Which came first; the Story or the Stats?

[reveal]

Every day, there is someone out there who creates a new character for their roleplaying game. No matter which game they play, no matter which genre, most people go through the same process. They have a character concept in mind, manipulate the abilities and the backstory of said character, and then put that character to paper, hoping that he or she is fun to play. Over the years, I’ve witnessed many people create characters and, of course, have created many myself. One thing I’ve noticed is that there is not one standard process of creating characters. For the most part, people fall into one of two camps; those that create the backstory of their character first and then fill in the numbers (fluff before crunch) or those that calculate the numbers first and then create a backstory based upon the numbers (crunch before fluff). I’m going to give you an example of each and then tell you what I normally do.

Read more at http://rpgcentric.com/?p=16

 

[howandwhy99]

If you make a concept first, the rolls may not fit your concept.

But if you make a concept afterwards, D&D can fit it without any rules knowledge on the player's part at all.

It's nice that way. More like your PC is birthed with random genetics you don't get to choose and grown by you with backstory choices afterward.

 

[Byronic]

I make a concept first. You can make numbers work for you, and if they're really not correct THEN adjust the concept. throw in an extra flaw for why you have 8 strength or something.

Didn't Raistlin come from something like that?

 

[KingCrab]

Numbers first, then concept. I do think about the kinds of things I'd like to be good at, but then I see how to make the numbers work before getting specific in any way.

 

[Jasperak]

Concepts are limited to the crunch available, because you can only make the character that the rules allow. Always has been and always will be the case with any class-based game.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Background and concept first, then make the stats and build fit that. Of course, we use point buy so this is possible. If you roll for stats, they become a ball and chain towards your creativity.

 

[WayneLigon]

Concepts are limited to the crunch available, because you can only make the character that the rules allow. Always has been and always will be the case with any class-based game.

That depends on what your GM allows. If someone comes up with a kickass concept, I'll bend the rules to allow that concept if it doesn't result in something that breaks the game. And the rules may only work like that for that person, too.

Generally, I'll come in with a basic concept and see what stats I get, to see if I need to adjust anything. It's a compelte give-and-take system, one plays off the other in iterations.

 

[Jasperak]

That depends on what your GM allows. If someone comes up with a kickass concept, I'll bend the rules to allow that concept if it doesn't result in something that breaks the game. And the rules may only work like that for that person, too.

Generally, I'll come in with a basic concept and see what stats I get, to see if I need to adjust anything. It's a compelte give-and-take system, one plays off the other in iterations.

I guess I'm looking at the discussion from a slightly different point of view. In D&D2e my concept for a 1/2orc barbarian would have been impossible RAW. That was the point of my previous post. If you start with concepts that are limited to being possible inside the rules, then yes you could start with a concept and build the character around that.

To answer more specifically to the OP, I have used both ways to create characters. Sometimes taking what rolls were given and creating something fun out of it, and sometimes bringing a preconceived concept in and building around that. I think both ways are part of the fun of the game.

 

[serow]

Both ways work, just that I find working off "concept first" requires slightly more optimisation.

 

[Cadfan]

Both. 'Tis a dynamic equilibrium, yo.