Remember, Elves Need Blacksmiths and Dwarves Need Fletchers

Archetypes are everywhere when it comes to tabletop RPGs, and the stories we tell with them. All you need to do is mention a class or race you'd see in a fantasy game, and you immediately have an image leap to your mind. When someone says elf, you probably picture a long, lithe figure holding a bow, a scimitar, or both. They probably have long, flowing hair as well. When someone says dwarf you probably picture the opposite; a bulky, bearded figure with an ax or a hammer, likely bearing armor and a shield and ready for battle (assuming you're not a Gotrek and Felix fan, that is).

If you haven't read it yet, seriously, go check it out!

This applies to other games, as well. If you say the word Ventrue to a Vampire player (Masquerade or Requiem) they'll also have a very particular image immediately spring to their minds. Likely a man in a power suit, or a woman in an elegant sheathe dress. If you say to a Werewolf: The Apocalypse player Get of Fenris that immediately calls up images that are one part Boris Vallejo and one part Harley Davidson.

To be clear, these traditional images we have of classes, clans, tribes, fantasy races, etc. in our games are not wrong. From the paladin who is a handsome, holy knight in shining armor, to the half-orc barbarian who's allergic to shirts, those archetypes became archetypes for a reason. However, at the same time, it's important to remember that they are not a requirement by any stretch of the imagination. There is more beneath the surface-level reading of what characters can be, and choosing to disregard some (or even all) of a stereotypical imagery associated with your rules chassis doesn't make you a "special snowflake" who's trying to be different.

Because if the rules don't say you must be, do, or have X,Y, and Z, then it's not a requirement for your character.

Elves Need Blacksmiths, and Dwarves Need Fletchers

Thurandill shall be your name, and you'll be as deadly as you are beautiful.

This phrase was a gold nugget that someone dropped at my feet in the White Wolf subreddit, and it's become a part of my personal philosophy (permission was granted to steal it, which is why I'm sharing it with you fine folks). Basically, any time there is a role that would be common to a society, a race, a clan, etc., there is going to be someone fulfilling that role. The dwarven smith might be the stereotypical image you think of, but there are smiths among the elves, among the orcs, the halflings, gnomes, and humans, too. There will be differences, sure, but there will also be similarities. Elves may be the ones we associate with archery, but there are half-orc and halfling longbow snipers that may be just as deadly.

And so on, and so forth.

Despite what sounds very obvious on its face, there are a lot of DMs, GMs, STs, and others who will immediately lose their cool if someone proposes a character they deem too far outside that stereotype. A character who is, "too special," "too weird," or, "too unique," so they throw on the brakes. If you find yourself in that position, I would recommend taking a step back and asking yourself why you're doing that? Because as long as a character concept follows all the rules, and is consistent with the lore and physics of a setting, what do you gain by denying your players something they want to play?

Think Deeper, Think Broader

The stereotypes in our games are meant to be a starting off point, but they're by no means the law of the land. Unless the rules expressly state something is required, then enforcing that status quo does nothing but narrow the potential of your setting, your characters, and your players. It puts additional limits on our flights of fancy, whose only limits should be the agreed-upon rules of the setting and game.

And we've got enough of those to deal with as is.

To be clear, I'm not saying you can immediately ignore anything that gets in the way of your character concept. If there's a particular form of magic only accessible to those of elven blood, then only characters who have the proper DNA can learn and harness that magic. If you can only learn a certain fighting style at a particular temple, and from a particular teacher, then you need to have that as part of your backstory. And so on, and so forth.

But if there is nothing in the setting or rules that creates a requirement for a character to possess the skills they have, or to look or act the way they do? You get a lot more out of disregarding the stereotype in favor of saying to your players, "All right, lay it out for me. How did they get like this?"

If someone wants to play a half-orc barbarian who was adopted and raised by the duke and his husband, where does it say in the setting rules that this mounted fury who's infamous on the melee field during tournaments isn't a valid concept? If someone wants to play a Ventrue in your vampire game, but instead of a business suit and a red tie he wears leathers and runs a motorcycle gang of ghouls like a pack of Old West desperadoes, what do you gain by telling the player they can't do that? If a player has a broad-shouldered armorer with rippling thews and a grip that can crush a man's skull, why would you insist they play a dwarf instead of an elf if their concept is based entirely around being an elven smith who maintains old elven relics while attempting to recreate the styles of the old masters?

Pick your battles, and work with your players so that they can be happy with the characters they're bringing to your game. It really does set the tone for everything else.

Additional Reading and Thoughts

This isn't exactly a new concept, so I thought I'd leave some links to times I've talked about this before. Not to get too repetitive, but I thought it would be of interest to some folks. Also, while I have your attention, my new supplement A Baker's Dozen of Fantasy Vigilantes just dropped today! I'm pretty excited about that, and I wanted to bring it up. Also, if you want to make sure you never miss any of my updates and fresh content, consider signing up for my newsletter! One update goes out every week, recapping all the news and releases in a single missive.

- DMs, Learn To Take Your Foot Off The Brake: One of my more recent talks on this subject, a DM looking for reasons to say no instead of reasons to say yes is one of the most common causes of table enthusiasm flagging, then going out entirely.

- Everything is Weird in Fantasy RPGs (But That's Not How You Make a Character Stand Out): A reminder that just because something is weird or unusual in your experience, that doesn't mean it's all that strange by the standards of the setting.

- DMs, Please Stop Arbitrarily Limiting Race Choice in Your Games: There are few things more frustrating than showing up to a game that is full of possibilities, and then being told you can only play characters of X, Y, and Z races, for reasons. You want your players enthused, and you don't do that by narrowing down their options for no reason.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Is Your Profession? (Character Creation From A Different Direction)

It's all too easy to get lost when it comes to the various aspects of our character sheet, and how it reflects on our characters' identities. Do we focus on their race and heritage? Is it all about their class? Their skills? The particular background or background traits we picked? The spells they know, the weapons they wield, or do we define them primarily by their alignment?

There is something we often miss, though, and it can provide us a lot of clarity when it comes to finding a cornerstone of a character's identity. And for inspiration, we turn to one of the most memorable quotes in the film 300.

"What is your profession?"

This one question cuts quickly to the core of who a character is. If a person is defined by their actions, then one of the bedrock aspects is that person's profession. That, and how their skills, abilities, and even beliefs are tied into, and support, that profession.

You Are What You Do

As I said back in Any Class Can Be A Knight (More Thoughts on Out-of-The-Box Character Presentation), it's entirely possible to start from a social position or profession, and then spiral out into asking how different classes and builds would fill that role, and perform those functions.

So many choices...

As a prime example, take the basic profession of the soldier. Your job is to fight for the kingdom, and to safeguard the realm. Even if we just confine our options to the infantry, making you a foot soldier, there are so many different ways that profession could interact with, and be bolstered by, your class decisions to make a unique character.

The most obvious options (though by no means the wrong ones) are the fighters, the barbarians, and the rangers. Characters with physical prowess and skill who can march all day, and still show up ready to fight. But what about the non-standard foot soldiers who bring something else to the game? Like the long-faced half-orc Gariel Branch, whose leather-lunged bellows fill his squad's sword arms with strength, and whose bawdy tales make even long marches rest more lightly on their shoulders? Or Lessa Lightfoot, who fights as hard as anyone else, while also healing wounds and speaking prayers that invoke the very forest around her squad? Or Dane Drakhar, a brooding figure who has a bit of a problem with authority, but whose destructive magic makes his squad mates more than glad he was assigned to their unit.

While a bard, cleric, or sorcerer might not be the first classes that come to mind when you think of a foot soldier, they're still options. By the same token you might not think of a wizard as a diplomat, a druid as a town's mayor, or a paladin as a ship's doctor, but you can totally play any of those character concepts. More to the point, by assigning a profession you now have a lens to view the character's other attributes, skills, and abilities through. And that can often lead to more interesting stories when people ask how someone like that wound up in this particular line of work.

Be As Specific As You Can

Another tip I'd suggest, for those who want to put this particular tip into practice, is to be as specific with your profession as possible. I mentioned this back in Stop Using The Word "Adventurer" And See How It Changes Your Game, but it's worth repeating here. Don't just toss out some general profession and leave it at that; once you know what your job is, ask who you've worked for specifically, where you've worked, who taught you the trade, and what sort of title you use to describe yourself. Even if you're not employed by a particular person anymore, that work history (and all the details surrounding it) can say a lot about your character.

You ran rooftops for Red Eyes Falcone? I suppose we could find a spot for you.

As a for-instance, don't just say your character is a mercenary. That's a good start, but what else is there? Do you have any unique tattoos or weapons that mark your place of origin as a veteran, or a member of an elite organization? Do you have a specialty (monster hunter, bodyguard, bounty hunter, etc.)? Are you now, or were you in the past, a member of a particularly free company (you can find a slew of them in 100 Random Mercenary Companies, by the by)? If you were, what is the reputation of that outfit, and how does it reflect on you now? Were you allowed to leave, or are you on the run from your former sword brothers? Did you ever perform a great deed for an important employer, such as saving the duke's life, making you famous throughout his lands?

You should ask these questions about whoever you used to work for, or what you've done up until now. If you were (or are) a thief, for example, were you a pickpocket? A burglar? A confidence artist? A grave robber? Did you work with a gang, or did you operate solo? Did you fall afoul of the bigger, more organized outfits, or were you ever caught and punished? If so, do you have a brand, are you missing fingers, do you have a rope scar, or something else people might notice? Or do you just have a network of people you know (such as some of the folks in 100 Pirates to Encounter as well as 100 Random Bandits to Meet), and access to unusual skills that folks on the right side of the law don't typically possess?

The more specific you can get with your profession, your work history, and the people it has put you in contact with (former employers, former co-workers, noted achievements or failures, etc.) the more that can add to your character. Even if it's as simple as the party's wizard showing up in a hard-worn red robe, a clear sign of the commanding officers on the losing side of the Cadasian War, who refuses to back down or apologize for fighting for the losing side.

After all, just because they lost, that doesn't mean they were in the wrong.

That's all for this week's Fluff post. If you've used this strategy in your games, leave a comment below and let us know how it went for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Very Real Benefits of Playing Roleplaying Games

People play roleplaying games for all sorts of reasons. There's the love of the setting (Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, The World of Darkness, Shadowrun, Star Wars, etc., etc.) for one. There's the enjoyment of story telling, and the socialization with friends. According to this article from Life Hacker though picking up an RPG might be good for you in ways you've never even considered.

Better than job training, according to the experts.

What are some of the other benefits of tabletop RPGs though? Well this list includes:

- A Shared Activity: Playing RPGs is just like any other hobby; it comes with a built-in social network. Whether you're moving to a new town or just looking to make friends you have an activity you can participate in to easily meet new people.

- Enhanced Creativity: Roleplaying games bring out creativity in unusual ways. The more you play the more likely you are to learn how to think creatively.

- Team-Building: You don't have to get involved in a sportsball team to learn how to work together as a team. Roleplaying games can teach you valuable skills that all the dodgeball and group projects in the world won't manage to hammer home.

There are a slew of other reasons to play RPGs which may or may not include pattern recognition, increased math skills, and telling more interesting stories. If you want to check out the list for yourself then read the article.

If you like this week's update consider supporting Improved Initiative by stopping by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and becoming a patron today! If you want to make sure you get all of my updates then be sure to follow me on Facebook and Tumblr.