Does OOP always play characters with the same backstory beats? I’m always making up new insecurities/obsessions/neuroses for my characters because I feel like I can’t use the same backstory twice. (They have to have something going on, though, because well-adjusted people don’t make a career out of going into trap-filled holes in the ground and fighting to the death for the inhabitants’ pocket change.)
If they’re anything like me then each character they make is focused on a different facet of themselves or something they’ve dealt with. The rest bleed into it in more minor ‘supporting’ ways while one mental illness takes the main stage.
I think as a teenager I played a lot of Bards because being likeable and everyone doing what you say is kind of nice when you’re an awkward disempowered kid, but nowadays I mix it up. Mostly just because playing the same character repeatedly would get kind of boring for me, and I want to explore different territory, even if it’s on the level of “original the hedgehog donut steal”
One of my characters is the nicest person I can possibly imagine. I figured I could use the practice.
Another one is a teenage half-orc barbarian who’s basically me at that age. It’s nice to remember the good and bad of that guy.
My latest character is a robot controlled by a crew of sapient alien bees. Good luck with that one, therapist.
My first character was a barbarian who despised magic and made a point to tell every mage in existence that they are bad and should feel bad.
My second character was a grave robber who accidentally unearthed a cursed slab and refused to return it to the owner, resulting in an ancient mummy cursing him. He became a Warlock against his will and made it a point to become strong enough to kill his Patron.
My third character is a normal ass dude who got involved in a situation much bigger than himself. Currently dead set on killing the gods because they suck at governing the world. Also hates magic and refuses to use magical items that require attunement.
My fourth character is a pacifist orc who’s been dead for thousands of years, resurrected by an evil necromancer to do his bidding. The necromancer botched up the ritual and the orc came back with his free will, but unable to die (much to his grievance).
I guess my therapist would tell me that I hate magic and magicians?
Seems like a lot of people base their D&D on themselves. I don’t really understand that. I always try to make characters totally different from myself to try to put my head in a different space. To me it’s a key part of escapism to try on someone else’s shoes for a bit.
People often want, and try, to do that, but then fall back into something closer to their real self.
It’s very common in video game RPGs that track moral choices. For example Mass Effect, where a lot of people try to make a Renegade character and take the evil choices. But then end up choosing many of the nicer options as they keep playing. Or have to keep reminding themselves that they’re intentionally playing differently.
I guess I’m one of those weird people who can naturally slip into the role of an evil character in a game and do things in the game I’d never do in real life. I think it may be similar to being an actor who plays villains in movies. It doesn’t work as well if you just try to think “I’m the bad guy, time to kill babies!” You have to think about your character’s backstory and give them really believable motivations for doing the bad things they do.
Walter White is a great example of a well-written villain. He’s motivated by regret over his missed opportunities, resentment towards friends who took advantage (Gray Matter), a sense of superiority and entitlement over his own abilities, and disappointment with a dead-end career. Many people can relate to these motivations.
The true key to any villain is that they don’t consider themselves a villain; they believe their actions are wholly justified. To roleplay an effective villain doesn’t mean you agree with your character’s justifications, but it helps a lot if you understand where they are coming from.
You can do this - many of us do. However when you get to writing a solid backstory, or attempt to act as that character, it’s all going to be “you” flavored on some level. Kind of like interpreting a Rorschach print.
Joke’s on you, I just plagiarize my backstory from other media or roll for it randomly
Ooaoaoaoaoaoa
