Need help with players chars [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need help with players chars [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Red_Rapida
09-19-03, 04:48 PM My players wont write their characters background. They either say its stupid or its pointless. I have one that has written one but its not that great (the following player). I need suggestions on getting people to write them (maybe exp?). I have threatened my players if they dont write it I will write it, and it will be bad for them. Anyway Im gonna let my player post now and his gonna ask for suggestions with his characters bio.

Player:
His is a half-elven rogue, working on a shadow dancer. Other than that I can't think of anythin else to write. Any suggestions?
Also I need a good name for my charactor. I know he is from the city Newport. (and he has went to an adventurers academy, we met at the academy.)
Tago
09-19-03, 05:18 PM I have had problems with this in the past. One things that I had found posted on old boards was a list of 101 questions that your PC's should be able to answer. I don't know the address but that helped a little. Some of the questions are pretty basic but you wouldn't even think of. Who was your first love? Are you married? etc. Others pertain more directly to the game? what is your class & race etc. I had my players fill them out and then I used there answers to help build the plot line. It is useful If you want I can email it to you I have it saved on my computer.
Red_Rapida
09-19-03, 05:22 PM they would say its too much work and just write stupid stuff. They arent serious at all. Well the one here might, let me see.. well ill look for it. Any other suggestions are welcome, and what do u suggest me reward the serious ones with?

if u would can email me it?

2nd edit
http://tetrica.com/majik/101_Questions.html

is that what ur talking about? I dont think my players would do that even if i had a gun pointed to their heads.
Mr. VanderMeer
09-19-03, 07:26 PM Do it. Write their background for them. Not too long, but just a general idea. Not something bad for them, just a background that fits the character. Hand out the backgrounds, then use these.
Make it interesting, make the players happy that they've got a background. Maybe next time they'll want to write one, hoping a new adventure will spring from these backgrounds.

I have a question. How are these players? Do they take anything else in the game seriously? If they don't... well then it may just be hopeless.

Make sure it is not just one guy who says backgrounds are useless. If that is the case and the rest just say what he says (maybe he's popular or something) then get rid of this one guy.

Or if you're really nice, talk to this one guy and persuade him to go along with it.
Red_Rapida
09-19-03, 07:33 PM Well they take fights seriously, not roleplaying so much. Most think that history is stupid except for the theif. He actually works on his and is doing pretty good. I would write their history but i did it the last few times...
Mr. VanderMeer
09-19-03, 07:41 PM I would write their history but i did it the last few times...

Okay, so that doesn't work.

Maybe you should give the players a goal. Say to the fighter that he can have +1 sword at first level if he writes a good background, which also explains why he would have such a powerful weapon. It has to be at least one page long and you will judge if he really put an effort into it. (even if it is crappy, if you think he gave it his best shot, give him the weapon).
You could think of things like this for each character.

I said +1 sword, but that of course depends on the campaign you run. If you think a masterwork weapon is enough, use that.
Trydan
09-20-03, 06:11 AM It generally only takes one person in the group to do it, and then everyone starts. In one campaign we had, back in the early days when we didn't do much role-playing, someone wrote a story about how they acquired a certain ability (in this case feather-fall). As they'd gone to the effort, the DM gave it to them, turning down all the other requests, like "Can I have a +1 Axe".

Having seen some description get someone something cool (but not unbalancing), everyone started doing it.

What I'd suggest though, is not to make it a great big competition, but to speak to the players individually. Otherwise group mentality will reign, and noone will do it. But, if each player thinks they may be onto something, having had a supposedly "secret" conversation with the DM, then they are more likely to engage in the activity.

And, as I said, it usually only takes one to start, and the others will follow like sheep (or goblins).
TheBlackBart
09-21-03, 07:14 PM I think the idea about handling a +1 sword for the background is the best yet, if it works.

But alternatively, you could use the somewhat cliché scenario of:

"You wake up in a dark room, with stone walls wet to the touch. You have no idea how you got there. You can't even remember who you are."

And so on. You then build a background to them, revealing it bits by bits, in the course of the campaign. Maybe they've been kidnapped by an evil cleric as a sacrifice to his deity, or maybe they are clones created by a powerful archmage and they broke free, or maybe they are playing a virtual reality game, and a virus in it made them forget who they really are... Possibilities are endless!

Hope it helped!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Red_Rapida 09-19-03, 04:48 PM	My players wont write their characters background. They either say its stupid or its pointless. I have one that has written one but its not that great (the following player). I need suggestions on getting people to write them (maybe exp?). I have threatened my players if they dont write it I will write it, and it will be bad for them. Anyway Im gonna let my player post now and his gonna ask for suggestions with his characters bio. Player: His is a half-elven rogue, working on a shadow dancer. Other than that I can't think of anythin else to write. Any suggestions? Also I need a good name for my charactor. I know he is from the city Newport. (and he has went to an adventurers academy, we met at the academy.)
Tago 09-19-03, 05:18 PM	I have had problems with this in the past. One things that I had found posted on old boards was a list of 101 questions that your PC's should be able to answer. I don't know the address but that helped a little. Some of the questions are pretty basic but you wouldn't even think of. Who was your first love? Are you married? etc. Others pertain more directly to the game? what is your class & race etc. I had my players fill them out and then I used there answers to help build the plot line. It is useful If you want I can email it to you I have it saved on my computer.
Red_Rapida 09-19-03, 05:22 PM	they would say its too much work and just write stupid stuff. They arent serious at all. Well the one here might, let me see.. well ill look for it. Any other suggestions are welcome, and what do u suggest me reward the serious ones with? if u would can email me it? 2nd edit http://tetrica.com/majik/101_Questions.html is that what ur talking about? I dont think my players would do that even if i had a gun pointed to their heads.
Mr. VanderMeer 09-19-03, 07:26 PM	Do it. Write their background for them. Not too long, but just a general idea. Not something bad for them, just a background that fits the character. Hand out the backgrounds, then use these. Make it interesting, make the players happy that they've got a background. Maybe next time they'll want to write one, hoping a new adventure will spring from these backgrounds. I have a question. How are these players? Do they take anything else in the game seriously? If they don't... well then it may just be hopeless. Make sure it is not just one guy who says backgrounds are useless. If that is the case and the rest just say what he says (maybe he's popular or something) then get rid of this one guy. Or if you're really nice, talk to this one guy and persuade him to go along with it.
Red_Rapida 09-19-03, 07:33 PM	Well they take fights seriously, not roleplaying so much. Most think that history is stupid except for the theif. He actually works on his and is doing pretty good. I would write their history but i did it the last few times...
Mr. VanderMeer 09-19-03, 07:41 PM	I would write their history but i did it the last few times... Okay, so that doesn't work. Maybe you should give the players a goal. Say to the fighter that he can have +1 sword at first level if he writes a good background, which also explains why he would have such a powerful weapon. It has to be at least one page long and you will judge if he really put an effort into it. (even if it is crappy, if you think he gave it his best shot, give him the weapon). You could think of things like this for each character. I said +1 sword, but that of course depends on the campaign you run. If you think a masterwork weapon is enough, use that.
Trydan 09-20-03, 06:11 AM	It generally only takes one person in the group to do it, and then everyone starts. In one campaign we had, back in the early days when we didn't do much role-playing, someone wrote a story about how they acquired a certain ability (in this case feather-fall). As they'd gone to the effort, the DM gave it to them, turning down all the other requests, like "Can I have a +1 Axe". Having seen some description get someone something cool (but not unbalancing), everyone started doing it. What I'd suggest though, is not to make it a great big competition, but to speak to the players individually. Otherwise group mentality will reign, and noone will do it. But, if each player thinks they may be onto something, having had a supposedly "secret" conversation with the DM, then they are more likely to engage in the activity. And, as I said, it usually only takes one to start, and the others will follow like sheep (or goblins).
TheBlackBart 09-21-03, 07:14 PM	I think the idea about handling a +1 sword for the background is the best yet, if it works. But alternatively, you could use the somewhat cliché scenario of: "You wake up in a dark room, with stone walls wet to the touch. You have no idea how you got there. You can't even remember who you are." And so on. You then build a background to them, revealing it bits by bits, in the course of the campaign. Maybe they've been kidnapped by an evil cleric as a sacrifice to his deity, or maybe they are clones created by a powerful archmage and they broke free, or maybe they are playing a virtual reality game, and a virus in it made them forget who they really are... Possibilities are endless! Hope it helped!