I did this up yesterday while I was thinking about the 'those darned kids' possibilities. This is as much an effort for me to flesh out Lucas's family than anything. So don't feel pressured, Marko.
Maria (daughter of Lucas and Cecilia)
Age: 10
Size: -2
Int -2
Per -2
Str -3
Sta -2
Pre +1
Com -2
Dex -3
Qik -3
Here's the thing- the covenant has a mercer section, which presumably has multiple NPC redcap characters who are, story wise grogs or lower (they just deliver messages) by the rules have to be companion level characters, so it would seem to me at a fundamental level that the stated definition of character levels being tied to story importance and the practical implications of level and story significance are shot in the foot. add to that the fact that grog only adventures have been published as possibilities in several books and the idea is nearly DOA.
That being said the original concept was borrowed from Shakespeare- in his plays there are two classes of characters, essentially high brow (speak in iambic pentameter) and low brow (comedic relief) and it seems to me that this, rather than story participation and focus, is what should divide the companions from the grogs. Grogs are the vaudeville act, the fools. They may be educated and not realize this is their role- according to some scholars Polonius was a "wise fool"- advisor to the king whose advice consisted of reciting standard phrases of wisdom (note: not in Iambic pentameter) and who thought himself a learned and wise man while playing the fool in the play. Certainly his role was more significant than a typical grog, while Romeo's friends barely put in an appearance after the beginning but were of the 'higher class' character types.
I have to completely disagree. Per page 17 of the Are Magical book, "Player characters in Are Magical fall into three categories, depending on their role in the story .". Also, "a companion is an important non-magus.". Finally, "Grogs are minor characters."
At least as far as the rules are written, it seems clear to me that role in the story IS the driving decider of whether a character is a companion or grog.
FWIW, I made up all of Lucas and Cecilia's kids as grogs and put them up on the wiki in the NPC section. Now if anyone needs to use one of the kids in a story for any reason, they have them with personalities and everything.
Mostly it's just an intellectual exercise for me to flesh out Lucas and Cecilia. But who knows, they might come up in a story.
"important" doe snot have to mean "plot driving character", and again, actual use elsewhere complicates this supposedly simple and straightforward 'rule', since as noted there are many redcaps who are, by definition, companion level (as well as any landed nobles since that is a major virtue) who have no role at all in any of our stories.
I assume you mean NPC redcaps and landed nobles? They're NPCs, and thus are neither companions nor grogs; they're NPCs. If there were a PC Landed Noble, I would absolutely expect him to be a companion, as a PC of that stature warrants being a plot driving character.
I think the implication is that anyone who is a landed noble is inherently important, not that they have to drive the plots.
I understand what you are saying, I just disagree with your understanding, on the fundamental basis that it is in practice contradicted by the usage of those roles in several core books.
As to this saga I think the main problem is a deficiency of grogs rather than an excess of companions, and I honestly don't see how it serves story or Saga to try and press down other people's characters just on the general principle of stepping on them.
