Do you prefer your character to be connected or unconnected to the adventure hook?

[The Crimson Binome]

In my experience, there's no way to do it without it being actually contrived. You can try to make it seem less contrived, but the actual reason why X random NPC is coincidentally my brother is because the world reconfigured itself to provide motivation for me, and that can't possibly be satisfying. It's just a reminder of how fake the world is.

 

[Umbran]

... and that can't possibly be satisfying.

Do remember that, to this day, the soap opera is among the most popular of TV genres. The level of coincidence and contrivance is high, but huge numbers of people do not find that a barrier to their suspension of disbelief. For loads of people, such stuff is just fine, and in fact even part of the point!

So, maybe that can't possibly be satisfying for you. But is a really common and sought after trope of fiction, in general.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Do remember that, to this day, the soap opera is among the most popular of TV genres. The level of coincidence and contrivance is high, but huge numbers of people do not find that a barrier to their suspension of disbelief. For loads of people, such stuff is just fine, and in fact even part of the point!

So, maybe that can't possibly be satisfying for you. But is a really common and sought after trope of fiction, in general.

Which highlights the difference between a soap opera and an RPG. A soap opera is purely fiction for the purpose of telling a story, where an RPG primarily presents a believable world that we can interact with as though it was real.

Unless you want to claim that an RPG is actually an exercise in collective storytelling, and we aren't actually supposed to pretend that we are our characters; but history has shown that such is not a productive line of discussion.

 

[FrogReaver]

Which highlights the difference between a soap opera and an RPG. A soap opera is purely fiction for the purpose of telling a story, where an RPG primarily presents a believable world that we can interact with as though it was real.

Unless you want to claim that an RPG is actually an exercise in collective storytelling, and we aren't actually supposed to pretend that we are our characters; but history has shown that such is not a productive line of discussion.

I think the issue is holding that rpg worlds are believable only if every event that transpires in them be the most probabilistic possible.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Depends on the game I'm running.
If it's a pre-published adventure, doesn't matter. They are jumping on the train and going where it takes them.

If it's something I created, and I created it in collaboration with the players - then I'd want all PCs to be tied to something in the setting; and then I'd build stories out of those ties.

If it's something I created, and didn't build in collab with the players - then it depends on whether I'm going to create emergent story - in which case yes. If I've already got an idea of a story, then I don't really care.

As a player, I don't like to write backstory - I want to find out about my character as we play. I've never been in a D&D game where that mattered much - but again it's because they have mostly been pre-written adventures. Choo-choo, wooo wooo!!!

 

[Shiroiken]

I design my character's backstory and family, usually in cooperation with the DM. I like to be invested in the setting, and I always have plot hooks hanging off my character for the DM to use. Often nothing comes from them, but sometimes they inspire the DM for an adventure, while once it helped to define the entire campaign. Those are a lot of fun, especially if the group is stagnant (I used to game with players who cared about nothing but combat, loot, and XP).

As a DM, I encourage players to do the same, and try to work those items in when I can. My current group has a lot of different motivations, and I've implemented concepts from them as much as possible. A smuggler is coming to the realization that his boss may be a traitor to his home town. An ex-slave from a jungle colony has just found the name and location of his original trapper, who also knows the location of his closest friend (also a captured slave). An aasimar has run in with her ex-lover who corrupted her, betrayed her, and helped in the murder of her parents, but who apparently really loves her, despite obviously holding quite a few dark secrets. These are just the current ongoing plots based on character backstories.

 

[aco175]

If it is a long adventure the DM creates or one of the books like Tome of Annihilation, then I will create a PC with a connection. It gives me a hook that is always going to be in play and the DM has it easier.

If the campaign is just a series of AL modules or episodic adventures, then I do not need a strong tie. There is a lot of jumble and not much that is cohesive, so I'll make a few things the DM can use later if he wants. I like when the DM gives an adventure or two to each player's story.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I think the issue is holding that rpg worlds are believable only if every event that transpires in them be the most probabilistic possible.

I would prefer to phrase it as the reverse: An RPG world is not believable if the most probable explanation for any event is that the GM contrived it to make a plot point.

 

[FrogReaver]

I would prefer to phrase it as the reverse: An RPG world is not believable if the most probable explanation for any event is that the GM contrived it to make a plot point.

But... that rules out the premises of most every adventure.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

But... that rules out the premises of most every adventure.

It doesn't do anything to rule out the premise of "There are goblins in a nearby cave"; or any other adventure along that line. The most probable explanation for that event is simply that there are a lot of caves full of goblins.

It also doesn't rule out most adventure premises that don't involve the PCs specifically. If someone's brother was kidnapped by ninjas, and the PCs are the only ones nearby who are capable of dealing with it, then that isn't particularly unlikely; while ninja kidnappings aren't exactly common, there are a lot of potential targets for them in the world, and the PCs are often the most capable people in any region they travel. If the ranger's brother is kidnapped by ninjas, then the most likely explanation is that the GM is messing with you.