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Articles
Give Your PC
Some Personality
- Making Your Character Memorable -
by Colin
Chapman
Many players new to DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS feel constrained by the rich cultural details the game's
settings present, and can find it difficult to portray their
characters as anything but stereotypical members of their
cultures. However, the cultural details presented in the game are
merely representative of the broad traits ascribed to those
cultures, and just as people in the real world rarely fit a
stereotype exactly, the same is true of characters in any
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS setting.
Even in cases where a character is fairly
typical, many aspects of personality, not to mention background
and appearance, may not mentioned in cultural writeups, such as
sense of humor, personal quirks and preferences, and so on. These
present any player with a wide number of ways in which to
personalize their character, without contradicting broad cultural
descriptions if they don't wish to.
Three factors contribute to the overall quality
and depth of any given character: Background, Personality, and
Appearance. When creating a character it is not necessary to
write chapter upon chapter, painstakingly detailing the
character's life, outlook, and appearance, but by simply
considering the questions put forward in this article, and
writing a handful of short answers, a character can be given a
life and personality beyond that of a cliched stereotype. Each of
the three sections will present twenty appropriate questions, not
all of which need be answered, and not all of which will
necessarily be applicable.
If possible, the player and GM should work
together to create the character, ensuring it is playable and not
overly disruptive to the style of game they wish to play.
Background
Arguably the most important aspect of character creation, a
character's background provides a sense of personal history, and
existence, and it is often the character's upbringing and
experiences in life that most define their personality and
outlook. Remember: notable events, personages, etc. need not
necessarily be notable for good reasons; bad events can be just
as notable.
- Family
What were the character's parent(s) or guardian like?
Does the character have any siblings?
Does the character have a family of their own, or did they?
Do they ever intend to settle down if they don't?
What about other relatives; were any memorable for any reasons?
What is the current status of any of the character's relatives,
i.e. alive, dead, missing, estranged, ill, enslaved, imprisoned,
divorced, etc.?
Were there any skeletons in the family closet?
- Home
Where was the character raised?
What was the family's status in terms of wealth, social, and
local standing?
Did the family move at all?
Does the character have a home of their own?
- Childhood/Adolescence
What was the character like as a child/adolescent?
Were any childhood/adolescent friends or enemies particularly
memorable?
Were any childhood/adolescence events particularly memorable?
Did the character learn any skills as a child/adolescent?
- Professional History
Why did the character enter the profession they did?
How did the character receive their training?
Did they find any of it particularly difficult or easy?
Has the character done anything particularly notable since
completing their training?
What contacts, friends, enemies or mentors did the character make
while training, or pursuing their career?
Personality
The character's personality defines how they are roleplayed, and
should be detailed bearing in mind the character's Background, as
described above. Consider how the character's upbringing, family,
past experiences, etc. affected their worldview, morality, and so
on, and if they turned out the way they did because of, or in
spite of, their Background. Consider how they fit their cultural
stereotype, and how they differ from it.
- Attitudes
What does the character like/love?
What does the character dislike/hate?
What is the character's attitude to sex?
What is the character's attitude to religion?
What is the character's attitude to magic?
What is the character's attitude to illegal activities?
What is the character's attitude to conflict, physical or
otherwise?
Does the character have any misconceptions/bigoted outlooks?
- Conceptions
How does the character see themselves?
How do other people see the character?
If the character could be summed up in one word, what would that
word be?
What would the character change about themselves, if they could?
- Directives
What is the character's greatest fear/worst nightmare?
What is the character's greatest hope/dream/aspiration?
What motivates the character?
Is there anything the character will not do?
- Miscellaneous
What is the character's sense of humor like?
Does the character have any hobbies/pastimes?
How does the character relax?
Does the character have any mental or behavioral quirks, flaws,
or aberrations?
Appearance
The character's appearance is usually the first thing anyone
notices about them, and can say a lot about their personality,
profession, and background. Detailing what the character looks
like gives the player a good mental image of the character, vital
in imagining scenes in the game. The character's appearance also
helps other players visualize the character, and enables GMs to
determine how NPCs might react to the character. However, the
character's appearance need not necessarily reflect all of their
qualities, although it will always reflect some; not every
warrior looks grim and determined, and not every magician looks
thin and bookish, for example. Also bear in mind the exotic and
unusual possibilities that alchemical and magical enhancements
can present when detailing a character's appearance; such
enhancements can be eccentric to say the least.
- Physicality
How tall is the character?
What kind of build and proportions does the character have, and
are they muscular, toned, scrawny, overweight, etc.?
How much does the character weigh?
What kind of style, color, and texture is the character's
head/facial/body hair, if indeed they have hair?
What shape and color(s) are the character's eyes, and are they at
all expressive of any given emotion(s)?
What color is the character's skin?
Does the character have any distinguishing marks such as
birthmarks, scars, disfigurements, tattoos, or brands, etc.?
What does the character's expression usually convey, i.e.
disdain, friendliness, surliness, calm, etc.?
What does the character's voice sound like?
Does the character have any favorite sayings or catch phrases?
How does the character move, walk, and carry themselves?
What would the character like to change about their appearance?
If the character's appearance could be summed up in one word,
what would that word be?
How would others generally describe the character's appearance?
- Apparel
How does the character dress when relaxing?
How does the character dress when they wish to make an
impression?
How does the character dress when traveling?
How does the character dress when working?
- Belongings
What item(s) is the character rarely without?
Does the character have any particularly cherished possession(s),
such as an heirloom, memento, gift, etc.?
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