Help with characters?

[Zakilevo]

It sounds like SM has more freedom than BM. Are there going to be buttons like BM or is it just going to be pure RP?

[loren]

Can my character also have a controversial job, like let's say executioner/inguisitor in the south? For local peasant born there, a job like that would be the perfect disguisse.
He'd even be able to get to some places others will not be able to be so easily.

Or are those npcs?

He can have that as his background if you like.  But magical skills for characters start at 1 (see http://lemuria.org/SM3).  You might plan out how you want him to develop, but they start with effectively only instantaneous, small object, cosmetic changes.  This rapidly changes of course, but still think about that for your background.

[Anaris]

As a general aside, the SM3 world is not the BM world at all.  So they can be the same character, but their history from BM will not carry over.  I mean I don't remember any Dragons in BM, at least not yet :-X

Sure, it's the character concept I'd be looking at transferring.  Phoebe's history shouldn't be terribly difficult to translate into a SpellMaster-world history; the core of it was basically a Faustian bargain that went south and a whole lot of anger.

[loren]

It sounds like SM has more freedom than BM. Are there going to be buttons like BM or is it just going to be pure RP?

SM3 is played here in the forums.  Tom will have to speak to the idea of buttons himself.

[Daycryn]

The freedom can be a blessing and a curse. It means players could create characters that just plain don't interact with others,  happy in their own little niches, unwilling to risk anything.

One thing that could help is a Map. (Maps again! Maps, maps, maps!) Something that shows higher level of detail than just 'The North' or 'The Colonies'; shows settlements, rivers, mountains, coasts, etc.

[James]

Maps should be coming.

As for people hiding away on their own, if they want to do that it can become a bit dull and could well mean their progress is slow. However, other players (as long as the storyline has not become locked) would be able to join them, and of course the GMs can get involved.

If you really want to enjoy the game, interaction with others, so you have different people building the story together, is definitely the best. You might have an outline of a story you want to take your character through, then someone else does something which takes it in a completely different direction.

[loren]

Maps should be coming.

Courtesy of  Miss Teen South Carolina 2007  Just in case anyone forgot about this wonderful brainiac beauty queen.

[Zakilevo]

Is she serious? Holy hell. And what is up with US. 20% of the population can't locate their own country? Should spend less money on the military and spend more on the education perhaps? Or just be happy with those rich 2% to rule the country?

[loren]

Is she serious? Holy hell. And what is up with US. 20% of the population can't locate their own country? Should spend less money on the military and spend more on the education perhaps? Or just be happy with those rich 2% to rule the country?

Please, half of all statistics are made up.  I'm sure it's 20% of all first graders.  But I'll stop being bad in the thread.

[Iltaran]

Random query, but do our character have to be magic users?

[JPierreD]

Character restrictions: Your character might be a mundane or a spellcaster, but they cannot be a part of the Share-holder company operations, not to start anyways, you'll have to explore the setting some first.  Former mercs, Itinerant Knights, Youngest sons looking for fortune, Specialists in Obscure Details, and other such archtypes will probably get the most out of the story.

[Iltaran]

My reading comprehension skills apologise for the inconvenience.

[Nathan]

I was thinking of playing a schizophrenic spellcaster, I've got a backstory RP pretty much written down in my head and I'll flesh it out once we're in "present day" and not "prelude" (might do some prelude RP for this character's family if I get the time). The only problem I'm having is showing he's schizophrenic in a way that won't make people think "wait, what just happened?" when he goes from being shy & timid to confident & evil. Can anyone give me a bit of advice on that?

[loren]

My reading comprehension skills apologise for the inconvenience.

That restriction is only for the Prelude story line, I cannot speak to the game proper once it kicks off.  I can say that without any magical skill you will be in a very tough spot to do anything beyond simply standing around at the right point in time.

Lets say for instance that eventually a master of fire finds you.  He throws a village size fire ball as hot as the sun at you, how do you survive?  I'd be hard pressed to find a way to write out of that one.  You'd be burnt to ash in moments.

[loren]

I was thinking of playing a schizophrenic spellcaster, I've got a backstory RP pretty much written down in my head and I'll flesh it out once we're in "present day" and not "prelude" (might do some prelude RP for this character's family if I get the time). The only problem I'm having is showing he's schizophrenic in a way that won't make people think "wait, what just happened?" when he goes from being shy & timid to confident & evil. Can anyone give me a bit of advice on that?

Write in the first person is probably easiest.