Does a PC Have Amnesia? Try This!

[danzig138]

If I ask my players to come up with some back-story, and one of them uses amnesia as a cop-out, he's essentially telling me that he doesn't CARE what his character's history is.

What I'm getting from your original and follow-up posts, and I could be misreading, is that you would rather be a chain-yanking jerk with accomplices than say "Hey, guy. Amnesia doesn't work for me. Why don't you try something better?"

and that a competent DM should do in my opinion.

Nice, you even managed to get in an insult at people who might not run and play the way you do. Kudos.

Have you never heard the phrase "turn the other cheek" or "forgive and forget"?

Have you never heard of the Golden Rule?

 

[Delta]

Man, I hate PC backstories, and it's a real drag playing with DM's who demand them. Bizarre.

 

[Nifft]

Actually, I am using it correctly, though I suspect you assume I meant buggery in its primary definition.

If you use the word "literally" in conjunction with a phrase that has both a literal and a figurative meaning... well, I'm not going to belabor the point. But mockery will continue to follow misuse. Options, not restrictions.

Have you never heard of the Golden Rule?

Was that back when you got XP for gold?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nifft]

Beowulf (c. 700 AD) is the one true work of literature. All other versions are a pale imitation of the real thing.

Gilgamesh mocks your derivative monster stories.

Feh, -- N

 

[prosfilaes]

Now, here's the fun part. Tell the other players that they get to play with the one player's mind. Whenever the forgetful PC does something that shows a personal preference — his choice of weapon, what he orders at the bar, a particular spell he casts more than once or twice — question him on it. "Why are you still swinging that sword? I thought you preferred axes." "You never touched wine before. What happened?" "I thought you always said that magic missile was too cliché." "When did you learn how to pick locks?"

One thing you'll have to stress with this is consistency.

Part of my problem with this is the lack of consistency. A character won't suddenly lose skills with weapons; a fighter that trains with axes even after amnesia will find the axe easier to use than the sword. Also, you're taking what little backstory the player has given you, embedded in the character, and breaking it.

 

[Slife]

Gilgamesh mocks your derivative monster stories.

Feh, -- N

If it isn't in the original runes it's just a cheap knockoff. If it weren't for the pitiful font limitations on this forum, I would correct you on the true spelling of "Gilgamesh".

 

[Eric Tolle]

It's worth pointing out that there can be other reasons than player lazyness for giving a character amnesia, in fact, I'd say the following are equally likely justifications:

1) I am sick and tired of the 14-page backstories you have us write. If I want to be an author, I'll write a book.

2) Why the hell should I even bother with a backstory when you ignore them? Maybe if I was the one person in the group that you're hitting on, you might pay attention to my character history, but I'm not, so I won't.

3) Backstory? Why bother? My last three characters have barely lasted a session anyway. That's why I gave my character the name "Number 4".

4) I'm tired of you using my backstory as tools to torture my character. This time there won't be any taking the people and things my character cares about and destroying them- not only is he an orphan, he's an amnesiac orphan who cares about nobody and nothing!

Seriously, before accusing the player of lazyness, one might want to consider whether the player is actually saying something about the GM's style of running games.

 

[Nifft]

Seriously, before accusing the player of lazyness, one might want to consider whether the player is actually saying something about the GM's style of running games.

Sure, but such behavior would be passive-aggressive in the extreme.

Compared to that, lazy is almost a compliment.

Cheers, -- N

PS: If anyone is using "amnesia" for the above reasons, please consider talking to your GM instead! Passive aggression is not the fastest nor the most reliable way to resolve a conflict.