Geoffrey Character Sheet
From Ars Magica
Contents |
Geoffrey of Chester
Characteristics:
- Int -1
- Per +2
- Pre +1
- Com +1
- Str +2
- Sta +2
- Dex +2
- Qik +2
Physical Statistics:
- Size: 0
- Age: 30 (30)
- Height: 168 cm
- Weight: 70 kg
- Gender: Male
- Decrepitude: 0
- Warping Score: 0 (0)
- Confidence: -
Virtues and Flaws:
- Knight
- Wealthy
- Improved Characteristics x3
- Puissant Single Weapon
- Unaging
- Well-Traveled
- Oath of Fealty
- Overconfident
- Low Self Esteem
- Reckless
Personality Traits:
- Brave +2
- Hearty +3
- Proud +3(-3)
Abilities:
- English 5 (town)
- Animal Handling 2 (horses)
- Area Lore (Marches) 3 (nobles)
- Athletics 2 (fighting in armour)
- Awareness 3 (battle)
- Brawl 2 (Fist)
- Chirurgy 1 (sword wounds)
- Etiquette 3 (noble)
- Great Weapon 5 (Greatsword)
- Hunt 2 (Hart)
- Intrigue 1 (noble courts)
- Leadership 5 (soldiers)
- Music 1 (singing)
- Ride 4 (battle control)
- Single Weapon 5 (Heater Shield)
- Arabic 1 (Markets)
- Carouse 3 (Power Drinking)
- Charm 2 (Tavern Wenches)
- Norman French 5 (Nobles)
Equipment:
- Full Chain Mail (Protection: 9 Load: 6)
- Shield, Heater (Ini:0 Att:0 Dfn:3 Dam:-)
- Greatsword (Ini:2 Att:5 Def:2 Dam:9)
- Warhorse + panoply
- Riding horse + panoply
- Precut lances (initially on each 'adventure' at least) (Ini:2 Att:4 Def:0 Dam:5)
- Mace (Ini:2 Att:4 Def:0 Dam:5)
Encumbrance: 2 in most combat circumstances
Combat:
Lance and heater shield (mounted): Ini +2, Att +17, Def +17, Dam +7
Mace and heater shield (mounted): Ini +2, Att +14, Def +14, Dam +7
Mace and heater shield (foot) :
No shield penalties :
Greatsword : Ini +2, Att +13, Def +10, Dam +10
Dodge : Ini +0, Att --, Def +4
-- Fist: Ini +0, Att +5, Def +5, Dam +1
Kick : Ini -1, Att +4, Def +3, Dam +4
Soak : +10
Fatigue levels : OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious, Wound
Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Approval Notes
This character is not approved. For approval, this character must:
- Explain/resolve a possible conflict of virtues...
The likely major point of contention is the use of Reckless + Overconfident + poor self-esteem.
Self-esteem is a synonym of Confidence, according to my dictionary. The flaw Low Self-Esteem strips the character of confidence points, reduces his confidence trait to zero, and forbids it from ever being raised. Thus Low Self-Esteem and Overconfidence appear to be mutually exclusive virtues.
I think Reckless and Overconfidence work well together, though hopefully not too well, for your character's sake.
Corbon
This is why I brought it up as a point to look at. IMO they only appear to be mutually exclusive if you fail to look at them closely.
Firstly, forget the synonym thing because (a) they are also game-terms as well as english language terms and (b) just because they can be a synonym does not make low- vs over- automatically into antonyms.
Now look at what they do. Overconfidence actually has no bearing whatsoever on the use of (game-term) confidence in the game. It is a personality trait - the character completely believes in his own abilities. In Geoffrey's case he has full (english language) confidence in the abilities he has (and lets face it, he is a pretty formidable warrior). However, not a single ability he has is really useful. Arguably he can care for animals but he probably thinks of his skills there entirely related to warfare anyway. Note: if you think it would be more suitable I can reduce nearly all of his non-language skills that don't relate to combat. However I would prefer a character that is less monodimensional than he himself might believe. ;-)
Low self esteem in game-terms has the game effect of eliminating the confidence mechanism, not a characters (english language) confidence. In personality terms it represents a deflated opinion of self-worth (not self-ability) - thus my idea is that Geoffrey is confident in his abilities but doesn't really value them (or himself). The net game effect is that he gets to assume he can do anything within his areas of expertise (and with reckless, which ties in nicely with not valuing himself, added to the mix even more so) but for it to be a little hollow as he can't use confidence points to mitigate a bad roll. Aside To my mind this fits neatly with his kind of hollow personality and the pride/humility thing.
As a last point, the game mechanism confidence does not necessarily relate to to the character attitude of confidence or lack thereof. In fact, it seems most useful when a character is not confident of succeeding in a task.
Having stated my case, if you still don't like it I'll drop it and come up with something else.
On a casual, just-before-going-to-bed-really-late skim-read, it looks like you've explained it well enough. I'll take another look at this tomorrow afternoon when my brain is functioning, and approve it then.
Creation Notes
One little thought for whoever 'tweaks' him into usability. Bedo speaks precious little English, and no French. If Geoffrey's English is lowered too much it would have been even more difficult for them to have understood each other and become friends (IIRC in rules terms the lower score is what matters, but in RP terms...). --OldNick 07:31, 23 February 2006 (PST)
Ok. Wealthy is back because I wasn't sure if taking it out had adjusted the xp totals or not. It can be rationalised as crusades loot so more like cash wealth and no need for it to caus the same deeper difficulties as a wealthy landed noble character. xp totals match up 45+(25*20)+50. English and Norman languages both fluent at 5. Knight takes care of the Martial abilities, no academic ones.
The likely major point of contention is the use of Reckless + Overconfident + poor self-esteem. The way I see it he is really a bit of a nothing. No real use to anyone except in a fight which is where the low self-esteem comes in. True combat veterans rarely actually care for fighting and generally handle it in only a few ways. 1. Homicidal or vicious killers don't even need to think about it (this isn't Geoffrey) 2. They value and respect even more the non-fighting type skills and show it (not Geoffrey) 3. They value and respect non-combat skills but due to a lack of them cover this value by overplaying the bravery/heartiness/martial pride/love of a good fight (this is Geoffrey).
Hence Geoffrey lacks proper self-esteem but covers it with bluff heartiness, pride, excessive valour etc - recklessness and (false but necessary) overconfidence. This also covers the Pride +3/-3 - he is full of reckless and overconfident pride but very occasionally he suffers a fall and will for a while be extremely humble (though usually only in a relatively private situation). Corbon 24/2/06
