Comments on: French Vanilla or Mint Mocha? Fleshing out your Character http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character The Game Mastering Blog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Walt Ciechanowski http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-14227 Walt Ciechanowski Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:34:48 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-14227 emiliaemilia - I apologize for not responding. As you can tell from the time stamp, I didn't see your comment for quite some time! Unfortunately, in spite of my name I don't speak Polish, although I do visit the local Polish neighborhood deli on occasion! :) As to your question/concerns, I was not involved in the art/layout for the book, but I understand that Adamant procured it from a stock art collection. I did contact Adamant after seeing your comment and learned that they had already contacted you and the matter is resolved, which I'm happy to hear. It's unfortunate that you chose to post this publicly rather than use the "Contact Us" link (especially since your comment had nothing to do with Gnome Stew), whereupon I'd have been made immediately aware of your concern and addressed it years ago.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('14227','Walt Ciechanowski'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> emiliaemilia – I apologize for not responding. As you can tell from the time stamp, I didn’t see your comment for quite some time!

Unfortunately, in spite of my name I don’t speak Polish, although I do visit the local Polish neighborhood deli on occasion! :)

As to your question/concerns, I was not involved in the art/layout for the book, but I understand that Adamant procured it from a stock art collection. I did contact Adamant after seeing your comment and learned that they had already contacted you and the matter is resolved, which I’m happy to hear.

It’s unfortunate that you chose to post this publicly rather than use the “Contact Us” link (especially since your comment had nothing to do with Gnome Stew), whereupon I’d have been made immediately aware of your concern and addressed it years ago.

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]]> By: emiliaemilia http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-7988 emiliaemilia Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:41:53 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-7988 hi mr. Walt Ciechanowski. you've got polish surname but however i'll write english cause i don't know if you know polish. In game or book, i don't know, called "The Imperial Age: True20 Edition" you used my work on the cover. you dind't even ask me for permission or tell me a bout it - you just stole this. now we're gonna have to think what to do about it... here you can see my works to prove that i'm the owner of this pic -> http://e-m-i-l-a.deviantart.com please give me some contact to yourself. here's my email: milka.emilka@buziaczek.pl<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7988','emiliaemilia'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> hi mr. Walt Ciechanowski. you’ve got polish surname but however i’ll write english cause i don’t know if you know polish. In game or book, i don’t know, called “The Imperial Age: True20 Edition” you used my work on the cover. you dind’t even ask me for permission or tell me a bout it – you just stole this. now we’re gonna have to think what to do about it… here you can see my works to prove that i’m the owner of this pic -> http://e-m-i-l-a.deviantart.com

please give me some contact to yourself. here’s my email: milka.emilka@buziaczek.pl

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]]> By: Bercilac http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5468 Bercilac Sun, 03 May 2009 04:43:54 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5468 Great tip! I'll suggest this one to my DM, particularly since one of the players hasn't fleshed out his character that much. I quite like the point that these tiny points can evolve into entire sub-plots of their own. "Someone torched my favourite bar, where all we half-orcs go to escape the discrimination of living in an Elven city. Heads are gonna roll." My spellcheck (enabled for the internet) picks up "orcs," "Elven," and "spellcheck." It does not pick up "gonna." For shame.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5468','Bercilac'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Great tip! I’ll suggest this one to my DM, particularly since one of the players hasn’t fleshed out his character that much. I quite like the point that these tiny points can evolve into entire sub-plots of their own. “Someone torched my favourite bar, where all we half-orcs go to escape the discrimination of living in an Elven city. Heads are gonna roll.”

My spellcheck (enabled for the internet) picks up “orcs,” “Elven,” and “spellcheck.” It does not pick up “gonna.” For shame.

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]]> By: Ash http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5197 Ash Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:12:47 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5197 These are some great ideas for character development. If you'll pardon the self-promotion, I invite people interested in fleshing out their PCs or NPCs to visit <a href="http://rpg.ashami.com" rel="nofollow">Ash's Guide to RPG Personality and Background</a>.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5197','Ash'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> These are some great ideas for character development. If you’ll pardon the self-promotion, I invite people interested in fleshing out their PCs or NPCs to visit Ash’s Guide to RPG Personality and Background.
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]]> By: deadlytoque http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5175 deadlytoque Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:18:43 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5175 This reminds me of the character generation system in <i>Dread</i>. In that game, the GM makes up a set of questionnaires, usually 13 questions long, and hand them out to the players. It allow the GM to get the players thinking about their characters, and also allows them to seed information (eg: You have a nasty scar; where is it, and what caused it?; You are on this mission because you are a specialist in what kind of medicine?). As a lawyer, it also reminds me of examination-in-chief questions (when you are questioning your own witness). That said, in an x-in-c, you would never "limit" your questions. You wouldn't say "French Vanilla or Mint Mocha?"; you would say "Tell me about your morning routine." By going more broad, you allow the witness to tell the story in their own words, and hit the points that -they- think are highlights. If you want more specific information, you still ask "open" questions, like "And what can you tell me about what you were drinking?"<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5175','deadlytoque'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> This reminds me of the character generation system in Dread. In that game, the GM makes up a set of questionnaires, usually 13 questions long, and hand them out to the players. It allow the GM to get the players thinking about their characters, and also allows them to seed information (eg: You have a nasty scar; where is it, and what caused it?; You are on this mission because you are a specialist in what kind of medicine?).

As a lawyer, it also reminds me of examination-in-chief questions (when you are questioning your own witness). That said, in an x-in-c, you would never “limit” your questions. You wouldn’t say “French Vanilla or Mint Mocha?”; you would say “Tell me about your morning routine.” By going more broad, you allow the witness to tell the story in their own words, and hit the points that -they- think are highlights. If you want more specific information, you still ask “open” questions, like “And what can you tell me about what you were drinking?”

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]]> By: valadil http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5174 valadil Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:25:26 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5174 If my game weren't ending next week I'd totally start using this. It looks like a great way to sketch out those mundane aspects that are often ignored.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5174','valadil'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> If my game weren’t ending next week I’d totally start using this. It looks like a great way to sketch out those mundane aspects that are often ignored.
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]]> By: Scott Martin http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5173 Scott Martin Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:04:12 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5173 I like this type of gradual character thought and revelation. I know that one of my old characters, Kogor, benefited from a meme going around when I was playing him-- something about "what was his last dream". When I worked it into the session, I found motivation and an interesting new direction for him.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5173','Scott Martin'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> I like this type of gradual character thought and revelation. I know that one of my old characters, Kogor, benefited from a meme going around when I was playing him– something about “what was his last dream”. When I worked it into the session, I found motivation and an interesting new direction for him.
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]]> By: John Arcadian http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/french-vanilla-or-mint-mocha-fleshing-out-your-character/comment-page-1#comment-5172 John Arcadian Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:00:30 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=3082#comment-5172 - Does your character drink coffee in the morning? If so, how does she take it? Doe she prefer tea, an energy drink, milk or something else? My last character drank tea, jasmine with a hint of desert spice. - Is your character an early bird or a night owl? Night owl. - How does your character dress for work? In white pants, a waist covering tabbard, a white face covering headwrap and a length of thin rope around his torso. - What’s your character’s favorite comfort food? Sfouf - What’s your character’s favorite pastime? Generally, being alone to contemplate the mysteries of the universe. - Is your character neat and tidy, a clutter bug, or an outright pig? Very tidy. He always cleans his kills. - Does your character belong to a particular religion? How religious is he? He was a hadji of Perosian Taeosianism (a mixture of middle eastern religions in the world setting.) He was mildly religious, but then found his path leading him to Hadj.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5172','John Arcadian'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> - Does your character drink coffee in the morning? If so, how does she take it? Doe she prefer tea, an energy drink, milk or something else?
My last character drank tea, jasmine with a hint of desert spice.

- Is your character an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl.

- How does your character dress for work?
In white pants, a waist covering tabbard, a white face covering headwrap and a length of thin rope around his torso.

- What’s your character’s favorite comfort food?
Sfouf

- What’s your character’s favorite pastime?
Generally, being alone to contemplate the mysteries of the universe.

- Is your character neat and tidy, a clutter bug, or an outright pig?
Very tidy. He always cleans his kills.

- Does your character belong to a particular religion? How religious is he?
He was a hadji of Perosian Taeosianism (a mixture of middle eastern religions in the world setting.) He was mildly religious, but then found his path leading him to Hadj.

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