"This is what you're spending your night doing?" Albrecht asked, taking a sip from his thin beer.
"You didn't have to come with," Baren said, not even turning her head to look at him.
"You talked them up, figured I should at least give them a chance." The bearded man plucked a flask from an inside pocket, pouring a shot of stronger stuff into his mug.
Albrecht was about to say something else, when the lights went out. A cold wind went round the tavern, blowing out candles and torches, leaving the place in darkness. Out of the shadows, a rhythmic thumping came from the stage. It was joined by a cymbal, hissing like a metallic serpent in the dark. A whisper of strings under a bow, and then a rising note from an inhuman throat. The growl rose higher, and higher, and the dark was pushed back by bobbing, red globes. Standing on the stage, surrounded by wisps of acrid smoke, was a band from hell. Wild-haired and sharp-eyed, they were a collection of claws and teeth, horns and tails that looked like something out of a fever dream. Their lead smiled, flashing her fangs to crowd.
"Like to start you all off with one of our favorites," she said, her husky voice filling the room before Devil's Bargain launched into Good Intentions, one of their most infamous tunes.
"Well?" Baren said, grinning as the first song drew to a close.
"Hell of an opener," Albrecht said, though he was smiling behind his beard. "Let's see if they can keep it up."
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| And now, let's take it down a notch. This is Black Queen's Bargain! |
What Does Your Character Do For Entertainment?
When we sit down to make our characters, we tend to think of them in terms of their skills, their role within the party, and their eventual goals. They're wizards, warriors, priests, and scoundrels, looking to make that big score, earn a knighthood, start their own business, or what have you. However, one thing we often ignore (or which just doesn't occur to us) is to ask what our characters do for entertainment. Whether it's out on the road, or when they finally get some leave in town, what do they seek out to blow off some steam? And what does that say about them?
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| Does going to the tavern count? |
As an example, is your character a tourist who loves seeing historical sites? Even if it's something bland or boring to most people, do they seek out sites of battles, events of minor import, or just try to take in as many road side attractions as they can find? Is your character a foodie, seeking unusual cuisine like salamander steaks or shallow bay oysters (a few examples off the menu in 100 Fantasy Foods) to expand their palate? Do they have a tendency to pick up fresh tattoos to mark personal achievements, new levels, or just because they're in a unique location (like the Ketch's Knot or Fortune's Torc found in 100 Fantasy Tattoos, And The Meaning Behind Them)? Do they tour art galleries or museums, taking in the culture and looking at installments dedicated to particular artists?
Do they love live music, like Devil's Bargain in the story above, drawn right out of my 100 Fantasy Bands supplement?
This isn't just a downtime question, either. Because there's often a lot of time spent in transit when you're a PC, and that's a lot of time to get bored. So what does your character do? Do they like to play cards, either alone or with others? Do they prefer to shoot dice? Is there a game equal to chess, or checkers, that they use to pass the time? Do they read the equivalent of dime novels while they travel, just slouched down in the back of the cart while they wait for the party to get where they're going? Do they like to sing, whether or not their companions enjoy the performance? Do they like to spend the evenings fishing, or whittling, or sketching?
Everybody's Got Hobbies
We've all got hobbies, and things we enjoy spending our money on when it's time to unwind. And while there's nothing wrong with a good pub crawl (especially if you're hitting some of the bizarre bars in 100 Random Taverns to spend your share of the treasure), you can get a lot more out of your character if you dig a little deeper than that.
And it can get even more unique/unusual when you start embracing the weird, wild, and magical aspects of a game.
For example, did the wizard learn a game when she was still an apprentice using prestidigitation that's the equivalent of Pong that they play with the sorcerer? Does the tiefling enjoy cooking strange and bizarre things using their bare hands, because burns are a thing other people have to deal with? Does the druid plant fruit trees wherever they go using their magic to ensure the fruits grow, turning the entire world into their garden to ensure there's also fresh fruit along the routes they and other travelers follow?
While this aspect of a character might not define them in major ways, it can say a lot about who they are, and what makes them happy. Not only that, but it can make a character feel more organic, more real, and it's often these little details that can flesh them out, and add interesting details to the world as their hobbies carve out areas of culture and flavor that other folks may not have thought about.
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That's all for this week's Fluff post!
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