Let's Play Non-Combatants! (The noncomm challenge.)

[Is Friday]

I'd like to get a good discussion going on character ideas people can use if they want to play non-comms. Whether they be coded wigglers or coded warriors! I encourage everyone to play a noncomm every once in a while.

Noncomms can liven up any clan or area of the game dramatically. In my opinion, noncomms have an opportunity to be the most interesting PCs in any given scene because those players usually has more effort available to concentrate on playing the character, (and not having to worry about the combat code/skills/etc.)

Leaders: It does not hurt your clan to hire cooks, physicians, bards, servants, or grebbers.

Post your noncomm occupation ideas.

Mine: Street sweeper/servant.

[HTX]

Prostitute
Rat meat seller
Boot shiner/clothe washer
Professional gambler
Information broker
Fence
Con artist
Entertainer (bard, dancer, painter, juggler, story-teller etc.)
Trader/merchant/tradesperson
Spy
Aide
Grebber, spice hunter, miner, physician, servant, etc.
Beggar
Spice smuggler/dealer
Scavenger
Thief
Burglar
Explorer
Fortune teller
Rumour monger - get paid to keep people up to date and spread announcements which are too insignificant to post on the IC boards
Dung shoveler (someone's gotta clean up the crap which accumulates in clan stables, right?)

[Kronus]

Do you perceive that there's a shortage of PCs who aren't self-identified 'professional' soldiers/mercenaries/hunters?    Most of them aren't in clans, I'll agree with that.

PC concepts that could have a home in a clan (if the clan leaders are willing to hire people with little or no coded benefits to offer):

Seamstress/Tailor - different from merchant house clothing crafter in that it's entirely focused on repairing or altering existing garments.
Armourer - maintaining and sharpening weapons, repairing and cleaning armor for the warriors, keeping track of martial inventory.
"The Face" - I've always been surprised that groups like the Byn don't have someone out there shilling for them and drumming up business, especially little jobs involving one or two people for only a couple of hours.  It seems so passively done, or left to the battle-hardened sergeants to make deals.  I rarely see GMH members making pitches either, everyone just waits for the business to find them.
The Spy - This one is relatively common.  Clan Amos hires the spy to join Clan Bemos and report what they learn.  I'm not in love with it, just because most clans are always OOCly eager to hire player characters without looking too closely and this seems to take advantage of that.
Brewmaster - As another thread demonstrated, everyone likes to get drunk.  Wealthy or powerful clans shouldn't overlook the value of having someone at the compound serving up beer and spirits (and medicinal tabs).
Spicemonger - For those places where the spice isn't illegal, and could be paired with a smuggler angle for those clans who don't care whether it's illegal or not.  The spicemonger knows all the varieties by name and precisely what their effects are.  Kurac hates her, the clan loves her.  Unless the clan is Kurac...
The Sweetest Chef - Every soldier loves a good home-cooked meal after a long day of training and standing watch, but the sweetest chef also acts as the clan's 'den mother', counselor and conscience.
Animal Handler - Looks after the clan's mounts, feeds and waters them, tends to the stables, and breaks new acquisitions for saddling whether in the safety of the compound or out in the wild.

[Nahara]

A few:
Pimp
Investor
Lumberjack
Artisan (jeweler, seamstress, etc.)
Guide
Wagon Pilot
Translator
Mentor
Preacher (may not remain noncombatant)

[DustMight]

Actually, the idea of rat-meat seller is kinda cool.

But what happened to having a war around Christmas?
Political non-comms?

[Marshmellow]

Just to remind everyone, playing normal every day sort of people will probably keep you from being hired on into a clan unless you're hired to do something other than your normal, mundane job.  People want to hire people that will help them push plots along, not someone who's just going to clean up the barracks.

That said, there are all sorts of non-comms available.

- Grebber, multiple varieties from the salter-grebber to plant-grebber to adventuring grebber that runs from any combat.
- Crafters of many varieties.
- Aides.
- Merchants.
- etc.

[Dahomey]

Or a warrior/bard, warrior/cook, warrior/whatever. You could still be useful to a clan while still focusing around your non-com job.

[Reiteration]

I really want to play that 'sweetest chef' role and be the overaged caring grandmother of the byn who still has the muscles to beat up any of the snot-nosed runners that step out of line.

[Talia]

Leaders: It does not hurt your clan to hire cooks, physicians, bards, servants, or grebbers.

PC leaders do not always have carte blanche to hire whomever they want for whatever purpose they want. Clan leaders have guidelines on what types and what numbers of PCs they may hire. There's probably nothing wrong with letting the chick you hired as a House hunter ALSO have the side duty of brewing up your personal drinks, but generally speaking clan leaders have hiring caps and particular roles for which they are hiring, at the directive of staff.

[Nana]

From my experience, the # of PCs in any given clan are kind of limited just due to logistics, so if you wanted to be the pure non-combatant you'd probably want to think of a concept that allows you to fill multiple roles listed above. combine social roles with productive ones, and you'll definitely get hired quick..

[WarriorPoet]

Crime lord
Spice dealer
Loan Shark/Pawn Man
Maid/Butler
Dentist - This is one I've considered and abandoned many times, for fear people woudn't play along and shell out coin for me pulling virtual teeth.
Town Crier - Same as above.
Laundryman
Gambler
Dirigible Inventor
Party Planner/decorator - Bonus points is you're the massively ugly dwarf or the feral-eyed, scar-coated mul
Drummer boy
Cleaning Service
Wandering Pacifist Preacher
Wet Nurse
Surrogate Mother
Bar-slut. You know the ones. People will keep you fed and watered and drunk, so long as you flirt alot and occasionally throw the ass around.
Historian


Alot of  non-combat jobs would require alot of generosidty from  other players in playing-along with virtual services, but could be fun.

[Is Friday]

Leaders: It does not hurt your clan to hire cooks, physicians, bards, servants, or grebbers.

PC leaders do not always have carte blanche to hire whomever they want for whatever purpose they want. Clan leaders have guidelines on what types and what numbers of PCs they may hire. There's probably nothing wrong with letting the chick you hired as a House hunter ALSO have the side duty of brewing up your personal drinks, but generally speaking clan leaders have hiring caps and particular roles for which they are hiring, at the directive of staff.

I understand having the ability to only hire certain amounts of people... but I don't see why you can't do a case-by-case basis staff approval of "flavor" PC roles like cooks and such.

[Reiteration]

These are some amazing ideas, I'm not one for playing combat-related roles and these are like obsidian nuggets.

[Reiloth]

My personal favorite:

Private Investigator. Burglar or pickpocket. I had a lot of fun with my dude doing this for a spell before I stored for another role.

[SmashedTregil]

A travelling jokester ministrel




one of my favourite roles .

[titansfan]

This is quite endless...in both fun and options....just do somethin' on any of these lists and you will have a blast.

[Zoan]

My current role is non-combatant. At least it is so far. I tend to find noncom roles easy to think up.

[manipura]

Crime lord
Spice dealer
Loan Shark/Pawn Man
Maid/Butler
Dentist - This is one I've considered and abandoned many times, for fear people woudn't play along and shell out coin for me pulling virtual teeth.........

I have considered this one so many times!  I often wonder about the oral hygiene of the average Zalanthan...I mean, how much calcium and fluoride is Average Joe really getting?  It seems to me that most Average Joes would have a hard time developing decent teeth in the first place.
There are some personal hygiene items IG (soaps, combs etc) but has anyone ever seen a toothbrush?  Ever...?
Hmmm.


Out of the thirty-five characters I have had, I'd guess that about two thirds of them have been non-combat roles. 

Once I was a travelling salesperson.  Had my display case with various 'stuff' (nothing better than 'just decent') and I just walked around 'Nak shouting out prices etc...

I have always wanted to app a character with the pilot skill so I could start a small public transportation service.
Oh, and I often consider apping a halfie whose way with animals allows her to open up the first zoo in the Known World...

[Sam]

Well, with the increased amount of sand. We all know sand gets everywhere. The native americans used the grinding stones to grand corn into powder and that caused more sand and fragmented rock to wear down their teeth.

I don't know how that affects the overall health though.

[WarriorPoet]

I once read a book from a guy travelling among Native Americans in the early 19th century and he actuallly remarked on the fact that tooth decay was a rarity. I'd guess that this was due to a simple but healthy diet that had no preservatives, blah blah. But at the same time, I also remember hearing that Egyptians had terribly worn-down teeth, because it's crazy hard to keep all that sand out of your bread and whatnot. Dunno. I figure a good, more or less sand or stone-chip free diet, coupled with the occasional scraping, would keep you in good stead with the tooth fairy.

/derail for me.

[a strange shadow]

The amusing thing about all this is that upper class and nobility in Zalanthas are more likely to have bad teeth than the peasants. Sugar causing tooth decay and all.

[Reiteration]

No such thing as sugar, just spiced sand.

[boog]

No such thing as sugar, just spiced sand.

There is sugar, or at least sugar-coated things IG.

[Aaron Goulet]

No such thing as sugar, just spiced sand.

There is sugar, or at least sugar-coated things IG.

Like words?

[Clavis]

old school tooth brush, frayed twig for brushing and
urine for mouth wash.....yummy