The story is always the same and it always involves the same friend.

We'll go together to my favorite FLGS (that's Favorite Local Gaming Shop to those of you that aren't hip to the jargon) and see a new RPG (that's roleplaying game to those ... all right, I'll stop now) sitting on the shelf. Sometimes it's the new edition of an old game. Sometimes it's a new game in a familiar genre. Sometimes it's a brand new game. Whatever the case, my friend's eyes light up and he immediately purchases it. I can bet money that by the time the sun comes up the next morning my friend will have digested the entire game and have a character ready to play. He'll then spend the next few weeks badgering the rest of us to play it.

Now, the oddest part of that story, at least to me, is that my friend fully expects to be able to play this character in whatever campaign happens to spring up. He gets so excited and emotionally invested in that PC (player character…geez, there I go again) that he'll actually lose interest in any new campaign designed for the new system that does not allow him to play the character he first generated. I rib him relentlessly for it.

Why do I rib him? It's probably because I think like a GM (game master ... smacks himself). It is inconceivable to me to design a character before all of the boundaries are set and explained for a campaign. Why stat out a berserk barbarian only to find out that the campaign is about courtly intrigue? I grow even more intolerant when the player insists that this new character will seamlessly integrate into the new setting, even when it's blatantly obvious that it won't. When I finally reject the character for the last time, the player acts passive-aggressively towards the rest of the campaign.

Still, while my friend represents an extreme example, I have noticed that many players come to the table with an idea of what they want to play even before the type of campaign is announced. How many times have you, as a GM, started explaining the tone and limitations of the campaign only to hear things like "What, no elves? But I wanted to play a half-elven ranger!" or "We're all galactic salvagers? But the rules for space marines look so cool! Can’t we be a squad of marines?" Sometimes the outcry is so loud that the GM feels like they should just toss out their notes and start over. Sometimes they may be right.

You see, back when I was more of a player than a GM, I was more like my friend. I would buy a game and stat a character right away. I would then petition the GM to run a campaign that would include that character. I was fortunate in those days because we only had two or three people gaming at the table, so the GM would do his best to accommodate 50% of his players. My friend doesn't have that luxury.

Given all this, it's not enough to say that players should refrain from thinking about characters until a campaign is announced. Part of the pre-game excitement is generated when the players pore through rulebooks and examine the possibilities. Certain things are going to spark their imaginations, and they will want to see those things in the game. If the GM operates in a vacuum when designing her campaign, she faces a very real possibility that she'll turn off some of the players.

Sometimes this will destroy even a popular campaign. I once started a superhero campaign set in a world where the PCs were the first superheroes. I'd explained that I wanted low-powered street-level characters that could be challenged by gunfights and fistfights. I even typed up a four page guide to aid the players in constructing their characters. We spent a session making those characters.

Afterwards, I was horrified by the results of character generation. The players had completely ignored me and created bizarre heroes. One was ripped off an anime character. Another was an alien whose gadgets were so weird that the player who created it couldn't coherently explain it to me. The third hero was a Frankenstein of unrelated powers. I informed them that I'd be making changes to the character sheets as I went home.

I was livid after that first session. The full impact hadn't hit me until I'd gotten home and looked over the sheets again. I felt like a delegate at the Constitutional Convention as I tossed away the old characters and wrote three new ones from scratch. These were seamlessly integrated into my new campaign. When I gave them to the players they were shocked, but they played along. The campaign moved forward very well, and some of the funniest scenes I'd ever run and seen my players enjoy came from that campaign.

Unfortunately, my players started plotting against me from the moment they got their sheets. They resented being given new characters and took the opportunity to tell others when I wasn't around. They began planning a new campaign and looked for a way to end mine prematurely. Once I got wind of it, I gave them their wish. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't affect me anymore, especially when those same players lovingly recall the funny moments of that campaign at every social gathering.

So, getting back to the title of today's column, what should come first? I think it's a good idea to ask the players what kind of campaign they'd like to play first, preferably while all are around the table. The GM should offer suggestions of his own, especially if he has particular ideas about the kind of campaign he wants to run.

Once this brainstorming session is over, the GM will have a better idea of how to design the campaign. She shouldn't feel obligated to adhere exactly to what was discussed in the brainstorming, but she should work in as much as possible. Once she presents it to the players, they should have a chance to agree on it. If possible, the players should then generate their characters together.

On the player's side of the table, the brainstorming session should focus their imaginations in the direction of the new campaign. When the GM finally does announce the parameters of the new campaign, their character ideas should already be largely in line with it. When the time comes to put stats to the thoughts, it should be an easier process.

Keeping Kosher

It's often said that all gamers develop the campaign; that it is not simply a creation of the GM. Similarly, the GM cannot create a campaign in a vacuum and expect that the players will enjoy playing in it. At the same time, players should not expect the GM to allow any character into her campaign, especially if it doesn’t fit. Brainstorming is key. If all gamers develop the campaign, then all gamers need to inspire the campaign.

Good Gaming!