I have a question, actually, before I post my profile -- are we focusing on the people on the stranded ship? Or are we focusing on the inhabitants of the island and their reaction to the newcomers?
That's a good question. I sorta assumed we were focusing on the stranded newcomers, but as this isn't my thread...
Maybe it's a mix, like you can have a character in both camps if you get my meaning
"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." --The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
We're focusing on the ship's inhabitants. You'll see about the other newcomers. I helped design the plot for this SB, which is why I'm able to say this >.>
How do you know if you have an overpowered character?
1. Your character has less than two fatal weaknesses. Fatal means death!
2. To exploit these weaknesses, a person would have to go to extreme lengths to exploit them. Superman has kryptonite, but it doesn't matter because no one seems to be able to get their hands on kryptonite!!!!
3. Your character is a god, demi-god, or otherwise in a position of divine power.
If your character doesn't have any of these traits, then you are okay. If not, I will probably show up at your door and force you to edit your character profile at gun point.
Yay for threats and guns! (: My character has *plenty* of flaws. In her attitude and just in general. (;
Hermione, shut your ungodly, lopsided mouth and quit interrupting! 20 points from Gryffindor. You know, for the brightest witch of your age you can sure be a dumba** sometimes. *smiles* 10 points to Dumbledore!
My characters, both being humans (now) could be killed in the same ways that any human could be killed. I didn't think mine were the problem, but just so you know...
"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." --The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
There are a lot of misconceptions about storybooks and I will do my best to address them here.
Misconception #1: The Storybook belongs to the original author.
A storybook is a group project. The original author is just one author in a team of authors that works together to make a storybook. The original author doesn't own the storybook anymore than he owns the authors writing on it. The original author can help structure the storybook in his first post, giving the group basic info, but once that is done, it's the show of the authors.
Misconception #2: The original author is always the leader of the storybook.
This is often the case, but not always the case. The leader of the storybook is the author who is passionate about the story and gets others to post. Usually it is the original author that has the most passion, so that's why you see them at the helm so often. Anyone can become a leader of a storybook.
Misconception #3: You need to have permission to join a storybook from the original author.
This is simply not so. Anyone, at any time, may join a storybook. If you are going to join late, it is a common courtesy to read everything that has happened before you join, but it isn't necessary either. The main idea is that you get a sense of the relationships between the characters before you start writing about them.
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Now for some rants on magic. There are many schools of thought on magic, here are some of my opinions.
#1: There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Many characters are shown casting extremely complicated spells, devastating large areas of land, and then they shrug and go back to questing. I think that if you're going to give your character access to such a power, that such power should come at a cost.
Perhaps casting a spell requires enormous concentration, so after each casting, the mage might be tired. Perhaps they have to do a certain ritual, perhaps some spells require a sacrifice.
#2: Magic isn't easy to learn.
Some authors prefer to have magic as an innate ability, but I prefer to think of it as an ability that can be learned, like a bird learns to fly or a human learns to swim. It isn't an easy ability to learn and may require many years of intense study. I compare a mage to a doctor, in the sense that they have to study a lot of material, in depth, for years and years just to become competent. Many more years of experience may be needed before they actually become good.
It isn't just understanding how magic works, but actually perfecting your technique. For each day of theory, you might spend a week practicing it. The more complex the spell, the more time it takes to learn.
#3: Pick a single area of magic and stick with it.
When it comes to learning magic, most people want to learn only what they need to get by. Due to the time, energy, and expense required to learn just one area of magic, most people learn how to do a magic, (say air magic) and then go off and make money using their air magic. When people do learn magic, it is either because they are studying it, or they need it for a certain job they are learning.
A person that knows air, water, earth, and fire magics perfectly would be able to make a killing at any court in the land, and thus would not need to go anywhere, especially on quests which will pay him a tiny fraction of what it cost him to learn all that magic in the first place.
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