Fear and Characters

I've got to admit, this has been a busy week at work. Last Wednesday, we set a record for traffic levels at Denver Center. I came home with bruises on my bruises from getting my butt kicked. Then, Thursday, we broke that record again. Yaahhhh, somebody stop the ride, I'm scared!!!

Speaking (writing?) of scared brings up the concept of fright for fictional characters. All too often in the IFGS, we play our characters as if nothing frightens them, or if we do admit to a fear, it is something outlandish that we can overact to in order to create "roleplaying". I'm guilty of that, how many remember the earlier days of Brandis when he was "Cave or Tunnel Claustrophobic". Thankfully, I toned that down as I came to create a more believable character, but it is typical of what the average roleplayer adds to create depth.

Writing requires a more realistic view on fears, if the reader is to sympathize with the character. Having a hero who fears nothing evokes images of the muscle bound stereotype Conan. I know I enjoyed that characterization to a small degree early on, but it didn't take long for me to crave characters who show human (or whatever race) sides that I can understand, and who change as their life changes. Cook's Garrett, A hard boiled investigator straight out of the noir detective novels of the 40's and 50's is one example. He starts out pretty single minded, avoid work, wealth matters only so much as it can buy another keg of ale, and dames in distress always mean trouble. Later in the series, his honor and morality come to play as he stops shirking responsibility and comes to the aid of his friends, again and again, despite a deep fear of failure. Stereotypes, they do exist, but they're overshadowed by the realness of his emotions.

In IFGS, Player Characters come to the table with the assumption that they'll win, every time. There is no doubt, facing the typical cash and carry monty-haul type adventure that gets turned out most of the time these days, that they'll succeed, and continue to get wealthier and wealthier than any king of the realm. We should paint an Alfred E. Neumann Face on every typical PC's shield or taberd. "What, ME Worry?". A fictional hero comes to the table with confidance, yes. But nobody but fools assume they'll win no matter what they do. And nobody wants to read about fools.

Clear skies,
Jim