Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JackAltrades 02-20-06, 11:38 PM	I was wondering if any one else out there had problems staying interested in thier characters? I've become adept at building good strong builds for various things, even forgoing one particular strength and going for more interesting builds. But after a couple of sessions I don't want to play it any more, I have found something else that peaks my interest. One of the players has diagnosed me with D&D ADD, which I thought was funny but after he said that, I thought more on the subject and believe it is true... I may be a victim of too many options, and a severe case of indecision. (Which is my problem as a DM too) So does any one else have this problem? Can anyone offer advise as to how to solve this dilema? ~ Jack
Bryarr 02-20-06, 11:41 PM	Can anyone offer advise as to how to solve this dilema? Try thinking of your character as Joe, the down on his luck former military lieutenant turned pickpocket, instead of Joe, the ftr5/rog3. That should do it. Bry
FinisofLife 02-20-06, 11:50 PM	I have that exact problem! Im constantly thinking up new people to play and have a line of characters who are waiting to be played( currently 3 characters long I think) The only way I could even begin to fix it was by playing multiple games. Im in 3 games right now but yeah, still have too many character ideas and get bored of them too easily.
Bryarr 02-21-06, 12:56 AM	Ok, new tactic: Time for you to become a DM Bry
Nate Jones 02-21-06, 01:56 AM	I used to have that problem. Then I switched DMs. Turns out it wasn't my problem afterall.
Feor 02-21-06, 02:14 AM	It's called "alt-itice" if you play MMORPGs. The sudden, often, and almost uncontrollable urge to create a new character on a regular basis. I suffer myself, though from a mild variant of it, that or I have abnormallly strong willpower to partially balance it. There is no cure and few effecive treatments. Once you find a character you really like it will go into remission for a time. The best way to deal with it is to simply let it run it's course. If you, or a member of your party are high enough level to have cohorts, ask the DM (and the associated player, if any) if you can roll them up as semi-PCs and play them from time to time in place of your regular character. If you truly don't believe you'll want to play your current character again you can role another character up ahead of time (I usually keep 2 or 3 such "oops characters" around for safety sake) and then arrange for your current character to die.
Shaggy_Shaggs 02-21-06, 02:38 AM	I think working out who your character is before you focus on what he is (iow what Bryarr said) can help, it's helped me with the problem in the past. If that doesn't help, try playing a Chameleon and working out how to be as good at you can be at everything you can do. ;)
JackAltrades 02-21-06, 11:17 PM	I am currently playing a level 3 or 4 Human artificer from Cyre. In the war I was a frontline "medic" and support provider. but on the day of mourning myself and some other refugees headed tword Valenar, but as I saw some of my people slaughtered, I lead others to safety in Breland. I am a member of house Cannith, but am believed to be dead since I have not reported to my house since the day of mourning. I am trying to hide from my past and the war. but as our story progresses I find my self not very useful, since we don't get alot of downtime. we just got to level 4 (random starting level was 3) and I haven't decided if I want to level yet or not. As for the story we have Just made it to Adar, and are searching for a Master monk, so he can provides us with info on his only student, and we have to stop some sort of Kalashtar crippleing disease. we haven't had much time or oportunity for my character to do anything he can do... and in combat I always seem to be a round behind. Now I am thinking that artificer wasn't a good choice for this adventure, but I couldn't have known that at the begining. I also don't see a way to salvage this character and keep any interest in him. ~Jack
BadCatMan 02-22-06, 12:53 AM	Try writing up more backstory and background for him. Think about his parents, his childhood, his friends, his home-town. Happy unbringing or abusive? What is it like to be a member of House Cannith? Then imagine him through his education and training as an Artificer. Did he enjoy it, or was he bored? Too easy or too hard? Did he have a mentor who had great influence on him? How and why did he enrol in the army and join the War? What did he feel about like on the frontlines? Imagine his trials after the War, the problems of adapting to peace-time. Why did he not report back? Perhaps going to war was an opportunity to build himself a new life outside of House Cannith. Write yourself short stories about your character's exploits. Tell a war-time tale of a front-line artificer saving the lives of dozens of 'forged during a night-time fireballing assault. Or write about his gruelling training regime. In short, keep writing, keep imagining, and keep the character alive. I did this for my character, mainly because I enjoyed it, and he wound up with a quite detailed backstory, throughout his childhood and adult life. I wrote a short story about a previous adventure that showed up his personality, and numerous pieces detailing his thoughts on events in the game. He even got a grandfather mentor who received just as much backstory. I grew quite attached to that character and he became quite alive to me. Tell your DM that you need down-time for crafting and whatnot, and see if you can work out an arrangement. And say that you feel your Artificer is missing out on the Artificer-ey side of adventure, and ask him to throw in a few things for you to fix or build or whatever.
JackAltrades 02-22-06, 10:31 AM	I like that Idea, you just asked a buch of questions that I had not considered, thank you. I may be able to salvage this character yet. ~Jack
green_yawgmoth 02-22-06, 11:17 AM	Ok, new tactic: Time for you to become a DM Bry That's what I did, and while I have been able to play out most of my character concepts, it's just left me wishing for a game to play one of my NPCs as a PC in even more. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Sereno 02-22-06, 12:53 PM	I've become adept at building good strong builds for various things, even forgoing one particular strength and going for more interesting builds. Try to stop thinking about your characters as "builds" and start treating them like real people and you might have more success in gaining some attachment to your characters. Decide what kind of *person* is your character and then start picking out skills and feat to fit the *person* instead of going to "interesting builds". BadCatMan has a bunch of good questions to get you into a "what kind of person is this" mode of thinking. Fixxer's website (http://www.dndarchive.com/downloads.shtml) also has a nice little spreadsheet program for helping develop a personality/background. Stop reading the CO Boards for a while, too. :)
Saxis 02-22-06, 01:46 PM	Stop reading the CO Boards for a while, too. :) Haha! That's the best suggestion I've seen yet. The CO boards are almost useless. You'll get a few good ideas there, but mostly when you post a build, someone comes along and rips it up with "This is what you NEED to do!! Take 1 level of A/B/C/D/E and F, then add a little of X/Y and Z, and finish off with Q/R and L/M/N/O/P! As long as G and H don't happen, you will be a 133t god!!" Then you just have to ask if they pulled that build out of CG (Complete Garbage)?? :P I'm always wanting to switch also. Only on some of my characters though, and I've found out why. Either because they are too good for the game, or they suck. It's hard to find a balance between way too challenging and way too easy, when you have no idea what's going to happen in the campaign. Lately, I've been trying to focus on builds that are great at filling one complete role in the party, and that seems to work. Simple is often times the ones I stick to.
belthazzar1113 02-22-06, 03:59 PM	i suffered from the exact same problem. I would build a character, play him a game or two and then get bored and build something else.... i finally discovered what my problem was... I was a DM, rather than a PC. when you ahve all those different characters growing in your head there is no way that a single PC avatar is going to ever be everything you want it to be... the only option is to buck up, sit down on the other end of the screen and let all those different characters run loose. Chances are that you will see your ideas frolic and blast away for a session or two and then they will either accomplish their goals and move on or the PCs will defeat them. You don't even have to make them evil, just have goals counter to the PCs that generate conflict. if you suffer from pc fatigue then you might consider that you are a dm and more suited to that side of the screen, i know i found great contentment there. Of course its always nice to jump back and be a player for a bit. but if your like me when finally faced with that choice... coming back to being a player... and you have played EVERYTHING at least once... what are you going to do? what am I going to do?