This isn't as much a request for an RP as it is a discussion about them! (Although that doesn't mean I'm not requesting an RP. I really am. The question is how can I successfully enact an RP without alienating my partner/s?)
What about those characters that wouldn't be themselves without their over-the-top powers?
For instance, my character is very reliant on knowledge of other characters that others may not know about. He just... Invades peoples' minds, causes hallucinations, etc. He remains intangible most of the time, and therefore is impervious to most attacks. He occasionally does engage in combat via spawning his own powerful demonic minions, weapons, etc. It's just inherently part of his character. He very rarely if ever engages in combat, so those he could in theory do without, but what about his other powers? Is he doomed to a life of loneliness and solitude solely because he is The Shadow?
There are a few ways I have RPed with this character in the past. None of them have worked out very well to be fun for me.
1. Work with mortal characters who are willing to allow Shadow to be what he is- Sort of, not really.
The Result: Shadow's nightmares and invasions of personal privacy worked out fine: The first time. Every time after that, no matter how real or how warped the visions were, the victim's character would be just like: "Ugh, Shadow" and "Ignore" the gigantic fire demon ripping their love interest's testicles off.
2. Play only with other "Powered" characters.
The Result: BOOOORRIINNNG. With as much in common as they had, they either sat around having IC Pride Debates over who was older or stronger or more fear-instilling. And then they either had a huge battle that erupted into a huge OOC debate about which attacks were effective or not because such-and-such and -such-and-such but then XYZ trumps ABC and blah blah blah OR they just went their separate ways after about a page of one-liners.
3. Merely Lurk.
The Result: We all know how this ends. The feeling of being watched just isn't enough to warrant much attention. Plus, most characters with any form of magic at their disposal will at this point instantly and effortlessly pinpoint The Shadow's exact location despite him being the embodiment of all darkness, everywhere, and he merely only focuses his consciousness on one location at a time to avoid headaches. (They should in theory be like "Oh God, HE'S EVERYWHERE!!!" And hyperventilate.) Then they'll merely glare and say something like "Begone, demon, you are not welcome here." And then turn back to whatever they were doing. (For the record: TOTALLY not a demon. Demons and Shadow are kinda best buds 'cause they like chaos and things, but Shadow is completely different from demons.)
Thanks for your help, and I look forward to the feedback.
What about those characters that wouldn't be themselves without their over-the-top powers?
For instance, my character is very reliant on knowledge of other characters that others may not know about. He just... Invades peoples' minds, causes hallucinations, etc. He remains intangible most of the time, and therefore is impervious to most attacks. He occasionally does engage in combat via spawning his own powerful demonic minions, weapons, etc. It's just inherently part of his character. He very rarely if ever engages in combat, so those he could in theory do without, but what about his other powers? Is he doomed to a life of loneliness and solitude solely because he is The Shadow?
There are a few ways I have RPed with this character in the past. None of them have worked out very well to be fun for me.
1. Work with mortal characters who are willing to allow Shadow to be what he is- Sort of, not really.
The Result: Shadow's nightmares and invasions of personal privacy worked out fine: The first time. Every time after that, no matter how real or how warped the visions were, the victim's character would be just like: "Ugh, Shadow" and "Ignore" the gigantic fire demon ripping their love interest's testicles off.
2. Play only with other "Powered" characters.
The Result: BOOOORRIINNNG. With as much in common as they had, they either sat around having IC Pride Debates over who was older or stronger or more fear-instilling. And then they either had a huge battle that erupted into a huge OOC debate about which attacks were effective or not because such-and-such and -such-and-such but then XYZ trumps ABC and blah blah blah OR they just went their separate ways after about a page of one-liners.
3. Merely Lurk.
The Result: We all know how this ends. The feeling of being watched just isn't enough to warrant much attention. Plus, most characters with any form of magic at their disposal will at this point instantly and effortlessly pinpoint The Shadow's exact location despite him being the embodiment of all darkness, everywhere, and he merely only focuses his consciousness on one location at a time to avoid headaches. (They should in theory be like "Oh God, HE'S EVERYWHERE!!!" And hyperventilate.) Then they'll merely glare and say something like "Begone, demon, you are not welcome here." And then turn back to whatever they were doing. (For the record: TOTALLY not a demon. Demons and Shadow are kinda best buds 'cause they like chaos and things, but Shadow is completely different from demons.)
Thanks for your help, and I look forward to the feedback.
For those who still want an RP...
Seeking: Mortal (preferably a group of them) who wouldn't mind being mentally abused and having their privacy violated. Mortals who appreciate an "Inner Voice" as a guide also may be appreciated. It's really fun to play the big bad that scares groups of people. People who don't mind relinquishing all hope of sanity and/or survival and their end-all-be-all powers are preferred. DO NOT WANT: "Holy" characters with the ability to "purge" my existence no matter how much I stress that moral purity has nothing to do with my banishment, mortals that can "see through" my "illusions" and therefore ignore them altogether, and other "Big Bad" types that try to either partner with me or tear me down because I am a threat to them in some way or they just don't like competition for the top spot on the Guinness Book of Evil World Records.
I spent the first few minutes laughing, but, I would say that all powerful creatures of all kinds are not the greatest of characters, in my opinion. Sadly, it is the fact that they are the greatest of creatures, that makes them terrible characters, in my opinion.
First of all, one can only watch castration of their love ones once, and the initial horror soon leaves them if they watch it again. Though I do see your point, their characters should have a more interesting response.
The power contest is always filled with ego flaring, and a bunch of gods in the same room is equally boring. After the initial combat begins, everyone realizes that they are more-or-less invincible and un-slayable, thus, they may as well slap each other. There is no need for fancy attacks when the victim does not take damage.
Thirdly, characters with magic often mis-use it and somehow the divination school is always included in every sort of magic, as a special ability, to sense magic. Sensing magic is its own school of magic, not a part of fireball throwing, conjuring creatures, and barrier erecting. I will conclude that those magic casters are doing it wrong.
But what is to be done? How can a god-like character have any fun with the fleshy adventurers that he could squish with his thumb? Some may say that he/she cannot, unless they lose all their god-like powers, but, that is un-true. In the classic game of Dungeons and Dragons, a god has its clerics, worshipers, and champions. To be call oneself a god, and not have any followers, is to declare oneself a king, without a kingdom of subjects. You could spawn all the NPC monsters and such, that you wanted, but if you wish to have so much more fun, try to have your god-like character entice the mortals with divine/corrupt powers. Make them your champion, cleric, or worshiper. Give them guidelines on what to do to hold your character's favor, and what not to do. Grant them gifts, small shows of your character's power, or even give them a mission, sent from whatever plane of existence your god-like character lives on.
That, in my opinion, is how you play a god-like character.
First of all, one can only watch castration of their love ones once, and the initial horror soon leaves them if they watch it again. Though I do see your point, their characters should have a more interesting response.
The power contest is always filled with ego flaring, and a bunch of gods in the same room is equally boring. After the initial combat begins, everyone realizes that they are more-or-less invincible and un-slayable, thus, they may as well slap each other. There is no need for fancy attacks when the victim does not take damage.
Thirdly, characters with magic often mis-use it and somehow the divination school is always included in every sort of magic, as a special ability, to sense magic. Sensing magic is its own school of magic, not a part of fireball throwing, conjuring creatures, and barrier erecting. I will conclude that those magic casters are doing it wrong.
But what is to be done? How can a god-like character have any fun with the fleshy adventurers that he could squish with his thumb? Some may say that he/she cannot, unless they lose all their god-like powers, but, that is un-true. In the classic game of Dungeons and Dragons, a god has its clerics, worshipers, and champions. To be call oneself a god, and not have any followers, is to declare oneself a king, without a kingdom of subjects. You could spawn all the NPC monsters and such, that you wanted, but if you wish to have so much more fun, try to have your god-like character entice the mortals with divine/corrupt powers. Make them your champion, cleric, or worshiper. Give them guidelines on what to do to hold your character's favor, and what not to do. Grant them gifts, small shows of your character's power, or even give them a mission, sent from whatever plane of existence your god-like character lives on.
That, in my opinion, is how you play a god-like character.
Miss, your advice is much appreciated, and I take it to heart.
However, The Shadow is not truly a god so much as he is a meddling supernatural being. (Think: Super Uber Powered Ghost with more personality and less undeath.) He does have his followers (they are the ones whose souls he devours) but he likes to spend more time with other mortals. He does on occasion offer powers and things, but he truly only just wants someone to meddle with. Is that too much to ask?
I agree that someone can only watch something terrible happen to their loved ones once, but when someone allows the Shadow to invade their mind, it also allows invasion of senses which means that no matter how much they try, they shouldn't be able to see through the hallucination or at the very least be able to ignore it completely and act like nothing is going on. Shadow also systematically and purposefully creates vast worlds within the realm of Dreams, which allow him to work more freely. (The human mind is easily manipulated. Nightmares are so much fun.)
The power contest and magical character problem is exactly why I avoid any powered character almost altogether. Doesn't matter what Shadow does, if they have any form of magic at their disposal they'll go all "LOLNOPE" and God-Mode me to oblivion. I eventually ragequit.
I will, however, play the god angle a bit more often. Having my own followers and devotees sounds fun, and I've never really given it much thought before.
You have my sincerest thanks.
However, The Shadow is not truly a god so much as he is a meddling supernatural being. (Think: Super Uber Powered Ghost with more personality and less undeath.) He does have his followers (they are the ones whose souls he devours) but he likes to spend more time with other mortals. He does on occasion offer powers and things, but he truly only just wants someone to meddle with. Is that too much to ask?
I agree that someone can only watch something terrible happen to their loved ones once, but when someone allows the Shadow to invade their mind, it also allows invasion of senses which means that no matter how much they try, they shouldn't be able to see through the hallucination or at the very least be able to ignore it completely and act like nothing is going on. Shadow also systematically and purposefully creates vast worlds within the realm of Dreams, which allow him to work more freely. (The human mind is easily manipulated. Nightmares are so much fun.)
The power contest and magical character problem is exactly why I avoid any powered character almost altogether. Doesn't matter what Shadow does, if they have any form of magic at their disposal they'll go all "LOLNOPE" and God-Mode me to oblivion. I eventually ragequit.
I will, however, play the god angle a bit more often. Having my own followers and devotees sounds fun, and I've never really given it much thought before.
You have my sincerest thanks.
I am glad that you found my words useful.
As for supernatural beings, it is entertaining to play with the lesser beings' minds, but to constantly torture them with nightmares is fun only under certain conditions, the first being, that the character who is being tortured sleeps. Forum RP's, or the ones that I have enjoyed, do not including sleeping characters. I do not know why, I merely find it interesting. Secondly, torturing for fun is not furthering a plot, it simply repeats itself. If your supernatural character offered to stop torturing for a certain object, price, action, then it would drive a plot forward and be interesting for the other characters.
You are quite welcome.
As for supernatural beings, it is entertaining to play with the lesser beings' minds, but to constantly torture them with nightmares is fun only under certain conditions, the first being, that the character who is being tortured sleeps. Forum RP's, or the ones that I have enjoyed, do not including sleeping characters. I do not know why, I merely find it interesting. Secondly, torturing for fun is not furthering a plot, it simply repeats itself. If your supernatural character offered to stop torturing for a certain object, price, action, then it would drive a plot forward and be interesting for the other characters.
You are quite welcome.
I think people who've RPed with you in the past and used mortal characters sorely missed the point of what it means to develop a roleplay with a victim character. Even if torture is a repeat that loses its flavor quickly, someone who truly understands the purpose of The Shadow will understand that ignoring the effects it has will halt the RP.
What if The Shadow took a more subtle approach? Start off with small things, the character tries to shake off the feeling initially as a dream, a trick. Then the hallucinations start happening more frequently, convincing the character they're losing their mind. The hallucinations can trigger phobias that will alter their day to day lives, or perhaps trigger psychosis that makes them do things they wouldn't normally do.
Perhaps at that point, the character can become an ally to The Shadow, or a tool to further The Shadow's purpose. You may need to alter The Shadow's powers slightly to allow him to be a presence outside of dreams, or create a complimentary character who plays a role in the story to help things along.
I think 95% of playing a powerful supernatural character is having an RP partner who is willing to work with you. In all the cases you described, people were struggling against the concept of submitting themselves to a powerful being who has a ton of control. I'd avoid making it sound like it's a 'me, me, me!' roleplay and focus on developing each other's characters. Find someone willing to say 'I want my character drastically altered through fear' and ask them 'Where do you want to go with that?'.
Help each other out, instead of trying to be the most powerful or oblivious.
What if The Shadow took a more subtle approach? Start off with small things, the character tries to shake off the feeling initially as a dream, a trick. Then the hallucinations start happening more frequently, convincing the character they're losing their mind. The hallucinations can trigger phobias that will alter their day to day lives, or perhaps trigger psychosis that makes them do things they wouldn't normally do.
Perhaps at that point, the character can become an ally to The Shadow, or a tool to further The Shadow's purpose. You may need to alter The Shadow's powers slightly to allow him to be a presence outside of dreams, or create a complimentary character who plays a role in the story to help things along.
I think 95% of playing a powerful supernatural character is having an RP partner who is willing to work with you. In all the cases you described, people were struggling against the concept of submitting themselves to a powerful being who has a ton of control. I'd avoid making it sound like it's a 'me, me, me!' roleplay and focus on developing each other's characters. Find someone willing to say 'I want my character drastically altered through fear' and ask them 'Where do you want to go with that?'.
Help each other out, instead of trying to be the most powerful or oblivious.
I think Sanne is on the right track here. Ever watch old horror movies? The ones that had to be scary without the budget or technology to be gorefests? These are often hailed as the best horror movies, hell, even in Alien you hardly ever saw the creature. I think, for psychological manipulation to work, you need to start, and often STAY small. Use suggestion, shadows on the walls, strange sounds, footsteps, the smell of something burning, a figure in the mirror behind them... Real terror is about NOT knowing.
"When you do things right, people won't be sure if you've done anything at all." -- God, Futurama.
Also, as advice from one player who runs a very powerful supernatural to another: be aware of what other people want from you. Be prepared to step back and say "you know, he COULD do this, but he won't". Great power, great responsibility, you know the drill. Especially with an evil aligned supernatural, make sure that your focus is on the plot, not on being the biggest and the baddest. Do what's good for the RP, not what your character is capable of. There are some purists who would disagree with me and say that character motivation is everything, but in my opinion you should be prepared to hold yourself back for the sake of plot.
"When you do things right, people won't be sure if you've done anything at all." -- God, Futurama.
Also, as advice from one player who runs a very powerful supernatural to another: be aware of what other people want from you. Be prepared to step back and say "you know, he COULD do this, but he won't". Great power, great responsibility, you know the drill. Especially with an evil aligned supernatural, make sure that your focus is on the plot, not on being the biggest and the baddest. Do what's good for the RP, not what your character is capable of. There are some purists who would disagree with me and say that character motivation is everything, but in my opinion you should be prepared to hold yourself back for the sake of plot.
Everyone above me has pretty much stolen the words right from my mouth. I'm not one for actually playing a superpowered evil individual, but I absolutely adore the ways those characters can make a roleplay interesting and exciting. Starting off subtle is a wonderful approach, so I completely agree with that. Torture without plot may be fun and exciting at first, but it might get a bit repetitive as it goes on. Shake things up a bit! And though he may be a wonderful character who's very fleshed out, I agree again with Sanne when she mentioned potentially altering his abilities so he could manifest outside of the dreamworld or making an alternative character to help weave the Rp together. While characters sleep, they do not do so for most of their lives, and it may grow a bit boring or tedious to roleplay the time between sleep.
But I'm trying to write here when I'm tired and everything I have opinion-wise has already been said, sooo I'm sorry haha!
But I'm trying to write here when I'm tired and everything I have opinion-wise has already been said, sooo I'm sorry haha!
"A supernatural vampire who can turn into a mist or a bat at will, doesn't get mud on his/her boots! A true supernatural force doesn't suffer the inconvenience of slogging through cold wet mud. And as a result, such an entity doesn't grow spiritually, in character or relationships."
Jacqueline Lichtenberg, "Vampire with Muddy Boots"
Your job now is to find a way to prove that statement wrong.
God characters, I've found from experience (while playing one, and later while playing with one) while being fun in non RP contexts, do often tend to toe the line between 'interesting' and 'alienating' when it comes to interacting with others. That being said, I think Miss has a very fun take on the situation (I LOVE the god thing!), and I'm also of Sanne's mind - altering abilities ever-so-slightly without losing the integrity of the character to facilitate interaction, and/or adding a supporting cast member might be a constructive thing to try.
Talk with your partner, once one happens! These kinds of things especially require good communication, if not outright planning and plotting ahead. There has to be some sort of compromise (though I feel that's not quite the right word - it's a bit strong) in order to sustain any sort of interaction outside of the usual supernatural pissing contest and victim torture-cycle into which evil aligned god-like characters tend to fall. Often, too, your partner could even help develop some ideas or a new slant on the character that neither of you would've thought of, individually.
Jacqueline Lichtenberg, "Vampire with Muddy Boots"
Your job now is to find a way to prove that statement wrong.
God characters, I've found from experience (while playing one, and later while playing with one) while being fun in non RP contexts, do often tend to toe the line between 'interesting' and 'alienating' when it comes to interacting with others. That being said, I think Miss has a very fun take on the situation (I LOVE the god thing!), and I'm also of Sanne's mind - altering abilities ever-so-slightly without losing the integrity of the character to facilitate interaction, and/or adding a supporting cast member might be a constructive thing to try.
Talk with your partner, once one happens! These kinds of things especially require good communication, if not outright planning and plotting ahead. There has to be some sort of compromise (though I feel that's not quite the right word - it's a bit strong) in order to sustain any sort of interaction outside of the usual supernatural pissing contest and victim torture-cycle into which evil aligned god-like characters tend to fall. Often, too, your partner could even help develop some ideas or a new slant on the character that neither of you would've thought of, individually.
If your RP partner is another god-like being, you could have your subjects mess with their subjects, indirectly challenging the other god-like character's egotistical control. For this example, it is best to assume that the other god-like character is a god of something and someone, not...just an immortal being.
If a good aligned deity had a specific city in which his culture flourished, instead of filling each and every one of that city's citizens with nightmares (which will paint a bright, glowing target upon your god-like being's head), instead, have your clerics/worshipers find the god-like being's largest temple, statue to their greatness, or fattest priest, and graffiti it with your god-like being's name.
A quarrel between gods is boring, most of the time, but a battle between the men and women of those gods is much more exciting!
If a good aligned deity had a specific city in which his culture flourished, instead of filling each and every one of that city's citizens with nightmares (which will paint a bright, glowing target upon your god-like being's head), instead, have your clerics/worshipers find the god-like being's largest temple, statue to their greatness, or fattest priest, and graffiti it with your god-like being's name.
A quarrel between gods is boring, most of the time, but a battle between the men and women of those gods is much more exciting!
You asked a question that I think is more central to your initial point then any other. You asked if your character would be doomed to a life of loneliness because he is what he is. I would say the answer to your question is yes. Loneliness, but not solitude. If you are a primordial force of the universe then you are bound to lead a singular life.
That being said if you are looking for a way to do your thing then I would say that randomly attempting to recruit people might not work. Its random nature means you will always be surrounded by more people that don't work for your type of RPs, or for whom your RP is not appropriate.
If you find people refusing to accept your abilities, or to suffer from them in the manner you would like I would say that is likely a failure of communication.
I find that most people would give you advice aimed at turning you into a better Big-Bad and I support that completely but I just think that your issue is not in the skill with which you put together compelling story, but rather in communicating to the people around to make sure that whatever story you might have to bring into their RP is welcomed.
I say this mostly because no matter how big, how garish, and how outlandish an enemy is, with proper communication you will never alienate your RP partners. Just my views though ^___^
That being said if you are looking for a way to do your thing then I would say that randomly attempting to recruit people might not work. Its random nature means you will always be surrounded by more people that don't work for your type of RPs, or for whom your RP is not appropriate.
If you find people refusing to accept your abilities, or to suffer from them in the manner you would like I would say that is likely a failure of communication.
I find that most people would give you advice aimed at turning you into a better Big-Bad and I support that completely but I just think that your issue is not in the skill with which you put together compelling story, but rather in communicating to the people around to make sure that whatever story you might have to bring into their RP is welcomed.
I say this mostly because no matter how big, how garish, and how outlandish an enemy is, with proper communication you will never alienate your RP partners. Just my views though ^___^
Your advice is very much appreciated. I hadn't realized I was doing anything wrong, but now I can see how exactly I was alienating people.
Again, many thanks. You have helped me to greatly better myself as an RPer.
(Note to self: Be more subtle...)
Again, many thanks. You have helped me to greatly better myself as an RPer.
(Note to self: Be more subtle...)
I kind of want to do a religious war RP now. 
Yeah I honestly wouldn't have thought of a religious war RP, haha. Could be interesting.
Because i like necromancy, mecromancy and necro-romancy... I have the necronomitelecon in my deskdrawer.
I've actually played a god like being but more accurately a being that was a god, got tired of it and put a lot of his power on a shelf to hide away. People liked him, mostly because he passed off as a mostly normal human and everyone that knew what he was laughed about it, because honestly, I played him more like a woobie and useful side character that had a personality outside of his power and what he maintained. I made his job stressful, I made him annoyed or scared of other god like beings that posed as a threat to his very job, I made him reveal plenty of times that being what he is is not all that it's cracked up to be and a lot more complicated than finger wiggling and things automatically end well for you. I also made some very mortal/human things alien to him, as well as gave him significant weaknesses.
I still enjoy playing characters like that and actually intend of eventually making a larp based off the table top game part-time gods.
I've actually played a god like being but more accurately a being that was a god, got tired of it and put a lot of his power on a shelf to hide away. People liked him, mostly because he passed off as a mostly normal human and everyone that knew what he was laughed about it, because honestly, I played him more like a woobie and useful side character that had a personality outside of his power and what he maintained. I made his job stressful, I made him annoyed or scared of other god like beings that posed as a threat to his very job, I made him reveal plenty of times that being what he is is not all that it's cracked up to be and a lot more complicated than finger wiggling and things automatically end well for you. I also made some very mortal/human things alien to him, as well as gave him significant weaknesses.
I still enjoy playing characters like that and actually intend of eventually making a larp based off the table top game part-time gods.
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