Jonas Brecht, Propagandist

[Leningrad]

This is my first burning wheel character ever. I based him off a former dungeons & dragons character I quite enjoyed playing. The setting was the middle of an elf-human war and the party were a group of government sponsored frontier troubleshooters. Jonas was put in the group to forment anti-elf sentiment in the border towns.

Concept: Imperial Propagandist

Character Name: Jonas Caleb Brecht

Lifepaths: City-Born -> Student -> Advocate -> Dramaturge

Age: 26

Stats: Pe: B6 Wi: B4 Ag: B4 Sp: B4 Po: B3 Fo: B4

Attributes: Re: B4 Ste: B4 He: B4 MW: B9
Hesitation: 6 Circles: B2 Resources: B1

PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B6 Se: B7 Tr: B8 Mo: B9

Skills: Read B3, Write B3, Rule of Law B3, Playwright B3, Philosophy B2, Inconspicuous B2, City-Wise B3, Persuasion B5, History (Local Kingdom) B3, Rhetoric B6, Elf-Wise B3, Firearms B2, Falsehood B2, Oratory B2

Gear: Clothes, Travelling Gear, Riding Mount, Run-of-the-Mill Arms (Pistol), Villa (property)

Contacts:
Anna Brecht - Younger sister, being tended for the high priesthood of the Mother of Mercy, Human Goddess of Healing and Good-Will.

Lucas Helms - Rival Lawyer and elf sympathizer.

Reputation: "The brightest Advocate Helmsburg has seen in a decade."

Traits: Shrewd, Other Life, Scheming

Beliefs:
- Elves are the greatest threat to human prosperity.
- Words hold greater power than any sword. No warrior ever stayed King for long.
- The brilliant should always rule over the stupid.

Instincts:
- Always have a loaded pistol at hand.
- If elves are present, be prepared for treachery.
- Always keep someone large between me and danger.


Any thoughts? This is my first go at this, I'm especially curious to see if I've got the idea behind beliefs and instincts down.

[Mickeroo]

First thing I noticed was that your attributes were blank.

Second, for your second instinct, about elves, what do you do? I may be wrong, but I think you have to be more specific.

I like how diverse he is, but I'm afriad that the skills might have exponents too low to be of any real use (at least many of them)

I do like the concept though, but maybe that's just because I hate propaganda and it's nice to see it personified...so I can kill it of course. :twisted:

[Leningrad]

First thing I noticed was that your attributes were blank.

Fixed it! Oops!

Second, for your second instinct, about elves, what do you do? I may be wrong, but I think you have to be more specific.

I haven't read the combat rules yet, I got as far as "okay, make a character" in BW and I did. *laugh* I was thinking this was the kind of instinct that would help if a fight suddenly broke out wherein elves were involved.

I like how diverse he is, but I'm afriad that the skills might have exponents too low to be of any real use (at least many of them)

*nod* I don't know how the dice roll out, but yeah, B2's seem almost useless, don't they?

I do like the concept though, but maybe that's just because I hate propaganda and it's nice to see it personified...so I can kill it of course. :twisted:

He was a remarkably fun character to play, and, in the end, managed to turn the other members of the party against each other and walk away the last man standing. These games were often ridiculously cut-throat, with PC kills all over the place. It was well done, though, and nobody ever expressed any negativity. Part of the social contract, I suppose.

[Mickeroo]

Yeah, the thing with b2's is that they generally only turn up 1 sucess and at best 2. Advanced things would be beyond you. For social things, the well-willed will be out of your control.

[Drozdal]

Attributes: Re: Ste: He: MW: Hesitation: Faith: Presence: paces Resources: Grab Chracter Burner and fill those up. :)
Lucas Helms - Rival Lawyer and elf sympathizer.
So what's the deal with Lucas, are they hating each other or this is just pure lawyer vs. lawer rivalry?

I see You have similar approach to character burning as I do when it comes down to choosing skills, it will allow him to advence them much faster without waiting to actually learn them as you go. I like Elf-Wise a lot.

As for Beliefs and Instincts, i'm not an expert, but your second belief is very similar to the third one, maybe not similar but touching the same issue of ruling over others.
Instincts - first one - I would love to see this guy in court with loaded gun on him :), second one sounds broken, "Never trust an Elf" would be better IMHO, and for Your third instinct - get rid of it. It doesn't make much sense. Think about it - what do your charactrer consider "danger", Lucas Helms that he hates? Elfs? You probably wanted to design combat instinct? Why? This guy is a lawyer! Why not go with one lawyer instinct?

[Leningrad]

Yeah, the thing with b2's is that they generally only turn up 1 sucess and at best 2. Advanced things would be beyond you. For social things, the well-willed will be out of your control.

So, BW is the kind of game where it's better to have five great skills than ten alright ones?

[Drozdal]

So, BW is the kind of game where it's better to have five great skills than ten alright ones? No, not at all!
I like my character to have wide variety of skills. It allows me to FoRK them (use Fields of Realted Knowledge mechanic) to my tests, or help other characters in the party more often (because I know a lot of things, and everyone like people that can help them).

[Mickeroo]

Not really, because it's always good to be well rounded, they key word there is well. You can be very diverse but unable to do anytihng. Refer to page 15 of the main book for a description of what the exponets mean in plain english. A B2 is considered "untrained, raw, weal, or unpracticed ability." Take that into consideration.

*EDIT* That not really is directed towards Lenin's question, not Droz's answer.

[Drozdal]

A B2 is considered "untrained, raw, weal, or unpracticed ability." Take that into consideration.
For me B2 means - I'll use this skill three times (or use it once and help someone with it twice) and all the sudden my character has a skill of B3 (easily done in a course of the first adventure) :)

[Mickeroo]

Isn't that metagame thinking though? I mean, shoudln't characters be made for the now? Otherwise, why not just a bunch of really low gray stats and skills?

[Drozdal]

Isn't that metagame thinking though? I mean, shoudln't characters be made for the now? Otherwise, why not just a bunch of really low gray stats and skills?
I didin't said anything like: do the characters with low skill exponents you'll get those skills up and running in no time. I just answered Lenningrad question about having character with only high exponent skills. I always burn character with skills that are essential for him/her (skills that earn my living, or are crucial for the character and the game - those will be pretty high like 4-6), but I'm cutting points on non mandatory ones just to get that two or three more. I know that my answer might seems like a metagaming one, but really there isn't that much effort into advancing B2 skill to B3, so I just felt like pointing it out. Lenningradobviously haven't played the game yet, you did, so I just want to give him some advice. :wink:

[Leningrad]

Lucas Helms - Rival Lawyer and elf sympathizer.
So what's the deal with Lucas, are they hating each other or this is just pure lawyer vs. lawer rivalry?

Lucas is a rival lawyer and sort of an elven-rights activist, as I see him. I wanted a foil for my character, someone to argue with and hate on a purely ideological level.

I see You have similar approach to character burning as I do when it comes down to choosing skills, it will allow him to advence them much faster without waiting to actually learn them as you go. I like Elf-Wise a lot.

Elf-wise is sort of a "Know Thy Enemy" skill. Again, I have no idea if this character would play well in an actual game.
[/quote]

[luke]

Isn't that metagame thinking though? I mean, shoudln't characters be made for the now? Otherwise, why not just a bunch of really low gray stats and skills?

Huh? Dro's in the right on this one. He's using his numbers to point to his concepts. He always leans toward well-rounded concepts.

The reason you don't buy a bunch of really low gray skills is because very few characters have those kind of points.

But you make characters based on your priorities in the upcoming game. If it's a one-off game, Dro's approach handicaps him, but long-term it pays off.

It's not like he's cheating or anything! He's simply allocating his points differently.
-L

[Leningrad]

I didn't said anything like: do the characters with low skill exponents you'll get those skills up and running in no time. I just answered Leningrad question about having character with only high exponent skills. I always burn character with skills that are essential for him/her (skills that earn my living, or are crucial for the character and the game - those will be pretty high like 4-6), but I'm cutting points on non mandatory ones just to get that two or three more. I know that my answer might seems like a metagaming one, but really there isn't that much effort into advancing B2 skill to B3, so I just felt like pointing it out. Leningradobviously haven't played the game yet, you did, so I just want to give him some advice. :wink:

I took Rhetoric at B6 and I have another skill, Persuasion, I think, at B5. I think those two are the core focus for the character, and the rest are backups and FoRK-type skills that'll catch up pretty quickly if I were to use them often enough.

[Thor Olavsrud]

I took Rhetoric at B6 and I have another skill, Persuasion, I think, at B5. I think those two are the core focus for the character, and the rest are backups and FoRK-type skills that'll catch up pretty quickly if I were to use them often enough.

It's a very cool concept man! I think the Rhetoric B6 is too high. A skill at Exponent 6 defines a master. One of the very best in the world. Exponent 5 defines an expert, someone who dominates his craft.

My advice? Drop your Rhetoric to B5 (you'll still get your Oratory FoRK), drop Persuasion to B4, and kick your Rule of Law up to B4 (B3 is a little too low for a guy that practices law all the time, although it's not bad if he only dabbled in law for a little while).

Out of curiousity, why Dramaturge? Did that fit the old character? I was expecting you to take the Insurrectionist lifepath from the Outcast setting!

I'll have some ideas about tightening up Beliefs later.

[Leningrad]

It's a very cool concept man! I think the Rhetoric B6 is too high. A skill at Exponent 6 defines a master. One of the very best in the world. Exponent 5 defines an expert, someone who dominates his craft.

My advice? Drop your Rhetoric to B5 (you'll still get your Oratory FoRK), drop Persuasion to B4, and kick your Rule of Law up to B4 (B3 is a little too low for a guy that practices law all the time, although it's not bad if he only dabbled in law for a little while).

Not bad advice. I focused pretty heavily on those two skills, it might not hurt to have one bumped up. Rule of Law might not be the way to go, I don't envision the character being a practicing advocate, so much as someone drawn from the ranks of the Bar to promote the party line of the Empire.

Out of curiousity, why Dramaturge? Did that fit the old character? I was expecting you to take the Insurrectionist lifepath from the Outcast setting!

Insurrectionist, eh? That's not a bad idea. I took Dramaturge because the original character spread his propaganda through written works and the oration thereof. There was no "Writer" Lifepath, so I thought Dramaturge would be an acceptable tweak.

I'll have some ideas about tightening up Beliefs later.

thanks!

[cawshis]

Wow! BW lets players make some really really cool characters! I love this one!

I'd definitely follow Thor's suggestions as they make sense. Do you envision the character as just starting out as a Propagandist? In that sense, all those B2s make total sense as does Dramaturge LP. Plus Insurrectionist forces a trait. I don't remember which one though.

He's not completely accomplished in his ability to twist the truth (Falsehood) and it's still a bit hard for him to create the turn of the phrase so important to propaganda (Oratory/Philosophy). That's really cool.

Tell you the truth, I'd prolly lower Persuasion 1 (to B4) and maybe grab another -wise related to your campaign. Perhaps Nobility-wise or Peasant-Wise. You can then FoRK those skills in when you decide to write your first Satire play regarding Elves and the way they influence the City's nobility. I feel like writing should grab as many FoRKs as possible.

Plus you can use your noble-wise (assuming your GM lets you) to figure out what nobles dislike elves as well. Further connections and relationships and maybe a sponsor in the campaign against the Snooty Elves!

[Thor Olavsrud]

Plus Insurrectionist forces a trait. I don't remember which one though.

Zealot. Which is totally appropriate for a racist bastard. Don't get me wrong though! I love the idea of a guy who pushes his agenda through his plays!

Incidentally, for more of a writer type as opposed to a playwright, you might look at the Chronicler path in the Noble Court setting. Still, I like the feel of Dramaturge.

[Kublai]

I'd like to see one of his Beliefs reflect his rivalry with Lucas. He seems important to your character concept, so why not make it part of your story? As a GM, this would be such a sweet gift!

[Thor Olavsrud]

Beliefs:
- Elves are the greatest threat to human prosperity.

Good starting point. What are you going to do about it?

- Words hold greater power than any sword. No warrior ever stayed King for long.

Give us an action associated with it. What's your stake in this?

- The brilliant should always rule over the stupid.

Same comment as above.

Note, I'm not trying to say these are bad. In fact, they're quite good for your first time out. I just think you'll be more pleased with the result if you sharpen them up a little bit. And I agree with Kublai. It would be good to reflect Lucas in your Beliefs.

[cawshis]

How abouts:

-Elves are the greatest threat to humanity, I must stop them from gaining power among the nobles.
-Lucas is the most vocal Elven sympathizer, I must discredit him first.
-My brilliance is the forge; The stupid will be my weapon.

Would that work with his concept?

[Thor Olavsrud]

Looks good to me!

[Leningrad]

Zealot. Which is totally appropriate for a racist bastard. Don't get me wrong though! I love the idea of a guy who pushes his agenda through his plays!


Well, he's not exactly a racist bastard. The Imperial Party Line is that elves = bad. Which is true. In the campaign, elves were actively hunting down and killing humans, pillaging their settlements, burning their homes, etc. Elves were bad news. Humans were doing much the same in return.

Jonas just wanted to make sure every one of those stupid elf-sympathizers were run out of town, taken down a peg or just shown for the madmen they really are.

That said, he is a coward with a mean streak.

[Leningrad]

- Elves are the greatest threat to human prosperity.

Good starting point. What are you going to do about it?

- Elves are humanity's greatest foe, if I don't enlighten the masses to this threat, we are doomed.

- Words hold greater power than any sword. No warrior ever stayed King for long.

Give us an action associated with it. What's your stake in this?

- Words hold the greatest power, I will wield them against my foes without mercy.

- The brilliant should always rule over the stupid.

Same comment as above.

How about we cut this one and throw in something about Lucas.

- Lucas Helms is a traitor to our race. He must be discredited in the public eye.

Note, I'm not trying to say these are bad. In fact, they're quite good for your first time out. I just think you'll be more pleased with the result if you sharpen them up a little bit. And I agree with Kublai. It would be good to reflect Lucas in your Beliefs.

How do these new ones look?

[Thor Olavsrud]

Rock! Now you've got a character that's ready to kick ass, man.

[Leningrad]

Rock! Now you've got a character that's ready to kick ass, man.

I found the instincts a LOT harder to come up with, and as a result, they don't seem to quite fit the character. Any thoughts?

[Thor Olavsrud]

Sure. I thought I was pretty clear in the Character Burner, but let's try another way. :oops:

Instinct advice: Think about what your character is all about. Think of split second reactions or patterns of behavior that express that.

Something like:

Always carry copies of my latest pamphlets/leaflets.

In taverns, always keep an ear open for rumors of the latest elf atrocities.

If it looks like violence is about to break out, be Inconspicuous.

[Leningrad]

Sure. I thought I was pretty clear in the Character Burner, but let's try another way. :oops:


Oh, no, it's not that it was unclear, just that I think I was focusing too much on the mechanical angle of it.

[Thor Olavsrud]

Oh, no, it's not that it was unclear, just that I think I was focusing too much on the mechanical angle of it.

The mechanical stuff is good. I actually gave you two. They could be written out as:

1. when in taverns, Assess for rumors about Elf Atrocities.

2. If enemies draw weapons, be Inconspicuous. (this one is sort of borderline, but a generous GM will allow you to test Inconspicuous before violence breaks out in say a riot or something.)

All characters, especially socially oriented ones, also benefit from non-mechanical Instincts that convey habits. Like always keeping your propaganda leaflets on hand. Just make sure it says something about your character. And if you get into a situation where you need a leaflet and produce it? Artha.

[Leningrad]

Oh, no, it's not that it was unclear, just that I think I was focusing too much on the mechanical angle of it.

The mechanical stuff is good. I actually gave you two. They could be written out as:

1. when in taverns, Assess for rumors about Elf Atrocities.

2. If enemies draw weapons, be Inconspicuous. (this one is sort of borderline, but a generous GM will allow you to test Inconspicuous before violence breaks out in say a riot or something.)

All characters, especially socially oriented ones, also benefit from non-mechanical Instincts that convey habits. Like always keeping your propaganda leaflets on hand. Just make sure it says something about your character. And if you get into a situation where you need a leaflet and produce it? Artha.

I really like those. Especially the pamphlet one. I think I will steal it. I don't see my character as spending a lot of time in taverns, though.

Is there a way I can put together an instinct that allows me to get the drop on someone I suspect is an elf sympathizer?

- When in the presence of a known elf sympathizer, be on guard

something like that?

[Kublai]

Define "be on guard" in a action which can be scripted.

[Leningrad]

Define "be on guard" in a action which can be scripted.

I guess getting off my duff and reading the combat rules would help with that.