It's been.......NTRPG(?) since I've slung some dice. I completely blame my GM, who had to go and get engaged. Evidently hanging with the new soon-to-be-wife is more important than running an RPG for his group.
I'm actually happy for him and not bitter, but don't tell him that.
For the last week or two I've been contemplating picking up the GM shield again. Now I already have a preferred system and campaign already in mind, but I also don't want to force that down my player's throats.....assuming my group would even be down for trying that particular game in the first place.
A decade, or two, ago at Origins I ran a small GM panel with a buddy of mine and he introduced, well all of us, to a questionnaire he uses with his players prior to the start of the a new campaign. I recall two of his campaigns, one set basically during the siege of Constantinople and another that was an all magic-user campaign basically set in Hogwarts (every level was a year of magical college).
I think I'm going to tweak his questionnaire a bit and broach the subject with my group.....btw, simply making this post is already broaching the subject. This questionnaire is definitely established for HackMaster 4th Edition, but it'll work :
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability. I am interested in seeing your vision of your perfect game world. Obviously, I can't give every player exactly what they want, but I will do my best to find a happy medium.
1. In what climates are you interested?
Desert Temperate Forest Tropical Forest Mountains
Swamp Tropical Islands Plains Other ___________
2. What human pantheons of Gawds would you most like to see in your world?
Babylonian Celtic Central American Chinese Egyptian Finnish
Greek Japanese Native American Norse Sumerian
Aldrazar Cerilia Fading Realms Krynn Kuchooloo Mystaros
Oerth Tellene Zakhara Don't care All of these GM Creation
3. What class(es) of character would you like to play?
Cleric-types Fighter-types Magic-User-types Thief-types
Druid Barbarian Monk Pirate Battle Mage Assassin
Zealot Berzerker Paladin Samurai Blood Mage Bard
Shaman Cavalier Ranger Soldier Illusionist Charlatan
Chosen One Dark Knight Bounty Hunter Swashbuckler Wild Mage Infiltrator
Knight Errant Gladiator Holy Knight Other________ Other_______
4. What class(es) of character would you not like to play?
Cleric-types Fighter-types Magic-User-types Thief-types
Druid Barbarian Monk Pirate Battle Mage Assassin
Zealot Berzerker Paladin Samurai Blood Mage Bard
Shaman Cavalier Ranger Soldier Illusionist Charlatan
Chosen One Dark Knight Bounty Hunter Swashbuckler Wild Mage Infiltrator
Knight Errant Gladiator Holy Knight Other________ Other_______
5. What class(es) of character would you not like to see anyone else play?
Cleric-types Fighter-types Magic-User-types Thief-types
Druid Barbarian Monk Pirate Battle Mage Assassin
Zealot Berzerker Paladin Samurai Blood Mage Bard
Shaman Cavalier Ranger Soldier Illusionist Charlatan
Chosen One Dark Knight Bounty Hunter Swashbuckler Wild Mage Infiltrator
Knight Errant Gladiator Holy Knight Other________ Other_______
6. Are you more interested in urban or wilderness adventuring?
Urban |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____| Wilderness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7. Do you prefer each dungeon to be a self-contained plot, or do you like interconnected storylines?
Self-contained|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Interconnected
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. Do you prefer solving puzzles/social encounters or killing monsters?
Puzzles|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Monsters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8a. How "crunchy" do you like your combat? Relatively quick & easy or more drawn-out tactical second by second accounting?
Quick/Easy |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Tactical Simulation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. Do you like your monsters smart or dumb? (Example: When you kill half of a band of orcs but have to leave the dungeon to get healed, do you want the remaining orcs to be prepared for your return?)
Smart|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Dumb
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. Do you want the early adventures to take place in one general area, allowing the party to have a home base, or do you want the party to have adventures along a journey to a distant destination, possibly because they are fleeing a powerful foe?
Home base|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Journey
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11. Do you prefer serious adventuring (Sir Galahad's quest for the Grail) or silly adventuring (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)?
Serious|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Silly
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12. What race(s) would you like to play?
Dwarf Elf Gnome Half-elf Human Pixie Fairy
Drow Gnomeling Halfling
Grel Gnome Titan Half-orc Other ____________
Half-ogre
13. What race(s) would you not like anyone else to play?
Dwarf Elf Gnome Half-elf Human Pixie Fairy
Drow Gnomeling Halfling
Grel Gnome Titan Half-orc Other ____________
Half-ogre
14. Which of the following attributes would you use to describe your ideal character?
Loyal Inquisitive Reckless Trustworthy Greedy Restless
Selfish Sneaky Brave Cautious Ambitious Faithful
Crazy Creative Determined Horny Charitable Happy
Angry Confident Suspicious Noble Other _________
15. Are you more interested in a mission-based campaign, where the party is sent on missions by higher authorities, or a “random” campaign, where the party wanders around looking for trouble?
Mission|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|Random
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
16. Which of the following goals apply to your ideal character?
Become a powerful warrior, etc. Expand the territory of my master Obtain great wealth
Convert others to my cause/religion Eliminate evil(good) Impose order on society
Gain knowledge Explore the world Defend freedom
Protect the weak Build a castle, temple, etc. Punish my adversaries
Acquire magic Other ___________________
17. If my character gets killed, I feel: (be honest)
Angry Frustrated
Sad Happy, because I get to play a new character
Surprised, because I'm too good for my PC to get killed
Concerned, because how will the group survive without me?
Other _____________________
18. I see my game master as:
God: He controls who lives and dies based on what he feels will make the game interesting
A guide: He leads the group through the adventure nudging us in the right direction
My adversary: I'm not fighting monsters or solving puzzles, I'm trying to outplay and outsmart him
A computer: He tells me what happens solely based on the actions of the group
Other _____________________
19. My preferred game system is _______________ because:
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