Three Pillars of Character Creation

[Mercurius]

In case you missed it, in one of the Design & Development YouTube videos (I think Part 1), Rich Baker talked about how the good folks at WotC had been wanting a "Third Pillar" of Character Creation, to go along with Race and Class. Then they came up with Themes, which seem to be a more elaborate and "crunchy" variation on backgrounds, and can be found in the Dark Sun Campaign Guide. It would seem that we are going to see more of themes in the future, although when I don't know (The Class Compendium, maybe?).

So what do you think? Personally I think it is a good idea. Not only does it exponentially increase the number of possible template combinations, but it canonizes a certain degree of character background and flavor. It also opens the door for something akin to "Wild Talents" like the Wilder theme, or even something like the Ta'veren of the Wheel of Time books.

Comments?

 

[Scribble]

I like them personally... I think they do add some crunch to something people have been doing forever-

Like Backgrounds are kind of distant past, while themes represent more of a what your character was doing up until the moment the game started, and the game itself takes care of the present/future.

If you choose to stay your current path, you can increase your theme... If not, you've moved in a new direction.

 

[Camelot]

I definitely think it's a good idea! The PH2 background rules were a fine start, but when it came down to helping a new player create a character when they didn't really have any good ideas, the background bonus was just "choose a skill you want to be better at and gain +2."

Themes provide a much more vivid mechanical benefit for your background or even personality. It can become an integral part of how your character functions, since they can trade powers from their class for theme powers. Plus, you can look at a theme and get a new concept for a character; it was not as easy to do that with the backgrounds they presented in the PH2 and subsequent supplements.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think they're OK...but I also think that their definition of pillars is sadly lacking.

To me, the pillars of character creation are: concept (which entails things like personality, background and motivations), mechanical modeling (race, class etc, combos to let him do what he's supposed to do, be what he is supposed to be), and the X-factor of personal resonance- you still REALLY WANT TO PLAY this character once its out of your head and down on paper.

Thus, themes are a subset of a pillar of PC creation, but not one in and of themselves.

(YMMV, of course.)

 

[RangerWickett]

One of my GMs ingrained in me that whenever you make a character, you need three things:

An interesting personality hook so your character is memorable in roleplaying situations.

An interesting combat schtick so your character is memorable in battle.

An interesting backstory or goal that will lead to memorable adventures.

 

[Scribble]

I think they're OK...but I also think that their definition of pillars is sadly lacking.

To me, the pillars of character creation are: concept (which entails things like personality, background and motivations), mechanical modeling (race, class etc, combos to let him do what he's supposed to do, be what he is supposed to be), and the X-factor of personal resonance- you still REALLY WANT TO PLAY this character once its out of your head and down on paper.

Thus, themes are a subset of a pillar of PC creation, but not one in and of themselves.

(YMMV, of course.)

Well... yeah- but I think it's safe to say when a designers is talking about pillars of character creation (especially in conjunction with new rules) he's probably talking about only the mechanical modeling section...

So it would be the three pillars of mechanical modeling.

You could expand each of your sections in the same way.

 

[Camelot]

Well, then maybe there are six pillars: three roleplaying pillars (background, personality, and goals) and three mechanical pillars (race, class, and theme). Symmetry calls for a third category! Any ideas?

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, then maybe there are six pillars: three roleplaying pillars (background, personality, and goals) and three mechanical pillars (race, class, and theme). Symmetry calls for a third category! Any ideas?

Your own personal miniature. Your own personal dice. Your own personal character sheet.


Or possibly: Theme song, Actor your character looks like, and the voice you use to roleplay him.

Maybe: Items you own, places you own, and special knowledge (rituals, etc.) you own.

 

[hafrogman]

Well, then maybe there are six pillars: three roleplaying pillars (background, personality, and goals) and three mechanical pillars (race, class, and theme). Symmetry calls for a third category! Any ideas?

Your own personal miniature.

I'd get behind this one. For me at least, a good picture and a good mini help ground a character. So roleplaying, mechanical and representative (mental picture, drawing, miniature)? Kind of like braiding. The three pilars are braiding together to form a stronger strand that is in turn combined with other strands to form a total character.

Back to the original subject, I do enjoy themes quite a bit. I think they'll be pretty easy to steal out of Darksun and place in mainline D&D without too much power creep. File off the free encounter power and it just becomes an avenue for diversification.

They could also provide a neat way to link a group together for more specialized campaigns. (Like: Everyone's a member of the thieves' guild, be you rogue or fighter or mage, you all have the guild thief theme).

 

[Shin Okada]

While part of me welcomes the introduction of character themes as one of generic rules, another part of me feels some uncomfortableness about that news.

I like systems which encourages to add some background and story behind each PCs instead of making them plain lists of numbers and abilities. At the same time, I hate the rules or frameworks which players must accept pre-generated archetypes. Or rules or frameworks which pre-generated archetypes are simply better than those which each players creates.

For that reason, while I am adopting background rules in PHB 2, I am banning FR or other setting-specific backgrounds. I want my players to be creative and give them freedom to make up his or her own hero's story, without being handicapped by having inferior background bonus comparing to ones of others.

So I usually encourage "make up your own background" method. Just tell players to make up and declare some interesting background or trait which reasonably support one of the three basic benefits of background rule (another language, another skill in his class skill list, or +2 to one skill).

For that reason, I don't like Darksun character theme much. For me, it seems to be too limiting and not allowing players to make up his PC's theme freely. I will welcome similar rule set more if there are rules which allows players to create their PC's them by themselves, and which are not inferior to the pre-generated ones.

But if it is hard (or impossible) for a player to make his own character theme, or simply choosing one of pre-generated character theme gives better game stats, I will hate it. IMHO, that is not a system which encourages creativity, quite opposite.