Adventurers, what drives them, how do they live?

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Judging__Eagle
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Adventurers, what drives them, how do they live?

Post by Judging__Eagle »

I was getting some of these ideas while writing an other post.

What are Adventurers, and what do they do in their lives?

Suvivors

I guess that self preservation is one thing that drives them all.

Most of these characters live in places where danger is very common, and you need to be prepared for it, and find an approach that works for you.

I feel better keeping disinterested, unless actively attacked is one way of putting it. There are times when being aggressive/offensive is the goal, but most of the time, you don't want to just go fighting people 'just because'.

How:

Make contacts

The only way to survive in very dangerous areas is to have a wide network of friends and contacts.

-Your army general father who lives a few weeks's horse ride away.
-Your buddies at the Rogue's guild you're a dues paying member of; so, you never 'left', and you've always been a member. So's they're always keeping an eye on your interests in town.
-Members of a local merchant's guild for whom you do escort missions (across the county, or across the Great Wheel) for, who give you discounts on stuff you buy from them.

Be useful

The guy who never fights, but is willing to spend time stitching people back together is always going to have friends. Even ones who think that being good at fighting is more important than most things.

Someone who fulfills a role that has a low population, and is able to be very effective at that role is also going to be appreciated. The really good blacksmith in a town with no, or low level smiths, and the archer in a group of non-archers that usually only face melee enemies.

Certain roles can have many members. If your group is a small army or the size of a military platoon, you don't lose if you have more than one person able to heal well.

Help everyone you can

The smallest peasant can supply your team with potatoes. Seriously, that's food that you don't have to worry about getting come winter. Helping an actually big and powerful character means that they'll probably help you more than they wouldn't.

Assholes Die

Seriously, assholes die. If you attack an other person in your group, be it 5 or 500; you're an asshole.

People don't like assholes, and will often develop ways to keep them from killing people that they should have left alone.

Pissing other people off. Being useless, being a nuisance, being annoying; those don't help either. Seriously, the bard is the most powerful person in a group. If he's a good bard. A bad bard is seriously... Cacofonix.

Other Concerns

Shelter

Food
Everyone's gotta eat. Except for them. They don't eat

Food is important

If you're a band of travelling adventurers; then there's probably a mule, or hireling with a backpack full of food. Perhaps even bags of holding are filled with stuff like rice, or preserved foods, so your bag of holding, is now a leather-pickle-bag.

Warmth

Combat

Other people

Members of their group

New members

Old members
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shadzar
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Post by shadzar »

An adventurer could be considered the same as a drifter. They left home either from some want to go, or they had to. They haven't yet found a place to settle down, so they travel using their skills along the way to make a living until they find that place to settle down in. Or in the case of those kender-like people, until the wanderlust wears off and they are ready to settle down. Some adventurers may settle down quicker than others, it all depends on what they are looking for. Some may want a quick revenge for getting ran out of their previous home, while other may just yet to have a purpose for their lives so they go on and on until they find it.
Play the game, not the rules.
Swordslinger wrote:Or fuck it... I'm just going to get weapon specialization in my cock and whip people to death with it. Given all the enemies are total pussies, it seems like the appropriate thing to do.
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good read (Note to self Maxus sucks a barrel of cocks.)
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Judging__Eagle
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Post by Judging__Eagle »

So, they're all on the archetypal Heroes Journey, and at some point along the way.

Yes, I could see that happening.

However, what about adventurers, or frontiersman that have to deal with living at a center of power? Like say, there's always monsters attracted to a town, and stuff like that?

Instead of the "wells" that bubble up evil; they are "wells" that other people want to take over?

I think that a setting like that would allow the PCs to stay in the same town, and travel via say, magic to other realms/planes/cities; to go to other places.

I've been trying to think of a rational way to explaining what an adventurer's life is like.

The Larp and DDO model of "city based, with enemies near by" is interesting; and is different from the 'assumed' setting of most RPGs, of "there's a world(s), with places, and creatures, you'll have to explore it."
The Gaming Den; where Mathematics are rigorously applied to Mythology.

While everyone's Philosophy is not in accord, that doesn't mean we're not on board.
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