The Wanderer Calling

[Beran]

Conan could fit into just about every category of calling, depending on when in his story you are talking about. He's pretty much the only cool Mary Sue character out there.

[Corvo]

This thread is really just an essay, at best, and opinion piece at its most banal.

When I first got TOR and looked through the callings, the one that captured my imagination and favor least was Wanderer. I'm not sure why, but it just seemed the least strucutred, most ambiguous, and most difficult to translate into a breathing character.

My first, and longest running PbP saw the birth of my favorite character, Rignuth, my Barding Swordsman. Since the other callings were, at the time, I think, all represented, I reluctantly fell into Wanderer. I have since decided that it is in fact my favorite calling. Its sublime in its nuance and subtlety.

In fact I think the Wanderer calling fits probably my favorite hero archetype, the derelict hero, Ronin, Lone Ranger, whatever you want to call him.

What characters from popular fiction do you think fit the Wanderer calling?

Interesting point, Rocmistro. Never thought about it in these terms.
Thinking about it... Always considered Gandalf a Warden: do you think that he can be a Wanderer?

[Glorelendil]

Remember that he turned down the chance to be wealthy consort to a queen because he wanted to earn his kingdom, not be handed it.

Not sure what you're driving at there but it doesn't preclude the Treasure Hunter. Primarily, it's about "you seek what is lost, even when this means you will have to brave unspeakable dangers". But Conan could fit a number of Callings. He's therefore not a great example if you had to pick just one. Which was kind of my point when I suggested an alternative to what Woodclaw suggested.

Yeah, that's valid.

Or would a true Treasure Hunter have initially taken her offer, but very quickly grown bored and left to find new treasures?

Dunno.

[zedturtle]

I have little to add to this discussion, just because Callings have never really clicked for me... I think it's a lack of mechanical integration (which may change in the future). For example, if Wardens could get a bonus XP for saving an innocent life, a Slayer for dispatching an enemy, a Wanderer for going somewhere they've never been, etc. then maybe it would feel like the choice mattered more and continued to have ramifications past the character creation stage.

[Rocmistro]

Well you'll get no argument from me there, Zed. There are so many things they could tie to callings; specific qualities or masteries makes a lot of sense. AP cost reduction for the favored skill categories, or a higher rate of AP generation.

Back to Conan, and the speculation that he was different callings depending on his lifestage. This is an interesting point. Does anyone have any experience allowing a character to change callings?

A few more "Wanderers"

Roland Deschain
The Man with no Name
The Lone Ranger
Li Mu Bai (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
Jack Burton (Big Trouble in LIttle China) possibly my favorite Wanderer of all time.
Han Solo (maybe? 50/50 wanderer/treasure hunter)
Malcolm Reynolds (Definitely Malcom)
Bruce Banner
Dar, the Beastmaster

Corvo, I had not considered Gandalf's calling. I think Wanderer might be the best one, in hindsight. It's certainly NOT Slayer, TH or Scholar..that only leaves Warden and Wanderer.

[Rocmistro]

What characters from popular fiction do you think fit the Wanderer calling?

Usagi Yojimbo.

Rich, I had to look up who this was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usagi_Yojimbo
I stopped when I got to Ronin I think pretty much every Ronin is a wanderer, no? That's not a criticism; I think the Asian storytelling paradigm is ripe with a romantic concept of the Wanderer. It's part of that...always searching, always staying hungry kind of thing.

[Glorelendil]

What characters from popular fiction do you think fit the Wanderer calling?

Usagi Yojimbo.

Rich, I had to look up who this was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usagi_Yojimbo
I stopped when I got to Ronin I think pretty much every Ronin is a wanderer, no? That's not a criticism; I think the Asian storytelling paradigm is ripe with a romantic concept of the Wanderer. It's part of that...always searching, always staying hungry kind of thing.

Yojimbo (the Kurosawa character that inspired Usagi) was actually my first thought. And of course thus also the Clint Eastwood character in A Fistful of Dollars (I don't think he actually has a name, although somebody might call him 'Joe' for lack of an accurate name.)

Then I got sidetracked by the Conan discussion.

Speaking of which, there's also Groo, the Wanderer.

[Rich H]

Always considered Gandalf a Warden: do you think that he can be a Wanderer?

... I'd have him down as a Wanderer. I naturally seem to associate a Warden as relating to a specific land/area/culture. I suppose Gandalf could be considered a Warden of *all* lands and cultures but his schtick seems to be more the Wanderer, at least the way I see and use him in my game.

[Rich H]

I have little to add to this discussion, just because Callings have never really clicked for me... I think it's a lack of mechanical integration (which may change in the future). For example, if Wardens could get a bonus XP for saving an innocent life, a Slayer for dispatching an enemy, a Wanderer for going somewhere they've never been, etc. then maybe it would feel like the choice mattered more and continued to have ramifications past the character creation stage.

I agree and it's why I hang some Virtues off of Calling as well as Wisdom (and Might).

[poosticks7]

Well Gandalf is called the Grey Pilgrim for a reason