How do I avoid getting autists in my group?

>>52164534
Play local, so you can vette players
Or host a group chat where everyone makes their characters together, and it is up to you to allow people in as the GM
Play with friends, co-workers, etc. people you already know
Stay away from people younger than 16, generally when they RP it is hormone filled and one dimensional.

>>52164534
Make sure all of them are vaccine free

>>52164534

What I did was I advertised for a Dungeon World game. I got the usual assortment of flakes who never showed, a few decent players and one goofy lolrandom guy, but not a single autismo responded.

Afterwards, you guys can play all sorts of stuff, but when you're trying to get a group together, you might wanna try that. For whatever reason, that game is like sperg kryptonite.

>Trust gut feelings
>Don't give second chances
>Avoid memes

>>52164534
Don't recruit from 4chan. If they try to argue with you during character creation, boot them.

Leave a puzzle out with one missing piece

Play top 40 music

Talk about your sex lives

Talk about sports

Make eye contact with everyone present

Allow for sudden loud noises

Enforce a dress code: No hoodies, No New Balance, No fingerless gloves, No canes, No backpacks, Bo cargo shorts, No graphic T-shirts, No trench coats, No mom jeans, No puddingbowl haircuts, No capes. No suits, and for the love of God no Fedoras

Ban virgins too

Allow engineers only after thorough screening (most of the former will filter them out anyway)

>>52164534
Voyeurism only.

>>52165751
Well shit I might be autistic.

It's pretty tough, tabletop games seem to attract autists more than other hobbies. I had to stop playing mtg for exactly that reason, just couldn't handle the shitty people anymore.

To answer your question, I guess you should just be willing to turn people down. Treat it like a job interview instead of worrying about hurting feelings.

>>52164534
Ask potential players for their opinions on certain controversial topics within the hobby.

Their answers are irrelevant. How they answer is what's important.

(Anyone got some sample controversies we can give OP?)

>>52165751
>No New Balance

But New Balance is about the only running shoe still made in the US.

>>52166386
>Alignment
>Player Mortality
>Roleplay v Rollplay
>Optimization
>Power Tiers
>Class Level Equivalency
>COASTERS!

>>52166484
Thank you, that's a good lost anon.

Just ask for opinions on these topics. You'll never find a group of players that agree on all points, but that's OK. So long as they're reasonable about it then you know they aren't autists.

If the spaz or sperg out, you'll know not to let them sit at your table.

>>52166536
*good list

Fuck, I just can't type today.

>>52164534
Why would a bunch of non-autists want to play with someone like you?

>>52165786

You might not be, but >>52165751 definitely is.

>>52166680
A voyeurist?

>>52164534
>>52164693
I would actually say that if someone is younger than 16, you gotta let them play and then decide. My dms son was actually a great role player, even though I assumed he would be shit.

>>52165751
considering i use my backpack to hold character sheets and PC spellbooks so much easier than constantly flipping through players handbooks and spell compendiums that stipulation is shit

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>>52165751
>No New Balance
These are literally the only widely available running shoe in burgerland. I get the stigma attached to 'em, but what alternative do you suggest?

>>52167883

Wait, what's wrong with my shitty extra wide shoes?

>>52164534
find a new hobby

Look for players who have lots of retarded hangups like >>52165751

>>52165751
>Allow engineers only after thorough screening
Useless, I don't know anyone who can keep an engineer job while being autistic
>Play top 40 music
Out of the line. Ambient music or bust

The rest is ok

>>52164534
Find a new hobby

>>52165751
>No New Balance
literally what

10/10 hooked me good

>>52165751
>Enforce a dress code: No hoodies, No New Balance, No fingerless gloves, No canes, No backpacks, Bo cargo shorts, No graphic T-shirts, No trench coats, No mom jeans, No puddingbowl haircuts, No capes. No suits, and for the love of God no Fedoras

So my sweat pants, single-colour T-shirt, socks and sandals ensemble is good to go. Awesome.

Require anyone who wants to join your group to do 25 pushups in a row. There's a strong correlation between being totally out of shape and being a sperg, so this will filter out most of the undesirables.

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>>52164534
Never join a group, as that will ensure that whatever group you would've had will have one less autist to worry about

>>52173416
Make them do a rep of some exercise for every experience point gained.

Gotta level big to get big c'mon!

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>>52165751
I don't dress too bad, I'm not fat and I don't smell.
I just want people to hang out with man.

>>52164534
>Problem
The threat of autists
>Solution
Only invite girls to your group
>New problem
You have girls in your group

>>52165526
>dat sly "you're autistic if you don't like DW XDDD" b8

(you)

>>52176805
I'm hesitant to say try roll20, because while I've used it, but all my groups were people who already knew each other but either moved away or didn't have time to hang out in person, but maybe give it a try?

What's the worst thing that can happen?

>>52180678

It's not bait, it's personal experience. Autistic dudes really don't like it. They don't like storygames in general, and DW in particular seems to make them sperg even harder.
It's loose and light on numbers and reliant on lots of talking things out with the other people at the table, and it pisses them off.

>>52164534
But I don’t want to go among autists," OP remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said Anon: "we’re all autistic here. I’m autistic. You’re autistic."
"How do you know I have the autisms?" said OP.
"You must be," said Anon, "or you wouldn’t have come here.

>>52180855

Dude, it's shit. It's not even good as a storygame. It pretends not to be about rules and numbers, and yet is very much so. I hate DW and I'm someone who prefers rules-lite systems. I'd sooner play Lasers and fucking Feelings than DW.

>>52166386
Rules lawyering.

>>52167883
Nike.
>>52168891
Only autists wear them.

>>52164534
autists aren't usually the problem in groups. The problem is usually munchkins or people who want to spend the entire session arguing with the DM about some obscure rule.

>>52180966

Hey, I didn't say everyone who dislikes DW is an autist, dude, I just said autists are among the folks who hate it. Don't take it so personally.

>>52181044
Thanks for the update captain cock nozzle.

>>52164534
Say: "I'm sorry, I don't want autists in this group"

>>52165751
>no virgins

Shit then basically no players will be available, mostly losers play dnd. The well adjusted normies who rp are a meme

>>52164534
The best way I've found to filter out the really bad players is to ask for them to fill out a questionnaire before they submit a character. Questions include:
>Who hates your character, and has a very good reason for hating them?
>Who does your character dislike or oppose in an irrational way?
>Describe a moment of weakness or despair your character experienced that they needed outside help to overcome.
>Describe three things about your character that would be considered 'average' for a person of their race and origins.
>Where does your character see themselves in five years?

Any player who can't give a half-decent answer to any of these questions gets his character sheet torn in half. I have no patience for Mary Sues or characters without flaws, they have no place in my campaigns.

>>52164534
You don't. Eventually, someone, someday, will show up and seem autistic.

So instead of being a minor dick and going "Hur dur, autist, getta out of here" work with them. Recognize what it is that makes them seemingly autistic. Have they watched anime one too many times? Have they got an insatiable appetite for having a wolf companion? Do they always go "hur dur, nat 20, I reach the moon" (mind you, don't go full dick on nat 20's. They still mean something, and handled properly can be enjoyable moments).
Next, figure out how this autism translates precisely into roleplaying. I know I listed actual roleplay examples, but autism can go outside of that. Once you identify that effect on roleplay, move to the final step.
The final step is to work with them. Blatantly tell them what's wrong, what's expected, and then work with them on getting them to that stage. If you're a DM, this goes double. Very quickly, anime tropes can be reworked into something legitimately unique and interesting. A passion for a certain subject can lead to a character who actually has a center of roleplay that can be corrected for actual sense and interest. Don't just brush off people.
Cause that's the mistake. Oft times, people can actually become much more better, perhaps even a centerpiece of the group's enjoyment if worked with. Be blatant, but be kind. Patience will be key. Of course, there might be the irredeemable one. At that point, /tg/ is a bit more viable to go looking for advice. Otherwise, it can and should be handled one and one. (or group on one, depending on level of autism)
Any questions?

>>52181223
>>Describe a moment of weakness or despair your character experienced that they needed outside help to overcome.
my character was once a baby

>>52165751
>No New Balance

I'm assuming you just mean the white or black NBs that only autists and dads wear. Otherwise NB makes some nice sneakers, many of them made in the US or UK, so buying them is more responsible than buying similar priced Nikes/Adidas made by an 8 year old in Malaysia

>>52181044
Nikes are fucking trash running shoes and if you suggest them you have clearly never run further than a mile in your life

>>52180966
Just proves >>52180855 's point.

Also checked twice.

>>52166386
How autistic is the answer " However it's done in this particular game is how I'll attempt to do it?"

>>52167883
Don't wear running shoes unless you are running. You shouldn't be wearing athletic shoes for non-athletic activities anyway you pleb.

>>52180855
It's cause it's not even a story game. Apocalypse World is a good storygame. Dungeon World is just a misunderstanding of it's mechanics.

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>>52181641

>post vague subjective complaints so the only possible counter is "nuh-uh!"

>>52165751
>No canes
Having a bad knee is autistic now?

>>52181267
>intothetrashitgoes.jpg
But in all seriousness, if you can't come up with one moment, one event where your character needed someone else to bail them out, I won't read the rest of your backstory.

>>52181826
What if they're sheltered and have never actually been in a situation where they needed help?

What if this is their first adventure and they've never ventured outside of their village before?

What if they've never experienced a genuine moment of weakness because they grew up in an environment where they've been told that they're the best and they've never met someone who challenged that belief before?

>>52181511
What would you suggest wearing? Fucking boots or loafers? Act ultra weeb and have house slippers?

>>52164693
>Play local, so you can vette players

Good advice right there, OP. Take any potential group members for a ride in a Corvette. If they act bored and stare at their phone the whole time you'll know not to invite them to your game.

>>52173416
I'm sure /fit/ would say otherwise

>>52181205
I literally don't know one person who plays DnD and is a virgin.
Oh wait there's me

>>52181223
What if you built a cleric venturing outside the temple for the first time? They definitely don't meet the first two

If it's a online game that you're going to run, then setup a online chat with your players. Treat the online chat session as if it was a job interview.

This will allow you to assess to situation, and get to know what type of people you're dealing with. Also it allows you to explain the rules of the game. I've noticed some GM's have their players right out lengthy backstories; that usually cuts through a lot of the lazy, and flakey players.

Now if it's for a IRL game session..you can still do the meeting. However, if you're extremely anal about the situation. My suggestion is:

Go to Home Depot, or whatever hardware store is closest to you. Purchase all the necessities for you to build a life-size dungeon replica; à la Ninja Warrior style gauntlet. It will help to suss out sissy bitches, and cull the weak.

>>52164534
Subtly hint that potatoes are a staple food source in your fantasy medieval setting.

>>52184018
Is this a meme of some sort?

>>52183842
I'm not going to lie, if someone brought me into a job interview for their game. That gm is going to be disappointing as fuck because they've now set some high fucking expectations their way.

>>52184121
That's what I've run into. Just speaking out of experience. Like walking into the DMV. Please fill these out in triplicate.

>>52184050
In real life potatoes are only native to the americas and weren't brought over to Europe till way after medieval times. So now spergs will sperg out about "muh authenticity" if potatoes show up in a medieval Europe styled setting

>>52164693

>vette

vet

>>52184231
Oh I didn't know that. You learn something everyday.

>>52184273
It's not exactly common knowledge in my experience. which to be fair; it's not like it comes up very often

dont run ebberon in any capacity

>>52184736
Eberron, though, that's fine.

>>52181511
get a nice boot, if you dont wanna spend money just get some flat vans

>>52184748
nope Eberron also attracts autists to the highest degree

>>52165751

>No suits

wat. Only outgoing people have jobs which require them to wear suits. There are no autistic lawfags, businessmen, etc.

>>52166484
>Alignment
Would rather not, it isn't a great metric but if it's a part of what we're playing I'll try to find the best fit.
>Player Mortality
Depends on the game, though would rather not die in an unimportant encounter.
>Roleplay v Rollplay
Roleplay > Rollplay
>Optimization
As long as it fits your character, though remember it's not a competition.
>Power Tiers
Kinda sucks, wish there were better options for martials but not a dealbreaker.
>Class Level Equivalency
As in lvl 10 Paladin should be roughly equal to lvl 10 Wizard? Ideally.
>COASTERS!
What are you, a degenerate? Use a coaster.

How'd I do? Also maybe add vancian casting or something to the list. Or GURPS.

>>52181246
Why bother? You can't fix them and there are plenty of people out there whose company isn't torture.

Also
>much more better

Are you drunk?

>>52164534
Literally put "no autists" in the advertisement for your game.

Autists will avoid you, and everyone who wants to join will be an edgelord who is down with the meme. It can't fail

>>52181223
I have bad news. You are one of the autists

>>52181223
>tfw I am a mary sue

>>52165751
>Allow for sudden loud noises

Kill yourself you piece of shit.

The reason why autistic people find loud noises annoying is the same as everyone finds loud noises annoying. They are fucking LOUD and ANNOYING. Do not allow them, it doesn't weed out any autists, it just irritates people. Fuck you.

>>52165751
The sarcasm is strong in this one. Good.. good.

>>52172889
>So my sweat pants, single-colour T-shirt, socks and sandals ensemble is good to go. Awesome.

That's standard old grog apparel.

Get a hipflask and fishing hat to complete the look, grow an enormous Santa beard and become immense in girth and you will become the alpha gamer.

>>52173416
>pushups

lol

Squats. And a 10k on the treadmill.

>>52187585
>10k on the treadmill.
>treadmill
get a lot of this faggot

>>52166484
>Alignment
It's shit, in my opinion. I think it works better as a guideline for new players than as a mechanical rule because characters are so nuanced their identity isn't easily defined with one strict alignment.
>Player Mortality
I dislike dying. Oh, you meant Player Chharacter mortality?
>Roleplay v Rollplay
Where did I put that image of the guy explaining that rolling and roleplaying is like using two legs... I had it here somewhere.
>Optimization
Nothing wrong with making a character who is good at what he does, in my opinion.
>Power Tiers
They're there. You can't really deny it, right? What matters is to have fun with your character though.
>Class Level Equivalency
It's true... a character of the same level of another should have a good chance of winning against him/her in my opinion.
>COASTERS!
Keeps tables clean. I'm fine with using them.

>>52181223
Now yes, but at chargen I don't know if I'd be able to properly answer these for my current pc. Especially number 2. He's fairly relaxed on things that aren't trying to kill him, and they aren't exactly irrational hatreds.

>>52184801
>Only outgoing people have jobs which require them to wear suits. There are no autistic lawfags, businessmen, etc.

You're wrong there

There are absolutely autistic businessmen, they're called accountants

Also the problem isn't people wearing a suit for work, it's wannabe toffs who wear a suit for casual occasions because they think it's classy and what people did in the 20s/50s/80s

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>>52181246
>It's another "deendee-rone thinks all games are his shitty game," episode

>>52187609
>Foul mouthed and quick to vitriol, and a pendant, willfully ignorant when it suits them, willing to put up with a bad environment simply because its their environment.

Yeah nah.

>>52181511
>this pleb opinion
non-athletic shitter who wears flatbottoms & loafers spotted

>>52187648
Man, you must really hate coasters.

>>52181826
>But in all seriousness, if you can't come up with one moment, one event where your character needed someone else to bail them out, I won't read the rest of your backstory.

Man it's hard to invent things you've never experienced in your own life.

Like, I have stupid inconsequential shit in my life like "needed dad to show up with the car because I'd accidentally taken the bus in the wrong direction" (He didn't, btw, and I walked home) but I have literally nothing like that in my life.

I've plenty of things that turned bad because I was too proud to ask for help but that's not the same is it?

>>52187677
The rings give my table more character.

>>52187609
You sound, legit, like a terrible player. Please stick to DnD and die quietly within it.

>>52187737
>the rings give more character
>scars are actually cool and don't detract charisma
You belong in the >>>/trash/
Just fuck you REEEEEEEEEEEE

>>52187749
Sorry Mark, but I'm already in your group. You won't be able to stop me from spreading the gospel of the coasters, now

>>52187763
A knight in shining armor has never truly had their mettle tested, anon.

>>52187824
You don't really want to hang out with a knight in battered armor because they are poor

>>52164534
people with autism can actually be the most creative people you can have in your group.
Have you studied autism? specifically aspergers?

>>52187749
>Most of his points are decidedly anti-D&D in nature
>"Hurr, go play D&D fag xD"
Not him but you deserve whatever shitty group you got.

>>52164534
Stop playing 4th Ed or FATE.

>>52187996
There was an assburger in middle school. Fucking loved vents. Drew vents in art class. Brought small vents to school to clean in the water fountains. Got his vents taken away and put in his social worker's car as punishment. Jacked off in math class that one time. Showed up later in highschool, he was only allowed back due to rotc or some such.

I wouldn't play with him is what I'm saying.

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>>52166409
>>52167883
>>52172857
>>52181334

How the fug? What is this hot new meem? Have any of you never heard of a little thing called "Wal-Mart"? Shit, it's super cool too, but it might be a little underground. They've got running shoes and sneakers for, like, only 15 bucks a pop, and their range of selections are INSANE. Don't tell anyone else though. Wouldn't want the secret to go out.

>>52188524
>wearing shitty Wal-Mart shoes
No thanks man, I like having feet.

>>52164534
>playing tabletop RPGS
>not interacting with autistic people
Pick one.

>>52181945
>What if they've never experienced a genuine moment of weakness because they grew up in an environment where they've been told that they're the best and they've never met someone who challenged that belief before?
A lack of meaningful failures, no need for outside help during your past, and being treated like you're perfect all the time are trademark qualities of Mary Sues. I don't care if it makes sense in-character, those traits almost never lend themselves towards interesting or reasonable characters.

>>52183433
The person who hates your character is a rival initiate who was passed over for a promotion that you got. They genuinely believe (and it's probably true) that your superiors showed favouritism and your rival is, or possibly more, competent than you are.

The irrational belief your character has is an extreme dislike for a splinter-group of your religion that holds most, but not all, of your value. They exist outside of your hierarchy and don't answer to you, therefore you believe that they're misinterpreting the will and words of your God and leading the people astray. Think Catholics and Protestants.

There, done. Don't use being cloistered as an excuse not to have opinions and relationships.

>>52187697
>Man it's hard to invent things you've never experienced in your own life.
You must have a tough time casting spells or fighting dragons in-character with that terrible lack of imagination.

>>52189178
>A lack of meaningful failures, no need for outside help during your past, and being treated like you're perfect all the time are trademark qualities of Mary Sues. I don't care if it makes sense in-character, those traits almost never lend themselves towards interesting or reasonable characters.
Except Mary-Sues aren't proven wrong and are like that because they "are perfect".
Meanwhile sheltered people do exist. So do people who never faced hardships (YET).

You're a lazy or maybe just dumb as a writer if you can't work with this.

>>52189178
>The irrational belief your character has is an extreme dislike for a splinter-group of your religion that holds most, but not all, of your value. They exist outside of your hierarchy and don't answer to you, therefore you believe that they're misinterpreting the will and words of your God and leading the people astray. Think Catholics and Protestants.

You're calling a belief that you're rationalizing an irrational belief.

>>52189178
>A lack of meaningful failures, no need for outside help during your past, and being treated like you're perfect all the time are trademark qualities of Mary Sues
Not necessarily. There are tons of stories out there where a character was treated as the apex of the cast until an outside force (usually the protagonist) beat them at their own game and they learned how to become humble and accept failure.
>I don't care if it makes sense in-character, those traits almost never lend themselves towards interesting or reasonable characters.
What about characters like Vegeta, Neji, or any other character rival character from the last few decades? Just because you don't have the talent to write such a basic archtype doesn't mean that they cannot be done well.
>Don't use being cloistered as an excuse not to have opinions and relationships.
Depending on the monastery, you may be encouraged to let go of worldly desires in order to focus your attention upon serving the lord.

In real life I find a simple "Cmon dude..." to be suitable sperg detergent but sometimes you just gotta come to the middle ground and humor the retard for a bit.

Then again I probably haven't experienced the absolute worst. Certainly nothing in the likes of That Guy thread nightmare fuel.

Playing online is a wild west in the good and the bad. People are more ready to be obnoxious pieces of shit but you also don't have any social obligations to not be blunt and tell them to fuck off.

>>52189209
>Meanwhile sheltered people do exist.
Right, and they're not adventurer material. Maybe you think that sheltered little farm girls are entitled to be 4th level Druids, I think otherwise. Anybody with a class level needs to have experienced hardship to achieve those levels, even if it's just one or two. Perhaps nothing is more Sue-ish than having skill and talent spring forth from nothing.

>>52189269
Exactly. Your character can rationalize it but to almost everyone else in the world it's irrational. "Grr, I hate those damn _______, I agree with 99% of what they believe and the 1% is harmless differences of opinion but I'd beat them to death with a hammer given the chance."

>>52189292
Cool, you go make your never-ever-failed-before hero with loads of skills and zero worldly experience. Just don't bring it to my group's table. It's like Kender, I don't care how good you think your character is, I'm not letting you play one at our table.

>>52189441
>Right, and they're not adventurer material.
You say that as if the unlikely hero isn't a trope in and of itself. Not everyone is necessarily groomed to become a hero, sometimes they're forced into the role out of necessity.
>Anybody with a class level needs to have experienced hardship to achieve those levels, even if it's just one or two.
Oh I see, you're one of those types who thinks that every PC NEEDS a tragic backstory in order to be compelling.
>Cool, you go make your never-ever-failed-before hero with loads of skills and zero worldly experience.
The point of the character's arc is that you're supposed to put them in situations where they find out that they're out of their depth. If your campaign is super-happy-funtimes-babby-mode, of course the character wouldn't work because their entire arc depends on them realizing that the world itself is much larger than themselves.

Hell, you should be happy that I'm giving you someone with such an easily exploitable flaw.

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>>52164534
Be a reasonable human being and learn to live with different kinds of people. Everyone has their problems, quirks and oddities as well as strengths. Learn to come along with all types of people.

>>52189441
>Exactly. Your character can rationalize it but to almost everyone else in the world it's irrational. "Grr, I hate those damn _______, I agree with 99% of what they believe and the 1% is harmless differences of opinion but I'd beat them to death with a hammer given the chance."

That 1% is having real negative effects on the people of your faith though. They are taking your flock. From a religious perspective that could mean damning the very people you intend to save. There is nothing irrational about thinking that's vile. From a more cynical perspective that's donation and tithe money literally walking out of your order's coffers.

>I'd beat them to death with a hammer given the chance
If you expect that level of zealous rage out of literally every character your worlds must be seriously fucked. You're telling me murderous rage is the baseline you're expecting out of your players.

>>52164534
Recruit them from TG's game finder thread.
I've only had good experiences with it so far!

>>52164534
The simplest way is to run a session 0 and see how they a) build their characters while in the presence of the group and b) roleplay in a given situation.

If they do shit like
>building their characters at home w/o permission
>roll dice whenever they're confronted with an IC problem
>Interrupt someone while they're in the middle of their turn
or other such THAT GUY behavior, speak to them privately and if they take offense or cause additional troubles, give them the boot.

Doesn't matter if THAT GUY takes the rest of the group with him, if they're willing to side with a shithead for one reason or another then they're not worth keeping around either.

>>52189178

This is very forced. I'd find it pretty annoying if I wanted to make a character with other weaknesses/foibles but my GM insisted on ones that fit these specific categories. E.g. what if my cloistered cleric isn't the target of any particular dislike but, on the contrary, wants everyone to like him and deals poorly with confrontation?

It's not a bad list of questions to start players thinking on those lines though.

>>52181246
Nice to see that /tg/ isn't just shit posting. Nice to find some actually proper answers.

>>52189616
Imagine him pulling this in a system which encourages disadvantages.

>>52187525
Found the autist

>>52189711
It's not being autistic to dislike loud noises, it's being a rational human being who doesn't like people doing shit like popping balloons next to their ear while they're trying to sleep or yelling out while you're sitting on the couch trying to relax.

>>52189517
>Not everyone is necessarily groomed to become a hero
I didn't say they needed to be groomed. I said they had to face challenges at some point along their training and gaining of experience. That's, like, the opposite of being groomed.

>Oh I see, you're one of those types who thinks that every PC NEEDS a tragic backstory in order to be compelling.
Not at all. I just want a backstory that isn't "My life has been perfect and flawless and everybody loves me." There's no hooks for that, no rivals to send against them, no past mistakes to haunt them, no failings they need to overcome.

>you're supposed to put them in situations where they find out that they're out of their depth
Here's one of the (many) problems with your viewpoint: you can't justify a sheltered, cloistered nobody having the same level as a veteran soldier or a career thief. One character (quite rightly) had to fight in a war to get from levels 1 to 7, and even getting that first level took months of boot-camp and training and scars. Your sheltered cleric on the other hand somehow got his seven levels just sitting around and praying, facing no challenges, overcoming no obstacles, dealing with none of the outside world.

Level, or experience, or whatever advancement metric your game uses, is almost always earned during play for overcoming CHALLENGES. If your character never encountered hardship during their entire backstory they overcame no challenges, and therefore would have earned no experience or advancement towards gaining those levels or improvements. Strife and risk are the fuel by which characters grow and improve in virtually ever RPG ever.

So sure, if you make your character a 0th level Commoner and everyone else gets to play a 7th level adventurer your backstory might be acceptable. What is NOT acceptable is making a 7th level Druid because your farm girl is just so in tune with nature and has loads of woodland friends and never so much as skinned her knees to get that power.

>>52189732
You're playing a game, friendo. Not sleeping.
People suddenly clapping or shouting because something interesting happened have all the right to do so.

>>52187585
>I have to buy a fucking treadmill to ensure my D&D session aren't autistic
fuck this overpriced hobby

>>52164693
>Play local
If only I didn't live in a small town with no traditional games store or noticeable tabletop following.

>>52189750

Am I missing something here - why are you talking about 7th level characters? Obviously the 'golden boy/girl who has never faced setbacks' background isn't going to work except for a starting character.

>>52189750
>I said they had to face challenges at some point along their training and gaining of experience.
Challenges relative to what exactly?
>There's no hooks for that, no rivals to send against them, no past mistakes to haunt them, no failings they need to overcome.
Which is why you introduce those things during play so the player can play those situations out, rather than just saying "oh yeah, he has a guy who hates him because reasons."
>you can't justify a sheltered, cloistered nobody having the same level as a veteran soldier or a career thief.
Don't clerics get their powers from their faith? If they're truly devout in their lord, you could easily justify them being level 7 even though they've done nothing but pray.
>Level, or experience, or whatever advancement metric your game uses, is almost always earned during play for overcoming CHALLENGES.
Okay, rather than facing external challenges, the cleric faced internal ones.

You honestly seem like a very poor story teller.

>>52184272
You fell into the trap, and can't participate in the game.

>>52189750
>Your sheltered cleric on the other hand somehow got his seven levels just sitting around and praying, facing no challenges, overcoming no obstacles, dealing with none of the outside world
I mean. Literally a god. What do you think actual priests do? They're religious. They might have had something in their life make them want to join the clergy, they might have just been drawn there. But they read, and they read, and they learn, and they apply that knowledge.

Hell are you saying being a noble that was sent off to university due to their knack for the natural philosophies is a bad backstory for an alchemist, because the most they've probably had to deal with in life is studying?

>Level, or experience, or whatever advancement metric your game uses, is almost always earned during play for overcoming CHALLENGES.
Key word is usually (by your own metric). There are plenty of games that allow for the expenditure of resources on training. There are usually limits on that, but its still an option. Fuck sake it was even an optional interpretation of how o/ad&d worked.

>>52165584
This. This is some of the best advice you can get. As much as I love it, /tg/ is a cesspit of bad player habits, and bad tabletop habits in general. If you want to have a good game, find people who've never touched /tg/, if you can.

>>52189770
>People suddenly clapping or shouting because something interesting happened have all the right to do so.
Not if they're playing in an apartment complex with strict noise ordinances or if you're playing in someone's house when there are other people besides your group present.

If you're lucky enough to play with someone who owns a house, is the only resident inside said house, and it's not around people who could get angry about the noise then hey, be as loud as you want, but not every group is going to have that blessing and you should account for that rather than believing that it's your god given right to be a loud, obnoxious asshole regardless of the consequences.

>>52189441
Why are you talking about starting out at 4th level?
>>52189750
Oh, it's up to 7th level now.

You know, some people think that the game should END at level six.

>>52164534
Hello, I am Assburger.
Where are the games?

Seriously, my biggest faults are often missing irony and sarcasm with people I dont know well, recently dating and grabbing to much spot light sometimes.


Just started at a new job and it sucks having to learn everybodies social cues and the general feeling of the workplace.

Its like trying to maneuver through a half lit room and stubbing your toes on the funiture while your colleagues dont seem to mind at all.

>>52189750
Ok. I'm a cleric. I channel the divine powers of a literal god through my faith and worship of said god. Often during the beginning of my clerical studies I didn't truely know if I believed in my god. Then I saw pastor dave shoot lightning out of his ass right into some poor person's blindness. That crisis of faith was averted by lunch, and I've since devoted my life to the spread of my god's glory.

That a reasonable enough challenge in life for you or do I need to get raped at some point?

>>52189939
Knowing THAT GM, you'll probably need to be raped twice before losing your home to an abusive husband or some shit.

>>52189592
First, real wars have been started over less than a religious splinter-group forming. Second, you can probably replace "irrational" with "controversial" and get the same results.

>>52189616
>wants everyone to like him and deals poorly with confrontation
Maybe he's bullied by others in the church because they think he's a snivelling coward who wants everyone to like him. Furthermore I think these categories are certainly broad enough for most any character concept that would be reasonable at my table. If you can't answer most of these questions then I wouldn't let you play that character, that's just how it is. This is a thread about preventing the worst players from getting into your group and people seem to be railing against me because some character concepts can defy my guidelines and still be good. The point isn't that those character concepts CAN be good, it's that they're hallmarks of bad players.

>>52189811
>>52189888
>why are you talking about 7th level characters?
It could apply to any level of character with experience under their belt. Even a 1st level character had to have training to get there, and literally nobody ever finishes that training without making mistakes along the way.

>>52189824
>You honestly seem like a very poor story teller
And you seem like a guy who doesn't understand the nature of experience points in any system ever made. If everyone could level up solely on meditation and introspection every 30-year-old would be a 15th level character.

>>52189850
>Hell are you saying...
I'm not saying that. I'm saying that STRUGGLE is a necessity for IMPROVEMENT. If you never had to struggle in your backstory then you shouldn't have any experience points or levels. Of course your alchemist should have gone to a university, but they should ALSO have needed to put their skills to the test at some point in their history, and they should have had successes AND failures while applying that which they were taught.

>>52189976
>"irrational" with "controversial" and get the same results.
Those are very different things, goal posts are back over here buddy.

>>52189976
>'m not saying that. I'm saying that STRUGGLE is a necessity for IMPROVEMENT. If you never had to struggle in your backstory then you shouldn't have any experience points or levels.
Mofucker has max smarty int points for the system we're using. Blew through university like a breeze like that 17 year old in my special relativity course back in uni. Now he's off adventuring.

>>52189939
>That a reasonable enough challenge in life for yo
No. Tell me about something your character needed to overcome, an obstacle in their path, that had meaningful consequences should they have failed. Describe how they overcame it, or how they failed to overcome it, and how it relates to their learning and improvement in their chosen class. If your example is completely ridiculous I'll ask for a different one.

>>52189956
I absolutely despise Rape As Backstory. I don't need (or want) characters to have long suffering terrible backstories filled with grimderp nonsense. I also don't want them to be 100% puppies and rainbows. Give me one or two examples of bad things that happened to your character that they had to deal with and we're fine.

>>52190050
>Those are very different things
From one perspective perhaps. I will concede that I could have stated "irrational, controversial, or something people would strongly argue about" instead.

>Mofucker has max smarty int points for the system we're using.
Cool. having high starting stats doesn't give you experience points. I believe that you need to need to earn your skills and class features. If you disagree then, fine, somebody disagrees with you on the internet. Maybe get over it instead of telling me that I'm running the game wrong.

Remember, this all started with me giving OP my personal method of weeding out autists from my group. If you don't like it, so be it.

>>52189976
>Maybe he's bullied by others in the church because they think he's a snivelling coward who wants everyone to like him.
or maybe he isn't ? likable happy people exist in real life you know
your focus on broody damaged characters is quite a red flag

>Even a 1st level character had to have training to get there, and literally nobody ever finishes that training without making mistakes along the way.

so why do people have to write out the mundane setbacks everyone faces? If you're gonna write out a short summary of your life are you going to mention the time you had trouble grasping a math problem for a week or the time when you where 14 and a girl you liked didn't like you back ?

>>52190135
>Tell me about something your character needed to overcome
A crisis of faith. It's fairly standard with religious types. They're a fairly typical cleric.
>that had meaningful consequences should they have failed
wouldn't be a cleric right now
>Describe how they overcame it
saw a literal act of god which reinforced their faith in said god
>how it relates to their learning and improvement in their chosen class
fucking cleric

>From one perspective perhaps
No. They're literally different things.

> believe that you need to need to earn your skills and class features
You're starting char gen at a high level. That's your shit and in this case pretty system specific. He's good at alchemy. Which is represented by good potions. Which require good level or what have you. His skills should represent the lack of worldliness. Nothing in naturalism/survival/nature etc. Terrible fighter (in games without something like bab that actually treat stabbing people like a skill), no idea how to use a bow. Tons of knowledge skills. Has some social talent as well as he's a rehearsed orator by the time he got his doctorate. And if we're still using that guy I was jealous of in uni, a maxed out swim skill.

The fuck you on about that requiring being stabbed a few times even if metaphorically?

>>52190135
>Give me one or two examples of bad things that happened to your character that they had to deal with and we're fine.
what is the fucking point of writing it in their backstory if it doesn't affect the character in the present ?
"my priest once thought of breaking his vow of celibacy with a woman he loved but the romance ended and he returned to his beliefs in god"

at best you have a meaningless waste of words in your backstory that you just as easily could have improvised down the line, at worst the dm is gonna see this and use it to screw you over with completely derailing the story you had in mind for your character

>>52165751
>allow engineers only after thorough screening
Why so homophobic anon?

>>52190135
What if we're playing etu and having a doctorate would make you an absurdly high level in comparison to the average starting character? I mean yes, most PhD's would be horrendously anti optimized for dealing with paranormal spooky things. But they'd still be considered absurdly legendary characters by raw.

>>52189976
>If everyone could level up solely on meditation and introspection every 30-year-old would be a 15th level character.
I think you're the one who is mistaken on the nature of experience and levels anon. Also, for one who is so focused on character flaws, you sure do have an obsession over the mechanical side of the equation.
>The point isn't that those character concepts CAN be good, it's that they're hallmarks of bad players.
The only difference between a good concept and a bad concept is its execution. If the player is able to play out that character arc to its conclusion, what's the issue? Also, forcing everyone at the table to make broody backstories is also a hallmark of a bad GM.
>Even a 1st level character had to have training to get there, and literally nobody ever finishes that training without making mistakes along the way.
Okay, one time I got a D in a class I was taking, it sucked but it wouldn't be anything worth mentioning in my hypothetical backstory.

>>52165751
The subtle troll is strong with this one.

>>52190195
you guys are taking this GM's words way too literally. he's not fixated on broody damaged characters. he just wants characters with some meaningful past experience other than just coasting through life without challenge, conflict, or setback, because, y'know, that's kinda boring.

>>52190719
Since when is sarcasm trolling?

>>52190135
>Give me one or two examples of bad things that happened to your character that they had to deal with and we're fine.
The problem with this is that it doesn't make for interesting characters, it just serves to mention a time in their past where they failed, but not to the extent that they couldn't fulfill their duties necessary for their class.
>Uh, my wizard once failed a test so he passed a year later than he was supposed to.
Okay cool, he's still a fucking wizard by the time the adventure starts and I could just as easily say
>Oh, he got over that complex around the time he gained his 4th level when he gained access to the enlarge spell, which just so happened to be the spell that he failed a while ago.
The best struggles happen during play, not during some arbitrary point in the character's past.
>Remember, this all started with me giving OP my personal method of weeding out autists from my group. If you don't like it, so be it.
It's a pretty poor method tbqhfam.

>>52164710
This.
Best method to check

>>52190721
If you want to have a meaningful experience that shape's a character's life, you do so during play when you can actually play that experience out.

Backstory is all around worthless because you could write in any struggle you want and it'd all be kosher because by the time the story starts, you character "miraculously" learned how to cope with all the bullshit that happened earlier in their life.

>>52165751
erm... what are mom jeans?

>>52190775
>Backstory is all around worthless
You're exaggerating. Excessive backstory doesn't work, but having the broad strokes sketched out beforehand can help inform a player of where a character's coming from and what's going into said character's decision making. If you value having believable characters at your table, a general outline of a backstory is the opposite of worthless.

>>52190721
Finally, somebody understands what I'm talking about! Yes, I want characters who had to struggle and have meaningful experiences to get where they are today. I don't want broody edgelords, I just want them to be fleshed out an interesting instead of perfect boring slabs of cardboard.

>>52190195
>>52190254
>>52190555
>>52190738
All of you need to get this and stop misconstruing my position. Hey, if you think it's okay to play characters who didn't need to struggle to get where they are today, go for it. I just don't allow those characters at my table. You can disagree all you like, and that's fine. I'm not saying you're not allowed to play those characters in your own games. I'm saying I won't let them into my own games.

>>52190775
Backstories absolutely matter. It gives you insight into how the character thinks or reacts to certain situations. It gives you NPCs to weave into the narrative as allies, enemies, or even just neutral parties for added colour. It gives you an idea of what the character's goals, motivations, and ideals are. This info is also excellent for the player, since it helps them get into character right from the start. I for one find that I enter my character's 'head-space' much easier when I know a lot more about them.

>>52190878
Exactly, emphasis on believable. Characters with no backstory, or ones with no struggle in their backstory, aren't very interesting or believable for me.

>>52164534
Too late, OP, you are already playing.

>>52188524
I'd rather go barefoot than shop at China-Mart

>>52190878
>>52190983
>If you value having believable characters at your table, a general outline of a backstory is the opposite of worthless.
If the player has no interest in making a compelling character, the most you'll get is generic backstories that sync up with the expectations of the class.
>"Muh Fighter fought in a war an indeterminate amount of time ago."
>"Muh wizard studied magic since he was young under a master who was good at magic."
>"Muh thief grew up on the streets and learned how to steal to survive."
etc. etc.
In either case, if backstory was all people needed to make compelling characters, they wouldn't even need the campaign, they'd just write a book and be done with it.

We play tabletop RPGs in order to make characters and see how they handle the demands of the campaign. The hardest part of a character's day should be something that the audience (the players/GM in this case) witnesses, not something that's spoken of in passing.

>>52181246
You seem like a nice guy.
What're you doing here?

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49KB, 750x750px

>>52165751
>No capes

>>52183433
That cleric was schooled, and lived in a dorm and interacted with townsfolk, etc.

It's hard to go through life and not meet someone who dislikes you or who you dislike. Everyone's had that one shithouse teacher who hated the students and was hated in turn. And I've disliked people who everyone else thought was super cool or whatever. Or that dude you hate purely because the girl you like pays more attention to him.

And don't forget the kind of weirdo who would end up working in the library stacks underground the Monastery or the lecherous fuckwit with gangrene that the novice Clerics hated treating.

>>52190983
> Characters with no backstory, or ones with no struggle in their backstory, aren't very interesting or believable for me.
no backstory is not the same as no struggle
where are you going to insert struggle in a young knight that was trained while sheltered and has just now set out on his first quest ?
It's a decent starting point that will allow for the story to shape the character in meaningful ways

maybe he will become prejudiced against orcs after a raid , maybe he will lose faith in the chivalric ideals after fighting in a real battle for the first time or maybe he'll hold himself as an example and stay true to them no matter what.

>>52173416
PUSHUPS

though 25 is a high bar for autists, it goes
>1 for KING FEDORA
>5 for ABSOLUTE AUTISM
>10 for NEEERRRRDDDSSS
>15 for nerd-lite
>20 for mental encyclopedia of batting averages
>25 for half-normie
>30 for full normie
>35 for 'the guys'
>40+ for DRAGONS BRO

long story short: 10 is sufficient to run a fun game, 25 is for an adventure with people you don't mind being seen in public with.

But if you're setting the bar that high you might as well go out and actually do things IRL

>>52191250
why would this make it's way into the backstory though ?
they're minor inconveniences that don't affect the character in any way in the present

Let's say the cleric improvises the story of the patient with a disgusting disease while talking about duty , are you going to cut him of and say "i'm sorry this wasn't in your backstory so i'm not going to allow it?"

This is the kind of stuff that players improvise to flesh out their character along the way , not stuff you write from the get go

>>52176805
learn to make eye contact and say what you feel, not what you think.

Ex
>Hey anon, we want to order pizza. Any preferences?

What you think:
>oh shit think of a joke quick I have to make them laugh every time I open my mouth "PINEAPPLE MEMES AHA!"

What you feel:
>"Yeah, I can throw down a little extra for a bbq chicken if you guys are in"

>>52188524
>buying the enemy's shoes
good luck boiling those down into a stew when the chinks have your town under siege

>>52181246
>So instead of being a minor dick and going "Hur dur, autist, getta out of here" work with them.

Tard wranglers get paid 20+ dollars an hour to do that, like hell I'm going to do it for free.

>>52191345
>mfw I have a damaged muscle on my right arm and push ups turn into agony at the third one.

Can I do squats? or jog? Anything leg related?

>>52164534
Don't play.

>>52164534

By stop being an autist yourself.

>>52165751
>Play top 40 music
I can appreciate all your other points but i cant help but feel katy perry might be out of place in my dark fantasy world.

Maybe im autistic though.

>>52165751
am autistic. can confirm that this would catch me on all except possibly the dress code.

>>52181223
Do you have a full questionnaire? The questions here are actually pretty excellent for building a well rounded character

>>52191345
>But if you're setting the bar that high you might as well go out and actually do things IRL
But roleplaying is an actual fucking good hobby for well-adjusted and productive members of the society.

Hell it's better than drinking every night.

1. Meet in person with the prospective player along with some or all of your group at a neutral 3rd party location. Mine is the local library monthly game day. We usually play something light. Get to know the new player. Find out what type of gaming they like i.e. Simulationist vs storytelling. Combat heavy vs few battles. Ask about thier character concept. I don't allow evil PCs or party infighting and stealing without very good justification.

2. Avoid basement dwellers that have nothing in thier life beyond games. Try to find people with jobs, other non-gaming interests, other human relationships.

After that new players go on probationary status for 12 game sessions (week meet weekly). A no questions asked yeah or nay vote will be taken in the open by vested party members and the DM at the end of the probationary period to bring you on board as a full member. Dues are $5 per game night which covers a nice big dinner for all of us and incidentals.

>>52191951

I only drink on game night and never to excess.

>>52191345
My party is all fellow US Marines.

>>52191345
This scale is waaaaaaay too easy. I don't mean this in a mean way, but are you American, and are people over there really that unfit? Canadian asking.

>>52192060
I meant hitting the bar/club etc.

>>52191257
>Where are you going to insert struggle in a young knight that was trained while sheltered and has just now set out on his first quest?
How hard was his training? Did he ever fail to meet the expectations of his tutors? Did he ever quarrel with a rival knight, perhaps during a tournament? Did he ever lack money or have to work a job or two just to afford his training? Did he ever injure himself during training? Has he ever gotten himself into trouble with the law, perhaps defending someone weak or powerless, and did that make him an enemy in the form of a corrupt noble, a street gang, or a territorial guild?

Stop treating your characters like they were grown in a vat and start treating them like actual people.

>>52191883
1) Who does your character love or cherish unconditionally, even if that feeling isn’t reciprocated?
2) Who does your character hate, possibly irrationally or without good cause?
3) Who loves or cherishes your character, even if you don’t feel the same way about them?
4) Who hates your character and has a completely justified reason for their hatred?
5) What’s your character’s biggest vice, compulsion, or quirk that gets you into trouble and makes things harder for you?
6) What event made you the person you are today and shaped the way you see the world?
7) What code or belief does your character hold, one that would be tested or bring your character into conflict with others?
8) What drives you to seek adventure, even if it puts you in deadly peril?
9) Where does your character see themselves in five years? What deeds have they accomplished?
10) Describe a moment of weakness your character experienced that they needed help to overcome.
11) Describe three things about your character that are 'average' for a person of your race, class, or culture.
12) What’s your darkest secret that, if ever revealed, would have you thrown in prison or even executed?
Players aren't allowed to discuss question 12 in or out of character.

>>52193598
>How hard was his training? Did he ever fail to meet the expectations of his tutors? Did he ever lack money or have to work a job or two just to afford his training? Did he ever injure himself during training?
None of this matters as far as the actual campaign because as far as the narrative is concerned, he completed his training and is about to embark upon his first quest.

Even the bits about rival knights and corrupt nobles and unscrupulous gangs/guilds doesn't matter unless you base your campaign inside the knight's hometown where he'd have to confront those individuals at some point during the game, it's like taking the flaw "near-sighted" when you're already blind.

We don't need to see how John Everyman woke up, ate, showered, stopped for gas, drove to work, clocked in, clocked out, drove home, and went to bed; we just need to see him turning in for the night and getting attacked by the dream demon that will set up the overall plot.

>>52193598
>1, 2, 3, 4
You're going to turn off a lot of people with these questions, especially if they came from games where the GM killed off their character's friends/family for cheap drama.
>5, 6, 7, 8
These questions are fine for what they are.
>9
This question is worthless unless you're planning a time skip since the nature of adventuring means that most people won't live long enough to see their 5 year anniversary.
>10
Not every character is going to necessarily have a grand moment of weakness depending on their background. For some, the worst thing to happen could've been that they ate someone else's food when they weren't looking.
>11
This question is worthless because people can just say shit like "he fights with a sword and he has an average height/weight for his race." I'd suggest changing it to "Describe one extraordinary aspect of your character" instead.
>12
Not every secret is going to be that serious though, I'd change it to "What's your darkest secret" instead.

>>52165751
>no mom jeans
But two of my group members are moms

>>52187318
Have you tried good sir?

Like I mentioned, sometimes there really is truly a man who wants to watch the world burn. But you can only realize that after actually trying to work with them.

And I've seen it happen. Plus I don't drink. So to answer your question anon, no I am not drunk.

>>52164534
Don't recruit on /tg/

>>52187626
What?

If you think it's a one-time thing it's not. I've been to quite a few different places, with completely different sets of players. And over and over it's worked. Only once did it fail. And that man was actually a pedophile.

>>52189692
I do my best, anon. Ask me if you've got any questions.

I'll do my best to answer.

>>52181205
lol

You realize those of us who actually grew up doing tabletop when it was relatively new are in our 30s and 40s and have kids of our own, right?

I mean I just got glasses (farsighted). My friends and I played sports in high school. Yes, varsity. I can't think of any of them that aren't employed except for the guy who is physically incapable of working now.

Honestly real life tends to happen. Even if you're bound and determined to live in your mom's basement.

>>52191057
I am one of the few anons left who really tries to help. Thank you for noticing me, though!

Hope you're doing well.

>>52191630
Well there are certain differences between a truly kind, good DM and those considered bad or autistic......

>>52193783
I vehemently disagree with you. Backstory information like that is an invaluable resource to the GM. They can decide to use it or not, but the fact that they have it can be a great starting-point for an adventure. The GM can throw in NPCs from the Knight's past, get their old rivals or enemies involved, have their friends show up and help... the point is these possibilities don't exist if your backstory is just "I am fighting dude, here to fight dudes."

>>52193897
1-4 set up possible NPCs with reasons to help/hinder the character, if players don't like having them so be it, I ask for it. 9 matters so you know what the character's goals in life are, adventuring and profit are means, not an end. 10 is something I request and I've discussed why at length in the thread. 11 is important for keeping characters somewhat grounded and relatable. 12 is optional but important in my game, which is a mystery that I've built around everyone's dark secrets.

You're welcome to your opinions though, if you don't like the list don't use it.

>>52164534
Stop playing.
Really, it's the only way. If you make a group you will end up with either "autists" as you kids like to call That Guy nowadays or with actual autists.

>>52194243
I'm assuming you've never played with a friends only group.

>>52194188
> They can decide to use it or not, but the fact that they have it can be a great starting-point for an adventure.
The adventure itself should already be planned without the player's input though. In fact, most of my campaigns start off with a vague mission to get the players used to one another and by the end, their characters will usually pursue their own plot. Having NPCs from a character's backstory show up can be interesting but the problem is that you'd have to balance it between the rest of the party who may or may not give a shit about Joe Rando who stole the Fighter's lunch money a few years ago.

Also, you're not going to use everything that a PC writes down on in their backstory and depending on how the campaign progresses, you might not even get a chance to utilize everyone's backstory by the time the game is over.

The real meat and potatoes of any given campaign will always be what happens at the table, not necessarily what happened beforehand.

>>52189860
>Autism?

Autism

"Over there are the grognards, and over there are the weebs. You can play with either, they're all autists"
"But I don't want to play with autists!"
"oh, you can't help that. We're all autist here. I'm an autist. You're an autist."
"How do you know I'm an autist?"
"Well, you must be, or you wouldnt have come here!"

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>>52181246
It's usually not worth your time and energy. I say this with over 15 years of GMing experience (fuck) through about a dozen groups and probably over a hundred players. Not counting successfully running a MUD for three years with a player base of 300. (Hey, have you guessed I'm old yet?)

There are people who can take social cues, interpret them, and learn to play a game centering around social interaction within the first couple of sessions who are on the spectrum. But the vast majority of them cannot. I'm not saying will not try, but they cannot; they're too far down the low EI track to grasp the give-and-take, conversational nature of the role-playing game. Fortunately for them, there's WoW.

I won't even bother mocking the idea of a dress code. The rule is very simple for me: you show up having taken a shower THAT DAY and wearing clothes that are clean and if you want to rock the sock-sandal-snuggie trifecta, that's on you dude.

How do you weed them out? If they don't engage in the game outside of combat, they're probably not going to last long. I used to make it a point to kill their character underhandedly to see how they reacted, but now I just run four "talking"-based sessions in a row and watch them lose interest. They never make it to the fifth.

If I were to attempt to screen new players -- not something I do much of any more -- I'd probably make them write exactly two pages of information about the character. Details should be pertinent to setting up hooks for me. If they're all Mary Sue hooks or they ramble on, tunnelvision-y, about the Forgetenders of Abagado (yes, this happened) I'll let them know they should look elsewhere.

These days most of my new players are word-of-mouth and my tryout is basically "watch a couple of sessions without participating and figure out where you'd fit in." I've only had one person fail to make it through this process, and it was actually because he kept hitting on one of the girls. She said no, we said no.

>>52194188
>1-4 set up possible NPCs with reasons to help/hinder the character, if players don't like having them so be it, I ask for it.
You should already be setting up NPCs that would fall into either category though. Also, wouldn't that be abusable if the PC writes something like "oh yeah, muh character is best friends with the captain of the royal guard" or something to that effect?
>9 matters so you know what the character's goals in life are, adventuring and profit are means, not an end.
Then why not just ask "what is your character's overall goal once the adventure is over" or something to that effect?
>11 is important for keeping characters somewhat grounded and relatable.
Thing is, it's easy to come up with three average features and those features might not even affect what actually makes the character stand out.
>12
You can still have that mystery without having players come up with a secret that's dire enough to call for their execution if it's discovered.

>>52194289
Okay, good luck finding a group that doesn't play in the middle of nowhere I guess. At least you'll save the greater community from dealing with your obnoxious sperg outs.

>>52164534
Unload a huge pile of numbered cubes in front of your door. They will never finish sorting them in time for the game.

>>52189804
Craigslist.

Make sure you run the first session or two somewhere neutral before you move it back to your house, though.

>>52191345
I'm years out of the service now and can still easily do 40+ pushups. I can't recall a point in my life where it was hard to do at least thirty pushups.

I'm a big guy, though. Not for you.

>>52187996
Only when they're not creating people. A lack of cognitive empathy leads to a lacking theory of mind, which leads to an inability to create realistic characters.

>>52194276
>The adventure itself should already be planned without the player's input though.
Uh, sounds like you run very different campaigns than I do. I like to build the adventures with the characters in mind, incorporating bits of their backstory into the plot in small ways to get them invested in the plot. If you want to go ahead and write an adventure that has nothing to do with what your PCs are, want, or care about, go ahead. You can be as considerate or inconsiderate of other people as you want.

>>52194375
So, in advance, this is all just how I run my games. You don't have to like it or agree with me and I respect your right to an opinion, even if I disagree with you. That being said,

>You should already be setting up NPCs that would fall into either category though.
If I'm going to include NPCs the PC loves or hates, why not ask THEM who they, instead of creating them myself later?

>Also, wouldn't that be abusable
Is there really a problem with letting a PC be best friends with someone in a position of responsibility? Friendship is a two-way street, sounds like a great plot-hook to get the PCs involved in an adventure.

>Then why not just ask "what is your character's overall goal once the adventure is over" or something to that effect?
It's the same question, but I like my phrasing better.

>Thing is, it's easy to come up with three average features and those features might not even affect what actually makes the character stand out.
Sure, but it makes them a little more relatable or 'normal', important in a world filled with OC Donut Steels.

>You can still have that mystery without having players come up with a secret that's dire enough to call for their execution if it's discovered.
Sure, but I like how PCs treat each other when their players know they're each hiding secrets from each other. Making the secret something of consequence if discovered means they'll go to greater lengths to keep the truth from NPCs, and from each other.

>>52194966
That pretty much requires you to run the story in the hometown of the PCs though. If one of your players brings a character who was a caravan guard from a faraway land that got fired/separated from his crew, you can't really try to inject his loved ones into the campaign. Will you forbid the character or get over yourself and make NPCs for him to react with yourself?

>>52195345
>That pretty much requires you to run the story in the hometown of the PCs though.
Not at all. My current campaign is set in a border town far from where any of the PCs grew up and yet all of their backstories have been relevant. The local priestess is the Cleric's old mentor, having moved there to take care of a sick uncle. A travelling Paladin is staying at the inn, and was once a town guard along with the Rogue. The villains are performing arcane experiments into dark magic that the Fighter was also obsessed with years ago. The Ranger's old animal companion has been captured and experimented upon by the villains. The Wizard is part demon and the evil magic is starting to mess with their mind and cause them to hallucinate.

In your example I could absolutely try to make that character's backstory relevant. He's probably not the only person here from a far-away land. Maybe he meets another person from his homeland and finds out it's in the middle of a civil war. Maybe his love interest is a servant working for the leader of the rebellion, and her life is in danger by extension. Maybe he and the party travel to his home only to find the castle surrounded, leading to a daring rescue that could get the party embroiled in either side of the conflict. Or heck, I could come up with a half-dozen other interesting hooks in five minutes if I had more information.

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>>52194349
>but now I just run four "talking"-based sessions in a row and watch them lose interest

Yes, because unless the game is made/stated to be with politics and intrigue in mind, it's good to assume everyone will enjoy sitting and talking for anywhere of 16+ hours before having a single confrontation.

You probably "weeded" out plenty of solid players by giving them the impression that they'd do nothing but talk in your group.

>>52181223
>Autists hate job applications

>>52194966
>If you want to go ahead and write an adventure that has nothing to do with what your PCs are, want, or care about, go ahead.
That's not what I'm saying at all, I'm just saying that depending on your group, you're not going to be able to incorporate every little of a character's backstory into your campaign without losing a bit of your story's focus.

Like if one guy is playing a knight, another character is playing a rogue, and the other guy is playing a mage, and their backstories has ben being on opposite sides of the world from one another, obviously you're going to focus on the dude whose homeland is closest to the starting point of the campaign.

I mean, incorporating backstories is admirable but that doesn't give you the right to be lazy and take ideas from someone else. In the worst case scenario, you should've already had a destination and premise in mind before you even read someone's backstory.

1/2

>>52194966
>If I'm going to include NPCs the PC loves or hates, why not ask THEM who they, instead of creating them myself later?
You're misunderstanding, I meant that the NPCs should already be people who have a disposition towards either being allies, neutrals, or enemies.
>Is there really a problem with letting a PC be best friends with someone in a position of responsibility?
There is when the original point was to screen "Mary Sues" from your game in the first place.
>It's the same question, but I like my phrasing better.
Your phrasing makes it seem as though you're conducting a job interview and also isn't clear on what you're asking of the player.
>Sure, but it makes them a little more relatable or 'normal'
Generic fighter with average weight/height is not going to make them relatable.
>Making the secret something of consequence if discovered means they'll go to greater lengths to keep the truth from NPCs, and from each other.
What if one player has mind-reading?

>>52196160
>The local priestess is the Cleric's old mentor, having moved there to take care of a sick uncle. A travelling Paladin is staying at the inn, and was once a town guard along with the Rogue. The villains are performing arcane experiments into dark magic that the Fighter was also obsessed with years ago. The Ranger's old animal companion has been captured and experimented upon by the villains. The Wizard is part demon and the evil magic is starting to mess with their mind and cause them to hallucinate.
That sounds incredibly contrived that so many important figures from so many PC's backstories would just so happen to come across this border town that even you admit is particularly far from where the PCs grew up.

I live in a small town and the chances of running into a random person from work or school is once in a blue moon yet in this fucking campaign, literally everyone with a name and purpose had the same idea to travel to this random border town?

>>52164534
1) Extreme Vetting
2) Implement a gf Test
3) Build the wall

>>52189976
You're a hallmark of a bad GM, basically demanding a full biography of autistic shit so you can play the game for number and stats.
>Your character MUST have a serious detriment to their life growing up or else they don't have a good reason to adventure.
>Your character can't level up in his profession by doing it unless you go into detail about his mistakes.
>Priest can't get closer to his god and use better spells through that by being devout and concentrating on his studies, learning new stuff through scripture. He needs to hit a goblin in the head with a mace a few times too! But hey, a guy swinging a sword and a priest that gains magic powers through their god are the same thing, so its not fair the priest can get stronger in ways different than a warrior, even though their reaction to combat would greatly differ RP-wise!
>Every character needs an immediate conflict so they can roleplay. I don't have a conflict for the characters to focus on already.

This is weaponized autism here. Why don't you go skip the tabletop and go over to the computer and play some Dragon Age? They design their characters the way you want your players to make characters.

>>52164534
If you want to keep autists away from your table, don't make it difficult for normal people to get accustomed to your game by making the barrier for entry too high.

If you're going to make people jump through hoops to play your game, you're just going to artificially inflate their expectations, which will then lead to disappointment and resentment.

>>52197747
Maybe there's more money to be made in the border town than in the place the PCs are from? There also seems like there is some sort of evil stuff going on in the town so it would make sense for clerics and sorcerers and people interested in dark magic to be checking the place out. It's a little contrived, sure, it would probably be better if the NPCs weren't such important pieces of the PCs backstories (the cleric's mentor could just be a guy the character recognizes from back in his church days for example) but as a player I'd much rather run into NPCs from my past by strange coincidence that I already have an idea of how to roleplay with than go into a town with a group of other no-past, just popped out of the ground ready to adventure husks and have no reason to care about any NPCs until they prove their worth to the story.

>>52198169
To add character backstories should exist to add flavor or context to a campaign idea the GM already has, not be the reason anything in the campaign happens.

Unless the GM's campaign idea is specifically about the PCs pasts coming back to haunt them or something, I guess.

>>52197547
You don't have to incorporate literally every element of a character's backstory into the plot. That would be ridiculous, and I never even implied that I did that.

>>52197676
Some fair points there. My games don't include mind-reading or mind control but that could be an obstacle in other groups. Though to be fair if the PCs are reading each others' minds and memories you've got bigger problems than secrets coming out. The last time I was in a campaign and a PC sifted through another PC's memories the party ended up killing each other over it.

>>52197747
Call it contrived if you will, I prefer 'suspension of disbelief'.

>>52197847
Nice trolling, got me to reply. My positions, in order, are in fact:

1) I don't accept character concepts if the character has never had to struggle and has never failed at anything ever.

2 & 3) I require people to get hands-on experience in order to advance their abilities. Ideally this experience comes from tackling adventures and facing life-or-death situations, or ones with some measure of consequence should the character/party fail at their objective. Risk is proportional to reward, no risk gets you no reward.

4) I ask that characters have at least one or two relationships or connections to people or factions. I may never bring these up but they're useful to know just in case that person or faction becomes relevant.

But please, go ahead and speak for me. Clearly you know my opinions better than I do, random internet person.

>>52198169
>Maybe there's more money to be made in the border town than in the place the PCs are from?
None of those figures are in the town for money though.
>There also seems like there is some sort of evil stuff going on in the town so it would make sense for clerics and sorcerers and people interested in dark magic to be checking the place out.
At the same time, does the evil group HAVE to necessarily be someone who fucked with the Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard? If the group is that well known then certainly there'd be a larger response than the party.
> I'd much rather run into NPCs from my past by strange coincidence that I already have an idea of how to roleplay with than go into a town with a group of other no-past, just popped out of the ground ready to adventure husks and have no reason to care about any NPCs until they prove their worth to the story.
If you don't give a shit about the NPCs around you then that's a problem with the GM not giving you reasons to care.

>>52198247
>You don't have to incorporate literally every element of a character's backstory into the plot.
Then why ask such detailed questions of the players before game starts?
>The last time I was in a campaign and a PC sifted through another PC's memories the party ended up killing each other over it.
And you don't think that people are going to get twitchy when they know that everyone else at the table has a secret? Paranoia runs off a similar premise and PC's routinely kill each other.
>Call it contrived if you will, I prefer 'suspension of disbelief'.
"Suspension of Disbelief" can only be taken so far before it suddenly becomes ridiculous. Even then, you have to at least TRY to make the situation plausible so that the audience (as in, the players) is willing to go along with it.

>>52165584
>argue during character creation
This. This is my biggest pet peeve and honestly I see it as super entitled, I'm running the game, I decide the world around you. When I say no gunslingers, you need to just accept that there are no gunslingers and not fight with me and whine until I allow gunslingers or some other class just for you.

>>52180966
Found the autist.

>>52164534
Ask them if they browse /tg/. The only problem with this method is that you oust yourself as an autist too.

>>52198274
>None of those figures are in the town for money though.
Maybe the Paladin and Rogue are. Anon didn't specify exactly why they were there.
>At the same time, does the evil group HAVE to necessarily be someone who fucked with the Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard? If the group is that well known then certainly there'd be a larger response than the party.
No, but I don't see how the game is made significantly better or worse for having some characters already have a reason to be invested in investigating the bad guys. The group doesn't have to be well known to have the connections to the party that it does.
>If you don't give a shit about the NPCs around you then that's a problem with the GM not giving you reasons to care.
My point was more that I'm more willing to accept the slightly contrived scenario that some people from the PC's past happen to also be in this town than I am the idea that a bunch of people were living completely unremarkable lives until they all one day decided "Hey, let's try this being a PC shit out" and entered the adventure.

>>52198679
>No, but I don't see how the game is made significantly better or worse for having some characters already have a reason to be invested in investigating the bad guys.
It's lazy storytelling. If you really want to make a person hate the villain, you should be able to do so during the actual story without saying "oh yeah, he raped your dog that one time" just to get people to hate him. It should be enough that they're saturating the area with evil magic.
>My point was more that I'm more willing to accept the slightly contrived scenario that some people from the PC's past happen to also be in this town than I am the idea that a bunch of people were living completely unremarkable lives until they all one day decided "Hey, let's try this being a PC shit out" and entered the adventure.
If your party is level 1, that's actually a pretty serviceable explanation for going into dank tombs in order to plunder treasure.

>>52198679
>No, but I don't see how the game is made significantly better or worse for having some characters already have a reason to be invested in investigating the bad guys.
it takes away from the other players investment as well as lowering the overall development the bad guys are more than likely going to get

on top of this players have a sense of entitlement when it comes to npc's from their backstory (and rightfully so in my opinion since they are in essence extensions of his/her character) so doing stuff like making the cleric's mentor go evil can be a real dick move if the player doesn't agree with it

>>52198373
>Then why ask such detailed questions of the players before game starts?
So that I have it available to me in cast I want to use it. It's like groceries, I may not be planning to cook with corn but I might as well have a can around in case I decide I need it later. It's basic preparation.

>And you don't think that people are going to get twitchy when they know that everyone else at the table has a secret? Paranoia runs off a similar premise and PC's routinely kill each other.
I'm 12 sessions into my current campaign, everybody has dark secrets and nobody has tried to kill each other. I find a low level of mutual distrust to be healthy in the horror/mystery adventure I'm running. Keeps players guessing and on their toes. I plan on all of their dark secrets coming to light by the end of the first arc, so just as they're beating the final boss they finally start to really trust each other. Which is when the boss will offer to let them join him at his side and I'm pretty sure at least two of the players will agree, since his end-goal is to rediscover how to resurrect people and bringing back the dead is the core goal of two PCs.

>"Suspension of Disbelief" can only be taken so far before it suddenly becomes ridiculous.
I don't think that having your mentor show up in town because of a family illness is ridiculous, it's a pretty standard co-incidence. In addition, think of it this way: if every member of the party happens to have some small connection to the 'Main Plot' through their backstories it gives them a quick and easy reason to work together to take down the bad guys. Honestly, five random people deciding to hunt down necromancers because sure, why not, is a much GREATER suspension of disbelief than five people hunting down necromancers for specific personal reasons.

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>>52164534
>goes to 4chan
>asks how to avoid autists
Can't tell if bait thread or not

>>52198912
>It's basic preparation.
You should already have the basic plot prepared before the players even submit notes to you. It's nice to have but backstory isn't necessary if the character already has a strong motivation to join the events of the campaign.
>I'm 12 sessions into my current campaign, everybody has dark secrets and nobody has tried to kill each other.
>I find a low level of mutual distrust to be healthy in the horror/mystery adventure
Well there's your fucking answer chief, unfortunately that's not going to work in every campaign.
>Honestly, five random people deciding to hunt down necromancers because sure, why not, is a much GREATER suspension of disbelief
Those aren't five random people though, they're the main characters.

>>52165751
Now this is autism.

>>52198794
>It's lazy storytelling. If you really want to make a person hate the villain, you should be able to do so during the actual story without saying "oh yeah, he raped your dog that one time" just to get people to hate him. It should be enough that they're saturating the area with evil magic.
Saturating the area with evil magic is enough, the dog rape gives one player a more specific reason to hate them and there's nothing wrong with it besides being kind of lazy, we don't even know if the DM or the player came up with that bit. And it's no more lazy than going "You all arrive in [town], start adventuring"
>If your party is level 1, that's actually a pretty serviceable explanation for going into dank tombs in order to plunder treasure.
Unless the DM has something more specific in mind that could benefit from a little extra effort from the players, which it seems like is what is happening here.

>>52198812
There's no reason to limit how evil the bad guys are to what they did to the players. It's not like the little amount of involvement they already have is the extent of the evil they're doing.
>...doing stuff like making the cleric's mentor go evil can be a real dick move if the player doesn't agree with it
That's understandable but if the players have a hang up like this they should mention it to the DM when they make their backstories or make it clear in some other way that it would be out of character to make a heel turn like that.

>>52199142
>Saturating the area with evil magic is enough, the dog rape gives one player a more specific reason to hate them
Again, saturation of evil magic is enough, the dog rape is completely unnecessary.
>we don't even know if the DM or the player came up with that bit.
The DM should've been the one to come up with it if it's going to be that important to the narrative. If one player can give input that becomes the main focus, it just skews the campaign in that one PC's favor since everyone else would just be along for the ride.
>it's no more lazy than going "You all arrive in [town], start adventuring"
There's nothing wrong with this as long as everyone involved is on board though.
>Unless the DM has something more specific in mind that could benefit from a little extra effort from the players, which it seems like is what is happening here.
Again, the DM should already have something specific in mind outside of the player's input.

>>52199046
>You should already have the basic plot prepared before the players even submit notes to you.
From what he's been saying he does have a basic plot, he's just filling in some pieces of it with parts of the PCs backstories. What is the problem with that?
>Those aren't five random people though, they're the main characters.
Yeah, and main characters should have some kind of backstory or else they're empty vessels with no motivation besides what the player feels like doing on any particular session. I get that PCs evolve over campaigns and a lot of players do have it in them to maintain consistency over their characters but every single time I've had a player show up with a zero effort backstory that amounts to "He's an adventurer. He adventures." he puts an equal amount of effort into the rest of the game.

Having a backstory (it doesn't have to be extensive, it doesn't even need to be longer than a paragraph or a loose idea) doesn't just give the DM a few extra options, it shows that the player gives a shit about the game.

>>52199046
>Those aren't five random people though, they're the main characters.
So my approach of "All five PCs get involved in the plot because their background and history is connected to what's going on." is incredibly ridiculous and violates suspension of disbelief, but your approach of "All five PCs get involved because they're the main characters." is perfectly fine. Well then, I think I see the problem here chief.

>>52199256
>What is the problem with that?
It makes it seem as though he couldn't be arsed to come up with a legitimate reason for why the characters should give a shit. Like dangling a carrot and saying "yeah, that carrot salted your family's farm, let the hate flow through you peon!"

That and it makes the world itself seem smaller because everywhere we go, someone from a PC's past shows up like the funny uncle in a sitcom.
>Yeah, and main characters should have some kind of backstory or else they're empty vessels with no motivation besides what the player feels like doing on any particular session.
Here's the thing, every character in fiction always starts off flat whether they have an extensive backstory or not. All I need is a basic description and I can usually give them enough of a reason to be in the campaign.
>it shows that the player gives a shit about the game.
The fact that they're engaged in the narrative should be enough to show whether or not they give a shit.

>>52199236
>If one player can give input that becomes the main focus, it just skews the campaign in that one PC's favor since everyone else would just be along for the ride.
The bad guys fucking with a PC's dog doesn't suddenly make that PC more important than the rest of the PCs. It might give him a couple of moments where he has more of a reason to want to fuck with the bad guys than the rest of the PCs do but it doesn't suddenly turn that character into John Wick.
>There's nothing wrong with this as long as everyone involved is on board though.
There's nothing wrong with requesting PC backstories either.
>Again, the DM should already have something specific in mind outside of the player's input.
>>52199256
>From what he's been saying he does have a basic plot, he's just filling in some pieces of it with parts of the PCs backstories.

>>52199257
>So my approach of "All five PCs get involved in the plot because their background and history is connected to what's going on." is incredibly ridiculous and violates suspension of disbelief, but your approach of "All five PCs get involved because they're the main characters." is perfectly fine.
Yes, because you're arbitrarily warping the narrative around the PC's prior exploits rather than allowing the PC's motivations to grow as a result of what happens within the campaign.

"My PC is going to this dank tomb because he heard from a guy that there's treasure/monsters/damsels/etc. somewhere inside it" is more than enough to start a campaign with. If a PC's past is relevant, it'll come up during play, believe me.

>>52199335
>That and it makes the world itself seem smaller because everywhere we go, someone from a PC's past shows up like the funny uncle in a sitcom.
It's one town that the PCs are starting the adventure in.
>The fact that they're engaged in the narrative should be enough to show whether or not they give a shit.
I don't want to have to wait until I'm several minutes into the first session of a campaign to find out whether or not the player is engaged when I can just find out whether or not he can be arsed to up with a short paragraph about his character before we even start playing.

>>52199368
>If a PC's past is relevant, it'll come up during play, believe me.
That's what he's fucking doing holy shit, the setup is just slightly more involved than "You're at the mouth of a cave, what do you do?"

>>52199362
>The bad guys fucking with a PC's dog doesn't suddenly make that PC more important than the rest of the PCs.
It creates a situation where either the PC's motivations for fucking with the cult takes more precedence over the rest of the party.

If Sir McNealson and Sir Pennywick are mortal enemies, it means that McNealson is going to end up receiving more plot relevance than the rest of the order simply because it's now personal, making him the main character of the campaign.

But then, if you ignore this so that Sir McNealson is no more important than the rest of the party, then McNealson's player is going to ask "then why the fuck did I bother adding Pennywick as his mortal enemy?"
>There's nothing wrong with requesting PC backstories either.
You can request but they're under no obligation to make it especially detailed.

>>52199426
What I'm saying is, if a character's backstory involved him surviving in the mountain wilderness as some crazy survivalist before joining an order of knights, the player will most likely ask "so hey, I used to live in the mountains...can I roll something to see if I can navigate us through the forest?"

It'll come up during play regardless of whether or not the GM decides to use it.

>>52199430
>It creates a situation where either the PC's motivations for fucking with the cult takes more precedence over the rest of the party.
So they can argue about it in character.
>You can request but they're under no obligation to make it especially detailed.
And I'm under no obligation to include players who refuse to put a paragraph's worth of thought into their characters.

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re: character backstories

I quite like lifepath chargen systems with a bit of randomness for the simple reason that it makes it harder to have Mary Sues.
So long as everyone is onboard with playing a mini-game to make their PC and that they shouldn't come along with too many ideas of where they'll end up

>>52191380
This exactly. Gets me every god damn time.

>>52199407
>It's one town that the PCs are starting the adventure in.
It's also one town that's a border town that's a long ways away from where the PC's originally started in.
>I don't want to have to wait until I'm several minutes into the first session of a campaign to find out whether or not the player is engaged
There's two things going wrong if the players aren't engaged in your campaign within the first several minutes. Either a) you're not doing a good enough job to hook the players into what's happening or b) you're focusing too much on details that the players aren't interested in, or maybe even a little of column A or B.

If you know that the group are blood knights, set up a quick combat scenario to perk them up. If you know they like roleplay, set up a small scenario where they interact with a few NPCs.

Knowing your audience is half the prepwork that goes into GMing, so if they're not engaged, you need to figure out why and try to switch gears as quickly as possible.

>>52199520
>It's also one town that's a border town that's a long ways away from where the PC's originally started in.
...With evil magic saturating the area that a few PCs are connected to, with the relative of someone from another PC's backstory who might have always lived there, with two other PCs who just seem to live and work there. Yeah, it's an out of the way border town but it's not like there's no reason for anyone to be there.

>>52199474
>So they can argue about it in character.
Why should they waste time arguing about it IC when you, the GM, should've already given everyone a basic reason to give a shit? It's not even that hard.

Wizard, Cleric and Paladin are there because they noticed the odd saturation in the area. Rogue is there because he's a greedy fuck. Fighter is there as a reserve to bolster the border town's guard in the wake of the influx of undead.

Paladin, Cleric, and Wizard meet up as they investigate the energy independently. Rogue overhears them talking about the energy and decides to join in the hopes of becoming rich from saving the town. Fighter joins when the group conscripts guards to bolster their forces as they prepare to venture outside the walls.

Done.
>And I'm under no obligation to include players who refuse to put a paragraph's worth of thought into their characters.
What you're asking for is way more than a single paragraph.

>>52199622
The only reason so many people are there is because the GM contrived shit to include so many people to be there.

You could just as easily cut out every instance that links the town to a PC's backstory and the premise would still be enough to serve as a primer for the rest of the campaign.

>>52165751
>No backpacks
What the fuck?

>>52199685
>What you're asking for is way more than a single paragraph.
No it isn't. I've literally gotten backstories that were "My wizard was at wizard college and found out that his teacher was involved in a weird cult so he fled the college and now he's afraid the cult is after him" and that was enough for me to add some side plots to to the main campaign that were specific to that character and make sure the player was into the game. All I want from players is something more than "Well my guy was born and now he's a fighter."

>>52199892
That backstory wouldn't be enough to satisfy the questionaire that was posted here >>52193598 though.

Even then, in games like D&D where each class has a primer, it's easy as fuck to create a general list of motivations for each character even if the players themselves don't give you a whole lot of details in a backstory.

>>52199975
I'm not the guy defending the questionnaire, I just don't think there's anything wrong with incorporating the players backstories into the campaign.

>>52200011
There's also nothing wrong with having a bare-bones backstory either, especially when the focus of the campaign goes beyond the PC's.

>>52199821
It's bait anon.

>>52193598
This whole list reads like,
>I'm just waiting for an opportunity to fuck your character while the other players sit there clueless about what's actually happening

>>52191728
She's a California Gurl, anon. She is undeniable.

>>52173416
Are girl push-ups allowed? Or could I do 50 crunches instead?

>>52165751
>No graphic T-shirts
No anon, you are the autism.

>>52165751
>no suits
Let me guess, you and the rest of your so-called gaming group just eat cheap steaks with boxed white wine or--God forbid--beer.

I'll stick with my properly-attired group, thank you very much. If you ever decide to play a tabletop game for real I can recommend you a caterer.

>>52181205
Dude thats just not true.

>>52191345
yeah dude you've never been to /fit/

or you have and think that makes you normal

>>52198522
My reaction to stuff like that is to usually ask for a compromise to maybe see if there's a way I can at least get the feel of what I'm wanting while maintaining mechanical viability.

No gunslingers? That's not a problem. Would it be okay if I made a guy that dual-wields hand crossbows, and maybe uses alchemy to make special quarrels?

If the answer is still no, I either gracefully bow out and thank the DM for his consideration (if it's a stranger) or just make a secretly gay knight-errant or landed noble if it's a friend.

>>52181205
Oh bullshit! I have had the sex like, three times with four different girls. I get all the ladies.

>>52164693
>generally when they RP it is hormone filled and one dimensional.
i'm saddened to say that this as no age restriction.

>>52191680
No, you absolutely must do pushups, no exceptions.

Only autists sustain arm injuries.


Granted just demonstrating the mobility to do a proper squat without bitching would be enough to elevate anyone to normie status.

>>52191951
>live in city
>explore the endless alleyways that dot your landscape
>interact and barter with roaming traders on the highways and byways (trade cigs with bums for cool stuff)
>find exciting new locations and delve into unexplored depths (dive bars and breaking and entering)
>enjoy contests of strength with hearty fellows (just go out and toss a ball, aspie)

Countryside
>rivers, lakes, streams
>forests, plains, hills
>abandoned barns, orchards, train tracks, bridges, and trails
>find hidden stills and their initially terrifying yet easily persuaded watchers
>camp in the deep of the woods and cook on a roaring fire
>hunting, swimming, climbing and varmint wranglin'

I enjoy tabletops because I have few friends who are willing to do these things with me, mostly because they're terrified of IRL encounters with anything that doesn't come in a cup or on a plate. But why on Earth would I pretend to have adventures when there's an entire world of adventure here for me to explore? I've met something like 15 bums and only gotten nasty with 2 or 3. if they're hippies they usually have something to trade for supplies on them. I Got a sweet lighter and a couple harmonicas for various packages of TP, cigs, and beer. And even minor altercations are more exciting than the grandest imaginary battles. Slugging a junkie and running away from his swift but uncoordinated pursuit is the most memorable adventure I've ever had.

Why stop living?

>>52192089
So autism, gotcha.

>>52203925
>>52194477
>>52192142
>what is "the lowest common denominator"?

>>52164534
Get to know people before you play with them.

>>52205694
>Why stop living?
Because you fucked with a bum you weren't able to punch before he got a lucky stab in.

>>52165751
>No graphic T-shirts
real autistics don't wear graphic tees, they wear unbranded clothes usually and have a set "costume" that feels good to them, like how Chris-Chan always wore rugby shirts.

But you are just looking to vette fedoras, which is easy enough.

>>52199368
Whatever you say, dude. A lot of players like having a reason to go on an adventure that's not just "I am an adventurer, getting treasure and killing stuff is what I do." You don't have to like how I built my stories but you can't say I'm doing it wrong. That's just, like, your opinion man.

>>52202624
Not really. It just means that I can use NPCs from their backstory instead of making entirely new ones they know nothing about. Maybe the bandit they encounter on their trip is someone the Rogue used to work alongside during their thieves' guild days. Maybe the healer at the local church was taught by a close friend of the Cleric. As long as it makes sense there's no harm in it. You're not throwing new encounters at them, you're just connecting those encounters to their backstory.

Now you can complain that it's lazy, or that I should make a whole host of NPCs whole-cloth with no input from the players. That depends on how collaborative you like your setting. Personally, I don't mind it when the players describe their home-towns and the important people in their lives. I might never bring it up, but if I (or they) decide that it's relevant later I have that information already. So really it's not out of laziness, but out of respect for the players as participants in a group storytelling experience.

>>52165751

You forgot "touch them without asking for permission".

>>52209334
>Whatever you say, dude. A lot of players like having a reason to go on an adventure that's not just "I am an adventurer, getting treasure and killing stuff is what I do."
If the whole point of the game is to be an adventurer going into tombs and plundering treasure while killing monsters, isn't it kinda redundant to ask why they're going into tombs and plundering treasure while fighting monsters?

It's like asking "now I know that you said you wanted to play this game because you wanted to play D&D but I need to know why you wanted to play this game because you wanted to play D&D."

>>52209682
>If the whole point of the game is to be an adventurer going into tombs and plundering treasure while killing monsters, isn't it kinda redundant to ask why they're going into tombs and plundering treasure while fighting monsters?
Why are you presuming that the game is about going into tombs, plundering treasure and killing monsters? I've played in and run games where the party solved murder mysteries, engaged in political intrigue, explored vast untamed wildernesses, and led armies on the field of battle. Many of them didn't include a single dungeon. Why does my campaign have to fit into your narrow confines of what is, and is not, a D&D game?

Personally, I think you're looking at this backwards. You don't make a dungeon crawl and tell people not to write backstories because they're not important. You get the players to write backstories and then you write up a campaign that fits what those characters want to do with their lives. It's the difference between handing someone a chicken sandwich and asking them what they want for lunch.

>>52205717
It's a reasonable measure of fitness. Lifting your upper body requires you either be very thin or have spent a modicum of time engaged in physical activity.

It's why Jack LaLanne promoted it as a way of seeing how your fitness improved (and exercising at the same time).

Most of the people on /fit/ probably can't do more than 50 pushups. They're too into bulking.

>>52209835
The point of what I was getting at is that if the campaign has a premise and your players are okay with it enough to make characters that would fit that premise, wouldn't it be redundant to ask why they're making characters that would be participating in that premise?

Like if we're sitting down to play a CoC campaign, everyone involved is an "investigator," meaning that for one reason or another, they're in this game to (accidentally) uncover some hidden lore that shakes the foundation of what they believe is possible.

If we're playing exalted, everyone is a demi-god who is capable of manipulating essence to perform tasks that are well beyond what's possible for humanity.

If we're playing paranoia, everyone is a "trouble-shooter" who is also a clone who will likely end up dead by the end of the session because he was a dirty commie bastard.

etc. etc.

Asking why they're playing just makes it seem as though even you have no idea why they'd be interested.

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>>52190874
Pure sex

>>52209902
What about people who suffered arm injuries but are otherwise healthy individuals? Would something like squats or sit ups be an acceptable replacement?

>>52164534
Too late.

>>52210087
Your approach seems to be the following:
>Step 1) Write the adventure
>Step 2) Tell players the premise of the starting point of the adventure
>Step 3) Receive character sheets and backgrounds that fit into that premise
>Step 4) Throw the backstories in the trash
>Step 5) Run the adventure

My approach is the following:
>Step 1) Determine rough idea of the adventure
>Step 2) Tell players the premise of the starting point of the adventure
>Step 3) Receive character sheets and backgrounds that fit into that premise
>Step 4) Finish the adventure, incorporating the characters' backgrounds into the adventure as hooks, allies, antagonists, and so forth
>Step 5) Run the adventure

If we're playing Exalted, I figure out who the PCs care about or know and think of how they could be involved in the plot, or even just think of ways they could give advice or shelter. If we're playing Paranoia I look at what secret societies the PCs are part of and set up side-missions for them to double-cross each other or take extra risks to further their secret societies' goals.

I prefer my approach and so do my players. If you don't like it, well, that's fine. I'm not your GM. This entire discussion came from friendly advice, I've never once commanded that anybody do anything they don't like in their own games.

>>52193598
I like these questions. Copied them to make sure I've got answers for all of my characters in the future.

>>52191345
>somehow achieved normie level despite being on the spectrum and incapable of talking to cute girls without looking ridiculous

How the fuck? Who fucked with my ability scores?

>>52204204
I've had sex about a hundred times with only one girl.

And now she's gone.

>>52164534
Simple:
Never join another group again.
And not because OTHER people are autists.
:^)

>>52212630
Sure. Can't take that away from you. Poor fitness is an all-over ailment.

Can't tell you the times I've had a skinny dude go "hah well I bet I can do 50 situps no problem" and struggle at 15.

>>52214123
Actually my approach is basing my campaign around what happens at the table while your approach is basing your campaign around what your players included within their backstories.

I don't throw out backstories because that would imply that I asked them to write one up before we started play, rather than just asking what their backstory is right then and using it as a means to get them together as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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>>52165751
>allow for sudden loud noises
>no canes

Disabled vets are out then.

>>52164710
Sure. And organic produce is better for you. Hahaha.

>>52165751
What are mom jeans?

You forgot sweatpants.

Minimum age 25
Must be employed
No stoners
Works pretty good.

Make friends who arent autists

>>52194349
Here is how I know your story is bullshit: if you were a GM with lots of experience, then you would know that the PCs are going to seek out confrontation on their own.

Your "clever" trick probably amounted to
>I go to the local black people's pub
>As I enter, I yell "Which one of you niggas here is the strongest? I'mma whoop all of your asses, from now on I am the boss here, you got that you little bitches?"
and responding with
>they all look at you and nod in acknowledgment before going back to playing their card games.

>>52187996
Autist detected.

>>52199474
>So they can argue about it in character.
I hope you don't play a game where there is a charisma score for the characters.

>>52164534
There's one very simple trick that weeds out a lot of them. Ask for a backstory with a very particular length. A paragraph and a half, two paragraphs, and absolutely no more or less. Add or remove length based on the level this character will be starting at: Higher levels means you need to leave some space for their previous adventures to be mentioned.

This weeds out munchkins who play walking statblocks, since they won't get to a paragraph, and the overly involved weirdos, who try to hand in a book for their backstory.

>>52193598
>I don't want to have characters who are friends and know each other's secrets because that's gay.

>>52166005
>tabletop games seem to attract autists more than other hobbies
I think it's because of every game having rules and a shared, clearly communicated process to how its played. Seems like it'd be a good way for them to get some not-confusing human interaction, so long as they aren't the "mean-spirited jackass who smells like rancid milk" sort of autist.