Assigned Attributes

[Circus]

If a plot strikes your fancy, how would you, the role player, feel if you were assigned attributes, abilities, traits, and so on to your character. For instance, if you were in a superpower based RP, you do not choose your superpower, it is assigned to you. In a fantasy RP, you do not pick your weapon or fighting style, the GM picks it for you and you must adapt.


As much as I love creating my own character, I think it would be interesting to be assigned attributes that are outside of my control, much like the life we are given in the real world.


Just wanted some input on what the RP community might think.

 

[Grey]

Yes, that can be a really cool idea - but you need to be up front about it and put a lot of thought into it.

 

[Circus]

A disclosure would be a must, yes. I had thoughts that a character "personality interview" would be necessary to see what would be a good fit. I suppose that is what a character sheet is in essence.

 

[JayTee]

Personally I would prefer a bit of control over what superpower was assigned to me. Perhaps instead of a power at random, I would instead pick, say, five powers from a list of about twenty, and then the GM would pick which of those five powers I actually got.


I like the idea of getting an uncontrolled ability, it's similar to a lot of superhero origin stories where they had no control over what they had and it just happened. However if I am assigned something I am not comfortable with or something that I just don't like, then it's difficult to get in to the game.

 

[Grey]

Yeah, I feel like there should be a discussion about the general theme of the powers you'd like, even if you character would hate to have them.


I did something like that for an RP I won't name because that plot point has not yet come up.

 

[Circus]

I think assigning an ability that suits the character is a must. In order to do that, maybe the RPer would fill out a character questionnaire to learn more about the personality of the character and what would suit them.


I was thinking it would be cool since, like JayTee said, superheroes don't pick what powers they get so it'd be interesting to set up a game that way. But yes, chemistry is important.

 

[Sleipnir]

I'm afraid I don't have much to say about it, but yeah, I think that'd be a great idea. I'd like it, since oftentimes I can't really think of powers to give my characters. In fact, I tend to stick to one type so much that fighting-style wise, I've never done anything but an archer. It could be a great exercise to learn new skills.