From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd
SO, go watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixgzbL0r0s0
(Or don't, since I'm just going to describe it here anyway. You'll
probably enjoy their rendition more, though).
IT'S a short comedy video of a bunch of players in a D&D gaming,
meeting in the proverbial tavern, and introducing their characters.
Each one tries to out-compete the others, Four Yorkshiremen-style,
with who has the most tragic backstory. At one point the beleaguered
DM even snarks, "well, that's enough for your 1st level characters,"
trying to rein them in. It's a bit over-the-top, but funny.
BUT it's not really the video I wanted to discuss. Rather, watching
that video reminded me of my own D&D sessions. Because we had similar
issues in our games: all to often, our characters --some of my own
included!-- would have these epically long histories. They weren't
always dark and full of woe (but often were), but it all seemed a bit
much for starting characters, some of whom would have a hard time
winning a battle against a 1st Edition House-cat.
BUT, really, that video reminded me of TWO characters in particular
who suffered from this angsty plight (No, this time, neither of them
were mine) who perhaps epitomized the problem like no other. You'll
forgive me if I don't remember specific details but I think you'll get
the gist.
*
LET'S start with Andy's character. He was a 1st level fighter, of
course, but one who had amassed an amazing history. We were, at the
time, playing in the Forgotten Realms, and his character had managed
to involve himself -even if only peripherally- with pretty much every
major event and character to that point. He'd met Drizzt and
Elminster, he'd dallied briefly in Thay, he'd sailed to Maztica and
back; the lot. But when the DM called him on this, and asked how he'd
done all this and yet was now here in a tavern bereft of all the most
basic skills, Andy explained, after a moment's thought, that as his
character had low wisdom, he thus 'hadn't learned anything from his experiences.' It was such a perfect answer that the DM allowed his
character. His stories made for perfect 'grizzled old warrior'
commentary throughout the adventure that it was the right call. The
only downside --for Andy, that is-- is that his character gained the
nickname 'The Gump'... after the eponymous movie "Forest Gump", whom
had a similar career. Since Andy envision his character as slightly
less carefree (and less mentally challenged) than Forest, this irked
him terribly, but he was never able to escape the nom de guerre.
*
PETER joined a different campaign sometime later. His character --a
fallen paladin-- likewise had quite an impressive history, but in his
backstory he was much more directly involved in the action. He'd
fought demons, toppled evil monarchs, and rescued cities from
rampaging dragons; he'd done it all. But, it was explained, all that
backstory also earned him innumerable enemies, one of whom eventually
caught and tortured him for years. Also, being undead (and this being
a 2nd Ed game), they'd sucked away all his levels until he was a
pitiful level 1 character again. After his nemesis was defeated (by
some other adventurers) the battered paladin re-emerged into the world
to try and make something new of himself. The DM grumbled a bit, but
allowed the character.
THERE was a follow-up to that, though. A few adventures later, the
party was hired to clear out some wights from a local cemetery.
Because the characters were relatively low-level, the DM conveniently
allowed them access to a priest who offered Restoration spells at an
extremely low price. It was a special offer mainly made because the
monsters were too high-level for the players.
[Rules-As-Written, the Clerical /Restoration/ spell didn't
actually restore levels lost to energy drain, but it's
been a house-rule used by pretty much every DM I played
with in that era. Level drain was such a nasty, permanent
attack that was granted to waaay too many low-level
monsters that everybody tried to mitigate its effects one
way or another]
AFTER a while, Peter pointed out that, with his hoarded gold, he
could probably afford to pay the cleric to restore him to his
original, back-story character level. He then graciously allowed he
wouldn't do this, in order to maintain party balance, but strongly
suggested the DM recompense him in some other way for this sacrifice.
The DM, in turn, agreed that there was nothing in the rules that would
stop the player from restoring his character, and if Peter wanted to
do that the DM would allow it... but then rule that Peter's character
would fairly quickly start remembering all the Unfinished Business
from his former life that he'd put off because, as a low-level
schmuck, it had been beyond his abilities up to that point. That
business being more important than the random adventures (and far too
difficult for his current companions to face), he'd have to leave the
campaign and go off on his own... effectively retiring the character.
Player's choice.
(Peter stayed low-level... but he was a disruptive player who didn't
really fit in well with the rest of the group, and he parted ways a
little bit later.)
*
ANYWAY, watching the video (do you remember the video? This is a
post about a video) reminded me of those particular characters, and
I'd thought I'd share their stories here.
DO you have any other tales of PCs with outlandishly detailed back
stories unsuitable for 1st level characters?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2