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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Halivar" data-source="post: 5662191" data-attributes="member: 9327">I have an upcoming campaign for 5 that I'm currently planning, and something I have been very keen on is enhancing player ownership of characters. I tend to run on the method actor side of things, and I'll admit a certain bias towards my own play style. One of the problems I have in games I run is that players aren't as attached to their characters as I feel they could be, and will often switch out characters when they get bored with them.So, I came up with a plan that (I hope) will give their respective characters a compelling raison d'etre, and give them to desire to see their characters fulfill it.The first 5 weeks of the campaign, we'll be doing character prologue sessions, one session for each player. Everyone sits down with the campaign world write-up, picks out their race/class/background and stuff, and then fills out a quick questionarre about how they became a hero (specifically, the first 5 steps of "the hero's journey"). Then we draw straws, and the lucky winner goes first.For each session, the character in focus plays a "level 0" version of their character, either in childhood, or at the very threshold of adulthood, but definitely not "heroic" yet. The session covers the epochal event that drives that character onto their personal hero's journey. The other players at the table will portray characters important to this event, whether they be mentors, family members, servants, or childhood friends. These ancillary characters will be described in handouts (with stat blocks for combat), with a description, personality, and disposition to the main character. Other than that, the player fleshes out the character and plays them as they wish. Each ancillary character has a couple (two or three at the most) scripted responses to important events, such as characters that die, betray the main character, or perform some important sacrifice for the main character.Hopefully, each session should end with players having compelling reasons to see their characters through to the end ("So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say, 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'"). Especially so, since I will be weaving these back stories into the campaign threads. Also, there is the possibility that background characters could even accompany the PC on their adventures, if that is the logical conclusion of the character prologue.NOW... my concerns. I'm afraid that by handing out ancillary character write-ups I will be overbearing in my GM duties, and perhaps a little railroad-ish. On the other hand, everyone gets their chance to shine. On the other-other hand, that doesn't change the fact that each person spends 4 weeks being an ancillary character.What do you guys think?</blockquote>

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