Post by Trinea on Oct 9, 2010 5:37:18 GMT -5
~by Joss of Wyrmrest Accord
I found this yesterday on their forums and thought it was both highly amusing and also very helpful for the new roleplayer. Rather than link to something that may very well disappear in the coming weeks, I decided to repost it in its entirety here, and of course give credit where credit's due.
TL;DR: I mention boobs at one point.
I've seen a lot of special snowflakes in my roleplaying career (read: late nights spent in houses/stores full of guys who know more about Beastmatster than girls), and if I've learned one thing, it's this: No matter how awesome a character is at decapitating zombies, if their personality is as exciting as watching paint dry, no one will care about them. It's like watching Steven Seagal movies on a constant loop. It may be amusing at first, but half-way in to him punching jobber #27 in the face...you just stop caring. In fact, you may pray for the character's death. Something. Anything. Make it stop.
So, I decided to write this guide in an effort to help others think about making well-rounded characters. It's in no way the end-all, be-all of making a character, and I don't claim to have all the answers, or even be right. This is just how I've done things in my time of embracing that nerdy side that I just can't shake off (I'm twenty, but we'll pretend I'm seventy and peeing through a tube. I'm wiser that way).
You are roleplaying. What you are in the real world has nothing to do with your character.
This is something very important to remember, as when OOC and IC get tangled, stuff gets sticky real quick. The first step to avoiding such things is to remember the obvious: You are not Sergeant Gnolleater the III (and if you are, gimmie your autograph). Anything your character does has no reflection on you as a person. Characters kill, they rob, they lie, they jaywalk. If playing a villainous or morally gray character makes you a bad guy, then someone needs to search Stephen King's backyard for bodies right now.
This being said, don't feel restricted when making a character. Just because you aren't such in real life, doesn't mean you can't roleplay such a thing in-game. Something as simple as playing the opposite gender is a real trip, and a kick-start for creativity. Hell, you may learn something, too. Girls really aren't just skin, bones, boobs, and a airy giggle. Really, we aren't! Men don't spend all their time thinking about sex, and actually are capable of (gasp) emotion (though showing it is another matter, for some)!
And as a short note, don't get pissed when Doctor Van Ebil pees in your character's Cheerios. Conflict is good. Conflict drives stories, and character development. Work with villains OOC (and heroes, if you happen to be a real bad dude), and you'll be a lot happier for it. RP is a cooperative thing, not a solo game. If you don't work with others you're going to be miserable, and wondering why you're all alone on your island of badassery, dodging punches that never were.
The most important thing is to make just that, a character. Stereotypes are good for a base skeleton, but you need to delve deeper to mold things into a believable (even wizards need to be realistic, in a way) personality.
Look for inspiration everywhere.
No, I'm not talking about self-help books. If you haven't realized your actualization or something, don't come crying to me. All I can offer is pocket lint. What I mean is, think of characters and people you know in movies, books, TV, songs, or even real life. That weirdo you saw on the subway last week eating glue? Take some traits from him. All it takes is a little observation.
For example, let's say I'm making an orc warrior named Krugax. Krugax is a blank slate right now, so using the lore that Blizzard has provided I'm going to try to make him a character, and not just a red shirt grunt.
Let's see...I really liked Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, especially his drive to punch stuff in the face better than anyone. So, let's make one of Krugax's hobbies boxing, hell, let's make it his world. He's the best around, and nothin's ever gonna keep him down. So we got an orc who likes to do some fisty-cuffs. Now what?
How did he learn to fight as such? Being an orc, he was probably raised in an 'it takes a village to raise a child' fashion. Maybe he bonded with an elder, and that old fogie taught him how to break a nose without missing a beat? My grandpa was big on giving what seemed like sage advice, yet it was usually nothing more than absent-minded ramblings that really went nowhere. Maybe Krugax's old orc buddy was like that? Perhaps Krugax quotes him now and then, as a way of remembering his past friend and mentor?
Of course, Krugax still isn't that fleshed out, but you probably get where I'm going with this now. Using bits of things you like from the real world (or another fantasy world) can make constructing a character a lot less painful. When using this technique, there are some things to keep in mind...
1. Don't completely rip off another character bit-for-bit. There's already a Gotrek. He doesn't need a twin brother named Notrek.
2. Don't base a character too much off someone else you know in real life. For one, it may get their panties in a wad if/when they find out, and for two, it gets kinda funky roleplaying someone who's virtually your dear uncle Bocephus when you think about it. That guy was weird.
They don't gotta be the very best, like no one ever was.
Would you really want to watch Star Wars if Luke Skywalker just pulled a lightsaber out of his rear from the start and voip'd Darth Vader in the face like a pro? Okay, maybe I would, but the replay value would be lost. Would the Lord of the Rings even make it to three books if destroying the ring was as simple as walking to the mailbox? If it did, I'd rather commit seppuku than read 'em.
To put it simply, challenges and conflict are what make a character. If your dude is so hot he makes the all ladies swoon, can shoot a buzzard's eye from fifty miles away, is also an arch-magi, has tea with Thrall on Wednesdays, and can walk into a dungeon without an ounce of fear in his gut, what's the point? Where does he have to go?
It's like playing a difficult video game all the way through with cheat codes. After toasting everything with a flamethrower for the billionth time, you wish something would just challenge you, or at least get within five feet before bursting into flames. Winning constantly is worse than losing constantly. If you lose all the time, at least you have something to strive for.
I'm not saying your character has to be Gimpy the Wimpy. I'm not saying they can't be good looking, an awesome shot with a rifle, or a brilliant magi. What I am saying is: They shouldn't be so good that any problem can be solved simply by the fact that they are just that awesome, and in moments, without any lasting consequences. Failure has to happen, not always, but it has to sometime. And no, by failure I do not mean "I COULD HAVE SAVED THOSE ORPHANS ON FIRE, BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY BEING AWESOME ACROSS THE STREET! CURSES!" Stop that.
Give your character a reason to engage in roleplay.
So, you've got this guy. He's really cool. In fact, he's too cool for school. He's always got a smoke in-between his lips, and he plays by nobody's rules. He isn't a fan of society, and spends most of his time in solitude, wandering aimlessly. There's only one problem...
...he spends most of his time in solitude, wandering around aimlessly. Also, he plays by nobody's rules, and isn't a fan of society.
Crap. What to do, what to do? Don't panic! There's a simple solution to characters that normally wouldn't be around others, and that is: Give them a logical reason to do so (dur).
Okay, so Joe Cool wanders about on his own, doin' his own thing while not giving a crap about others. So far, it seems like he isn't going to be the type to stroll into Stormwind giving out high-fives and America Online CDs. How can we make it so?
I actually ran into this very problem only a few days ago while building up a new character. Croweyes is a dude who wanders on his own, is apathetic towards society in general, and just wants to be left alone with his machines. So...why the hell would he be in Stormwind, or even around another person for longer than it takes to scowl?
Time to do some background workin' and personality rigging. I decided Croweyes is a merchant. He's a massive hoarder, and wouldn't throw away a dirt-encrusted tooth pick if his life depended on it. But, strangely enough: It does (dun dun dun). I figured that perhaps Croweyes has a strange ailment. It's something that could put his rear down for good if he doesn't take his medicine. There's just one catch: The medicine is rare due to the general scarceness of the ailment, and requires quite a few special ingredients.
Maybe it's only sold in Stormwind by an alchemist who's thought to be a bit of a nutter? It doesn't even have to be something like that, but maybe I want an extra excuse for him to travel there. Whatever the case, it's gonna be expensive. This makes it so Croweyes needs a job. Well, he spends all his time gathering junk from everywhere, so maybe he sells some of it? It's going to tear him to pieces on the inside to get rid of anything, but if he doesn't his insides really will be in pieces.
So now, Croweyes is strolling the streets of Stormwind hawking his wares. I've got him purposefully interacting with other characters, and staying true to his own. Ta-da! All it takes is a little thinking, and even the most anti-social characters can grab more roleplay than you can beat with a brick.
Flaws: How to torture your character and grin like a sick bastard.
Flaws comes in all sorts of things. A cruel belief, a physical deformity, a quirk, a skewed point of view. All these things and more can give your character depth, and make them a lot more fun to play. While I'm a big fan of giving a character quite a few faults, a lot of people aren't.
For the average character, I use the basic Savage Worlds (it's a pen and paper roleplaying game system, look it up) method of character creation. One major flaw, and two minor flaws (in Savage Worlds, they're called hindrances). Whether the flaw is major or minor is subjective. Think about how it would impact your character in their day-to-day lives, and in the long run.
Examples of flaws:
Deaf, blind, or mute.
Missing a limb or eye.
Greedy.
Arrogant.
Stubborn.
Poor.
As dumb as a board.
Cowardly.
Overly curious.
Bad luck.
Addicted to _____.
Physically too big (obese) or too small (twig) to get along easily from day-to-day.
Ugly.
Horrible with animals (horses, or mounts in general come to mind).
Prejudice against _____.
Aggressive.
Bitter.
Etc, etc. Flaws provide vehicles for your characters to become three-dimensional people. Everyone, even you (yes, you) has their faults. Struggle and strife drive most stories.
Good qualities: If you don't have them, why hasn't someone offed you yet?
As much as I babble on about flaws, good qualities are just as important, it's just that usually most people spend all day in the 'good' isle without venturing over into 'flaw' land. What is your character good at? Is he a sweet-talker, a master at swordplay, or a beast on the piano? Is he kind, or generous? Is he very perceptive, or alert? Maybe he's so purdy even the manliest of orc men can't keep their hands off him? Ambidextrous? Has nice skin? Good qualities are usually a lot easier for most than flaws, so I'll leave it at that.
Let your character's good bits mesh and sometimes fight with the bad bits. Inner conflict: Conflict you didn't even know you had, woo hoo!
The why of that guy: Character backgrounds.
Why is Stingy Dave so stingy? Was he just born a jerk? It may seem so, but the truth of the matter is that as a child, ol' Dave's parents were just a poor couple of tanners. They never made much money, so as an adult Dave learned to pinch every penny until it screamed so he would never end up in the same situation.
Bam. Now we know why Dave is so stingy. We still hate him, though. Screw Dave.
When you've got all your character's good points and flaws, you gotta wonder: How'd they come to be this way, again? Very few people are just naturally gifted, and even those born talented at something still have to put in practice. Where did your character learn how to preform their current job? Why do they hate dwarves? How did they lose their eye? Why does the smell of fresh-baked bread send them into fits of joy, or maybe even bleak depression?
There's so much to think about when it comes to a character's background. Where were they born? Who did they live with (mother and father, perhaps just one parent, an uncle or grandmother, orphaned all alone)? Was their childhood happy, or was it cause for disappointment? Did they have any pets? Did anything major happen to shape them as people when they were little? Did they ever move towns? Who were their best friends? What did they want to be? When they were teenagers did they have to go work at the family business, or did they just chase girls? Did they have a wife or a love years ago? Did they ever own a business? If they did train in combat, where/how did they do so? I could go on forever.
When working on a character's history, remember this (it's something I read in an old issue of Inquest, back in the day): "A character's past should not be more exciting than his future."
The little things: Habits and quirks.
So, you've got your guy all lined up. He's got a well-rounded personality, his good points, his bad ones, and you've even written up a brief background that's lore compliant and connects who he is today with who he was nicely. Still...there's something missing. It's a little bunch of things, but they can easily tie into the character and flesh them out even more.
I've got a friend who taps his foot constantly. When I say constantly, I swear, the guy must have some sort of recording playing in his head in 4/4 twenty-four seven. It's grating sometimes, but whenever I see someone tapping their feet, I think of him. It's a trait that, while it doesn't define him as a person, is one that I associate with him. Plus, it's led to more than one time of people getting up, waving their arms, and screaming "Stop it before I beat you with a piece of rusty rebar!".
A list of little quirks or habits for your character:
Spitting compulsively.
Saying "Y'know" after nearly every single sentence.
Cracking their knuckles before every fight.
Clicking their tongue disapprovingly whenever they don't agree.
Tilting their head when curious.
Running their fingers through their beard when lost in thought.
Picking their nose (hot).
Massaging their scalp when frustrated.
Pacing when anxious, or just holding a conversation.
Smoking whenever they drink.
Picking at scabs because, damnit, it's just too tempting.
Chewing their food thirty-two times. No more, no less.
Always looking at their food while eating.
Throw a few little bits like this on any character, and you've got a whole bunch of things to roleplay off of, and attract (or disgust) others with.
Resources, and things to waste your time:
rpg.ashami.com/
www.errantdreams.com/static/rpg
www.wow.com/category/all-the-worlds-a-stage/
www.wowwiki.com
Character Motivation: Because if you kill things without a reason, you may be crazy.
What drives your character to adventure, or non-adventure? Hey, some people play commoners. Joss here is nothing special. He has no idea how to hold a sword, and can barely spell his own name. Put a cow in front of him though, and damn right, Bessie's gettin' milked.
A better way to word it would be...why do they do what they do? Do they even enjoy it? What keeps them going? Not everyone becomes a soldier 'just because'. Some like the structure military life brings (or maybe they just know they need it), others may enjoy the thrill, while some (though they might need to hide it, just a little) might just enjoy rippin' guts out a bit too much. Hey, everyone has their hobbies.
Why is that lovable (if sometimes annoying) rogue always stealing from others? Is she motivated by compulsion (kleptomania), greed, or something deeper? Is she being ordered by a higher-up to do such things against her will? There's always a cooler reason that 'just because'. Motivations change over time as well, so keep your mind open.
Examples pulled out of my rear on the fly:
Treehugger only took up the mantle of druidism as to not disappoint his father. Sadly, it's still been an unavoidable thing. The elf's got such a sense of family honor though, that he keeps on chuggin' along. Maybe one day daddy will be proud (yeah, right).
Dawnbleach is an upper-class blood elf who dabbles in magic. Why, you ask? It's to inspire fear in his political enemies. With everyone knowing he's a magi he can flex his muscles without full on assaulting someone. Who wants to screw with a guy who can shoot frickin' laser beams from his hands? All of a sudden, opposing this magistrate is a real scary situation. Dawnbleach is one happy camper, and continues his studies away from prying eyes, though he'll drop all the hints he wants about his powers (exaggerated or not).
Scabbybutt is a human orphan who's spending all of her time learning to be what she considers a 'hero'. Growing up on the streets, poor Scabbybutt didn't have much to hope for, until she started to listen to the other urchins' tales of the heroes of yore. This inspired her to seek out whatever training she can, just to reach that fabled childhood feeling of 'something more'. Hand me a tissue.
A list of possible character motivations:
The pursuit of happiness.
A patriotic duty to defend their homeland/order/Alliance/Horde/etc.
A family member wishes them to do _____.
The desire to help others, healing as they go.
The want for money, at any cost.
The want for power, at any cost.
The want for respect, at any cost.
The want for bubble bath, at any cost.
Running from a bounty on their head, or something from their past.
Wanderlust.
To be the best _____ around.
To score with all dem hawt ladies.
The desire to imitate a childhood hero.
The need to pay off a debt.
Look at your character's background (you made that, right?), and do a bit of digging. Or, you could do motivation first. Either way, both are tied together like this:
-
^ This.
Whatever gets them out in the world and able to interact with others.
Unless you're a brick, this is relevant: Describing your character to the senses.
So, after you've made your character on the inside, there's still the outside to consider. Looks matter. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably missing more than their fair share of teeth.
Consider your character's background, and current scheme. If they're a battle hardened veteran, they've probably got their fair share of scars. There's also an important thing to remember about scars: They got them from somewhere. Everyone has scars, and the majority of them are "I have no idea where that came from" scars. Still, there are a few that you can probably point out and go: "Playground. Slide. 1987." If your character is a scarred mess, he probably remembers how a few of 'em came to be. Story time potential?
Also, one more thing about scars, since everyone loves scars: When you get gutted in the face with a dagger, it doesn't leave a pretty thin line, especially if healing was not administered soon and/or properly after the wound occurred. Scars can get pretty funky.
Get on Google images with the safe search turned off (and don't come whining to me). Yeah, I know, "magical healing fixes everything!". That's another debate for another time. Just consider this: If magical healing fixed everything, wouldn't battles be like a duel between two healing specs 24/7? I hurt you...no I didn't, no wait, I hurt you, oh crap no I didn't. On the field, medics were busy. They probably didn't have the time to give ever soldier tender loving care. Take how the scars came to be when determining how they should look.
Wow, that's a lot of crap about scars.
Alright, enough about that.
Things to take ask yourself when describing your character:
How old are they?
Did they lead a rough life, or a pampered one?
Personal hygiene: Nonexistent, or do they smell like daisies?
What's their typical facial expression? Do they squint and observe, or grin like a fool?
How do they walk? Do they have a spring in their step, or a limp?
What are they typically doing/surrounded by? For example, a soldier who does drills all day is probably going to be sweaty. A guy who works on choppers for a living is going to have the grease smudges to prove it.
Do they usually have something in their mouth? Toothpick, cigarette, candy, lucky stone?
Are they superstitious? Maybe they wear trinkets to ward off bad voo-doo?
Are they upper or lower class? Clothing is dictated by this. Maybe a poor guy is trying to feign wealth, and wears a second-hand tuxedo? Would Sir Fancypants be caught dead in a bunch of ragged robes?
Scars: Where, and how bad, if any?
Are they missing any fingers/ears/eyes/etc.?
Jewelry?
What does their voice sound like? Is it high-pitched and warbly, or deep and slow (hawt)?
How do they wear their hair (if they have any)?
Do they walk with their hands in their pockets, or swinging wildly by their sides?
Do they keep their head down to avoid trouble, or are they waving at everyone?
Where do they keep their weapons (if any) on their person?
And on, and on, and on. The best thing to do is picture your character in your head, walking down a generic street. What do you see? If this still doesn't help, find a character in media that resembles yours in some way, then begin a big mix and match process. I have two characters based off the general look of the same man, but both turned out looking completely different. Notice the little things.
A quick run down of what you may want to include in your character's description:
How tall/short they are.
How muscular/lean/pudgy/skinny they are.
What age they appear to be.
How they walk.
What their voice sounds like.
General facial features (pointed nose, thin lips, broad forehead, big ears, etc.)
What they smell like.
Distinguishing features (scars, missing pieces, tattoos)
Any jewelry they may be wearing.
Any nervous tics/almost constant gestures/things in their mouth (lols).
Lindiwe wrote an awesome guide to writing an RSP description, and it's a sticky (right here, you lazy bastards: forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?sid=1&topicId=22748815908 )
But for the sake of elaboration, here's the RSP for Croweyes (remember him from earlier?):
Croweyes is a man who constantly looks like he just came in from some sort of desert wasteland and is aching to go back. He wears a long black duster over his clothes which is absolutely coated with sand, dirt, and other sedimentary substances. The coat appears to be rather heavy, clinking when he walks, hinting that its inside pockets are filled to capacity.
As for Croweyes himself, he looks to be somewhere in his mid to late twenties. His appearance could easily be described as 'rugged', and it seems that the man doesn't take kindly to a clean shave, as there's always a prickly five o' clock shadow on his face. His hair is light brown, long and usually either thrown into a sloppy ponytail, or left to hang in a shaggy mess. Parts of it are braided, little bone beads at the end. His skin is tanned, and is typically smudged all over with machinery grease. While he isn't a musclebound freak, Croweyes looks to be the kind of guy who can take care of himself.
His voice is gravely, and when he speaks his green eyes narrow in scrutiny. When another is conversing with him his eyes typically go wide and unblinking in an unsettling and flat out weird fashion. He wears many rings and trinkets.
He smells of motor oil, loose dirt, and tobacco smoke.
I hit what he's wearing (and even a bit of his personality by doing so), his age, general facial features (hey...rugged counts), build, what his hair looks like on any given day (in game model will show the rest), the fact that he's covered in machinery grease, how his skin looks, his voice, eye color, general expression, jewelry, and what he smells like.
Notice I didn't include every single little thing. I didn't describe how he walks, individual scars, how tall/short he is, or any of that other stuff. Why? Because I didn't want to drag out his description any more than I had to, and it's already way longer than most RSPs I've typed up. When you don't mention something, I'll assume it's either:
A. Hidden under clothing, or by some other means.
B. Unimportant during a casual conversation, and if it needs to be will be brought up by a descriptive emote.
C. Average proportions, and therefore not worth elaborating on.
D. Having an RSP that stretches the page is no good.
E. You're a lazy butthole.
Descriptions. They're a pain in the ass, but do you really want everyone to think your character looks like the male human model, harelip and all? Yeah. You want wrists.
~The End~
I found this yesterday on their forums and thought it was both highly amusing and also very helpful for the new roleplayer. Rather than link to something that may very well disappear in the coming weeks, I decided to repost it in its entirety here, and of course give credit where credit's due.
TL;DR: I mention boobs at one point.
I've seen a lot of special snowflakes in my roleplaying career (read: late nights spent in houses/stores full of guys who know more about Beastmatster than girls), and if I've learned one thing, it's this: No matter how awesome a character is at decapitating zombies, if their personality is as exciting as watching paint dry, no one will care about them. It's like watching Steven Seagal movies on a constant loop. It may be amusing at first, but half-way in to him punching jobber #27 in the face...you just stop caring. In fact, you may pray for the character's death. Something. Anything. Make it stop.
So, I decided to write this guide in an effort to help others think about making well-rounded characters. It's in no way the end-all, be-all of making a character, and I don't claim to have all the answers, or even be right. This is just how I've done things in my time of embracing that nerdy side that I just can't shake off (I'm twenty, but we'll pretend I'm seventy and peeing through a tube. I'm wiser that way).
You are roleplaying. What you are in the real world has nothing to do with your character.
This is something very important to remember, as when OOC and IC get tangled, stuff gets sticky real quick. The first step to avoiding such things is to remember the obvious: You are not Sergeant Gnolleater the III (and if you are, gimmie your autograph). Anything your character does has no reflection on you as a person. Characters kill, they rob, they lie, they jaywalk. If playing a villainous or morally gray character makes you a bad guy, then someone needs to search Stephen King's backyard for bodies right now.
This being said, don't feel restricted when making a character. Just because you aren't such in real life, doesn't mean you can't roleplay such a thing in-game. Something as simple as playing the opposite gender is a real trip, and a kick-start for creativity. Hell, you may learn something, too. Girls really aren't just skin, bones, boobs, and a airy giggle. Really, we aren't! Men don't spend all their time thinking about sex, and actually are capable of (gasp) emotion (though showing it is another matter, for some)!
And as a short note, don't get pissed when Doctor Van Ebil pees in your character's Cheerios. Conflict is good. Conflict drives stories, and character development. Work with villains OOC (and heroes, if you happen to be a real bad dude), and you'll be a lot happier for it. RP is a cooperative thing, not a solo game. If you don't work with others you're going to be miserable, and wondering why you're all alone on your island of badassery, dodging punches that never were.
The most important thing is to make just that, a character. Stereotypes are good for a base skeleton, but you need to delve deeper to mold things into a believable (even wizards need to be realistic, in a way) personality.
Look for inspiration everywhere.
No, I'm not talking about self-help books. If you haven't realized your actualization or something, don't come crying to me. All I can offer is pocket lint. What I mean is, think of characters and people you know in movies, books, TV, songs, or even real life. That weirdo you saw on the subway last week eating glue? Take some traits from him. All it takes is a little observation.
For example, let's say I'm making an orc warrior named Krugax. Krugax is a blank slate right now, so using the lore that Blizzard has provided I'm going to try to make him a character, and not just a red shirt grunt.
Let's see...I really liked Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, especially his drive to punch stuff in the face better than anyone. So, let's make one of Krugax's hobbies boxing, hell, let's make it his world. He's the best around, and nothin's ever gonna keep him down. So we got an orc who likes to do some fisty-cuffs. Now what?
How did he learn to fight as such? Being an orc, he was probably raised in an 'it takes a village to raise a child' fashion. Maybe he bonded with an elder, and that old fogie taught him how to break a nose without missing a beat? My grandpa was big on giving what seemed like sage advice, yet it was usually nothing more than absent-minded ramblings that really went nowhere. Maybe Krugax's old orc buddy was like that? Perhaps Krugax quotes him now and then, as a way of remembering his past friend and mentor?
Of course, Krugax still isn't that fleshed out, but you probably get where I'm going with this now. Using bits of things you like from the real world (or another fantasy world) can make constructing a character a lot less painful. When using this technique, there are some things to keep in mind...
1. Don't completely rip off another character bit-for-bit. There's already a Gotrek. He doesn't need a twin brother named Notrek.
2. Don't base a character too much off someone else you know in real life. For one, it may get their panties in a wad if/when they find out, and for two, it gets kinda funky roleplaying someone who's virtually your dear uncle Bocephus when you think about it. That guy was weird.
They don't gotta be the very best, like no one ever was.
Would you really want to watch Star Wars if Luke Skywalker just pulled a lightsaber out of his rear from the start and voip'd Darth Vader in the face like a pro? Okay, maybe I would, but the replay value would be lost. Would the Lord of the Rings even make it to three books if destroying the ring was as simple as walking to the mailbox? If it did, I'd rather commit seppuku than read 'em.
To put it simply, challenges and conflict are what make a character. If your dude is so hot he makes the all ladies swoon, can shoot a buzzard's eye from fifty miles away, is also an arch-magi, has tea with Thrall on Wednesdays, and can walk into a dungeon without an ounce of fear in his gut, what's the point? Where does he have to go?
It's like playing a difficult video game all the way through with cheat codes. After toasting everything with a flamethrower for the billionth time, you wish something would just challenge you, or at least get within five feet before bursting into flames. Winning constantly is worse than losing constantly. If you lose all the time, at least you have something to strive for.
I'm not saying your character has to be Gimpy the Wimpy. I'm not saying they can't be good looking, an awesome shot with a rifle, or a brilliant magi. What I am saying is: They shouldn't be so good that any problem can be solved simply by the fact that they are just that awesome, and in moments, without any lasting consequences. Failure has to happen, not always, but it has to sometime. And no, by failure I do not mean "I COULD HAVE SAVED THOSE ORPHANS ON FIRE, BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY BEING AWESOME ACROSS THE STREET! CURSES!" Stop that.
Give your character a reason to engage in roleplay.
So, you've got this guy. He's really cool. In fact, he's too cool for school. He's always got a smoke in-between his lips, and he plays by nobody's rules. He isn't a fan of society, and spends most of his time in solitude, wandering aimlessly. There's only one problem...
...he spends most of his time in solitude, wandering around aimlessly. Also, he plays by nobody's rules, and isn't a fan of society.
Crap. What to do, what to do? Don't panic! There's a simple solution to characters that normally wouldn't be around others, and that is: Give them a logical reason to do so (dur).
Okay, so Joe Cool wanders about on his own, doin' his own thing while not giving a crap about others. So far, it seems like he isn't going to be the type to stroll into Stormwind giving out high-fives and America Online CDs. How can we make it so?
I actually ran into this very problem only a few days ago while building up a new character. Croweyes is a dude who wanders on his own, is apathetic towards society in general, and just wants to be left alone with his machines. So...why the hell would he be in Stormwind, or even around another person for longer than it takes to scowl?
Time to do some background workin' and personality rigging. I decided Croweyes is a merchant. He's a massive hoarder, and wouldn't throw away a dirt-encrusted tooth pick if his life depended on it. But, strangely enough: It does (dun dun dun). I figured that perhaps Croweyes has a strange ailment. It's something that could put his rear down for good if he doesn't take his medicine. There's just one catch: The medicine is rare due to the general scarceness of the ailment, and requires quite a few special ingredients.
Maybe it's only sold in Stormwind by an alchemist who's thought to be a bit of a nutter? It doesn't even have to be something like that, but maybe I want an extra excuse for him to travel there. Whatever the case, it's gonna be expensive. This makes it so Croweyes needs a job. Well, he spends all his time gathering junk from everywhere, so maybe he sells some of it? It's going to tear him to pieces on the inside to get rid of anything, but if he doesn't his insides really will be in pieces.
So now, Croweyes is strolling the streets of Stormwind hawking his wares. I've got him purposefully interacting with other characters, and staying true to his own. Ta-da! All it takes is a little thinking, and even the most anti-social characters can grab more roleplay than you can beat with a brick.
Flaws: How to torture your character and grin like a sick bastard.
Flaws comes in all sorts of things. A cruel belief, a physical deformity, a quirk, a skewed point of view. All these things and more can give your character depth, and make them a lot more fun to play. While I'm a big fan of giving a character quite a few faults, a lot of people aren't.
For the average character, I use the basic Savage Worlds (it's a pen and paper roleplaying game system, look it up) method of character creation. One major flaw, and two minor flaws (in Savage Worlds, they're called hindrances). Whether the flaw is major or minor is subjective. Think about how it would impact your character in their day-to-day lives, and in the long run.
Examples of flaws:
Deaf, blind, or mute.
Missing a limb or eye.
Greedy.
Arrogant.
Stubborn.
Poor.
As dumb as a board.
Cowardly.
Overly curious.
Bad luck.
Addicted to _____.
Physically too big (obese) or too small (twig) to get along easily from day-to-day.
Ugly.
Horrible with animals (horses, or mounts in general come to mind).
Prejudice against _____.
Aggressive.
Bitter.
Etc, etc. Flaws provide vehicles for your characters to become three-dimensional people. Everyone, even you (yes, you) has their faults. Struggle and strife drive most stories.
Good qualities: If you don't have them, why hasn't someone offed you yet?
As much as I babble on about flaws, good qualities are just as important, it's just that usually most people spend all day in the 'good' isle without venturing over into 'flaw' land. What is your character good at? Is he a sweet-talker, a master at swordplay, or a beast on the piano? Is he kind, or generous? Is he very perceptive, or alert? Maybe he's so purdy even the manliest of orc men can't keep their hands off him? Ambidextrous? Has nice skin? Good qualities are usually a lot easier for most than flaws, so I'll leave it at that.
Let your character's good bits mesh and sometimes fight with the bad bits. Inner conflict: Conflict you didn't even know you had, woo hoo!
The why of that guy: Character backgrounds.
Why is Stingy Dave so stingy? Was he just born a jerk? It may seem so, but the truth of the matter is that as a child, ol' Dave's parents were just a poor couple of tanners. They never made much money, so as an adult Dave learned to pinch every penny until it screamed so he would never end up in the same situation.
Bam. Now we know why Dave is so stingy. We still hate him, though. Screw Dave.
When you've got all your character's good points and flaws, you gotta wonder: How'd they come to be this way, again? Very few people are just naturally gifted, and even those born talented at something still have to put in practice. Where did your character learn how to preform their current job? Why do they hate dwarves? How did they lose their eye? Why does the smell of fresh-baked bread send them into fits of joy, or maybe even bleak depression?
There's so much to think about when it comes to a character's background. Where were they born? Who did they live with (mother and father, perhaps just one parent, an uncle or grandmother, orphaned all alone)? Was their childhood happy, or was it cause for disappointment? Did they have any pets? Did anything major happen to shape them as people when they were little? Did they ever move towns? Who were their best friends? What did they want to be? When they were teenagers did they have to go work at the family business, or did they just chase girls? Did they have a wife or a love years ago? Did they ever own a business? If they did train in combat, where/how did they do so? I could go on forever.
When working on a character's history, remember this (it's something I read in an old issue of Inquest, back in the day): "A character's past should not be more exciting than his future."
The little things: Habits and quirks.
So, you've got your guy all lined up. He's got a well-rounded personality, his good points, his bad ones, and you've even written up a brief background that's lore compliant and connects who he is today with who he was nicely. Still...there's something missing. It's a little bunch of things, but they can easily tie into the character and flesh them out even more.
I've got a friend who taps his foot constantly. When I say constantly, I swear, the guy must have some sort of recording playing in his head in 4/4 twenty-four seven. It's grating sometimes, but whenever I see someone tapping their feet, I think of him. It's a trait that, while it doesn't define him as a person, is one that I associate with him. Plus, it's led to more than one time of people getting up, waving their arms, and screaming "Stop it before I beat you with a piece of rusty rebar!".
A list of little quirks or habits for your character:
Spitting compulsively.
Saying "Y'know" after nearly every single sentence.
Cracking their knuckles before every fight.
Clicking their tongue disapprovingly whenever they don't agree.
Tilting their head when curious.
Running their fingers through their beard when lost in thought.
Picking their nose (hot).
Massaging their scalp when frustrated.
Pacing when anxious, or just holding a conversation.
Smoking whenever they drink.
Picking at scabs because, damnit, it's just too tempting.
Chewing their food thirty-two times. No more, no less.
Always looking at their food while eating.
Throw a few little bits like this on any character, and you've got a whole bunch of things to roleplay off of, and attract (or disgust) others with.
Resources, and things to waste your time:
rpg.ashami.com/
www.errantdreams.com/static/rpg
www.wow.com/category/all-the-worlds-a-stage/
www.wowwiki.com
Character Motivation: Because if you kill things without a reason, you may be crazy.
What drives your character to adventure, or non-adventure? Hey, some people play commoners. Joss here is nothing special. He has no idea how to hold a sword, and can barely spell his own name. Put a cow in front of him though, and damn right, Bessie's gettin' milked.
A better way to word it would be...why do they do what they do? Do they even enjoy it? What keeps them going? Not everyone becomes a soldier 'just because'. Some like the structure military life brings (or maybe they just know they need it), others may enjoy the thrill, while some (though they might need to hide it, just a little) might just enjoy rippin' guts out a bit too much. Hey, everyone has their hobbies.
Why is that lovable (if sometimes annoying) rogue always stealing from others? Is she motivated by compulsion (kleptomania), greed, or something deeper? Is she being ordered by a higher-up to do such things against her will? There's always a cooler reason that 'just because'. Motivations change over time as well, so keep your mind open.
Examples pulled out of my rear on the fly:
Treehugger only took up the mantle of druidism as to not disappoint his father. Sadly, it's still been an unavoidable thing. The elf's got such a sense of family honor though, that he keeps on chuggin' along. Maybe one day daddy will be proud (yeah, right).
Dawnbleach is an upper-class blood elf who dabbles in magic. Why, you ask? It's to inspire fear in his political enemies. With everyone knowing he's a magi he can flex his muscles without full on assaulting someone. Who wants to screw with a guy who can shoot frickin' laser beams from his hands? All of a sudden, opposing this magistrate is a real scary situation. Dawnbleach is one happy camper, and continues his studies away from prying eyes, though he'll drop all the hints he wants about his powers (exaggerated or not).
Scabbybutt is a human orphan who's spending all of her time learning to be what she considers a 'hero'. Growing up on the streets, poor Scabbybutt didn't have much to hope for, until she started to listen to the other urchins' tales of the heroes of yore. This inspired her to seek out whatever training she can, just to reach that fabled childhood feeling of 'something more'. Hand me a tissue.
A list of possible character motivations:
The pursuit of happiness.
A patriotic duty to defend their homeland/order/Alliance/Horde/etc.
A family member wishes them to do _____.
The desire to help others, healing as they go.
The want for money, at any cost.
The want for power, at any cost.
The want for respect, at any cost.
The want for bubble bath, at any cost.
Running from a bounty on their head, or something from their past.
Wanderlust.
To be the best _____ around.
To score with all dem hawt ladies.
The desire to imitate a childhood hero.
The need to pay off a debt.
Look at your character's background (you made that, right?), and do a bit of digging. Or, you could do motivation first. Either way, both are tied together like this:
-
^ This.
Whatever gets them out in the world and able to interact with others.
Unless you're a brick, this is relevant: Describing your character to the senses.
So, after you've made your character on the inside, there's still the outside to consider. Looks matter. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably missing more than their fair share of teeth.
Consider your character's background, and current scheme. If they're a battle hardened veteran, they've probably got their fair share of scars. There's also an important thing to remember about scars: They got them from somewhere. Everyone has scars, and the majority of them are "I have no idea where that came from" scars. Still, there are a few that you can probably point out and go: "Playground. Slide. 1987." If your character is a scarred mess, he probably remembers how a few of 'em came to be. Story time potential?
Also, one more thing about scars, since everyone loves scars: When you get gutted in the face with a dagger, it doesn't leave a pretty thin line, especially if healing was not administered soon and/or properly after the wound occurred. Scars can get pretty funky.
Get on Google images with the safe search turned off (and don't come whining to me). Yeah, I know, "magical healing fixes everything!". That's another debate for another time. Just consider this: If magical healing fixed everything, wouldn't battles be like a duel between two healing specs 24/7? I hurt you...no I didn't, no wait, I hurt you, oh crap no I didn't. On the field, medics were busy. They probably didn't have the time to give ever soldier tender loving care. Take how the scars came to be when determining how they should look.
Wow, that's a lot of crap about scars.
Alright, enough about that.
Things to take ask yourself when describing your character:
How old are they?
Did they lead a rough life, or a pampered one?
Personal hygiene: Nonexistent, or do they smell like daisies?
What's their typical facial expression? Do they squint and observe, or grin like a fool?
How do they walk? Do they have a spring in their step, or a limp?
What are they typically doing/surrounded by? For example, a soldier who does drills all day is probably going to be sweaty. A guy who works on choppers for a living is going to have the grease smudges to prove it.
Do they usually have something in their mouth? Toothpick, cigarette, candy, lucky stone?
Are they superstitious? Maybe they wear trinkets to ward off bad voo-doo?
Are they upper or lower class? Clothing is dictated by this. Maybe a poor guy is trying to feign wealth, and wears a second-hand tuxedo? Would Sir Fancypants be caught dead in a bunch of ragged robes?
Scars: Where, and how bad, if any?
Are they missing any fingers/ears/eyes/etc.?
Jewelry?
What does their voice sound like? Is it high-pitched and warbly, or deep and slow (hawt)?
How do they wear their hair (if they have any)?
Do they walk with their hands in their pockets, or swinging wildly by their sides?
Do they keep their head down to avoid trouble, or are they waving at everyone?
Where do they keep their weapons (if any) on their person?
And on, and on, and on. The best thing to do is picture your character in your head, walking down a generic street. What do you see? If this still doesn't help, find a character in media that resembles yours in some way, then begin a big mix and match process. I have two characters based off the general look of the same man, but both turned out looking completely different. Notice the little things.
A quick run down of what you may want to include in your character's description:
How tall/short they are.
How muscular/lean/pudgy/skinny they are.
What age they appear to be.
How they walk.
What their voice sounds like.
General facial features (pointed nose, thin lips, broad forehead, big ears, etc.)
What they smell like.
Distinguishing features (scars, missing pieces, tattoos)
Any jewelry they may be wearing.
Any nervous tics/almost constant gestures/things in their mouth (lols).
Lindiwe wrote an awesome guide to writing an RSP description, and it's a sticky (right here, you lazy bastards: forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?sid=1&topicId=22748815908 )
But for the sake of elaboration, here's the RSP for Croweyes (remember him from earlier?):
Croweyes is a man who constantly looks like he just came in from some sort of desert wasteland and is aching to go back. He wears a long black duster over his clothes which is absolutely coated with sand, dirt, and other sedimentary substances. The coat appears to be rather heavy, clinking when he walks, hinting that its inside pockets are filled to capacity.
As for Croweyes himself, he looks to be somewhere in his mid to late twenties. His appearance could easily be described as 'rugged', and it seems that the man doesn't take kindly to a clean shave, as there's always a prickly five o' clock shadow on his face. His hair is light brown, long and usually either thrown into a sloppy ponytail, or left to hang in a shaggy mess. Parts of it are braided, little bone beads at the end. His skin is tanned, and is typically smudged all over with machinery grease. While he isn't a musclebound freak, Croweyes looks to be the kind of guy who can take care of himself.
His voice is gravely, and when he speaks his green eyes narrow in scrutiny. When another is conversing with him his eyes typically go wide and unblinking in an unsettling and flat out weird fashion. He wears many rings and trinkets.
He smells of motor oil, loose dirt, and tobacco smoke.
I hit what he's wearing (and even a bit of his personality by doing so), his age, general facial features (hey...rugged counts), build, what his hair looks like on any given day (in game model will show the rest), the fact that he's covered in machinery grease, how his skin looks, his voice, eye color, general expression, jewelry, and what he smells like.
Notice I didn't include every single little thing. I didn't describe how he walks, individual scars, how tall/short he is, or any of that other stuff. Why? Because I didn't want to drag out his description any more than I had to, and it's already way longer than most RSPs I've typed up. When you don't mention something, I'll assume it's either:
A. Hidden under clothing, or by some other means.
B. Unimportant during a casual conversation, and if it needs to be will be brought up by a descriptive emote.
C. Average proportions, and therefore not worth elaborating on.
D. Having an RSP that stretches the page is no good.
E. You're a lazy butthole.
Descriptions. They're a pain in the ass, but do you really want everyone to think your character looks like the male human model, harelip and all? Yeah. You want wrists.
~The End~
