changing a PC's history [Archive] - Wizards Community

changing a PC's history [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
makeshiftwings
06-03-05, 01:31 PM I'm about to start a new campaign that is going to be a little different. My plan is to have all the players write up a short bio/history of their characters, but let them know that the game is going to start out with them having partial amnesia. Basically they are going to wake up in a strange medical laborotory with no idea of how they got there or what they have been doing for the last few months. I've kindof mentioned this to some of them to see if they're ok with it and they seem to be.

But I had plans to take this further... I want to have an overarching story of how their minds were being experimented on by illithids along with a few other groups of people, and that parts of their memories have been removed and even switched with other people's. So, say, one character mentions in their history that they have parents in such and such a town, there will be a point in the game where the players go there, and the parents don't recognize the character at all. Perhaps they even recognize someone else in the party as their actual child, but that character doesn't remember the parents at all.

My question is... do you think players will be excited and intrigued by this (eventually they will need to go through a lot of trials and searching to get the full memory of what happened to them back), or, do you think they will be annoyed that I'm messing with what they wrote down as their character's history? I'm ok with asking them if they're alright with the amnesia at the beginning, but I don't want to ask them if they're ok with me switching parts of their histories as that's kind of giving away a big part of the surprise.
Thoronmir
06-03-05, 01:42 PM Well, you’re certainly encroaching on the players’ dominion when you start tinkering with memories as you propose. I can understand why you don’t want to reveal the ultimate plot to the players in advance. However, as a player, I’d want to know what was going on. I can divorce player knowledge from character knowledge, so telling me would not affect the roleplaying. Also, if I knew, you would probably find me a willing accomplice. If my DM approached me with this concept, I would suggest that he have the players scribe several “excerpts” of backgrounds. The “memories” need not have any overall continuity … they can consist of a series of vignettes from the character’s life. The trick is that the DM then decides which memories are real and which are false. The players won’t know until the truth is revealed during the campaign. But the players would retain ultimate control over their characters’ backgrounds since they will have written each of the vignettes. Also, I don’t think I’d like to have the PCs’ memories “switched” … I’m not comfortable with another player deciding my character’s true history.
LCD2YOU
06-03-05, 02:01 PM everytime I see the word "overarching", I think of the word "overreaching"?

Or "overbearing"?

Or "Overcomplicated"?

Or "Overwelmed"?
weasel fierce
06-03-05, 02:08 PM We've played a game like this before, which was a lot of fun.

Just ask the players and explain the basic premise
MystaraGM
06-03-05, 02:57 PM I would suggest that he have the players scribe several “excerpts” of backgrounds. The “memories” need not have any overall continuity … they can consist of a series of vignettes from the character’s life. The trick is that the DM then decides which memories are real and which are false. The players won’t know until the truth is revealed during the campaign. But the players would retain ultimate control over their characters’ backgrounds since they will have written each of the vignettes. Also, I don’t think I’d like to have the PCs’ memories “switched” … I’m not comfortable with another player deciding my character’s true history.
I would have to agree with Thoronmir on this. You can still have the PC visit the people they believe as their parents and have it so those people have no clue who the PC is. However, you couldn't do the thing where they recognize a fellow PC as the real offspring. Sometimes we have to compromise to keep our players happy.
makeshiftwings
06-03-05, 03:20 PM I would have to agree with Thoronmir on this. You can still have the PC visit the people they believe as their parents and have it so those people have no clue who the PC is. However, you couldn't do the thing where they recognize a fellow PC as the real offspring. Sometimes we have to compromise to keep our players happy.

I guess you're both right about that. I would want to give the characters freedom to have their own motivations and personalities based on previous experiences, but leave room in there for "maybe you did something back then that you couldn't imagine yourself doing now", as in Planescape: Torment and Knight of the Old Republic, if anyone's played those, or a little like Memento or Fight Club for movies. Not to the degree of "You were a horrible evil killer!", but more in the realm of "Did I really sleep with that girl?" Thus giving the characters the ability to ignore what they were and live in the now, or take something from what they learn of their past.

To Thoromir, the vignettes thing is a good idea; that's sort of what I was hoping to get as far as histories, but you stated it much clearer than I would have. As for player knowledge vs. character knowledge, I'm not really worried any of them would take advantage of knowing the plot in advance, but I feel like most of them wouldn't want to know... it's like someone telling someone what happens at the end of a book; you'll probably still read it, but you won't enjoy it as much.

LCD2you, i guess we just disagree. I think any campaign needs to have some kind of overarching story; otherwise it's just a bunch of separate adventures that don't relate to eachother at all. I don't really like campaigns like that, either as a player or a DM.

I guess I could let the players know the basic idea of the campaign without giving too much away. They already know it involves amnesia; I guess I could say that they should write their histories leaving a few holes in them, as if they forgot some things, and parts where their memories are very fuzzy. That would leave most of the "forgetting" in the realm of the player, and probably let them write some good fuzzy memory parts to start off some plot hooks they'd be interested in, so it's not just me deciding what parts of their memory are false.
Kalidor
06-03-05, 03:37 PM I think its cool!
Rednaxela
06-03-05, 03:39 PM here is an idear dont tell them any of there memorys are missing let them work it out
I.e
NPC: Is that you tom
Pc ?????? my names not tom its max who the hell are you ????
:D :D :D
LCD2YOU
06-03-05, 04:18 PM just after many postings of Iron Golems made poorly, CN players (not just the character) asking how to "off" their fellow party members and such, it just struck me as odd.

I think that is an excellent idea though.
makeshiftwings
06-03-05, 05:43 PM here is an idear dont tell them any of there memorys are missing let them work it out
I.e
NPC: Is that you tom
Pc ?????? my names not tom its max who the hell are you ????
:D :D :D

That was actually my original plan, but then I realized that the players might be somewhat upset at me telling them that the stuff they came up with for their character's history wasn't real. I personally would think it was really cool if a DM sprung that on me, but I know a lot of players get attached to their characters and wouldn't like the idea of not really knowing their own past.
Lord Schpungus
06-03-05, 05:45 PM Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game.
weasel fierce
06-04-05, 01:42 AM Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game.

Wouldnt that depend on whether these players have tried it before ?
makeshiftwings
06-04-05, 02:20 AM Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game.

You've actually seen it used in campaigns? Or are you just talking about books and movies? Or just trolling? If you have allegedly been in multiple campaigns with different DMs all dealing with amnesia, how did they handle it? And how much of the choice of memory was left to the players vs the dm? I'd agree it's used a lot in modern fiction and a few video games perhaps, but I've never seen any published adventures about it, nor have I ever played in a d&d game that had anything to do with it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
makeshiftwings 06-03-05, 01:31 PM	I'm about to start a new campaign that is going to be a little different. My plan is to have all the players write up a short bio/history of their characters, but let them know that the game is going to start out with them having partial amnesia. Basically they are going to wake up in a strange medical laborotory with no idea of how they got there or what they have been doing for the last few months. I've kindof mentioned this to some of them to see if they're ok with it and they seem to be. But I had plans to take this further... I want to have an overarching story of how their minds were being experimented on by illithids along with a few other groups of people, and that parts of their memories have been removed and even switched with other people's. So, say, one character mentions in their history that they have parents in such and such a town, there will be a point in the game where the players go there, and the parents don't recognize the character at all. Perhaps they even recognize someone else in the party as their actual child, but that character doesn't remember the parents at all. My question is... do you think players will be excited and intrigued by this (eventually they will need to go through a lot of trials and searching to get the full memory of what happened to them back), or, do you think they will be annoyed that I'm messing with what they wrote down as their character's history? I'm ok with asking them if they're alright with the amnesia at the beginning, but I don't want to ask them if they're ok with me switching parts of their histories as that's kind of giving away a big part of the surprise.
Thoronmir 06-03-05, 01:42 PM	Well, you’re certainly encroaching on the players’ dominion when you start tinkering with memories as you propose. I can understand why you don’t want to reveal the ultimate plot to the players in advance. However, as a player, I’d want to know what was going on. I can divorce player knowledge from character knowledge, so telling me would not affect the roleplaying. Also, if I knew, you would probably find me a willing accomplice. If my DM approached me with this concept, I would suggest that he have the players scribe several “excerpts” of backgrounds. The “memories” need not have any overall continuity … they can consist of a series of vignettes from the character’s life. The trick is that the DM then decides which memories are real and which are false. The players won’t know until the truth is revealed during the campaign. But the players would retain ultimate control over their characters’ backgrounds since they will have written each of the vignettes. Also, I don’t think I’d like to have the PCs’ memories “switched” … I’m not comfortable with another player deciding my character’s true history.
LCD2YOU 06-03-05, 02:01 PM	everytime I see the word "overarching", I think of the word "overreaching"? Or "overbearing"? Or "Overcomplicated"? Or "Overwelmed"?
weasel fierce 06-03-05, 02:08 PM	We've played a game like this before, which was a lot of fun. Just ask the players and explain the basic premise
MystaraGM 06-03-05, 02:57 PM	I would suggest that he have the players scribe several “excerpts” of backgrounds. The “memories” need not have any overall continuity … they can consist of a series of vignettes from the character’s life. The trick is that the DM then decides which memories are real and which are false. The players won’t know until the truth is revealed during the campaign. But the players would retain ultimate control over their characters’ backgrounds since they will have written each of the vignettes. Also, I don’t think I’d like to have the PCs’ memories “switched” … I’m not comfortable with another player deciding my character’s true history. I would have to agree with Thoronmir on this. You can still have the PC visit the people they believe as their parents and have it so those people have no clue who the PC is. However, you couldn't do the thing where they recognize a fellow PC as the real offspring. Sometimes we have to compromise to keep our players happy.
makeshiftwings 06-03-05, 03:20 PM	I would have to agree with Thoronmir on this. You can still have the PC visit the people they believe as their parents and have it so those people have no clue who the PC is. However, you couldn't do the thing where they recognize a fellow PC as the real offspring. Sometimes we have to compromise to keep our players happy. I guess you're both right about that. I would want to give the characters freedom to have their own motivations and personalities based on previous experiences, but leave room in there for "maybe you did something back then that you couldn't imagine yourself doing now", as in Planescape: Torment and Knight of the Old Republic, if anyone's played those, or a little like Memento or Fight Club for movies. Not to the degree of "You were a horrible evil killer!", but more in the realm of "Did I really sleep with that girl?" Thus giving the characters the ability to ignore what they were and live in the now, or take something from what they learn of their past. To Thoromir, the vignettes thing is a good idea; that's sort of what I was hoping to get as far as histories, but you stated it much clearer than I would have. As for player knowledge vs. character knowledge, I'm not really worried any of them would take advantage of knowing the plot in advance, but I feel like most of them wouldn't want to know... it's like someone telling someone what happens at the end of a book; you'll probably still read it, but you won't enjoy it as much. LCD2you, i guess we just disagree. I think any campaign needs to have some kind of overarching story; otherwise it's just a bunch of separate adventures that don't relate to eachother at all. I don't really like campaigns like that, either as a player or a DM. I guess I could let the players know the basic idea of the campaign without giving too much away. They already know it involves amnesia; I guess I could say that they should write their histories leaving a few holes in them, as if they forgot some things, and parts where their memories are very fuzzy. That would leave most of the "forgetting" in the realm of the player, and probably let them write some good fuzzy memory parts to start off some plot hooks they'd be interested in, so it's not just me deciding what parts of their memory are false.
Kalidor 06-03-05, 03:37 PM	I think its cool!
Rednaxela 06-03-05, 03:39 PM	here is an idear dont tell them any of there memorys are missing let them work it out I.e NPC: Is that you tom Pc ?????? my names not tom its max who the hell are you ???? :D :D :D
LCD2YOU 06-03-05, 04:18 PM	just after many postings of Iron Golems made poorly, CN players (not just the character) asking how to "off" their fellow party members and such, it just struck me as odd. I think that is an excellent idea though.
makeshiftwings 06-03-05, 05:43 PM	here is an idear dont tell them any of there memorys are missing let them work it out I.e NPC: Is that you tom Pc ?????? my names not tom its max who the hell are you ???? :D :D :D That was actually my original plan, but then I realized that the players might be somewhat upset at me telling them that the stuff they came up with for their character's history wasn't real. I personally would think it was really cool if a DM sprung that on me, but I know a lot of players get attached to their characters and wouldn't like the idea of not really knowing their own past.
Lord Schpungus 06-03-05, 05:45 PM	Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game.
weasel fierce 06-04-05, 01:42 AM	Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game. Wouldnt that depend on whether these players have tried it before ?
makeshiftwings 06-04-05, 02:20 AM	Eh. I've seen the 'amnesia' thing done so many times as a premise for a campaign that I have to question why anybody thinks it's a good idea any more. Amnesia is so cliche, overused, trite, if you will, that I don't find it enjoyable. Perhaps your players will feel the same way, perhaps not. Discuss it with them before you subject them to any sort of 'amnesia' game. You've actually seen it used in campaigns? Or are you just talking about books and movies? Or just trolling? If you have allegedly been in multiple campaigns with different DMs all dealing with amnesia, how did they handle it? And how much of the choice of memory was left to the players vs the dm? I'd agree it's used a lot in modern fiction and a few video games perhaps, but I've never seen any published adventures about it, nor have I ever played in a d&d game that had anything to do with it.