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Post by Gray Lensman on Feb 12, 2006 23:48:34 GMT
Thanks Steve for all the help. I think it is all finally beginning to come together for me and make some sense. Anytime. Depends on the game and what the GM will allow. I've seen it done both ways. It can sometimes be harder, depending on what system you're playing in. In D&D, characters that have been in play longer tend to be more powerful. There was one time in a D&D campaign when I brought in a low-level character in a vastly more powerful group. I pretty much got by though playing my character. Also, a new player will probably have to spend more time catching up. Learning what's going on, who all the other characters are, and so on. It's not impossible to catch up, just more difficult. A new player has some benefits. For one thing, a newcomer comes in with no expectations. The other players don't know how you'll play the game. That gives the new player the advantage of surprise. Also, the new player will come into the game with a fresh perspective. This has its uses. You may have ideas that a more experienced player might not see because he's so familiar with the game. On the other hand, a new player has to learn the game by doing. You may make some mistakes initially. That's normal. Players do get better over time. It'd only matter if you were playing in a superhero RPG. But there are many different genres out there. I think you'd probably adjust to D&D just fine, since Torment, BG, and NWN are based in the system. Assuming we were playing with superheroes... fair question. Knowing about comics helps, but I don't think it's an absolute requirement. Buff was one of the best players we had, and she didn't know that much about comics. So I'd say it might make playing a little more difficult, but certainly not impossible. * On creating characters... Yes, different players tend to use different methods. That's normal. The idea is to find the method that works for you.
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Post by LaFille on Feb 13, 2006 2:50:08 GMT
Shan, here is how it worked when I played AD&D; maybe will that give you an idea, though it's just one way through one game. It is more of a concrete example (and the only one I know ;D) In AD&D, you have different possible classes, races, etc. So you begin by choosing the kind of character to play (an evil smart-ass elf-mage, a lousy dumb human fighter, invent a background if you want (its sister was killed by werewolves when he was young, and since he wants to exterminate them all, for example), etc.) and you allow different stats according to the kind of character you create. (if you create the fighter, you'll give lot of strength and not much intelligence, for example; you'll decide with which weapon he's the best, etc.) In D&D games, there are reference books for all this, stats, feats & skills, spells, monster stats, etc. The way it is played is that your stats play against the stats of a character (NPC or not) on/to which you want to perform an action, and the success of that action is determined by dice rolls. Then in my case the GM was creating a setting, like: "You're in an inn in that village, there are these people, etc." The players decided what their characters do, and it could be anything, from going to the toilet to talk to NPCs or leave and go elsewhere, interact with other PCs, etc. And from then on the players and the GM were responding to each others and that's how the story was progressing. The GM had some kind of situation already structured around which the story could develop (let's say, some evil mage experiments, for example). And that's how the characters could get goals or quests, if you want. The GM was making things happen, then the players were making their characters react, after what the GM was making other things happen accordingly, and so on. I hope that what I wrote is understandable...
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Post by Dark Phoenix Rising on Feb 13, 2006 14:27:25 GMT
DragonLord, from reading what you and Steve wrote, it sounds as if you go about creating your character quite different from he does. I am guessing then from what the both of you have said that each person has to come up with the way that works best for them. Maybe so trial and error to start with? Shan Aye as I suspect that there are as many ways of creating characters as there are people that play the game, and more than some of it depends on the game system you are playing and others depend on your own personal playing style and how much of an idea you already have about your character.
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Post by SilvaShado on Feb 13, 2006 19:58:13 GMT
Here's how I approach creating characters for D&D.
As a player, I pick out a race and class that I want to play. Though sometimes the DM will put limitations on this. For instance, one campaign we all had to be dwarves. Or another time I actually played 4 characters and decided to make them all brothers, thus they were all human.
After I do that, I think about the personality and background and figure out what she/he looks like. I think background and history is very important because it gives the DM ideas. The DM can incorporate your history into future encounters. Ie. you come from a wealthy family, maybe there is some political intrgue and they need your help. Or maybe an assassin kills someone in your family and is now coming after you.
Next I do the stat rolling. With D&D there are a lot of ways to do this. Most DMs I've had have wanted high-powered characters, so we usually went with rolling 4d6 dropping the lowest and sometimes rerolling ones. Then I assign the numbers to the stats according to my characters class strengths and history.
From there I round out my character with skills and equipment.
But it has been a very long time since I have been a player. I've been a DM for the past several years, so let me tell you about an NPC (non-player character) I just created to help my players. This character is to help round out the party since I currently only have 2 players, and most modules I use are for 4 player parties.
Since the two players are both fighters and quite head-strong and a bit reckless, I decided not to go with a mage or cleric because they would probably have difficulty staying alive. Though a cleric's healing would definitely come in handy.
But I didn't want to do another fighter, though I did want a tough character, one who could survive, but also have different skills and techniques.
Ultimately I decided on a monk, partly because I've always wanted to play a monk. And if I'm stuck DMing, I might as well have some fun.
Now, I wanted to create an unusual character. One the players would find interesting and want to have around. The players always have the choice to refuse the help of any NPC I create and I don't want to put a lot of effort in a character that they'll just refuse.
The two player's characters are dwarven and half-orc, and they have a very interesting relationship. The dwarf is the half-orc's adopted father. So the half-orc has many characteristics of dwarves, though he is not as smart. So the dwarf is the leader.
I could have just thrown in another dwarf to make it easy, but I thought more about the half-orc and his dwarven tendencies and wondered what that would be like in another race.
So I looked at the monk class again, which is based on speed and wisdom, though strength is very imprtant as well. I looked through the races and found that halflings, while not strong, were fast and their smaller size helped them to avoid being hit.
So I created a halfling monk who was trained by dwarven monks.
Now I could have stopped there and just made a monk that was equal in level to the PCs. But my players were contemplating switching classes from fighters. In fact, one became a barbarian. So I wondered what the halfling monk would change to, if it would at all.
Then it hit me - the prestige classes.
First let me explain prestige classes. A regular class (fighter, barbarian, ranger, mage, cleric, etc) have no prerequisites. Any race can be any class, as long as the DM allows it.
Prestige classes are just like they sound - you have to have the proper skills or abilities to become that class. It usually takes several levels to acquire the necessary prereqs to change to a prestige class.
So my train of thought went from how this halfling was trained by dwarves and picked up their habits, including drinking. And she took to drinking quite a lot. So much so that some drunken masters took an interest in her. Thus, after an ordeal to test her, she began to train as a drunken master.
And since she's often drunk, she needs someone to watch out for her. You know, pick her up out of the gutter and take her somewhere safe. The dwarven character was already taking care of the half-orc, so it was pretty natural for him to take the halfling under his wing as well. And, as I found after a few nights of playing, the halfling amused the characters. For all her drunkeness, she's still quite innocent and spunky. As one player said, she's cute.
I hope that helped Shan, and wasn't too overwhelming.
I'd also like to add in a few comments about DMs and different styles.
I know I'm quite a generous DM. I like my players to be high-powered, both in stats and equipment. I still make sure to challenge them, but I probably give them more rewards than the "rules" state. But the rules are just quidelines, not absolutes.
I've also been a player under DMs that love to play low-powered games and, even though they allow you to pick out good equipment, the first moment you begin to play, you find yourself in a situation where you lose all your equipment. I hated playing in those campaigns, but some of the other players liked the challenge.
And then there are some DMs who liked to run campaigns with limitations on races and/or classes. While I sometimes didn't like that, sometimes it turned out to be a lot of fun. Playing a group of evil dwarves was one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had. And playing the band of brothers was a new challenge - I had never played more than one character before that point and to take on 4 was quite a different experience. Talking to myself took on a whole new meaning!
I'd better shut up now or I will really overwhelm you.
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