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blakkie
I'm trying to create that "new to gaming" feel for a mini-campaign, with a generous dose of camp. The plan is to use Macho Women With Guns. This because it is a small easy system that I'm confident none of our group has experience with and will be able to deal with a number of generes, although in a somewhat cliche way. I'm also going to use Matt's and Mav's extentions for MWWG (found on the web). I'm allowing the players to have a say in their characters, and even the setting, by circulating a questionaire to each player. However they are not allowed a copy of the rules, and are even forbidden from talking to each other about the contents of the questionaire. I will provide a very sketchy 1 short sentence description of their some specific skills on a need-to-know basis, and no numbers for their initial skill level. Huge "fog of war" factor here.

The characters are bound to have a diverse background, but MWWG provides a [incredibily cheesy] explaination for bringing such characters together at a given point in time, any point in time really. So I'm covered there. What I'm looking for now is some feedback on what I might be missing from options in my 4 page questionaire, to round out the scatagorical feel of it.

My intention with this questionaire is to have it work somewhat like psychology questionaires, where I you try to jack the box (you try to act TOO normal) something entirely different happens.

Current text of the questionaire to follow------------
blakkie
Date/Country/Environment/Planet I [believe] I am currently found at/in/on:_____________________________________________

I rank, in order of strongest quality to weakest quality, my: __moxie, __muscle, __appearance, __vigour, and __nimbleness

Organisations I am, or have been, a member of (Current/Former):
__ __ Roman Empire
__ __ Delta Green
__ __ A Royal Family (specify) __________________________________
__ __ Girl Guides, Asset Adjustment Division
__ __ Circle Of Eight (Greyhawk)
__ __ Mongol Hordes
__ __ Group Wiped Out By The Mongol Hordes (specify) _______________________________
__ __ Illuminati, Public Relations
__ __ Army Of Darkness
__ __ Free Masons
__ __ Iscariot (Vatican Section XIII)
__ __ Dead Vogon Poets Society
__ __ All-Russian Communist Party
__ __ Amazonian Women Opposing Misogamist Bastards (A WOMB)
__ __ King Arthur’s Court
__ __ Spy/Intellegence Agency (specify) __________________________________
__ __ Equal Rights Advocates (ERA)
__ __ Marijuana Party
__ __ KAOS
__ __ Delta Green
__ __ 700 Club
__ __ Йφ Ї⁂※לℑ Ж℔ҹΘ (Armed Forces & Quilting Society of the Free Planets of the Horseshoe Nebula)
__ __ WWII French Resistance
__ __ Black Panthers
__ __ Columbia House Record Club
__ __ Tribe (specify) ___________________________________ Sole surviving member(y/n)__
__ __ Red Wizards (Forgotten Realms)
__ __ Lawrence Welk Show
__ __ A Zionist Conspiracy, other than The Lawrence Welk Show (specify) _______________________
__ __ Delta Green
__ __ Others___________________, _____________________, ___________________

Growing up my primary role-models were (select 2 or more):
__Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
__Mother Teresa
__Trinity (from The Matrix)
__Alanis Morissette
__Barb Wire (the comic character, not Pamela Anderson Lee)
__Wonder Woman
__Grace Jones
__Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
__Liz Taylor
__Woopie Goldberg
__Jamie Summers (Bionic Woman)
__Maria Von Trapp (Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music)
__Marie Curie
__Stacks (from “BJ and The Bear”)
__Joan of Arc
__Xena
__Jody Foster
__Roseanne Barr
__Miss MoneyPenny
__Special Agent Scully
__Melissa Etheridge
__Lara Croft
__Mary Poppins
__Yoko Ono
__Jade Fox (Pei-pei Cheng in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
__Betty Ford
__Tank Girl
__My Mom
__Other(s)____________________, ____________________, ____________________

My reading/writing skills are:
__My life
__Someone had to read this questionnaire to me…three times
__Dick and Jane
__Dick and Jane Play Doctor (illustrated by Larry Flint)
__A serious reader
__A serious reader…of Daniel Steele
__A ghostwriter for Daniel Steele
__Serious reader of the classics, although occasionally I slum by reading some of the better-known hacks…like Shakespeare

When I hurt things I prefer (select one or more, multiple check marks on an item indicate stronger preference):
__ __ __To cut things and let them bleed to death…slowly
__ __ __Guns
__ __ __Guns that are occasionally mistaken for sub-compact sports car
__ __ __Guns that are often mistaken for a luxury sedan
__ __ __A Tachyon Scatter Gun Turret
__ __ __To relive the moment of my enemies’ pain over and over and over
__ __ __Whips
__ __ __My hands/feet, they are registered weapons afterall.
__ __ __I’m all about blunt trauma.
__ __ __I’m an artist, and C4 is my medium.
__ __ __I don’t like to hurt things

My vehicle is (select as you see fit, may not be appropriate):
__Winged
__Chauffeured
__Boat
__A living creature (specify) __________________________________
__A ‘Vette
__Well balanced
__Easy to remember how to operate
__So easy to operate a child could drive it
__Endowed with an insane amount of horse power
__Propelled by solid fuel boosters
__Propelled by a warp drive engine
__Owned by a federal government agency/military
__Owned by the municipal government

What best describes your childhood (select 2 or more):
__MA-LI-BU Barbie!
__Shhhhh.
__Chafing.
__Beer.
__Wolves.
__Today.
__Confined spaces.
__Mother knew best, Father knew squat, Billy knew how to put on make-up, and the nanny knew where the key to the liquor cabinet was kept.
__My siblings always got the bigger piece of pie. *sob*
__On the run.
__Was MUCH better than your childhood.
__Etch-a-sketch Champion.
__Don’t remember.
__Square-dancing

My greatest fear(s) is(are) (select as few as you dare):
__Worms.
__Heavy objects dropping from the sky.
__Spiders.
__Hurting people around me.
__Growing old.
__Running out of bullets.
__Missing a call.
__Children.
__Rats.
__Not getting it done!
__My own desires.
__What other people think.
__Other

My approach to responsibly (select one):
__I carry the responsibility of the world on my shoulders
__If you don’t have it Imma going to beat it into you
__ “Responsibly” is for suckers
__Oh look, a shiny thing! Hello pretty shiny thing! Will you be my friend?
__It’s time to SHOP!

Bra and/or contents thereof are (select one or more):
__Metallic
__Size D
__Size Double D
__They are perky, and damn it that is what counts!
__A source of envy for Dolly Parton, and a source of income for my chiropractor
__Bra?
__Fire retardant

If I was the spiritual leader of a lost tribe of mythical people I would (select one or more):
__Whip those disorganized losers into shape.
__Get my nails done, because it is important to set a good hygiene example.
__Swell their ranks.
__Get some SERIOUS action in the sack.
__Swell their ranks by getting some SERIOUS action in the sack.
__Milk it for every last drop of cash I could.
__Order the ritual sacrifice.
__Be the subject of a ritual sacrifice.
__I AM the spiritual leader of the lost tribe of ________________________

I can (select as many as you dare):
__…go for miles, if you know what I mean.
__Can fly.
__Suck the life out of you.
__Suck the life into you.
__Make your teeth sweat.
__Make your ears bleed.
__Tie you up.
__Leave a good-looking corpse.
__Take it.
__Get out of anything.

I have (select as many as you dare):
__High heels.
__Infravision
__A secret.
__A “Crack of Doom”.
__Blood coloured something other than red.
__Ultravision
__Lee Press-ons from Hell!
__A pure heart.
__No tan lines.
__Teflon skin.
__An attitude problem.
__A handbag that my mother is envious of.

Occupation(one or more):
__Seriously?
__I don’t need to work.
__I don’t want to work.
__I get other people to do my work for me.
__[Night] Manager For A “Large Multinational Conglomerate”
__Lawyer
__Rockstar
__Farmer
__Telephone Sanitizer
__Rocket Scientist
__Slightly Upset Rocket Scientist
__Mad Scientist
__Beautician
__Hunter/Gatherer
__Mid-level Manager
__Miner/Gold Digger
__Ms. Johnson
__Chef
__CEO
__Sales Clerk
__Super [Duper] Model
__Librarian/Pornstar
__Madame
__Maid/Wife

The level of my driving skill is (select one):
__I can’t even chew bubblegum and walk at the same time.
__I ride the bus
__I drive the bus
__I can successfully complete a typical LA freeway commute 2 times out of 3
__NASCAR
__NASCAR drivers wish they were this good

If I was a tree the tree I would be is (please be selecting whatever ones you want when you are ready, and not before):
__You wouldn’t understand.
__Gooks in the trees! Gooks in the trees!
__Do you want to see my Barbie collection?
__an alligator.
__a shoe.
__You want the truth? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
__My uncle once got arrested for sodomizing a tree.
__A neatly trimmed bush.

My pet is (may not be applicable):
__Lost.
__A dog.
__A cat.
__My boyfriend.
__Other _____________
__Indescribable, but incredibly helpful.

The most complicated technical thing I have ever fixed/built/done:
__My make-up.
__Dialed 9-9-1 to get a date with a firefighter or police officer.
__My dog.
__Brain surgery.
__Bandaged a boo-boo.
__A combine harvester.
__An oil change.
__An oil change on my TV.

My favourite:
Colour_________________
Seven numbers between 100 and 1000, inclusive ____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____
Letter/symbol____
Time of day_____________________________________________

My ideal date:



If I could wish for one thing it would be:



My 5-year goal is:



Add any character background, life story, stuff worn/carried/owned/possessed, pet pevs etc. here you want, to as much level of detail as you want:







Disclaimer: You can completely skip this last section and let me fill it in. Unfortunately I’ll probably be a bit put out about doing the work and I am not professional enough to keep this from affecting what I write. I will make reasonable effort, if I feel like it at the time, to bring together all the information you provide in a logical and fair manner. However there are no guarantees, expressed or implied, that will use any or all of your input in this section…so you are pretty much hooped. This goes for the rest of the questionnaire, too. MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! wink.gif
kevyn668
Priceless. Consider that officially stolen. smile.gif
Stumps
Nice lengthy questionaire.

my opinion. (which I leave for the sake of consideration and not for conviction)
I don't like the idea of policing players from seeing eachothers info, talking about it, or having knowledge of the rules.)

If this were a SR game and I wanted everyone to write thorough(sp) backgrounds, I would knock the Build Points down to 90 and let them know that can they have 5 points of Build Points per Paragraph of Background that I decide is credible.
Also tell them that the player with the most creative and interesting background recieves a bonus 20 Build Points.

If your group is just gunning for gunning's sake.
Give them a positive insentive to do otherwise...not a negative. And not something that forces them from doing anything.


I'm not saying your group has issues and that's why you've come up with this questionaire. It just had a tone to it like that that might be the case.

in any regard...this is my opion only, and that is an interesting questionaire.
blakkie
QUOTE
Nice lengthy questionaire.

my opinion. (which I leave for the sake of consideration and not for conviction)
I don't like the idea of policing players from seeing eachothers info, talking about it, or having knowledge of the rules.)


First thanks.

Second, that too is my normal opinion. However here I am purposely distancing them from the rules for atmosphere reasons. To have that slight mysterious feel, and also the fear of the unknown. They just poured 3 full clips into that baddie and it didn't drop? Why? There is a quirk of the MWWG system that can help explain this, and give a player a better idea of what they need to do to drop the critter (NPCs don't really have anything resembling HP). But instead they get to experience the dread of "is it almost dead, or could it just sit there and suck back the lead all day?"

The not talking to each other about the questionaire ahead of time is to further put them on edge, plus cloak the fact ahead of time that they are ALL going to play women. vegm.gif I am going to have the questionaires sealed in envelopes marked differently on the outside and have them draw blind from the handful of envelopes to create the illusion of unique, or at least varied questionaires.

QUOTE
If this were a SR game and I wanted everyone to write thorough(sp) backgrounds, I would knock the Build Points down to 90 and let them know that can they have 5 points of Build Points per Paragraph of Background that I decide is credible.
Also tell them that the player with the most creative and interesting background recieves a bonus 20 Build Points.
If your group is just gunning for gunning's sake.
Give them a positive insentive to do otherwise...not a negative.  And not something that forces them from doing anything.


Personal preference here, but I have no intention of EVER giving ingame XP or BP in any game for ticking off the "roleplaying" or "character development" checkbox, as it were. It cuts very deeply against my principals of DMing. There will be no game mechanics penalty for not filling out that questionaire. The player simply will have less input on choosing their PC. It's not like any player is going to have a PC that isn't a basket case, it is going to be that kind of session. wink.gif My reasoning is if increased self-determination of PC that isn't enough incentive then self-determination isn't likely a requirement for that particular player to have fun.

QUOTE
I'm not saying your group has issues and that's why you've come up with this questionaire.  It just had a tone to it like that that might be the case.


I'm going to guess that key part of you expecting me to give 'negatives' is the disclaimer at the end of the questionaire. That disclaime is one part a little headgame play on my part, and one part a warning that trying to bring together all the character questionaires into a playable balanced party is going to leave some rough edges. Basically fair warning that what they think they are going to get and what they get may not jive exactly.

So far I've got the parinoria factor up to a low simmer. The three "Delta Green"s in the first checklist should bring that up to a nice boil for at least 3 of the players, and the others if they happen to do a Google to find out what exactly Delta Green is. love.gif


sable twilight
You have Delta Green twice in the "members of" section.
Fortune
QUOTE (sable twilight @ Mar 10 2004, 09:21 AM)
You have Delta Green twice in the "members of" section.

Actually, he has it listed three times. I kind of get the impression that it was done on purpose. wink.gif
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