[DL] Re: That Character just ain't right

[gryphonkin@netscape.net]

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.


Oh, but to hear the way some of them whine about having to do it.  Personally, my favorite part of gaming is playing characters with quirks.  What's the fun in playing a Tolkien Elf or a Clint Eastwood Gunslinger?  It's been done.  That's why in my D&D game, I'm currently playing a Full Orc Barbarian who has a talent for languages.  Every time he hears a new language for a few days, he buys it next time the character levels.  In addition, he has a worn copy of Curious George (one of the several "relics of power" that I am convinced exists in some form in every shard of the multiverse) that he translates into the new language and gives to people.  So far he has copies of Curious George translated into common, elf, dwarf, orc, draconic, gnome, and undercommon.  Instead of a snarling, brutish killer, he's a very childlike creature who likes to "barsh baddies".  My DM's on the list and I'm sure he'd agree that while Mekee has caused him some headaches, he's also provided some of t!
he more memorable moments in our game.  

My Deadlands character was similarly strange.  If any of you are familiar with wrestling, imagine the Undertaker character dressed in clothes similar to what he wore when he first debuted, and add a Catholic Priest's collar. And a 3 point hankerin' for Whiskey. And a shotgun. Jed was an odd fellow.

Sad part is, to get most gamers anymore to write out a full flushed out story line you almost have to bribe them. My D&D DM gave out XP for people who wrote detailed histories and I usually give out some fate chips myself because otherwise people whine about it.  


Here's a question for those of you who do flesh your characters out.  How do you do it?  Do you just try to create a framework or do you base him off someone real?  I usually try to make my characters a conglomoration of two or three movie or TV characters.  It makes him pretty unique because I'm not ripping off anyone solely but it gives me a good framework to go by.  For example, my Orc from above, Mekee, is a combination of Forrest Gump, Cookie Monster, and Grimlock from The Transformers.  

I like this topic.  Let's hear some more of those oddball characters.  I know you're out there.  
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