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From: sps@druri.UUCP (ShaplandSP)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Multiple characters
Message-ID: <24@druri.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Dec-85 19:58:50 EST
Article-I.D.: druri.24
Posted: Thu Dec 12 19:58:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Dec-85 20:35:35 EST
References: <440@ucdavis.UUCP>, <1767@uwmacc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 50

I have played under DMs who ruled
	"One player, One character"
and DMs who ruled
	"One player, two or three characters"
Both situations work under different circumstances.

The one player/one character rule works when:
	1)  The campaign is a single, special session.
	2)  There are sufficient players to establish a
	    well rounded party.

For general, long term campaigns(1 to 3+ years),
multiple characters per player seem to be a must.
There are several advantages to this scheme:
    1)	It allows a smaller number of players.
	This reduces the coordination problems of the single
	game sessions (polling during melee) and
	the coordination/commitment of the extended campaign.
    2)	It also increases the odds that the party will be
	more rounded in race and character types.
    3)	A player is not restricted to one particular character
	type for several years, but may develop other playing
	skills and personallities.
    4)	When one character dies, the player is not sitting on 
	his/her hands until either a high cleric or a new
	character arrives on the scene.
There are also several disadvantages:
    1)	The aforementioned "information sharing" between characters
    	of the same player.
    2)	It requires EXPERIENCED players!
	Players must be experienced in both role-playing
	and in the game system being used.
    3)	The player can NOT always keep both characters in
	the "top of their mind" during play.

I have been playing in a campaign for the past 3 years with 2
characters, a Half-Elven Magic_User/Cleric and a Human Ranger.
Both have died, been seperated from the main body of the party,
developed their own personallities, withheld information from
each other, coordinated their actions through verbal communication
with other members of the party, acted on their own initiative,
and on occasion been turned over to the DM to play as an NPC when
needed.
I feel that this system has enhanced the enjoyment of the game
for both myself and the other 2 player of the game.
(There were 3 players, but one departed, leaving one of her
characters with the party.)

S.P. Shapland aka Marcian Quintella and Alozor VinDust
druri!sps