tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post7064473868520146099..comments2024-03-29T06:16:21.012+08:00Comments on Monsters and Manuals: Affection for Shit CharactersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-89426773923803975162012-10-01T03:31:22.867+08:002012-10-01T03:31:22.867+08:00Random Characters are also something different.
If...Random Characters are also something different.<br />If you have an idea of a perfect character, that probably will not change much: you'll go for speed over power or for brawn over brains, or something that is good for your style. You'll end up making that character again and again, whereas you don't get that option with a random character. Chances are he will be pretty different and memorable for that reason, instead of all the ideal characters that blend together into one.Zavihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869589113810731406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-31000305543865807962012-09-27T08:26:01.245+08:002012-09-27T08:26:01.245+08:00I can not say as I have the completely opposite ex...I can not say as I have the completely opposite experience.<br /><br />The more say I had in creating or choosing the characters specifics, be they his advantages or his flaws, the more I care what happens to him and the more a like him on a personal level.<br /><br />This is one of the reasons I am not overly found of classic D&D and it's cousins. It takes me a long while to get attached to some random set of numbers who will probably die soon at the hands of some nameless brigand, meaningless, randomly encountered monster or roll high or die trap. If he survives a while I'll start to think about him.Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-66840945008974978932012-09-27T04:20:15.548+08:002012-09-27T04:20:15.548+08:00I'm convinced that the kind of work the mind d...I'm convinced that the kind of work the mind does when we look at a random series of numbers and tuen them into a person is somehow structuraly different that what we do when we imagine a person and turn them into a series of numbers.<br /><br />Part of me wants to say that it's like meeting a real person, the mind wakes up, realises it has to comprehend something outside itself and becomes more active. This leaves a deeper trace of memory than just doing something entirely inside the mind.pjamesstuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13288777018721199748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-40313081017965286882012-09-27T02:05:47.735+08:002012-09-27T02:05:47.735+08:00I think it has something to do with our tendency t...I think it has something to do with our tendency to root for the underdog. The built character is optimized, with his chances for success fairly known and fairly likely. The random character is unoptimized, and therefore the underdog. When he succeeds, the obstacles are much higher, relatively speaking, and therefore more significant.<br /><br />Another idea is that a randomly generated character is an opportunity for the player to demonstrate their skill at playing the game rather than just character building. A fighter with 1 hit point must be much more careful, choosing his battles wisely and optimizing tactics to cover for his deficiencies. Making it to level 2 in those circumstances is a testament to the player.<br /><br />Or you could look at a sub-optimal character as "hungry", someone with something to prove, something to accomplish. That first level fighter with 1 hit point knows that reaching second level means more hit points, so that's his target. If his Strength is low, he'll be hunting for Gauntlets of Ogre Power. If he wants to command a mighty army and only has a Charisma of 5, he's got a long road ahead of him, so he gets marching.F. Douglas Wallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06497140550892192807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-40242673522645531172012-09-27T00:46:45.574+08:002012-09-27T00:46:45.574+08:00I sort of get this, except I am a fiction writer a...I sort of get this, except I am a fiction writer and I use the characters from my stories in my games and I am way too attached to those characters. sure I grow affection to randomly generated, but even then, I will usually pull a name and a personality, usually a minor or one shot character from my stories based on what I want to play and stats. Argol228https://www.blogger.com/profile/13006685776115893432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-57816369605838753382012-09-27T00:42:18.006+08:002012-09-27T00:42:18.006+08:00Well said! I've always loved the wonky charact...Well said! I've always loved the wonky characters, playing against type, etc. My friend the min-maxer is perplexed by this, but I'm perplexed by how he can't see his character as a lovable little chap, warts and all.<br /><br />I think pretty much everyone who's played old-school D&D has a story about that fighter with 1HP (in a recent game, 18 Str and 1HP named Punchy) or magic-user with 6 INT who only knows Read Magic and Tenser's Floating Disc. They're some of the best characters in the game, and their exploits - live or die - are always the most memorable.Charles Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00941603544547428940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-57699876214325540952012-09-27T00:13:15.650+08:002012-09-27T00:13:15.650+08:00Imperfections define personality - a superhero tha...Imperfections define personality - a superhero that never errs and has no weaknesses is boring as hell.Mr. Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07027893907355004146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-33966192439665003482012-09-26T23:51:09.195+08:002012-09-26T23:51:09.195+08:00It often helps give a character well, character th...It often helps give a character well, character that you probably wouldn't get otherwise, and makes you take options and play in a way that otherwise you might not.<br /><br />For example my last old school fighter, for whom I was lucky to roll high strength and con, but had 3 hit points.<br />So "Wade the Wary" ended up starting his adventures with a shield, as much heavy armour as he could get, and a sling and spear so he could kill things before they got too close.<br />(spear also doubled as a poke-at-anything-potentially-dangerous tool)<br /><br />If I had just chosen my stats I would have ended up with a very different type of fighter both in terms of equipment and tactics. Mark Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932944082575172241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-60737816809257949612012-09-26T23:35:39.812+08:002012-09-26T23:35:39.812+08:00I think you get an extra something from overcoming...I think you get an extra something from overcoming adversity; things that you achieve despite the odds have a satisfaction that you just don't get when your success is guaranteed. I think the same thing explains why players tend to be more excited about a character where they rolled 17 STR than one where they decide to put 18 in STR and then choose Dwarf for a +2 STR bonus on top of that.Joshua Macyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838733328132877699noreply@blogger.com