On age and ability.

[sagelylegs]

Reminded last night of a certain trend, I feel it necessary to let something out. I may have voiced such thoughts before, but when one's character is several centuries old, has been active in all that time and is supposed to have all sorts of experiences to draw upon, one should act the part. The average immortal(for lack of a better word) that I'd

Comments

[sagelylegs]

It's something that keeps springing up around me; I can cut some people a little slack, because I myself have thought of a few ways to justify acting as they have while being that old. If only they'd take some friendly suggestions and criticisms.

[illuminategrey]

Ah, the ever-present problem of players picking up characters with skillsets they don't even begin to grasp. Immortals/stupidly long-lived characters in particular are a bitch and a half to play reasonably well; there's also the depth of knowledge of history they should have, if they've been active for however many centuries. (I learned to love Wiki when I was playing one. Like, a lot. And then ended up dropping anyways because it was exhausting to have to go over every pose five times to make sure it suited that sort of long-sighted perspective.)

On the flip side, though, you have the players who will come up with what they think is a stellar tactic, and will then kick and flail when a character with loads of experience counters/sees through it because really, it is something that would be obvious with five minutes' thought.

[sagelylegs]

Yeah, the infantry example I brought up was especially bad in that sense. The guy was going for a pincer attack, all well and good... except he was trying to take a castle. With no siege weapons or ranged support. I asked three times out-of-character if he was SURE he wanted to do this. ^^

[harp_of_israfel]

Well, this raises a general question about how one ought to deal with immortality, or a lifespan so long as to approximate it. Pretty common thing in a fantasy or sci-fi setting, of course. You've definitely put your finger on one of the wrong ways to do it, but it can be hard to find a right way, too. Thorny question. So, really, yet another character type that should only be attempted by the competent.

...That sounded a lot less banal in my head. Point stands, though.

[sunnybank]

I was just thinking an advantage of actually being an older rper is a good thing here until I realised a lot of post-teen or even post-20's and 30's players still can't do an ageless character well. I'm quite grateful for the few who have loads of imagination!

[sagelylegs]

It's why I frequently suggest that people reconsider, when actually involved in the creation process. Agelessness is all well and good, but it takes a lot of consideration to get it right, even if you're not going to play them as wise and well-versed. There are a lot of ways to explain why an ancient character doesn't act their age, whatever that age might be, and yet more often than not, the players don't give those a second thought.

[maverickz3r0]

*facepalm* I play two ageless (non-human, never was in one case) characters, and I have to do quite a bit of research for both of them. It's not even a case of 'seen it,' it's an entirely different mindset. These people just kinda make those who do make an effort to handle it look bad.

[sagelylegs]

Being of the effort variety myself, hence the post, totally. One character as such actually DOESN'T draw on loads of hands-on experience, because every few generations he has something of an overhaul in body and mind; he carries a few skills related, and he keeps a vast library of reference of what his previous "lives" included, but he's always looking forward, as he has an overreaching plot for the world. It's a blast, keeping subtle references and secrets in the foreground, and not ruining the surprise. ^^