Application Suggestions

[Random_White_Guy]

Applications can be tricky, fun, annoying, or for some people real scary. It shouldn't be though! Through applications you can cause no shortage of mischief and conflict and great stories.

Since I've had a lot of people asking me for help on apps lately I'll share a pretty solid way to flesh out your app.

To me the PC's history comes after you write out your app Goals. So let's talk goals.

RwG's Three Goals
1) A faction/subrace/association/etc type goal for your PC. This goal should represent how your PC is going to interact with the populace of EFU. An example is as follows:

Made up Sergeant App, first goal.

As a blatantly corrupt Watcher Fat Dave has been utilizing bribes and Red Guild political clout to stay within the rank. Fat Dave doesn't much care about getting promoted so much as an easy job keeping his pockets stuffed with sweet sweet coin. During times I see PCs conflicting I'd casually strech and yawn and say somehting like "Damn shame my break is coming up. If you boys want to settle this I'll take 20 gold from each of you to go buy some beers". While kind of silly I feel it would push for a more laid back style of law enforcement compared to the usual expected in Sanctuary. As a Sergeant the hope would be to promote institutional corruption. He'd get bandits and other friends of his who love gold under his protection of influence and push them to get out there and "Earn" for Fat dave. The basic hope being I can use graft, corruption, and political allies to earn up the rank in under-handed dealings.

These goals aren't the best goal, or even maybe even worthy of an application, but it shows that with a simple paragraph you can show a lot about a PC's style and pursuits.  While some people may disagree, to me applications are all about "Show don't tell". Making little played out scenarios for how your PC would interact with people and a rough idea.

Goal #2: A religious goal.  Typically for my own interests the second goal is a Religious goal. Most PCs on efu have an aspect of religion that helps shape their PC's style so I try to flesh that out.

Sergeant App, second goal.

Fat Dave is a highly devout Waukeenite. While he doesn't feel trade should be restricted he sees Watcher work not as a public service but a private industry. Sure the government pays his wage but nothing says he can't have side businesses. Personal security for high ranking/high profile PC's such as prefects or directors where a seedy fat guy follows them around with a club I feel would give a lot of potential...for a price. Furthermore as a Sergeant I would try to promote Red Guild merchandising in the Trade Hall. Black Guild Merchants or Merchants not in the Red Guild would be subject to a protection racket for the Watchers where Fat Dave and his men may happen to "Go on break" if a few suspicious characters come around, unless they get a taste of business. Waukeen is all about commerce, and Fat Dave loves money. Lastly the idea of instituting formal Customs and Tollways set for people bringing in adventuring supplies to sell without giving Sgt. Fat Dave a cut would be forced to "Pay a little extra to Waukeen" aka Fat Dave's piggy bank. A small piggybank he would emote carrying around in his backpack and withdrawing it for all of his fines and tithes to Waukeen. A portion of his ill gotten gains would be sacrificed to her.

While not the best depiction of Waukeen it allows me to show how Fat Dave's faith influences his job. A crime-boss can easily be a maskarran but a Waukeenite promoting crime as an enterprise is a non-traditional take on the deity in EFU. It helps add more depth to the character and his development, all needed in a good app.

Goal 3: Personal Goal.
This is the part where I like to let the PC's personality really come through. It can be anything and everything that comes to mind so long as it is some driving force behind your PC.

Sergeant App Goal 3:

To Fat Dave respect is everything. A street thug with the level 8 Thug Perk who just happens to be in the watchers he takes his job very seriously. Which is kind of ironic considering how corrupt he is. Playing up the bully/thug appearance though is the idea that APPEARANCE is everything. A thug has to look strong so in such I would hope to push that the Watchers become a more increasingly strong presence. Not in actual substance but in military showmanship and parade discipline. Watchers would be forced to salute their superiors at all times, not speak unless spoken to in public, and other "Forced protocol" as instituted by Fat Dave. The mandaotry polishing of armors, the upkeep of bunks, and other militaristic drills are all things he would pursue to show his twisted pride in his force

A bit of humor considering a corrupt thug caring about the watchers, but personal goals can add a lot of nuance to an otherwise unfleshed out PC. Using these fleshed out goals you can now begin to see how a character can take shape and form.

I like to look at EFU and think "What cool stuff can be done" then build goals and a PC around that.

After you establish that Fat Dave is a corrupt watcher of Waukeen who has an intense but misguided pride in his force you can settle on things like which seedy dock he grew up in before he came to Sanctuary. What sort of slums would Fat Dave grow up in that made him the way he is? Why Waukeen and not Mask, was he an orphan given a shot by a Waukeenite Merchant to play security guard to a caravaner?

(Plus a fat corrupt watcher with an IG piggybank named Waukeen amuses me).

From three real solid goals: Faction Goal, Religious Goal, Personal Goal you can shape an entire PC and help take a lot of the pressure off writing an application.

I can't promise that this system works and guarantees you an app, but it's just the method I've used and for me I've found it helps me flesh out a lot of PCs.