ATCRecLess4

Building & Playing A More Unique & Memorable Character

In order to ensure a player is going to have a good time, the most important issue on his/her mind during character creation is "What kind of character should I play?" or "What type of character would I enjoy playing?"

By answering the right questions and with a bit of planning and forethought, you can put together a PC who will move through the game believably and almost instinctively. Here's a bit of an outline on how to build from the bottom up, stepping into the shoes and following the footsteps of a PC character you'll enjoy playing either long or short term.

Choices

Before getting started, it's important to mention that character construction is made up of choices and that these choices should be wielded with imagination in order to create a unique and interesting character.

Standard cliches or stereotypes can produce a tired, less interesting, and more predictable concept. So, make a few different or unusual choices.

On the other hand, making many choices that are off-beat or unusual can make the character too busy or give it a contrived feeling (i.e. doing something for a game reason or effect instead of it just being part of the PC's personal history).

Also, a character who is too different will tend to alienate NPCs or other PCs due to the difficulty in relating with them. Just a few uncommon selections should be enough for flavoring.

Build A Wish List

Define the qualities in a character that would currently interest you. These may include a brief physical description, personality, activities performed, skills, or capabilities.

Always try to avoid gamer or genre jargon. Words like magic, thief, smuggler, Force user all will point you in a direction that may aim a bit too directly towards playing a specific character class.

Check out some of these examples:

• I dabble in some mystical art or arts. I can be intimidating but use my attractive appearance and social skills to solve problems and overcome difficulties. I prefer to use intellect instead of muscle.

• I am mechanically inclined but like to flex my muscles every once in a while. My plain appearance is used to an advantage. I can fade into the woodwork or even a crowd. I can be youthful and brash, sometimes causing me to make impulsive mistakes.

• I take short cuts and look to gain advantage before committing openly to action. I am an extrovert and am more effective in achieving what I want with my mental and people skills due to my smallish size.

It is important to be as general with your description as possible to avoid pigeon-holing yourself into a specific class. The definition should be in first person (I, me) so that your PC becomes more personalized.

The examples above would fit just about any known RPG system. That's the idea. Generalize. A good test for a wish list is to see if the PC type would make an effective multi- class character. It doesn't have to be, but it will help keep your options open.

General Appearance

You should include some, but not necessarily all, of the following:

         * Height
         * Build (light, medium, large, bulky, lanky)
         * Race or skin color
         * Hair (color, style length)
         * Eyes (shape or color) 

Don't include just character weight and height when describing build. In fact, try to avoid it. Use the body type or build instead, as it will tend to be at least, if not more, descriptive than numerical statistics.

Try some of these instead:

         * Tall-Light Athletic
         * Short and Heavy-Set
         * Small-Frail or Petite
         * Waif or Waif-ish

These are all examples of PC physical build descriptors. They tell you more about the character's physical appearance than plain height and weight statistics do.

Armor & Weapons Make the Man/Woman

The way a PC carries him/herself and the type of armor and weapons they choose will tell a little about the character (misdirecting is also effective). Not all fighter types wear chain or heavy metal armor (even if they aren't rangers or barbarians). Not all spell casters use a staff.

Try some of the following ideas:

• Use understated weapons and armor (it will be less offensive/defensive but give you more options).

• Avoid making the long sword/short sword choices or weapons "straight off the rack".

• Add carvings, paint jobs and trinkets to weaponry and armor. Personalize.

• Choose an interesting range weapon.

• Wear weapons that are never/seldom used, to misinform.

By choosing less armor you will most certainly lower your defensive capabilities, but movement and stealth will become more effective. Or maybe you'd rather go the other way and play stealth but accept the penalties for bulking up.

By selecting 'off the rack' weapons and armor you are showing that you are just like everyone else. Dressing up weapons so they are unique may get potential opponents to reconsider or re-evaluate if or how they approach you.

Maybe you are left-handed or a two-handed fighter with weapons stowed not so visibly? A "quick draw" skill comes in handy here because you don't need to have a weapon ready or in your hand.

Using ribbons, medallions, or "favors" on your armor or weapons shows that others (ladies, notables, and political figures) hold you in regard. They might also serve well as a warning that your harm may cause some retribution.

Carvings or 'runes' can be added for decoration or design, though it could lead others to believe differently (possibly a powerful enchantment).

Dress Purposefully

Ask yourself how you want others to visually perceive (or not perceive) your PC.

• Are you dressed in worn old clothes but well groomed?

• Do you wear bright and shiny expensive armor?

• Are you dressed like a rogue but are actually a wizard?

How you dress reveals potentially valuable information to the public or to potential enemies that you'd rather keep secret. So, make use of your clothing to distract, confuse, and mislead.

• If you are wealthy, try dressing down.

• If you are poor, try dressing up.

• Dress like you are an amiable commoner rather than a killing machine.

• Add accessories to enhance your image (jewelry, hats, decorative daggers, buckles, scarves, etc).

Also, once you decide on your class, don't necessarily dress to the text book description or stereotype.

Personal History

Does your PC's family, customs and society influence him/her to a small or large degree?

A personal history will give a basis for the PC's existence.

• Is the family poor, rich or middle of the road?
• Does this affect the PC in anyway?
• Is the family large or small? How does this affect the PC?
• Injuries, training, relationships, a developed code of conduct?

The more detail the better. Constantly build on your character's history, both past and present. This is where the character becomes spontaneous and instinctive. The better you know him, the quicker his/her responses to situations will come to you.

• Poverty: embarrassed about humble family life.
• Wealthy: could be miserly or a big spender to show-off.
• Working Class: learned self-discipline and pride in craftsmanship.
• Only child: spoiled with too much attention or suffered from not enough.
• Small family: well balanced and close knit.
• Large family: self-sufficient from helping bring up siblings, or resentful.
• Large family: worried about inheritance.++
• The PC is physically challenged.

Avoid the "NO" Choices

When building and playing the PC, avoid making the "NO" choices. These are reasons or excuses for the PC not to act or participate in gaming activities or scenes. They are passive choices that make it difficult for everyone involved in game (including the GM) to keep things moving.

Passive choices are actually not the problem...it's how passive they are. Holding an action/initiative or hiding out are passive actions, but they can be constructive in some situations.

The following are some examples of passive "NO" choices:

• The PC is shy, easily embarrassed, and does not communicate well with the party or gaming group.
• The PC does not like, is uncomfortable with, or is very mistrusting of a particular PC or NPC in game.
• The PC has difficulty working with a team due to strong differences (religion, alignment, code, etc.).

"NO" choices can be playable but make the game more difficult. They can be measured by how many are caused difficulty by them:

• Personal effect only
• Affects one PC
• Affects everyone around the character

There are solutions to these kinds of problems, but they tend to be only temporary or short term. A talented GM can overcome them, but your best bet is to avoid them all together.

Identify the PC's Personal Secrets

Dredge through the PC's background and come up with some secrets that make sense.

• Married and has a family (secretive to protect them from many enemies).
• Has other identities (to protect him, or for undercover reasons).
• You have a twin who died.
• You work secretly for a benefactor (who unpopular political stands).
• You have horrible scarring or injuries not readily apparent.
• You have a certain phobia(s) that you keep to yourself.

Your secrets can be simple and seemingly unimportant or very complex and as drastic as you wish. The key is to not share them with anyone in or out of game.

Secrets are great because your GM can make them into interesting plots or subplots, which could add to your enjoyment of the campaign.

Pose several of your ideas to the GM and if she/he is not into it, or chooses not to know, then you still have a great subtext (see Tip 8) to play with.

Subtext - No Means No! Right?

Subtext has to do with the PC's reasoning. It's not what is said or done but what is truly thought or intended. Subtext is "reading between the lines." It's what motivates the PC and the individuals encountered by him/her.

A lie is the simplest example of subtext.

A more complex example is a PC who gets angry and sullen around children--the children feel the anger and fear the PC, not understanding that the PC lost his twin brother at a young age and still grieves and is not actually mad at them personally. The PC's actions are perceived one way while the truth is actually something completely different.

Roleplaying subtext is important when gathering information, bargaining, bluffing, issuing veiled threats, or any activity involved when being tactful or having an ulterior motive.

Here are some examples:

• A smuggler conceals how much he wants an item he is bargaining for to avoid the seller boosting the price.
• A local trader puts on a front and stands up to a tax collector he greatly fears.
• An ambassador is polite and pleasant to a visiting noble he knows to be a spy.
• A nobleman smiles cheerfully and accepts the Queen's request to continue staying at his manor house estate even though there are 100 guests with her and it will cause him to go broke.
• The relationship between Han Solo and Leia behaving as if they don't like each other while all along they both share a mutual interest.
• A assassin puts word out on the street that a feared bounty hunter is in town, but fails to mention that the man/woman has been recently killed by him so that he may keep others busy and out of his business.
• A slicer agrees to a job he wouldn't normally accept due to threats of retribution.

A character rife with subtext is interesting because he/she is not behaving in a way that the PC is actually thinking or feeling. They may behave contrary to their way of thinking, motivation, or ethics, due to outside forces.

A PC lacking subtext will often end up being a cardboard cut-out (having little substance) and seem mechanical or robotic with a flat personality.

Play a Goal

Goal playing is important because it is at the center of what the PC really wants, be it long term in life or only for the moment.

The character's personal history should give some clues to long term goals, while his short term goals will change all the time (in some instances, several times a minute).

The following are long term goals:

• Adventure until having enough money to build a keep.
• Travel to strange new lands, to open trade routes and make clients for the import company you work for.
• Become a Dark Jedi Knight
• Start and run a fencing and fighting salle (school).
• Establish trust with a prison guard so that it can be taken advantage of as a means of escape.

Short Term Goals:

• Get a blaster for a bargain price.
• Distract a mark so your partner can escape unnoticed.
• Chase down the fleeing bad guy on foot.
• Overpower the prison guard and make your escape.
• Hide or conceal oneself to avoid capture.

Short Term Goals are most frequently used in games. It's a great tool to use when you are unsure what action to take. It will, at the least, give you a handle on the PC's motivation.

Ask Why?

This to me is one of the most important things in PC work. "Why?" is an open-ended question. For those of us who have or have had little brothers or sisters growing up, the number one question was WHY? And of course when that was answered, there was a follow up question: WHY? That's why it's open-ended. :)

Ask this question about as many issues and choices about the PC you can come up with.

• The PC chose to be a competitive marksman-WHY?
• The PC became a thief or a lock picker-WHY?
• Selfish - WHY?
• Thrifty - WHY?
• Won't eat meat - WHY?
• Gambles non-stop - WHY?
• Always cracking jokes - WHY?

You've always heard of the Who, Where, Why, What & How. Why? is the most effective. We can always ask why something is the way it is. And that will, of course, lead to another why?

Character Questionnaire

Character questions come in two categories: practical questions (PQs), and inspirational questions (IQs). PQs are the ones that you should answer in advance to keep things going at a decent pace. PQs don't change much from campaign to campaign - or story to story. Some basic PQs are:

• What is your character's name?
• What does he do for a living?
• What does he do in his free time?
• How does he support himself?
• How wealthy is he?
• Who does he know and how well?
• Where does he live?
• What does he own?
• Does he have family?
• Does he have friends or enemies?

IQs make you think about unexpected areas of your character's life, and give you ideas or insight into your character. They're often related to the character's history and can be pretty random. IQs vary from person to person: what inspires one person bores another. A possible suggestion would be to answer at least two IQs that inspire you (ones that make you go "Hey! That gives me an idea...."), and two that do not. The reason for the latter is that sometimes it's the questions that seem totally uninteresting that lead to the most unexpected revelations.

If you're having trouble getting into your character or getting inspired at all, then start with the questions that seem uninteresting first. Answer several until something yields an answer that strikes a chord with you.

The Questions

Since PQs can also function as IQs, we will combine both together. They will, instead, be ordered by topic. There is a lot of random information to be mined here, for exactly the reasons listed above: You don't want to actually answer a hundred questions, but it is good to have a variety from which to choose. If you have to answer the exact same questions for every character you make, it gets a little boring. So pick one to five that sound interesting, and see what they do for you.

Ways to Answer These Questions

You can write a single sentence or you can fill a notebook. You can answer one question a day until you're done with all of them (not something I recommend unless you're going to be working with this character for a long time....) or just pick three out of a hat. You can write your answers in a straightforward fashion, or you can answer in verse or fiction. The best way to pool these together would obviously be a combination of your biography plus any additional character development stories. Feel free to introduce them through squad and division missions as well.

People

Questions about people definitely fall under both the PQ and IQ headings. People are resources for your character (PQ). They're sources of plots and plot hooks (PQ/IQ). They're also where lots of your inspirational material could well come from (IQ). At the heart of every story there is a character--and usually a whole bunch of supporting characters, too. These are the supporting characters in your character's story.

• Who is your character's confidante? Who does he talk to when he's scared? Who does he tell when he's in trouble?
• Who would bail him out if he were arrested?
• Is he married? Does your character have a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancee, "significant other," lover, or several of the above?
• Is he protecting someone? A child, relative, friend? Why does he see himself as their protector?
• Who does he live with? Does he still live with his family? What about housemates or roommates? Are these people his friends? Do they hate each other? Do they avoid each other?
• Who was his first love? Did it work out? Why or why not? Do they still know each other?
• If you were to use the speed dial function on his comlink, who would answer?
• Who does he work with? Is he friends with his squadmates? Bitter rivals?
• Who is his worst enemy? Why?
• Is he a disappointment to anyone, or is someone proud of him for his accomplishments? Why?

Friends

Who are your character's friends? Most people have someone they enjoy spending time with. The world would be a very lonely place without friends; of course, maybe your character is a lonely person.

• What sort of people does your character tend to make friends with? Other people his own age? Co-workers? Neighbors? People he went to college/academy with?
• Where does your character go/what does he do with his friends? Does he go out drinking with them? Who does he have coffee with? Does he go hiking or biking with a club? Do the neighbors invite him over for dinner?
• How deep are the friendships he tends to form? Does he prefer to have a lot of surface-level friendships or a few deep ones?
• How close is he to his friends? How well do they know him? Do they know his hopes and fears? Will they notice if he disappears or comes home with bruises?
• Who is his best friend? Why? What secrets have they shared? What have they gone through together?

Family

Everyone, like it or not, has family. Some people have huge, sprawling families while others have one or two people. Some people love their families and others hate them. Some people don't even know who their families are - only that they must have one out there somewhere, or had one at some time in the past.

• Does he get along with his family? Why or why not?
• What does his family know about him? What secrets does he keep?
• What does he know about his family? What secrets have they kept?
• How big is his family?
• Is it a close family, or spread out and distant?
• Who are his favorite and least favorite relatives? Why?
• Does he have any siblings? What is his relationship with them like? How similar are they?
• Does he have any children? How has having children impacted his life?

Places

Most people have a set of places they tend to frequent - certain restaurants, stores, parks, beaches, cities, and so on. What places does your character like to visit?

• Where does your character hang out? Does he go club-hopping? Does he pick up people at singles' bars? Does he play pool or go bowling? Does he read at the library, go ice-skating? What about the video arcade, the mall, a local college campus, or the park?
• Where does he feel safe? Why?
• What sort of place spooks him? Why?
• Is there any place that he refuses to go? Why? What happened there?
• What is his workplace like? Does he like it? Does his office reflect his personality?
• What is his favorite restaurant? Does he go often enough for them to recognize him?
• When your character travels, what sorts of cities and places does he like to go to? Why?
• When your character goes shopping, which stores does he frequent and why?

Hobbies and Habits

Almost everyone has some interesting hobbies and habits to occupy their time. In particular, a fictional character needs a few good interests and quirks to round her out in order to be compelling. Whether or not these are things you need or wish to put "skill points" or similar things into (in the case of roleplaying game characters) is up to you and your game master (GM); in some cases they may just be colorful background, while other GMs will work interesting abilities into their plots for fun and variety.

• What are your character's hobbies? Candle-making? Gardening? Herbalism? Wood-carving? Floral arrangements? Cooking? Interior decorating?
• Where did she pick up her hobbies? Who taught them to her? Why are they important to her?
• Which ones does she rely on to relax her when she's stressed? Which ones fall by the wayside when she's short on time?
• Does she read for fun? What books does she read? What magazines and newspapers? Does she prefer science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical, mystery, romance, or current events?
• How does she read? Does she take books out of the library or buy whole cases of them? How does she pick which book to read next? Does she have a favorite reviewer? Does she re-read books, and if so, which ones does she read over and over? Where does she read?
• Does she do the crossword puzzle? In pencil or pen?
• Does she read the paper every morning? Which section does she read first? Which doesn't she read at all? What does she do with the paper when she's done with it (compost, trash, recycle, give to a neighbor, line the bird cage)?
• What movies does she watch? Does she go to the theater or watch movies at home? Who's her favorite movie star and why?
• Does she watch television? What's her favorite show? What shows does she hate? What's her favorite channel and why? Who's her favorite TV star?
• What's her taste in music? Does she have a large music library? A small one? Does she listen to the same album over and over or does she hate it when people do that?
• What does she do for exercise? Does she work out at a gym? Does she take long walks or run marathons? Does she have a job that involves physical labor? Is she a couch potato? What does she do when the weather's bad?

Fears and Dreams

These are definite IQ material. Questions about your character's fears and dreams can often be the source of a lot of understanding about what, how and why your character thinks and feels.

• What did your character want to be when she grew up? Did she realize that dream? If not, why not? Does she regret that she never made it, or regret that she did? Does she still have a chance to get there if she didn't?
• What nightmares does she have? When she wakes up screaming in the middle of the night, what does she see?
• What makes her cry? Is it a perfect flower? A song that reminds her of something? The memory of her dead grandmother? Is it a happy, nostalgic thing or a deep, abiding grief? Does she cry a lot, or almost never?
• What makes her laugh? How often does she laugh? Does she have laugh lines? Does she have a good sense of humor? Does she hide it or let it shine?
• What does she wish she could do that she can't? Is there a talent she wishes she had? Is it something she doesn't have the money for? Is it something her species isn't capable of? How badly does she want it and what would she do to get it?
• What is her secret dream? What one goal, ambition, or desire does she keep hidden from everyone? Is it small or large? Personal or global? Realistic or unrealistic? Is she actually trying to accomplish it (and how?), or does she consider it untenable?
• What is her worst fear? What terrifies her? What does she dread? Is it something terribly personal, or a generic phobia? How did she acquire this fear? Is she ashamed of it?

If....

• If he could be any famous person, who would it be and why?
• If he could live in any historical period, which would it be and why?
• If he could change the world in only one way, what would it be?
• If he knew he would die tomorrow, what would he do today?

Past History

A character's present is rooted in his history. His past has shaped and molded him. Look to the past, and you can find many clues about the future.

• Where did your character go to school? This can be grade school, high school, college, home schooling, or whatever.
• What did he study in school? Is it what he wanted to study, or what his parents wanted him to study? Is he glad she studied it, or would he go back and change it if he could, and why?
• Did he particularly love or hate any of his teachers? Which ones and why?
• Was he picked on or bullied? Was he a part of the "in" crowd? Why? How has this affected him?
• What jobs has he had? What does he do for a living now? What part-time or summer jobs did he have while at school? Does he have a "career" or does he have a "job?" How many hours does he work? How much money does he make? Has he particularly loved or hated any of his old jobs? Why?
• What foolish things did he do when he was younger? Did he go through a rebellious phase? Did he keep secrets from his peers or parents? Did he steal things? Did he hurt someone?
• What hurt will he never forgive? What awful thing did soemone do to him, and why can't he forgive them? Is it something comparatively small, such as an off-handed hurtful comment his father made? Is it large, like physical abuse?
• What was his favorite childhood toy? Why? Who gave it to him? Does he still have it? If not, what happened to it? What else did he play with?

Home

This is another category that heavily rides the line between PQ and IQ. Knowing details about how your character lives lends a strong feeling of reality to a game or story. It also gives you the practical details you need to make plots work out.

• What kind of neighborhood does your character live in? Inner city? Suburbs? Rural farmland? Gated community? Does she like it there? Why or why not? Does she feel safe there at night?
• Does she live in an apartment or house? Rent or own? How close are the neighbors? What color is the house? What sort of repair (or disrepair) is it in? Does she have a lawn? A flower garden? An attic or basement? How many stories is the house, and what style? (Ranch? Split-foyer?) Does she have a guest room? Are there lots of windows in her house?
• How has she decorated her home? Used furniture from relatives? Random stuff from an office supply store or mismatched items from your average corner furniture store? Designer items or antiques? Could her place be described as elegant? Ratty? Jumbled? Spartan? Does it have a noticeably ethnic look? What colors prevail?
• What are the walls like? Painted or wallpapered? Color? Postered over? Artsy photos? Nails everywhere? Holes? Frilly curtains on the windows, Venetian blinds or pull-shades?
• Is the house clean? Does it sparkle? Does it smell like cleansers? How big are the dust-bunnies? Is the bathtub rusty? Are the walls mildewed? Does she clean it herself? If not, who does? Are there piles of books and papers everywhere? Is everything neat and organized? Are there spiders in every corner?
• What does her bedroom look like? Is it crowded with boxes? Is it sparkling clean? Is it frilly or spartan, somber or light?

Possessions

It's true--you can tell a lot about a person by what they own. What is important enough to her to spend money on?

• Does your character use a computer? Does he have a fast internet connection? Does he understand encryption and firewalls? What information does he keep on his computer? Is it the latest model with all the frills, or an old piece of junk that takes ten minutes to boot up?
• Does he keep a journal? What sorts of things does he write in it? How often? Where does he keep it? What would he do if someone read it?
• Does he have a calendar or address book? What's in it? How much does it reveal about his life?
• Photo albums? Who does he keep pictures of, and does he show them to anyone? Are these pictures taken by someone else, or did he take them?
• Jewelry? Inherited, received as a gift or bought? Worn or kept in a drawer?
• What one item would he risk his life to protect and keep safe, if any?
• What one item does he wish she didn't have, but feels he must keep anyway? Why?
• How well-furnished is his kitchen? A few rusted old pots and pans, or all the latest expensive kitchenware? Does he actually use it?
• What does he have in his pockets right now?

The Physical Details

• Does your character have birthmarks or scars? How did he get them? What about disfigurements or handicaps?
• Does he have any tattoos? Why? When did he get them? Do they mean anything special to him?
• Does he get sick? How often? What does he tend to come down with, and how well does he handle it?
• Does he have any long-term, chronic, or recurring ailments? Tendonitis? Migraines? Severe allergies? Chronic fatigue syndrome? In what ways do they limit his activities?
• What sort of build does he have? Is he overweight? Underweight? Muscled? Wiry? Dumpy? Pudgy? Angular? Why? Does he resemble his parents or grandparents? If so, which one(s)? What about his siblings?
• Does he take any drugs or medications? If so, which ones and why? Do they work? What effects and side effects do they have?
• Has he ever been admitted to a hospital? Why? What happened?

Personal Touches

• What's your character's sexuality? How certain is he of it?
• Does he have a pet or companion animal? A fierce guard dog? A tiny kitten? Goldfish? Rabbits or birds? A boa constrictor? Mice? A large spider? A monster? A horse?
• What does he like to eat? Gourmet or takeout? Home-cooked food or instant microwaveable dinners? Does he eat more when he's upset? Is he vegetarian or vegan? Does he have odd dietary restrictions? What foods does he hate?
• Where does he vacation, and how often? Does he go skiing every winter? Does he go to quiet yoga retreats twice a year? What about beaches?
• What does he wear? What styles and colors is he partial to? What's his favorite piece of clothing, and why?
• What is his favorite color and why?
• Is he religious or spiritual? Why or why not? What religion?
• What does he like to do for his birthday? Does he usually get to do it or not?
• Does he save money up or spend it like water? What is he saving toward and why? Is he anywhere close to being able to buy it?
• What's his favorite weather? Hot sunny days? Blizzards? A warm rain? What's his favorite climate, or time of day?

Moods and Reactions

• What does she do to relax? Does she watch a movie, read a book, go jogging, surf the web, juggle?
• What is your character like when she's drunk? Mellow? Melancholy? Friendly and fun? Laughs too much? Hits on everyone?
• What is she like when she's grieving or mourning? Is she private with her grief? Quiet and stony? Crying loudly? In need of friends?
• What is she like when she's moody or despondent? Is she self-pitying, irritable, sad?
• What is she like when she's celebrating? Does she have a quiet celebration at home, or does she gather her friends together for a big bash?
• Does she have a mental illness or mood disorder? Is she prone to depression, bouts of mania, anxiety, or other such problems?