[K5pbem] Some comments from the GM

[Logan Darklighter]

> Now, speaking of characters, I'm going to make a request -- which at  
> the moment is only a request, later I may simply out-and-out state.  
> Basically, I'm going to ask that people take a breath, step back from  
> some of their PC concepts, and decide "Do I really need to be all  
> that?" What I mean, is, I am seeing what seems to be  trend to create  
> "Gord, Mutant Alien Son-of-the-Gods" in which PCs seem to have things  
> piled on them left and right. It smacks of what is called in fanfic  
> "Mary Sueism" in which characters can do anything and everything,  
> usually better than the canon characters. In Kazei 5, it seems people  
> seem to feel the need to be uber-leet walking death machines who can  
> trounce anything and everything, and also who are rich, handsome,  
> epsers, with state-of-the-art gear no one else has ever heard of.
>
> Let's not play that game, shall we? This is not a contest, where last  
> man standing wins. This is also not a PBEM where failure to purchase  
> some obscure power, skill, or gadget means your character will die  
> horribly at the hands of, well, anything. This is supposed to be a  
> somewhat realistic world -- albeit one with replicated humans,  
> epsers, and cyborgs. Don't be afraid to scale back your PC concept,  
> to actually have a weakness (or, an area you're not competent in), to  
> have human feelings, emotions, and failings. This is not RIFTS,  
> people, and Hong Kong is not brimming with monstered-out cyberjunkies  
> waiting to whack the hapless PC.
>
> Anyway, I've said my piece. Anyone have any questions or comments?


Interesting thoughts. There's a line from Hellboy that I like - "We like 
people for their qualities, but we love them for their defects."

Lora started out in Kazei 5 as a classic "female cyborg warrior" 
character. Tough to hurt, and able to dish out high amounts of damage. I 
didn't know what to expect from the game, but knowing it was cyberpunk, 
made high surviveability a big part of her build. In truth, I may have 
overdone it. The one time that she was a fight where dice were actually 
rolled for combat (I guess me and Mike wanted to see how the logistics 
of that would work online), she went up against, what arguably, was 
supposed to be one of the toughest, scariest battledroids Mike has ever 
designed. She dodged the one attack that would have done her damage 
repeatedly, and what _did_ hit, only did cosmetic damage. Lora didn't do 
any real damage herself in the fight, but basically just outlasted the 
bot's END reserve, which represented it overheating.

Well, she's been through some changes after 5 years, and not all of them 
for the better, in terms of physical prowess. She'll be rebuilt 
(literally!) as a character who's easier to hurt. And while in some 
respects, she's actually better than she was (faster reflexes, better 
speed) she's definately not the tank she once was, and is NOT supposed 
to be a true cyber samurai anymore. Although she may regain some of 
that, if story arcs and such permit, I want her to at least start out in 
a vulnerable state.

-Logan