Guild of San Marcos Forum

So my 7th sea gm has decided with our recent undertaking in cathay (currently getting money together to fund a massive invasion) has reached it's peak, he's doing a reboot. We are going to start a whole new campaign with new characters. This is where I need help. Some of you know me, some do not, but I have almost exclusively played a Castillian. 3 campaigns at home, plus 2 living campaigns at conventions. The problem I have is i keep making the same basic character. Soldano swordsman, usually a soldano too. I crave change and don't think I want to venture into the pit (that i perceive) that is fuego. So! I'm asking for help from you all. I need ideas for this new character. Mostly nation and school, since I'm weird in how I build my characters. Mechanics come first, then I can build mannerisms, appearance, general behaviour, then finally (i hate this part) come up with a good name. I know it's very "twinky" how I go about it, but it seems to be the only process that works for me. Anyways I've rambled on long enough I think, let's see what ideas flow out of here!

TLDR: Interesting nation/school concepts please!

Thanks!

I usually work backwards from your idea smafdi (come up with an interesting character then make the mechanics fit what I envision). Hopefully these will help, so here's some I've played in the past.

1. Currently I'm playing an Ussuran Bogatyr 'swordsman' who's the combat monkey. He's interesting (I think) because he is the baby of the family (yes he has Toughness, Large, and Legendary Trait: Resolve) who frequently talks about his mother (and is secretly worried she will show up and tell him to stop playing with the other kids)

2. Then there's my Crescent noble. A doctor and learned man, he was the son of the sultan by one of his concubines. While out trying to make a name for himself he was captured by Kherid Din and tortured until he agreed to aid the mad pirate. He managed to escape but lives in fear Kherid Din will find him once again. While initially a handsome young man, he is now horribly scarred and disfigured (missing an eye, his tongue, several fingers and a broken leg that was mis-set, giving him a lumbering gate). But where the young man he was, was arrogant and cruel, his new form has taught him humility and love of his fellow man.

3. While I'm at it, I could mention my character for HoA. He's based on equal parts of Micheletto from The Borgias and Jayne from Firefly. He is (or was) a cold-blooded killer and former Lord's Hand who saw 'something' whatever it was it was scary enough that he decided to go straight. So he fled to Altamira to avoid the repercussions of his actions. Unfortunately, he was very good at his former job and finds himself backsliding into the easier solutions of his former life. It's only through the actions of true heroes that he is reminded that he must change his ways (but he certainly doesn't have to like it).

My usual questions before designing a new character are a) what's the theme and point limit of the campaign?, b) is there anything the GM will not allow?, & c) do I know what anyone else is planning on playing if I know the group well enough?

If I know that stuff, then I'm good at kitbashing the math afterwards, coupled with what exactly I'm in the mood to play? For HoA, I never played a Vendel before and the HUGE influx of Vesten led me towards countering that horrible imbalance.

Well, like you, I like to be comfortable with what I play, but having Mark for a GM, he gets me to try out different things.

My first 7th Sea character was a female Castillian, from the Zepeda family (used a whip rather than a sword), and her desire in life was to create a breed of horse (basicly the Lipizzan breed), and traveled around helping people, etc... while searching for the right studs and mares.

My second was the "runaway fatewitch", as per the book. Had lots of fun with her, and played a long long session with her. Just ask Mark.

Being interested in the magics from that character, I next created the Castillian Fuego, but that campagine really didn't get going.

For a pbp we played for a while, I played an orphan Usurian, in the heart of the Vodacce Islands.

I recently played a montaigne spy, who ended up being the person to have to plan a wedding for a lord and his soon to be lady. That was a fun game, and she ended up in a lot of messes, lol.

For HoA I play an Innish lass, trying to become a bard like her father, so she went to Altamera to see what histories she could learn, to study about them, and create songs about them, but she's been sidetracked, at the moment.

My latest create was a Knight of the Rose and Cross, whom I've only played once, but really can't wait to see how she will develope.

My most important considertion is: how long will the character be played, how many HP will be availabel at the start, and how much XP will be coming in throughout the campaign to fill the character out.

If the campaign is going to be short, begin with 100 HP, and be light on XP, forget about sorcery, sword schools, and expensive add-ons. Front-load reasonable traits and forget most of the rest.

If it's going to be long, there is a lot of HP at the start, and there will be XP flowing, back-load lots of the neat stuff, including both sorcery and a sword school- that complement each other.

My Vesten in another game should reach Halfdansson Master this year and Laerdom Master next year. I chose to go for Wits of 6, so the Ensomhet on his chest will mean 10k7 Rune die rolls instead of 10k9.

Steve, for development as a player, you are due to play something very much against your previous styles. If you are going to do a school, pick something that either is ranged or considered terribly sub-optimal by most and see what you can develop with it. I'm thinking rassmussen, friars, goodfellow, or larsen off the top of my head.

With those in mind, it leads to a northern culture like vendel or avalon. Skip the inish, it is too easy to fall into the cliche drunk bravo. Center the character on a civil skill set like monk, guide, or some support for a vendel merchant (while not being a merchant) maybe a vendel teamster.

Drag out an obscure historicgroup to draw on like a minor culture or odd religious sect and you will have a new fun angle.

Most important, look at your old character and make a list of "do not use" advantages. This list should include everything you put on every character because it's a tactical advantage to have it. Use this guy (or girl) to find new ways to get stuff done.

Thanks for the input guys, I still have no clue what I'm going to do, but I have an idea of where to start.