First Event: NPC/PC?

R

ratbutcher

Novice
I still have yet to attend an event. I have been anxiously waiting about a year now to though :P My first event is in March I believe.
For those of you more experienced members, what do you recommend for one's first event? NPC, or character?
I plan on NPC, because my chapter is free for NPC's, and I still have not decided on a character.

While I am asking for advice, which of these following concepts for characters would you rather see in game? (this is my list of possible characters)
- A Battle ready dwarven craftsman/merchant
-A hyperactive spore dryad
-A "flat" darkelf warrior
-A very proud High-Orgre necromancer slayer
-A very loyal and friendly High-Orc
-A painfully-friendly MWE healer
-A blood-thirsty monster-Sarr
-A Stone Elf with an infatuation with learning more and more plants, who has recently taken up the art of the rogue for self protection (most likely choice)
-A proud bard/Gypsie that would love to play a song for you on the kazobut.
 
I suggest NPCing, because you get to see what different weapons, spells, skills and abilities all do and how they work well together. You get an idea of the combat system, and you find out if your aim is any good with a packet :)

Race notes:
Dark elf-ing can be tricky on your own. Some people have done it quite well, I prefer to play with my team.
Stone elves require an out-of-game ability to not let your emotions show, some people find it very difficult.

Try out your most likely character, if you don't have fun with it, try another concept. The more comfortable you are, the easier it will be to play the character. And at low level you probably haven't invested overly much in terms of time or money, so switching is pretty easy.
 
I also recommend NPCing first (though I should also say that I PCed my first event. I intended to NPC, but they asked me if I wanted to PC, and since I had brought enough spare costuming, I did.) since, as phedre says, it gets you used to the systems used. It also can really influence your decisions on how to make your PCs.

Yeah, unless you are prepared to do it, both stone and dark elves are pretty tough races to start out with. They also require serious makeup work and ears, which, for your first event, might end up being highly infuriating to you.
 
I am fully prepared to play a stone elf, it does kind of fit me. As far as make up goes, I have had to wear full makeup and fake ears in the past, and as much as I abhor such a thing, I am willing to go through it again. thanks for the advice guys!
and could you give me a brief explanation of why dark elves are difficult to play? nothing really hard stood out to me in the rulebook.
 
They're just... dark elfy.

Out of curiosity, what chapter would you be playing in?
 
Dark elves are awesome! If you have interest in the race and are willing to invest the time and makeup to look good, they are kick ***. :) That said they are a labor of love.

I am going to guess that some people find them "hard" to play because they tend to be somewhat one of the most stand-offish and racist of characters. However even if you are playing a nearly solo dark elf that can be fun.

But overall I highly recomend NPC'ing initially until you have a good idea where you'd like to fit IG. All of those ideas sound pretty cool so yea, do what you like!
 
Dreamingfurther said:
Dark elves are awesome! If you have interest in the race and are willing to invest the time and makeup to look good, they are kick ***. :) That said they are a labor of love.

I am going to guess that some people find them "hard" to play because they tend to be somewhat one of the most stand-offish and racist of characters. However even if you are playing a nearly solo dark elf that can be fun.

But overall I highly recomend NPC'ing initially until you have a good idea where you'd like to fit IG. All of those ideas sound pretty cool so yea, do what you like!
Click to expand...
Yeah, as far as acting, I think I would do rather well at a dark elf in that case. But they do not sound as entertaining as say a high-orgre. thanks for the response!
 
I recommend PCing, particularly in Seattle and Oregon. It is better to spend an event learning the basics of the game, and understanding how to use ONE character card as effectively as you can, than to get overwhelmed with having to learn five or thirty cards in one weekend. At the same time, in my experience, new players feel the need to prove themselves useful, and that emotion and energy is best geared to a new character than to an NPC whose job may very well be to play at a certain competency level. You'll also be more encouraged, as a PC, to sit around and socialize with other characters and learn both IG and OOG the best way to approach combat.
 
i pc'd my first 3 events
i had fun doing it of course, but i spent most of the time kind of quiet and out of the way mostly cause i didnt know anyone or what was really going on most of the time
after my third event, i jumped fence and npc'd
i loved it, its great fun npcing as to what you should do
its really all a matter of preferance
do i regret not npcing first? not really
do i enjoy the game more now that i know more of what i am doing? absolutly
i even plan on npcing some this year as well as i really do enjoy it.
as it was said above ,npcing is great if your not really sure what you want to play at first with out putting alot of money into an event and you get some experience playing a little bit of everything
casters, fighters, practice on being sneaky and ganking un suspecting pc as they walk in the dark alone... i mean, giving the pc's great experience in adventuring.
anyway, either way, im sure you will have lots of fun.
 
jpariury said:
I recommend PCing, particularly in Seattle and Oregon. It is better to spend an event learning the basics of the game, and understanding how to use ONE character card as effectively as you can, than to get overwhelmed with having to learn five or thirty cards in one weekend. At the same time, in my experience, new players feel the need to prove themselves useful, and that emotion and energy is best geared to a new character than to an NPC whose job may very well be to play at a certain competency level. You'll also be more encouraged, as a PC, to sit around and socialize with other characters and learn both IG and OOG the best way to approach combat.
Click to expand...
heh, that really makes me want to PC now!
 
I'm all for PC'ing the first event. My first, I had enough trouble just remembering all of my spells and what they did, much less being switched off repeatedly for different NPC's, what they'd do, what the PC's would do to THEM, and more so.
 
ratbutcher said:
Gandian Ravenscroft said:
Out of curiosity, what chapter would you be playing in?
Click to expand...

Oregon and Seattle most likely
Click to expand...

I thought I recognized your screenname.

First of all, I recommend PCing your first event. There's nothing like your first event experience as a PC. If you have the option, try to NPC a gameday first, or make it to a fighter's practice. I'm not certain where you're located, but we might be having a fighter's practice in Bellingham, WA in about 3 weeks or so. Those things will help you get a feel for the rules without playing a character really, and that's really the benefit to NPCing your first game. PCing your first event is an awesome experience that you only get once, but it's best to come in prepared.

On the topic of "What should I play":
Look at the racial information in the book for each race. Make sure that you'll have fun playing them as they're written, because you're not really allowed to deviate. If you don't think you'll have as much fun doing that, eliminate that choice. Spells are hard to remember, but you'll have plenty of people to help you. It'll seem overwhelming at first, then underpowered, but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

Here's some chapter-specific information that could all be learned by reading the public In-Game or Out-of-Game forums for the Oregon and Seattle chapters:
There are currently no active Dwarven PCs in either Oregon or Seattle.
Dryads are currently to be exterminated and/or hauled in for Treason charges in the Oregon chapter by the reining nobility. Be prepared to keep on the down low. (Most PCs are sympathetic to the Dryads, however, so as long as you don't get into any nobles' faces, don't expect something terrible to happen to you just because you made this sort of character.)
There are significant political plotlines involving Dark elves in both chapters. In Seattle, there is actually a war going on with one of the Dark Elven nations. Expect to be immediately involved in these plotlines, for better or worse.
There are no High-Ogres or High-Orcs in either chapter. There bulk of the PCs in Oregon are very anti-necromancy.
There are no regular PC MWEs in either chapter, but some visit from San Fran sometimes, and there are a significant number of NPC MWEs in Oregon.
There aren't very many sarr in either chapter, either. That said, anything 'blood-thirsty' tends to be considered a liability by other PCs, and generally doesn't get brought along on modules. Expect to be bloodthirsty alone in the tavern a lot.
Stone elves are hard to play, and there's not any regular players in Oregon or Seattle likely because of this. Other then that, they tend to do ok in both chapters.
 
obcidian_bandit said:
ratbutcher said:
Gandian Ravenscroft said:
Out of curiosity, what chapter would you be playing in?
Click to expand...

Oregon and Seattle most likely
Click to expand...

I thought I recognized your screenname.

First of all, I recommend PCing your first event. There's nothing like your first event experience as a PC. If you have the option, try to NPC a gameday first, or make it to a fighter's practice. I'm not certain where you're located, but we might be having a fighter's practice in Bellingham, WA in about 3 weeks or so. Those things will help you get a feel for the rules without playing a character really, and that's really the benefit to NPCing your first game. PCing your first event is an awesome experience that you only get once, but it's best to come in prepared.

On the topic of "What should I play":
Look at the racial information in the book for each race. Make sure that you'll have fun playing them as they're written, because you're not really allowed to deviate. If you don't think you'll have as much fun doing that, eliminate that choice. Spells are hard to remember, but you'll have plenty of people to help you. It'll seem overwhelming at first, then underpowered, but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

Here's some chapter-specific information that could all be learned by reading the public In-Game or Out-of-Game forums for the Oregon and Seattle chapters:
There are currently no active Dwarven PCs in either Oregon or Seattle.
Dryads are currently to be exterminated and/or hauled in for Treason charges in the Oregon chapter by the reining nobility. Be prepared to keep on the down low. (Most PCs are sympathetic to the Dryads, however, so as long as you don't get into any nobles' faces, don't expect something terrible to happen to you just because you made this sort of character.)
There are significant political plotlines involving Dark elves in both chapters. In Seattle, there is actually a war going on with one of the Dark Elven nations. Expect to be immediately involved in these plotlines, for better or worse.
There are no High-Ogres or High-Orcs in either chapter. There bulk of the PCs in Oregon are very anti-necromancy.
There are no regular PC MWEs in either chapter, but some visit from San Fran sometimes, and there are a significant number of NPC MWEs in Oregon.
There aren't very many sarr in either chapter, either. That said, anything 'blood-thirsty' tends to be considered a liability by other PCs, and generally doesn't get brought along on modules. Expect to be bloodthirsty alone in the tavern a lot.
Stone elves are hard to play, and there's not any regular players in Oregon or Seattle likely because of this. Other then that, they tend to do ok in both chapters.
Click to expand...
Wow! that helped so much! thanks a lot for your input! I am almost positive I am going to PC the stone elf now! Thank you so much for the input, and thanks a lot for the chapter info, I had no idea any of that was going on! :)
 
sonovadragon! Now I SOOOO want to play a Dryad in the Oregon chapter!!!!! But I already have two characters - starting a third doesn't make any sense...

Remember, think Spock when playing a Stone Elf. No emotions. I love trying to crack up our Stone elf here - who also happens to own the SF chapter. (when he plays in other games that is - he doesn't play in his campaign).
 
markusdark said:
sonovadragon! Now I SOOOO want to play a Dryad in the Oregon chapter!!!!! But I already have two characters - starting a third doesn't make any sense...

Remember, think Spock when playing a Stone Elf. No emotions. I love trying to crack up our Stone elf here - who also happens to own the SF chapter. (when he plays in other games that is - he doesn't play in his campaign).
Click to expand...
I already use vulcans as an example for explaining stone elves all the time.
 
Yea pretty much Stone Elves are alliance vulcans.
 
I don't really know enough about Romulans to comment. But is zenophobic and very stuck up would classify them primarily then probably. :)
 
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