Trying to Flesh Out Characters from both sides of the Screen

GMs and players both like to have a group of realistic, well-thought-out characters. For a lot of people, all the numbers on the character sheet are pretty much meaningless next to the person they've created and the stories that person will be involved in. Some folks, of course, are all about the stats and the kicking of the most ass, but for most, the sweet spot is somewhere in between. Like many GMs, I want to encourage my players to flesh out their characters. Their doing so gives me hooks for stories that revolve around the players, can give the group cohesion, and creates an emotional attachment between player and character.

I GM games a lot more than I get to play in them, so when I do play, I still sorta have my GM hat on. It's just cocked to the side. I try to create meaningful characters, but to have it actually work, the ideas behind them have to be communicated to the GM, and also a bit to the other players. I'm trying to come up with things that will help the people on both sides of the screen, to help players play the characters they want, and to help GMs incorporate player ideas into their games. Most importantly, these ideas need to be easy to use. No "Character Backstory" essays, no exhaustive lists of questions.

I suppose the best way to illustrate this is to just post the thinking points, and dig into them as we go.

Aspirations - What does your character want for himself? What do you as the player want for him?
These two things can be different. My buddy Matt ran a World of Darkness game in which we all played graduate students at some ivy league university. I decided my character was a neo-pagan who really, REALLY wanted to be a sorcerer or wizard or something. Matt nodded and said, "Okay, so like maybe he could start out as like a Hedge Mage and maybe Awaken later on?"
"No, he really has no power, and will probably never get any. He can learn a lot of occult knowledge, but he doesn't have the spark, and I'm okay if he never does."
I can be a dick to my own characters.

Spotlight Scenes - Describe a possible scene in the game in which your character would play a critical role.
Obviously the player shouldn't get too specific, but I think a lot of us have heroic scenes in our minds when we create characters, and everyone wins if we can actually have those scenes. As another example, Luc is soon to begin a Weird War 2 game, and I'm hoping for two scenes: The first is a rousing "St. Crispin's Day" style speech that my character can deliver to a bunch of Résistance fighters before a major battle. The second is a speedboat chase on the Seine, right through Paris, my character manning the wheel while my wife's character opens up on our Nazi pursuers with his assault rifle.

Inter-Character Relations - Describe a positive relationship or interaction you have with another Player-Character. Describe a negative one. Consider a few others you might have outside the group.
I like to have the party be a group that already exists, rather than, "You all meet in a tavern." This point sort of pushes a little harder for specifics than I like in the beginning of a campaign, but it at least makes the players think about the other members of the group. The interactions don't have to be anything profound. Perhaps Stuart the Strong really likes going down to the gambling hall and playing dice with Errol the Quick, except when Errol drinks too much, cheats, and starts a fight.
What's important is that the characters already have a place in the world.

These are rough ideas at the moment. I'm always open for critiques and verbal abuse (and other sorts of abuse, but we should work that out ahead of time). Contribute your thoughts! This also goes for those of you who aren't gamers, but are following this because, "Oh, Conor started a blog! How cute, let's all give him some support!" Just think of it as collaborating on a novel. That will never be read.

One-Shot Marathon

Up until now, when I run games, the intent is always some big, epic story. I have this vision of leading my players through this vast world, their characters becoming like unto the gods, finally saving all of creation from whatever threat looms. This has never happened. Every world I've ever created or tossed my players into exists now in a suspended state of peril. I suppose it's for the best, as they would have caused a lot of collateral damage along the way, and now Yanosh the pig farmer can shovel his slop in peace, rather than watch his hopes and dreams razed by the Dark Army of the Week. Hell, most times, they never even figure out who the enemy is. They slaughter some goblins, maybe hear about some fallen civilization, and then real life happens and the campaign falls apart.

Thus far, my most successful campaign has been Deadlands. The group has completed two, count 'em, TWO story arcs! Then one of the key players, who I will call The Cheat, moved to Europe.

So for now we'll be exploring the One-Shot. I've always turned my nose up at the free short adventures RPGs provide for new players, full of premade characters, but I see this as an opportunity. There are a heck of a lot of good games out there, and this will give us a chance to try more of them. Also, it will allow some other folks to take a crack at the GM's chair. I like slaughtering orcs/zombies/nazis as much as the next guy, so hopefully someone will step up.

Coming soon: The One Ring