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<blockquote data-quote="rmcoen" data-source="post: 7747667" data-attributes="member: 6692404"><p>I have used many methods of creating characters (PCs and NPCs) in the past. A few were created to "try out a mechanic" ("best archer possible in 4e", or "highest Divination skill possible in 3.5e") - these have varying success as being fun to play. The latter was actually a blast, but the archer was boring and reitred early.</p><p></p><p>Some character concepts have come from off-hand comments, or wanting to "buck a norm" - for example, the 1e and 2e concept of "running the cleric": the party sits still for a couple days while the cleric preps and casts nothing but Cure X Wounds spells so they can recover. Thus was born Trisamar the Cleric, a slightly unstable young man whose father the necromancer was burned at the stake -- but left his son his spellbook before being captured. Trisamar wavered in his faith, and *I* knew that if the party wanted to "run the cleric", Tris was would change class to necromancer and renounce his clerical powers! A.X.E. the Automated Exploration Entity, on the other hand, was a warforged NPC bodyguard for a PC, built to flesh out the three-PC party in 4e. All his powers and feats were about protecting the "journeyman scholar" warlock... and the player of the warlock later decided to take over AXE and retire the warlock, because AXE was so much fun to play as a powerful warrior with the brains of C3-P0.</p><p></p><p>Most of my characters, though, come with some kind of a story in mind. The nobleman dabbler, semi-skllled in fencing and magic, disinherited by (campaign event X). The rescued street urchin, caught with her hand in the offering box and raised as a cleric (whose mentor is killed/disappeared/involved in campaign event Y). The time-lost elven prince, trapped in a suicide-bomber / martydom enchantment, who awakens centuries later when campaign event Z breaks the spell, releasing the BBEG - but leaving the prince drained of his skills and life force (i.e. level 1, but with all his memories - most of which are out of date and useless). And so on.</p><p></p><p>As the OP said - good PC design generally involves crafting a story that ties the character to the world, and ideally to the other characters. I'll admit, "Divination Boy" (above) didn't do that, but the GM did a great job tying him in for me. The last three campaigns I have run, I gave that specific guideline to my players; in one, all of them were from one small town near the frontier, and all "underage"; they all had parents and relationships and ties to the area that made even rote "Stop the Goblins" quests very personally important. Another had them all starting in the same town again (living or passing through, their choice) when a campaign event occured (a crashing meteor); two decided to be from the town, while the other two were there specifically to observe the event. The last one, I allowed the characters a bit more freedom, but indicated that their class and race choices would tie them to specific citystates in the world, and come with cultural advantages and burdens (like the cleric from Godshome having his holy symbol tattooed to his forhead - like all good god-fearing Citizens - and access to all the Church's resources... but duty-bound to uphold the Church's reputation).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rmcoen, post: 7747667, member: 6692404"] I have used many methods of creating characters (PCs and NPCs) in the past. A few were created to "try out a mechanic" ("best archer possible in 4e", or "highest Divination skill possible in 3.5e") - these have varying success as being fun to play. The latter was actually a blast, but the archer was boring and reitred early. Some character concepts have come from off-hand comments, or wanting to "buck a norm" - for example, the 1e and 2e concept of "running the cleric": the party sits still for a couple days while the cleric preps and casts nothing but Cure X Wounds spells so they can recover. Thus was born Trisamar the Cleric, a slightly unstable young man whose father the necromancer was burned at the stake -- but left his son his spellbook before being captured. Trisamar wavered in his faith, and *I* knew that if the party wanted to "run the cleric", Tris was would change class to necromancer and renounce his clerical powers! A.X.E. the Automated Exploration Entity, on the other hand, was a warforged NPC bodyguard for a PC, built to flesh out the three-PC party in 4e. All his powers and feats were about protecting the "journeyman scholar" warlock... and the player of the warlock later decided to take over AXE and retire the warlock, because AXE was so much fun to play as a powerful warrior with the brains of C3-P0. Most of my characters, though, come with some kind of a story in mind. The nobleman dabbler, semi-skllled in fencing and magic, disinherited by (campaign event X). The rescued street urchin, caught with her hand in the offering box and raised as a cleric (whose mentor is killed/disappeared/involved in campaign event Y). The time-lost elven prince, trapped in a suicide-bomber / martydom enchantment, who awakens centuries later when campaign event Z breaks the spell, releasing the BBEG - but leaving the prince drained of his skills and life force (i.e. level 1, but with all his memories - most of which are out of date and useless). And so on. As the OP said - good PC design generally involves crafting a story that ties the character to the world, and ideally to the other characters. I'll admit, "Divination Boy" (above) didn't do that, but the GM did a great job tying him in for me. The last three campaigns I have run, I gave that specific guideline to my players; in one, all of them were from one small town near the frontier, and all "underage"; they all had parents and relationships and ties to the area that made even rote "Stop the Goblins" quests very personally important. Another had them all starting in the same town again (living or passing through, their choice) when a campaign event occured (a crashing meteor); two decided to be from the town, while the other two were there specifically to observe the event. The last one, I allowed the characters a bit more freedom, but indicated that their class and race choices would tie them to specific citystates in the world, and come with cultural advantages and burdens (like the cleric from Godshome having his holy symbol tattooed to his forhead - like all good god-fearing Citizens - and access to all the Church's resources... but duty-bound to uphold the Church's reputation). [/QUOTE]
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