I’ve been putting some thoughts in to how to create a well-rounded character, so here are a few things I’ve come up with. It’s a little long, so I’ve put it under the cut.

Before you begin, all of these questions might seem a little intimidating. Understand that if you don’t want to, you don’t need to write them down or answer every question. Just going over the answers in your mind can at least get you started thinking more deeply.

There are, however, a few essential questions you need to answer:

What is your character’s overall goal? Wealth, fame, power, treasure, personal growth, etc.

What is your goal as a player? What are you bringing to the table?

What is the party’s overall goal? How are you going to help or hinder that?

A few tips before you get started:

The trick to making an interesting, well-rounded character is to make an interesting person.While a a gimmicky character might be amusing, the gag will lose its appeal pretty quickly and if you haven’t built a full person around your gag, you’ll end up with a boring two-dimensional stick figure. Another thing to remember is while it’s great to explore the types of lives you’ve never led, be careful and sensitive when trying to express life as something you’re not. It could be very hard for someone who is not or has been very close to a homosexual person, for example, to play one with respect and decency. If that’s something you’d like to explore, take the time to research and listen to the stories of those who have lived through it, and very seriously consider your reasons for wanting to express your character in a way that you’re unfamiliar with. Race, culture, disability, gender, and sexuality are not jokes, and not funny quirks. Don’t be a dick.

On the subject of research: do it. Ten minutes of Google-fu will do you better than none. Research your weapons and armor and how they’re used, or learn more about the gods your character worships. If your character has children or is a child, you should know what stage of typical development they are at and what they’re capable of (this is a very, very common mistake I’ve seen – people playing 8 year olds acting like toddlers, or very young babies walking). If you’re playing from a book take the time to really read and understand all the material offered to you from the system, and if you’re feeling ambitious look up extra source material as well.

Go in to your character building with a solid foundation and they’ll come out as much more interesting.

– Name Is their name common or unusual and how does this affect them growing up? Does it connect to their history? Were they named after someone they’re expected to live up to? Do they use the name given to them at birth or have they changed it? Do their family/close friends use a nickname? Is there a nickname given to them by others? It is flattering or unkind? How do they react when they’re called by their nickname or their birth name by a friend versus a stranger? Do they like their name or hate it? Does their family name have meaning? Would introducing yourself create a reaction to someone you just met?

– Statistics. This is easy if you’re making a character for a game, but if you’re not, consider creating some. The most statistics are: intelligence, wisdom, charisma, stamina/constitution, dexterity. Give each statistic a score (say 5/10) and remember that no one is good at everything. Consider not only what stats your character would find most useful (a professor would have high intelligence or a gymnast high dexterity), but how these statistics present themselves. I played a character who was physically quite cute, but had a tendency to speak loudly non-stop, interrupting people, and getting into their business. These aren’t always useful or attractive personality traits, so low charisma made sense. Does your character like to show off how they can bend over backwards or do they grumble and complain about having to carry something heavy, preferring to lay on a couch reading all day? How does an increase in statistics over time present itself? What did they do to learn that skill and how did they feel about it?

– Alignment is also a handy tool. Here’s a good primer on alignments. This is great for deciding what a character would do in a given situation. Would they break the law under certain circumstances or follow their moral code to the end? Do they start out with one alignment and slowly shift to another over the course of the story, or are they consistent with their choices? How do they react to people whose alignment opposes theirs? What about those who share it? Do they derive their moral code from an established source, like a holy text or religious leaders, or do they develop it on their own? Good and evil characters all have boundaries, like an assassin who refuses to kill children. What are those boundaries, and would that character cross them if pushed?

– Appearance Consider not only the physical characteristics of the character but that character’s perception of themselves. Are they confident, wearing flashy or revealing clothing, or are they uncomfortable and hide their shape? Perhaps the character is very particular about their appearance, constantly trimming their nails or fixing their hair, or they don’t really have time for that sort of thing and always have bed-hair and stains on their shirts. Do they have a favourite colour or style, or perhaps an item of clothing or accessory they can’t be without? Have they changed their appearance? Perhaps the character was flashy and fashion-forward in their youth but have mellowed into more conservative clothing later in life. Other things to consider: tattoos, birthmarks, scars, or other physical limitations (a bad knee, missing body parts etc).

Physicality How do they use their bodies? Do they take up a lot of space, gesturing wildly? Do they cower when someone else raises their voice, or are they the loud ones? Are they proud of their physical prowess or do they shy from exercise? Are they graceful, sliding from room to room, or so clumsy they trip over their own feet? Do they talk with their hands, or keep their bodies closed? Body language is a major part of communication, think about how your body expresses that.

– Family Relations All characters don’t need to have tragic or terrible backstories, even families that get along well and love each other still have complex relationships. Perhaps your character has a sibling that knows just how to set them off, or a step-parent they just can’t relate to. Family relations can be a great motivator for a character, someone who grew up in a happy, well-adjusted home may be motivated to work with children to give them the same opportunity; or someone from a neglectful home may create their own chosen family from a group of friends. Does the character’s relationship with their family change? Maybe they finally understand their parents once they reach adulthood, or drift apart after a clash of lifestyle choices. If there are deaths in the family, consider not only your character, but how other family members would react. Maybe dad never gets over losing his son, or feels a guilty relief for not having to take care of his ailing parent. Family trees can make tracking these things handy.

– Personal Goals What drives the character? Are they simply coasting through life or do they have plans? Is there a general idea of what they want or are they still working that out for themselves? Do they need help achieving their goals? Are other people getting in their way, or do they need a few patsies to achieve it? Are they living the life that’s expected of them, or are they breaking from tradition? Maybe they’re trying to bring back an older way of life, or smash barriers and move society forward.Do they allow those goals to be dictated by society or religion, or are they creating their own path, or somewhere in between?

– Opinions – Everyone’s got one. Consider how the character feels about: government, religion, children and parenting, animals, human/animal rights, social justice or reform, crime and punishment, authority, and death. Remember that these opinions don’t need to mirror your own, it can be an interesting intellectual challenge to try and consider how someone with an opposing viewpoint would view a situation. Are they deep thinkers, constantly reconsidering their position, or staunch believers whose ideas don’t change? How easily influenced are they by the opinions of others? Does the opinion of an authority figure hold more or less weight?

– Gender and Sexuality What are the social conventions in your world regarding gender and sexuality? Is there a “norm” society expects of its members, and does your character match or deviate from that norm? Is your character’s gender and sexuality fluid, or immovable? What would the character do if they started falling for someone outside their usual tastes? Are they sexually or romantically motivated at all*? Are there ways of presenting (clothing, accessories, social positions) gender and sexuality openly, and does your character conform to these presentations? Do certain genders or sexualities suffer injustices currently, or in the past? Has society changed its views, and which view does your character support? Are they even aware of these issues or do they just not give it much though? Do they benefit or suffer because of society’s views?

* asexual/aromantic is a valid option

– Race and Class How does your character’s race affect their personality or social status? How do they feel about other races? What are the benefits and/or drawbacks of the race (this is thinking more in terms of fantasy/sci-fi games with strange alien races, but consider it in modern or realistic settings as well)? Do they participate in the culture of their race or class or do they try to distance themselves from their origins? Your class is the type of skillset your character possesses, in a fantasy setting, you might be a rogue or a wizard. In a modern setting, you could consider your class as either your job (doctor, taxi driver) or your general archetype (supermom, over-achieving student). Why did your character develop these skills, was it intentional or did they just pick it up? Are they following in the family business, or going against their parents’ wishes? Did they seek out the skills for a goal (learning to fight to avenge a death) or do they just have a fascination with the knowledge? Was it just what was expected of them, or is it what they really want to be doing? If they want to learn other skills, why are or aren’t they? Does their class affect their social status? Do they fight against the social stigma or embrace it?

Feel free to comment if you think of any more to add.

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