D&D 5E The "Sealed Envelope" Character Campaign. Would you play?

[Lanefan]

Weirdly, the fact that they were pre-generated beforehand makes it a bit of a turn-off. I'd totally be on board with doing a random generation if I rolled the race, class, personality traits, etc, on a table, but having someone else do it for me makes me feel not attached.

Not a logical stance, I know, but that's how I feel about it.

Yeah, I hear this.

The random pluck two pick one pre-gen idea sounds great for something like a convention game or one-night wonder where time is of the essence - I might one day steal it for such.

But for anything longer I guess I prefer a bit more of a hands-on approach, even if all those hands are doing is rolling a lot of dice and writing down the results. I've done the completely-random character thing numerous times in long-standing campaigns and some of them have worked out quite well, so if a whole campaign were slated to start out this way I'd be in like Flynn.

 

[Nightfly]

I would be down. I think most players would not, though. I however am a glutton for punishment.

 

[billd91]

There are some DMs I’d play that game with, sure.

 

[cbwjm]

Sometime I did back in AD&D, and of course requires player buy-in, but I wondered if people (in general) might be willing to give this a try:

A dozen (or more) pre-generated PC concepts are made and placed in sealed envelopes. Each concept will include race, ability scores, backgrounds, along with alignment and personality traits.

Each player gets to choose two envelopes to open and review the concepts inside. You MUST play one or the other. You cannot change your race or your background, etc. Ability scores can be adjusted only by reducing a score two points to increase a different score one point.

You then choose your class, starting equipment, etc. as normal.

If your character dies, by default your new character is based on your second envelop selection, using the same rules, but will enter the game at the same level as your deceased character.

If both characters die, you can make a sidekick character to continue playing or may leave the game as a player. If envelopes remain, you can choose a third as well, if your first two PCs are deceased. You may continue to come to view how the game unfolds if you wish, of course!

So, the question: would you play in such a campaign?

There is a challenge here, of course, and I expect players who "only want to play what I want to play" will say "no". I also understand for many people playing time is limited, so having that view is not by default a bad one (no judgement here!).

As I opened with, I have run such games in AD&D with a lot of success, but with modern views I am not certain how well received it would be.

I'd be keen, though I think I'd prefer completed characters rather than just race and background.

I should note that I wouldn't even open the second envelope unless/until needed, I'd go with the first envelope.

 

[Demetrios1453]

You know, if you added the twist that each player was the one to create the two characters and then everyone placed them in the pile to be drawn randomly, then you might be on to something. Since each player has the chance of playing a character they created, they're going to create interesting, playable characters.

 

[Vaalingrade]

This leaves open I chance I would have to play a Wizard or Paladin, so no.

 

[pogre]

I'm in!

My players would never go for this. They voted down even using a stat draft.

 

[Umbran]

Nothing wrong with playing pre-generated characters.

I am not sure that you're really adding much value with "you get two concepts, pick one, and complete the character generation."

 

[tetrasodium]

Maybe but the half built PC is too built while also not enough built. I'd be cool with roll stats or draw stats from a hat long term or one shot... Draw preset stats/race/background/bifts & finish it would just be annoying needing to finish it before play, this nine tenths is just semiblind pregen pretending to be something else.

 

[Helldritch]

I would be in without a second thought.
Already tried it for a whole campaign.
It was CoS. Characters were complete though...
6 different characters from 6 different worlds, and one was a police officer with guns, riot armor and all. All were taken by the mists.

So your concept is not foreign to me and I would jump on the boat to face the challenge. A shame I have so little time.