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Author Topic: Burned Out Wilder
LuciusT
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Member # 4474


posted September 18, 2002 07:52 AM      Profile for LuciusT      Edit/Delete Post
Here's a problem that has cropped up in our campaign. One of the characters, a male gleeman, took a level of wilder because the player thought it would be an interesting development to explore. Shortly afterward, the player regreted the decision. We discussed it and decided that we didn't want to "reset" things and make that choice not happen, but the player didn't want to deal with being a male channeler either. So, we decided to have the character burn himself out.

The deed is now done and the player is once again basically happy with the character.

However, I keep look at the character sheet and wondering if it's really fair. The character essentially "lost" one level. OK, he has a better Will save that he would have had, but otherwise...

I'm not sure if something should be done to compensate the character for the loss of all his Wilder special abilities or not.

Opinions?

From: Lafayette IN | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
theSaj
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posted September 18, 2002 08:15 AM      Profile for theSaj   Email theSaj    Edit/Delete Post
In this case, since he took the level willingly I'd say no...it's part of his experience. (Perhaps negative experience, etc.)

Now, I don't know how you role-played him burning out or if you just said it. If you didn't role-play I'd suggest having had an Aes Sedai "gentle" him and drop him a pouchful of marks. Thus you've compensated him in some fashion...but experience gained is experience gained.

Heck, many wilder levels you don't get anything but a +1 added to reflex bonus. *shrug* Should every Wilder expect compensation for the fact that in the first 5 levels only "2" provide any real advancement.

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"To Die is to Live No More!"

From: New Haven, Connecticut | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
wierdbob
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Member # 86937



posted September 18, 2002 02:04 PM      Profile for wierdbob      Edit/Delete Post
If he gets burn't out or gentled then he won't have a very long life expectancy, not that he'll die from it but he'll become verrrry depressed and suicidal.

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Wierdbob
Sensei of the Strange

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Grayswandir_Blade
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posted September 18, 2002 06:46 PM      Profile for Grayswandir_Blade   Email Grayswandir_Blade    Edit/Delete Post
Not necessarily, WB...there are no examples (that I know of) from the novels of burned-out channelers that have just barely touched the OP, but have not gotten addicted. If the character only took one level, who's to say he would desperately miss that feeling of power? Compare it to something like nicotine--true, you get addicted from the first puff (supposedly), but not until you get deeper into the habit do you really become affected by a loss of nicotine.

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"We laugh in the face of danger, just before it hits us and knocks us out" - Lysander.
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wierdbob
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posted September 19, 2002 03:04 AM      Profile for wierdbob      Edit/Delete Post
Well, the ability to channel has been a part of the character all his adult life so even though he has only just become consciously aware of his ability to channel it has been a part of him for a long time but he just wont have realized it.

Also I think it would be interesting to play a manic depressive gleeman, I guess he'd only play the saddest songs and tell the most woeful tales.

At the end of the day this is just the way I'd do things at the moment if a character in my game did something similar, if someone posts a different idea I like better then I'd use that instead [Wink]

[ September 19, 2002, 03:06 AM: Message edited by: wierdbob ]

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Wierdbob
Sensei of the Strange

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LuciusT
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Member # 4474


posted September 19, 2002 06:12 AM      Profile for LuciusT      Edit/Delete Post
quote:
Originally posted by wierdbob:
Well, the ability to channel has been a part of the character all his adult life so even though he has only just become consciously aware of his ability to channel it has been a part of him for a long time but he just wont have realized it.

Actually, given this particular characters age, he really had only just become able to channel. We even when through the whole "channeling reaction" bit. In fact he was only just coming out of that when he burned out.

He does still have depressive fits but he's generally not sucidial. He's one of the lucky ones who find something else to fill the void in their lives.

From: Lafayette IN | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Grayswandir_Blade
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Member # 92933



posted September 19, 2002 10:56 AM      Profile for Grayswandir_Blade   Email Grayswandir_Blade    Edit/Delete Post
quote:
Originally posted by wierdbob:
Also I think it would be interesting to play a manic depressive gleeman, I guess he'd only play the saddest songs and tell the most woeful tales.

*shudders* Try reading The Seven Songs of Merlin. God, after reading that, I hate depressing jesters... [Cthulhu]

[ September 19, 2002, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: Grayswandir_Blade ]

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"We laugh in the face of danger, just before it hits us and knocks us out" - Lysander.
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Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged


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