Looking for inspiration for rule-less character creation

[matthijs]

Hi!

I'm trying to design a system for chargen that doesn't use rules. That is, there should be as little as possible use of numbers, readily defined traits etc. In particular, there should be no attempt at balancing characters based on level of skill, ads/disads etc.

However, there should still be a system - some kind of procedure, or set of procedures, that helps players create characters that work.

"Characters that work", in this case, means characters that:
- Are fun/interesting to play
- Have a motivation to interact with each other
- Have a motivation to interact with the environment
- Have strengths to help them overcome challenges
- Have weaknesses that can challenge them
- Have subplots associated with them

"Strengths" and "weaknesses" should be tailored to and/or define the story, so that they will by necessity become a part of play; there should be no strengths/weaknesses that are never relevant to the character.

There must be heaps of techniques for this. Some of them must have been formalized. I'm even sure I've read about all this stuff a zillion times, but right now - I'm drawing blanks. Can anyone give me pointers?

[contracycle]

The most immediate thiing that springs to mind is HeroQuests "100 words" system for character creatuion.  Its bounded and formal but allows a lot of freedom.  Combined with the setting exposition stuff, this does tend to produce engaged characters to anhigher degree than normal, I believe.

[Thor]

There are big chunks of the Over the Edge char gen that ask you questions about your character with out using rules. They just ask you to decide what your character was like in the form of "What was the worst thing your character has ever done?"

Also I think it was Niphelhime  a game from europe that asked you to create a portrait of your character by answering questions like what kind of vegetable is your character?

You should also look at books on acting that give advice on how to bring the character to the actor. None of them use rules in the sense we know them.

[aplath]

The Pool comes to mind. You write down a 50-word description and then select from this description a number of traits that define important stuff (strenghts, weaknesses, drives, whatever) about the character.

These traits will allow the player to put enphasis on the story on those important things for the character.

It is as simple as it gets and works quite nicely (if you are into narrativist play, anyway). I've been playing it for over a year now almost every week. :-)

Andreas

[matthijs]

Thanks for pointers & reminders, everyone!

It seems to me that HeroQuest & the Pool will work just fine, if you're the type of person that has no problem coming up with a fun concept for a character. I'm that kind of person, but not everyone is, and some people just don't know how to make a playable character.

I've seen people design Over the Edge characters with the main trait "Boring", or use freeform narrative to design characters that are in a harmonious and stable situation, with no reason to go adventuring, with players that don't want me to put their character into trouble. These players ended up frustrated because nothing happened, or frustrated because I tried to make something happen.

I guess what I'm looking for is a recipe. Something that says "to make a character, take some of this, a bit of this, and a bit of this. Don't leave out any of this stuff unless you know what you're doing!" It should help players who don't really know what kind of character they want, or how to make that character.

Thor, your advice about books on acting sounds very good. You wouldn't happen to have any titles?

I just read some threads on simming (online freeform). Does anyone know if that hobby has any techniques for chargen at all?

[timfire]

However, there should still be a system - some kind of procedure, or set of procedures, that helps players create characters that work.

"Characters that work", in this case, means characters that:
- Are fun/interesting to play
- Have a motivation to interact with each other
- Have a motivation to interact with the environment
- Have strengths to help them overcome challenges
- Have weaknesses that can challenge them
- Have subplots associated with them

Not to be snarky, but it sounds to me like you already have your answer.

All you have to do is tell the players the setting/situation, and then ask them to answer the above questions.

[matthijs]

Not to be snarky, but it sounds to me like you already have your answer.

All you have to do is tell the players the setting/situation, and then ask them to answer the above questions.

I guess that's probably going to be it, in one form or another. I'm hoping that someone else has already done it, so I can compare questions, see if I can pick up any ideas for other techniques etc. So further tips are very much appreciated.

[buggy]

You could take a page from improv theater where participants have to develop characters quickly then react to the situation in character.

Define a situation, one that would show an aspect of character development.  Play the other character (or characters, or have other play the other characters) in the scene and then go...

[HMT]

See Storyboard. As with some of the other suggestions above, characters are lists of traits. Storyboard also handles traits of varying breadth and detail well.

[xiombarg]

While not as good as an example as some of the other things mentioned, perhaps, check out Success. In it, if you don't want a fuly detailed character, you just do a physical description, and roll from there.

The trick is to have a system that supports a develop-in-play style of chargen, as well as allowing more "up front" chargen.

[Mike Holmes]

I like Buggy's idea.

What I'd do is to come up with a set of questions about the character. Then I'd transform them each into a micro scene. The player's reaction becomes his answer to the question. For instance, looking at "motivation to interact with the environment, the set up could be:

Your character is at home and very bored, where does he go?

Then, during the scene have NPCs or something dig into why they went there.

Do that for your critical questions, and you're good to go. Should be fun as well.

Mike

[matthijs]

What I'd do is to come up with a set of questions about the character. Then I'd transform them each into a micro scene. The player's reaction becomes his answer to the question. For instance, looking at "motivation to interact with the environment, the set up could be:

Your character is at home and very bored, where does he go?

This is great stuff!
Panicky reaction: But but but! characters should be prepared before play starts, otherwise it's kind of impure!
Well, not necessarily. It does mean I might have to throw a few more ideas out the window, though...

[Thor]

Sorry I went to my library this after noon and didn't find anyhting that I could recomend. If you know any actors ask around or try a university library. You are going to be looking for something acedemic and more focused on improvisation. in the books I looked at today, I found a lot of stuff on how to make the lines come to life and little on how to become the character. Improv books might be a better guide. also I was in a smallish library and only found 5 books on acting.

[matthijs]

Sorry I went to my library this after noon and didn't find anyhting that I could recomend. If you know any actors ask around or try a university library. You are going to be looking for something acedemic and more focused on improvisation. in the books I looked at today, I found a lot of stuff on how to make the lines come to life and little on how to become the character. Improv books might be a better guide. also I was in a smallish library and only found 5 books on acting.

Wow, Thor, thanks for making the effort! I have one book that I've used as my personal gaming bible on occasions, "Impro" by Keith Johnstone. It's great for throwing me 90 degrees off whatever track I'm on. Guess I'll re-read it.

[Mike Holmes]

Panicky reaction: But but but! characters should be prepared before play starts, otherwise it's kind of impure!

Just to display the difference between gaming cultures, I can't parse that sentence. I would have no idea what you mean by "impure" in that context, nor what "pure" would mean in a contrapositive case. No idea at all.

Mike