#6. I don't care about whatsoever about whatever board game mechanics I get at 1st level. What I really wish was for my players to actually spend time building their history, background, personalities and character interests much more into the setting they are playing in, and thus actually caring from the get-go who their character is and what their character wants. Having a goal or reason to go out with these people to accomplish things.
One of my most irritating things is when someone just seems to choose a race and class at random and says something like "I'll play a Kenku Rune Knight!" without giving any last thought as to why a kenku is going out on adventure, how playing a kenku is actually different than just playing a human with a rubber mask, what rune magic is in this game world, and why a kenku of all creatures knows rune magic instead of just normal wizard magic or some sort. If they can't give me a concrete reason as to why
this particular creature has learned
these particular things and the reason why that creature is going out with
these specific other characters in the party to accomplish specific goals... then for my money you are basically not caring about the story you are playing. You might as well just play a game like Smallworld where you will be any crazy race/class combo the game throws at you and you never have to worry once about why you exist. You can just do your combats and try and win the board game without all that pesky narrative stuff getting in the way.
If you want to play a Kenku Rune Knight... I have no problem with that on the face of it. I just want you to be able to give me creative explanations for why you are and need to be a Kenku Rune Knight rather than just a Human Eldritch Knight Fighter-- especially when playing in a setting location that is purposefully designed to be 90% Humans. You want to go off the beaten path, that's okay... you just gotta put in the work to tell me why you need to go that way.
And yeah... that makes me kind of a dick DM. I freely admit it. But if this isn't something you care about yourself, you do not need to play with me if you don't want to.
