More RP resources.
To help some of our lovelies in the game with character creation and development, and to help some people in one of my new RL D&D groups, I've created a character creation and early development guide, which I may expand on later, but here's what I have thus far. Hopefully, this will be some form of help to someone, please feel free to comment, and thank you whatever time you spend reading/using it.
DECIDING ON A CHARACTER FOR AN RP SETTING
Sometimes it's difficult to come up with a new character when starting a new Roleplay Session. Sometimes it's because you're the person that's new to RP and it can seem overwhelming. Sometimes you're just new to this particular setting, or the setting itself is so abstract to you that you can't think of a character to put in it. Sometimes you're at the other end of the spectrum: you've played so many different characters, you have no idea what to do next! Whatever your case may be, here's some hints to help you create, and plot a course for your character in the RP setting you've chosen, and hopefully have fun doing it. Afterall, no one should be troubled or left in dismay about creating a character for RP, it's all *about* the fun. Enjoy!
1-Visualize the setting: If you're fortunate enough to know the setting of the world from your DM or GM (Dungeon Master/Game Master) or MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), and you're not just being dropped into an unknown setting, you're already a step ahead. If you know something about the setting or world you're trying to step into, often that will help you extensively in coming up with something you'd like to be IN the setting. While there are the rare players that like to create a character that has no idea where/when/what they are and just wander into the game looking and acting like someone that is completely alien to everything and everyone, most like to have some sense of actually belonging in the setting in some way. That's actually a huge part of creating your character. Your given RP setting will have classes, races, or at least a general group or type of sentient beings, and you've got to be one of them. Yet, you must still have a character that feels original that you enjoy playing. Learn some background. No one wants an RP session to feel like 'homework', it's supposed to be fun, so as you start to reading, remember that most RP settings are pretty interesting to read on some level. Maybe you'll enjoy reading all the background on your setting. You won't know until you open the literature on it. You might find out it's a fun read for you, or maybe just part of it will seem interesting, so read up on that! If you are in a setting with a GM or DM, and they're willing to speak to you about the setting, ask them about the setting. Tell them you're trying to visualize the setting to create a character you're going to enjoy. Most GM's or DM's or veteran RP players can (and will) help. Once you have a good feel for the setting, proceed to one of the next steps...
2-Visualize the character: Once you have the setting in your head, you can think about the most enjoyable part of what you've learned, a part of the setting that really interested you, even if it's the smallest sliver of the overall world... expound on that. Maybe you're in a fantasy/midevil setting, and you read or heard that a particular order of knights are prominant/successful in the area, maybe that idea just really stuck with you for some reason. Depending on what 'level' you are entering the RP session at, make a character that is (or is wanting to be) one of those knights! Maybe all the characters in the setting are supposed to be part of the same military unit. Was there a character in a military-esque unit from a book or a movie or a tv series that you always admired or were interested in? Make a character with those qualities, or fills that role in the unit. Begin with just imagining the character, usually you realize very quickly what sex you want the character to be. Then it's not long after that that one of the races in your setting appeals to you. Then a general personality comes to light, and this is perhaps the most important development in visualizing. Your character's personality will be it's shining quality. Maybe you want to be the stressed out medic that barely sleeps and fears losing the next patient, or maybe you want to be the 'runt of the litter' in a pack of werewolves, always defensive and trying to match up. Maybe you're the defective robot in the sci-fi adventure... the possibilities are endless, and only limited by the features of the available races and classes of your particular setting.
3-'Rolling' the character: Once you've visualized the physical look and emotional aspects of the character, you can 'roll' the character. This, in whatever system you're in, is basically creating the stats or choosing the numerical build of your character that will effect the mechanics of the game such as combat, attempting to create things, etc. Try to make the numbers/build match what you've visualized for your character's look and emotional set. For instance, the medic we mentioned earlier: he/she is obsessive about their job and paranoid that they will fail/lose patients. Likely they should be high on scores involving intellect and their medical skills, but low on constitution as they never sleep well and get fatigued easy. Most really experienced RP'ers (especially in tabletop RP's) will tell you the numbers or build you use to make the character is actually the minor part. The fun of role-playing is supposed to be in playing the role of the character, not making sure they have all the stats needed to 'pown' everyone and never die and never fail. I once had a fantastic time playing a Cleric in D&D *AFTER* the Cleric lost an arm to a troll. Playing a one-armed Cleric was wonderfully challenging, and charging into combat alongside the other players with that handicap, somehow coming out alive and actually still helping them, earned the admiration and respect of everyone at the D&D table. Some players find the game more interesting to actually have low stats or a definitive weak point they have to deal with on a regular basis, and they have a blast role-playing it. Whatever you decide, when rolling your character, just remember the most important thing is playing the role, not having high numbers or the most powerful build/character you can.
4-The story of you: So you've visualized the character, you've created them 'on paper' as far as stats and build... now what? Well, *why* is your character all this that you've made them? Sentient beings are what they are for a reason: their past and where they came from. So what made YOU in this setting? What made your character who and what they are? Time for a story. Some players lay down an extensive background story, writing pages of history on their characters, some just make a short summary, a paragraph or less. Some just keep it in their head and tell the story to the DM/GM or whomever may ask along the way. Whatever you choose, here's something to remember: Your character's history can (and often will) be played upon, either by you or your GM/DM. If your character is physically hideous due to being burned in a fire (and your stats/build should reflect that), then the first time your party/adventuring group encounters a fire-using enemy, guess what? You're scared, very scared, or maybe you lock up completely and can do nothing. Maybe you go into a rage! Sometimes the things in your backstory are a good thing, like your character has strived since very young to invent something incredible, and somewhere during your adventure, you finally succeed! In your backstory you write that you're looking for a long-lost family treasure, maybe someday during the course of playing with your RP group, your GM/DM will have the characters quest with you and you find that treasure! The key elements in your character's 'backstory' or history will very often be the reasons for why your character does what they do, act how they act, or even go where they go. It can effect your character's reactions to things in combat, important decisions, choice of what they buy, many different things... so be creative here. Have fun creating these things, and write your character's backstory with the *future* in mind!
5- The fine points: Well, you've come this far, you may as well hit some finishing touches. Traits, quirks, habits- these things can really define a character and make them fun to play, and fun for the people you RP with. Some of these may be part of your character's history, the rest you'll need to come up with. The little things can mean so much. Maybe your character gets hiccups when they spend money. Maybe they play with the safety switch of their gun in social settings. Maybe they flirt too much. Maybe they're 'too quiet'. Maybe they always crack jokes when confronted. A good helping of 'the little things' can really make a character memorable, fun, and original. This is another thing that can effect the game directly, and make things exciting. For instance, the character that just has to crack a joke when confronted might actually anger the town guard enough that he loses his temper and attacks, when normally he would not have! Or maybe you're the SWAT sniper who just has to scream "BOOM, HEADSHOT!!!" every time he indeed gets a critical hit... but unfortunately your SWAT team was *trying* to be stealthy (don't bother with a silencer for this guy). Just like your backstory/history, this is another area of your character creation to give some good thought to, because even these little things can cause excitement and roleplay challenges during the game.
6- Catch or release: So, you're done. Now, sit back and take a good long look at what you've 'reeled in'. Is it the 'keeper' you were looking for, or... maybe not? Usually if you've taken all the considerations above, and really had fun making the character, you've created something you're really going to enjoy. However, it's your character, and your involvement. If you've gone through all the motions and the character you've created still does not seem to 'fit' with you, even before you've tried it... get rid of it! Or, save it, maybe it will work better at a latter date or in a different setting. Make a new one, start over! Maybe now that you've gotten the swing of making a character (or in the case of you RP vets out there, gotten *back* into the swing), the next one you make will be 'the one'. I'm not telling you all this to inspire you to dump the character you've just made or cause you to second-guess yourself into dumping a perfectly good character before you even try to roleplay it. This bit is about helping you realize you can keep it or throw it back. It's your character, and your intention to adventure. Never feel 'stuck' with a character. Some players actually make several characters before starting RP in the new setting, then reflect on all finished pieces of work and decide on the one they think will be the most fun. Most keep the first character they make and just start playing, deciding along the way if they like the character or not. No matter what you decide, it's *your* character. It's yours to do with as you please. However, do your DM/GM and fellow players a favor: don't switch characters too frequently. In long campaigns or close parties/guilds/adventuring groups, the characters become close and intertwined in the story and the greater scheme of things. It can become a mess for everyone (especially the DM/GM) if one of the players yanks their persona out and introduces a new one too many times in the same setting. Give the character you've dropped into the setting time to bloom. The purpose is to have fun. If you've gone several sessions and the fun of the character does not remain persistant or loses (and never regains) it's fun, talk to the GM/DM and even the other players. Maybe the fun can be brought back, or maybe it's time for a new character. Hopefully the steps above will make it so you can take this character through months, or even years in the same RP setting or RP group, and be all the fun you were hoping for. Fun, afterall, is what it's supposed to be about!
Enjoy!
Thank you for reading, I hope this helps someone in some way.
*bows very classically and gracefully, smiles warmly and wishes you well*
-Miss/Girl/Captain Lesanne Straaf