Savant. Have you played one?

[vika]

I must make a new character. I thought about a savant, but I realised I do not want to play this character at this time - but I am interested to play someday. I rolled up a "fearful latent" instead. In any case, you have played a savant? What was the experience?

[Natasha]

Never have played. I rolled one up. An inmate in a psych ward when the "big meanies" came she got lost in the mix. Never got further than that.

[mrloucifer]

While I haven’t played a Savant (I’ve only been GM'ing BTS2 since its release with rare exception at cons) I’ve had a player who had played one for awhile. They are amazing individuals to have in the BTS game but there are some things I will bring up based on the groups experience.

-As you might expect, playing a character like these are attention hogs. The other player characters are required to step in a help the Savant character in everything they do. Even when they are more "attuned" and “with it” during supernatural encounters, realistically role playing them means the other characters are constantly involved with this character. With some players it kinda threw them off their game a little as they couldn’t concentrate on doing their own thing (fortunately the guy playing the Savant "gets" how to play them and was good at playing this role), but over time one of the more paternal characters stood out and more or less became the "caretaker" of the Savant. She was a Medium, and therefore in a more "support" role as opposed to offensive so she had more time to help keep an eye on the Savant character. In time however they became a very capable duo and nearly became inseparable as characters.

-Playing a Savant can be a strain on the GM at times. Like the book says it’s a very demanding character, but it’s just as much of a demand on the GM as it is the players. To be honest, I would state unless both the player and the GM are either seasoned role players this may be best left as an NPC character. I’ve been a gm for about 15 years now and I still had to learn how to deal with the constant distractions of a Savant in the group. This isn’t the characters or the players fault by any means, he wasn’t purposely being an ass or distracting, but he stayed in character (one of the best players I’ve ever known to be honest) and continually chirped, babbled, groaned and moaned, made bizarre hand movements and other actions in the course of the game. More than once I’ve ha to step in and calm troubled waters with aggravated players who had an issue with how he acted or played his character.

-Having one in the group is can be TONS of fun for the group and can create a lot of incidental moment of role playing opportunity and adventure. It becomes a natural habit to be very careful about where you step and what you do as a character in the BTS world, but when playing a Savant you’re under no such obligation. While Savants are not stupid, they are oblivious to dangers that are clear and present to the rest of the group. Off the top of my head I can recall where the Savant has walked into traps, open doors he shouldn’t have (women’s bathroom), constantly distracted by other stimuli, cut himself on sharp objects, fell down a set of stairs, burned himself and just a continual stream of events of doing things we as "normal" people take for granted and don’t even realize we do most days.
If memory serves I think that player had an autistic relative and therefore had some insight as to how they may act in given situations (sadly he moved out of state a year back or I would inquire more), but for players who lack experience with autistic individuals, I can promise you it will be a challenge to play. For example, it’s not uncommon for an Autistic being to see a lit candle and become fascinated by it, eventually they will try to touch, pinch or otherwise grab the fire. After they have burned themselves, most are incapable of learning from their mistakes and will do the same thing over and over and over again, hence continually burning themselves the same way over and over again.

My best advice would be this, if you do want to play one, talk it over with the GM and the group first to make sure they are cool with it. If you’ve got a newbie gm or a bunch of newb players, don’t even bother till they fully understand the in and out of the roleplaying experience. More than once Ive seen newbie’s quit a game before they really even began as they just didn’t “get” the point of role playing. But put yourselves in their shoes a moment… Your just starting to learn what the game is, them this guy comes in, sits down and start talking gibberish at times, or says he’s walking into the door next to his, which happens to be a women’s bathroom, constantly making the same mistakes over and over again, and then watching everyone having to deal with his issues… it’s a lot of ask some people. Then again, these people may very not have the chops its takes to ever fully enjoy the roleplaying experience so its not a bad idea to put them in that situation right away… kinda like throwing a kid who cant swim into a lake to teach him how to swim.

[vika]

Thanks mrloucifer.

My best advice would be this, if you do want to play one, talk it over with the GM and the group first to make sure they are cool with it.

I suspected, that I must do this. I saw that the character is very demanding of the entire playing group.

If you’ve got a newbie gm or a bunch of newb players, don’t even bother till they fully understand the in and out of the roleplaying experience.

I am the newbie player. I have never played, but I make kalle at lazlosociety.org and now cab312, after Natasha encourage me to participate.

Now I have chance to really play the game. I immediately realised that "no, the savant is the character I can play yet". I want to very much. I think I would play it good. Someday...

[mrloucifer]

Exactly... someday I have no doubts that you'll be ready. In the meantime any other PCC in the book should be fine. I might even go out on a limb and say hold off on playing a sensitive PCC till you've gotten some practice in, but if you belive your ready and able to play a "Touchy Feely" character I would say knock yourself out.

But above all, my one peice of advice for newb's is this: Have fun!

[vika]

Thank you. I will know soon how does it go.