One thing I've noticed about the newer players coming back to Arcanis, and I include myself in this group, is that we still hang on to the old concept of DnD combat roles. At the extreme end, and I've been guilty of this, is trying to build PC's that are in effect one trick, or limited trick, ponies. The system actively discourages this, but it can take some time for the stubborn of us to give up old habits. So my question for the group is how can I teach players to develop well rounded concepts start to finish?

The Codex Arcanis is a good start, but is there something that the collective wisdom of folks that where here for the transition from 3.5 to ARPG can give on developing good concepts in the current rules.

I'm looking for a list of talking points and generalities that the system was specifically intended to encourage, and a list of things that it actively discourages that I discuss with new players building their first PC.

Foreword
Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires is back!
In June of last year (2009), the Living Arcanis Campaign came to its dramatic climax as the heroes saved the day, many at the cost of their lives. On that day Paradigm Concepts made a promise: Arcanis would return with an original system designed with the fundamental essence of Arcanis at its heart. This book is the first step in keeping that promise. The Quicklaunch book you hold in your hands will expose our rules to the sharpest minds we know — the players. With the lessons learned, the Shattered Empires game we plan to release at Origins 2011 should be the sharpest, slickest, best-tested product Paradigm Concepts, or most anyone else, has ever given to the happy hands of its fans. Designed to set characters off on their journey from mere heroes to legends, this Quicklaunch rulebook should provide everything needed for more than a year of play. During this early period, in the game vernacular the first tier of play, characters will be far more capable than beginning characters in the previous rules under which Arcanis operated. Your characters are not wet-behind-the-ears neophytes (unless that is what you want to be), but are well-suited to dangerous tasks against formidable foes. Great heroes in the making, destined to shape the world through their deeds. Arcanis thrived under the previous rules, but the OGL demanded compromises. In some cases these compromises turned out to generate interesting races and abilities, in others they just limited the potential of the game. Shattered Empires: Roleplaying in the World of Arcanis was conceived to capture both Arcanis’ original vision, and the results of its evolution: an evolution powered as much by the players as by Team Paradigm. To this end we think we have identified the campaign’s key elements of success, and implemented them within.

The story must come before all else. Either in the new Chronicles of the Shattered Empires worldwide campaign, or your home campaign, the tale is much more important than the rules. The dice may fly but ultimately, why they fly matters the most. Otherwise you may as well play a war game. Actions must have consequences. It is fun to do whatever you want, for whatever reason you want… for a little while. To build suspense, to invest the players in their heroes, what they do must matter at all times. In the Shattered Empires game, if there are no consequences, you don’t even roll.

Battles should be intense and call upon the players’ and their characters’ tactical prowess. If 200 people are going to share a room for a battle interactive, how they fight must matter. Teamwork and quick thinking are the keys to success. Otherwise, entering a fight is an action without consequence. The Shattered Empires game operates a little differently than the OGL game: it requires the player to focus upon the game play. There should be few periods of just waiting around to act. We want your head out of the book, and into the game. This title is the culmination of a year of caffeine powered attention, written with love (and no small amount of frustration), and we hope you enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed sharing our game with you.
Eric Wiener
June 2010

That's from the Quickstart rules, there have been some things on the old forums along the lines you might have been interested in, but alas its lost on the ether.

I however, think you have summed it up pretty well, this system does amazing things to minimize the effectiveness of one trick ponies. That's not to say there aren't things in this system that could be called one trick ponies, but they are of a different caliber than some of the crazy things that can happen in 3.x.

At the other extreme, its a trap to try and do everything on one PC.

Sure, it is possible to build a Martial with psionics and cants, yet the compromises required causes a lack of character building.

Thanks for the quote Josh. It is quite helpful.

How would you describe the differences between ARPG and 3.x? When it comes to one trick poneys?

3.5 = Min/Max is win!
Arcanis = Min/Max is suboptimal.

Thank you Cody. I've put that together on my own. But it took about a year and a half to realize that. Call me slow.

I guess I'm looking for a little more fleshed out version of Cody's answer I can take to the masses.

We're all suboptimal Cody.

yes and no. I think this is mostly because people mistake Min/Max for Munchkin. Min/Max is finding the rules to minimize the downside and maximize the upside of the concept. For most people it is dealing obscene amounts of damage while minimizing the counter blow, but it could be finding the way to be the best basket weaver the game will let you be too. Munchkin is when you start dealing with people exploiting ambiguity in the rules and trying to play word games with it to basically cheat into an invincible character.

Now I will say the game makes it hard to have a dominant trick as other systems, not just D&D, allow/encourage/require. If your enjoyment of the system comes from seeing if you can deal damage that requires calculus to tally up, then this system isn't going to work for you. If you enjoy role play and moral questions then this is much more likely the system you will enjoy.

Myself I'm in the middle. I love to wring every bit of effectiveness I can out of a character within the system, but that effectiveness has to be toward the concept of the character to begin with. Case in point I'm working on builds based off of a single idea, use a spear because they are under represented in fantasy games, and from there I've begun searching for any related mechanics and pondering who this person would be. I've gone through and pondered different backgrounds, races, to cast spells or not, etc.. All of which had to face up with simple questions like why would they use a spear instead of X, is there a cultural tie or taboo with spears for them, what nations can they be from and does that make sense, etc...

So far it is shaping up nicely. I wouldn't say that the character is a one trick pony just that the start came from a simple concept and developed into a personality and that personality shaped mechanics decisions and vice versa. At any point of a "better" mechanics choice would shift the personality in a way I don't like it gets dumped because that isn't "who" I want to play and the who is more enjoyable than the what.

I find it interesting that you built your PC off of the idea of a spear. I'm currently doing the same thing, but for the Long Spear. I took a very similar approach that you say you took. I came up with a Coryani Battle Mage as my answer. I'd be interested to see what your answer is.