I’ve been slightly unsatisfied with the theming of the Xenologist career, so I’m considering expanding it to be something of a bridge between Academic, Commercial, Personality and Starfarer. It’ll still deal with “Seek Out New Civilizations” kinda thing, and will play well with all things xeno. At the same time, I wanted something that pushed understanding of people, of societies and of cultures.
This career would give me an opportunity to explore the mental/emotional debilities introduced in this book (between the mental powers and the elder-god-esque arcana). We already have one career that resists these (the fearless Fanatic), but healing from trauma could fall under this umbrella.
Finally, I’d like a few skills that leverage Cramped Quarters, because it’s a strong area that has opportunities to grow. Something like:
Council
When you are involved in a Cramped Quarters, no matter the result, choose one:
– The result is 7-9 instead (can be subsequently changed by someone else’s Get Involved)
– Each party gains a Data Point about another party involved in the Cramped Quarters.
– One of the other participants resolves one of their mental or emotional debilities.
I just need to come up with a name for this new career.
Councilor? Diplomat? Ambassador? I’d like it to be usable as both a first and last word of an archetype (“____” Academic and Academic “_____”)
As always, thoughts/comments are very welcome.
I’m imagining “Council” as happening between two other parties, but Cramped Quarters is between ONLY two, the Councilor included. I think “When you are involved in a Cramped Quarters [move|roll|…]” should be more like “When you intercede between folks in a Cramped Quarters roll”
But… wait a second… “can be subsequently changed by someone else’s Get Involved”. Holy shit, you can Get Involved in a CQ roll. My mind is blown.
Hm. What sci-fi character in books, films, TV, etc. would be a xenologist in your opinion? From the Council Move, Deanna Troi from Star Trek comes to mind. Is that the kind of character you are imagining?
Back when I played living Arcanis I liked Patrician as a name for a class, a talker, diplomat social.type.
But I also like Ambassador
Genly Ai from Left Hand of Darkness?
John Miewald Yeah, Councilor Troy and Guinan from Next Gen, Shepherd Book and Inara from Firefly, even Neelix from Voyager. Well-traveled, well-rounded characters who help people get along with each other.
Be sure to make it Counselor, though. Otherwise you’re talking about politicians!
Counselor leverages the fictional inspirations well.
Take my comments with a grain of salt. I haven’t even had my first game yet. 🙂
However, my humble opinion is that Guru, Guide or Advisor would work for many of the characters that you listed. A “Spiritual Guru/Guide/Advisor” might be someone like Yoda or old Ben Kenobi, while a “Starfarer Guru/Guide/Advisor” could be a Ford Prefect type who has seen it all and knows when to bring a towel and not to panic. I imagine Guinan would be a “Commercial Guru/Guide/Advisor” and Deanna Troi a “Psychic Guru/Guide/Advisor.”
The thing with all of these characters is that they have a penetrating insight, not only into aliens, but also into their friends. These guys really get in your head. I think that would be a very cool thing to exploit. Maybe a Move like “Penetrating Insight – When you Get Involved you get +2 to the roll. On a 7+, you reveal/discover the answer to a question about the character you assisted.” Or maybe “Whenever you roll Cramped Quarters, reveal/discover the answer to a question about another player character in addition to the normal result.” I know the wording is not perfect but something where the Guru/Guide/Advisor could be a heavy role-play Career that accelerates character development. I think that might appeal to certain kinds of players.
I’m liking “Councilor” because the other Career really molds the expectation as a whole: Military Councilor, Psychic Councilor.
I’d like a word that works as a noun or a verb (Psychic, Academic). I can’t use “Sage” sadly, wrong setting/vibe.
[Edit] Advocate? Envoy?
Council is an acceptable title that can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun it is a bit old-school to drop the -or unless you are a lawyer…
Doctor or Guide could be both verbs and nouns.
It’s just the English professor in me: “councilor” is a member of a council, “counselor” is one who provides counsel.
Judd Goswick I’m pretty sure that’s ‘counselor/counsel’. It’s also what I’d go with, for the Name part.
Or…Advisor?
I’m partial to Guide and Counsel. Mentor or Advisor might also work.
I think I’m leaning towards “Consul”. Same family as council / councilor, with the added “foreign diplomat”
Sean Gomes How Roman! Do it. 🙂
Noah Doyle – Good catch, but it looks like Sean’s on top of it now.
Consul is perfect, according to Wikipedia anyway 😉