Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-25396609-20180128214516/@comment-25936766-20180128234852

Phantomlink959 wrote:

3: Because I cannot set the same standard for judging A character without standardized powers and abilities that I can for one who with the exception of specific equipment within the same category uses the same gear.

Dovahkiin does not have a set list of powers and abilities; even the shouts vary wildly in effects, and the only mandatory ones to my knowledge are unrelenting force, whirlwind sprint, clear weather, and the one to summon the dragon that takes you to the final battle. Weapons, armor, spells; there's no set list for it.

What standard, then, am I meant to use when comparing them to the alluding character? Because no standard exists for me to judge how well it was adapted over.

The focus on player defined choices and me ruling them out is because in a player-defined character is that there's no baseline to work from. ...It's quite simple, really.

For starters: No matter what is the allusion, the OC must be restricted to Remnant's standards; that's one of the rules, in fact. So, for example, if Bob alludes to the Demonbane from Demonbane, that doesn't mean that Bob should be able to grow so big it crushes multiple universes, or be able to summon an army of AU versions of himself.

Using the Dragonborn example, sure, an end-game Dragonborn can be a master mage of all kinds, an excellent archer and master assassin even while wearing the heaviest armor ever made in Skyrim.

But for an OC in Remnant, that would be too OP. So while Bob would need to draw it's power and weapons and etc from what the Dragonborn can use, Bob can't draw it all, he needs to be limited to a point where it's not ridiculous. Say, Bob uses just a bow, as well as flamethrower-gauntlets as a backup close-range weapon, and nothing more.

As for the Shouts, last time I checked they were words of power. Special abilities that involve speaking the language of dragons. Just the concept alone - a power caused by speaking a sentence in dragon - sounds good for a Semblance, even if it would need some tweaks to prevent it from doing everything easily.

You ask, what standard would you use, for characters whose allusion's personality and abilities are player-defined? Well, let me ask you: What standard are you using for predefined characters?

Is your answer "how faithful the OC is to the allusion, while still avoiding being ridiculous for Remnant's standards"? Cool. Then you do the same with these.

Following the Dragonborn example, how faithful the OC is to the Dragonborn in terms of abilities and equipment, compared to what the Dragonborn can use and do in Skyrim (ex: If the OC used a shotgun, that's not faithful at all). While still making sure the OC is not a Perfect-at-Everything Gary Stu, which would take away points no matter the theme.

And since drawing from the personality of the allusion is optional, as you say in the rules, then even if the Dragonborn's personality is player-defined, that ultimately changes nothing for the OC, who can - and would - have their own personality.

Doesn't sound hard at all. Again, I don't see the problem.