1. #1
    The Patient Rockwood's Avatar
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    Roleplay feedback

    Okay, before I start I would like to clarify and say I am new at RPing WOW style
    so take that in mind.

    So I would like you folk's feedback on a Roleplay I am trying to create.

    the RP is of a Blood elf monk.

    The angle I want to take with him, is that he is a former disillusioned Rogue Assassin.
    After the fall of Quel'Thalas, He became one of the new assassins Silvermoon now
    needed to protect its self. He eagerly jumped in to be an agent to protect his family
    and avenge his people. Yet after the siege on Icecrown and the Lich King's death,
    he began to lose his drive, then with all the senseless death, choas, and betrayal in
    the cataclysm. The betrayal and killing really got to him. Blood elves numbers were low
    as it was, then the Twilight Hammer cult corrupted even more elves and one that was close
    to him. So he stopped being an assassin, he took to staying in Eversong woods and
    drinking at Taverns in Silvermoon city. There He met a new drinking buddy, Sho the Wise.
    (Silvermoon Pandaren Monk trainer) Sho showed him (no pun intended) a new outlook on
    life and the lifestyle of a monk. After training with Sho, he combined some of the old assassin
    skills with the new monk skills that Sho taught him. With his new outlook on life, new skill set,
    and a desire to help people and bring balance, he set out on his adventures.

    I am trying for a Rurouni Kenshin and/or Trigun type story. As far as weaknesses, I pictured him
    like a Vash type character. He loves the three Bs: Baked goods, Beautiful women, and Boos. Yet
    he really hates any killing but is conflicted because he still wants to protect his family/people. He
    actively fights off his darker side that enjoyed being a cold-hearted assassin and misses the fighting.
    I am sorry if the character is too anime-isk, but I would love your feedback.
    Last edited by Rockwood; 2013-01-08 at 12:20 PM.

  2. #2
    Welcome to the RP Forums!

    First of all I wouldn't think of this as a Roleplay idea but more a Character idea, with maybe a rough story plot. And from a first read it could very well work out. But as always that depends on the execution.
    The most critical thing I see here is his shift in seeing it necessary to kill to going back to a more peaceful attitude. I sadly have little to no knowledge about anime, so the characters you reference are of no help to me, to get your idea. If you would like to put the character down in form of our Character template, maybe you'll get some more pointers.

    Hope that this was of help to you

  3. #3
    Mechagnome Darced's Avatar
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    Love the profile pic, btw. V for Vendetta ftw. Anyway, I have some examples linked below if you're interested. Khorianas also has some exceptional BIOs that you can reference. (It says "My RP chars. its a link. Mine will appear in green "Character list "below my post.) I hope this helps, and welcome!

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Khorianas View Post
    I sadly have little to no knowledge about anime, so the characters you reference are of no help to me, to get your idea.
    Thankfully... I DO!

    In terms of characters being too animey, that's not much of a concern until you get into animes like Dragonball Z, where the majority of characters rarely change, merely get more powerful. Vash is actually one of the better ones out there... while he IS ridiculously overpowerered, his character is a fairly complex one, so using him a base at least in terms of his personality does fit the general history you've had planned. Like Khor said though, a concept is all well and good, but it needs to be fleshed out into an actual character bio for us to get the best idea of how well this'll fly. As far as the concept in of itself being viable though, I'd say it's quite good, but again, we'd need to see it fleshed out to say for sure.

    You can also peruse MY characters if you so wish. Most are k.

  5. #5
    I agree with what everyone else has said.

    A few questions to ask yourself.....

    1. When does your life begin? It's a simple question with many consequences, as it will determine what events your character will experience... and those they may miss. Before the fall of QT there was a relatively long period of peace (approximately 20 years). Were you born and raised in that time? Making the fall of QT the first real horror of war you experience? Were you born earlier but still a child during the second war, having grown up only hearing tales? Were you old enough to know what was happening but too young to help? Perhaps it all seemed trivial since QT was barely threatened and your sense of it was dismissive. The point is, the childhood of your character will greatly influence how they act once they are old enough to act on events. What have you seen and heard? What have you experienced? And sometimes as important... what have you missed?

    2. The animes you reference are essentially tales of people with PTSD among other possible psychological traumas who are dealing with it by trying to set things right. Their approaches are a little different and their pasts are too. Vash's crime was far more of an accident whereas Kenshin chose to murder people. Both characters are tormented by their actions. So how will your character be tormented? Do they remember everyone they've killed? Do they feel guilt for not remembering? Do some research on the effects of war and violence on the human psyche. Use that to construct a set of symptoms, and how your character responds to those symptoms. Then comes the big question. How does your character's coping fit into their past and future? You have somethig going with the drunkeness and meeting Sho. Now you just need to fill in the details.

    A few suggestions of things to watch to get some more ideas....

    A History of Violence: A good look at some psychological nitty-gritty while being entertaining. Also stars Aragorn.

    MI-5: A great TV show about a unit within British internal security. All seasons available on Netflix. Lots of grit and great acting, Later in the series it also stars Richard Armitage who plays Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit. The show constantly cycles through characters who become disillusioned with their business and should provide you with excellent inspiration. For another fun Tolkien movie tie-in, Christopher Lee who plays Saurman was actually a spy in the precursor to MI-6 the foreign intelligence branch.

    Luther: Great cop drama with a good look at a man who is brilliant and has trouble with his temper.

    3:10 to Yuma: I don't like many westerns, but I like this one. Like all the ones I like it has a good basic story about when violence is appropriate, and a little redemption involved. The remake is possibly one of the few movies that's better than the original.

    Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: The original is better, but the new one is okay. Good look at covert operations. New version also has a Tolkien movie tie-in with Benedict Cumberbatch who voices the Necromancer and Smaug in the Hobbit movies. He also stars in an MI-5 episode. In fact I recommend anything with Benedict Cumbebatch in general.

    Cold Mountain: Disillusion with war permeates this film, along with the strains of war on a society and family.

    Ghost in the Shell S.A.C.: A little love for anime sci-fi/spy thriller. Most interesting about this show for me is the constant search for clarity in their missions, and having to make a decision based on information they often know is incomplete. The episode where Tokusa (I know I spelled that wrong) empties his firearm on a potential murderer and faces an inquiry is a great look at violence and how we justify it. Also available on Netflix.

    We Shall Remain: A PBS series on the genocide, assimilation, and general troubles of Native Americans within colonial through post-civil war America. A good look at what can happen to societies that are under constant pressure.

    Children of Men: Great little story about what happens to a society without hope, and what happens when hope returns. Also has a more realistic sense of how awkward violence really is.

    I could go on but I'll end with A Clockwork Orange: Because there are few movies about violence and the reaction people have to it that will ever be as good. It is, even by modern standards, supremely vile because of the detached nature of the violence. The attempted rehabilitation is the best part of this.

    Lots of options above, most are on Netflix. If you are underage be warned that while I think they all have generally enlightened views to share, your parents may disagree. If you chose one, MI-5 willprobably provide the best overall inspiration as it includes pretty much everything else the others do.

  6. #6
    The Patient Rockwood's Avatar
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    Wow, Thank You all for all your replies.

    I will look at the character templates and other folks' bios
    to get a good look at how to make an RP character bio.

    I am looking at developing my Blood Elf Monk and a Undead Rogue
    with no memory before he was risen. so this will give me a lot of fuel
    to work from.

    @Darced - Thanks for recognizing the reference. The V for Vendetta film
    and graphic novel are in my top 2 favorite franchises.

    @Primaliron - Thanks for the suggestions. I love making stories/characters that
    deal with psychological issues. I feel like my characters need a reason to be doing
    good things in the WOW world. I just don't save burning squirrels in Hyjal for no
    reason. I will make note of those movie/TV suggestions. it will give me something
    to watch as I grind.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Rockwood View Post
    @Primaliron - Thanks for the suggestions. I love making stories/characters that
    deal with psychological issues. I feel like my characters need a reason to be doing
    good things in the WOW world. I just don't save burning squirrels in Hyjal for no
    reason. I will make note of those movie/TV suggestions. it will give me something
    to watch as I grind.
    Be careful with MI-5. You can get lost very fast in that show if you don't pay attention. It has that Britsih subtlety.

  8. #8
    Mechagnome Darced's Avatar
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    Remember, remember the fifth of November. The villainous treason and plot. I have no reason the gunpowder treason should ev-er be forgot.

    I would write the '50 Vs of V' from the beginning of the movie but I don't remember that quote too well

  9. #9
    We are getting off topic but wasn'it "gunpowder, treason and plot." ? and I think there's missing a "why" in the third sentence

  10. #10
    Mechagnome Darced's Avatar
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    Ennh, I tried... But yeah we're a bit off topic.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Darced View Post
    Ennh, I tried... But yeah we're a bit off topic.
    Not entirely. V for Vendetta is also about how far one is willing to go for a cause. At what point do you consider the costs to be too high? Is blind fervor for a cause really effective? Conversely is the cost of inaction too high? Can one legitimately commit murder to move forward a cause? Are you willing to pay the inevitable price of using such methods? Violence as a means to an end always has consequences. Any person or society has to look at their situation and determine whether the risk is worth the reward.

    These are questions the OP has to ask since his character is an assassin for a good decade or so of his existence. Whether the character has confronted these questions or not may lead to his career change. Perhaps his answers have changed, perhaps he thought of the questions but never answered. Perhaps he asked some but not all.

  12. #12
    The Patient Rockwood's Avatar
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    TBH, my monk roleplay/story draws no parallels with V. That is what my undead rogue roleplay would be.
    Yet how I wanted to play my monk is that he decided to be an assassin in his coming of age years.
    What age this is I am not sure in Blood elf lifespans but I wanted it to be like a teenager joining the
    army to become a sniper or joining the army to eventually be in intelligence work then getting disillusioned
    when a friend who he had worked with in the service betrayed his/her country to work for an enemy cause.

    At that point of feeling betrayed and being disillusioned, he realizes all of his youthful vigor for serving his
    nation is gone and he quits being an assassin and/or Farstrider (don't know if its lore that assassins are
    a part of the farstrider organization). Then he tries to return to a simpler life but still feels empty so
    he turns to his vice of women, alcohol, and dessert to try and feel his empty spot.

    Then at his lowest point of depression, regret, and emptiness he meets Sho. From Sho, he learns that he can use his former
    skills and yearning for a simpler lifestyle to hone his skills as a monk and change the world for the better.
    He goes to think about it Then after going to his favorite spot to think along the river, and remembering how
    good it felt when he had the drive to save his people, he finds Sho again the next day and takes him up
    on his offer. During the monk training, Sho teaches him the value of balance. The balance of violence
    only when needed. The balance of life and death. The balance of knowing what to fight for and what
    not to fight for. Then as the final part of his training, Sho sends him out to help people in the world and
    bring balance.

  13. #13
    Mechagnome Darced's Avatar
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    Well well, his sounds very good. You should write a bio based on that last post, it sounds promising. Some more details about his training and epiphanies would really hit the spot!

  14. #14
    Sadly the aging process is very difficult to describe. The physical aging process seems to behave non linear. The current best example for established Lore are Valeera Saguinar and Sylvanas from her leader story. Taking them as example an elfish body matures like a human and is physically full grown at about 20-25 years. We sadly have absolutely NO sources to tell you if they are fully matured mind wise.This could happen anywhere between that and their middle ages (maybe even later) which would be roughly about 150 years of age (Old age is 250+) These figueres sadly are from the non-canon RPG books. Lacking other sources we still use them here.

    So on topic character changes i would think them likely anywher from 15-200 Years of age. If you want your character to still be very young I would start at the low end of the table. It would best fit in if this epiphany concerning his traitorous friend would fit in some recent warcraft Lore ofc.

  15. #15
    The Patient Rockwood's Avatar
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    Thanks, I plan to write a bio soon.

    I envisioned the betrayal to be around the same time as the beginning of the Firelands invasion.
    I had planned to use Asira Dawnslayer (2nd boss of the Hour of Twilight 5man) as the comrade that betrayed him and Silvermoon.
    I had pictured that after the events of Thrall and the Aspects defeating Chromatus in the Twilight of the Aspects book, The Twilight's
    Hammer set out to hire assassins to kill Thrall. Since the dungeon journal says she was a blade for hire, I pictured that Silvermoon had
    hired her to go on missions frequently and She worked with my guy and that is how their friendship was born. (older sister type) Yet when the Twilight's Hammer offered her riches she could not resist the offer. However their riches came with a price and she became corrupted. When my guy was sent on a mission to investigate possible assassins sent after important Horde leaders, he found it was Asira. I pictured him trying to convince her this wasn't her and that she had been corrupted in the snows of dragonblight. This lead to a battle which lead to him being owned since she wasmore experienced. The only reason he got away was to cause an avalanche that hid him. Eventually he made it back to Dalaran, but he was severely injured physically and psychologically.

    After this incident, he left the assassin corp and started his downward spiral. He sat out both the defeat of Ragnaros and Deathwing. He heard when adventures killed Asira while protecting Thrall. The fact that all of his training in blades, subterfuge, and combat could not save the one person he felt the closest too is what haunts him. His goal was to save the people he cared about in Silvermoon when he joined the assassin corp, so not being able to save her shattered his world.

    As far as age goes I pictured him being in his 20s, So lets go for 25. Which would make him 17 when Arthas invaded.
    Being 17 and just survived the biggest disaster to the elves in modern history (since warcraft 1) he was impressionable
    and joined the Assassin Corp or what ever blood elves call their assassins to help protect his people.

    I had not thought about details about his training and epiphanies. His training kinda went like Rocky montage in
    my head, I will have to think about that part more.
    Last edited by Rockwood; 2013-01-11 at 09:03 AM.

  16. #16
    The Idea for the Bio sounds great, just leave out her being Asira. In my opinion it does not give the character any more depth if she is that specific character. And Story wise there is no real need for it. Just give her the same characteristics as you planned and a similar backstory. Like this you avoid writing things for a character that isn't yours. Also, I'm not sure if a few more years of age would help him out a bit. Does not have to be, if you don't want him to witness earlier events. But then I would imagine him having more human like behaviour since he is very young for an elf. But yeah; overall the character concept has everything needed.
    Last edited by Khorianas; 2013-01-14 at 07:44 AM.

  17. #17
    I agree with you, it is more a character idea. The story plot is okay.

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