Best use of the mentor archetype In Trav adventure

[Liam Devlin]

Okay, new topic, in line with the others I started here. Focus: Roleplaying/ storytelling. I want to know what was the best use of the mentor-PC/NPC you've seen, experienced, or used (player or Ref/Gm) in Traveller.
Mentor archetype got you confused..

Movie example--Obi Wan Kenobi, SW4 "A New Hope".

He she is that person that guides the PC(s), and/or teaches em something to get the j0b done, or affects their life in this RPG medium.(Traveller-any version).

Okay trops, thats the mission statement,
lets hear em! Lurkers, you too can join in..its better that way!

 

[GBoyett]

I'll bite.

My previously mention Cyberpunk executive, George Penrose, had a mentor/Sensai while growing up. It was a tradition of the family that all members learned to defend themselves. His father hired a 3/4 English- 1/4 Chinese Hong Kong ex-patriate named Eric Llywelyn. The father also figure a "big brother"/mentor could help a focus George because father and son had problems with each other.

So the mentor taught him karate, blade weapons, and staff techniques, along with sidearm training with help from the family's head of security. Besides combat training, Llywelyn also taught Penrose street smarts by taking him to London, including the East End. Eric would occasionally thump Penrose when he got "too big for his britches".

After Penrose reached adulthood, Llywelyn went his own way. Llywelyn sometimes did SpecOps work for the father. Time to time he will show up, help Penrose with a problem, or give a "good talkin' to". Even when there was a temporary falling out, Llywelyn was always allowed to visit.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Great example George! Great example...anyone else?
I see em standing in the wings..

Next!

 

[Shiara]

Let's see, that would have to be a friend who played a scout. Wound up double crossed and stuck on a Deathworld for a while. Managed to survive through lots of luck and smart play.

When he left the game, the character was used as an NPC to deflate rampant egos and give terse as well as implied warnings about dealing with big game hunters or antique hunters.

Was a very deft use of an old character I must say. For my part, I revel in using old PCs to add flavor background and release info as usual, but I like to use accents and things from the original players. They often have families and such as well.

Siani, the strange lady.

 

[Liam Devlin]

the lady Knight,Siani posted-"Let's see, that would have to be a friend who played a scout. Wound up double crossed and stuck on a Deathworld for a while. Managed to survive through lots of luck and smart play.

When he left the game, the character was used as an NPC to deflate rampant egos and give terse as well as implied warnings about dealing with big game hunters or antique hunters.

Was a very deft use of an old character I must say. For my part, I revel in using old PCs to add flavor background and release info as usual, but I like to use accents and things from the original players. They often have families and such as well."
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Storytelling is an art form, and using past characters to enhance the present theme of these RPG "never-ending tales", & is a deft stroke of genius, older than Egypt. Thank you for sharing, Lady Siani! Well done! Stars for you!

Next!

 

[Liam Devlin]

In CT experience, Our second Gm, Craig, had this crusty fellow, former Belter and retired Scout, named Shaney LLawe, who was his "lemme put it to you in character NPC" that we'd "go to" fer advice and such.
Shaney Llawe eventually sold his small steading back to the Colony central Authority on his homeworld and bought out the previous owner of the Scout Bar on Hefry (curiously closer to where we were operating, matter of fact). Spent one college game session for eight hours just listening to the DM "spin" his yarns to us (amidst which were five adventure threads to pick and choose from.(the LBB's remember them?)

I co-opted Shaney a long time ago when Craig moved back home . Always swore (in character) he'd write a book someday--"My Life at the Scout Bar". Shaney Llawe, Scout Bar owner at Hefry, Retired 1112. Look him up, willya?

 

[Elliot]

I once had a Droyne Scout with advanced psionic who was a kind of Yoda character for the players. He had nearly mastered Droyne immortality techniques and had become one of the Droyne undead in order to pursue higher knowledge. Very wise, could help characters out in a tough spot but too quirky and odd to be of continual help.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Elliot:
I once had a Droyne Scout with advanced psionic who was a kind of Yoda character for the players. He had nearly mastered Droyne immortality techniques and had become one of the Droyne undead in order to pursue higher knowledge. Very wise, could help characters out in a tough spot but too quirky and odd to be of continual help.

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Elliot, Kudos! An ALien, mentor NPC. Thats a first here on this board. Good job!


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[Liam Devlin]

I'd like to follow up on Elliot's posting of an alien mentor. Though this is set in an alien society: In one of my current TNE era split offs, I have this boat load of Raccoonids, who left the Marches in 1115 on a sojourn to Terra, from Dentus/Spinward Marches.
They dropped off their new Speaker at Capital, six weeks before Strephon was killed, and proceeded rimward on their Journey, beariing back the older statesman for their Planet to the Imperial Moot, one 'Stoneclaw Farflinger', and his mate, 'Redfisher Crabcakes'.
They were in Khulam's main/P-Diaspora in 1117 when a Solomani scouting force attacked the system they were in, and they learned about the War, Rebellion, assassination, held a fishfling in the cargo bay of their TL-12 800dtn Far Trader (J3/2G), and voted to turn back for home. They misjumped while under attack.
They went into low berths provided for the trip for them (Racconids have shorter life spans than humans. They re-emerged in 1131 at Raziira, a large world with no gas giants. The jump drive was shot.
Farflinger was the mentor for the PC's of the Raccoonids marooned there. The humans of the crew had vanished. (An apparent jump-space embolism occured during the 14 years "in the hole". They contacted the starport via radio, and got directions. First they did an ocean refuelling, and met one of Raziira's deep water denizens the hard way (it ate three Raccs on deck fishing while the ship was taking on H2O).Three days after they landed the humans 'reappeared in the ship, all gruesomely dead (ala Event Horizon).
Fortunately, there were enough former Belters and Scouts amongst the Raccoonid passengers to man & run the ship. Unfortunately for them, on day 4 their ship buttoned itself up, and took off for the starport, leaving their six 10dtn launches marooned at their landing site.
Their Jupiter class merchant had become infected with Virus. They noticed also their perscomms and hand computers were re-writing themselves or burned themselves out. and another fishfling was held. They decided not to utilize the radioes any more. a group was selected to take a launch and scout out the downport.

They met up with the Vampires running the place, and took off into the Jungles. They met up with the dozen or so survivors left there.
In a reversal, the former Safari Hunting guide, Joshua Hilliard became their mento for life as they stuck with it on Raziira (a Vilani word I decided meaning "Sixfold". Something odd about the world, that it should be a T-prie world but so low populated. It was a Game preserve/ hunting world., and the sole satellite around its single star.
The Vilani discovered it rich in flora but the fauna had apropensity for hexapodalism. And, (ala Jurassic Park), dinosaurs, all of which were six-limbed. even the mamalian life-forms had six limbs. Terrans took to the place, and transplanted herbivores and big game animals. In three generations, they too exhibited six legs (a Bear ie, can run at 35mph. Now give it two more useable limbs to chug along..see what I mean?).

4 former Guides (all hunters, two retired Scouts, and the remnant crew of a yacht (the owner shot himself when he learned of the collapse, and loss of his millions)--sort of a Gilligans Isle, minus the Millionaire, the Skipper, the Holo star, the gal next door. Left em with the Millionaires wife, the Steward, and engineer.
The Hunter-guides became the mentors for this small community of Raccs... what became of them...I haven't said...stay tuned!