The Sharpest Lives CDJ (![]() @ 2019-11-30 11:43:00 |
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If we're in a world where everybody can use elemental magic and everybody specializes in one of five (air, water, earth, fire, spirit), don't go adding in electricity as a sixth (when it's not even an element) and say "this is totally okay!".In a world that has strict rules down about what can and cannot be done, it's a bit Mary Sue/Gary Stu to come out and say "my character can do this" when there's not a single mention of it in canon.
Expanding on your character's abilities in the element of air? That's perfectly fine. Those things aren't so clearly defined, so you could make up some stuff just as long as it fits.
Example: My character and your character on a flight together and they're in the same row of seats, maybe even next to each other. They've never met. My character accidentally forgot their pillow at home, so now they're frustrated. They keep thinking about how much they'd like to have a pillow, but they're also shifting in their seat, trying to get comfy and use their arm somehow.
Metagaming: Your character, who's never met mine and doesn't know them, gives my character a pillow and tells them to "shut up about it". How did you know I was thinking about that pillow? Also, rude.
Not metagaming: Your character notices how my character keeps shifting around. They can see my character is visibly uncomfortable. They remember they have a spare pillow in their carry-on, because they like to sleep with extra, and they point out my character's shifting. They offer their spare pillow to be nice.
Furthermore, if you are in a fight, give somebody at least two chances to dodge your attack before you decide to land a hit. If you give them the opportunity to dodge every time, and they take the dodge every time, that can be considered god-modding.
Not even the best fighters get out of a battle completely unscathed and it's boring to write with Graceful Garys that just never get hit or hurt, because they're so graceful.
On the other hand, don't go straight for the kill, either. Maybe slash their arm with your knife. Shoot them in the thigh with whatever weapon. Scratch them and get their skin lodged up under your nails.
There should always be some balance of give and take in a good fight scene. Make us think for a second your character might not make it out of this, alive, and then push through to show "hey, I just got the hell beat out of me but I want to win way more than you do, so I'm coming out on top".