Kender emotional attribute?

[Selen]

I'm working, slowly, on something I started working on when I first ordered my books... Kender. Some will be excited if/when I get this done, others will try and make sure those they play with never discover their existence... to each his own!

I had originally started burning wanderlust a Kender Common character trait, as per the guide in the monster burner... but now I'm wondering if it shouldn't be an emotional attribute. My reasons for this is that, in thinking about Grief and Greed, that all members of the race have it, and that it behooves them to sometimes quell it within them in order to live life and accomplish goals... I don't know... I'm still a total novice with all of this, and will probably be asking more questions once I have things more fleshed out.

Basically the idea is that a Kender really has to be invested and interested in what they were doing, interested on a daily basis, or they are overcome by wanderlust.

I thought maybe you all could help me to figure out how to handle that?

Thanks in advance!


P.S. I love that I used the words "behoove" and "quell" in the same sentence... carry on.

[Kublai]

Sounds ok to begin with, but I'd be wary of an Attribute that would almost force a character to leave behind his party or goal.

[Selen]

Isn't that what Grief amounts to? I mean, that's more along the lines of death for an elf, but death or wandering into the west is leaving behind your party and your goal, right?

That's one of the reasons I was thinking that it would be an emotional attribute, rather than a trait.

Edit: That is, the emotional attributes seem more... avoidable. With a trait, it's more likely to get you to leave, whereas if it ended up more like grief or greed, there's already a system that seems to fit the idea of resisting the innate bits of your race in order to accomplish something desirable, like your quest. From what I can tell, the emotional attributes are meant to be a constant reminder of the challenges of your race. A mother Kender would have a -1, but a student might have a +1 (for having been in a library or what have you for a time).

[Kublai]

I wasn't referring to when you reach a Wanderlust of 10. I meant what happens when you fail a Wanderlust test during the course of play. Elves get all weepy, Orcs rip your guts out, and Dwarfs make a mad grab for anything shiney. I can only imagine Wanderlust means the Kender wanders away, right?

[Selen]

hm... good point.

Perhaps the attribute would be Boredom, instead?? That's what I was really seeing as the driving force, and for the other emotional attributes that are racial it seems more along the right lines?

Or maybe curiosity?? I'm not sure, I am looking for as much input as I can for how best to capture this aspect.

Maybe failing a boredom roll would be when he decides to investigate that interesting looking group of people in the corner of the inn, rather than sit and listen to the plans of the his own group. When he lifts the fabulously crafted dagger off a master thief, even when he knows he shouldn't. When he opens a locked door, just to see what's on the other side, or to see if he can pick the lock.

I think maybe wanderlust would be the end of the spectrum, at 10, when the Kender would abandon the quest and the party, if his boredom or curiosity just got too high for him to deal with?

Maybe less bothersome than actually wandering away all the time, more of a general troublesome mischief sort of thing?

[Kublai]

Curiousity would be a good fit, then. Should they fail their Curiousity test, they must go investigate whatever triggered it!

[Fourth Horseman]

Godspeed with the wanderlust attribute. While you're at it try throwing this in as a common attribute:

"Curiosly Inspiring" You thought Kender were the most annoying things to ever be conjoured by a hack author ripping off the Tolkien estate, until you got suckered into reading this piece of garbage, http://www.alagaesia.com/, by all the "buzz." After thinking to yourself, "yeah that definitely was written by an autistic 15 year old," and "Mozart, the boy is not," you thought you'd give Kender a chance in your campaign. Your daring and dash has paid off--for not only is your wanderlusting party of lovable, vertically challenged, cleptomaniacs, the greatest thing to hit your campaign world since rope ladders, they have managed to bring strength and purpose to every community they come across.

+10ob to all circles tests undertaken by the kender. +5d to all DoW tests by the kender. Any opponent of the kender in a DoW must, however, reject the results of the DoW--even if succesful--and escalate to a bloody challenge. All opponents recieve a +5D to all positioning tests against a kender and get +10d to any test that could possibly result in physical or psychological harm to a kender. Anyone who kills a kender receives three deeds points and a crown of laurel.

[Glendower]

How about the emotional attribute of Aggrivation? They gain it by being as annoying as possible.

Once it hits 10 the rest of the group attacks the Kender until nothing is left but bloody goo. And then they dance on the goo. And the other players punch the player that played the Kender in the nose.

I suppose that they had to put something in to counterbalance the awesome of Raistlin.

Though to be semi-serious, the "Fearless" trait they have would make an excellent Call On for Steel tests. "Favored by the Gods" would be a Call On to use for anything once per session.

[Selen]

Once it hits 10 the rest of the group attacks the Kender until nothing is left but bloody goo. And then they dance on the goo. And the other players punch the player that played the Kender in the nose.

Bloody awesome idea, I'll get to work on that right away. Would that be an attribute of the kender, or of everyone else. O.o


I suppose that they had to put something in to counterbalance the awesome of Raistlin.

Weren't the chronicles actually based on a D&D game that they played in?


Though to be semi-serious, the "Fearless" trait they have would make an excellent Call On for Steel tests. "Favored by the Gods" would be a Call On to use for anything once per session.

Yea, I've already gotten fearless in there, favored by the gods looks good too.


+10ob to all circles tests undertaken by the kender. +5d to all DoW tests by the kender. Any opponent of the kender in a DoW must, however, reject the results of the DoW--even if succesful--and escalate to a bloody challenge. All opponents recieve a +5D to all positioning tests against a kender and get +10d to any test that could possibly result in physical or psychological harm to a kender. Anyone who kills a kender receives three deeds points and a crown of laurel.

I'm taking at least some of that slightly seriously. I was already wondering about a +ob to circles outside of other Kender, actually. I'll keep the crown of laurel bit too, I think.

Thanks for the feedback, serious and otherwise. :D

[Sydney Freedberg]

... until you got suckered into reading this piece of garbage, http://www.alagaesia.com/, by all the "buzz." ....

Just wanted to say amen to that. It's great to find somebody else who's willing to say Eragon stinks on ice. I don't think I hate the kid as much as you do, but that's because I couldn't stand reading it any longer after a while and stopped halfway through, preserving much of my sanity...

[Verrain]

Hmmm.

I like the concept of Curiosity as an emotional attribute except for the fact that I can't think of what happens when you get to curiosity 10 that makes the character unplayable. Most kender that I've read about seem to stay at an even level of curiosity anyway. However, having a curiosity augment roles that allow them to survive their curiosity would explain why so many have survived.

I'd suggest Atrevisio as a common trait for Kender. :)

[Dwight]

I was already wondering about a +ob to circles outside of other Kender, actually.
Infamous Reputation as a race trait? Harder to have anyone that'll trust them, easier to get hold of another Kender. They do tend to always be wandering around area any given area minding their own business, that business being lifting items, being nosy, yammering, and generally being a psychologically-broken-to-rationalize-generally-immoral-acts PITA.

[stormsweeper]

I really don't think you need an emotional attribute here. I'd probably make them a trait "Easily Distracted" or similar that makes it difficult for them to concentrate on long tasks or somesuch.