Some characters have plenty of resolve, and some surprise you with how little they actually have.

In our turn of a new Leaf Call of Cthulhu game, I expected my character, Terence McSweeney, to have quite a bit of resolve. However, despite the fact that he would go toe-to-toe with gangsters, it seemed that exposure to the impossible and the supernatural had him faltering in his resolve more often than not. He still tried. He still had principles, but the enormity of the situation got the better of him on many occasions. I can’t fault him for that. I have no idea how I would have handled it. For all I know, he did better than I would have.

I’ve also seen characters with tremendous resolve. In our screaming for vengeance Hyperborea campaign the members of the Iron Eagle clan had tremendous resolve as they sought to recapture the Hammer of the Gods. They stood their ground as hordes of cultists tried to take it back, and they emerged victorious. They still faced more trials, and if we ever pick the campaign back up again, we will see what happens to them, but they always stood firm no matter what the opposition.

That’s one of those things that you never know until play goes on for a while. You might have an idea or a concept of a character in your head, but the real character that emerges takes on a life of their own.