"Hey, I just finished a great book, and I was wondering if I could base my next character on the main character."

>"Hey, I just finished a great book, and I was wondering if I could base my next character on the main character."

How do you explain to a player that not everything translates well into a roleplaying game?

A 2x4 with a nail in it usually works

>Just read a book and want to play this character
>Lord of the Rings, Andragon and Theoderen King
>Song of Ice and Fire, The Hound and Landinwinster House
>The Dresden Files, Greatcoat, cowboy boots, staff, rod and sword.

>Just played a game
>The Witcher, Gestalt
>Metal Gear Solid, The Boss, Iron Jackal

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that shit, I just sit there and go with the flow. If the DM looks like he is getting in over his head, I do what I can to ease the burden and get the guy back on track.

Become a better DM? I mean, what kind of character doesn't fit into an rpg?

Just make sure they're bringing in the actual character not just a list of cool powers.

>How do you explain to a player that not everything translates well into a roleplaying game?
It helps to talk about why that specific character might not work in your specific campaign. Condescendingly stating the obvious generally isn't very good for imparting useful information.

Alternatively, you could discuss how the character ~could~ work in your campaign.

>Become a better DM? I mean, what kind of character doesn't fit into an rpg?
>"Alright guys, glad you could make it to the chargen session of my low, low magic neolithic campaign. So, what kind of characters would you like to make?"
>"I WANT TO BE A GUNSLINGING WIZARD!"
Let's see you "better GM" your way out of that one.

What is Outlaw Star?

Is there some part of "neolithic" that you don't understand?

OP said "a roleplaying game" not "a setting".
Sooo.. nice strawman.

>How do you explain to a player that not everything translates well into a roleplaying game?

"Sure, but just remember what made it great in a story might not work so well for you in a RPG in a different setting, within the limitations of the game rules, and all that"

there. not difficult at all.

>How do you explain to a player that not everything translates well into a roleplaying game?
We don't do these things because it's fun, but because sometimes we just want to see what happens.

>We don't do these things because it's fun
What.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Fun is a meme

Meant to write easy. My brain short-circuited. My apologies, friend.
also, pic related

>Alright, you're playing a crazy man who thinks he's magic and tries to cast spells by waving his two shards of iron ore around.

Fun is a parasite

I just sit and watch when people (or rather two people) in our regular group keep trying to shoe-horn carbon copies of characters from their games, books and other media with the name slightly changed.

It is not even subtle, they think they are being so funny and cool by making a dwarf with golden hair named Trionyer and then bitching when they are told to come up with another character because it does not fit the theme, it is a copy of another character or any number of reasons.

The DM is always frustrated and mad at these dicks, I try to help him when I can.

So, why do you pretend that you play traditional games?

>"BUT I DON'T WANNA BE A CRAZY MAN, I WANNA BE A GUNSLINGING WIZARD!"
There's come character concepts you just can't negotiate with user. Especially when you have to be a faggot to propose such character concepts in the first place.

>Andragon
>Theoderen
>Landinwinster

why don't you try reading the OP again nigger

>"Guys I'll be the dm of an rpg, let's play in a weirdly specific setting that only I like."
>"I don't like that setting. I want to make a different kind of character."

It's called building consensus. If you just show up to your gaming group with a particular story or setting, you have to make sure to pitch it to the players and get their buy-in and enthusiasm before you start nailing down character gen. If you just marathoned old cowboy movies and now you want to play a wild west game, or you just watched a bunch of wuxia films and now you want to run a chinese martial arts game, just poll the players and see if they are into it. The other players won't get hyped about your idea if they didn't get marinated in the same book, tv show, or movie as you. And if you ignore them and insist on some concept based on whatever you were most recently engrossed, in, don't be surprised if the players, who haven't been reading the same book, aren't as jazzed.

And from the player's perspective, if the DM had a big sales pitch for a setting or concept and everyone was excited to play, then they probably won't show up with oddball unfitting character concepts later.

Lol

This is good advice.

I have plenty of ideas for games and settings, but I always run it by my players first. Partly because I want to know what they will or won't like, and partly so they have time to think about characters and won't get blindsided on the first session.

I don't leave my players with "we're running a sci-fi game" then show up first session with Shadowrun.