Recently I’ve been asked what someone can do, who belongs to the Revolutionaries, to help further the cause. A short answer would be “anything you want” but a more precise answer follows.
Basically one thing IÂ’ve learned while playing an anarchist is that events surrounding the faction are very, very difficult to plan and play out. The group traditionally uses a lot of stealth and secrecy to get what they need and having large groups of stealth characters pull something off is difficult at bestÂ… so I would suggest the following.
As an Anarchist, donÂ’t wait for other people to give you jobs or set up events for you. They are few and far between. I do what I can to direct people to things that they can get involved in but most times itÂ’s only jobs for one person at a time. So if you want to do somethingÂ… just do it. You donÂ’t need to answer to anyone unless you do something that goes against what we stand for. You donÂ’t need to ask permission. You donÂ’t need to plan it out and you donÂ’t need to wait for us to get around to setting you up with something. WeÂ’re a very paranoid group that prefers to work either alone or in small groups. Whether itÂ’s bombing something, assassinating hardheads, rallying groups or undermining eventsÂ… Just run with what ever pops into your head.
Another way to play your char properly is to simply involve yourselves in other peopleÂ’s events and work to either help them succeed or fail, depending on the goal. DoesnÂ’t matter if its faction related or notÂ… every event can have an impact on our faction goals if approached properly. Open support or silent sabotageÂ… great things to do. Anarchists fit great amongst other groups. They can get a lot done.
BasicallyÂ… donÂ’t wait for an invitation to do stuff for the Revolution. DonÂ’t wait for jobs to trickle down the pipe. Just do what pops into your mind and run with it.
I'd appreciate input from the others so we could see if there is anything else we can do as I know planning events in the past has been... less than sucessful...
Anarchists and events
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*Agony_Aunt
- Posts: 855
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Rob, feel like this belongs more in general discussion forum, and no need to limit input from people who read the Rev League boards.
Ill just add my two pennies as well.
Being an Anarchist doesn't mean just stealth. I recall reading a kids book about being a spy when i was a kid, and it defined 4 types of secret agent. Can't remember them all, but I remember "Covert" (the stealth type), Overt, and two others.
The Rev League are about "Down with authority" and you can work from the outside, the inside, and in different ways.
What i tried to do when making the RL Faction NPCs that are linked to Faction Badges, i tried to be different.
"Blaze" is an Overt agent. He operates openly, destroying infrastructure, finding weak points in the administrations offices, etc, and hitting hard and fast. How he stays uncaught is a mystery, he has no talent for stealth, but those who try and stop him end up dead.
"Red" is a Mertskirt, and informant. She liaises with the high ups and as they whisper their secrets in her ear, she passes those secrets onto the Rev League.
"The Gentleman" Nobody knows his true name, and he is a master of disguise, but he blends in with the nobility and finds his way into all the top social events, where he can learn lots of useful information that is of use to the Rev League. It is highly suspected by other Rev League members that he is a high-up in the Guvners as well, although nobody has ever dared question him about this. People, even fellow RL members who inquire too much tend to disappear. The dark is, that he is an ex-high up that became disillusioned with the corruption rampant amongst the high ups in the city, and decided something should be done about it.
Get creative with your anarchists. Don't make just another Stealther Shadowdancer with 70+ Hide/MS. There are many ways to contribute to the cause!
Freedom be yours - as a famous Anarchist is known to say. ;)
Ill just add my two pennies as well.
Being an Anarchist doesn't mean just stealth. I recall reading a kids book about being a spy when i was a kid, and it defined 4 types of secret agent. Can't remember them all, but I remember "Covert" (the stealth type), Overt, and two others.
The Rev League are about "Down with authority" and you can work from the outside, the inside, and in different ways.
What i tried to do when making the RL Faction NPCs that are linked to Faction Badges, i tried to be different.
"Blaze" is an Overt agent. He operates openly, destroying infrastructure, finding weak points in the administrations offices, etc, and hitting hard and fast. How he stays uncaught is a mystery, he has no talent for stealth, but those who try and stop him end up dead.
"Red" is a Mertskirt, and informant. She liaises with the high ups and as they whisper their secrets in her ear, she passes those secrets onto the Rev League.
"The Gentleman" Nobody knows his true name, and he is a master of disguise, but he blends in with the nobility and finds his way into all the top social events, where he can learn lots of useful information that is of use to the Rev League. It is highly suspected by other Rev League members that he is a high-up in the Guvners as well, although nobody has ever dared question him about this. People, even fellow RL members who inquire too much tend to disappear. The dark is, that he is an ex-high up that became disillusioned with the corruption rampant amongst the high ups in the city, and decided something should be done about it.
Get creative with your anarchists. Don't make just another Stealther Shadowdancer with 70+ Hide/MS. There are many ways to contribute to the cause!
Freedom be yours - as a famous Anarchist is known to say. ;)
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*Ceremorph
- Posts: 1125
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Or to put it in more understandable terms, certain famous characters could definitely fit in with the anarchists, simply because they create anarchy. After all, wanting to see society brought down does NOT mean that you're doing it because you simply want to watch the world burn; that's actually closer to Doomguard philosophy. Many might join the anarchists to blow shit up, yes, but others might belong due to a considerably more personal reason, or because they see some advantage for their family, or race, or religion, and view the League as the best chance of success.
The actions of Zorro, from a "good" side of things, wanting to bring down the "system" because the system (or the person in charge of it) wronged him, or the main character in "V for Vendetta" in a more neutral-leaning way, looking to bring down what he sees as a corrupt system and not caring if there's some collateral damage.
After all, when you throw out the term "revolutionary", sure you get Lenin and Mao... but you also get George Washington and Moses.
The actions of Zorro, from a "good" side of things, wanting to bring down the "system" because the system (or the person in charge of it) wronged him, or the main character in "V for Vendetta" in a more neutral-leaning way, looking to bring down what he sees as a corrupt system and not caring if there's some collateral damage.
After all, when you throw out the term "revolutionary", sure you get Lenin and Mao... but you also get George Washington and Moses.
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*kitteninablender
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
..you also get Revolutionaries who try to awaken people's minds, usually through sheer acknowledgement of JUST how screwed up the world is. Case in point...this guy...
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*Darkrob
- Posts: 1097
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
And this is the type of input I'm looking for :)
I mention the stealth events because let's face it... 90 percent of anything the Anarchists get to do is, really, stealth based. If we opt for a more "in your face" type campaign... we usually end up getting owned by the enemy. We're not known for our "bond together and run with a solid plan" type thinking.
The main reason I posted the thread was to try to get more people involved. It just seemed that since I had the highest ranking Anarch that people were looking to me to direct them. I wanted to show them that they don't need me to tell them what to do. They can simply do as they please. That they aren't in an organization that demands order and permissions. Phoenix is just a name people know. He has a reputation in the city and the group and he carries a lot of influence... but that's it. he's not a leader, he refuses to order people about and he would never tell people what to do. I play him as an equal to any other anarchist in play. He's not a doomguard and really only wants to rebuild the system... not burn it all to hell. I simply don't want people to never play the faction they've joined if they're waiting for me to get them to do stuff.
Whether it's stealth, open combat, oral banter or open resistance... it's a free for all and I'd like the members to remember that.
I see events happening that involve many people (events that have nothing to do with Anarchy) but some that, if sabotaged or influenced by participants, could affect the order within the city. I say sieze the moment. Join a group much like anarchists join factions, and work it from the inside. You don't have to openly oppose anyone. Simply send the DM tells on what you are doing now and then... with luck it'll work out and you'll quietly move along when it's done leaving folks scratching their heads.
That's what I was alluding to. Just go out and do stuff... on your own, in your own way. Playing an Anarchist doesn't mean waiting for your buddies to join you. Simply act when you can.
I mention the stealth events because let's face it... 90 percent of anything the Anarchists get to do is, really, stealth based. If we opt for a more "in your face" type campaign... we usually end up getting owned by the enemy. We're not known for our "bond together and run with a solid plan" type thinking.
The main reason I posted the thread was to try to get more people involved. It just seemed that since I had the highest ranking Anarch that people were looking to me to direct them. I wanted to show them that they don't need me to tell them what to do. They can simply do as they please. That they aren't in an organization that demands order and permissions. Phoenix is just a name people know. He has a reputation in the city and the group and he carries a lot of influence... but that's it. he's not a leader, he refuses to order people about and he would never tell people what to do. I play him as an equal to any other anarchist in play. He's not a doomguard and really only wants to rebuild the system... not burn it all to hell. I simply don't want people to never play the faction they've joined if they're waiting for me to get them to do stuff.
Whether it's stealth, open combat, oral banter or open resistance... it's a free for all and I'd like the members to remember that.
I see events happening that involve many people (events that have nothing to do with Anarchy) but some that, if sabotaged or influenced by participants, could affect the order within the city. I say sieze the moment. Join a group much like anarchists join factions, and work it from the inside. You don't have to openly oppose anyone. Simply send the DM tells on what you are doing now and then... with luck it'll work out and you'll quietly move along when it's done leaving folks scratching their heads.
That's what I was alluding to. Just go out and do stuff... on your own, in your own way. Playing an Anarchist doesn't mean waiting for your buddies to join you. Simply act when you can.
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*Cadence
- Posts: 301
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
I also would like to play an anarchist, but I would like to brainstorm several goals which deviate from the cliched "blow things up" or "kill harmonium" theme.
Some ideas:
-Infiltrate other factions (the harmonium, or even the Triad aren't the only ones to strike at)
-also, being a member of another faction (officially) will allow an anarchist a convenient alibi
- Disrupt city elections - ballot stuffing, support/nominate outrageous candidates (See: Newt Gingrich)
- Undermine the authority of the law in a subtle way, perhaps by
- exposing the ineptitude of the Triad
- showing to the public how weak the law really is (without blowing things up, preferably)
I guess a lot of an anarchist's work pertains to affecting the opinions and perceptions of others.
Some ideas:
-Infiltrate other factions (the harmonium, or even the Triad aren't the only ones to strike at)
-also, being a member of another faction (officially) will allow an anarchist a convenient alibi
- Disrupt city elections - ballot stuffing, support/nominate outrageous candidates (See: Newt Gingrich)
- Undermine the authority of the law in a subtle way, perhaps by
- exposing the ineptitude of the Triad
- showing to the public how weak the law really is (without blowing things up, preferably)
I guess a lot of an anarchist's work pertains to affecting the opinions and perceptions of others.
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*kitteninablender
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
People have asked me "If Rith hates the law so much, why isn't he an Anarch?"
Rith is Rith. He's just crazy. He doesn't disrupt things, or spit in the eye of authority because he wants to fight for the little guy. He doesn't blow things up because he wants to make a statement.
He does it cause it's fun.
So many people confuse "Anarch" with somebody who does things just because they can. That's not really the case. The Anarchs are freedom fighters in every sense of the word. They believe people should be able to govern their own fates and make their own laws, knowing full well that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
They believe Law is a cage. Those with power over the Law, like the Harmonium, have the key to that cage. They can step inside of it whenever they want it's protection, but step outside of it whenever it becomes too constricting. The Anarchs believe that there should be no cage in the first place. They acknowledge fully that they don't WANT it's protection, so long as it doesn't keep them enclosed.
Rith is Rith. He's just crazy. He doesn't disrupt things, or spit in the eye of authority because he wants to fight for the little guy. He doesn't blow things up because he wants to make a statement.
He does it cause it's fun.
So many people confuse "Anarch" with somebody who does things just because they can. That's not really the case. The Anarchs are freedom fighters in every sense of the word. They believe people should be able to govern their own fates and make their own laws, knowing full well that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
They believe Law is a cage. Those with power over the Law, like the Harmonium, have the key to that cage. They can step inside of it whenever they want it's protection, but step outside of it whenever it becomes too constricting. The Anarchs believe that there should be no cage in the first place. They acknowledge fully that they don't WANT it's protection, so long as it doesn't keep them enclosed.
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*Tomekk
- Posts: 855
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Well, I had an Anarch too, but she's MIA... *cough* http://z13.invisionfree.com/nwn2planesc ... &p=3408798 *cough* :rolleyes:
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*DM-Stitch(es)
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Point taken, but Hiatus happens, you were more than free to withdraw said character from that mission.