Jeff Heikkinen
2004-09-22 05:28:07 UTC
Now that I've already sent it to my players, I was wondering what the
regulars here (if any are actually still checking the group, which has
been... quiet, to say the least, lately) think of this.
I'd like to see both DAS and DIP types be reasonably happy. Being
somewhere in the middle myself, I think I can understand both reasonably
well. I think my new group is, on the whole, going to lean toward the
DIP side of things, and contrary to what some people here seem to think
I've seen no lack of interesting characters from the bulk of these
players.
Anyway, here it is, slightly edited near the beginning to take out some
world specific stuff. Some may notice that the second-last point, in
particular, is lifted directly from a suggestion someone once made on
this group, though I don't remember who, when or in what context.
*********
I don't want reams and reams of detailed background, as what I get,
while interesting, is usually written for some other world than the one
the game actually takes place in. This leads to arguments over what
takes precedence, the player's vision of their character or the GM's
vision of the setting, etc ad nauseum, and sometimes the inconsistencies
don't become clear until literally years into a campaign.
Instead, I would like all players to provide short answers to a majority
of the following questions. Beyond the direct answers to these
questions, I suspect it's best to have as few preconceived ideas as
possible; the blanks usually get filled in nicely in actual play anyway.
Keep all answers reasonable for first level characters. You'll probably
have some fighting experience, but not much, and are unlikely to have
really valuable equipment.
" In what part of the world did your character grow up? (more
detailed questions on this snipped)
o Optional: Name one or two important people and/or events from your
character's past that may have repercussions during the campaign.
" Why is your character an itinerant wanderer? (Most D&D characters
are assumed to be.) What motivates him or her to adventure? How and why
did he/she learn the things they did?
o In game terms, the last question means mainly "why does your
character have the class he or she does, and not some other?" Note that
in some cases, the class chooses you (Sorcerers, most Wilders, some
Psions, some Champions) rather than the other way around.
" How did your character come to be in (the campaign area)? What
has he/she been doing there, particularly in the last couple of days?
" Name at least two relatively long-term goals your character has.
(This is probably related to your answer to the second set of
questions.)
o Optional: If these came into conflict, which would take priority,
and why?
" Name at least two personality traits your character has. It's
okay if they seem clichéd at first and they can be as simple as a
catchphrase or battle cry your character uses - these sorts of things
generally start out sketchy and grow over time.
" In one or two short sentences, give a general picture of how your
character prefers to fight. Do not use things like "is a brilliant
tactician". Name at least two situations where your character would do
something tactically sub-optimal (not to be confused with suicidally
stupid) and/or at least one good tactic appropriate to your class that
your character just wouldn't think of.
" Feel free to throw in answers to up to three other simple
questions that can be answered in one or two short sentences (e.g. "What
is your character's most prized possession, and why?")
regulars here (if any are actually still checking the group, which has
been... quiet, to say the least, lately) think of this.
I'd like to see both DAS and DIP types be reasonably happy. Being
somewhere in the middle myself, I think I can understand both reasonably
well. I think my new group is, on the whole, going to lean toward the
DIP side of things, and contrary to what some people here seem to think
I've seen no lack of interesting characters from the bulk of these
players.
Anyway, here it is, slightly edited near the beginning to take out some
world specific stuff. Some may notice that the second-last point, in
particular, is lifted directly from a suggestion someone once made on
this group, though I don't remember who, when or in what context.
*********
I don't want reams and reams of detailed background, as what I get,
while interesting, is usually written for some other world than the one
the game actually takes place in. This leads to arguments over what
takes precedence, the player's vision of their character or the GM's
vision of the setting, etc ad nauseum, and sometimes the inconsistencies
don't become clear until literally years into a campaign.
Instead, I would like all players to provide short answers to a majority
of the following questions. Beyond the direct answers to these
questions, I suspect it's best to have as few preconceived ideas as
possible; the blanks usually get filled in nicely in actual play anyway.
Keep all answers reasonable for first level characters. You'll probably
have some fighting experience, but not much, and are unlikely to have
really valuable equipment.
" In what part of the world did your character grow up? (more
detailed questions on this snipped)
o Optional: Name one or two important people and/or events from your
character's past that may have repercussions during the campaign.
" Why is your character an itinerant wanderer? (Most D&D characters
are assumed to be.) What motivates him or her to adventure? How and why
did he/she learn the things they did?
o In game terms, the last question means mainly "why does your
character have the class he or she does, and not some other?" Note that
in some cases, the class chooses you (Sorcerers, most Wilders, some
Psions, some Champions) rather than the other way around.
" How did your character come to be in (the campaign area)? What
has he/she been doing there, particularly in the last couple of days?
" Name at least two relatively long-term goals your character has.
(This is probably related to your answer to the second set of
questions.)
o Optional: If these came into conflict, which would take priority,
and why?
" Name at least two personality traits your character has. It's
okay if they seem clichéd at first and they can be as simple as a
catchphrase or battle cry your character uses - these sorts of things
generally start out sketchy and grow over time.
" In one or two short sentences, give a general picture of how your
character prefers to fight. Do not use things like "is a brilliant
tactician". Name at least two situations where your character would do
something tactically sub-optimal (not to be confused with suicidally
stupid) and/or at least one good tactic appropriate to your class that
your character just wouldn't think of.
" Feel free to throw in answers to up to three other simple
questions that can be answered in one or two short sentences (e.g. "What
is your character's most prized possession, and why?")