More on that Austen RPG

[kent_allard_jr]

The GF had Pride and Prejudice on her shelf so I plowed through it in a couple days. I can't say I thrilled to every page but I found it surprisingly readable. (I was embarrassed to find Mr. Bennet derided in the novel, though, since he was the character I most identified with...) Don't know if I'll continue with the others, it depends on how far I pursue the Austen RPG idea.

I'm still not sure how an Austen RPG would actually play, so I'm starting with an easier task: Figuring out how to define characters. Naturally that would depend on the game mechanics, to a huge extent, but a first step would be finding ways to distinguish characters from each other, using as few dimensions as possible. Among the Bennet sisters:

• Beauty. Jane is regarded as the prettiest girl in the neighborhood. Elizabeth is also attractive, while Mary is plain.
  
• Intelligence. This may require more than one dimension: Elizabeth is clever. Mary is bookish, but not brilliant. Catherine and Lydia are foolish.
  
• Propriety. Jane and Lizzy are proper Georgian ladies, while Catherine and Lydia are flirts, and Mary shows no interest in men at all. While this seems to match "Intelligence," memories of Sense and Sensibility suggest they should be kept separate.
  
• Trust. Jane sees the best in everyone, while Elizabeth is more suspicious. (Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey would be at the low end of the scale, I suppose.)
  
• Talent. While none of the Bennet sisters show much musical aptitude -- Mary sings badly, Elizabeth doesn't practice much -- I think other Austen heroines show some.
  

Some of these characters may have to be set for NPCs but not PCs. "Trust" for example could be established in play; "intelligence" tends to be high for all Austen heroines, and could be left out for PCs. Men, in addition, may have a completely different set of attributes. The question, though, is whether these are a good starting point.

Comments

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

Wait, you do have propriety. I... am clearly insane.

Ignore me! Wit/Charm is the missing one.