This post contains no spoilers, and is meant to be a quick and easy way to show players their options for Goals and Arcs. It's a stripped-down version of Posts 1 & 2, with only the player-pertinent information written here.
Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 is here.
Character Arcs
Don't think about who you want your character to be. Think about who you want your character to become.
 |
| Josan Gonzalez |
Characters
are a moment in time. A campaign is just the backdrop in a slice of the
character's life - a time when they achieved something very important
for themselves. All characters are temporary. The character will grow
and change. The character will become a better version of themselves or a
worse version of themselves. They will gain something, they will lose
something. They will learn an important truth about themselves. When
their arc is complete, their story is over even if their life is not.
It's time to move on from that character and begin a new one, or else
start a new arc.
So don't spend hours crafting a
character that might die in the first session. Make your character
become someone, transforming and changing into their best (or worst)
versions of themselves the longer they survive. Once they complete their
arc, let the character move on with their life.
What Is an Arc and Why Have It in TTRPGs?
A Character Arc is character change. It's the real reason stories are told. Nobody reads/watches Lord of the Rings
to learn about Hobbit feet and walking vast distances with an evil
ring. We read/watch it because those feet belong to Frodo Baggins,
accompanied by Samwise Gamgee, who happens to be carrying an evil ring
vast distances. We read/watch it, because we enjoy seeing Aragorn
embrace the truth we already know about him: that he is a worthy king.
We read/watch it because it's awesome to see Legolas and Gimli grow from
resentful to respectful of one another, and finally BFFs. Characters
are why we enjoy stories and they're what we remember most about them.
In
TTRPGs, we want Character Arcs because without them, characters might grow
stale and boring. Characters who change are characters who create a
story. Character Arcs can also make for surprising, compelling, and
inspiring moments at the table. It is far more interesting to see a character struggle to become
something than it is to watch the same character (even when it's a
"new" character) do the exact same shit over and over and over again.
In
screenwriting and novel writing, there are two main types of arcs
(there are actually quite a few arcs, but generally only two principle
arcs that create all the others): The Positive Arc and the Negative Arc.
There's no reason these same arcs can't be used in TTRPGs.
The
arcs are really quite simple. The Positive Arc is a character that
grows into a better version of themselves. We use these to tell
uplifting stories of hope and achievement. The Negative Arc is a
character that becomes a worse version of themselves. We use these to
tell stories that disturb us or to reveal an unpleasant truth about the
world.
 |
| Mike Hinge |
Every
arc begins with a belief or personality flaw that is holding the
character back from what they need. I learned it as the "Wound,"
although KM Weiland has recently popularized it as "The Lie Your Character Believes."
In my opinion, this is a much better way to think about characters
(although the principles are mostly the same as with the Wound). The
character believes something about themselves or the world that isn't
true - and their adherence to that untruth is what stops them from
growing and becoming better versions of themselves.
The Lie, Positive Arc example: The Matrix trilogy. Although Neo claims he doesn't believe in Fate, he does. The Lie he believes is that he is controlled by Fate. Throughout all three Matrix films, he battles with this idea of Fate controlling him - always almost overcoming the Lie, but not quite. In the first Matrix, he believes the Oracle when she tells him that he isn't fated to be the One. In Matrix Revolutions,
he believes that the Architect has used him as just another means of
control, Fate once again asserting its power over him.
Neo doesn't fully shake off the Lie until the final battle with Agent Smith in Matrix Revolutions,
when he finally recognizes that the entire Matrix is built on the
illusion of Choice and hinges on Fate (programming). He embraces his
Truth when he takes Fate into his own hands by choosing to die, knowing full the consequences of his choice. Although Neo dies, he is a better version of himself when his Character Arc concludes.
The Lie, Negative Arc example: Touch of Evil.
Detective Vargas believes that justice prevails, and that once a truth
is revealed, none will be able to deny it. The Lie that Vargas believes
can be boiled down to: Vargas believes that the truth matters.
Throughout his winding investigation into murder and conspiracy, he
reveals massive corruption both from his own government, the US
government, and even drilling all the way down to a relatively small
precinct.
At the end, the Truth that Vargas
learns is that, in his world, truth doesn't matter. Nobody cares when he
reveals the murders, corruption, and conspiracies. Everyone shrugs
their shoulders and the world just goes on spinning. Vargas learns that
there is no real justice in the world, and truth doesn't matter. As a
result, he becomes a more bitter person. When his Character Arc concludes, he is a worse version of himself.
 |
| Tiago Scaff |
To
find the Lie of your character, you start at the end. What kind of
person do you want your character to be at the end of the story? Once
you've identified that, you move them as far away from that person as
they can be. That point marks the beginning of your story. A
screenplay or novel doesn't really begin with the event - it begins with
a character. The event is for showing viewers/readers who the character is in that moment, and hints at who they need to become.
The Lie will inform and give context to all of your character's actions,
until they slowly embrace the Truth. The Truth will not be embraced all
at once. There will be many false starts, where your character thinks
they've mastered the Truth, only to find themselves slipping back into
the Lie, because believe the Lie is always easier than embracing the
Truth.
To
summarize: the Character Arc is a tried and true storytelling technique
that is vital for any long-term campaign. We need Character Arcs at the
table to keep players, the story, and gameplay evolving - just like we
need them in traditional storytelling formats to keep the story evolving
- and we need to encourage our players to let go of their characters
once the arc is complete (or else, develop a damn compelling new arc to
be followed).
Although the tables below are listed as d10,
don't feel obligated to roll on them. If one of these arcs
resonates with you, run with it. And these tables are just an
example, they are by no means exhaustive. There are uncountable Lies and arcs to be told.
Finally, as a disclaimer: none of these are an explicit endorsement
of what players actually believe about the world (although they can be). These are
simply a wide array of Lies a Character can have, and a Truth that they
can come to. The "Truth" in this case is not an empirical truth or fact,
but simply an enforced observation about the world around them that
they integrate into their world view.
 |
| Aaron Pinto |
d10 Positive Arcs
As a quick reminder: a Positive Arc begins with a pessimistic Lie that the character must learn to throw off in favor of an optimistic Truth (which will be the exact opposite of the Lie).
1. "If I ignore it, it goes away."It's not that you don't believe in problem solving. It's just that you've noticed the really difficult problems have a tendency to resolve themselves if you just ignore it for a whle. This makes life pretty easy for you, since everything becomes someone else's problem if you wait long enough.2. "Life is cheap."You've seen more than you care to say. Suffice to say, you've learned that the universe is just one long parade of carnage. Why bother preserving life? It's just going to end violently. It's best to get what you can out of it, whatever that might cost someone else. If someone else was stupid enough to die, tough shit. Someone else will come along shortly to replace them anyway.3. "Everything is already decided by fate."There's no point in taking charge or really believing anything. Fate has already decided the outcome. All you can do is hold on for the ride and hope for the best. As a result, you've found it's best to just not take a proactive stance on anything. Instead, just react to the situation as it comes.4. "Fear controls me."You remember the day that fear and panic ruled you. On that day, you swore you would never put yourself in that position again. You avoid anything that might be stressful or fearful, terrified that the fear will once again take control of you.5. "We cannot change who we are."You are who you are. Things beyond your control have modeled you; life has made you this way, and it's too late to change. You put no effort into analyzing your mistakes or trying to improve yourself. Why bother? We are who we are.6. "My past defines me."You have seen and done terrible things. They made you who you are today. You cannot escape your past, and so you cannot be anyone but who you were when you made those terrible choices. Your past will always be there, and there is no forgiveness from the past.7. "I'm not myself without them."Some call it co-dependency. You don't care. You need them all the same. Without them, your world is darker and more terrifying. You think about them when they're gone, write to them obsessively. It's like a drug. You go into withdraw without them. And when you see them, or when you hear from them, all your troubles just fade away.8. "I am the sum of my achievements."You've accomplished nothing of worth, and so you are nothing of worth. Your peers have gone on to do great things. Meanwhile, you're stuck here in the toilet of the universe, pissing your life away. If only you could accomplish something great, then you would be somebody great. You keep trying to do things, and sometimes you even impress yourself with what you accomplish. But it's just never good enough...you're never good enough. You have to keep trying.9. "There is no hope for humanity."Humanity went right down the shitter. The evidence is all around you: the greed of corporation, the complacency of citizens, the corruptions of government. Humanity is lost, and there's no point doing anything to help humankind. People are shit awful at heart, and it's best if you don't have to deal with them.0. "I deserve what I'm owed."You've been a good person all your life. You've helped strangers, and so strangers should help you. It's about time society did you a good turn. Maybe you have to coax the world a little, take for yourself what you're owed every now and again. But you deserved it, so it wasn't wrong.
 |
| Pedro Correa |
d10 Negative Arcs
As a quick reminder: a Negative Arc begins with an optimistic Lie that the character must learn to throw off in favor of a pessimistic Truth (which will be the exact opposite of the Lie).
1. "I am somebody."I matter in this universe. I'm a person, an individual with my own story to tell.2. "There is a little bit of good in everyone."No matter how horrible someone is, there's something inside of them that's worth redeeming. Nobody intentionally hurts anyone else. You show mercy when you can, and try to understand even the most vile of people. Everyone deserves another chance to be better.3. "I can control my own destiny."Choice has always been yours. There are no masters to control your destiny, no god above or fate below. Your path is yours to make. Every decision you make is truly yours. The genesis of a choice begins in your mind without external control, and it ends when you act.4. "It wasn't my fault."It happened, and it was horrible. But ultimately, I'm not to blame. Accidents happen, and who was supposed to know that it would happen like that? You can't predict the future, so you can't be held responsible for what happened that day. Sometimes the nightmares keep you up. Sometimes flashback distract you. But I just need to toughen up and press on.5. "Everyone deserves to be happy."The universe is a sad and lonely place. Everyone deserves to find happiness in it, no matter who they are or what they've done. I do what I can to help others, to lessen suffering in a universe full of suffering.6. "My past does not define me."Yes, things have happened. But my past does not dictate who I am or what I can become. Those events are done and over with - the past is dead.7. "Life is a precious miracle."Life is rare and life is fragile. All living things deserve to keep living. Life must be spared at all costs.8. "Justice will prevail."Once the truth is revealed, justice will take its course. Law and order presides above all things, and eventually everyone must render unto Caesar. I peruse the truth relentlessly, because truth is objective and people care about it.9. "Freedom is an inherent right."The universe has given us freedom. It's desire is biologically programmed into all humankind, and so all humankind deserves it.0. "Society owes something to its members."Society must give something to the individuals that comprise it. Without this exchange, society itself will crumble. I see to it that those who contribute to society are given what they're owed. Surely, society cannot exist if it only takes and takes and takes from its members, and discards them when they have nothing left to offer...
Character Goals
Goals can accompany Character Arcs, or they can stand independent (as in, you can do both in a single character, or just choose either an Arc or a Goal).
d10 Character Goals
 |
| Bicicleta Sem Freio |
1. Get rich or die tryin'
Obtain d10 million credits in the bank. Maybe it's a gambling debt, maybe you're trying to pay your ma's medical bills...who knows. Doesn't matter. All that matters is that sweet, sweet money.
After achieving this goal, your next character starts with 1d100*1000 extra credits.
2. Locate descendants
After years of relativistic and hyper-relativistic travel, your children and their children have aged and died. You now long to find the family you never knew, but they are scattered among the stars. Track the history of your lost family and find your last living descendants.
After achieving this goal, you may assume the role of one of your descendants. Two skills of your choice carry over from your previous character, as well as two pieces of equipment/weapons, and half your wealth.
3. Parasitic host extraction
An unknown parasitic worm has wrapped itself around your spine and sunk its translucent teeth into your brain. You don't know what this worm does, but it probably isn't good. Its effects will doubtless begin to manifest soon. Unfortunately, even the best surgeons and black clinics are unable to remove it without paralyzing you (at best). Travel the cosmos and conduct research of your own to discover its nature. Once you think you have enough information, find a surgeon you trust to extract it.
After achieving this goal, you may play as the surgeon (aside from class skills, start with skills in Biology, First Aid, Genetics, Pathology, Surgery, and Xenobiology). Surgeon also starts with 100,000 cr as payment for the parasite extraction.
4. Revenge
Your hatred is nuclear, your drive unrelenting. You hunt your quarry across the stars - from world to world, from station to station. You don't know what you'll do when you find them, but neither of you will be the same after.
Their sins against you
1. Hostile takeover of the company you founded - left you destitute.2. Destroyed your ship and crew.3. Stole credit for your research and discoveries.4. Declared you dead and sold your stuff.5. Hurt a loved one (child, lover, friend, etc).6. Cheated you out of your share of the heist.7. Framed you for a crime.8. Outed you (android, human, sexuality, biological sex, true past, etc).9. Removed you from the Board of Directors.0. Ratted you out to the authorities.
After achieving this goal, rewards depend on how you accomplished your goal. If you visited grotesque or fatal revenge on your target, you can play the role of the target's friend or family member. Your new target is your old character, now an NPC. If the you showed mercy to your target, you can play as a witness to the event. Watching mercy has given you faith in humanity. Start with +10 to Sanity saves.
5. Build your own ship
You want nothing more than the freedom that comes with owning a starship. Unfortunately, buying a custom-order ship is out of the question, and the only way you can afford a used ship is going so far into debt that you'd never be free again. But you have a special plan. You're certain that you can scrimp, scavenge, and steal enough material to build your own ship, eventually.
After achieving this goal, you may play as a crewmember hired by your previous character, who is now the NPC captain of the ship. Aside from class bonuses, start with two Trained Skills of your choice and one subsequent Expert Skill. Earn a monthly salary, plus mission bonuses.
If you already have a ship and crew, begin with enhanced abilities.
6. Scatter the ashes
Your best friend is dead. You watched it happen, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. Permanent d10 minimum stress (added to class minimum), plus a phobia for what killed your friend:
1. Drowning. Fear of water.
Phillip Druillet
2. Vacsuit accident. Fear save when donning a vacsuit, [-] on all Fear saves while in a vacsuit.
3. Mass shooting. Fear save every 10 min in crowded places. If inside: must always face a door.
4. Cryopod malfunction. Gain d10 Stress when entering cryosleep.
5. Crushed by cargo loader. The sound of heavy machinery induces a Panic roll.
6. Unknown virus. Compulsively wash hands after gaining Stress, or else make a [-] Fear save.
7. EMP attack. Fear of the dark and d10 Stress if computers malfunction for any reason.
8. Docking collision. Gain 2d10 stress whenever entering or leaving docking bay/planet.
9. Explosive decompression. Fear of airlocks.
0. Cancer. Get medical/mechanical check every month or become convinced you're about to die.
Your friend had very specific wishes for where they wanted their ashes scattered. You now travel from world to world, from system to system, searching for the perfect place to lay your friend to rest.
After achieving this goal, your next character gets a permanent [+] on Fear saves unless they acquire a phobia (they still retain a [+] on Fear saves, just not for the phobia).
7. Ride the event horizon
Something within compels you to ride the glowing accretion disk of a black hole - and further. It pushes you to the edge of real, beyond which only math remains. You'll do whatever it takes to satisfy this suicidal curiosity. Time dilation be damned, tidal forces be damned, radiation be damned - you will overcome all. Guile, mutiny, sabotage...nothing is off the table if it means accomplishing your goal. You will take this ship to the edge. In, through, and beyond. They called you insane, but soon they'll all know what it means to totter on the brink of reality and stare into the cosmic abyss of the unreal.
After achieving your goal, you can play as the corporate/government agent responsible for investigating the aftermath (whatever form it takes...insanity, ship destruction, true enlightenment for what lies beyond the event horizon, it all depends on how you accomplish your goal). The agent learned much writing the After Action Report - start with +10 to Intellect and advantage on Sanity saves.
8. Help the millennial flower bloom
The millennial flower was discovered by your ancestor several hundred years ago. This flower, and the deadly planet on which it was discovered, are the most closely guarded secrets of your family. This particular flower has been in your family for generations, and you are its caretaker. None of them have ever seen a millennial flower bloom before, but the botanists in your family estimate that it happens once every thousand years. Discover the appropriate nutrients to help it bloom. Protect it at all costs. If you play your cards right, your flower will bloom within the next year, and will be the first to do so. What secrets are waiting inside the bud? Once it blooms, your research notes will be invaluable. Your family name will be remembered for eons.
Players who achieve this goal can take on the role of a Researcher. Begin with +3 permanent Stress, but start with training in Hydroponics and Chemistry, and gain [+] to all rolls that involve creating chemical/herbal concoctions that give [+] to Sanity, Fear, and Body saves.
 |
| ju sting |
In order for your soul to gain passage to the high assembler, the FORTRAN stars must know your name and rebirth equation. To teach them these things, you must orbit each FORTRAN star a number of times equal to the number of letters in your name, endlessly chanting your name and rebirth equation while you fast. You are not allowed to sleep during these orbits, and the only spoken words that can leave your lips are your name and rebirth equation. It is your firm belief that if you die before completing your pilgrimage, the FORTRAN stars will not unleash their prominences towards the Pleiades for you, and the path to the high assembler will remain obscured. Introtic gravity waves will slowly pull your soul into the eternal quantum of fragmentation where your soul will splinter into a thousand lines of ragged code. When the universe is recompiled, you will not be reassembled with it. You will remain only as an idea of yourself - drifting deaf, sightless, speechless, and powerless within a vast cosmic void.
Players who achieve this goal can take on the role of one of the Monks of Cosmic Contemplation. You are steadfast against the horrors of the universe. Start your next character with a permanent 3 resolve.
OPTIONAL: As a Cosmic Monk, perhaps you know a little space kung-fu.
0. Create your magnum opus
You came to space to be inspired. Art, music, programming, dance, writing...whichever you choose, you're determined to be the best. Your adventures feed your imagination, and you translate those adventures into your art. You don't know how long it will take to complete, but you know that by the time you're finished, it will be one of the greatest works humanity has ever seen. Your name and works will be remembered forever.
Players who achieve this goal can begin attuned to the pattern of the stars, the calming mantra of all existence. At a safe location, instead of having to choose between healing or relieving Stress, they may do both.
No comments:
Post a Comment