Thanks for joining us! In the last installment, we discussed why an origin story is important for every soon-to-be-memorable character to have. It can be two sentences or ten pages, that’s up to you. It defines the character in a way that guides the player through all manner of difficult choices. Some people believe that that is best handled on-screen / in game. If you [Read more...]
A wall-crawling superhero with the proportionate strength of a spider… A former Vietnam vet who has become a vigilante after his family was killed in a mob shootout… A drow ranger who fights for approval from the surface world, although some cannot see beyond the sins of his race… An alien, sent to our world by his parents before they were killed as their planet [Read more...]
This is a hard world we find ourselves in, where everyone is looking to steal our money, screw us over, and make wee-wee on our hats. This is a world that hates and punishes naiveté, and loves and rewards cynicism and suspicion. Trust no one and fear everyone, strike before you’re struck, an extended hand conceals a blade, the arm around your back connects to [Read more...]
Written by Dixon Trimline. I find devoted (read as, crazy) power gamers perfectly adorable. It’s funny how they will spend so much time reading rules, seeking synergy, and comparing characters on message boards. The goal, as far as I can tell, is to make sure that the stats, attacks, damage, and checks are all as humongous as possible. If you were to ask about their [Read more...]
Quick! Name a famous Shadar-Kai. Tricky, eh? This new poster-child race from 4e D&D lacks the same iconic identity as our familiar Dwarves, Elves and Halflings for that one simple reason: they’re new. How about if we took a small step back and paraphrase the racial details for the Shadar-Kai from the Monster Manual: “They are a bleak and sinister human-like people who move secretly [Read more...]
One of the biggest innovations in D&D 4e has been the broadening of character generation. Your character is no longer a simple Race and Class combo (though he can be just that, if that’s what you want) but a multi-faceted being complete with backstory, previous occupation, career path and social class, all in as much (or as little) detail as you choose. And they’ve managed [Read more...]
![Class-Based Character Backgrounds [part 1]](http://stuffershack.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/dungeons-dragons-tactics-20061220024839010_640w-150x150.jpg)
In my last article, Character Connection = Player Satisfaction, I talked about hooks that connect the character and the player to the campaign. One of the three fundamental questions I suggested readers to ask themselves was, “Why did my character choose his class?” The answer to that question helps connect your character to the setting. Connection to setting, along with connection to story and group, form [Read more...]
I don’t think I’m being overly presumptuous when I say that most, if not all gamers want to play a great character. I’m not necessarily talking about playing some super powerful, mega bad-ass; I’m talking about a character that is something more than just a collection of stats and abilities running around doing stuff. I’m referring to a character brought to life for everyone at [Read more...]
I’ve always liked the idea of the bard, not because of what he can do in terms of game mechanics, but because of what he can do in the game. Simply expanding the perception of the bard just a little bit can greatly expand the gamer’s experience. Let’s take a look at the two most traditional roles a bard can assume in any fantasy setting: [Read more...]
So, you’ve finally got your awesome background for your character. In addition, you’ve decked him out with the best gear a 1st level character can get, and you’re totally ready to impress your gaming buds with your new badass character. Then, when the game starts, you’re sitting there waiting for your character to get introduced, and you’re nothing but a bundle of nerves. You can’t [Read more...]
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