A GM PLANNING BOARD

Memories
So while straightening up the computer room (a task that ay well take me to the end of my days), I came across the Book of Shadows for Archmagus Belladonna, aka Briony Goldmane-Nomansson. It was interesting - I had notes of spell ideas, thoughts on the different characters she had encountered, bits and pieces of prophecies and poems, her interpretation of them, and various other sundry things.

You've got to love a character who has a spell where the effect is "Turns a glass of water into a glass of Amnite Blueberry Wine, 347 NR (347 Northern Reckoning)." (She only researched this spell - she never actually developed it.) (Other spells include "Bath in a Bottle" - a potion that, when someone is dowsed with it, makes them clean; and a spell that involves sacrificing something of value in order to gain more money.) (On the other hand, she once improvised a Demon Ward that was highly functional, and has done things like open portals to hell and create artificial living bodies to put spirits into. She was just careful about it.)

Belladonna was . . . well, she was well educated but not terribly bright. She had her share of "blonde moments," which, fittingly enough, I've not had with any other character. (When I play, I've noticed that once I can get into the mind of a character, they pick up traits I don't have or amplify my own traits. Belladonna had her share of airhead moments. (I figure any character who could get Benoni to shout "You immense DITZ!" is worth remembering.)

(By comparison - when playing Tempest, my old Solar Exalted Zenith Caste Warrior-Priest, frequently the direct route was the one he would begin to take. Tempest believed he was in charge, but was also smart enough to realize he didn't know everything - so when another PC would say "Let me handle this - it requires delicacy" he'd agree. On the other hand, when trying to disrupt a magical ritual and finding that the head cultist was protected from harm, Tempest's next action was to destroy the floor under the caster, therefore knocking him out of the casting area and forcing him to lose his focus.)

(A third character from the past - Taryn Bearslayer. She was kind of direct, like Tempest, but also much more cunning. (The operative word was Clever.) Taryn would have flashes of insight that were unique to her - for example, after realizing that she didn't want to have to fight through a bunch of darkened tunnels against an unknown number of demon-tainted trolls, she got it in her head to get the group's elementalist to cast a fireball spell down a ley line directly into their mountain. The end result - massive explosion, dozens of dead trolls, and easy access to the magical node we were headed to. She was a lot like Alexander and the Gordanian Knot.)

I like the idea that when I play, the personality isn't entirely my own anymore. Sometimes, it's bad (like when Taryn got depressed and went into a year long drunken stupor without asking me if it was okay for her to do that), but for the most part its pretty rewarding - after the game, wondering "Where the heck did that come from?"

I keep thinking I should post bits and pieces of Belladonna's journal here. (Would anyone read them?) This would consist mostly of her views of characters like Benoni, Mia, Clearview, and Armadies, combined with a few random passing thoughts. (Her bits on the Song of Swords was interesting - the more she understood the 'truth,' the less she liked the game, and the happier she was when her patron deity seemed to not be involved in it. Though she had some thoughts on that as well.)

Game well
Rich

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: Tool - Stinkfist

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