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McBeefâ„¢ · **05-06-2015, 05:07 PM**

Evangeline's concept was both an exiled noble, and a revolutionary. And I chose her abilities based on her movement between those concepts.

She knows the sword, lance, and fist to a competent level (As all women of Ishgard should, in order to defend their city). However since she is flighty and unfocused, she never has had the long training that would make her a master.

Instead her power is science and deduction, lore and politics. She has been disillusioned by magick, and trusts in technology to get her goals. It's been fun steadily ramping up the devices and items she's able to build. From smoke bombs and flashbangs, to grenades and mines.

Recently she collaborated with many in her FC + Otto Vann to build a cannon for an event. Firing iron harpoons linked by rattling chains to impale a wrym into the ground. Who knows what the future might bring!?

Evangeline doesn't trust Magitech, thinking it just another form of magic, so her inventions do run more realistic. We'll see if the machinist lore in heavensward changes that!

Qhora Bajihri · **05-06-2015, 05:09 PM**

Stealth is a go-to favorite for me, usually in a more natural form, but still a go-to.

As is jerkass - not really a power.

Add in a huge dose of curiosity for a touch of magic.

And voila, stealth jerkass scholar. 'cause I enjoy it.

Gegenji · **05-06-2015, 05:38 PM**

Chachan's friendship powers mostly evolved from wanting Chachan to be a friendly, cheerful, helpful sort as my first delve into MMO RP. I wanted to make him able to be able to fit into as many opportunities as he could! And help acclimate me to this sort of format.

So, he ended up a little guy, out on his own, wanting to help people and become a hero! He had the endurance from being a smith, along with the ability to create his own weapons, but... I really wanted him to have a little spark all his own beyond that. Something that he could do when the chips were down, when he was really needed to step up.

That's where I realized I could play with the idea of his aetheric ineptitude being somewhat due to all that energy being refocused into... well, the ability to take a stand and shield ally and friend. He wants to help and protect people - so his aetheric nature reflects that.

Gogon's strange chain of events came from me (perhaps foolishly) wanting to take a stab at how someone could truly come to "learn" all the Jobs in an IC fashion (partially due to having put all that work into getting them all to 50!). But I wanted to put a twist on it, make him a kind of... dark reflection of the WoL, almost? What happens when you gather all this power for the wrong reasons, and lose yourself along the way in your unyielding desire for revenge.

Judge's WHY for being powerful is due to wanting to try my hand at a sort of... DnD Elder Dragon concept. Old, powerful, with a mindset and view that seems foreign to the "shorter lived races" (aka "the young folk"). Plus, I've always kinda liked the idea of the FFTA Judges and wanted to see how well I could play one of them. Judge lets me do both and it's great fun. I just need to get him into more interactions now that I have him caught up to the MSQ for the expansion.

Spethah · **05-06-2015, 05:49 PM**

Septha's theme is along the lines of "Always think outside the box". I had to do that myself to try and mix combat with something different, something that isn't usually seen in a world where everything wants you dead. I decided to look at the view of "A tool has more than one use" and came up with the idea of a street performing magician that uses thaumatergy and perhaps even arcanima to some degree to create little spectacles for everyone to watch and enjoy. Does it mean she's a not combat mage? Nope, she's still capable of setting people on fire but not to the degree of someone who's focused solely on being a combat mage. As a result Septh is more squishy and easier to beat up.Â

But that wicked story telling with smoke clouds though.

Zelmanov · **05-06-2015, 05:58 PM**

I fell in love with the concept of Ishgard and the people there so my character bore the traits of those who live there, my reasoning being that the meek and cowardly either cower behind the walls of Ishgard (which means they are not leaving the place any time soon) Or are dead (also not compelling for RP)

So Orrin is tough and mastered to reach the age he has while being in a combatant role in a world where death via gangrene may be an issue still (Not entirely sure).Â

Why a Dragoon and not just a knight? Because -really- I like dragoons, ever since FF4, and I've found spears to be my favorite weapon, 2 handed greatswords being my secondary.Â

IC'ly why he has them is because he viewed acceptance as being only found through greatness that would override the initial disgust they have for him. As such he strove for Dragoon, which is arguably the best/most honorable role possible aside from temple knight.

Hyrist · **05-06-2015, 06:42 PM**

I'm going to bring up some common themes among the characters I have, with or without 'powers' (referring to such as abilities beyond that which is accessible by the normal gameplay.)
You take an average decent person - the Military or the world calls for help, usually you're going to get a mixed answer. After all, you're only normal, right? You don't even know how to swing a sword that well. Sure, you can train, but that farm life is all you've known. The trope that typically gets put here is that this 'humble hero' leaves behind a world of peace to face the darkness and strive it back. The heroic tale is that they've strove from nothing to achieve something great.

Now you talk to the skilled. The Soldier, the Mage, the Adventurer. Here, the choice was already made and the talents are there. This is for glory, for honor, and the good name of your home and path, regaining lost honor, or just the thrill of adventuring itself. In hard times you rely on your skillset (and perhaps some good luck or good friends, or both.) to push through the difficulties ahead of you.

Now we got onto the Blessed, or Gifted. These individuals have 'powers'. They may have started out as the Farmer or the Adventurer/Soldier, or they may have been born with it, but the common theme among what they face is the question of purpose and Origin. Why do they have the powers, and for what purpose? Exploration of the self and acceptance or rejection of what these abilities bring to that person begins to questions they must answer. If they run from it, do the lingering questions and doubts haunt them?

The last I want to touch on for me is the Cursed. Their powers are not something they see as a positive, the result of some forced method such a experimentation or invasion of the self. Perhaps they were attempted to become some sort of purpose they did not care for. Be it by branding or by origin these people look upon their powers as a source of anxiety. Now, in order to help people, they must face the temptation of using something that they view as harmful, dangerous, or traumatic to them and possibly others.

No matter what the 'Power Level' of the character, each of them end up having to react to their "Calling" or the conflicts presented to them. Sometimes the Power serves as part of the calling. Sometimes the power conflicts with the calling. Powers for me is one of the many items that serve as the patchwork components from which a story is created. For me, to have them, or to be without them, are all dependent on the kind of character I am crafting.

For and Example:Â

I can have a character fleeing from an unknown past that scares them, with feelings of hesitance when it comes to mysterious powers they don't quite understand. Power that may have been the source of trauma in their youth and the answer to which may be ultimately unsatisfactory or even appalling. Â This character then has to wrestle with their very identity, bringing up the very question of nature vs nurture with strong arguments to support either case if the character is talked about objectively by others. It becomes a story of conflicted self-identity and what it means for them to make the choice.

Then the story branches on the side of that to other plots - how these things effect others and who they fall in love with, and what conditions they feel as if they can use their 'powers' and how they hide or hold them back.

Over all, it's one string in the tapestry for me, one that allows me to bring conflicts to the forefront, and they can force conflicts and character details to come to light in the most interesting moments, especially if the individual is attempting to hide such powers (or the drawbacks of them) for whatever reason.

Kellach Woods · **05-06-2015, 07:08 PM**

HOO BOY I GET TO DISAPPOINT SOMEONE!

Essentially, I knew I wanted to play a Warrior because I always play the class with the two hander. The problem was tying it to the lore in a way that made sense and satisfied me. I knew I wanted to play SCH/SMN and WAR from the onset (that obviously changed), so I figured having a story that tied me to both guilds without tying me much to the lore would be best. In addition, it'd help hide the fact that back then I knew between jack and shit of the lore of the game. (I know barely much more these days)

The idea of tying a mystical origin to the inhabitants of his homeland and other such stuffs only came when I started wanting max level on EVERYTHING and when I was like "I'd play the shit out of a Mime job if we ever got one." So I started pushing in that direction in his background, but it's relatively hidden to such a point that if someone didn't want to RP with me because of this I can easily disregard it as it's not core to the character. The character's core is essentially the good-natured adventurer willing to help out, and taking side jobs to make money, wielding an axe and an unforgettable look.

C'kayah Polaali · **05-06-2015, 07:11 PM**

I was reading Casanova's autobiography around the time that I made C'kayah. I'd never played a particularly charming character before (I've played charismatic characters, but their charisma didn't come from charm), so I thought it would be fun to try and do something like that. Casanova's autobio is long, and filled with dialogue, so I started out just using his speech mannerisms and seeing where that led. With that much material to study, it came pretty easily, and it set the stage for C'kayah to be this charming rogue with a silver tongue. The first FC I was in needed someone to smuggle explosives for them, so that led to C'kayah being a smuggler.

Setoh was originally a single-purpose alt for a story that required a bad guy in the vein of Leon the Professional. I ended up liking him enough that I kept him around. I gradually fleshed him out some more and made him more three dimensional, but both his willingness to do anything for money and his skills (which are not superhuman) came from that.

Martiallais · **05-06-2015, 07:13 PM**

Honestly with Zarek, I wanted someone who (much like some of the comic book/fantasy characters I enjoy) was equipped with the abilities that let him move between 'tiers' (as I've labeled them in my mind). Someone who might be able to throw down in a street fight but also could fight against the crazy fantastical creatures that live in the game world. It's something I usually end up doing in every setting honestly.

Given my love for martial arts when the classes and their lore came out, something about pugilist (which was originally given to us as a bruiser for the Platinum Mirage) becoming monk just grabbed me and gave my concept (Red Bull) wings. Add in a hefty dose of inspiration from watching the various benders in action (go go Avatar) and voila. When he does use those sorts of abilities Zarek always has some kind of wind flavoring to go with them though it's been rare as (up till recently) he hasn't had anyone to actually show him how to unlock all that awesome chakra and do that on a regular basis...which means I get to play with the ole hidden power trope now and then.Â

Stir it all together in a blender and out popped Zarek the guy from Ul'dah who likes to fight and can but still is the underdog now and then.

Cailean Lockwood · **05-06-2015, 07:14 PM**

So, what are our OOC reasons to pick the powers for out characters?

Uhm, well, for my Summoner, it's because I've always liked the summons of the Final Fantasy franchise. Having the power to summon forth a magical beast with great power to fight by your side... the concept just seems so awesome to me!

So imagine my disappointment when realizing all we got was those Egi forms! I understand the lore reasons for it, but I am still disappointed that all we got was small crystalline shapes rather than the ferocious beasts themselves, like we did in FFXI.

That said, I still enjoy the class. My first MMO was World of Warcraft and I immediately fell in love with the Warlock, and the Arcanist/Summoner is kinda FFXIV's equivelant to that. And I also like the idea of having someone tank the mobs for me while I am throwing hurt from a safe distance. Tongue

... Which I guess kinda conflicts with my alt's choice of class/job, which is the Ninja. I have just always had a fascination with ninjas and assassins, being able to hide in the shadows and attacking unseen, dual-wielding cool weapons and their acrobatic fighting style. So when the Rogue/Ninja became available, I wanted to give it a go, and I ended up really enjoying it.

Zyrusticae · **05-06-2015, 07:22 PM**

I gave T'rahnu her prodigal combat skills because I'm fascinated by the idea of the lone travelling warrior who shows up, beats up the bad guys, and then leaves as quietly as she came, with few even knowing of her existence. I also like the dichotomy between someone who possesses great power but also is not terribly inclined to use it, as well as how someone with that kind of power deals with the expectations that come along with it.

That, and I just like the visual of someone who can switch between all kinds of weapons on a whim and still remain a threat. That's just fun, you know? And of course, as a fan of completely, overwhelmingly over-the-top action sequences, the idea of not being able to participate in that kind of thing (in a Final Fantasy game, at that) is pretty much anathema to my predilections.

So pretty straightforward, all in all.

Kaniko Niko · **05-06-2015, 07:47 PM**

My name. It's not lore-accurate. And that's why my Kaniku is the way she is. I'm originally from the Siren world because Balmung has its legendary crowding issues and I still wanted to play. One day... the clouds part. The angels sang. Chocobos kweh.

Balmung was open.

I was smart enough to save a character design I liked, but not enough to have thought out a name beforehand. So knowing how Tarutaru and Lalafell names use Japanese morae:

Pa-Pa-Sha-N
Na-Na-Mo

I just string together some kana and come up with Kaniku Kuni. Then I later find out this isn't lore-accurate.

So okay. She's from Doma. But... There aren't many, if any NPC Lalafell from Doma. What now? Well, Lalafell were from the South Seas and traveled to new lands. There we go! Her grandfather came to Doma before it was locked down by the Garleans. All's good.

But wait! Why didn't she go to Mor Dhona with the rest of the Domans?

T-that's a very good question! There are a lot of Lalafell in Ul'dah. There aren't (as far as I'm aware of) in Doma. So naturally she stuck around to learn more about her heritage. But one doesn't just stay in Ul'dah, right? Well, this explains why she was part of the Immortal Flames.

For want of a world a name was lost. For want of a name a background was lost. For want of a background, a beautiful character was made.

Erik Mynhier · **05-06-2015, 09:04 PM**

Erik has a few heritage skills and what seems to be standard eorzean skills (martial skills laced/augmented by aether). The bulk of his powers come from items.

This leads to the topic at hand which is why. Erik is an old character. Showing up in some form or another in every rp game since 87 in d&d. Since I started in d&d I tend to like the enchanted item source for major powers. It works for me as an item can be removed which gives an obvious weakness, allows for the power to be developed and or earned, and in the event that a character wishes or is forced to lose the power for any number of reasons, its ic less messy as all you have to do is lose the item.

The simple answer is ive been doing it like this for almost 30 years and im use to it.

Aduu Avagnar · **05-06-2015, 09:27 PM**

Why did I decide to give Nako the abilities/powers I did?

Mask: Gave me an option to utilise Fantasia OOCly without resorting to it ICly.
Visor: Ultimately it was a more visible representation of his time within the Empire. And I wanted something that showed his minor crafting/reverse engineering skills. And I liked the concept.
Magic: I wanted to play de mage archetype ja?
Swordplay: As he was a combat operative, it made no sense to me why he would not learn at least one method of self defence that did not rely on magic, due to situations beyond his control where he may not have access to it. Contingency, contingency, contingency.

Kasumi Gakunin · **05-06-2015, 09:43 PM**

Excuse my rambly excuse of a post and if it makes no sense (or I skip words).

I've always loved anti-heroes so naturally creating an anti-heroine (which there really isn't enough positive representations of in the media IMO) was inevitable for me. I wanted to play a strong female character looking for redemptions for her past crimes. Playing an ex Garlean assassin who was shaped by the Empire into who she is, who is as much as a victim of them as any Eorzeans, seemed like an interesting character to play morality wise.Â
In real life I have a passionate interest in history, especially British history, so taking real world historical concepts such as Imperialism and putting them into my character and how the Garlean Empire took over Doma and would have, essentially, according to my logic, used Shinobi in their Military seemed like a logical jump. The in game lore later backed up my backstory for Lacey with the release of 2.5 and Ninja in game which I was pleased about (no more lore arguing for me).Â
The reasons I gave Lacey a healing factor are long and complex but I'll try to keep this simple. Firstly, genetic engineering and experimentation both in ffxiv and the final fantasy franchise isn't a new concept. It didn't seem like a far leap, especially since the Garlean Empire has Allagan Empire technology in use so why not their knowledge of genetic engineering? Why wouldn't a mad scientist decide to experiment on an abundance of recruits at the Garlean Empire's disposal? Thematically, I figure Lacey's mutation is due to both genetic and psychological factors. She was taken as a girl, after witnessing her father's public execution at the hand of (Native born) Garlean Nobles to a foreign country. She'd naturally want to "protect" herself. Secondly, in game Ninja's are the most vulnerableÂ constitution wise. The Empire would naturally want to eradicate this weakness in their recruits.Â

These were pretty much my thoughts when creating Lacey anyroad.

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