Comments on: Changing PCs Mid-Game: Good Idea or Trouble Waiting to Happen? http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen The D&D Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:54:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ravenous Role Playing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: 2009-08-28 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen#comment-9089 Ravenous Role Playing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: 2009-08-28 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:43:44 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2089#comment-9089 [...] Changing PCs Mid-Game: Good Idea or Trouble Waiting to Happen? Janna covers the three most common reasons a player wants to drop a character from an ongoing campaign and how to handle these eventualities. One reason for dropping a character that she forgot to mention was the “I didn’t think my character would turn out this way” reason for dropping it. Some people have a preconceived notion as to what the character will turn out to be, and somewhere the character takes a left turn. This could be due to lack of familiarity with the rules, a poor choice or two by the player or a change in editions in the gaming system that drastically changes the character in a way the player did not anticipate. Over the years, I’ve had plenty of people get tired of their characters for one reason or another. I always try to see if there is a way to work things out to keep the character in the party, but I’m not adverse to outright dropping the character in exchange for something the player will have more fun with. [...] [...] Changing PCs Mid-Game: Good Idea or Trouble Waiting to Happen? Janna covers the three most common reasons a player wants to drop a character from an ongoing campaign and how to handle these eventualities. One reason for dropping a character that she forgot to mention was the “I didn’t think my character would turn out this way” reason for dropping it. Some people have a preconceived notion as to what the character will turn out to be, and somewhere the character takes a left turn. This could be due to lack of familiarity with the rules, a poor choice or two by the player or a change in editions in the gaming system that drastically changes the character in a way the player did not anticipate. Over the years, I’ve had plenty of people get tired of their characters for one reason or another. I always try to see if there is a way to work things out to keep the character in the party, but I’m not adverse to outright dropping the character in exchange for something the player will have more fun with. [...]

]]> By: Brennon http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen#comment-9073 Brennon Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:18:43 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2089#comment-9073 I played a campaign once where I took on two characters. I was playing Auduin, my Paladin for a long time and the DM approached me and asked if I would consider playing a different class and character. I immediatly said yes at the chance and made Dairn Ironfoot, my Dwarven Ranger with a hatred of goblins lol...as if theres much else to hate as a dwarf. But yes, it worked out really well. Of course Auduin and Dairn couldnt be in the same place at the same time, but we worked out reasons why the other would go off now and then and be replaced by the dwarf, or vice versa. Made an already rich group even richer and worked out for the best. I love my dwarf! I played a campaign once where I took on two characters. I was playing Auduin, my Paladin for a long time and the DM approached me and asked if I would consider playing a different class and character. I immediatly said yes at the chance and made Dairn Ironfoot, my Dwarven Ranger with a hatred of goblins lol…as if theres much else to hate as a dwarf.

But yes, it worked out really well. Of course Auduin and Dairn couldnt be in the same place at the same time, but we worked out reasons why the other would go off now and then and be replaced by the dwarf, or vice versa.

Made an already rich group even richer and worked out for the best. I love my dwarf!

]]> By: Paradox Backlash http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen#comment-9069 Paradox Backlash Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:59:55 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2089#comment-9069 We had a campaign that ran for 7 years, with more or less the same core players and characters. Our DM got around *most* people wanting to change characters by introducing an in-game "library" where a character to go and re-train as a different class, or be morphed into a different race/gender. Pretty much turn in all your skills, respec however you want, and come back as your new class one level lower than the rest of the party. We still had the one guy that wanted an entirely new character every couple months. I only ever had to change because I was initially playing a psionicist, and the DM decided that once we hit 15th level they were too underpowered compared to the rest of the party. We had a campaign that ran for 7 years, with more or less the same core players and characters. Our DM got around *most* people wanting to change characters by introducing an in-game “library” where a character to go and re-train as a different class, or be morphed into a different race/gender. Pretty much turn in all your skills, respec however you want, and come back as your new class one level lower than the rest of the party. We still had the one guy that wanted an entirely new character every couple months.

I only ever had to change because I was initially playing a psionicist, and the DM decided that once we hit 15th level they were too underpowered compared to the rest of the party.

]]> By: Wampus Cat http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen#comment-9036 Wampus Cat Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:45 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2089#comment-9036 If, for whatever reason, the players want to change character class, I try to get them to keep the same character and just change the class. That way, the background can remain fairly constant, and I don't have to throw away a lot of the hooks I've already created for the character. Seems to work pretty well, although I'm not sure what class a couple of my players are using at the moment... If, for whatever reason, the players want to change character class, I try to get them to keep the same character and just change the class. That way, the background can remain fairly constant, and I don’t have to throw away a lot of the hooks I’ve already created for the character.

Seems to work pretty well, although I’m not sure what class a couple of my players are using at the moment…

]]> By: Zyferiax http://www.dungeonmastering.com/gaming-life/changing-pcs-mid-game-good-idea-or-trouble-waiting-to-happen#comment-9008 Zyferiax Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:12 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2089#comment-9008 Yeah, I have to say that I don't mind too much players switching chars during a campaign as long as there's a good reason. I just recently switched my character from a cleric to a barbarian because we all realized that I couldn't be a leader well in this game, something I didn't know until now. Now we're doing way better... I don't know... sometimes it's a good idea and can be handled, and sometimes it just can't be, that's basically the bottom line there. Yeah, I have to say that I don’t mind too much players switching chars during a campaign as long as there’s a good reason. I just recently switched my character from a cleric to a barbarian because we all realized that I couldn’t be a leader well in this game, something I didn’t know until now. Now we’re doing way better…

I don’t know… sometimes it’s a good idea and can be handled, and sometimes it just can’t be, that’s basically the bottom line there.

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