Character Burning Sessions

[luke]

In this thread (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479) Astros said this:

Im DMing this game and will definitly start a thread to track our progress. While only 2 characters are involved at this point, 2 (maybe 4) more should be joining soon.

I had each player fill out a 90+ question document asking information about what you suggested before we even began play. I wanted to know how they viewed the world, themselves, and others before we sat down to play, as well as understand what type of game they wanted and what they wanted to get out of the game.

I admit, this made me blink. A 90-point questionnaire seems rather intimidating.

First, I'm curious, Astros, how useful do you find this process? That seems like a lot of information. Are you really able to collate it all into useable data?

Tangentally, to everyone else, how many of you actually do "character burning" sessions? Sessions where the goal is just build the characters.

And in those sessions, do you work with the GM to create the shared space that we call "the world?" How much input do GMs give players? How much input to do players actually put forth?

Lastly, do you folks use the BW tools at hand? Are you using Lifepaths, Beliefs, Instincts and Traits to tightly knit the characters and plots together before you even hit the table?

Just curious; let's tallk!
-Luke

[Kane]

Tangentally, to everyone else, how many of you actually do "character burning" sessions? Sessions where the goal is just build the characters.

And in those sessions, do you work with the GM to create the shared space that we call "the world?" How much input do GMs give players? How much input to do players actually put forth?

Lastly, do you folks use the BW tools at hand? Are you using Lifepaths, Beliefs, Instincts and Traits to tightly knit the characters and plots together before you even hit the table?

Just curious; let's talk!
-Luke


I've never actually done this myself, but I'm certainly all for it! I'd certainly like to see it done in practice.

[Astros]

My first session was intended to be a pure character burning session. But 2 of the players couldnt make it, and so I did it with the remaing 2 in a mini burning session turned into a full session.

I had my players fill out the questionarre before hand. Luckily the 2 players I had also had books, so they had their characters burned when they came. I had also talked pretty extensively to them about the setting and where and how they could fit in.

I had to develope a new life path for my female preist Rhonna, who is an exorcist type.

I usually dont involve ppl in the world building process as I like my players to explore a world new to them. I do let them in on the information they would know about their area, life, clan, church etc. But i've found that some players cannot separate player knowledge from character knowledge, and I tried to hedge this off with this campaign. I understand there are ways to do it without crossing that line, and maybe next campaign I will try it.

As for the questionarre, 90 questions is not that much, and I admit some are duplicated. The questions range from the mundane to the semi-mundane. Questions like "do you have any siblings?" "Do you know your mother and father?" "Do you like orcs?" etc... I will post the complete questionarre here when I get home.

I've found it helps alot. It helps the characters just as much as me, as they already know eveyrthing historical about their characters before we start. They know where their contacts are, where their family is, what they are doing, etc. They have some other thoughts on the world, a method of interacting with certain groups of people, races, religions, etc. So I have found that it actually helps facsilitate role playing by removing the delay in spontenaity... they know how to react already and dont have to make a spur of the moment acting decision.

I think the players said the 90 questions took them about 30 minutes or so to fill out, depending on length and breadth of answers.

[Kublai]

So, were their answers reflected in the Contacts and Beliefs? If they answered they had siblings, did they actually purchase those siblings as contacts? Or if they liked orcs, did they have a Belief that "All orcs aren't bad?"

[luke]

BTW, since he won't post it, here's Kublai's answer to my query:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=11580&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

-L

[Astros]

Yes, most, if not all of their questionarre answers are reflected in their characters' mechanics.

PLAYER QUESTIONS: To help the GM create a story you will enjoy, but remember these are guidelines not absolutes.
Instructions: Fill these questions out either in electronic or print-out form and bring it with you (or email it back to me) by Friday. I know that’s not a lot of time, but I am sure you can find the 20 minutes to fill this out. Answer the questions that you can, and answer the questions that you cant the best way you can. You have some freedom to make up some stuff about the world, so take the opportunity if you want.

1.) What would you like your characters full name, titles, heraldry to be at the end of your epic?


2.) What type of literary archetype do you want you character to emulate? (tell me briefly about this character, what aspects would your character emulate?)



3.) Would you want you character to become infamous, famous or remain anonymous?


4.) What is the Arch of your character's story? (state the eventual goal for your character and some of the intervening events or steps toward reaching that goal)




5.) What type of story hook will your character have to encourage him to adventure?




6.) What is the major difference in personality between you and the player character you are going to portray?



7.) What is the biggest similarity in personality shared by you and the player character you are going to portray?



8.) What secret does you character keep that he fears anyone discovering? (Must have one)



9.) What was the event that made your character become his starting class/lifepath?



10.) How did that event change your character’s previous outlook?








FIRST PERSON CHARACTER QUESTIONS: So that we can guide your own epic story these are guidelines not absolutes a GM may have to change an answer for story purposes.

1.) What do you do for work in the world? (different from "being an adventurer")



2.) Why did you choose this vocation?



3.) What are you trying to do?




4.) Why are you trying to do that?




5.) How do you measure your degree of success or failure?




6.) What will you do if you fail? (and cannot try again?)




7.) What do you consider the greatest obstacles to your success?




8.) What are you doing to ensure that you overcome these obstacles?




9.) If you could change one thing about the world, what would that be?




10.) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be?




11.) Do you fear anything?




12.) How would others describe you? (physical appearance and personality traits they would figure out after getting to know you some)




13.) How would you describe yourself? (Give 3 traits: two general and one contradictory trait)




14.) Are there any individuals you trust or rely on?




15.) Are there any individuals who trust or rely upon you?




16.) Do you enjoy the company of others or do you prefer to be alone? (why would you join an adventuring group?)




17.) Do you have servants or employees?




18.) How do you gain their cooperation?




19.) Are you a servant or employee?




20.) How does this relationship benefit your personal interests?




21.) How do you spend your leisure time?




22.) What do you like to wear?




23.) What do you enjoy most about your work?




24.) What do you like to eat?




25.) Do you collect anything?




26.) Do you have any pets?




27.) Where did you live before you went on the road?



28.) Why did you live there?




29.) What is your daily routine?




30.) How do you protect yourself?




31.) What is your name?




32.) How old are you?




33.) Where were you born and raised?




34.) Did you know your parents (if they did not play a significant role supplement who did, and in what respect for all parent/sibling questions)?




35.) How did you feel about them?




36.) Are your parents alive?




37.) Do you have any brothers or sisters?




38.) If yes do you know where they are?




39.) Did you have any friends in your youth?




40.) What role did you family play in your upbringing?




41.) Are you married if yes, what do(es) your spouse(s) do for a living?



42.) Do you ever want to get married?




43.) Do you have any children? How many? What ages?




44.) Do you ever want to have children?




45.) What is your race (include background)?






46.) Did you receive formal education?




47.) How did you learn to do what you are doing now?




48.) Did you have a mentor?




49.) What has been your greatest achievement?




50.) What has been your greatest disappointment?

51.) Who are your influential acquaintances?

52.) Who are your personal enemies?

53.) Who do you interact with on a daily basis?

54.) What do you look like?

55.) What aspect of your physical appearance is most distinctive or easiest to identify you?

57.) What are your most developed skills? (These do not refer to game mechanics)

58.) What are your least developed skills?

59.) What would you like to get from this game?

60.) What interests you about this system?

61.) What is there in your life that is worth living for?

62.) What is there in your life that is worth dying for?

63.) What do you refuse to eat?

64.) What are your sleeping habits? (lay in bed all day, light sleeper, insomniac)

65.) Do you have any signature habits. (Thumb your earlobes and hum at pretty women, appraise the price of everything valuable etc.)

66.) Do you like to dance?

67.) Can you dance?

68.) What are three things that always make you angry

69.) What actions do you consider good/evil outside of the social norm?

72.) Are there any organizations you wish to belong too?

73.) Are there any organizations you mistrust?

74.) Are there any organizations you Hate?

75.) Is there a particular race or background of people you are unsure of? (ie. Southlanders, Northmen, elves, dwarves, halflings, etc.)

76.) How does your character view the use of magic?

78.) How would your character view someone with magic?

79.) What would you do if you found a powerful magic item that you thought was associated with devils and demons?

81.) What would the person your character is most likely to fall in love with be like?

85.) Do you suspect any one you know of being a demon worshipper or in a pact with demons (demonfriend)?

86.) Would you scrawl a pentagram on someone’s door you knew to be a demonfriend?

87.) Under what terms would you enter a pact with a demon?
88.) How do you feel about Orcs? Elves? Dwarves? Humans (if not human)?

89.)Could you ever trust an Orc?

90.) Are you religious?

91.)Do you follow the teachings of Talan, or secretly practice a variant religion?

92.)How do you view people who practice secret religions?