How should a GM handle refused plots

[Lanefan]

I find it highly unlikely that you could fit all of the information that you've said above that you require into six sentences. If you had examples, from characters that are (were) actually in games, that would help.

Yeah, six sentences - even to do the "actual backstory" part - does sound a bit optimistic.

It still seems like a butt-load of work, on top of making the character in the first place and, presumably, establishing connections to the other player characters, now I have to come up with several (3 contacts, at least two family members, and an unspecified number of friends and enemies) NPCs. That seems like stuff the DM should be doing.

I don't mind doing it once the character has already lasted long enough that I know it's got a chance to survive for a while longer.

I'm sure as blazes not going to do all this for a character that could very well die in its first adventure, which many of them do. Sometimes I never formally do any of this even for a long-lasting character, as its background and story has grown organically through the run of play.

That said, there's various generic background generators out there if you'd rather the dice tell you about your family etc.; this can at times be a lot faster than trying to make something up. I'd suggest that any DM who insists on background have one of these to hand.

Lanefan

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I find it highly unlikely that you could fit all of the information that you've said above that you require into six sentences. If you had examples, from characters that are (were) actually in games, that would help.

It still seems like a butt-load of work, on top of making the character in the first place and, presumably, establishing connections to the other player characters, now I have to come up with several (3 contacts, at least two family members, and an unspecified number of friends and enemies) NPCs. That seems like stuff the DM should be doing.

Forum ate my post, so I'll be brief this time.

I can't imagine making a character with no idea of their home, family, or ties to the world. That is the same, to me, as saying your character is ready to go without his skills chosen. That character isn't done.

Family and home is a sentence. "My parents are farmers from a little town in the Eldeen Reaches, and I'm their youngest."

Contacts, maybe a sentence per contact. "Derek Foroen, my best mate from back home, and our war buddy Tonne the Warforged live in Sharn these days. After the war, I traveled with a merchant name Sven." Done.

Backstory. "I fought for Aundair, during the war, as one of the few indipendent Artificers, but I always considered myself a Reacher, not Aundarian. Since the War, I've taken odd jobs to save coin, and hopefully open an apothecary someday." Also takes care of motivation, though the player went further and added, "Khorvaire can't take another war, not in my lifetime. We have to figure out what The Mourning was, but we also have to find a way to promote genuine, lasting peace. If that means taking down Aurelia and replacing her with someone who wants peace, so be it."

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yeah, six sentences - even to do the "actual backstory" part - does sound a bit optimistic.

I don't mind doing it once the character has already lasted long enough that I know it's got a chance to survive for a while longer.

I'm sure as blazes not going to do all this for a character that could very well die in its first adventure, which many of them do. Sometimes I never formally do any of this even for a long-lasting character, as its background and story has grown organically through the run of play.

That said, there's various generic background generators out there if you'd rather the dice tell you about your family etc.; this can at times be a lot faster than trying to make something up. I'd suggest that any DM who insists on background have one of these to hand.

Lanefan

Like I said above, I don't need pages of backstory. Just something more than, "I are poor boy."

And I'd much rather work with the player as part of session 0 than use a randomizer.

The point is, I don't care about characters that don't have ties to the world. I'm not here to play Hack n Slash and The Murderhobos.

 

[TwoSix]

The point is, I don't care about characters that don't have ties to the world. I'm not here to play Hack n Slash and The Murderhobos.

If your goal for the game is "explore the dungeon" or "explore the world and see what happens", and there's a good chance that your character doesn't survive the first few sessions, then I agree that a detailed backstory isn't really relevant.

If your goal for the game is "tell a story about these characters", then a character without an animating story is pretty much worthless.

Different agendas, different needs.

 

[ccs]

Like I said above, I don't need pages of backstory. Just something more than, "I are poor boy."

One of the guys in my Sunday game once gave "I'm an elf, from the woods." as his background.
Someone replied that even Super Mario has a longer background.

Now to be fair, as he puts it in his own defense, he was 19 and it was his very first D&D character in the very first TTRPG he'd ever played....
And he's gotten a lot better over the intervening years.
Still, he's not ever going to live that down.

 

[Lanefan]

One of the guys in my Sunday game once gave "I'm an elf, from the woods." as his background.
Someone replied that even Super Mario has a longer background.

Now to be fair, as he puts it in his own defense, he was 19 and it was his very first D&D character in the very first TTRPG he'd ever played....
And he's gotten a lot better over the intervening years.
Still, he's not ever going to live that down.

Now that it's years later and he's learned the ropes, what he needs to do next is bring in a character whose entire background is "I'm a dwarf, from the mountains" just so he can watch your eyes bug out.

Lan-"I'm evil that way"-efan

 

[doctorbadwolf]

One of the guys in my Sunday game once gave "I'm an elf, from the woods." as his background.
Someone replied that even Super Mario has a longer background.

Now to be fair, as he puts it in his own defense, he was 19 and it was his very first D&D character in the very first TTRPG he'd ever played....
And he's gotten a lot better over the intervening years.
Still, he's not ever going to live that down.

Nice. I think my first DnD character was a Dragonlance Elf Ranger from the forest with the centaurs and such. I barely remember that campaign, though. I do remember the time my Bard sat on a trapped treasure chest, though, because gen years later it still comes up in conversation! Lol

If your goal for the game is "explore the dungeon" or "explore the world and see what happens", and there's a good chance that your character doesn't survive the first few sessions, then I agree that a detailed backstory isn't really relevant.

If your goal for the game is "tell a story about these characters", then a character without an animating story is pretty much worthless.

Different agendas, different needs.

Certainly. I don't think I would use 5e for that, I'd rather use something like Old School Hack, but fair enough.

 

[LordEntrails]

I find it highly unlikely that you could fit all of the information that you've said above that you require into six sentences. If you had examples, from characters that are (were) actually in games, that would help.

It still seems like a butt-load of work, on top of making the character in the first place and, presumably, establishing connections to the other player characters, now I have to come up with several (3 contacts, at least two family members, and an unspecified number of friends and enemies) NPCs. That seems like stuff the DM should be doing.

I don't think you get what he means. Nobody means to come up with stats and back stories for the NPC, just links to them.

Coming up with a contact is as simple as this;
1) "His family grew up near near the Tyler Ranch, which was run by Bob and Mary Tyler and was known throughout the region as breeding some of the best warhorses."
2) "He used to work the harvest for old man Gower, who wife and children had died from consumption some years before."
3) "All through his youth, <my character> would spend the summer months playing in the reserve of Lord James with his best friend and youngest son of the Lord, Thomas."

 

[Blue]

This sounds like way too much work.

Man, that's my random noodling before deciding what character to play. If I don't have an interesting character what am I even doing? How can I mold a personality without knowing some basics?

I also will work out a way of speaking and a catchphrase to get me into character. I love doing voices.

Usually I'll have a picture or mini to help the others envision my character.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Man, that's my random noodling before deciding what character to play. If I don't have an interesting character what am I even doing? How can I mold a personality without knowing some basics?

I also will work out a way of speaking and a catchphrase to get me into character. I love doing voices.

Usually I'll have a picture or mini to help the others envision my character.

I don't even do the last two, so much. Sometimes the picture, sometimes not. But I've never made a character without a backstory.

I don't think you get what he means. Nobody means to come up with stats and back stories for the NPC, just links to them.

Coming up with a contact is as simple as this;
1) "His family grew up near near the Tyler Ranch, which was run by Bob and Mary Tyler and was known throughout the region as breeding some of the best warhorses."
2) "He used to work the harvest for old man Gower, who wife and children had died from consumption some years before."
3) "All through his youth, <my character> would spend the summer months playing in the reserve of Lord James with his best friend and youngest son of the Lord, Thomas."

Exactly.