What Do The Alignments Mean?

 One of the fastest ways to get in an argument on the internet is to talk about alignment. A lot of people have very strong opinions on the subject, and if you're playing in a game with those people - especially if they're the GM - it can be good to ask for their guidelines for how each of the alignments work. Just remember that guidelines are exactly that, they are guidelines. In fact, with that in mind, let's get into it.

As a disclaimer, for ease and breadth of use the alignment system I am going to talk about most here is the classic D&D Lawful Good -> Chaotic Evil alignment matrix. This is not only the system used by two of the largest games (D&D and Pathfinder) but also the one most found in memes. It also gives us a system to talk about alignment as a whole and what it means.

Character Selection: A More Nuanced Approach (The Rogue)

Last Wednesday we took a break from some of the high end theory of GMing to talk about the playing aspect of RPGs. The post on Wednesday was about being a front line character. One of the beef tanks that takes the hits and dishes them back out. Today I wanted to move from the front lines to focus on one of my favorite classes, the rogue. For the purposes of combat though we're talking any character that relies on positioning, timing, and opportunity in order to bring a whole heck of a lot of hurt to the table.

Character Slection: Joys of the Front Line

Let's take a break from all the high end game craft talk we've been doing and take a look at the other end of the GM screen. As a player you get a lot of choices to make over the course of the game, but one of the bigger choices comes to what role in combat your character can play. This may change for some games, but with most RPGs having combat as their primary conflict resolution, you can shape a lot about your character. Today I want to talk about the joys of playing the front line fighter types.

RPG Blog Carnival: Character Types - Part 17 - The Assassin

Character Types - Part 16 - The Duelist

Almost every Science Fiction or Fantasy story has a duel of some type in it. Whether it be the two swordsman in the ruins of an old church, gun slingers at dawn, or space samurai fighting in the throne room of a battle station, the concept of the duel is something that we, as a society, seem to love. And why not? Duels are generally very high emotion, high drama, and fun to watch to boot. Is it any surprise that many players want to be duelists when it comes to their game of choice, or at least be duel capable?

Character Types - Part 15 - The Information Broker

Information brokers show up in almost every story that involves some rogue-like character. The person, well placed in a given city, whose job it is to specifically know everything there is that goes on. This could be someone as far reaching as the Shadow Broker in the Mass Effect Universe, someone who literally has his hands everywhere; or as simple as the Chief Thief in a thieves guild who makes a point to keep his ears open. The new Game of Thrones show has made a point recently in showing off a number of  information brokers, so let's take a look at what you need to make one.

Character Types - Part 14 - The Paladin

Yesterday's post about the characters that we really want to play, but have yet to have a chance to, is the inspiration for this post. That being said, I've wanted to go back into doing these Character Type posts, and the Paladin seems as good a class/type as any to re-start with. Why? Well, because they can be difficult to play, and they get a bad wrap in games. Claims of "Lawful Stupid" are just as prevalent as over-powered and too rigid. So, let's take some time today to look at the Paladin, how you may want to play them, and how you may want to GM for them.

Character Types - Part 13 - The Merchant

Merchants are, whether you like it or not, a necessary part of almost any type of world you can set a game or a story in. Even in the far future of space travel, like you have in Star Trek, merchants exist in some shape or form. It is just a simple fact that people will always need something that they don't have on them at some point in time, and therefore, there will always be someone who makes a living by providing those things, in exchange for...other...things. Now, the situation gets a bit trickier when a Player decides to make a merchant, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun. Out of the handful of times I've seen someone try to be a merchant PC, I've seen it succeed more often than not. You just need to be prepared for the work that comes with the character.

Character Types - Part 12 - The Leader

I've talked about being a leader before, but that was more about the OOC parts of being the party leader and not the character type of being a leader. The two are, perhaps unsurprisingly, very similar to each other, but I still felt that this merited its own post as well. So, pull up a chair and lets take a look at what you need to be 'The Leader'.

Character Types - Part 11 - The Trickster

Myth and Legend are full of tales of tricksters, cunning spirits and creatures that cause endless chaos in the lives of the heroes, always getting up to no good before - sometimes - getting caught up in their own deceitful webs. Depending on the games you run/play in, and the people you play with, it is probably only a matter of time before someone decides that they want to try playing a Trickster. However, I'm here to warn you that it may not play out as fun as it may seem at first.

Character Types Part 10 - The Wanna Be Hero

Today marks a big day for the Character Type series on this blog, today the series hits double digits with the 10th installment. I considered trying to do something super special, but honestly when talking about character types you are essentially talking about character tropes so how do you really do special with that? Instead, I figured I would go with one that is fairly basic, you see it in a lot of fiction, in a lot of tv shows, movies, comics, books, but I haven't seen a lot of it around the RPG table. Today, I want to talk about those characters, those young and naive fools, who want to be a hero.

Character Types Part 9 - The Face

So, I'm back from vacation and it is time to get this show going once more. As promised, I'll be starting things back off with the 9th installment in my Character Types series, this time looking at "The Face".

The Face is one of the more classic of character types, and you can see them in almost any format where you have a team. They're usually the front man, maybe not the leader but someone high up in the organizational structure for the group. They're the person who walks into a situation without weapons, and walks back out cool as ever. They're a social chameleon, able to play any role needed and to play it well, changing personalities and 'characteristics' as easily as some people change (or at least get out of) their clothes.

Character Types Part 8 - The Gambler

"You should know how low the possibility is of getting 7 runs off that guy" ~Yoshida
"A low possibility, so it's not zero than is it?" ~Toua

The line above is from an anime called 'One Outs', a sports anime about a Gambler type pitcher who helps to bring a second rate team into having a chance at winning the pennant. If you don't like Sports Anime, you probably won't like it much, but at the same time if you like Gambler types than it is a very good anime to watch. So what is a gambler? It's someone who sees almost everything as a game, something that can be one. Someone who plays the odds, and works to change them so that the seemingly low probability event they need to occur so they can win becomes almost a sure thing. Its someone who needs to always be watching, always acting, always thinking, all while never letting anyone on that that is exactly what they are doing. It's also the subject of this installment in my Character Types series.

Quck Fix - Jason Richards Can NOT Be Trusted

Hey, I know I said no update today but how can I resist when it is shameless self promotion?

Jason Richards (yep THE Jason Richards) of Jason Richards Can Not Be Trusted has been doing something rather amazing for the past while, he is just giving out free complete characters. Characters of all walks and types to help you populate your games, give you campaign ideas, or just get your juices flowing on that next character.

Myself and Mr. Richards started talking when he e-mailed me about my Character Type series, and he asked if I"d be interested in Guest Authoring one of those complete characters. How could I say no? The character I provided is this weeks featured complete character, and you can read all about them by following this link.

While over there, be sure to check out his other characters and entries. It is just a good site in general and you should totally follow it.

Character Types Part 7 - The Thief

We touched a little on thieves in the entry about Rogues, however before we begin I want to make something clear. In this entry I am not talking about a thief, I am talking about a Thief. The capitalization of the T makes a huge difference to me, after all any punk can go and rob someone and be called a thief. It takes a true master, an artist, to be a true Thief.

A Capital T
So, lets start off right there, the capital T that I am applying to a Thief. As I said, a Thief is an artist, stealing is their art form, and however they do it they are a master of their trade. Now, there are as many different ways of being a Thief as there are of being a more traditional artist. Con Artists can be Thieves, as can Smooth Talkers, Hackers, and Acrobats. Hollywood seems to have a love affair with that most nimble of Thieves called the Cat Burglar. An acrobatic and highly athletic thief that specializes in infiltrating higher up locations and slipping back out without anyone knowing they were there...that is until they notice all of their money is gone.

The fact of the matter though is that there are as many ways of being a Thief as you can probably think of. What makes the difference between a thief and a Thief is the approach. For the first one, stealing is simply a means of making money, of getting what you want. The method is unimportant, all that matters is the cash. For the second, well sure the money is still important (you won't find many people willing to risk life and limb for no reward after all), but the job itself is also important. Who is being screwed over, how they are being screwed over, the challenge involved, the story, the fame from it, all of these are important to the Thief. It is about money yes, but it is also about so much more.

So to recap shortly, if you just want the $5 and don't care how you get it. Probably a thief. If you want people admiring how you got the $5 as much as you want the $5. You just may be a Thief.

Kinds of Thieves
As said above, there are multiple kinds of Thieves out there in the world of stories and games. So lets look at a couple of the more common.

The Cat Burglar
The Cat Burglar is something of an acrobat. Their body is a finely trained, honed, and refined tool that is able to over come any barrier that you put in their way. Able to perform stunts that would leave people gaping in awe, that is if anyone was able to see them. This is one of the kinds of thieves that Hollywood is absolutely fascinated by, as are a number of other story telling mediums, and why shouldn't they be? The flash and display of skill are something that is just impressive to watch.

The key strength of a cat burglar is their agility. Specializing in high altitude insertions, this is the kind of thief who is more likely to tight-rope walk between two 40 story buildings to make an infiltration than they are to use a doorway. The kind of Thief who evades a laser grid, not by anything so mundane as turning it off or taking out the guards, but by manipulating and contorting their body to go up, over, and around each beam without ever setting off even one.

Cat Burglars are the kind of thieves who are most likely to get upset at being compared to a robber or a common thief. There is, afterall, nothing common about them. They do not use brute force, many (particularly when they are the main character) hold it as a point of pride that they don't carry any weapons at all. They simply slip in, take what they want, and slip out. Leaving everyone baffled at how it was done, especially considering where the apparent infiltration point is.

For examples of Cat Burglars, and Cat Burglar type thieves, you can look at the opposition from Ocean's 12, or to the female in the movie Entrapment. The chinese member of the Ocean's 11 crew could also count as a Cat Burglar, if looking to do a solo career anyhow. Parker from Leverage is also an example of a Cat Burglar.

The Charmer
The other most common kind of thief that is shown is The Charmer. This person is often a Con-Artist of some sort, and where the Cat Burglar uses physical prowess to open doors, the Charmer turns on the charm. A convincing liar, able to make you believe almost anything they want. They earn your trust, work their way into position, and then take everything and leave.

There often is more to it than just that, unless the character in question is simply a con artist. The charmer usually also plays some sort of a Master Mind role as well, using strategy and running plans within plans to help keep things moving. Constantly staying one step ahead of those who are trying to stop them. The thrill of a Master Mind is used for drama, while the primary tool used as a Thief is the character's charm or ability to play a role and convince you of things.

Charmers generally don't seem as bothered by what they are called. Then again, due to their high social ability trying to find out what they actually feel about things is damn near impossible anyhow. They also are more involved int he personal aspect and the money than a Cat Burglar for the most part. There is less pride in the "no weapons" ideology, though many will still stick to it. After all, Thieving is a 'gentleman's game' and there is no need to bring such violence into the picture.

Almost everyone in the Ocean's 11 movie counts as a Charmer, particularly Matt Damon, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt as well as Saul. Ford from Leverage would also count as a Charmer in a sense, though he is more a full Mastermind with the Grifter being the 'Charmer'.

Closing Thoughts
There are many more kinds of Thieves than just those two, however these 2 are the most common that I've seen in my (not very in depth) looking. They also both get the main point along, particularly the lack of a need for violence when it comes to thievery. Thieves are many things, but brutes and muggers are not among those things.

So, keep this in mind next time you want to make a thief. Maybe go for more the professional with an artist's sense of pride than just someone who is able to make a quick buck and get to places they ought not to go. Have fun with it.

Happy Gaming

Character Types Part 6 - The Mastermind

The Mastermind is an incredibly popular type of character in pretty much every format of storytelling that is out there. Really, it isn't surprising either, a character that takes complete control of the situation by reading the situation, the people involved in it, and making surprisingly accurate predictions about how things are going to play out, and how to manipulate those events to make them come out in the character's favor.

This type is depicted in a number of ways; the 'planner' for a heist, the legendary strategist, the chess master, the poker player. All of these are examples of ways that the Mastermind gets played out, and that isn't even including all the times that it is simply called what it is, a Mastermind. So why is it that such a popular character type in works of fiction is such a hard thing to pull off in a game? Lets start by looking at what a Mastermind is.

What makes a Mastermind?
A Mastermind character is pretty much the ultimate expression of brains over brawn. They are very rarely combat capable, and when they are they are never the most or even second most capable character on the team (to be a true Mastermind, there needs to be a 'team' of some sort). Instead they make up for a lack of physical ability on their part with an excess of mental ability. Making plans that very likely have back-ups and contingencies all the way from A to ZZZ. They use these plans, and the resources available to them (read: other team members) to make something significantly more than the sum of its parts and pull of truly amazing stunts and missions in a way that makes them appear significantly easier than they actually are.

When confronted with a setback, and there isn't a contingency already in place for that set back, the Mastermind is only out of the game for a short while before they're able to plan for the new set back and the new variables brought into play. The end result being a daring "How do they get out of this one?" with a satisfying bit of intrigue and drama before everything plays out exactly as the Mastermind planned.

How does the Mastermind Work?
Now I am not talking about what the Mastermind does, but how it works. Essentially, how the audience sees what the Mastermind is doing, and in a lot of ways a Mastermind character is played out much like a musician. The three stages are a bit different, but it does essentially follow the formula of a magic trick.

Step 1: The Set Up
This is where things start to go wrong, or at least where the challenge is set. There is an objective, and acquiring the objective is going to be next to impossible. The security makes Fort Knox look like a joke (it is amazing how often the security makes Fort Knox look like a joke btw), the guards are all ex-Special Forces, possibly even high level Special Forces like Delta or Mussad. The network is of course a stand-alone with no outside access and probably 3 terrabyte encryption to boot. No one can get in, no one. Well, no one aside from our Mastermind and his band of people.

Step 2: The Execution
Here we have the plan going into effect. You see the individual team members doing their jobs and getting through. Everything goes according to plan, because the plan accounts for all possible contingencies and other such things. Generally though, this is shown to not be the case, and something will happen that throws everything off, causing the whole plan to fail. Only by failing, everything succeeds and works out nicely for the team involved. Which is confusing until you hit...

Step 3: The Reveal
Here, finally in the end, we are shown how the whole thing was pulled off. The parts of the plan that weren't given to the audience in order to set up the drama when things go wrong. The true intention behind steps that we were shown, as well as other little things that show just how the Mastermind not only predicted the coming trouble, but preempted it and made it work for them instead of against them. This is the key difference to a Mastermind and a Magic trick, because you shouldn't be seeing how a magic trick was done, but a Mastermind's work isn't fun until you see how it all played out.

So why is this hard in Games?
The reason this is hard to do in games is specifically because of the Reveal. You don't get the same level of fun out of the reveal because everyone already knows everything that is going on, and presumably why. Also, there is no challenge when the plan goes as smoothly as it does for Masterminds, which is the reason for the reveal in the first place. By keeping the audience in the dark you cause the drama to happen, and then show them how it was done. In an RPG though the Audience is the characters, so they already know that and the drama goes way down. When you fix that by actually introducing elements that weren't planned for, the Mastermind character is ruined a little bit because they didn't foresee the eventuality that ruined their plan.

Now, I'm not saying that it can't be done. Just that it is very hard. The GM's job is to challenge PCs, and that would include the Mastermind. To do the Mastermind's job though that player needs info. A LOT of information, like a ridiculous amount of mundane information that will bore everyone else. They also need time to go over things and plan things out with the GM. This planning session can (and should) happen out of game, and die rolls should be involved to help the player come up with complications that could come up and ways to plan around it.

Aside from that, you need a very specific kind of player for a Mastermind. Someone who can think on their feet. After all, the GM's job is to challenge the PCs and no matter how good a planning session is most people can't cover every contingency, and in some cases the GM will still have to throw a monkey wrench in the plans. At that point, the Player needs to be able to think on their feet, adapting plans and goals to deal with the new thing on the fly and pull everything off. It can work, it is just a lot of work. Possibly more work than it is actually worth in the long run for a table top RPG.

Character Types Part 5 - The Amnesiac

This is less of a character type and more of a trope that will come up at some point in time in your gaming career. There are lots of movies and stories about amnesiac characters, and thanks to recent movies you don't have to go any further than the Bourne Identity to see the draw. A character with no memory of who or what they are, but for some reason are completely bad ass. Going through the story unaware of why they can do the things they can do, but still somehow retaining the ability to do so.

In a Table Top game this is somewhat harder to pull off, simply because the player needs to have their sheet in front of them, and not having their sheet makes it harder for the GM who then not only needs to keep track of all the NPCs, but of that PCs sheet as well. So can it not be done then?

Heck no, it can be done. There are in fact two general ways I have seen it work too. Just, you need to know going in that you are asking the GM for a big favor by doing this, so know that ahead of time and explain it to them. So what are the two ways?

Type 1: Build in Unison

This method of doing things will kill some of the suspense for you out of character, but at the same time makes it more likely that the character you will get is one that you want to play. How it works is quite simple, you talk to the GM about what you want to play (including the amnesiac). You don't necessarily do details or anything, but bring up some things. Like, if you were a Fire Fighter, or Special Forces, or a cop or something, bring it up and see how they like it. Possibly go into some reasons as for why you are an amnesiac. After the conversation, the GM will make the sheet for you, make the final decisions on the character's life and present you with the mostly blank sheet with the information you may already know about your character. Even if it is just a name.

If you just want to play an amnesiac, you can also do everything yourself like any other character, and then just talk to the GM about the fact that you are an amnesiac, what you want that to mean, and what you want to start triggering memories. Afterwards, just play the game. I listed it here, as it is a method of built in unison.

Type 2: GM Built

This is the other way, the GM builds the character for you like any other character. He gives you a back story, NPC connections, story connections, flaws and advantages. You just don't know about them, and have to figure it out as the game goes on. This gives you the player the mystery, as well as the character, but at the cost of potentially having something you don't like. The GM could accidentally hit wrong on what you were looking for, you were looking for a Jason Bourne, and instead you get some sort of psychic, or a thief.

Aside from that though, there isn't all that much to say about type 2.

Thoughts

If it isn't obvious, I prefer the Type 1 to the Type 2. The GM can be more or less involved depending on personal preference, but keeping the player in the loop is vital in my opinion for maintaining fun factor of the game as it goes along. I would rather, as both a player and GM, that some of the mystery on an OOC level was ruined if it meant that the player got the character they wanted to play. After all, a character you can't have fun with just isn't worth it.

So keep this in mind when going for an Amnesiac, and most of all, have fun with it.

Happy Gaming

Character Types Part 4 - The Rogue

A Rogue is an interesting character. You ask seven people what a Rogue is, has, or needs to have as qualities to be a character and you'll likely get 8 different answers. At least if you look into the details and the specifics. Val Kilmer's character in the movie The Saint is a rogue. Han Solo is a rogue. Those are two very different characters, one is a cat burglar and the other is a smuggler. Sure both break the law but is that what makes them rogues just that? I don't think so, not necessarily.

At its heart a Rogue is a lot more than what a lot of things try to narrow it down to. A Rogue is an "Every Man", a Jack of All Trades but Master of None. They're a person who don't go down the beaten path, they stray off. They may or may not follow the rules, but whether they do or don't it is not just because they are the rules. The Rogue has its own reasons for doing whatever it does. The Rogue can fight, but he is not a fighter. The Rogue can often pick locks and steal things, but they are not a thief. A Rogue can sweet talk his or her way in and out of trouble as quick as almost anyone, but they are not a bard. A Rogue can have a heart of gold, or they can be as mercenary as they come.

In a lot of ways a Rogue is an easy term to apply to characters you see in movies and books. I mean, so many things can be covered by the term, that it can be kind of ridiculous. The only problem is though is that while I said a Rogue is not any one of those things above, the truth is the Rogue is all of them. In 'story' terms a Rogue is usually one of the better fighters, though perhaps not the best (especially when it comes to straight up fights). They will often double as a thief, and why not especially when many thieves are rogues, but if a Thief is also present they will be the back up to said thief.

It is that that you have to keep in mind though when making a Rogue. Whether for a story or a RPG, Rogues are actually kind of hard to make and play with. Points (for games) come at a premium, and you have a LOT of things you need to be able to cover. Because your character needs to be able to make it on their own, to at least some degree. A rogue just isn't a rogue after all if they are dependent on others for survival.

Details wise, Rogues tend to be a bit older, I'm not talking middle aged or anything necessarily, but they have to be old enough to have experience. The worldliness and savvy that comes with it are one of the defining elements of a rogue. Without it, you have a fighter/thief, a potential future rogue yes, but not quite one now. For example (yep, Star Wars again) look at Star Wars. Luke is about 19, meaning Leia is as well. Obi-Wan is clearly doing the "old mentor" route, so he is older. The other PC on the scene though is Han, playing the Rogue. His character comes in in the mid to late 20s. His career started young, but even with that he is the oldest of the group (aside from Ben, and possibly Chewie but Wookies age weird) to help further explain the experience he has. It grounds him in reality, and helps give him that charm he has.

When it comes to tricky situations, Rogues generally aren't the "straight up the middle" types. (Regardless of what Han may or may not do in A New Hope ;) ). They are, after all, not straight up fighters. In stead they tend to do the more out of the box type thinking. They solve combat the way they do every problem, with a combination of brains, finesse, and the proper application of force at the right moment. This, story wise, is often part of what makes them so bad ass because at some point we see them take on a situation with a plan, and in that moment when the plan is pulled off they seem stronger than they may actually be.

Essentially, I guess what I am trying to say is that Rogues are hard to categorize. It is more a way of life, a badge earned after so many years of experience and living that life than anything else. It is not a specialist, but a highly competent generalist. It is not a lot of things, but it is a little bit of everything. They are hard to pull off in games, but when you do you'll have done something special. They're hard to pull off in stories, but when you do you'll have a memorable character that people will probably like a whole lot. There are specialized kinds of rogues, just like with the Fighter. The Elite for instance can easily be a Rogue just as easily as anything else. It just is a bit weirder with that.

I'll go into the Rogue variants and specialists later, even if it is just other types that often can also take the Rogue Mantle as well.

Happy Gaming.

Character Types Part 3 - The Best

For the third installment of the Character Types series that I'm doing, I figured I'd look at a character type that I've seen a lot of people want to play in various table top RPGs, but that generally doesn't work. Despite the fact that it can, and does, work fairly well in other story telling mediums.

The Best at X
The Best is a character who quite simply is the Best in the world at some thing. Sometimes this is as general as "the best fighter", and other times it can be more specific such as "the best encryption cracker". Other common usages involve shifting the word 'best' to 'most' such as "The most dangerous". In essence though the character is the same, they are quite simply the best at something and have to deal with everything that comes with that.

Someone who is the best is a target, especially in a field where there can be any sort of competition (read: almost all fields). "The Best Swordsman" in fantasy (or other) stories will often find their name precedes them, and as much respect as it may get them, and troubles it can help them avoid, it will also get them into fights. Particularly with people trying to make a name for themselves by being the one who beat the best.

The stress of being on top is generally the story done with this character, alternatively, the quest for being recognized as the best. Either way, the story is about the people on the top and how one makes their way there, or how they maintain their position.

So why doesn't it work?
So why doesn't it work for table top? In short, the answer is mechanics. Games generally have all players made with the same amount of points. As such, it is generally impossible for someone to be the best in the world at something broad like "fighting", because if another PC specializes in a type of combat they will be better just from the benefits of specializing.

Perhaps I shouldn't say impossible or doesn't work, instead it is just very hard to get and keep working. It is something you want to talk to your GM about first, as if he/she is fine with you being the best it means that there technically shouldn't be mechanically superior NPCs, afterall, you are the best.

The other problem that comes in mechanically comes from new characters joining the game. Using a lump sum of points, as opposed to slowly building up as you go along, will enable a different, and generally better build simply because you have all the points at once, so you don't have to worry about mid stops. There is no waiting 4 sessions for enough points to raise a stat or skill, you just raise the stat/skill.

The impossibility however comes in when you try to dictate to other players what they can and can't do. Trying to stop other players from being as competent as your character (if they are mechanically able to do so) because you are supposed to be the best is simply wrong. That is why I generally view being The Best as being an impossibility for games, as unless everyone in the game is cool with, and remains cool with it, you have no ability to maintain it. Something that can lead to frustration as you, trying to play being The Best suddenly have to deal with the fact that a companion is just as good, if not better, than you in your area of expertise.

Instead, I recommend doing The Elite, or someone striving to BE the best, not necessarily the best now. It works a lot easier.

Happy Gaming.

Character Types Part 2 - The Elite

The Elite is a fun and interesting character type to have in any story, RPG or otherwise. Generally speaking they are not the main character - especially in anime - but instead a good friend and close rival. Generally they are presented as a goal for the main character, something to strive for with hard work, but quickly shown to not be as high above as originally believed. Coping with the fact that a "nobody" is a match for them, an elite, is often where the character development for these characters come from.

The Elite is generally born into privilege, not necessarily wealth but usually from some form of family that is highly respected for whatever it is they do. In a "Business" story, the Elite will come from a family of well off businessmen, in a fighting story the family will have some legendary warrior in its blood lines. The Elite has been raised their entire life to be the best in this category, perfection was not a goal that was sought after, it was what was expected of the character regularly. Not only that, but an Elite generally doesn't allow others to see just how hard they are working at achieving their goals, whatever they may be.

The key defining characteristic of the Elite generally speaking, aside from the family connection, is talent. They are a highly talented individual, and things will appear to come very easily to them. They don't need to work as hard as other people to get that key grasp on some new thing presented to them, their talent makes it easier for them to pick up. As I said before though, often times this "ease" is masked by the fact that they are just as hard working as any other character, they simply don't let it show, training in secret to give the visage that they are Elite. It often will come as a shock, in stories, for the other characters when they realize just how much work the character is secretly putting in, all the while trying to maintain appearances for family or personal pride.

Story wise, the Elite's story is usually one of self discovery just as much as any main characters is. They find a reason worth fighting for, and however misguided it is go all out for it. Their place as a rival usually means that they end up doing some sort of face-heel or heel-face turn during the story (sometimes both!) before helping the hero accomplish their real mission. Other common story elements can include things such as a massive inferiority complex, as as good as they are it never seems to be enough for their family, or the image they need to provide. What they do doesn't receive the same praise as the actions of other people, because it is simply "as expected" of someone with their elite status.

In an RPG...

In an RPG an Elite type can be a lot of fun to play, though they are somewhat hard to do mechanically. The trick to mechanically stating one out is to specialize yourself. You can't be both Elite AND cover a lot of bases. Not without a lot of extra XP from the GM. However, with the same points as everyone else, you can pull off an elite in a specific area simply by focusing your development. You are in essence Min-Maxing your character here though, so be sure to talk to your GM about this before hand. Min-Maxing for character reasons, with character plot, details, and challenges you want to come after you for it is one thing. Min-Maxing so you can "rock hard" in combat is another thing entirely.

Role Play wise, being an Elite is just as easy as any other character. It may take some work, but adopt a slightly arrogant air. After all, you've been groomed from greatness and come from a respected line. Detail things to say they look easy, refined, well practiced. Don't let others see just how hard you are working. If your Elite is a fighter, than when in combat describe what they do and give it that flair. Make it visceral so it will stick out in people's heads.

Most importantly, the thing you need to remember when using an elite type? Go big or go home. If you are doing everything you can to be as crazy effective as possible, you just aren't going to stick out. It doesn't matter if you fail 3 out of 5 times, or even 4 out of 5 times. People are going to remember that time you went for broke and won. The time you managed to pull off 10+ raises for damage. Then when you keep doing it, it will be remembered as something you just do. Keep in mind how competent you want your character to appear, and then gamble for it. Go after the big and more dangerous people.

In game terms, your Elite may die quickly. But if they survive, they'll become in a lot of ways the talk of the game. If they die, it sucks but you can move on. When they live? They become the things of legend. You just have to play into it, and play it up, while pretending to not be.

Happy Gaming.