Does a PC Have Amnesia? Try This!

[LonePaladin]

I thought of a thoroughly evil DM trick to pull on a player who doesn't want to think about his background.

All too often, if you ask a group of players to come up with some sort of back-story for their new PCs, one of them will decide that his character has amnesia. It's a classic shtick from fiction and CRPGs, but it can be a real headache for a DM. Here's one way to have fun with it.

Odds are, you gather everyone's character sheets at some point between character-creation and the first session. When you do this, take the forgetful PC's sheet and erase the name. Leave everything else alone, just wipe out that part. If he's got amnesia, why should he remember that?

Next, ask that player to leave the room, or find some excuse to have him out of earshot. When you can manage this, do a little coaching for the other players. First, ask them to concoct a name for this PC, and explain to them that they've known this character, perhaps for some time. Certainly have some of them know this character before his memory-loss, though they won't necessarily know the event that caused it.

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. Let the players know that they should try to avoid contradicting each other. It should only take about three of four sessions for the forgetful PC to commit himself to clearing up his amnesia, or find some way to reconcile the other players with his 'apparent' changes in personality.

 

[interwyrm]

This sounds like a really fun idea - for the GM and all the players.

Hoorah.

 

[Wolfwood2]

One thing you'll have to stress with this is consistency. Let the players know that they should try to avoid contradicting each other. It should only take about three of four sessions for the forgetful PC to commit himself to clearing up his amnesia, or find some way to reconcile the other players with his 'apparent' changes in personality.

Or depart the gaming table in disgust.

 

[Agamon]

Or depart the gaming table in disgust.

Yeah. If you're not friends that play practical jokes on each other already, this could make the subject upset. If that's the point, there's more mature ways to deal with it.

But yeah, among friends, that does sound funny.

 

[mhensley]

My character would think that he needs a hard blow to the head to cure him.

 

[atom crash]

Yeah. If you're not friends that play practical jokes on each other already, this could make the subject upset. If that's the point, there's more mature ways to deal with it.

The OP's approach also potentially sends the message "I do not consider 'my character has amnesia' to be an adequate or appropriate backstory and I intend to make you regret that choice."

Which may or may not be the whole point.

 

[werk]

The OP's approach also potentially sends the message "I do not consider 'my character has amnesia' to be an adequate or appropriate backstory and I intend to make you regret that choice."

Which may or may not be the whole point.

Which sets up an adversarial relationship from the very start, and not even DM vs PC, but PC vs EVERYONE! It's literally described in the OP as an evil trick that can be played on a player...

I don't have time/effort/desire for this kind of distraction, personally, and neither do my other players...but that leads to never getting a 'amnesia' backstory in all my years. Most of these issues seem to arise from lack of communication or misperceived expectations. If you don't expect much, that's what you get.

Diff'rent Strokes I suppose.

 

[Nifft]

Which sets up an adversarial relationship from the very start, and not even DM vs PC, but PC vs EVERYONE!

Improv is adversarial?

"Whose blood-stained dagger is it, anyway?", -- N

 

[werk]

Improv is adversarial?

"Whose blood-stained dagger is it, anyway?", -- N

That is NOT what I said, at all...roleplaying IS improv.

Maybe you should look up adversarial so you know what I posted.

Thanks.

(sorry if you disagree, but don't try to put words in my mouth.)

 

[Nifft]

Maybe you should look up adversarial so you know what I posted.

This thread is unexpectedly amusing.

- - -

Anyway, it seems the OP's method is a way of saying, "You can be lazy, but that won't stop you from having a history, it just means you relinquish narrative control of your character's past."

IMHO the DM is being generous in handing that narrative control back to the players.

Cheers, -- N