For reals. I once played a cleric in a three-year long campaign. We wound up saving the world from the God of death, ending at level 19, with all stats in the upper twenties.
Dive Bomb is more fleshed out than he was.
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
All part of my continuing trend of increased thought that I put into my characters. I don't have much in the way of Grease's mannerisms, but it occurs to me that I haven't yet shared what she actually looks like. So, here we go.
Spoiler
Grease Spot is about average height for a mare. She is solidly built, a result of years of regularly lifting and pulling machinery, aided by her hobby of playing hoofball.
Spoiler
I suppose this means one of my two remaining skills should go towards this. What do you guys think would be a good skill for it, Athletics? Sports? Hoofball? Kicking Round Things?
Her coat is denim blue, with a dark grey patch on her chest. (Which is, incidentally, how she got her name.) Her mane and tail a lighter shade of grey, and her mane is cut to a practically short length.
Last but not least, her eyes are colored golden yellow.
And while I'm thinking about it, I'll put down a bit about some miscellaneous behavior, too.
Spoiler
Grease is a fairly composed pony. Whatever is going on in her mind, she is usually pretty good at putting on a smile for professional or social situations. Even when a pony is irritating her, she will try polite correction before argument. Of course, she can be pushed past her limits, and when she is she can be as irrational as anyone else.
Her music tastes are best described as inoffensive. She'll listen to basically whatever is playing, though if it's her choice she'll go for pop music. She will, however, avoid music that she considers loud or obnoxious. (For example, she would back away pretty quickly from Skrillex or punk rock.)
In my mind athletics is fine, covering running around and stamina etc from hoofball as distinct from acrobatics which would cover jumping and climbing.
As far as things go, character background wise, the most important question from me is "are you guys comfortable with your characters yet?" Do they feel fully formed at this point? Or is there more work to be done this weekend on the IRC?
In my mind athletics is fine, covering running around and stamina etc from hoofball as distinct from acrobatics which would cover jumping and climbing.
As far as things go, character background wise, the most important question from me is "are you guys comfortable with your characters yet?" Do they feel fully formed at this point? Or is there more work to be done this weekend on the IRC?
I think I may need some help coming up with the five sub-words, but other than that, I'm good. I think I can make the time for some IRC.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eakin
We're like the weeping angels from Doctor Who, except with cuddling and friendship instead of horrible death. Don't look away.
In my mind athletics is fine, covering running around and stamina etc from hoofball as distinct from acrobatics which would cover jumping and climbing.
As far as things go, character background wise, the most important question from me is "are you guys comfortable with your characters yet?" Do they feel fully formed at this point? Or is there more work to be done this weekend on the IRC?
Pretty sure I'm good. How much detail do you want for the family? Name and cutie mark? Coloration? Light motivation/history?
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
In my mind athletics is fine, covering running around and stamina etc from hoofball as distinct from acrobatics which would cover jumping and climbing.
As far as things go, character background wise, the most important question from me is "are you guys comfortable with your characters yet?" Do they feel fully formed at this point? Or is there more work to be done this weekend on the IRC?
I think Grease is pretty much fully formed. The only thing I have left to do is figure out what her last skill is. Speaking of which, I will now put down her updated stats:
Spoiler
Grease Spot
Earth Pony Mare
Guiding Element: Generosity
Special Purpose: Keeping the world running smoothly
Cutie Mark: Oil can
Notable Possessions: Her toolbags, which contain a variety of wrenches, screwdrivers, lubricant, and other tools necessary for her job. She is rarely seen without it.
I think I may need some help coming up with the five sub-words, but other than that, I'm good. I think I can make the time for some IRC.
I'll make sure to idle online this weekend again then. Should be easy, It's a long weekend! :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Balmas
Pretty sure I'm good. How much detail do you want for the family? Name and cutie mark? Coloration? Light motivation/history?
There's no maximum limit on how detailled you need your character's family to be. See the "Home and Hearth" section of the OP in terms of what you should at least give thought to. I'm sure there will be opportunity to flesh out such details in conversation with others.
I'm still here, haven't gotten on the IRC of late but still working out the magic bit, the aspects vs. spells things gave me alot more wiggle room for Soot's magic, probably still won't use Hush now Quiet now though, the current difficulty would be around 6, so I couldn't just cast it without much problems. Might bring back the dancing light spell. However don't know when I can work out the final details since I'm going to be on a trip for the next week. I think I can get WiFi with reasonable regularity though so it shouldn't be too much of a problem
__________________ DMing: Glare of the Crimson Sun, a 4e Dark Sun campaign OOC IC Map
Name: Dive Bomb
Aliases: “D. B.”
City of Birth: Cloudsdale
Occupation: Chemist/researcher
Ideal: "I will perfect the world."
Flawed ideal: "Life isn't perfect."
How does one describe Dive Bomb? Well, let’s imagine that you’re at a party. You see that pony at the center of everything, whooping it up, encouraging everyone to “getcher hooves in the air,” and moshing with the best of them? That’s not him. In fact, he’s not even at the party. Odds are that he’s actually back at home with his muzzle in a book, or examining the chemical uses of a dandelion.
Physical description: Dive Bomb is not very striking physically; he’s of average build and size for a Pegasus—that is to say, a light, agile frame, covered with a dusting of light green fur. Piercing, intelligent sea-green eyes peer out at the world from beneath a mop of navy blue hair. A blue dictionary almost the same color as his mane sits gently on his flank.
Personality: Perhaps two words can be used to describe Dive Bomb succinctly; the first is “curiosity.” He wants to learn everything there is to know about Equestria, record it, and use it to make a better future. He tries to see the good in everything, though he has a snarky inner side to him. He dreams of a future where ponies have all but eliminated war, poverty, and death through anything but old age.
The other half of his personality could be summed up with the word “reserved.” He very rarely rushes into a confrontation, or a conversation, to be honest. It’s not so much that he’s shy as he is inexperienced. He doesn’t want to offend people, and hesitates to act when he’s not sure what the best course is. (This means that he misses some opportunities, due to indecision.) He comes off as being awkward and cold to people who aren’t his friends—so, pretty much everyone.
The fact is, he wants to understand everything. The problem is that ponies refuse to be categorized or make sense. Thus, he usually hangs back until he's sure of a course.
Family: Dive Bomb’s relationship with his family is an interesting one. His father, Thunderhead, is a stunt flyer. His mother, Aurora Wind, is a stunt flyer. His brother, Nimble Bolt, was a stunt flyer. You could say that stunt flying is in his blood; one of his great-grandparents was a Wonderbolt, and he’s distantly related to Spitfire. The only problem is that Dive Bomb doesn’t really want to be a stunt flyer.
He and his father have clashed in the past over this, since Thunderhead is a very paternal father. However, with Nimble Bolt’s support and his mother’s neutrality, nothing really happened apart from some tension between the two. DB was content, and things only improved once he moved out and started studying seriously.
All this went south when Nimble Bolt got sick with an as yet unknown disease. The doctors didn’t know what to make of it; it was resistant to all known forms of medicine, and eventually told the family that they’d done all they could.
DB refused to accept this, and threw himself into his studies, desperate to find a cure. He was working so hard, he wasn’t there when Nimble Bolt slipped away, or when he was buried. His parents came looking for him, and found him amongst a sprawl of papers, notes, and books. Things with his father finally came to a head, and angry words were said on both sides.
He hasn’t been back since.
Despite this, Dive Bomb really does love his family, and his father really does love him. His father’s approval means a lot to him, and one of the secondary reasons he’s out in the world is to prove to himself and his father that he was right. No-one will die to disease ever again.
Likes: Learning, the color blue, flying, carrots, apples, potatoes, reading. Strawberry shakes, Burned Jewels (scifi author), military marches and other bombastic music
Dislikes: Awkward / social situations, people who impose on his life, being touched, losing control of a situation or himself, weepy music
Mannerisms: As noted before, he is a very cautious, reserved pony, and it carries over to his speech; he usually doesn't say much at all, preferring to observe until the ideal time. When speaking, his voice is calm and quiet unless he's stressed or angry, when he develops a stammer.
His body language is much more expressive, since most of it is instinctual. His wings play a large part in that when he's on the ground; they bristle when he's angry, droop to his sides when he's sad, flare out when he's startled, and raise halfway when he's beginning to get irritated with someone. He's also acquired the habit of hovering in place when he's thinking about a difficult question.
He is very protective of his personal space, though usually this just takes the form of him avoiding people who encroach thereon. Touching him, and touching his wings in particular, are good ways to rapidly earn his dislike and ire respectively.
Skills: There are a few areas where Dive Bomb really excels: chemistry and learning. His experiments with chemicals first began when he found his way into his father’s stunt flying chemicals as a child, and almost blew a wall off their house. He’s since moved onto more useful applications such as medicine, but has retained a fondness for things that explode. He also knows a few basic recipes; after all, what is cooking but a different flavor of chemistry?
His other skill comes from his memory. He can remember most anything he comes across, and so finds learning especially easy.
The Book of Numbers
Spoiler
Dive Bomb
Pegasus colt
Guiding Element: Loyalty
Cutie Mark: Blue Dictionary with gold A-Z
Special Purpose: Discover, recover, and record knowledge.
Current XP total: 3
Body: 3
Mind: 5
Heart: 1
Energy: 8 (Currently at 5)
Courage: 6
Fortitude: 4 (Currently at 4)
Willpower: 9 (Currently at 7)
Talents: Wary, Tireless
Flaw: Shy.
Job: Chemist 2
Skills:
Pharmaceutical medicine 3
Field Medicine 2
Research 1
Improvised Explosives 1
Home Cooking 1
Aerobatics 5 +2 Winged Victory
Weathercraft 4
XP spent: 31
Egghead 10 xp
On the job training (Chemist level 2) 4xp
Skill up medicine (level 3) 5 xp
Awesome Aerobatics 5 xp
New Skill: Field Medicine 5 xp
Skill up Field Medicine (level 2) 2 xp
+6 situational bonus (fight with griffons) 3 xp
Winged Victory
Possessions: two small saddlebags--one contains practical medicines, the other small amounts of explosives and chemicals. He's also never without his notebook and pen.
Well, today I bid Canterlot farewell. It was an interesting city; I got to peruse the royal library, and made some interesting advances into the changeling invasion of three months ago. It was a bit difficult, but I even got to talk to the top medical pony of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. (A bit odd, that; you'd think a ruler that combines the best aspects of all races would have a school that's a bit more inclusive. Then again, we have the Commander Hurricane military academy, so...)
Ran into the three most interesting ponies today at the train station; some griffon ambassador was there, so the trains were all shut down. While I waited for the trainsponies to get things settled, I talked with these three other ponies: two earth and a unicorn.
Then, there was a bit of darkness that I haven't figured out yet. I want to say that it was magical, because a sparkler didn't do much to dispel the darkness. In the confusion, two baby foals disappeared: a pegasus colt and a unicorn filly.
Much as I'd like to take the credit for finding them, I'm afraid that would be lying. (And Dad always hated liars. Probably still does.) No, the credit goes to this obnoxious, bossy earth stallion named Crown Cork. Man, he curls my feathers.
But, at the same time, he helped to get the job done. We all worked together to get the job done. I couldn't have gotten into the ambassador's room to check for the foals if that unicorn foal, Soot, hadn't stolen my bits and distracted the guards. I wouldn't have known to look in the next room over if one of the ambassador's aides hadn't used magic (ugh) to show the pegasus' passage through the wall.
They needed me, too. If it hadn't been for me, they could never have caught the little guy; he evaded two of Equestria's finest, which makes a sad statement about the level of athleticism required to become a solar guard.
Only by working together could we do what needed to be done. Truth be told, I'm actually feeling somewhat connected to this odd group; maybe there's something to this whole friendship and teamwork business.
In any case, it bears investigation.
Signing off,
DB.
DPC #2
Spoiler
Ugh… Dive Bomb's eyes cracked, and then shot open. Trapped! Too small! There was no sky! No… A jolt of pain shot up his spine, and he clutched at his wing, stopping his thrashing.
"Ow," he murmured, glaring at the offending rock. He rubbed the aching spot on his wing, and peered at it; yeah, that was going to be a bruise.
So, cloth. Tent. Rock. Immense, dry heat. Slowly, the events of the previous day filtered back into his understanding, and he scowled. With this heat, he'd be lucky to get back to sleep.
He lay head on hooves and stared at the wastes before him. If he had a bit for every grain of sand he trod on in this desert, he'd still want to be gone as quickly as possible. Course, the history in the area was very tempting; if they had more water and supplies, he could happily spend a week or so digging around Sanctum City. By necessity, he'd have to move on in order to cover more ground, but in a week he might be able to scratch the surface of the ancient city.
He flipped over onto his side and stared at the cloth before deciding that he liked the sight of the desert better; at least the desert was open.
Counting cumuli proved fruitless, as did attempting to simply slow his bodily functions through slow breathing. He'd do a few laps of the area, but they were trying to sleep so that they could have enough energy to push on at night. Besides, he grumped, it's too hot out. Gimme the stratosphere any day. Preening his wings took a while, but didn't do anything for his inability to sleep.
Well, if he couldn't sleep, he might as well do something useful. He pulled his pen from the saddlebags, and flipped his journal upside down, to the journal section in the back. It had been an eventful day and a half; where was the best place to begin?
He smiled, and lowered his head to touch pen to paper.
Spoiler
Dear Journal,
I really don't know where to begin this entry; my beliefs about reality have been challenged no less than thrice. I've been breathed fire on, sent to a desert Luna-knows-where, been assaulted by a mass of stone, and entertained myself in a dreamworld.
So, I suppose since this is such a long days entry, I should cut it down just a bit, and focus on the highlights. That takes care of a boring day spent napping in the heat of a desert sun, and a somewhat more boring night walking under a desert moon.
Anyway, I've mentioned the desert. Remember how we went to sleep in a train? It was attacked in the middle of the night by some kind of dark beast that breathed green fire. My initial thought was that it was a dragon. Still is, but there are still a few questions; for example, why did it send us to a desert? Why did some things fuse and melt, and others just come along? How the hay did it send a train, complete with train tracks so far? And above all, why?
By my calculations, we're at least three days' walk or a couple hours' flight from anywhere. The area is arid, and has very little water. I've made a map of the area on page 34 of the main log.
Normally, I'd just pick a direction and fly until I ran out of land or came across something interesting. However, there are six others here, and I think I may be warming up to some of them. There are two griffons, Rinda and the Ambassador; Soot, a unicorn, and two earth ponies, Grease Spot and Crown Cork. I rather enjoy talking with Grease, but Cork just rubs me the wrong way. He seems to believe that he is the leader of our little party; this wouldn' t be so bad, if he were capable of also believing that perhaps he's wrong.
Anyway.
We found ourselves in a desert, and most of us did our part to prep for the journey ahead; I scouted out the area, made a sled, and helped care for the Ambassador, who'd been knocked out. Grease helped create another sled to carry our supplies.
Course, all that went out the window the minute we set out. I found a set of glowing rocks, and started poking at it to find out why they glowed. Turns out, as an investigative method, "Poke it until something happens" leaves something to be desired, especially when 'it' happens to be alive. Though, it's somewhat debatable whether a golem counts alive.
See, that's what we found there. It seemed to be some kind of guard; it spoke several languages, among which was an ancient dialect of Equestrian. I'm glad that my parents were so insistent that I take that course; otherwise communication would have been very difficult.
As it was, it accused me of meddling with it, and put me under arrest. I might have been able to fly away, but couldn't leave these ponies alone with it.
You know, reading over that, I feel a bit like I'm bragging. Really don't want to do that, but somehow I doubt that I'll be putting this particular part of my journal into the Compendium. It reads like something out of Burned Jewels. (Not that this is a bad thing; I love his story about sending a mare to the moon with an oversized party cannon. Delightfully offbeat.)
I'm rambling, aren't I? Remember, Dive Bomb; paper is cheap and easy in Equestria, but we're not there.
Anyway, Cork proved that he's not entirely useless; somehow, he made a peace offering that the guardian liked. It stopped threatening me, and started leading us towards a city.
I'll admit, I'm excited. An ancient city, with ancient technology. I mean, how often does anypony get this kind of chance? I could find out lots of new things! That is, if we weren't stuck in a desert with limited food, and even more limited supplies.
Now, that's two new things I've learned today, and I'd have to close there if it weren't for one more thing. The rocks in this desert are capable of storing magic. In our case, it was a memory spell. By touching them, we came in contact with the memory of three dead ponies, and a griffon. Kahlin, a unicorn foal, cast a spell to preserve the memory of his parents Kahdar and Amelias, taken away by a creature of shadow and green smoke.
I'll be honest; I messed up. I was insensitive towards them and dug up their house. I suppose that using minor weather effects to dig up what amounts to a grave could be construed as disrespectful. I didn't think things through in my desire to learn more.
Truth to tell, that's gotten me in trouble twice today. It isn't so much that I intend to hurt people; it's more that by focusing too much on getting the knowledge, I can lose sight of why I want to learn this knowledge. I want to help ponies, to make them happy, to perfect this world. I can't help ponies if I ignore their feelings in pursuit of knowledge. I have to be more careful when I'm talking to others, when I'm investigating. In order to avoid hurting others, I need to ask myself how such a question would make me feel in their situation.
After all, I'd hope that they would do the same for me.
Dive Bomb's eyes went to his right saddlebag, the burgundy one with the sapphire triple-lightning bolt clasp, and smiled wanly. Maybe that was part of the key to understanding other ponies. It almost felt like a betrayal of all that he was fighting so hard to achieve. After all, knowledge was the key to understanding the universe, and the key to saving ponies' lives.
So why was he smiling?
He looked at the journal, and frowned; something was missing. Ah, there it was. He jotted down a short sentence, tucked the pen inside the notebook, and plopped the journal back in the saddlebag.
Though his wing still throbbed, as he drifted off to sleep, he smiled again at the last note in the journal:
"I dreamed of home last night."
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
Name: Dive Bomb
Aliases: “D. B.”
City of Birth: Cloudsdale
Occupation: Chemist/researcher
Ideal: "I will perfect the world."
Flawed ideal: "Life isn't perfect."
How does one describe Dive Bomb? Well, let’s imagine that you’re at a party. You see that pony at the center of everything, whooping it up, encouraging everyone to “getcher hooves in the air,” and moshing with the best of them? That’s not him. In fact, he’s not even at the party. Odds are that he’s actually back at home with his muzzle in a book, or examining the chemical uses of a dandelion.
Physical description: Dive Bomb is not very striking physically; he’s of average build and size for a Pegasus—that is to say, a light, agile frame, covered with a dusting of light green fur. Piercing, intelligent sea-green eyes peer out at the world from beneath a mop of navy blue hair. A blue dictionary almost the same color as his mane sits gently on his flank.
Personality: Perhaps two words can be used to describe Dive Bomb succinctly; the first is “curiosity.” He wants to learn everything there is to know about Equestria, record it, and use it to make a better future. He tries to see the good in everything, though he has a snarky inner side to him. He dreams of a future where ponies have all but eliminated war, poverty, and death through anything but old age.
The other half of his personality could be summed up with the word “reserved.” He very rarely rushes into a confrontation, or a conversation, to be honest. It’s not so much that he’s shy as he is inexperienced. He doesn’t want to offend people, and hesitates to act when he’s not sure what the best course is. (This means that he misses some opportunities, due to indecision.) He comes off as being awkward and cold to people who aren’t his friends—so, pretty much everyone.
The fact is, he wants to understand everything. The problem is that ponies refuse to be categorized or make sense. Thus, he usually hangs back until he's sure of a course.
Family: Dive Bomb’s relationship with his family is an interesting one. His father, Thunderhead, is a stunt flyer. His mother, Aurora Wind, is a stunt flyer. His brother, Nimble Bolt, was a stunt flyer. You could say that stunt flying is in his blood; one of his great-grandparents was a Wonderbolt, and he’s distantly related to Spitfire. The only problem is that Dive Bomb doesn’t really want to be a stunt flyer.
He and his father have clashed in the past over this, since Thunderhead is a very paternal father. However, with Nimble Bolt’s support and his mother’s neutrality, nothing really happened apart from some tension between the two. DB was content, and things only improved once he moved out and started studying seriously.
All this went south when Nimble Bolt got sick with an as yet unknown disease. The doctors didn’t know what to make of it; it was resistant to all known forms of medicine, and eventually told the family that they’d done all they could.
DB refused to accept this, and threw himself into his studies, desperate to find a cure. He was working so hard, he wasn’t there when Nimble Bolt slipped away, or when he was buried. His parents came looking for him, and found him amongst a sprawl of papers, notes, and books. Things with his father finally came to a head, and angry words were said on both sides.
He hasn’t been back since.
Despite this, Dive Bomb really does love his family, and his father really does love him. His father’s approval means a lot to him, and one of the secondary reasons he’s out in the world is to prove to himself and his father that he was right. No-one will die to disease ever again.
Likes: Learning, the color blue, flying, carrots, apples, potatoes, reading. Strawberry shakes, Burned Jewels (scifi author), military marches and other bombastic music
Dislikes: Awkward / social situations, people who impose on his life, being touched, losing control of a situation or himself, weepy music
Mannerisms: As noted before, he is a very cautious, reserved pony, and it carries over to his speech; he usually doesn't say much at all, preferring to observe until the ideal time. When speaking, his voice is calm and quiet unless he's stressed or angry, when he develops a stammer.
His body language is much more expressive, since most of it is instinctual. His wings play a large part in that when he's on the ground; they bristle when he's angry, droop to his sides when he's sad, flare out when he's startled, and raise halfway when he's beginning to get irritated with someone. He's also acquired the habit of hovering in place when he's thinking about a difficult question.
He is very protective of his personal space, though usually this just takes the form of him avoiding people who encroach thereon. Touching him, and touching his wings in particular, are good ways to rapidly earn his dislike and ire respectively.
Skills: There are a few areas where Dive Bomb really excels: chemistry and learning. His experiments with chemicals first began when he found his way into his father’s stunt flying chemicals as a child, and almost blew a wall off their house. He’s since moved onto more useful applications such as medicine, but has retained a fondness for things that explode. He also knows a few basic recipes; after all, what is cooking but a different flavor of chemistry?
His other skill comes from his memory. He can remember most anything he comes across, and so finds learning especially easy.
The Book of Numbers
Spoiler
Dive Bomb
Pegasus colt
Guiding Element: Magic
Cutie Mark: Blue Dictionary with gold A-Z
Special Purpose: Discover, recover, and record knowledge.
Body: 3
Mind: 5
Heart: 1
Energy: 8
Courage: 6
Fortitude: 4
Willpower: 9
Talents: Wary, Tireless
Flaw: Shy.
Job: Chemist 2
Skills:
Pharmaceutical medicine 3
Research 1
Improvised Explosives 1
Home Cooking 1
Aerobatics 5
Weathercraft 4
XP spent: 24/25
Egghead 10 xp
On the job training (Chemist level 2) 4xp
Skill up medicine (level 3) 5 xp
Awesome Aerobatics 5 xp
1 xp remaining.
Possessions: two small saddlebags--one contains practical medicines, the other small amounts of explosives and chemicals. He's also never without his notebook and pen.
Added to the OP. In fact, if any of you guys want to do something similar it makes things alot easier if you compile it all into one post
Added to the OP. In fact, if any of you guys want to do something similar it makes things alot easier if you compile it all into one post
Well that's... intimidatingly thorough. I'll see if I can measure up to it. It will probably take a little while so I can figure out some names and such (not to mention working around schoolwork), so expect revisions and additions.
Description:
Spoiler
Name: Grease Spot
Nicknames: Grease
Hometown: Canterlot
Ideal: "Teamwork drives perfection."
Flawed Ideal: "I must drive perfection."
Personality:
Grease Spot is a very driven kind of pony. She believes that the only way for the world to become a truly better place is for everyone to contribute and do their part. This is part of why she became a mechanic. The job of a mechanic is to keep other ponies' things running smoothly so that they can do their own jobs better.
Of course, not all ponies think this way. From her point of view, many feel content to ride on the efforts of others while giving back only the minimum required of them. This attitude frustrates her, because clearly everything would be so much better if everyone followed her philosophy. As such, she often finds herself nagging those around her, trying to get them to work harder and spend less time on trivial things. Almost as often she has to stop herself from becoming unpleasant while doing so. After all, constant nagging is more detrimental to teamwork than it is helpful. To this end, she has put a fair amount of effort into her socializing skills.
Physical Description:
Grease Spot is about average height for a mare. She is solidly built, a result of years of regularly lifting and pulling machinery, aided by her hobby of playing hoofball.
Her coat is denim blue, with a dark grey patch on her chest. (Which is, incidentally, how she got her name.) Her mane and tail are a lighter shade of grey, and her mane is cut to a practically short length.
Last but not least, her eyes are colored golden yellow.
Family:
Grease Spot is very close to her family. Her parents, like the parents of many ponies, did quite a bit to shape her into who she is today. Her father, Silent Vigil, used to be a member of the Royal Guard. She learned of her ideas about responsibility and duty to society from him, especially since he expected her to be a role model for her two younger siblings. Her mother, Hammer Hoof, was a blacksmith. It could easily be said that Grease's affinity for working with her hooves comes from her, whether learned or inherited. And whether she's willing to admit it or not, she most likely picked up her tendency to nag at ponies from the same source.
Grease's younger brother is Brush Stroke, the middle child. As his name might suggest, he works as an artist, though he actually works better as a sculptor than a painter. Grease and Brush get along very well, despite their seemingly opposite professions. They get along so well, in fact, that they still live together in Canterlot, even though most city ponies their age would have moved away from family years ago.
This is definitely not the case with Grease' youngest sibling, Berry Punch. Berry, being the youngest child, has always been a little bit spoiled. In Grease's opinion, she's been spoiled rotten. To her, Berry is a representation of the kind of freeloading pony that drags society down so much. Despite their arguments, though, Grease still cares for her sister and wants her to make something of hr life. Berry moved out to Ponyville with Hammer Hoof and Silent Vigil several years ago when they retired, and since then has gained a bit of a reputation as the town drunk.
Stats:
Spoiler
Grease Spot
Earth Pony Mare
Guiding Element: Generosity
Special Purpose: Keeping the world running smoothly
Cutie Mark: Oil can
Notable Possessions: Her toolbags, which contain a variety of wrenches, screwdrivers, lubricant, and other tools necessary for her job. She is rarely seen without it.
[Struck-out things were relevant during character creation, but aren't now.]
And for something new*, recent backstory!
Spoiler
Grease has been very busy for the past couple months, helping reconstruct after the damage caused by the Changeling invasion. While most of the cosmetic damage and vital infrastructure were repaired very quickly, there were all kinds of less prominent things to be fixed, and after that she had to deal with the huge pileup of her regular work. It was only last week that she was able to caught up enough to take a short vacation to visit her parents in Ponyville. While the usual nagging about her love life was not quite as relaxing as she would have liked, she finally feels like she's back into the rhythm of everyday life in Canterlot.
It is only now that she feels caught up enough to take a week-long break to visit her family in Ponyville and relax after all of her hard work.
*By "new" I mean I thought of it weeks ago and am only sharing it now.
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One Tin Pony avatar by Balmas
Last edited by One Tin Soldier : 05-16-2013 at 10:17 PM.
Reason: status update
Well that's... intimidatingly thorough. I'll see if I can measure up to it. It will probably take a little while so I can figure out some names and such (not to mention working around schoolwork), so expect revisions and additions.
Description:
Spoiler
Name: Grease Spot
Nicknames: Grease
Hometown: Canterlot
Ideal: "Teamwork drives perfection."
Flawed Ideal: "I must drive perfection."
Personality: Grease Spot is a very driven kind of pony. She believes that the only way for the world to become a truly better place is for everyone to contribute and do their part. This is part of why she became a mechanic. The job of a mechanic is to keep other ponies' things running smoothly so that they can do their own jobs better.
Of course, not all ponies think this way. From her point of view, many feel content to ride on the efforts of others while giving back only the minimum required of them. This attitude frustrates her, because clearly everything would be so much better if everyone followed her philosophy. As such, she often finds herself nagging those around her, trying to get them to work harder and spend less time on trivial things. Almost as often she has to stop herself from becoming unpleasant while doing so. After all, constant nagging is more detrimental to teamwork than it is helpful. To this end, she has put a fair amount of effort into her socializing skills.
Physical Description:
Grease Spot is about average height for a mare. She is solidly built, a result of years of regularly lifting and pulling machinery, aided by her hobby of playing hoofball.
Her coat is denim blue, with a dark grey patch on her chest. (Which is, incidentally, how she got her name.) Her mane and tail a lighter shade of grey, and her mane is cut to a practically short length.
Last but not least, her eyes are colored golden yellow.
Family:
Grease Spot is very close to her family. Her parents, like the parents of many ponies, did quite a bit to shape her into who she is today. Her father, Silent Vigil, used to be a member of the Royal Guard. She learned of her ideas about responsibility and duty to society from him, especially since he expected her to be a role model for her two younger siblings. Her mother, Hammer Hoof, was a blacksmith. It could easily be said that Grease's affinity for working with her hooves comes from her, whether learned or inherited. And whether she's willing to admit it or not, she most likely picked up her tendency to nag at ponies from the same source.
Grease's younger brother is Brush Stroke, the middle child. As his name might suggest, he works as an artist, though he actually works better as a sculptor than a painter. Grease and Brush get along very well, despite their seemingly opposite professions. They get along so well, in fact, that they still live together in Canterlot, even though most city ponies their age would have moved away from family years ago.
This is definitely not the case with Grease' youngest sibling, Berry Punch. Berry, being the youngest child, has always been a little bit spoiled. In Grease's opinion, she's been spoiled rotten. To her, Berry is a representation of the kind of freeloading pony that drags society down so much. Despite their arguments, though, Grease still cares for her sister and wants her to make something of hr life. Berry moved out to Ponyville with Hammer Hoof and Silent Vigil several years ago when they retired, and since then has gained a bit of a reputation as the town drunk.
Stats:
Spoiler
Grease Spot
Earth Pony Mare
Guiding Element: Generosity
Special Purpose: Keeping the world running smoothly
Cutie Mark: Oil can
Notable Possessions: Her toolbags, which contain a variety of wrenches, screwdrivers, lubricant, and other tools necessary for her job. She is rarely seen without it.
And for something new*, recent backstory!
Spoiler
Grease has been very busy for the past couple months, helping reconstruct after the damage caused by the Changeling invasion. While most of the cosmetic damage and vital infrastructure were repaired very quickly, there were all kinds of less prominent things to be fixed, and after that she had to deal with the huge pileup of her regular work. It was only last week that she was able to caught up enough to take a short vacation to visit her parents in Ponyville. While the usual nagging about her love life was not quite as relaxing as she would have liked, she finally feels like she's back into the rhythm of everyday life in Canterlot.
*By "new" I mean I thought of it weeks ago and am only sharing it now.
It's weird; I am a college student with tons of homework, yet I am suddenly filled with a desire to illustrate for other people. Why is this?
Also, do we know where and how we meet up? It might be awkward for underage foals to meet in a tavern.
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
Well I decided to mix it up a little, the inital plan is for you all to be heading somewhere on the same overnight train out of Canterlot (up to you whether or not you are actually travelling together or to different destinations on the same line.)
*Insert Railroading joke here*
In other news, due to renovations I've been booted from the room in our house which has the internet connection. Working on wifi now and hoping it holds up.
As an update on character progress. I've been chatting to Amish for the last two days and we've made pretty good progress on his character. He flys back home next weekend, and given that Ravian gets back from his trip at the same time, this seems like a good goal for a start date.
The following items need resolving first;
Cork needs his stats
Soot needs her spells
OTSneeds a discussion with me on Grease's age. Cork, Soot and DB are all colt/filly age, i.e. young adults like Twilight and crew. Grease would be the only character approaching middle age (i.e. Mayor Mare, Fleur de Lys, Mrs Cake).
(Everyone being the same age makes it a bit easier on my part in terms of standardising power levels, but I'm happy to have the disparity if the age gap would be an integral part of the character and everyone else is comfortable with that.)
Grease needs a discussion with me on her age. Cork, Soot and DB are all colt/filly age, i.e. young adults like Twilight and crew. Grease would be the only character approaching middle age (i.e. Mayor Mare, Fleur de Lys, Mrs Cake)
(it makes it a bit easier on my part in terms of standardising power levels, but I'm happy to have the disparity if the age gap would be an integral part of the character and everyone else is comfortable with that.)
I'm comfortable with a gap in power, this isn't exactly D&D we're playing here.
As far as stats go, I should be able to have something up later today. Still struggling with the Special Purpose, but I'll have to think of that after work.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eakin
We're like the weeping angels from Doctor Who, except with cuddling and friendship instead of horrible death. Don't look away.
Well I decided to mix it up a little, the inital plan is for you all to be heading somewhere on the same overnight train out of Canterlot (up to you whether or not you are actually travelling together or to different destinations on the same line.)
*Insert Railroading joke here*
As an update on character progress. I've been chatting to Amish for the last two days and we've made pretty good progress on his character. He flys back home next weekend, and given that Ravian gets back from his trip at the same time, this seems like a good goal for a start date.
The following items need resolving first;
Cork needs his stats
Soot needs her spells
OTSneeds a discussion with me on Grease's age. Cork, Soot and DB are all colt/filly age, i.e. young adults like Twilight and crew. Grease would be the only character approaching middle age (i.e. Mayor Mare, Fleur de Lys, Mrs Cake).
(Everyone being the same age makes it a bit easier on my part in terms of standardising power levels, but I'm happy to have the disparity if the age gap would be an integral part of the character and everyone else is comfortable with that.)
Okay, first off: *Choo chooo*
I'm down with a week's time. It gives me a couple days to finish that third fic.
I'm also okay with the age gap between DB and Grease Spot--in my mind, she's a semi-mentor figure who may help him learn some social skills.
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
Name: Crown Cork
Earth Pony Colt
Guiding Element: Honesty
Cutie Mark: A trio of bottlecaps, freshly painted
Special Purpose: His special purpose is highlighting what makes things special.
As for the train ride, here's what I figured: The big Cork press conference is tomorrow, and Crown was psyching himself up the whole day to talk with Pop Cork about where his place was in the future of the company. Right as he's about to knock on his dad's door, Pop bursts out in a tizzy. Apparently, he left some key papers back at the family estate, and he doesn't have the time to go fetch them due to tons of preparatory work he has to do tonight. Cork, cursing his foul luck, volunteers to head out on the next overnight train, grab the papers, and be back before the press arrive tomorrow evening. Pop wraps him up in a tight hug, saying how he can always count on his son, and how proud he is of him.
Needless to say, Cork doesn't expect he'll be getting any sleep on the train.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eakin
We're like the weeping angels from Doctor Who, except with cuddling and friendship instead of horrible death. Don't look away.
Well I decided to mix it up a little, the inital plan is for you all to be heading somewhere on the same overnight train out of Canterlot (up to you whether or not you are actually travelling together or to different destinations on the same line.)
*Insert Railroading joke here*
In other news, due to renovations I've been booted from the room in our house which has the internet connection. Working on wifi now and hoping it holds up.
As an update on character progress. I've been chatting to Amish for the last two days and we've made pretty good progress on his character. He flys back home next weekend, and given that Ravian gets back from his trip at the same time, this seems like a good goal for a start date.
The following items need resolving first;
Cork needs his stats
Soot needs her spells
OTSneeds a discussion with me on Grease's age. Cork, Soot and DB are all colt/filly age, i.e. young adults like Twilight and crew. Grease would be the only character approaching middle age (i.e. Mayor Mare, Fleur de Lys, Mrs Cake).
(Everyone being the same age makes it a bit easier on my part in terms of standardising power levels, but I'm happy to have the disparity if the age gap would be an integral part of the character and everyone else is comfortable with that.)
Yeah, I was having similar thoughts, but Grease Spot's age is important to her character. I can adjust her to fit if the rest of the party has a problem with it, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It might also be worth noting that the points where she has her most ridiculous diepools (Like repairing machines, where she should be consistently getting +15 and her cutie mark bonus) are best suited to support work.
Also, with that beginning scene I think I'll adjust her recent backstory and say she's just leaving to visit Ponyville.
As for the train ride, here's what I figured: The big Cork press conference is tomorrow, and Crown was psyching himself up the whole day to talk with Pop Cork about where his place was in the future of the company. Right as he's about to knock on his dad's door, Pop bursts out in a tizzy. Apparently, he left some key papers back at the family estate, and he doesn't have the time to go fetch them due to tons of preparatory work he has to do tonight. Cork, cursing his foul luck, volunteers to head out on the next overnight train, grab the papers, and be back before the press arrive tomorrow evening. Pop wraps him up in a tight hug, saying how he can always count on his son, and how proud he is of him.
Needless to say, Cork doesn't expect he'll be getting any sleep on the train.
Stats look good. No errors I could see. When you're solid on the words up above, can you combine them into a single post with these stats and any background info you want collated into your character sheet?
So, let me see if I understand Crown Cork's relationship with his family. He's what might be called the heir to the soda empire, having been groomed for the position. He accepts this, and would be good at it. However, he doesn't really want to go in to management, preferring to lead from the side. How close am I?
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
So, let me see if I understand Crown Cork's relationship with his family. He's what might be called the heir to the soda empire, having been groomed for the position. He accepts this, and would be good at it. However, he doesn't really want to go in to management, preferring to lead from the side. How close am I?
Rather close.
Cork was being groomed to take over the company after his forays into art failed dramatically. Once he got his cutie mark, the question of whether or not he was to lead the company was never brought up again. On his side, he felt it was still expected of him, and so because he didn't want to let down the family, he kept at it. On the father's side, he saw his son continue to push himself towards leadership, so he had no reason to question it.
Cork accepts this, and would be good at it if he could figure out how to not view the monotony of management as "work". He can't stand all the meetings, the boring finances, the humdrum of just making sure everything is running well. And with his Ideal/Flawed Ideal - which he can thank his Father for - he's not the best at nurturing ponies for their roles. Rather, he places them where he thinks they'd best fit, and just leaves them there until a better fit opens up. So he's not the best leader currently, but he does okay.
I'm not entirely sure what leading from the side means, to be honest. I think you may be right, but what exactly do you mean?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eakin
We're like the weeping angels from Doctor Who, except with cuddling and friendship instead of horrible death. Don't look away.
By "lead from the side" I mean he's much more comfortable working side-by-side with people than he is watching them. He'd prefer to work with the ponies than sit in a corporate office and issue edicts.
__________________
Allons-y!
"Everything I see is total, unblemished reality...Except for the flying carrots. Those are probably fake." ~Trixie
By "lead from the side" I mean he's much more comfortable working side-by-side with people than he is watching them. He'd prefer to work with the ponies than sit in a corporate office and issue edicts.
Yeah, I think that's how he turned out. Except he's been brought up to lead from the top, so, yeah.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eakin
We're like the weeping angels from Doctor Who, except with cuddling and friendship instead of horrible death. Don't look away.
Name: Soot
Nickname: Thief (Stop Thief! Get back here you little Thief!)
Hometown: Manehatten
Ideal: "If everyone cares, then nobody cries"
Flawed Ideal: If they won't care, I won't either
Personality: Soot's attitude is largely determined by who she's with. While with friends she's a very social pony, loving a good laugh and quick to lend a hoof to help with or a shoulder to cry on. She is very attached to her friends and works to help them any way she can. She often acts in a maternal role and will often take it upon herself to settle a dispute or work out a problem. While she'll often snark and be sarcastic, she never does it out of cruelty and is quick to realize when such an attitude is not appropriate. When her friends are in danger, she'll often go into a sort of momma bear mode and will go all out when against the threat.
Around others, she puts on a suspicious face. Life has taught her that charity is not easily found and there are many unscrupulous individuals who would feign it for their own advantage. She is quick to look the gift horse in the mouth and is distrustful of strangers. Only a clear show of trust will shake her into acceptance. She takes betrayal particularly hard.
While alone her suspicion is also clear, but she also gets paranoid as well. Quick to see things that aren't there. She'll often talk to herself in vain attempts to keep her spirits up. During any extended time alone her paranoia hits a high and she will often start to go a little crazy (Not Pinkamena crazy, more like Rainbow Dash anxiety).
Family: Never knew her parents so her closest thing to a parental figure was a kind old Unicorn named Rusty who lived on the streets like her. He taught her how to get by and treated her like his own, until the day he didn't wake up after a particularly cold night in the Winter, she still blames herself for not being able to help him even if there wasn't anything she could do. Since then she has formed her own band of young street ponies who she acts as leader and caretaker for. Drizzle, Scamp, Olive, Penny, and Whisper. Drizzle, the next oldest, is a Pegasus colt who she typically leaves in charge whenever she's off scavenging or doing a quick job. While he's good with the foals, he's not nearly as street savvy as her. Scamp is a rambunctious young Pegasus who idolizes Soot and her thievery, often getting himself into one stick or another. Olive and Penny are a pair of Earth Pony twin sisters who generally scavenge and beg but also have an eye for design, as their cleverly built hideaway will suggest. Soot thinks the two are very creative and wishes the world had been kind enough for them to use their talents elsewhere. Finally Whisper is a shy little Unicorn colt who barely ever speaks above a mumble, Soot worries about him because he only recently ran away from his home and doesn't speak at all about the experience. She's not even completely sure if Whisper is his real name and worries if she should try to bring him home or not.
Physical Description: When ponies look at Soot the polite phrase they might use is scruffy, those less inclined to sugar words usually prefer filthy if they're not feeling very creative. Soot's coat is a patchwork of mottled greys supplemented by all sorts of actual soot and dirt she has contracted from a life with lots of dirty streets and not alot of showers. Her mane and tail are likewise messy and tangled, grey with a black streak running through the them. Her eyes possess some of the only real color in her body being a catlike yellow. While of average height she is fairly thin, and generally has an underfed look about her.
Likes: Foals, helping others, a good practical joke (usually with some snooty noble at the butt end of it), manehatten tofu dogs
Dislikes: Suffering, snooty rich ponies, cold, being alone
Mannerisms: Soot tends to hold herself lightly as if she's ready to run at a moment's notice, her eyes generally look around the room taking in details or else focus on a single thing and everything about it. She oftens ***** her ears in a similar fashion. She often uses gestures with her hooves when she talks, pointing at or empasizing certain things. When she needs to be silent and communicate, these gestures are particularly handy.
Skills: Soot is first and foremost a thief. She has learned to become incredibly stealthy with or without magic and has learned everything from how to lift a purse to how to open a lock with a few scant improvise tools. She is also particularly good at scavenging, and is often amazed at what kinds of things ponies will throw away.
Stats:
Spoiler
Soot
Unicorn Filly
Body- 2, Heart-3, Mind 4 (+1 heart from advancements)
Fortitude- 5, Energy- 6, Courage 7, Willpower 9
Cutie Mark: Pale gold heart with white wings
Special Purpose: Redistribution of Wealth so that those without are cared for
Job: Thief (level 2)
Skills: Stealth 3, Pickpocketing 1, Lockpicking 1, Scavenging 1
Talents: Sensitive, Wary
Spells known:
Sneak in the Shadows
Level 3
Deceive, Light
Range- Contact, Duration- Temporary
Difficulty- 3
Soot shrouds herself to make light bend around her, rendering herself invisible to normal sight
Shrouded Sight
Level 2
Decieve, Light, Body
Range- Anmiomorphic, Duration- Concentration
Difficulty- 4 (+1 from attack against defenses)
Soot binds an illusory darkness to a target's eyes, rendering them blind as long as she concentrates
Lights Out
Level 1
Diminish, Light
Range- Spectacle, Duration- Temporary
Difficulty- 5 (costs 1 willpower if it fails)
Soot coats an area in a blanket of darkness, obscuring everything within
Detect Life
Level 1
Reveal, Body
Range- Spectacle, Duration- Concentration
Difficulty- 3
Soot is able to sense the locations of sentient creatures in an area, useful to avoid guards, not so much for their dogs
Follow the Pretty light
Level 1
Animate, Forge, Light
Range- Anmiomorphic, Duration- Concentration
Difficulty- 3
Soot conjures a mote of light and directs where it goes
Flaws: Low Society
Element: Kindness
Advancements:
+1 Heart 10 pts,
Uplifting Attitude 5 pts,
On-the- Job training (+1 level to thief) 4 pts,
Skill-up (Stealth to level 3) 5 pts
(Will finish the rest soon, getting late where I am)
24/25 experience spent
Devices: set of lockpicks, saddlebag
__________________ DMing: Glare of the Crimson Sun, a 4e Dark Sun campaign OOC IC Map
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