Sociopathic PCs -- an epidemic?

[tonym]

... In truth, it sounds like a recipe for a band of wandering sociopaths... Anyone feel like they've got some good techniques to promote socialization of PCs?

A PC without family or friends is like a Blank Slate. That is appealing, I think. He is free to become whatever he becomes, based on his present and future.

A PC with a past can be role-played 'wrong' in the VERY FIRST SESSION, however. For example, say you decide your PC gives half of his starting money to another PC so that PC can afford better armor.

DM: "But what about your poor sister living with her cruel landlord/pimp? Shouldn't you be paying off her debt first, so she can leave the landlord/pimp?"

And so on.

Loner-PC equals Blank Slate to me. No complications.

As a DM, if you don't like it, tell your Players they must have at least two living relatives and one friend living within 50 miles, and five relatives living beyond that. Or something.




Tony

 

[MDSnowman]

I used to have a player many years ago that EVERY character he had came with a personal vendetta (the word he used was bandana, until we figured out what the hell he meant. That has become part of our gaming lexicon now for over 16 years...anyway) against someone who either killed his family, killed his mentor, or killed his horse (yes...horse).

Sounds like a country song to me....

I think someone on here said it best, a while back, when they [paraphrasing here] said that all PCs have social issues.

Heh tell me about it, really today what would we call 4-6 nearly total strangers wandering the countryside with sharp objects?

Me, I went for a slightly different route, my fighter Gara killed his own father while the old man was trying to teach him how to use a fullblade. So now he has a vendetta against himself... he's got more issues than most, especially sharing his body with a Blood Demon.

 

[Zappo]

I used to have a player many years ago that EVERY character he had came with a personal vendetta (the word he used was bandana, until we figured out what the hell he meant. That has become part of our gaming lexicon now for over 16 years...

He. Heh. "I must kill him! I have a personal bandana!" HehehehAHAHHEEHhehEHAH!! *wheeee*If that isn't the hallmark of a psychopath, I don't know what is!

 

[MonsterMash]

I agree that it sounds more like lack of imagination than anything. As a DM I don't necessarily go after the PCs famillies as its a bit of an obvious way of trying to force them to react in a certain way. Its a fair point that adventuring is a dangerous career so possibly its better that PCs come from a background where the risk/reward equation makes most sense, e.g. peasant farmers, slum dwellers, than wealthy merchants, though medieval aristocrats were keen on the glory from combat.

 

[Greyson]

Just a Dick

This is slightly off-topic, but I think it fits in here.

Our group has a player (I didn't bring him, another guy introduced him to our LG group) that is an uncooperative jerk in real life. And, he plays his characters exactly the way he is - a dick. He does not really role play at all. He just makes characters that essentially have his abrasive, disruptive personality.

Like the real player, his characters are unhelpful, arrogant, selfish, and impersonal. They are just dicks, like him.

I guess there are some people that do have some real issues that manifest in the game - and other areas of their lives, too.

 

[MDSnowman]

This is slightly off-topic, but I think it fits in here.

Our group has a player (I didn't bring him, another guy introduced him to our LG group) that is an uncooperative jerk in real life. And, he play his characters exactly the way he is - a a dick. He does not really role play at all. He just makes characters that essentially have his abrasive, disruptive personality.

Like the real player, his characters are unhelpful, arrogant, selfish, and impersonal. They are just dicks, like him.

It's simple ask the player to shape up or leave.

 

[eris404]

Well, there's a bit of a bind here. If a character has many and strong connections to the world, they are less likely to take on so hazardous a career as adventuring. Adventuring is dangerous, beyond the levels seen in modern police, firefighting, or normal military work. Not something taken on by folks who have a happy, comfortable life to lose.

Although I see your point, many campaign worlds are hostile places anyway. Even if their villages aren't killed off by orc barbarians, the whole point behind becoming an adventurer is that the character's life is lacking something, whether excitement or a chance for a better (that is, wealthy) life. In real life, there are lots of examples of people doing extremely risky things, such as becoming a sailor or settling in an unknown territory, for a chance to earn a fortune, marry their childhood sweethearts and live a better life than they would have had otherwise.

I also think that many players just find the "dangerous lone wolf" archetype, a la Wolverine, to be very cool, no matter how stereotyped it has become.

But to the original question, have you considered using the rule for contacts in Unearthed Arcana? Basically, characters get NPC contacts every so often that they can use for certain (minor) things, usually for influence or a special skill. They aren't followers, just ordinary people, for example a noblewoman's maid who can persuade her mistress to help a PC or a beggar who keeps an ear open for gossip or rumors. You could take that a step further and have those contacts be people from the character's background, maybe a sister, a father or a childhood friend, who would have reason to be friendly and helpful to a PC.

 

[eris404]

It sounds like the "Wolverine syndrome" (as in the X-men). A loner with no past (that he can recall), no family, and few friends. Check out the early new X-men comics or the first movie and you have the template. It's not a bad plot device for one character, but an entire party? I can't imagine why they would even stay together. Sorry, but I too, am also stumped on how to handle your problem.

LOL! I didn't see your post and I said just about the same thing. Ah, comics. What would we do without 'em.

 

[MDSnowman]

I also think that many players just find the "dangerous lone wolf" archetype, a la Wolverine, to be very cool, no matter how stereotyped it has become.

Yeah people still play Drow

 

[JimAde]

Have you looked at the NPCs on the WotC site? I swear I read about a dozen of them and EVERY SINGLE ONE was an orphan with no siblings. Every one. It's a wonder society holds together at all