Campaign concept: please critique!

[GreyBlack]

Okay, so I have a concept for an adventure that may be a bit dicey, so I want to run it by the community before I go ahead and start planning it out. However, I'm spoilerizing my personal DM'ing style for a moment:
I really enjoy playing with the concepts of player autonomy and observing how players interact with the world in which they're presented. More often than not, I plan campaigns (usually short 1-5 level campaigns, my players don't usually enjoy playing farther than 5-10) to really introduce broad concepts to the players. For example, in one of my more famous examples, I had the players unwittingly turn over the MacGuffin to a mage of monstrous power (Mythic level 16 in an e6 world, as an example), causing them to team up with the BBEG of the world to try and recover the MacGuffin, as neither the BBEG nor the players wanted the world to explode. All caused through the player's actions at various points (executing prisoners, failing to investigate nearby towns and finding out information about people, etc.). This is usually done in vignettes (each session has a beginning, middle, and end so the players always feel like they accomplished something) while dropping hints and giving the idea that something bigger is happening behind the scenes.

Now, the campaign I'm thinking of is as such: To begin with, the only class outlawed would be the Gunslinger and any archetypes which use guns, as I would be going more for a medieval/gothic feel in the campaign. At the beginning, I would ask the players to write down ideas about their character, but not their backstory, and ask them to pick their race first then roll their characters 4d6 in order for character creation (as you're supposed to do anyway according to RAW). From here, the characters would begin with no memory of what has happened to them, with the first thing they actively remember is a man unlocking a cell they're locked in. They wake up with no equipment, but would find equipment based (sort of) on their builds. From there, the characters would progress through the story, learning more and more about their previous life through events of the campaign while that previous life has nothing to do with their mechanical builds.

The question here becomes how do the players interact with the narrative given to them: Do they embrace their former ways of life? Do they reject their old lives and choose to start anew? What will they do?

So, has anyone ever tried a campaign like this? Does anyone have any tips or ideas for these sorts of campaigns? Please, feel free to rip me apart; this idea is in the larval stage and I'm actually looking to expand upon it.

[Honest Tiefling]

At the beginning, I would ask the players to write down ideas about their character, but not their backstory, and ask them to pick their race first then roll their characters 4d6 in order for character creation (as you're supposed to do anyway according to RAW).

I actually like the campaign idea, but I think this needs to go. There's a reason no one has included this in later editions of DnD. People are going to have an idea of what they want to play, and winding up with the wrong stats or a silly race/class/stat combo (elven barbarian with 16 charisma comes to mind...). Don't let the mechanics screw over storytelling or enjoyment.

As for the plot, given your previous games, I'd say is a great start. Does seem to be inline with your other stories, so I don't think there's much reason to think there will be much complaint. However, I do recommend some sort of antagonist that toys with the party. The reason being is that the antagonist is dropping hints of their past. But if the player really hates the hints, you can easily have such an antagonist just say 'Haha, just kidding' to avoid any prickly issues with the backstory.

[Geddy2112]

I actually like the campaign idea, but I think this needs to go. There's a reason no one has included this in later editions of DnD. People are going to have an idea of what they want to play, and winding up with the wrong stats or a silly race/class/stat combo (elven barbarian with 16 charisma comes to mind...). Don't let the mechanics screw over storytelling or enjoyment.

As for the plot, given your previous games, I'd say is a great start. Does seem to be inline with your other stories, so I don't think there's much reason to think there will be much complaint. However, I do recommend some sort of antagonist that toys with the party. The reason being is that the antagonist is dropping hints of their past. But if the player really hates the hints, you can easily have such an antagonist just say 'Haha, just kidding' to avoid any prickly issues with the backstory.

Second this entirely.
The "you all wake up together" and similar strangers brought together under mysterious circumstances with a common theme(lost identity) is a great premise for a campaign. You want to make sure there is some idea of maybe not backstory, but background like "elven noble" or "dwarf soldier" or something basic so the players can somewhat guide and avoid the prickly issues Honest Tiefling mentioned. This can still be a previous life, the noble might be a fighter, the solider might be a wizard, who knows. Why did they switch to something new? All good hooks and wanting to figure out what happened is a pretty human drive, double if it is what happened to YOU.

Also, the 4d6 in order is okay if your group is okay with it. That would not fly in my group, as players in my group usually do concept before stats, but some people love the idea of rolling stats and seeing what to do with them, or even bringing a concept to a table and forcing it to work. It can really screw anyone over who wanted to cast and has a negative in their casting stat though. If your group does this and enjoys it, carry on.

[GreyBlack]

Agreed that some form of of villain in the story, as it is somewhat integral to the plot. Ideally, I'm going for a Dark souls mashed up with Witcher III vibe, where the setting and character choices inform more than other characters do, outside of how they interact with the setting. No big expository dialogue about who did what, just subtext informing the game.