The grand strategist is an archetype we see characters like Batman and Thrawn. The grand strategist is well a planner, leader and above all a winner, sort of. That may sound weird, but all strategist are people who have very specific goals they are trying to achieve. For example picture yourself watching TV, now say out loud all the steps to achieve that picture and time you want it all done. Congratulations you are now a strategist, but it is the first step to it. In addition to visualization, putting into words goals and scheduling are only the start.
Leadership requires vison, communication and commitment. Vision can roughly be described as the ability to see and comprehend multiple elements as they truly are, to find opportunities. Communication is probably the most underrated skill. Communicating as a leader is about saying the goal as accurately as possible (not about beating the horse dead, but not to waste words. if you are able to say the goal using as few simple words without confusion your golden.) Reality of a leader is that you wont have all the information, it's stressful and you'll end up doing back breaking work that people will mock as pointless. The reality is you must have grit.
knowing what to win is the easy step, actually doing it is where the fun comes in. This topic of winning can fill entire libraries, but in short it's about knowing where is the best place to fight, how to fight, when to retreat and when a defeat/pain lead to victory.
Now how to actually RP, like not watching tv until you know what you want don't speak until you having something to say, divide your time between networking, training and researching and above all unleash your creative freak out. Because what makes the grand strategist fun isn't about always being dry. Well I think this best fits what a good strategist is
use your understanding, leadership and ability to find novel and epic ways nobody has thought of to achieve the goal. Above all though achieve that goal.
Well, for using such a character as a villain or NPC, allow them the ability to know/predict what the PCs are doing. In battle, allow them to understand what their opponents are doing and adjust their tactics accordingly. I myself am using a villain based on Thrawn in my homebrew campaign. He's the general of the BBEG's army, and he basically is crushing the entire resistance. Unless the PCs manage to stop him, he'll end up destroying all realistic opposition in a matter of months.
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Well, for using such a character as a villain or NPC, allow them the ability to know/predict what the PCs are doing. In battle, allow them to understand what their opponents are doing and adjust their tactics accordingly. I myself am using a villain based on Thrawn in my homebrew campaign. He's the general of the BBEG's army, and he basically is crushing the entire resistance. Unless the PCs manage to stop him, he'll end up destroying all realistic opposition in a matter of months.
that is a good short cut when available. running a military game can be tricky with a "Thrawn" in play. How do you balance a character that is a master of the art of winning.
Well, for using such a character as a villain or NPC, allow them the ability to know/predict what the PCs are doing. In battle, allow them to understand what their opponents are doing and adjust their tactics accordingly. I myself am using a villain based on Thrawn in my homebrew campaign. He's the general of the BBEG's army, and he basically is crushing the entire resistance. Unless the PCs manage to stop him, he'll end up destroying all realistic opposition in a matter of months.
that is a good short cut when available. running a military game can be tricky with a "Thrawn" in play. How do you balance a character that is a master of the art of winning.
Have the young apprentice
Summon a bunch of tentacled space whales to drag him off to hyperspace.
That being said, I loved Thrawn in the Heir to the Empire books and I loved they recreated him for Rebels. He is one of my favorite characters.
Well, for using such a character as a villain or NPC, allow them the ability to know/predict what the PCs are doing. In battle, allow them to understand what their opponents are doing and adjust their tactics accordingly. I myself am using a villain based on Thrawn in my homebrew campaign. He's the general of the BBEG's army, and he basically is crushing the entire resistance. Unless the PCs manage to stop him, he'll end up destroying all realistic opposition in a matter of months.
that is a good short cut when available. running a military game can be tricky with a "Thrawn" in play. How do you balance a character that is a master of the art of winning.
Have the young apprentice
Summon a bunch of tentacled space whales to drag him off to hyperspace.
That being said, I loved Thrawn in the Heir to the Empire books and I loved they recreated him for Rebels. He is one of my favorite characters.
He is a great character. Really hits to marks for a tactician character.
The thing about playing such a character is that there's a fine line for being prepared to fight the heroes specifically and setting the heroes up for an unfun curbstomp where only a deus ex machina can save them. My recommendation is to give him resources that aren't renewable so that he gradually runs out as the conflict goes on (this should be for multiple combats, not just a single fight). And remember, a smart, strategic villain never sticks around to fight a losing battle.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The thing about playing such a character is that there's a fine line for being prepared to fight the heroes specifically and setting the heroes up for an unfun curbstomp where only a deus ex machina can save them. My recommendation is to give him resources that aren't renewable so that he gradually runs out as the conflict goes on (this should be for multiple combats, not just a single fight). And remember, a smart, strategic villain never sticks around to fight a losing battle.
But that is the trick of grand strategists. The Art of War basically says cheese your way to victory. All be it though I agree with you that it is no way fair unless one of the players has the strategic chops to throw down with best of them. So, why not add a stress mechanic that grows faster then exhaustion? More stress less accurate and slower their responses, while fresh they are that hyper conquering machine. You can also have a rise to the challenge machinic to. Basically you trade stress for a powerful buff/attack at the cost of exhaustion.
The grand strategist is an archetype we see characters like Batman and Thrawn. The grand strategist is well a planner, leader and above all a winner, sort of. That may sound weird, but all strategist are people who have very specific goals they are trying to achieve. For example picture yourself watching TV, now say out loud all the steps to achieve that picture and time you want it all done. Congratulations you are now a strategist, but it is the first step to it. In addition to visualization, putting into words goals and scheduling are only the start.
Leadership requires vison, communication and commitment. Vision can roughly be described as the ability to see and comprehend multiple elements as they truly are, to find opportunities. Communication is probably the most underrated skill. Communicating as a leader is about saying the goal as accurately as possible (not about beating the horse dead, but not to waste words. if you are able to say the goal using as few simple words without confusion your golden.) Reality of a leader is that you wont have all the information, it's stressful and you'll end up doing back breaking work that people will mock as pointless. The reality is you must have grit.
knowing what to win is the easy step, actually doing it is where the fun comes in. This topic of winning can fill entire libraries, but in short it's about knowing where is the best place to fight, how to fight, when to retreat and when a defeat/pain lead to victory.
Now how to actually RP, like not watching tv until you know what you want don't speak until you having something to say, divide your time between networking, training and researching and above all unleash your creative freak out. Because what makes the grand strategist fun isn't about always being dry. Well I think this best fits what a good strategist is
use your understanding, leadership and ability to find novel and epic ways nobody has thought of to achieve the goal. Above all though achieve that goal.
Outside the Lines Fantasy – A collection of self published fiction stories.
Well, for using such a character as a villain or NPC, allow them the ability to know/predict what the PCs are doing. In battle, allow them to understand what their opponents are doing and adjust their tactics accordingly. I myself am using a villain based on Thrawn in my homebrew campaign. He's the general of the BBEG's army, and he basically is crushing the entire resistance. Unless the PCs manage to stop him, he'll end up destroying all realistic opposition in a matter of months.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
that is a good short cut when available. running a military game can be tricky with a "Thrawn" in play. How do you balance a character that is a master of the art of winning.
Outside the Lines Fantasy – A collection of self published fiction stories.
Have the young apprentice
Summon a bunch of tentacled space whales to drag him off to hyperspace.
That being said, I loved Thrawn in the Heir to the Empire books and I loved they recreated him for Rebels. He is one of my favorite characters.
He is a great character. Really hits to marks for a tactician character.
Outside the Lines Fantasy – A collection of self published fiction stories.
The thing about playing such a character is that there's a fine line for being prepared to fight the heroes specifically and setting the heroes up for an unfun curbstomp where only a deus ex machina can save them. My recommendation is to give him resources that aren't renewable so that he gradually runs out as the conflict goes on (this should be for multiple combats, not just a single fight). And remember, a smart, strategic villain never sticks around to fight a losing battle.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
But that is the trick of grand strategists. The Art of War basically says cheese your way to victory. All be it though I agree with you that it is no way fair unless one of the players has the strategic chops to throw down with best of them. So, why not add a stress mechanic that grows faster then exhaustion? More stress less accurate and slower their responses, while fresh they are that hyper conquering machine. You can also have a rise to the challenge machinic to. Basically you trade stress for a powerful buff/attack at the cost of exhaustion.
Outside the Lines Fantasy – A collection of self published fiction stories.