MP for special occasions. It reminds you not to over use odd tricks, but they're still there when you need them.

 

Finally, talking with the other players about Tropes and Teritories as you build helps. Make sure you're not stepping on their toes before starting the game, and step back intentionally to let others shine when you know that being The Smart One or The Ghost Savy One isn't really your character's role. There's a lot of fun in cheering on your team mates as they take the spotlight, and you're much more likely to get cheered yourself when the spot turns back to you.

 

That is good advice.

 

I think this is a very common problem in RPGs, I struggle with it too.

I try to remember that the most interesting part of a character are his flaws and limitations and those are what lead to the game moments you will never forget.

 

In a similar vein, I find that I can be overly cautious in-game. Trying to get all the information and form the perfect plan. Sometimes that is interesting and sometimes it's not.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Too versatile!

 

Do you usually represent this with VPPs? or with multipowers' date=' variable effects, and variable special effect? I'm trying to get a handle on the mechancis because I'm not sure if this is a problem with builds, or with concepts.[/quote']

 

VPPs, Multiform, or Multipowers with veritable frickloads of slots.

 

The problem is mostly one of concepts, being fair to the GM and other players, and learning self-restraint.

[csyphrett]

Re: Too versatile!

 

You can always try a one trick pony, CC. maybe try someone like Madrox or the Flash for a bit.

CES

[Egyptoid]

Re: Too versatile!

 

is it a "group" problem?

 

is everyone got a role in the hero group and sticking with it?

 

no-one stepping on anyone's toes ?

IE: Cap doesnt learn electronics because Vision or Yellowjacket has that covered.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Too versatile!

 

One of my biggest challenges has always been playing characters who - typically in D20 or other games where you roll stats - end up with lower intelligence or less "common sense" (Wisdom, basically.) I'm actually trying that now in our Weird War Hero game - a scrappy speedster / martial artist who doesn't have a lot going on between his ears.

 

Maybe next try a cliche brick - big and dumb

[matrix3]

Re: Too versatile!

 

I don't see versatility as a problem. If you are making characters that are the best on the team at everything, then either the other players need some pointers on making characters, or there is something else broken somewhere. I like all around characters, who can provide backup or be an understudy for any specialists on the team. The only problem is when the team is big enough to have specialists for any particular issue, and I don't get the screen time I'd like.

 

Of course, I've been exclusively GMing for 6 or 7 years now, so this hasn't been an issue for me for a long time.

[Badger]

Re: Too versatile!

 

One of my biggest challenges has always been playing characters who - typically in D20 or other games where you roll stats - end up with lower intelligence or less "common sense" (Wisdom, basically.) I'm actually trying that now in our Weird War Hero game - a scrappy speedster / martial artist who doesn't have a lot going on between his ears.

 

Maybe next try a cliche brick - big and dumb

 

Dont get me started on rolling stats. When I have done that in the past. My character is dumb, weak and slow. AKA automatic first session death. AKA you know you are too weak when you are your DNPC's DNPC.

[Checkmate]

Re: Too versatile!

 

It sounds like your inspiration (I don't know if that's the right word, but can't think of a better one) comes from your powers, try to shift focus to something else, like personality, origin, or even limitations.

 

Personality - A boyscout always trying to do the right thing, someone who is unfamiliar with current culture, a soldier type that solves every problem with violence. You can also tie this in to a type of relationship, maybe your doing what you do to save your wife, or become closer with children.

 

Origin - An alien from outer space, someone trapped in an alternate dimension for years, or some other way of getting powers that inspires you.

 

Limitations - One of my favorite energy projectors was a Green Lantern type with wrist bands instead of a ring. He had an END Reserve that would only recover when he was in Secret ID. The thing was, he had no idea how his powers worked. So he'd be using his powers at a moderate level all day and have no problems, but in a big fight his powers would turn off. I had a blast playing him. My plan was to save up all his XP and when he eventually figured out what was going wrong, spending the XP as a way of him figuring out how to conserve power.