Cavern Crew plot planning

[fernleaf]

It sure is. Very cryptic.

[coolcoyote]

XD pretty much the otter will be what ever he is needed to be. Like I said though I'll only toss him in if i need to At the moment I have Baro, Wolf, Rose, Rasilisk, Snivels, and a possible monotor lizard plus the npcs that could replace them if they should die XD My roster is a bit full ^^

[Caterpillar]

Cryptic is goooood x) I like riddles and rhymes and that's the very reason I applied a bard-character -- even thought writing songs in English is little bit harder than making them in my mother language (:

Yes, coolcoyote, no need to hoard too much in one go x) Skipper of the Otters would be an interesting addition, but not necessity. Let's just sit back and see where the plot will lead us... and then act upon it. (:


...For a moment, back to the topic of playin villains. My first forum RPG character was, in fact a villain so to me it's pretty fun to play sadistic bastard or coldblooded manipulator n__n
I also like to make the bad guys and their minions more than just pack of cowards who don't have any backbone. So I shall say this to you: our heroes-to-be must really use their wits and sweat for their victory since Vermilion isn't going to back down easily! >xD

[coolcoyote]

Sweet. I love challenges ^^ bonus points if you manage to write me into a corner where i have only a hand full of options, moral or physical or otherwise XD

[Caterpillar]

The challenge - Accepted! *Dun-dun-DUUUU!*

[coolcoyote]

Lol sweet. Also, I'm putting together something for the game forum on this server. A Random NPC Generator. It basically presents options to randomize about characters. Players roll a 6 sided dice to choose the options and apply them to the character. So far I have body type, flaws, and wealth covered but feel there should be more catagories, do you guys want to add any suggestions before I post it?

[fernleaf]

*gulp* I will try. And that sound great, coolcoyote!

[Caterpillar]

Interesting -- I must try that when you get it done ^^

...It somewhat annoys me that I manage illustrate my NPC:s better in my posts than their summaries... Dangit all, if this keeps up, I'll have to redo my summaries with a copy-paste! >XD

[coolcoyote]

I know the feeling. Its because while in rp they have context to comepare them with. My alts also change as time goes on. They get new clothes new scars etc.some even gain lose weight ^^ baro hasnt changed yet though.

[fernleaf]

I just composed that riddle and saved it. I thought of it yesterday at work, then forgot it when I got home because I didn't write it down. I've been thinking, and finally got it again, and immediately wrote it down so I won't forget it. All I will have to do when the time comes will be to copy and paste it, and then let you all have fun with it.

I know what it means myself, but you won't, hehehe. It's going to mystify Fernleaf as well.

[coolcoyote]

Awesome. I am horrible with riddles myself both in making snd solving them so it will be easy for me to rp Baro trying to figure it out XD

[Caterpillar]

No worries coolcoyote, we shall crack that brain-teaser together! xD

Fernleaf, are you still stuck with your Bomboar? Need any help how to flesh out your character?

[fernleaf]

I sure would. Any help would be appreciated.

[coolcoyote]

Welcome back cat!

Also, all I can reall do to help you would would be to put what /I/ would put into a badger alt, which wouldn't be right. So I will try to bring out the details you already put into it.

For example, it sounds like your badger is going to be very stubborn creature, as he has a hard time changing his mind once he makes it up. That in itself can be added to weaknesses.

It looks like a good out line but it wouldn't be too hard to add in some details, put some meat on its bones so to speak.

[coolcoyote]

Gah! posted early, wasnt done.

Basically when it comes to making alts or npcs I write out the details I want to add into them. Like Wolf for example.

I wanted to play.

1. a fox.
2. he would have a laid back personality.
3. experienced but lazy.
4. Possibly a shifty, greedy fellow who skims money on the side.

So I made him not quite as opposing as a normal minion, I decided instead to make him obese and fat to show that he may be eating food from the supply room on the ide.

His laid back nature and lazy life style is brought out in his speach and conduct though, so for a personality he will rarely get angry, take a passive stance when confronted with an argument, and will never be seen hurying in anything that he does.

Ok so maybe wolf wasn't such a good example, he is just an npc but the process is still the same.

I would start with the description first, start head to toe and list all the important details players need to know then expand on them. Baro after all really just a fat brown fox wearing a vest and trousers. Then I expanded on each detail.

Since I am a visual learner having the characters look in mind, his description, posture, and imagining him in action really helped me to flesh out his personality, then by figering out his peronality I wondered how he came to act the way he did so I made a history that fit with it.

Backgrounds for me are the hardest part to write

Well that was eiheer confusing or helpfull, i hope the ladder XD

[Caterpillar]

Backgrounds and histories are my forte xD ...Even though I have hard time to compress them. U_u

Okay, I viewed Bomboar's history and it does need some details to make it better, I think.

Lets' start from the beginning... Maybe you could tell how big Bomboar's family was? Did he live with his mother or father or both? Did he have brothers or sisters?.. And so on. And what kind of community they lived in: where they the only badger-family with other goodbeast as their neighbors or did they live with other badgers?
(I think the first option makes more sense as I doubt Vermilion band was big enough to destroy a whole village of badger back then. Let's not forget that badgers are the biggest and strongest of species of them all in Redwall-saga x) )

Next up is the destruction of his home and family -- we need think the timeline for this story so that it matches both Bomboar's and Vermilion's story. Vermilion is now 36 year old so he's older than Bomboar. We have two most classic setups from which we can create epic story of vengeance.

The first one: Vermilion killed the badger's father/brother and took his hide just before he found the Fangfort and took his first steps as a Horde Lord. (personally I would like to think that killing the badger happened before he become a warlord) Back then, Vermilion was about 25 year old so Bomboard on the other hand was only ten or under. The badger dibbun could have been away from his home when vermin attacked - playing like kids do or something else - or maybe he was there, witnessed the whole ordeal and somehow by the stroke of luck survived from the bloodshed. That would offer interesting setup write his history from... Ten years training for vengeance, looking for the ones responsible of his family's death.... There is much things you can write about like how did he learn to fight etc. ^^

The other option is that Vermilion killed his family only few years ago, so back then Bomboar was only a bit younger than he is now. This setup fits the story you have already written in the Bomboard's history. In this plot you can also deeper the story by telling how or from who did he learn about fighting - as we supposely can assume he does know how to fight.

You can decide which sit your character best. I'm just tossing here ideas you could use in making backstory for your badger. ^^

Then I think a necessary detail is how did Bomboar find out it was definitely Vermilion and his band who destroyed his home and family. (If he wasn't there himself - if he witnessed the slaughter, then he would know something about his family killer. ) We agreed that Vermilion killed Bomboar's father or brother and took his hide... Maybe Bomboar have heard rumors about a vermin lord that sit on the throne covered by badger hide? You could mention about that.

Okay, there is something for starters... I hope you can make heads and tails from it.

[fernleaf]

Thanks, that gives me a lot to go on. I'll keep working on it.

[coolcoyote]

Hey fern! I saw on the other thread you are working on character flaws. I thought I might lend a helping hand.

This comes from the random npc generator I am working on. Feel free to take some ideas from it ^^
Flaws: Character Flaws that put them at a dissadvantage. Choose 3. If you find two flaws cancel each other out, like rolling too trusting and then distrustful, re-roll for the second quality. If you roll the same quality more than once, you are doubly flawed in that area.

1 Physical Flaws

1. Disfiguring Scars, burns, or wounds.
2. Disabled paw (hand or foot)
3. Loss of limb
1. foot or leg.
2. Hand or Arm
3. Tail
4. One ear
5. An eye
6. Digits (fingers)
4. Loss of senses, blind or deaf or mute
5. Poor hygene, bad smell, poor teeth etc.
6. Diseased. Poor health. Chronic health issues.


2. Mental Flaws
1. Greed / Glutton
2. Parinoid or prejudiced against outsiders, woodlanders, vermin, lawyers etc.
3. Insane, imaginary friend, hears voices,
4. Kleptomania
5. Obesive Compulsive, encentric
6. Drastic fear of
1. Insects
2. Birds
3. Color of your choice
4. The dark, deep water or drowning
5. the out doors
6. Heights

3. Emotional Flaws
1. apathetic, has trouble connecting emotionally to the problems of others
2. Too trusting, easily misled
3. Distrustful
4. Stubborn
5. Hot headed.
6. Reckless, over confident.

4. Personality Flaws
1. Violent Temper, easily angered.
2. Coward.
3. Gambling addiction.
4. Bloodthirsty (loves to fight)
5. Xenophobic, naturally dislikes beasts of other view points than their own
6. Arrogant, haughty

5-6. Other Flaws.
1. stutter or speech inpairment
2. color blind.
3. Thick heavy accent which no one can understand
4. Bloodwrath
5. Has fleas
6. Cannibal.

[fernleaf]

Looks good. I'll look over this.

[Caterpillar]

That list is pretty good Even if you don't want to roll the dices you can just pick some flaws that fits in the character. And the list gives quite good summary what kind of disadvantages is out there.