I have a player at my table I really enjoy. But when he creates a character he insists on writing a six-page backstory. Even when I ask him not to. IMHO it complicates things. Creating a new character is MUCH simpler than that. Here's how you do it …. in keeping with the Angry GM's advice.
I ask my players for four things. Race, Class, Background and Motivation
As always I tend to limit them because there are some races/classes I just don't like (shakes fist at the clouds.) So Race. You can be Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Half Elf, Half Orc and that's IT! Which is basic … and plenty. Everything else is just commercialized drek to sell splat books. No gnomes. No dragon/turtle/crow people.
Class. No Monks or Artificers. No Blood Hunter or Sorcerer as your FIRST character. Simple. Subclasses? Ask me. Probably gonna be OK with it.
Background. Not keen on Knight. How about Squire? Noble? Doubt it. Let's talk. Pirate & Sailor might be useless so probably not. So far, so good.
Motivation: three words. Amass
wealth. Help others. Mete out Justice. Spread the faith. List of suggestions provided upon request.
I'll apply the standard array. Use my magic spreadsheet for physical description, familial attachments and a few other little odds and ends. I'll buy your initial equipment based on all of that stuff above.
And there you are. A PC, complete with ready to go quirks and whatever weird ideas you wanna throw in. Believe your bard was an enslaved minstrel in the Court of the Fairie Queen? Your fighter was a hero in the Great Goblin War of '76? You're the Rightful heir to the throne? Fine. You'll be playing a character one bad event removed from the residentially challenged person wandering down High Street yelling to passers by that they're the REAL MAYOR!
About that player in the first 'graph above? I DO enjoy his writing. They're readable. Could be a Hallmark Christmas movie with a few small adjustments. But I do NOT need them for the game,
No comments:
Post a Comment