Character creation

[Crothian]

For me, it doesn't matter rules light or rules heavy, with the extra background ifo I like to proviude character creation always takes a while.

 

[Roadkill101]

As a player or GM, I like to have at least a simple backstory that helps to define a characters motives and personality. Hopefully (from a GM perspective) assigned character abilities and skills will be reflective of said backstory to some degree.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I love character creation, but it rarely takes me a long time, even at higher levels. So...the answers provided only partially fit.

 

[der_kluge]

I really dislike those people who are all about the crunch and "kewl" abilities.

I'm certainly not one of those people. I've only taken one PrC of all the 3e characters I've made, and I intentionally gave "illiteracy" to a sorcerer because it made sense for her backstory. So, I think I'm in agreement that the abilities should match the history, but I do like the customization that comes from being able to tweak all the little things - skills, abilities, etc, to match that history.

With some systems, like C&C for example, or OD&D, a level is defined as some hit dice, and a another +1 to hit, for example. So, there isn't any way to reflect that for the last few months you're character has been studying the ancient art of basketweaving, and has now mastered it. So, systems without skills, while allowing for quicker character creation, tend to create more bland PCs, IMHO.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Character creation doesn't take too long for me. I don't start out with really complex characters, but then again complexity is totally in the eye of the beholder.

Kane

 

[diaglo]

...or OD&D, a level is defined as some hit dice, and a another +1 to hit, for example. So, there isn't any way to reflect that for the last few months you're character has been studying the ancient art of basketweaving, and has now mastered it. So, systems without skills, while allowing for quicker character creation, tend to create more bland PCs, IMHO.

bah... you need to play OD&D.

rules as guidelines and such.

i'll be your referee.

never a bland PC unless that is the player's choice is my motto.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Character creation is the best part. All these big ideas and dreams for your character. As soon as you start using them, some DM will surely come along and dash them all.

Years ago we used to buy games and never do anything with them other than create the characters. We based how good a game was almost entirely off how much fun the character creation process was.

 

[Altalazar]

I love spending time on Character creation. For me, what always takes longest is the backstory and the personality. Filling in the stats to fit it afterwards is never as big a deal as that first step. And finding the character and the character's voice is what is most difficult and most fun - once you get it, that's what makes a character a blast to play.

 

[der_kluge]

bah... you need to play OD&D.

Well, I suppose that is debatable...

rules as guidelines and such.

i'll be your referee.

never a bland PC unless that is the player's choice is my motto.

Though, I am curious how you resolve "skill checks" in OD&D. I mean, that whole concept of "skills" is out of the bag, so to speak, in game terms. You can't make players forget about those concepts. How do you handle a concept like say, a fighter who, as a hobby, studies ancient Babylonion myths? In 3e terms, he might spend points on Knowledge (ancient Babylonia), but that wouldn't translate into OD&D or even C&C. How does one adjudicate such a thing?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I may spend a fair amount of time thinking up an idea for a character, or deciding which idea I want to use, but I don't like spending a lot of time on the rules-monkeying.