Concept using multiple characters

[largosama]

For my first campaign using Champions, I'm having my players (around 5) create 5 heroes each. Then I will sit down with the players and widdle it down to 3 heroes each that will work best in the campaign. The other two characters will be used as NPCs that show up in the game. Anyway, at the start of each story arc, the players will be able to pick one of the three characters to use for the story. The others are considered to be off visiting family, doing other odd jobs, etc. Once that story ends, they can switch characters. On major story arcs (Infinity Gauntlet style stuff), more characters will be able to be used. Has anybody else tried this method? Do people think I'm crazy for doing it? Opinions?

 

-Kevin

[devlin1]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

widdle

That's so cute!

 

Anyway, yeah, I've been in a group that tried that-- but we all got so attached to our "primary" characters that I'm not sure many (or any) of the others ever saw any use.

[Haerandir]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

I've considered doing something like this for a modern espionage campaign. Each player would create a primary secret agent character and several specialist support characters (hackers, drivers, soldiers, investigators, etc.). On any given adventure, one player would play their primary character and the others would play his support team. So, the players would get to take turns being the cool, hypercompetent "James Bond"-type character who was good at everything, but no one would be put in the position of having nothing to do or feel like his favorite character was being overshadowed by someone else's.

 

Of course, the game never got off the ground, so I haven't had a chance to test it. I can see both benefits and drawbacks for you trying this in your first campaign. It's a little ambitious, and most people who are just starting out with the system find it challenging enough to master one character, let alone several... On the other hand, having a choice of characters available means that if someone finds that they're not satisfied with their original character concept, they have some ready-made fallback positions, and it should help in discovering the depth of flexibility available in the system. I say, "Go for it, and let us know how it works out..."

[Blue]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

Current Campaign: People are free to have multiple PCs but must select one at the beginning of the scenario to send out.

 

Findings: Since they are only getting experience for whatever character is playing, they tend to either ride one character indefinitely or equitably distribute the time between them. I've had both happen.

 

I like it, personally. Makes it a little hard to anticipate hunteds and such, but if you can be prepared to drop a hunted because the PC didn't participate then you're fine.

[mr_azrad]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

This reminds me of the Dark Sun rules for character families or character trees.

 

Here's and idea:

If you want each character to have a pool of different characters to choose from you could experiment with giving regular exp to the character that played the adventure and 1/2 as much to the other 4 characters. Might reduce the tendency to continue playing the same character each game.

 

Or you could run more than 1 adventure during the same "time period". Where during the first gaming session everyone's first charcter goes to mexico to fight vampires. Have the 2nd gaming session take place during the trip to mexico, using everyones second character to go "investigate that old farmhouse on the edge of town".

[largosama]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

 

Or you could run more than 1 adventure during the same "time period". Where during the first gaming session everyone's first charcter goes to mexico to fight vampires. Have the 2nd gaming session take place during the trip to mexico, using everyones second character to go "investigate that old farmhouse on the edge of town".

 

That's an excellent idea. I think for most situations, that would work out perfectly. It would also give a constant explanation to why the other heroes are completely incommunicado... they're in battle with some villain trying to take over the farmhouse!!!

 

-Kevin

[Vex]

Re: Concept using multiple characters

 

The closest I have come in the Hero system is in my current Exiles Campaign where the first team is the "good" Exiles and their new team that they are starting tonight is the "dirty" Weapon X. I think this will be fun as only one of the players reads the comic (sworn to secrecy) so they don't understand the reason for two teams and it will be fun for them to realize that one team gets the "stop the bad guy help the world" missions and the other team gets the "kill the baby Hitler" missions.