Welcome back to the second article in this series that aims to explore creativity and its importance in role-playing games.
As discussed previously in the series, role-playing games offer so much more than just a set of rules on how to play. They open up a fantastic world where imaginations are the driving force behind the play. This article aims to explore some of the people and the importance they play. We’ll look at what makes a character special, how players can breathe life into them, and how these characters can drastically alter the narrative on their own.
Character Origins
Creating a character can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming – I know it is for me! With so many options and play-styles that look enjoyable, how do you know which one is the right fit and one that you can get the most out of playing?
One option I like is choosing a familiar character you enjoy from another source – a favourite book or movie is a great place to start. Pick one of the main characters and think to yourself – how would you build that character within your game? What class would they be? What sub-class option fits them best?
Choosing a starting point like this for your character is great to provide a start, but here is where things can get really fun. What if you were to change something about that character to be the complete opposite? Take Jon Snow from the popular series Game of Thrones. His original personality is that of one bound by duty and honour, stoic and reserved, honour bound almost to a fault. Imagine a similar character but instead is charismatic and politically driven. This version of Jon Snow sees lineage as power and aims to use his family to gain whatever power he can.
A similar exercise can be applied to some of the classic character tropes of the genre. If you are finding it hard to break away from the standard character themes, try some of these as inspiration:
- The Street-Wise Druid: Lives in the heart of a city and believes civilization is nature evolving. Talks to rats and pigeons instead of wolves and bears.
- The Fun Loving Rogue: Loves people, cracks jokes, steals not for need or vengeance but for the thrill or artistry of it.
- The Disillusioned Paladin: Still follows their god, but believes the church is corrupt and chooses to interpret the divine teachings personally, even if it means breaking laws or defying orders.
- The Wild Magic Party Wizard: Young, reckless, treats spellcasting like a game. Thinks of magic like street art or performance.
- The Reserved, Tactical Bard: A master of war ballads and battlefield strategy. Uses inspiration with military precision and rarely sings in public.
- The Naïve Warlock: Thinks their patron is a “cool angel” or misunderstood hero. May have no idea they’ve made a dark pact, but the powers keep coming.
- The Zealot Firebrand: Less healer, more battle priest. Spreads their faith like a crusade and sees conflict as divine cleansing. Might be dangerous.
- The Cowardly Veteran: Once a hero, now deeply traumatized. Uses strategy, tricks, and avoidance rather than direct combat. Plays almost like a rogue.
The Backstory
Now that you have established the type of character to make, it is time to add some details. Just like every living person, characters in a role-playing game have all been through a lot. While not every mundane detail is important or needs to be documented, consideration as to where they came from will shape where they will go.
Occupation
Before becoming a brave adventurer, what did your character do for a living? Some of the obvious choices could be a solider or member of the town guard for a warrior type and either a priest or scholar for the more mystic character classes. Digging deeper can surface some really fun flavour ideas though. How about the fisher that gets thrust into adventuring life after their village was attacked by raiders? This character may be awkward with a sword but very proficient with a net adding an interesting dynamic to your approach to combat, and opportunity to add a twist and tactics through underused items.
Flaws
While they may be a hero, they don’t have to be perfect. Adding flaws to a character can really define who they are and how they will respond to situations. Giving them a fear or hatred is a perfect start. Think Indiana Jones and his fear of snakes. If this is your character, knowing they are travelling to a swamp that is home to many species of serpents might require extra payment or motivation. Flipping that fear to a hatred invokes just the opposite – they would jump at the chance and steer their quest towards such a place to rid it of the foul beasts.
Goals and Motivations
Adventuring life is not for the faint of heart and a seriously dangerous occupation. So why would your character choose such a life? A past trauma or event could trigger a long term goal for them – setting out on an adventure to find their family or exact revenge for a past betrayal. Other goals could be short-term – one well paying job for someone tight on funds – or even to solve a crisis of character – are the gods I worship really worthy of praise?
No matter the situation, once the hook is set your character has started down the hero’s path. Whether they stop when their goals have been met or not is entirely up to you. A conversation with your game master may allow for an early retirement and character substitution, but that is fully on how the group wants to handle this scenario.
Outlets
Now that your character has flavour, it is time to bring it to life. This may not be for everyone, but certainly a worthwhile endeavour. Many different creative outlets can be included into role-playing sessions that enhance your game, and in the end that is what matters most. Don’t forget though, that others may not share the same passions you do so don’t force any of these outlets on others. Incorporate what you can, just not at the expense of others. You never know, taking the lead might encourage others to join in and expand their horizons.
Voice and Mannerisms
Fully embracing the ‘role-playing’ aspect is a great way to be creative and enhance the experience. In many scenarios there will be interactions between the players and characters in the world. “I ask the barkeep if he has seen anyone shady lingering about,” definitely gets straight to the point of what the player wants, but this is hardly a real conversation. Simply speaking for your character goes a long way, but for the actors in the crowd adding mannerisms and putting on a voice adds so much to the depth of interactions.
For the game masters out there – this is also a great way to create tension or forgo a roll. A barbarian that acts out their character shaking down the barkeep in an aggressive manner could award a successful Intimidation check based on their acting. Against someone more resolute, this may incite a hostile interaction and withholding information, so play it both ways and make their choices (and effort in acting) matter.
Art and Costumes
Not everyone may be as comfortable with acting as others but have talents elsewhere. For the artistically inclined, a character sketch is a great idea to really bring their vision to life. Providing detailed descriptions and encouraging players to create these sorts of sketches for the other main characters also brings them deeper into the world. Similar to a physical prop, sketches can go a long way to adding to the immersion.
Lastly for those that want to go the extra mile, creating a costume to cosplay your character provides the ultimate form of immersion. Obviously this is a tougher inclusion and needs the right game scenario to pull off, but I feel it really encapsulates the essence of the creative aspect of the game.
Don’t just play your character, be your character.
To all the artists, actors, musicians, and tailors out there – there is so much you can do to incorporate these talents into your game. In its beginning, table top role-playing games operated under minimal rules with an emphasis on creativity and that is something that needs to be embraced.
I hope through all of this exploration, I have been able to open up some new creative outlets and possibilities to take forward and enhance your next character. Creating a character should never feel like a chore. It should feel like opening a new book and reading chapter one, not really knowing what will happen next or how it will end.
Your character has so much more life than what is presented on paper, so make sure that stands out. A bit of extra work up front will certainly set you down a path to greater things, but just remember that the real creativity lies beyond session zero.