Things to consider when creating a character
30 May 2011 3 Comments
The first rule of character creation: less is more.
The simpler you keep everything for your character, the more the GM can play with it and help it to develop later. I’m not saying you shouldn’t put thought or time into a backstory, but it’s important that you don’t fill in all the blanks, and leave something for your GM to take some ownership of. Surprises are fun, surprises are what make a game! If you fill the holes with concrete, there won’t be anything left for your GM to do.
When creating a character, I find that this really helps:
Step 1: Determine the basics.
-What is your character’s passion? (ex: What does he/she want from life? What is their main desire? To be loved? To be feared? This should be a state of being rather than a position or occupation, such as ‘to be a king.’)
-Why does your character desire this passion? (Choose between 1 and 3 good reasons for why your character desires the state of being you have chosen. Ex: Your character’s passion could be “to be respected.” Why? Because he wants to be a king? Because he wants to get closer to his sister who doesn’t respect him? The possibilities are endless. This is where the more “material” wants come into play.)
-What is your character’s virtue? (Is there a trait that redeems your character? Something that makes him or her stand out as an individual? For example, a virtue can be something such as honesty.)
-What is your character’s flaw? (This flaw should not be material. Ex: ‘a scar over his right eye’ is not the kind of flaw we’re looking for. We want something that’s a character flaw – something as obvious as greed or as unexpected as being naïve.)
Step 2: Think a little more.
-What are the origins of the passion, desires, virtue, and flaw? (Now is the time to consider a little bit of back story. Remember though: simplicity is the key to creating a character that can grow. Don’t lock yourself too tightly into anything – remember that a character is a shared entity between you and your GM!)
-Time to prompt your brain! (I call these ‘one word wonders.’ It’s amazing what kind of thoughts or ideas a single word can prompt. Consider these when you’re fleshing out background.)
-Name? -Fears? -Adulthood? -Kids? -Triumphs?
-Age? -Pets? -Favorites? -Hates? -Failures?
-Race? -Friends? -Dislikes? -Antics? -Food?
-Family? -Birthmarks? -Relationships? -Habits? -Games?
-Education? -Scars? -Hobbies? -Peeves? -Inspiration?
-Hopes? -Youth? -Skills? -Motivations? -Idols?
These are simply suggestions and guidelines, but they have definitely helped me with my creations in the past (both for characters and for NPCs)! Hopefully you can find something in here that will help you! Everyone enjoy your holiday, and for those of you who are remembering lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you.
Player & GM Relationship – aka, Raising a Healthy Character
25 May 2011 2 Comments
When I first started playing D&D some 13 years ago, I played with my friend and her brother (who was our GM), and once or twice with my sister in the group as well. Now, although this GM had some good ideas and my friend and I enjoyed our interactions, he had a misconception about what D&D was. To me, it was a method of playing in and creating a story in tandem with players and my game master. To him, it was a competition. Survival of the fittest. He threw every nasty critter and trap he could at us until we were dead, dead, dead. We never stood a chance, never had a prayer.
Where the hell is the fun in that?
I am not suggesting that you take the fear or threat of death away from your players (and believe me, I have been guilty of that because I am too nice and I just don’t like killing people. Doesn’t fit with my “nice girl” image). That fear should always be there, because that prevents players from doing a few things: a) taking advantage of you, b) ignoring wishes of the other players and bringing them ALL heedlessly into danger, and c) doing something outright stupid.
…ok, well, sometimes the threat of death doesn’t even stop those things outright (just ask my friend Kristie about a certain red mage), but it at least helps most of the time! At least, we can all hope. At any rate, we must never forget – as players or as GMs – that role playing is really meant to be an effort made in tandem. The GM supplies the motion to the story, as well as the general outline, while the players bring in the real “meat and potatoes” of the story – the characters, the strife, and the triumph.
To create a character that works well for the story, I suggest that players sit down with their GMs before hand. GMs, make some time for your players and hear them out. Often just by listening to them tell you about their character ideas, you will get ideas for your game. When writing a backstory for a character, leave lots of holes and opportunities for your GM to interject NPCs or plot twists. Remember, while it’s good to be a little bit thorough about your origins, you don’t want to lock the GM in or out of something because you could potentially miss something really cool. And GMs, if a player doesn’t fit quite the mold you had in mind for the game, talk to them about it! Tell them what your game entails, communicate, and maybe work together to change some details and find a common ground that is happy for both of you. Don’t try to shove your players into a box to suit your needs, because both of you will end up being miserable.
In my next post this week, I’ll include a list of questions I think it’s helpful for GMs and Players to ask each other/themselves. In the mean time, remember that communication via player and GM is the most important thing for a happy game!
-Kristy
Life Sometimes Gets in the Way
18 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Ramblings
To my readers (all 10 of you, lol),
As some of you know, life kinda threw me a curveball a few weeks ago when I received word that my mother was diagnosed with stage 1 thyroid cancer. I am happy to report that they removed the thyroid and, although she is extremely tired due to not having started her regulation medication yet, she is doing well and they believe she will be just fine. We just need to get through 10 days of an iodine free diet (EVERYTHING has iodine in it, eesh!) and one more nuclear scan. So, fingers crossed!
I received an email from a shoulder demon the other day. It read:
