#10: Methods of Character Creation, Part 4: Attack of the Number Crunchers

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/building/building10.phtml

Summary:

Mechanization, and its part in character creation.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/building/building10.phtml) for more information.

[Spinachcat]

It has been my experience that random chargen has produced more interesting characters than point buy systems. Point buy games lead to min-maxing more often than "cool character concepts." Whether min-maxing is good or bad is another question, but let's not confuse "creating an intresting character" with "rules raping a system"

I present RPGA as a prime example. CHA 8 is the norm for heroes in a world where 4D6 drop lowest would create heroes with CHA 12 average. Does Faerun only have social misfits saving the world?

As for superheroes, I have run many point buy hero games and year after year, I see two characters made (a) somebody from X-men and (b) the hero who is a hybrid of two X-men. V&V may have not have been "enlightened", there was something incredibly cool about Doc WaterClock who rolled Water Powers, Time Powers and High Intellect vs. yet another min-maxed, squeeze the rules for every point Wolverine wannabe.

[gschneider]

I would venture to guess that the designers of most point buy systems put large sections in their books about concept and character, maybe some inspiration, maybe some drama. They want players to try and model the mechanics around a concept (concept focused character creation) rather then have the players look at the mechanics and figure out the best way to crunch the system. (Mechanics focused character creation.)

Not surprisingly (and certainly indicative of my HERO days) the players do crunch the system. Darn those number crunchers.

As a side note, from a superhero perspective, the X-men pretty much have all of the traditional power abilities - psychics, telekinesis, flying, healing, teleporting, shape-changing. No surprise to me that players pick those powers. D&D mages pick them too.

But if everybody is having fun, this may not be a problem. (Although it sounds like you aren't having fun with it. . .) Most number crunchers min-max systems because that's what they have fun doing. A fun character is a good character.

Greg