[UA] Mess with this character, a lot

[Ted Prodromou]

> Okay, I gotcha now.  So basically what you're saying
> is that I should tell him no for the time being, and
> that if he wants to play an avatar we can explore
> that
> through actual play (with the assumption that he can
> deliberately pursue one once his character learns
> about avatars if he hasn't stumbled on to one by
> then).
> 
> Jonathan

It sounds here like the player is a difficult
combiantion: kind of stubborn, but inexperienced with
the game.  He insisted for sure he didn't want magic
at all, then switched tunes during play.  It's going
to be difficult to make him happy, and it doesn't
sound like he's much interested in the Pilgrim, so
much as he's interested in flip-flopping rolls.  The
Pilgrim is particularly bad for characters who change
their mind mid-play (because of the limitations of the
first channel), so I'd suggest discouraging that
route.

I really don't mean any insult to the player.  He also
sounds like he's smart and communicating well.  He
just put you in a tight spot.

There's a few things I could see you do here:

1. Suggest he write up a new character that matches
his new desires.
2. Create situations where hand-to-hand violence is
important and impressive.  Maybe even do the "go into
the ultra-violence, and then through the
ultra-violence into something beyond."
3. Give him an artifact.  Make one up.  It'll give him
more power to handle the situations he's facing, and
an interesting storyline, and, on top of it all, a way
for his character to be unique and special.  Or give
him some rituals.
4. Ask him, out of game, what he wants to do.  Work on
that, rather than debating the idea of his character
becoming a Pilgrim.
5. Give him a "radiation accident."  (Term clipped
from Champions.)  That is, make his character
experience a vast change that leaves him totally
different.  UA includes a few ways to do this.  The
most clear one is the House of Renunciation, but, just
as much, a major charge from an NPC can pretty
seriously rewrite a character.  And there's always a
few giant plot devices walking across the Unknown
Battlefield that can rewrite a PC, like the Bad Man,
the Comte de Germaine, and even The Freak.

Them's my apples.