New Campaign, Assistance Needed

[TheBrassDuke]

So I just bought Endless Sands on Amazon, I own Al Qadim, and I'm obsessed with Sandstorm.

I'm going to be building the world for my players as they move about--they will lead, and I'll create as they go--it should be fun. Haven't done that in years!

We'll begin in the Desert, a couple miles from an Agrabah-like area, east of a Greek-style city-state. Highly irrelevant, I know. Just setting up.

My real problem is with a PC's choices. I've ruled that Elves are uncommon, as is magic (outside the mythology, folklore, and that crazy sorcerer in the mountains, but am allowing them to play whatever they like (Core). I have one player who chose the Paladin of Freedom, and who's an [Seelie Fey] Elf. He's the only Elf, as I said there would only be one realistically in this setting's party (at least around this level).

Well now our Party Wizard decided that he was once one of the setting's immortal Elves, but "wanted more power, and such and such..." and so he performed a ritual "that went bad", and transferred his spirit into the body of a human female child vessel. I've gone ahead and imposed the Young Template (from PF--we're playing 3.5), and instead of the 32-Point Buy, he would use 25.

He seems perfectly okay with this, but I did remind him we're level 1, we're in an unforgiving desert, and I don't really understand the character too well, especially when he chose a banned alignment (CN)*. He seems to be out for number one, which explicitly contradicted my "must have party synergy" line when I told them about the world.

I think his kid is going to kick the bucket real early, and the guy may become upset. I feel that a good slap would kill this Wizard...the Halfling Barbarian and Elven Paladin may not be able to block him from harm forever. And I don't even know what our Orc has chosen for her class. So Idk.

*I banned the Evil Alignments and Chaotic Neutral because I know these players...they aren't capable of doing it without causing problems. This particular player, however, I haven't had in my group yet. But he knows the other players' reputation, having DMed for them before, and knows where I stand.

[Geddy2112]

As best I can tell, you have been very upfront about the setting, themes, restrictions, and premise of the campaign. Remind the player that you presented these things up front, and that you simply won't allow him to ignore these premises.

If I decide a campaign will not allow evil characters, then that means no evil characters. If your character becomes evil, this means they have to bow out of the party one way or another(this can be very thematic and awesome for the campaign of course) and you are rolling something else.

The "my past life was an elf but now I am a human child" thing is a bit of a red flag, but in a world with ancient magic and whatnot not out of the realm of possibility. It fits oracles, sorcerers, and other "inherieted magic" classes a bit more but again not required. You can give flickers of past insight to their character as plot relevant things happen, or they have have their own quest about figuring out why they have these strange dreams or whatever the hell their past life manifests be a fun tie in to the main theme of the campaign. Keep an eye out for any type of mechanical abuse of this such as "In my past life I had a +100 to any check like this" and the like. Elves in pathfinder canon do have the ability to sometimes retain memories from past lives of others or even reincarnate, and the samsaran race in pathfinder is specifically a type of reincarnating humanoid. You could check out their mechanics (the elven ability is "memories beyond death") for a minor mechanical boon that will reward the player, but also lock in and limit the abilities of this.

That part is minor compared to the others. You outright banned chaotic neutral, and that means it is not something that can be played. If the player made a VERY good case why they can play such responsibly or how it will work in your setting then maybe, but you told them off the bat. You have every right to put the hammer down. A major concern is the "does not play well with others". Regardless of alignment, ttRPG's are generally a group game where the party has to work together-even if they are looking out for #1, they have to have synergy. These things are not mutually exclusive; many a self interested character works well with a team because this particular team of adventurers is hand in hand with their own selfish interest. Even the most chaotic eviliest murderhobo orphan eater knows that friends who have their backs can at least be damage sponges and could provide healing if they get hurt.

Don't try to kill his character, but if she dies, she dies. In most campaigns and at most tables, there is an understanding that player characters can be killed.

TL:DR. Put your foot down about where you stand on running a game-alignment, how lethal the setting is, magic and races in the setting, playing well with others etc. Let them know politely but firmly that these are not suggestions, but this is how you DM and how this campaign works. That you put work into designing and running a game, and this is the way it is. You appreciate their suggestions and are willing to work with them on their character, but if they have a problem with how your game is being run, they are not forced to play.

[TheBrassDuke]

-Reserved for my thanks and comments to Geddy, when I get home from work-