[poll] Would you find this useful, or restrictive?

[Lmns Crn]

Thinking about my elves yesterday, it occurred to me that I might benefit players by attaching a small Roleplaying Angles sidebar to each race's writeup. What I do want to do is make it easier for players to grapple with traits and subtleties that may be very complicated, and to get a handle on life and society. What I want to avoid is shoehorning players into character-molds.

To give you an idea, it might look something like this quick-and-messy version (again, using elves as the example) :

Elf Roleplaying Angles

You are incapable of empathy.
- While you probably prefer some people to others, genuinely selfless or altruistic behavior is a little much.
- You are not necessarily harsh or hateful, but you do approach relationships with a sensible attitude of detachment.
- You are not devoid of emotion; anger, pleasure, sadness, and other emotions still drive you. You merely have trouble feeling them on behalf of others.

If you grew up in elven society,
- You were raised by the community as a whole.
- You probably knew both your parents, but they had no special role in raising you.

If you grew up outside elven society,
- The concept of a family unit continues to astound you.
- You are probably used to hearing the derogatory term "greenblood" applied to you.

This is obviously very quickly and poorly written, but you get the idea. As a player, would you consider this sort of cultural primer helpful, or restrictive?

[Xeviat]

I wouldn't find it restrictive at all. Just be sure to note what is inborn and can't be changed and what the player could make different about their character.

So I'd find it helpful, and cool. Consider it stolen.

[Numinous]

Stolen by me as well, if I ever get the time to use it.  Also, what Xeviat said about making a differentitation between mutable traits is important.
  [note]It'd also be a nice thing to use a note tag for.[/note]

[Poseptune]

I like it. These primers would be very helpful with figuring out what kind of personality the character has. I may or may not steal it. Look over there!! *YOINK*

[Xathan]

*knocks down Neptune, runs off with idea.*

Seriously? I love it, and I'm definatly adapting and using it. Awesome stuff.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Primers rock.  It reminds me of some of the ways the PHB (or some book) gave for playing different alignments without just saying "You obey the laws," or "You inforce the balance."  Stolen, flat-fifth.

[Túrin]

Just adding my own yay-ness to this idea, and stealing it from Ishy.

This surprised me:
- The concept of a family unit continues to astound you.

If the elf grew up outside elven society, wouldn't it have been familiar with family units from youth on?

Túrin

[the_taken]

A cultural primal should be given for races in each setting, but I think the not-quite equivalents found in the Core Rulebooks are unnecesary. Those should be campaign specific, not standardized. Everybody's elf is diferent, as is their gnomes.