People tend to gravitate towards certain kinds of characters. Through those characters we experience power and strength. We experience other things as well, but one of the more cathartic experiences an RPG can offer is the power fantasy. Sometimes this is a good thing, we use it to experience what we can be at our best. Other times it is more academic or exploratory. We take a look at what we might be at our darkest, or in certain extremes.
Today I'm curious, if you're willing to share, what is your preferred power fantasy? What traits bring you back again and again to a character?
To a friend of mine the trait he admires the most in his characters, and the stories he likes to tell, are those of perseverance. He likes characters that can take a hit and keep moving forward. He enjoys the idea of the tank, the dedication to keep plodding forward no matter what the world throws at him.
Another friend of mine likes to play the "Hero of Justice" trope. Sure, it sounds annoying, but in truth this person likes using games to be bold, brave, and take a stand where in real life they might shy away. They use games and the structure of the world to push for a more ideal utopia like place where there is room for everyone and all can be safe and warm.
What about you? What is your power fantasy? What trend brings you back to a certain type of character again and again, and why does it do it?
I phrased this as "What Character Archetypes do you enjoy Playing?" when I discussed it here: http://wp.me/pylJj-ij
ReplyDeleteThere I discuss the roles I tend to gravitate to:
The Naive Expert / Talented Innocent
The Pro from Dover
The Reforming Zealot