This is currently somewhat incoherent as it is 1 AM and putting stuff in order requires some sleep.
This is meant to be a guide for my players, so they are happier with their characters, we have a diverse pool of skills and backgrounds to draw on, and to prevent or handle conflict in creation and play.
What is schtick protection? Most commonly, it is described as preventing too much overlap in character design. There’s always going to be some overlap - the majority of players will be in combat, use skills, interact with NPCs, ask for a share of the treasure, exert some narrative control. You get bad overlap when:
GM: OK, you’re walking down a 10’ x 10’ corridor and come to a stop as you see a large scorch mark on the floor.A-ko the Thief & B-ko the Rogue: I check for traps! (roll roll roll)C-ko the Trapmaster: (sigh) I assist whoever rolled higher…This is a problem for a few reasons, but I maintain it all comes down to spotlight time, the time when your character gets their own bit of story and everyone is paying attention, the part you remember as story the next day, the bit where you get to shine. To help ensure apportionment of spotlight time in both role-playing and challenges, I encourage players to think about what it is they want to be unique about their character.
I support shtick protection. I also recognize that initial character creation is one of the most fragile parts of starting up a game. A player who comes up with an idea they love, crafts it to something they can’t wait to play, then reads the post where someone else their own similar character...it can be quite discouraging.
Therefore, I start my players out in a few ways:
No matter how familiar the setting, you always have room to define some portion of the world, even if it is just your background. But since a good GM uses player backgrounds, you’re reserving some plot for yourself, a special moment where your character can shine.
First, Eve has written that Gruum-Thaka the Orc comes from a nomadic group that reveres their barbarians, and has determined that since her character is unable to rage, she turned to Alchemy to duplicate the effects. She has a cold, chemical rage that totally failed to endear her to her community, and has left to prove there are other ways of being an Orc in the world. The GM has modified the Orcs in various parts of the module to play off this need to find a place in the world. Eve expresses that she doesn’t not care about shtick protection on class, combat skills, or skills, just the racial background.Later, Fortinbras wants to bring in an Orc Barbarian straight out of the Core Rule Book, and picked the race solely for the combat benefits. They like puzzles and combat, and puts in minimal effort on role-playing, as that’s not their favorite part. Eve's choices affect Fortinbras' choices in the game. Fortinbras doesn't have to play into being revered and envied by Eve, but it does add a nice tension to the game and difference to the characters. As a GM, I'll moderate, but I'll lean towards narrative control that makes the game more fun for all of us. Depending on the players' rapport, I may request that Fortinbras pick a different character race.
I don't allow multiple players to do the same action then pick which happened based on the higher roll. If two characters try to pick the same lock at the same time, they're going to trip over one another. If they both try to con the guard without coordinating, it's going to be a mess. I encourage the players to pick one person, then go around the table for actions (related and un-) so folks aren't left out, and the assistants might choose a different action. People assisting have to say how they assist to justify their plus 2.
GM: OK, you’re walking down a 10’ x 10’ corridor and come to a stop as you see a large scorch mark on the floor.(short player discussion)B-ko the Rogue: I check for traps! C-ko the Trapmaster: I assist by taking a moment to sniff the air for what could have caused that scorch. (adding +2 to B-ko's roll)A-ko the Thief: Looks like B-ko and C-ko have got it. I'll grab a healing potion to have in hand in case we fail spectacularly; for my move, I'll get 30' away.(roll roll BOOM.)...so who gets the ÷2 chain shirt?
I let the players work that out. I am not fond of tailoring everything the players find to suit them entirely. A few subtle things, stuff that fits the story, actually used by the critter they fought it for, the remains of the last practitioner of a prestige class they later get mistaken for...that kind of thing.
Vivian's Character Creation Hooks
Lin and Lu are both first level fighters specializing in polearms, have similar stats and overlapping skills, but are extremely different characters, based on having different hooks. Their perspectives should give them different results.