Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

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CaptainKaulu
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Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 3:03 pm

Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by CaptainKaulu »

So as I mentioned in my Character Sheets setting thread, my girlfriend and her brother and sister-in-law want me to introduce them to RPGs, and I think M&M is the vessel to do so.

But as I started to ask her about a character concept, she (understandably) doesn't yet understand that it's more fun to play an RPG where characters have relatively narrow niches, and wants her character to be able to do just about anything.

Any advice? I'm particularly wondering if I should partly cater to her wishes by raising the Series Power Level from 8 to something like 12.
FuzzyBoots
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Re: Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by FuzzyBoots »

I find it's pretty common, particularly people coming from a system like D&D where there's often a degree of competition between players and GMs and there's an underlying belief that survival is contingent on having all of the bases covered. The chief thing you can do is to avoid such an antagonistic relationship with the first step being the Session 0 where you sit down and talk about the campaign you will play, where you can lay out the cards that you're not building things with an intent to "win", that "losing" in combat doesn't mean death most of the time, and maybe just as importantly, that "winning" a combat often does not include knocking out the villain and sending them off to jail until the end of the module (the concept of "GM Fiat" where the villain makes a strategic retreat, vanishes down a convenient trap door, or it's a robotic double is foreign to many players from other systems and may make them feel cheated if they're unaware of it).

My personal preference at this time is for new players to not build characters, but rather to have them play an archetype, one of the Sentinels, a QCG character, or a Batgirl III RTP. It's easier on them and on you, and it will help tone down the "build someone good at everything".
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Davies
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Re: Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by Davies »

Excellent advice.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
CaptainKaulu
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Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 3:03 pm

Re: Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by CaptainKaulu »

FuzzyBoots wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:52 am I find it's pretty common, particularly people coming from a system like D&D where there's often a degree of competition between players and GMs and there's an underlying belief that survival is contingent on having all of the bases covered. The chief thing you can do is to avoid such an antagonistic relationship with the first step being the Session 0 where you sit down and talk about the campaign you will play, where you can lay out the cards that you're not building things with an intent to "win", that "losing" in combat doesn't mean death most of the time, and maybe just as importantly, that "winning" a combat often does not include knocking out the villain and sending them off to jail until the end of the module (the concept of "GM Fiat" where the villain makes a strategic retreat, vanishes down a convenient trap door, or it's a robotic double is foreign to many players from other systems and may make them feel cheated if they're unaware of it).

My personal preference at this time is for new players to not build characters, but rather to have them play an archetype, one of the Sentinels, a QCG character, or a Batgirl III RTP. It's easier on them and on you, and it will help tone down the "build someone good at everything".
Hmm, it's a little late for that, she's already excited for the character she's made up :lol:
FuzzyBoots
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by FuzzyBoots »

^_^ Well, it's not too late for a Session 0. Just make sure to set accurate expectations on both sides.
CaptainKaulu
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Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 3:03 pm

Re: Players new to RPGs overly ambitious with character concepts

Post by CaptainKaulu »

I think I've built a decent PL10 build that mostly captures what she has in mind. Maybe not AS powerful as she wants, but pretty good.
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