Straight-Up Heroes, and how to make them work
Just a few opinions on what works for me.
* It's okay to be a shiny hero in a gray world, but don't put in too many situations where their scruples are the only things standing in the way of victory. That just gets frustrating.
* Make them work hard for their victories, but let them have their moments of triumph. People who think "and in the end, all your effort was for naught. Mua-ha-ha!" endings are Deep and Philosophical probably don't like paladin-type protagonists anyway.
* Being brave, kind, and morally scrupulous doesn't make a character boring, but these three traits aren't a substitute for a full personality. Flesh them out just as much as the antiheroes and tragic villains. Fewer inner demons does not mean no inner life.
* You can give them inner demons, but be careful. Turning a likeable paladin type into an an angry jerk or ineffectual moper will not make them "deep." It's a delicate balance to convey that a character is genuinely troubled by things while still running around volunteering at the soup kitchen, telling dad jokes, and slaying demons.
* Embrace the squareness. A character doesn't need to be a cool person to be interesting or fun. Heroic dorks have their own kind of charm.
* It's okay to be a shiny hero in a gray world, but don't put in too many situations where their scruples are the only things standing in the way of victory. That just gets frustrating.
* Make them work hard for their victories, but let them have their moments of triumph. People who think "and in the end, all your effort was for naught. Mua-ha-ha!" endings are Deep and Philosophical probably don't like paladin-type protagonists anyway.
* Being brave, kind, and morally scrupulous doesn't make a character boring, but these three traits aren't a substitute for a full personality. Flesh them out just as much as the antiheroes and tragic villains. Fewer inner demons does not mean no inner life.
* You can give them inner demons, but be careful. Turning a likeable paladin type into an an angry jerk or ineffectual moper will not make them "deep." It's a delicate balance to convey that a character is genuinely troubled by things while still running around volunteering at the soup kitchen, telling dad jokes, and slaying demons.
* Embrace the squareness. A character doesn't need to be a cool person to be interesting or fun. Heroic dorks have their own kind of charm.