Monte on Character Creation

[Elf Witch]

The fact that there are 'builds' for characters and one needs to pick feats, etc. in a specified order is IMO, one of 3.X/Pathfinder's biggest failings.

I would like a game where I didn't have to have any idea what my character would be like at high level -- where what that ended up being was more of a result of the story, and what happened to him over time. For that to work, prereqs for feats have to mostly go away, so that you don't have to make choices at low levels that enable others at higher levels.

Ken

I view it as one of its strengths it allows customization. Sure you have to make some choices at early levels as to what you will be able to do at higher levels but it is really not that difficult and it mirrors life in the fact that you are training for those higher feats.

Yes it can be hard for a newbie but once you know the game it is really not hard to say okay I want this fighter to be all about dex so I am going to take these feats. Or my wizard is all about crafting so I am going to take the crafting feats.

With feats and skills of my choosing I have a better chance of making my concept then if I used a game designer's vision of how this theme ought to be. Which is one reason I am not crazy about themes.

 

[havard]

An interesting and well written article, but I totally disagree with it.

Unlike Monte's basic premise, I believe that choices made during character generation should matter. As a player, coming up with a character is my main outlet for creativity. I care much much more about my character than I care about the adventure or the setting. I even care more about the other PCs than I care about what else is going on.

Monte is worried that his choices during character creation might not matter. When I am the DM I make sure to try to mold the adventures so that the PCs are important. Even with published adventures I like adapting them so that they feel as if they were designed specificially for those characters in mind.

This is another example of a situation where Pen & Paper RPGs are superior to video games. If characters are nothing but numbers and adventures will be the same no matter who plays though them, then why not spend the time in front of a computer instead?

-Havard