diff -r 3164c82ac16e -r bdef1afd1170 draft/7rules.html --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/draft/7rules.html Wed Aug 30 21:32:44 2006 -0400 @@ -0,0 +1,223 @@ +RPGnet + + + + Reviews Forums +News & Press Columns & +Info RPG Wiki + RPG Shop + + +BUILDING BETTER CHARACTERS #1: THE SEVEN RULES OF CHARACTER CREATION + +/A couple sessions have gone by. You got the rulebook, you built a +character, you played. But it hasn't been what you were after. Your +character seems flat, you haven't gotten into it. Except to argue with +the elf. You ask yourself ? did I do something wrong?/ + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +/Your party built their characters, you played, but they are always +going their separate ways or arguing. The thief doesn't even associate +with the party except to drool over their equipment. Something has to +change if everyone is going to have fun./ + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +The art of building characters is not as simple as one might think. +Every rulebook has the steps. Many of those rulebooks even talk about +meta-gaming issues, background, personality, or whatever other pet +theories the authors happen to have about what makes good characters. + +But let me simplify it just a little bit. Good characters are those +characters that are fun to play. Not just for the player, but for the +whole group (including the GM). This may sound like just a trademark of +a good player, but really, what great player does not always come up +with good characters? Even things that seem simple or sketchy just seem +to come to life in these players. They know how to make good characters. + +And I am here to try and help /you/ make better characters. + +We are going to start with the basics: the seven rules of character +creation. At least, the seven rules for creating characters in a +campaign setting. (That is, where there is a group of more then one +person, and there are going to be multiple adventures with the characters.) + +Rule 1: The character must work in a group +Rule 2: The character must be fun for the player and the rest of the party +Rule 3: The character must be good at heart +Rule 4: The character must have a reason to go adventuring +Rule 5: The character must fit the campaign style +Rule 6: The character must have long term goals +Rule 7: The player must be able to actually play the character + +The seven rules represent the most common (and most disastrous) mistakes +that players make when designing characters. Sometimes these are just +overlooked, or missed in the heat of character creation, but if the GM +and the player can apply these rules to a character (and agree that they +are in fact applicable to the character) then any subsequent problems +lie on the shoulders of the player and the GM, not on the character. +"But that's what my character would do..." is no longer an excuse for +destroying party chemistry or backstabbing a fellow party member. The +rules have been set. + +The seven rules are broken out into three sections: Getting along with +people (rules 1,2,3), character composition (rules (4,5,6) and "the +final gut check" (rule 7). + + + Section 1: Getting along with other people + +The first three rules apply to just making sure the /character/ (not the +player) isn't disruptive to the group as a whole. Essentially, these +rules exist to avoid the Neutral Evil Ninja Assasin Drow (NENAD), and +all sub-species. (Not that I am singling out Neutral evil ninja assasin +drow as poor characters, but well, I am.) So let's go through them. + + + Rule 1: The character must work in a group + +This is a logical aspect of the meta-game. You are planning a campaign. +That campaign has multiple players. More then likely you plan on them +being a group. So why let characters that dislike people or only work +alone into such a group? In the most logical sense, they wouldn't go +adventuring in a group and would hate it if they did. Watch out for +characters that hate people, or are overly secretive and mysterious. Or +classic thief types that never trust any party members and, in fact, +remove trust from other party members. + +Not to say these sorts of characters can't be played. But make sure that +when the NENAD attempts to join your campaign, that there is a good +reason that they would stay with a group, work with a group, and might +even be trusted by that group. Obviously, this is a GM judgement call in +the end, just remember the concept. If they can't work in a group, the +character isn't going to work in a (traditional) campaign. + + + Rule 2: The character must be fun for the player and the rest of + the party + +One assumes that people play characters that they find fun. NENAD are +usually considered very fun /by the people playing them./ But usually it +is best to think of the other players as well. Are they going to enjoy +this character? This is really the flip side of rule 1; rule 1 makes it +sound like characters should be dull and boring and fit it. But we don't +want characters ending up with desk jobs in cubicle world. We want the +mohawk wearing, leather jacketed rebel. Sure, while they have to "be +able to be part of group" they also need to add a different dimension, a +different personality, and a different /character/ to the group as a +whole, so that the players have variety and spice in their role-playing. + +Some players find this very easy. The rest of us struggle to make sure +that our character is adding to the combined story, has good lines, or +is just a fun personality that people enjoy and remember. And don't take +this as meaning that it is a character's duty to always entertain the +other players. No, occasionally entertaining them is good enough. In +fact, it is much better, as people have the most fun by /playing their +own characters./ If you want to ruin someone's fun, play their character +for them (or prevent their character from playing ? a closely related +offense). This can be the fault of the GM or the player, but it is the +quickest way to dissatisfied players and a point to pay specific +attention to when designing your character. Now it is not always +possible to avoid these conflicts, especially when you are unaware of +other player's character choices, but keep it in mind even after play +has begun. + + + Rule 3: The character must be good at heart + +Now I don't want to be preachy or anything, but just what were you +expecting when you created that evil character that truly didn't care +about other people? Were you expecting him to be smoothly integrated +into the party? Did you expect him to be trusted? Were you surprised +when he caused party turmoil? When your NENAD decided not to open the +secret door and try and save the party from the rampaging barbarian <#> +horde, did they accept the excuse that it was too risky? + +D&D takes care of this by making sure characters are good or neutral. +But I don't think that is truly enough. This is not a question of +overlying beliefs. This is a question of /will the character risk their +life and livelihood to help another?/ This is about not being +self-centered. This is about being someone that the party can trust when +the ork dung hits the wind mill. This isn't something that you say +during character description, it is something that you do and +(hopefully) you do early on. If your character makes some sort of self +sacrifice, even a small one, in the first session, the party is already +on your side. + +A lot of players don't like this rule, but it is the very last rule that +I bend. We are roleplaying to be heroes, so design a hero or don't play. +Every single hero in books and movies was intrinsically good at heart, +no matter how otherwise messed up, or they weren't a hero. It is the +definition. + + + Conclusion + +In the next column I will continue the analysis of the seven rules with +the remaining four. If you were intrigued by this column, you can check +out my blog and role-playing resources at www.blackshieldgaming.com +. + +Until next time. + + + +ARTICLE INFO + +*Building Better Characters #1* +/The Seven Rules of Character Creation/ +2006-02-21 + +by Greg Schneider + +/The first rules of campaign characters: getting along with others./ + + +RECENT ARTICLES + +#1: The Seven Rules of Character Creation + + + +Gencon: +GenCon + +Downloadable RPGs: +DTRPG + +*/Visit our Sponsors!/* + +RECENT DISCUSSIONS + +*Thread Title* *Last Poster* *Last Post* *Replies* +Does ANYONE agree? + +Strange Visitor + 03-07-2006 +09:27 AM 20 +There're only two rules... + +Bartmoss +03-02-2006 10:32 AM 10 +Disagree with Rule 3 + +Maarzan +02-27-2006 08:42 AM 26 +#1: The Seven Rules of Character Creation + +RPGnet Columns + +02-21-2006 12:00 AM 0 + +( goto forum | post new +thread ) + + +[ Read FAQ | Subscribe to RSS + | Contact Us | +Advertise with Us ] + +Copyright © 1996-2006 RPGnet & individual authors, All Rights Reserved +RPGnet® is a registered trademark of Skotos Tech Inc., all rights reserved. +