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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Afrodyte" data-source="post: 1903605" data-attributes="member: 8713">There isn't a response there that's appropriate to my experiences and techniques.I have played and DMed campaigns (not one-shots) with pregen characters, with mixed success.  For the most part, it worked well (more on this later), and in the case where it didn't work, it was my fault.The time I played in a game where I was handed a pregen character, it was more or less a template that I got to tinker with a little bit.  It wasn't a D&D game, but it was adventure-based.  I enjoyed my character a lot since the DM knew me well enough not to hand me something that would make me cringe when I saw it.The other times I've used pregens was as a DM.  Neither one of these were D&D games, but I don't think the system really matters when discussing specific techniques.  I have done this twice.  In both cases, it was a matter of expediency.  There simply wasn't enough time to spend a whole session or most of a session explaining the system to a newcomer and then creating a character.  One was good, the other not so good.The not so good one was not so good because instead of relating the pregens to the main characters, I sort of just had them hanging around.  They were definitely interesting, and their stories would have been entertaining to pursue, but their backgrounds were not connected to those of the other characters in any way.  It made playing within the group awkward, to say the least, since I had created no reason for the pregens to be around the other characters.The good one was good because I did a few things right.  First of all, I had a pool of pregens.  There was no assigning specific characters to specific players.  There were simply enough pregens so that every player had more than one option, and no one would be stuck with something simply because it was at the bottom of the pile.  Also, I applied a bit of GM rat bastadry and laced each character with traits that would appeal to specific players.  It worked so well that I chuckled with manaical glee within the deep recesses of my demented mind.  Second of all, I only developed the characters well enough to play with them, but not more.  I deliberately left a few things open for the players to fill in.  Most didn't take advantage of this, but one did, and he benefited from it.  Unfortunately, the good things I did here were lost when I created the pregens for the campaign above.All in all, for pregens to work, I think there has to be flexibility.  You have to leave enough room to give the players an opportunity to use his own creativity to flesh out the character beyond what you see at the gaming table (like parts of the character's background and motives) as well as for the things you do get to witness during the game (like appearance, personality and mannerisms).  Try creating different levels and types of details for pregens.  Some might be fully fleshed-out PCs, perhaps characters you had envisioned as NPCs but could easily join a party.  Some might be a general role in the campaign and numbers on the character sheet.  Others could have detailed backgrounds and motives with plenty of plot hooks but not much in the way of statistics beyond the basics.  You also have to have enough options so that there will be something that will appeal to any one of your players.  I would hate to be the one stuck with playing something I really, really don't like.  If you are too rigid with the pregens, the players will rightfully feel forced into playing them, and they will enjoy it less.</blockquote>

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