D&D 5E Secret Character Creation

[MerricB]

I'm starting a new Greyhawk Campaign next Friday, and for a change I'm not letting the players know what characters the others are playing to begin with.

Instead, they'll email me a few concepts, I'll choose one for each - keeping an eye on party balance - and when they start they can be introduced to each other as strangers.

I'm hoping to include a bit of intrigue in this game, with some PCs not being trustworthy, so I'm hoping doing character generation this way adds to the uncertainty.

I've been playing with most of the group for 13+ years, so changing things up seems fun!

Cheers!

 

[Sammael]

Depends on the players, really, but I anticipate a new level of paranoia and mistrust and entire sessions spent on intra-party arguing

 

[MerricB]

Depends on the players, really, but I anticipate a new level of paranoia and mistrust and entire sessions spent on intra-party arguing

One of the best methods of character creation is that of the Amber system. You want the players to feel like rivals, so they participate in an auction. When you can't be best at something because your so-called friend beat you, things have tension from the outset.

This won't be that extreme, but seeing if it comes together should be entertaining.

Cheers!

 

[Shiroiken]

I'm starting a new Greyhawk Campaign next Friday,

Glad to see another Greyhawk DM

and for a change I'm not letting the players know what characters the others are playing to begin with.

Instead, they'll email me a few concepts, I'll choose one for each - keeping an eye on party balance - and when they start they can be introduced to each other as strangers.

This is a good idea. Rather than "true blind" builds, you can make sure there is some semblance of balance. The last blind build my group did (I wasn't part of it) was in 4E and had 4 strikers and a defender. No combat healing and no crowd control, which I'm sure made things interesting.

I'm hoping to include a bit of intrigue in this game, with some PCs not being trustworthy, so I'm hoping doing character generation this way adds to the uncertainty.

I've been playing with most of the group for 13+ years, so changing things up seems fun!

Cheers!

This can be good, but if you've played together that long, it's likely your players will figure things out pretty quickly. Hope it works out for you!

 

[CapnZapp]

Hmm. How would you even go about an Amber-style ability auction in D&D...

First off, do you only auction ability scores? In Amber, your auction currency needs to last if you want personal connections, special powers (feats?) and objects too.

Then, how do you define the concept of "rank"? You can't just say that 9 currency points gives you a Strength of 15, and then allow others to spend 7 points to buy up to Strength 14 - that would make the characters functionally indistinguishable.

---

Your bid for each ability determines your starting score (per the usual costs, PHB page 13), except that the highest bid is given one point from each non-winning bid.

Other things to bid on would include "an acquaintance", "a patron", "background feat", "starting feat", "random hereditary magic item", and "hand-picked magic item". Only the winning bid gains each of these, the others' points are wasted.

Example: Bob, Sue, Matt and Claire set out to create characters. Bob bid 6 points on Charisma and win that bid. This nets him one point from each of the others and a 15 Charisma (what 6+3=9 points gets you). Sue bid 5 points, and would normally get a 13 Charisma, but since she was outbid she loses one point and ends up getting a 12 Charisma for her points. This ensures the winner gets to be somewhat special. Matt and Claire bid 3 and 1 points, respectively. This gives them scores of 10 and 8, respectively.

You would need to define 10+ points as getting you a 16, as well as -1 point as getting you a 7.

You would also need to resolve draws somehow; probably easiest to give each character ten times as many character points (270 instead of 27), making draws much more rare. (This post doesn't incorporate this idea.)

An acquaintance = will help you in minor and discreet ways, will not accompany you on adventures or risk life and limb for you.

A patron = will actively support you and look out for you, is a source of quests, will accompany you once on an adventure (CR 5 NPC) but if killed is lost (even if resurrected).

A background feat = you start with a bonus feat you select from the following limited list: Dungeon Delver, Healer, Keen Mind, Linguist, Magic Initiate, Martial Adept, Ritual Caster, Skilled, or Tavern Brawler.

Starting feat = you start with a bonus feat, just like variant human. You need to bid at least 5 points or your winning bid gains you a background feat instead.

Random hereditary magic item = Roll once on the Magic Item Table F, DMG page 146. This item once belonged to your family, mentor or organization but has now been given to you. It need not be directly useful or even usable by your character. Apply at least one Special Feature (creator or intended user, detail from its history, minor property, or quirk) to your heirloom item.

Hand-picked magic item = Choose one item from Magic Item Table F, DMG page 146. You start the game in possession of this item. Make up its history and special feature(s) as you please. You need to bid at least 5 points or your winning bid gains you a random item instead.

 

[aco175]

I like the idea of this and think that it would make for some interesting parties. I can also see where groups would want to have a mixed party, where if I was a fighter walking into the Adventurers Guild and 4 other fighters came to me and wanted to make a party. I may hesitate and think that I would want to have a cleric and mage with me rather than 4 fighters. I did see where you said you would create a balanced party out of their email concepts though.

I would like to try something like this but my group but we only make new parties once in a while and tend to be a small group.

 

[ccs]

Hmm. Sounds like our SOP....
The DM provides whatever details will be needed, sets any limits/guidelines, then we roll stats. Next week we all show up with characters built.
We could discuss what type of characters we're making. But we almost never do.

 

[Satyrn]

Instead, they'll email me a few concepts, I'll choose one for each

That rubs me a little wrong. I'd probably wind up giving you 3 versions with the slightest variation in concept.

 

[Plaguescarred]

That sounds like fun let us know what the party end up like!

 

[Satyrn]

That sounds like fun let us know what the party end up like!

Oh, I rather should have said that, too.