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Post by garethl on Nov 25, 2011 14:14:05 GMT
Hello everyone,
The GM is having some trouble balancing every character. Why would the humans talk to the aliens or try to fix or make technology?
It can be a bit boring sometimes for the companions.
During the last session, however, the Timelord and the companions got separated, everyone did something and in the end everyone had contributed to the (almost) everybody lives ending! ;D
How do you balance the companions and the Timelord?
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Post by Craig Oxbrow on Nov 25, 2011 16:43:38 GMT
Mostly I rely on the players to do it. Having the Time Lord be a bit socially awkward and/or strange and the companions more forthcoming can help here, as can making sure they have other things to shine in.
When away from my usual group, such as in a convention game, I focus on the last part as I don't know how the personalities will work at the table.
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Post by da professor on Nov 27, 2011 9:17:18 GMT
My campaign has a complete noob timelord
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Post by Siskoid on Nov 27, 2011 11:45:00 GMT
We had a relatively large cast, but still managed to make give each character his or her niche. If the Time Lord was the Knowledge/Talker, we also had a Physical guy, a Boffin, a Charmer/Trouble Magnet, etc. In your scenarios, you try to give opportunities for each.
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Post by Rel Fexive on Nov 27, 2011 11:58:50 GMT
No one needs special skills or traits to talk to people or get into trouble. Or to champion a cause or make new friends.
Secondly, always split the group. The series always does it, why shouldn't you?
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Post by garethl on Nov 28, 2011 15:48:51 GMT
Thanks all! Splitting up is the thing the GM and the players have been doing. Last session one player played his character and separated from the Timelord and other companion. The companions aren't spending/using a lot of story points, but the splitting up and a little bit of niche protection are now present in our sessions. Just wanted to say that " Diary of the Doctor Who Role-Playing Games, Issue 003 (2010-10-05)" also partially deals with Timelord/Companion balance!
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Post by zebaroth on Dec 2, 2011 0:45:45 GMT
as one of my old GM's told me when i asked him if i could do something he answered You Can Try. so if your players want to try something say You Can Try even if they fell it just makes for a more interesting game
ps one such incident was in D&D my dragonborn paladin felled his His stealth check and fell down a filet of stares
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Post by cliffordjones on Dec 2, 2011 7:10:07 GMT
One thing that I do is think about how NPCs will react to the different members of the players' party. Sure The Doctor is often disarmingly endearing but he's not everybody's cup of tea. So sometimes the companions will have more luck interacting with other characters. It's definitely a plus if the PCs have different skill sets. For instance, I think that it's okay to have a companion who's a bit of a bad-ass, a bit more physical than your average Timelord. To me, the show often has something of a have-your-cake-and-eat-it attitude toward violence as a solution. The Doctor doesn't approve... unless it's Captain Jack or River Song blasting holes in the aliens, in which case he doesn't seem to mind so much
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Post by da professor on Dec 2, 2011 13:34:17 GMT
To me, the show often has something of a have-your-cake-and-eat-it attitude toward violence as a solution. The Doctor doesn't approve... unless it's Captain Jack or River Song blasting holes in the aliens, in which case he doesn't seem to mind so much Because they know when to stop and a lot of people don't
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Post by cliffordjones on Dec 3, 2011 1:14:34 GMT
Because they know when to stop and a lot of people don't Hmmm, I'm not sure that it's quite as simple as that. Anyway the point that I was trying to make is that the PCs should ideally have complementary skillsets. Reducing it to bare-bones gaming terms it's something like building the archetypal fantasy RPG party with a Fighter, a Wizard, a Cleric and a Thief. Sure, the Wizard (aka Timelord) is generally going to be able to do more cool stuff than the others but he/she still needs the rest of the party around and situations should arise when each individual has their chance to shine. And the Fighter is far from an alien concept to the show. There have been companions who could handle themselves in a scrap going at least as far back as Jamie.
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Post by garethl on Dec 3, 2011 11:43:42 GMT
Anyway the point that I was trying to make is that the PCs should ideally have complementary skillsets. Reducing it to bare-bones gaming terms it's something like building the archetypal fantasy RPG party with a Fighter, a Wizard, a Cleric and a Thief. Sure, the Wizard (aka Timelord) is generally going to be able to do more cool stuff than the others but he/she still needs the rest of the party around and situations should arise when each individual has their chance to shine. Wizard = Timelord, Fighter is someone like Captain Jack or River Song, Cleric would be a healer/doctor like Martha Jones or Rory, Thief would be someone with subterfuge skills but the Sonic Screwdriver, Psychic Paper and the Doctor's/Timelords hacking and technology skills take care of that.
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Post by cliffordjones on Dec 3, 2011 22:12:00 GMT
Wizard = Timelord, Fighter is someone like Captain Jack or River Song, Cleric would be a healer/doctor like Martha Jones or Rory, Thief would be someone with subterfuge skills but the Sonic Screwdriver, Psychic Paper and the Doctor's/Timelords hacking and technology skills take care of that. Spot on. Another way to divide the party into 'types' that I've used before is to take inspiration from the initiative system. So have a Talker, a Runner, a Doer and a Fighter. These might even be loosely equated to the classic fantasy roles: Talker = Wizard (eg The Doctor) Runner = Thief (eg someone who's a bit devious and cowardly such as Turlough) Doer = Cleric (eg Martha or Rory) Fighter = er... (eg Jack, River or even The Brig)
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stahlman
3rd Incarnation
Doctor, stop wasting my time, will you?
Posts: 222
Favourite Doctors: second,third,fourth
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Post by stahlman on Dec 4, 2011 8:05:32 GMT
This is a tricky one-in an SF setting the timelord and any Zoe or Liz like characters will monopolise the action while the lower tech provenance characters can wander around feeling redundant. I agree with Clifford's approach-its also at the heart of the series of games from Pelgrane press-emphasising the complementary skill sets.
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Post by Stormcrow on Dec 5, 2011 16:55:03 GMT
A low-tech character like Jamie can use his low tech level to his advantage—by generating story points. Every time Jamie bungles using some piece of equipment and gets the group in trouble, he's earning story points.
And with all those story points, cool things will happen to him more often than with other characters.
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Post by Curufea on Dec 5, 2011 23:59:20 GMT
I suspect a lot of his points in the TV series were spent on not getting shot
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Post by da professor on Dec 6, 2011 13:10:35 GMT
I suspect a lot of his points in the TV series were spent on not getting shot That's how I would use them ;D
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Post by Stormcrow on Dec 6, 2011 15:53:58 GMT
True, but that means he could wade into the thick of things often, where a character with fewer story points must keep clear to remain safe.
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Post by Curufea on Dec 6, 2011 23:14:22 GMT
But as a mainly physical character, that kind of decision often came naturally to him
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Post by da professor on Dec 7, 2011 10:26:02 GMT
But as a mainly physical character, that kind of decision often came naturally to him which means it's a good thing he got all those Story points
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