Character Templates and Player Perceptions

The character templates you offer your players will affect their view
of the game world and the type of campaign you intend to run. Suppose
you are planning a fantasy campaign. If you present only thief and war-
rior templates, your players will justifiably conclude that you intend to
run a freebooting campaign set in a world where rough-and-tumble
“professional adventurers” are common. But if you also include tem-
plates for farmers, herbalists, and minstrels, your players may infer
that you intend a more staid campaign, set in a quasi-medieval world.
Make sure your template list sends the right message!
Always make clear when templates are for PCs and NPCs alike –
and when they aren’t. Players usually assume that the abilities listed
on templates reflect status quo in the game world. For instance, they
will expect enemy thieves and warriors to have certain abilities . . .
and spend their points and cash to prepare accordingly. If this
assumption proves costly or fatal, you might end up with confused or
angry players!
Finally, design your templates as a complementary set. If some tem-
plates outshine others, or are clearly of lower quality, the players might
feel that you favor those who play certain character types – even if that
is not actually the case.