So when we look at RQ character creation, it seems to me that the most important decision is choosing a cult. That’s what defines your character more than homeland, background, or even characteristics. Arguably species counts just as much, but since the overwhelming majority of characters are human, that gets consolidated into choosing a cult.
So would it make more sense if character creation started with choosing a cult? This would drive your runes and even some of your passions. You could then pick a homeland and a background, and have a way of tailoring characteristics to work for that?
I have a growing feeling that the traditional approach of choosing cult last has the character backwards. I play an initiate of such and such god who happens to be a Sartarite farmer or whatever.
In some cases, the cult is all they say – I’m a Humakti, I’m a Storm Bull (and then maybe that I am a Bison Rider or a Rhino Rider or something), I’m a Yelmalion, etc. Those cults pretty much define you and everything else is just dressing.
Others you might say I am an Orlanth Adventurous initiate from Sartar, or I am an Ernaldan noblewoman from the Kheldon, or whatever.
But 9 times out of 10 people start describing their characters to me with their cult. Not their background and not their homeland.
I certainly get the appeal for the approach to character creation that has me roll the dice to get my characteristics, then pick whatever defines your character’s main abilities and progression path (cult, class, archetype, whatever), and maybe roll to see other key attributes. It lets me feel like I am playing a random figure in the setting.
But in truth I almost NEVER do that when I game, and few of my players do that either – regardless of system. Either folk take a pregen, or they have an idea for a character and then construct something around that idea.
Meanwhile, pretty much all video games work the latter way. You choose an archetype and a type of play, and then adjust your characteristics accordingly. You are going to be with that character for quite a while, so it might as well be what you want to play.
There’s something vaguely masochistic about the former way. Get a character you don’t really want to play? Doesn’t matter – play it even though it sucks. If you want just get the character killed so you can roll a new character that might be more to your liking.