Re: That Character just ain't right - was [DL] Looking for random help

["Bob Fletcher" <bobfletch@erols.com>]

> So let me throw it back at y'all.  Are your experiences similar?  Do you
even care about "Character Development"?  (As a Marshall this one is key for
me - heck its what I like when playing, too)

    For me, character development is the whole point of gaming.  I develop a
character by coming up with a general overview of his past and present, as
well as his appearance, then I draw his stats and fill in some blanks along
the way with Edges and Hindrances.  Over the course of the game, the
character undergoes a gradual metamorphosis as he (and I) react to the other
players and their characters.  For example, I play a gunslinger in Deadlands
who somehow turned into the most pacifistic character I've ever run.  He's a
martial artist, so he doesn't have to use his guns, but he just started
going out of his way not to kill people, partly in response to the actions
of a more Bloodthirsty posse member.
    As a Marshal, the thing I hate the most is a one-dimensional character.
It doesn't give me much of anything to work with plot-wise if the player
doesn't  bother to put any thought into who his character is and where
he/she is going.  I tell all of my players to give me a detailed background
before they start playing a character.