Zap Dynamic
2014-07-02, 05:51 PM
Hi everyone! First time posting in this part of the forums. I gave this the "DM Help" prefix, but it's absolutely appropriate for players too.
I was thinking about character/party dynamic earlier today, and wondered how it could be best served at character creation. Lately I've been relying on the GOTE technique used by some actors:
Goal: What do you want?
Obstacle: What is keeping you from it?
Tactics: What will you do to overcome your obstacles?
Expectation: What will you do once you get what you want (this is often a new Goal)?
I'll ask this during recruitment for PbP games, and try to work these questions into the earliest parts of a live game (my players prefer to build characterization during play rather than create it all before we start). It's great for providing concise, potent direction in play, but it doesn't really feel like an RPG to me.
I had the idea to marry this with the mechanics of character creation. Here's what I came up with (admittedly, it doesn't look much alike):
You have recently received a sum of [starting wealth], [an example of the money's relative value, e.g. "a year's wages for a commoner"]. It will finally allow you to journey out into [the setting].
What do you want out of [the setting]? (Goal)
Why do you want it? (Expectation)
Is this a large sum of money for you?
How did you come by this money? (Obstacle)
What will you buy with this money?
How will you use this new gear? (Tactics)
Why travel with your party members?
#2, the Goal, is more of a Supergoal (which is useful, but the GM will need to provide relevant short-term goals to supplement it). #5, the Obstacle, asks players what was standing in their way in the sense that it asks them how it was overcome by the money. #7, the Tactics, becomes a handy tool for the GM to know what kinds of encounters to provide for the players. Finally, the Expectation is exemplified in #3 because I think "Goal-Expectation/Obstacle-Tactics" is a more evocative order. The Goal question asks players why their characters are going on this adventure in the first place, and the Expectation question defines the character's motivation for that goal. The final question is one I always ask to try and prevent party meltdowns... it's good to get everyone thinking about teamwork from the very beginning.
What does everyone think of these questions? Would you incorporate them into your own games?
I was thinking about character/party dynamic earlier today, and wondered how it could be best served at character creation. Lately I've been relying on the GOTE technique used by some actors:
Goal: What do you want?
Obstacle: What is keeping you from it?
Tactics: What will you do to overcome your obstacles?
Expectation: What will you do once you get what you want (this is often a new Goal)?
I'll ask this during recruitment for PbP games, and try to work these questions into the earliest parts of a live game (my players prefer to build characterization during play rather than create it all before we start). It's great for providing concise, potent direction in play, but it doesn't really feel like an RPG to me.
I had the idea to marry this with the mechanics of character creation. Here's what I came up with (admittedly, it doesn't look much alike):
You have recently received a sum of [starting wealth], [an example of the money's relative value, e.g. "a year's wages for a commoner"]. It will finally allow you to journey out into [the setting].
What do you want out of [the setting]? (Goal)
Why do you want it? (Expectation)
Is this a large sum of money for you?
How did you come by this money? (Obstacle)
What will you buy with this money?
How will you use this new gear? (Tactics)
Why travel with your party members?
#2, the Goal, is more of a Supergoal (which is useful, but the GM will need to provide relevant short-term goals to supplement it). #5, the Obstacle, asks players what was standing in their way in the sense that it asks them how it was overcome by the money. #7, the Tactics, becomes a handy tool for the GM to know what kinds of encounters to provide for the players. Finally, the Expectation is exemplified in #3 because I think "Goal-Expectation/Obstacle-Tactics" is a more evocative order. The Goal question asks players why their characters are going on this adventure in the first place, and the Expectation question defines the character's motivation for that goal. The final question is one I always ask to try and prevent party meltdowns... it's good to get everyone thinking about teamwork from the very beginning.
What does everyone think of these questions? Would you incorporate them into your own games?