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Gamer Girl
2011-03-31, 01:31 PM
I'm one of the Dm's that likes a player to have a background for their character. I'll work with the play and let them come up with mostly their own background. normally, this works out fine, but in my last two games some background problems have came up.


1.The Vengeance Background-the one that gives the most trouble. It's the classic 'my parents were killed by orcs' and now 'I hate orcs'. so the backstory itself is fine(though a bit over done). The problem comes when we start to game. The plot for the game session is the group helping some halfings find a lost treasure vault. Most of the group is happy and fine with the quest.

Except the vengeance player, they only want to go kill orcs. And kill more orcs and kill more orcs. So they have no interest in helping the halflings, adventuring or even getting experience....they just want to kill orcs. It's almost like they just want to sit back and kill orcs for five hours, but not role-play anything else.

2.The Revenge Background-a lot like the vengeance background, this background has something 'bad' in the past that the character wants to get revenge for. And it's mostly the same problem. The player does not want to adventure, does not want to do anything, except get revenge.


In both cases, the player basically wants to play a solo game. Or at least one where they are the 'star' and everyone else just tags along and does what the one player wants.

I've always seen back stories as a bit more long term. The idea that you would clear your background in the first couple minutes of the first game just sounds boring to me and it's hard to fit it into the game. And if you can 'fix' something in your history in seconds, it becomes boring and pointless.
Take the orc tribe example: The tribe has 100 members. And at 1st level the player wants to go 'kill all the orcs'. How do they plan to do that; well they will just walk up to them and kill them one by one. The player refuses to do anything else, especially things that could give them experience, like adventure.


So in both cases, I had to just ignore both players, and focus on the rest of the group. And the group wanted to go on the 'Halfling Help' adventure, not do a 'one person focus game'. Needless to say both players were mad that they 'made backgrounds and histories for nothing'. The one player just sat back and mumbled the whole game, barely talking or even rolling the dice.

So what does everyone else do? Does this happen to any other DMs?

Kalirren
2011-03-31, 01:36 PM
Yeah, it happens every once in a while. "We have more sessions; I'll get to it later, I promise. You haven't wasted your effort." is my usual reply.

elpollo
2011-03-31, 01:40 PM
Don't force character backgrounds? If a player has a character that hasn't been fully fleshed out and a DM makes them make a backstory when they aren't interested in doing so then it's not surprising that the character adopts that as their main characteristic.

I understand wanting player backgrounds, but if players really aren't interested in doing them (and it's not a bad thing [not saying you're saying it is, just clarifying what I'm saying]) then they are going to be lackluster. If you then play a game where the backstory doesn't immediately come into play, why make them bother with it at the start rather than in game as situations come up. You get the same backstory but it doesn't become the driving force behind the character, and it means that you can include the bits the players think are relevant (as they come up with it), rather than feeling that you have to force every little detail they've come up with in.


edit - ok, perhaps not particularly helpful, but my point is if it's a problem in them doing it and them not doing it is not an immediate problem, why not wait and let it develop more naturally?

valadil
2011-03-31, 01:46 PM
I see this as a communication problem. You need to tell the players what you'll be doing with the background and why the background is important. Otherwise they'll just write down the first thing that comes to mind and be done with it.

Ambition is a good thing for PCs to have. They need goals. Basically if you say "you're in town, what do you do," they should have something to work towards. Killing orcs is a goal, it's just not a very broad one.

I don't mean to attack you for not telling the players what's up. The orc hater wasn't trying very hard. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to say "yo, if I help with this treasure vault, will you come slay orcs with me?" to the rest of the party. Or even "hmm, maybe there's a sweet orc slaying sword in all that treasure."

Toofey
2011-03-31, 01:48 PM
I typically just don't cater to players who want the whole adventure to revolve around them (although I try not to shaft their interests either) I've actually (twice) had good aligned priests in the party have visions (in my games gods are very interested in/ active with their empowered followers.) that they should help the characters overcome their fixations, which has created some pretty interesting roll play.

obliged_salmon
2011-03-31, 01:58 PM
There can't be orcs guarding the treasure the halflings want? I dunno. It sounds like you're saying you object to any backstory that contradicts or contravenes your plot. I would argue that you should scrap any part of your plot that contradicts or contravenes what the players are interested in pursuing (as shown in their backstory).

Pisha
2011-03-31, 01:59 PM
Talk to the players. Let them know that A) you're aware of their character's goals, and you will find a way to work their goals into the overall storyline (you will, won't you?), but that any good goal takes time to accomplish, so they need to be patient, B) their characters are intelligent enough to know that level-1 adventurers are not going to be up to the task of goiong after this vengeance just yet, so C) the characters have a perfectly good IC motivation for going on other adventures: gain XP, gain treasure, make friends with other adventurers who can help them down the line, all so that when they DO get the chance for revenge, they'll triumph.

I know it ooc-ly bugs me when I feel like a GM is ignoring my background and just assuming my character will go along with any generic plot. Reassuring your players that they WILL get a turn to pursue their goals if they're willing to work with the group may help keep them from feeling this way.