|  Author | Topic: Character building suggestions (Read 165 times) |
toxicd
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Karma: 2 |  | Character building suggestions
« Thread Started on Dec 17, 2007, 12:11am » | |
I'm new to the board, but not new to RP. Been going at it for perhaps 8-10 years now. Still, there are things that even I need to polish. I'm talking about character building or character creation. Every now and then people need a little inspiration, a little advice and even a starting point. I know there are brand spanking new players on this board, so I was wondering if perhaps there can be a thread dedicated to help and questions on how to make a character. - Everything from sharing how -you- personally build your chars to professional character creation for those of us who might want to take our little hobby a lot further.
Anyway, here's the thread. I hope I'm within my bounds here, mods. ^_^ I figured I'd offer a little something instead of lurking all the time. (Later I'm going to prepare and post a link to that character list at least one of the mods has already seen. I received it from a professor and it's really helped me out. As well as maybe some other stuff.)
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Playing: Beetlejuice |
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The Psychohippy
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Karma: 10,000 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #1 on Dec 17, 2007, 12:15am » | |
It's quite fine, and really, I think it's a great idea. Go forth! ^^
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Heroes: Auburn Dragmire (LoZ/Slayers), Sarah Chase (human!G1TF), Kaimana (Gargoyles), Wally West/The Flash (DC Comics), Zoe Hu (Batman Beyond)
Villains: Eris - the Goddess of Discord (Sinbad), Taka Kopru (Slayers), Saul Winston (and co.; human!G1TF) |
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Ara
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Karma: 15,000 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #2 on Dec 17, 2007, 12:21am » | |
Oooh, this is indeed a good idea! I'm eager to see what you've got to show us. X3
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Good: Jak, Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang, Link, The Doctor, Maebara Keiichi, Son Goku (DBZ version), Himura Kenshin, James, Terry McGinnis, Genjo Sanzo, Aang, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Henry "Mutt" Jones, Cork, Wander, Wolverine, Zuko, Sinbad, Peter Petrelli
Evil: Errol, The Joker
Temp. Villains: Frieza, Envy, Anti-Cosmo, Azula
Current Count: 26 O.o; |
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toxicd
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Karma: 2 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #3 on Dec 17, 2007, 12:32am » | |
I'll definitely try and show whatever I can dig up, but I'd like to see whatever it is that players on this board might know that I don't also. ^^
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Playing: Beetlejuice |
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toxicd
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Karma: 2 | | Creating a Character - Questionaire
« Reply #4 on Dec 17, 2007, 12:44am » | |
Okay. Here's the first thing I've got in my arsenal, saved from my Conceptual Illustration class at SCAD. This thing takes a good long time, but by the time you can answer all of this, your character is pretty well fleshed-out.
Creating Your Character
The Character Physically
1. What is the character’s stature and build? Are they overweight or lean? What is their height and weight?
2. How old are they?
3. Describe their posture; is it good? Do they carry themselves well? Are they crooked, straight, or handicapped?
4. Are they in good shape or out of condition? Are they muscular, weak, or strong? Any special abilities or super powers?
5. How is their health? Any illnesses or conditions?
6. Are they physically active or sedentary? A fast or slow mover?
7. Are they clumsy, awkward, or graceful when they move, walk, or run?
8. Would you describe the character as good looking, pretty, beautiful, average, plain, ugly, disfigured?
9. How does the character regard their physicality? Are they proud, ashamed?
10. Describe their complexion and skin. Dark, light, clear, marked, tattooed, branded?
11. Describe their hair, coloring, styling. Is great care taken in upkeep, or disregarded as a nuisance?
12. How is their dexterity? Do they have good hands? Can they manipulate and create or repair?
13. Is he physically tense or relaxed, nervous, controlled?
14. What part of their body would you notice first?
15. How is their eyesight? Wear glasses, blind, going blind? Color?
The Character’s Clothes
1. How many clothes does this character have?
2. What kinds of items are in their wardrobe?
3. Do they have favorite articles of clothing?
4. What colors are their clothes, is there a wide range? Bright or dull? What are their favorite colors to wear?
5. Are their clothes old or new?
6. Were they bought or homemade, hand-me-downs, expensive tailored-made?
7. Is your character at home in their clothes or uncomfortable?
8. Does your character care for their clothes, kept up and neat, do they worry about how they look?
9. Does your character have to dress a certain way because of his job or position? Is it a uniform? If so, do the clothes fit their real, basic character, or are the clothes worn as a symbol or mask?
10. Do they dress according to a self-image of themselves? Is this self-image conscious or unconscious? At what age was this self-image set, and what circumstances dictated the image?
11. Discuss adornments, jewelry, or trophies that your character might wear. Are there tattoos, piercing, brandings, or ritualistic scarring, and what were the events, rituals, or circumstances that lead your character to having them.
12. What kind of underwear does your character wear?
The Character’s Voice
1. Does your character speak in a high or low pitch?
2. Are they a loud or soft talker?
3. Is there a wide range in the voice in volume, pitch, quality, or is the voice consistent and even?
4. Is there good resonance to the voice? Is the voice throaty, chesty, heady, or nasal?
5. Is there tension in the voice? Anxiety? Emotion?
6. Is there an accent? Anything unusual in pronunciation? Emphasis? Phrasing?
7. Is it a trained voice or just natural? Does the character “try” to speak well or just “however it comes out”?
8. Is the speech clear or muddy? Do they mumble? Are they distinct?
9. Is the voice comforting or irritating? Reassuring or disturbing? Are they self-conscious when they speak to others? How large a group could they speak to before they become self-conscious?
10. What is the first thought one might have after hearing your character speak?
The Character’s Mind
1. Would you describe the character as smart, dumb, or naïve?
2. Do they think quickly? Slowly? Are they quick-witted? Dull?
3. What kind of education do they have?
4. Does the character possess a knowledge or expertise in a particular field?
5. Is the character impulsive or deliberate in reaching conclusions? Would you describe them as being logical, rational, or emotional?
6. Do they think things out before they speak or blurt out the first thought?
7. Do they contemplative times? What occupies their mind when alone?
8. Would they be considered an idealist? A pragmatist? A dreamer? An idea person? An action person?
9. Are they motivated chiefly by abstract ideals or practical rewards?
10. Can your character tell a joke?
The Character’s Emotions and Personality
1. Is your character an introvert or an extrovert?
2. Do they get along well with people? Do they have charm or charisma? Are people naturally attracted to them?
3. Do they have many friends? Any close friends?
4. Would you describe your character as hot-blooded or cool headed?
5. Do they have a narrow or wide range of emotions? Do they show, or are the emotions concealed? Why?
6. Do they indulge in emotional peaks, outbursts, or valleys? Often?
7. Would you describe them as sensitive or callused?
8. Is your character suspicious, cautions, trusting, or oblivious about people or situations?
9. Are they an aggressive or reactive person? Act or react?
10. Do they typically take positive or negative action?
11. In a dangerous or emergency situation, would they go toward the situation or run away?
12. Is the character basically nervous or calm?
13. Does the character have a sense of humor? Do they appreciate jokes? Can he see humor in any situation? Can they laugh at themselves?
14. Do others find them amusing? Are they a practical joker? What do they think about tricks or jokes played on other people?
15. Is their humor ever cruel?
16. Are there any conditions that would cause them to be harmful, mean, or cruel to another person?
17. Are they a loving person? Are they capable of relating to one specific person in a romantic way?
18. Is the character loved by any other person, in what way?
19. Is the character romantically in love now? With whom? Is this a happy, rewarding or frustrating situation for them?
The Character’s Wealth, Power, and Influence.
1. Does this person have much money? Does it provide position or respect from others for him?
2. Is your character generous or selfish with their money and possessions?
3. Is the character socially prominent? Are they prominent from wealth, position, office, family history, ability or accomplishment?
4. Does the character rate high in the “pecking order” within their own household? Town? Area? Nation? World?
5. Does this person wield much clout? Over whom and by what means?
6. Can they command others to do their bidding, by word or manipulation?
7. How do they get their desires?
8. To whom are they subservient? Is this submission willing or unavoidable?
The Character’s Activities
1. How does the character spend their time?
2. What does their daily routine consist of?
3. What is their profession or work?
4. What things do they really like to do?
5. What things do they hate to do?
6. What are their leisure time activities? Pastimes? Recreation?
7. Do they play games? What kind?
8. Do they like to eat or drink? Does this figure largely in their lives? How important is it?
9. How important is sex to them? What sexual activities do they partake in? Anything unusual or what you would consider deviant?
10. Is sex a rewarding, enriching area of this person’s life or is it frightening, anxious, or frustrating? Is sex a positive or negative factor in their life?
The Character’s Favorite Things
1. Colors?
2. Food?
3. Drinks?
4. Smells?
5. Time of day?
6. Season of the year?
7. Books?
8. Kinds of literature?
9. Authors?
10. Places to visit?
11. Kinds of music?
12. Musical instruments?
13. Composers?
14. Metals; gold, iron, copper, pewter, etc.?
15. Building materials; stone, wood, clay, tile, etc.?
16. Fabrics; silk, wool, linen, etc.?
17. Pieces of furniture?
18. Plants?
19. Flowers?
20. Trees?
21. Birds?
22. Animals?
23. Fairy-tale?
Character’s Fears
1. What things frighten your character?
2. Are they motivated by fear?
3. Wow ha extent are they motivated by fear; never, occasionally, usually, constantly?
4. What would this character think were the three most terrible things that could happen to them?
5. What would they think were the three most wonderful things that could happen to them?
6. What is the one thing that your character would never want anyone else to find about him or herself? What are they hiding?
The Character’s Religion
1. What are their specific religious beliefs? Do they belong to a specific sect or creed? Do they advocate that group’s beliefs?
2. How important is religion to your character?
3. Are they pious, devout?
4. In what religious activities or rituals do they engage? What percentage of their time is devoted to it?
5. How does religion motivate their actions or affect them?
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Playing: Beetlejuice |
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Ara
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I'm just not the hero type. Clearly.
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Karma: 15,000 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #5 on Dec 17, 2007, 12:53am » | |
Oooooooooh this... This is AWESOME. I'm gonna have to save this somewhere, and re-read it when I create characters. o.o
Haha as for me, what helps me most uh develop characters, is not only write for them where they exist in story, but I literally have conversations with them in my head, or type up random encounters they might have with someone else... That, and in writing, I'll let their thoughts wander out onto the page. I sorta let myself see them as people separate from me, and I'm just their means of coming to be in this reality. XD; Well, not really THIS reality, per se... Hm, scattered thoughts. OH WELL!
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Good: Jak, Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang, Link, The Doctor, Maebara Keiichi, Son Goku (DBZ version), Himura Kenshin, James, Terry McGinnis, Genjo Sanzo, Aang, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Henry "Mutt" Jones, Cork, Wander, Wolverine, Zuko, Sinbad, Peter Petrelli
Evil: Errol, The Joker
Temp. Villains: Frieza, Envy, Anti-Cosmo, Azula
Current Count: 26 O.o; |
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toxicd
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Joined: Dec 2007
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Karma: 2 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #6 on Dec 17, 2007, 1:00am » | |
I really agree with you there, Ala. I see them as separate people too... who just happen to share a few traits with me. <.< I've created soooo many characters who I would clash with big in real-life.
Yea, this thing is pretty awesome. Thanks. I hope it helps people and doesn't overwhelm them too much. Hehe. I know I was thrilled when my prof. handed this over - along with another stack that, I sadly, don't have now and will end up having to scan later. I was also a little intimidated by the sheer amount of questions, but it was very helpful. ^^
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Playing: Beetlejuice |
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Ara
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I'm just not the hero type. Clearly.
Joined: Nov 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,310
Location: Oooohio
Karma: 15,000 | | Re: Character building suggestions
« Reply #7 on Dec 17, 2007, 1:04am » | |
Heck yes, hahaha half my characters would probably kill me... Or each other, if they were to meet in real life. O.o If I didn't go after them first for being such bad people, haha. Then again, they'd probably all be able to off me before I had a chance... Well. Some of 'em. Hm.
But yeah, there may be a lot of questions there, but it's crazy helpful. If you can get so far into your character's mind that you can announce what their favorite color is AND what underwear they're wearing, I think you're set to start writin' for 'em. XD
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Good: Jak, Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang, Link, The Doctor, Maebara Keiichi, Son Goku (DBZ version), Himura Kenshin, James, Terry McGinnis, Genjo Sanzo, Aang, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Henry "Mutt" Jones, Cork, Wander, Wolverine, Zuko, Sinbad, Peter Petrelli
Evil: Errol, The Joker
Temp. Villains: Frieza, Envy, Anti-Cosmo, Azula
Current Count: 26 O.o; |
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toxicd
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Kiss me, I'm dead!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 26
Karma: 2 | | |
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