Character Cast and Tiers | The Misty Isle

Character Cast and Tiers Dec 2, 2023 2:12:32 GMT

Post by Lux on Dec 2, 2023 2:12:32 GMT

The Misty Isle assigns characters to three tiers. These are broadly reflective of how much I expect each character to be a driving force of the plot of each episode. In very broad terms, the higher a character's tier, the more social influence, political power, military strength or wealth they have.

Tier 1 characters are those usually powerful characters who are central to an episode. If players wish to play a tier 1 character, I ask that they be prepared to commit to regular playtimes for the duration of that episode, because their characters will be major drivers of plot and creators of activity for others. Furthermore, due to the fact that the game will often involve inter-character conflict, it is important that players of tier 1 characters acknowledge that their characters have the most to lose, and take it with good grace. Tier 1 characters will generally have the most information about their personalities and goals defined already, and players will need to play to that.

Tier 2 characters are other influential, powerful or wealthy characters. They are generally not going to be on quite the same level as tier 1 characters. While they are influential, their absence should not be unduly deleterious to an episode. I would only ask that players of tier 2 characters try to notify me if they are going to be absent for more than a week. Tier 2 characters will generally not be as thoroughly defined and described as tier 1 characters.

Tier 3 characters are original characters and named cast characters with roots in an area but not particularly high levels of influence. These could be everyone from a servant in a noble household to a priest. It's basically everyone else. There are no requirements or expectations of people playing such characters. Named characters will generally have hooks linking them into an area, but typically only slight definition beyond that.

Tier 4 characters are those player characters who are almost guaranteed to be able to be carried over from episode to episode. They generally won't have as much influence as a tier 3 character in the same situation, due to not having strong connections to an area.

Before each episode, I will put out a notice for players interested in picking up named characters. In particular, this means filling out every tier 1 character for an episode, and ideally a few tier 2 characters.

Character Cast and Tiers Dec 3, 2023 16:57:08 GMT

Post by Lux on Dec 3, 2023 16:57:08 GMT

Here is a non-exhaustive list of concepts that I am likely to approve as tier 4 characters.

Adventurers: those people who travel the isle in search of adventure. Exactly what it says on the tin. Their main interest may be travel for travel's sake, or it may be a matter of venturing into the wilderness to explore one of the many ruins around the isle. They may also take up mercenary employment as it suits them.
Guild members: I am primarily interested in members of the courtesans', harpers' and heralds' guilds. These are all socially oriented guilds, all of which can very reasonably move in high society circles and participate in political machinations in their various ways. Courtesans and harpers may be subtler about it, while heralds might be employed as professional diplomats and mediators. See also merchants, below.
Mendicants: members of religious orders who have taken vows of poverty to devote themselves to their faith and service to communities. The most likely candidates to be mendicants are Ilvirans and Peonians.
Mercenaries: people who travel the isle to fight for money. Since most episodes will be at political flashpoints, mercenaries are likely to converge on locations with all the employment opportunities that political instability presents.
Merchants: people travelling the isle to sell good from far away for a profit. Merchant concepts will be somewhat restricted. Merchant concepts which I am likely to approve for tier 4 will have to be operators of smaller caravans and people specialising in probably small volumes of goods and fast deliveries, rather than the operators of the larger caravans which can take months to travel between realms, carrying vast amounts of cargo.
Missionaries: clergy who travel the isle with the intention of converting people to their faith. The most likely candidates are Haleans, Peonians and Sarajinians. Haleans are primarily interested in proselytising among the middle class and nobility. Peonians and Sarajinians sometimes taking a particular interest in the tribal nations of the isle.
Teamsters: people who primarily offer services to travelling merchants. They may be permanently employed but I'm including them as a distinct category here if you want to play a teamster who works from job to job. Besides their ability with draft animals, carts and wagons, most teamsters know a little about fighting, but they're not professionals. It's not a role that necessarily has much of a hook into any given episode, but I include it for the sake of completeness.