In an effort to align some of our character backstories, motivations, and to provide some top-level direction to justify the existence of our jolly band of adventurers, I think it's worth investigating the idea of a company charter. This isn't so much a list of rules or regulations as it is a general statement of purpose--within the charter, characters can certainly have individual motivations, and we can even act against the charter's purpose as a group when the situation demands; it's more an underlying set of principles that we share that can help guide group decisions.
The charter need not be set in stone. One of the great things about roleplaying games is that characters develop and change over time, and so to should our charter change to suit great events that befall us or changes in outlook or perception.
One underlying theme, at least in some of the characters currently being developed, is magic or the pursuit of magic. As such, I put forth the following suggestion for our company charter, at least at the beginning.
The charter need not be set in stone. One of the great things about roleplaying games is that characters develop and change over time, and so to should our charter change to suit great events that befall us or changes in outlook or perception.
One underlying theme, at least in some of the characters currently being developed, is magic or the pursuit of magic. As such, I put forth the following suggestion for our company charter, at least at the beginning.
- Magic and the produce of magic, be it spells or items or creatures, are beyond the comprehension of most common folk. As adventurers possessed of unique abilities, we are responsible for protecting the common folk from magic that would do them harm.
- Magic is ancient, and current civilization is built upon the ruins of great magical cultures. Relics of these cultures sometimes surface, and it is of great interest to us to pursue and secure the safety of these items, lest they fall into the wrong hands.
- Magic is a powerful and sometimes unpredictable force; when magical mysteries manifest, we are responsible for discovering the source of these mysteries, and to control them when necessary lest they bring harm to others.
- Not all magic is benevolent; magic whose sole purpose is to harm should be pursued, controlled, and when possible destroyed.
This should give our DM some fuel for adventures, especially ways to kick off new plotlines. It should also provide some direction when confronted with decision points, while allowing us the flexibility to pursue our individual moral direction.
Do you have any suggestions to add to or alter the direction of the company charter?
I like the idea of answering the question "Why are we all together?" Too often I've assumed (hoped?) that divergent characters would meld simply for the sake of the game. It doesn't always work that way.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this specific charter helps justify the crusader class within the party, a nice side benefit. If the rest of the players are on board, the charter definitely does give me adventure fuel, and provides the group with a set of guiding principles to fall back on when faced with hard decisions. Thanks for posting.