The Ideal Character Creation Process: A Pythagorean Dialogue

Plato's Zaddy

PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE: PYTHAGORAS, CRATYLUS, OTHERS.

PYTHAGORAS
The setting is pseudo-medieval fantasy. There is magic, but it is rare and strange.

He pauses meaningfully. His beard, a perfect isoceles.

PYTHAGORAS
The tone is light.

Another pause. The viewer can somehow tell that he briefly contemplates the golden ratio before continuing to speak.

PYTHAGORAS
The default assumptions for your characters are that they are pseudo-European, competent, healthy adults. Each a cut above the average person in the milieu. Each of you, players, shall now choose a brief phrase to describe your character, as an acquaintance might know them. You may come up with your own, using this list as suggestions:
  • thug
  • wise woman
  • the king
  • troll
CRATYLUS, OTHERS make suggestions: thug, mercenary, goblin princess, holy roman emperor.

PYTHAGORAS
Ahh, yes, choices. If any of you, players, have an issue with another player's character concept for any reason, we shall strike the character down, send them to the land of wind and ghosts, and the player shall make another choice.

The others close their eyes. None indicate a problem. Their eyes open.

PYTHAGORAS
Sorry, CRATYLUS, someone–not me–thinks the Holy Roman Emperor is too silly and won't fit in well with these other characters.

CRATYLUS
Rats! Ok, longbowman?

PYTHAGORAS
How say you, players?

No one indicates a problem.

PYTHAGORAS
Now, Pythagoras shall assign to each of your characters, values. These represent the number of standard deviations your characters are from the norm in each of three categories.

PYTHAGORAS does so:
  • thug: +3 dangerous
  • mercenary: +2 dangerous, +1 cunning
  • goblin princess: +1 dangerous, +1 cunning, +1 weird
  • longbowman: +3 dangerous
PYTHAGORAS
Play is ready. So sayeth Pythagoras.

ALL
Amen.

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