The Art of Character Creation- Editorial

Let the games begin!

In many respects tabletop role-playing games are the final frontier of entertainment for me. While I may have been playing games of all kinds in general for as long as I can remember, I only recently got into the likes of RPGs. I've always had an interest in the genre, but never had a consistent group to play with, let alone a campaign to be a part of. All of that changed a few years ago when a good friend of mine named Josh introduced me to his regular gaming group. He knew that I always wanted to experience the roll of the dice and the slaying of a dragon at least once in my life. Frankly I couldn't be more thankful for him doing what he did.

Since those early days of my gaming career I can honestly say that I feel I've learned quite a bit from the journey. Playing new games, with new people, in new places allowed me to expand my creative horizons even further than I have been able to in the past. Ideas I had gestating in my mind for years finally had an avenue where they could be used/tested. After all the stories and the campaigns that I've been a part of, I would like to think they've helped mold me into a much more creative person today. Which leads me to what I would like to focus on with this editorial.

One of the things I think I've enjoyed the most out of RPGs is actually the process of creating and playing a character. It has been a regular topic of discussion amongst my group, with my good friends Ross Watson and Matt Steen both making excellent articles focusing on the subject.

Don't get me wrong, I still love all sorts of gaming (and I always will) but there is a certain quality that comes with tabletop games that just can't be replicated in other formats. This element is the limitless potential of a player's imagination. Do you want to be able to play a mummy warrior who's sarcophagus can transform into battle armor? Maybe you would like to play a gun-slinging red panda girl who is continuously obsessed with muffins? Perhaps a former space-pirate-elf-mecha-pilot-sniper is more up your alley? You can do all of this and more in a tabletop RPG, and that is the true beauty of this genre! If I can think it up, I can more than likely make it a character in an RPG somewhere. With multiple RPG systems to choose from, players can pretty much have an ideal game wherever they wish to find it. Despite my best efforts, I still can't seem to find a videogame that gives me anything close to these sort of options for a character. Of course I do understand the limits of other mediums, and it isn't the fault of those respective platforms for not being able to match human creativity.

Considering my short amount of time with the genre (only but about a few years now) everything I say here should be taken as simply my views on things. I can't help but feel though that creating a character in an RPG is not that much different from how you would create a character in almost any story. The main difference here being that RPG's are a community effort. It is here that a group of players sit down and engage in a tale that can challenge one's ability to think creatively. Well that, and it is possible that your character could end up going in a completely unforeseen direction than what you may have initially intended. The unpredictability of dice rolls, or not knowing what a GM has in store for the players can potentially create intensely organic narratives that flow with the utmost of grace.

Regardless of the circumstances, I think building characters for this type of entertainment can be a nice creative exercise. Those of a more actively creative mind I think could use this medium for not only RPGs but for stories in general. While I personally feel there is no definitive measuring tool for how to create a "good character" there is a bit of a science/art to taking a potential concept for a character and then turning it into reality. If anything else, I would like to think that my methods for character creation are more so just guidelines for others to make a character with which they can become invested. 

Setting the Stage  

The world that a character inhabits can be seen as being almost as important as a player's character itself. Sometimes before a player can truly build their idea, they must be sure that it will fit within the confines of the setting. So certain questions should probably be asked; like what is the type of story that they're going to see? Is it the far future of Earth? Are we on an alien planet where magic dominates all aspects of society? Have the gates to another dimension opened a civilization up to limitless possibilities? The answers to these sort of questions can affect a concept in major ways. So it can sometimes be considered paramount for a player to be familiar with the world on at least some level. Having a character that doesn't exactly gel with the setting can be interesting at times though, so not every character needs to adhere to the world in every facet. 

Once a player has that familiarity or comes to a decision of what they're going to run, they can move on to the next set of important questions. What is my character's role in this world? Where were they born? Do they have any family or friends? How do they go about their daily life? Taking things like this into consideration can help make the character feel like their placement in the game world is natural; allowing potential for more organic growth as the plots progress. Also tying in aspects of the world's over arching themes or imagery can help to affirm a character's position in the greater picture. Of course answering all of these questions isn't exactly a requirement. As sometimes it can be really fun to leave elements of a character completely unknown, or at least until they're observed. Giving a character a mysterious back-story that is steadily revealed can be pretty cool, but is something I feel takes more care to pull off efficiently.   

What's in a Name

When you break most fictional characters down, they are usually defined by one to three character tropes, with the name of the character usually being reflective of those tropes in some way. For instance, a character that I played in a campaign not too long ago had the name Rashida. The Egyptian meaning to the name is: conscious, pious, wise, mature, or righteous. Keeping those words in mind, I made it a point to make the character relatively mature in her actions. With her ultimately making a righteous sacrifice at the end of the campaign's story. Whenever I ran into a situation where I had to think about what the character would do I always reminded myself of the name's meaning. 

The name of your character can sometimes speak volumes about them without ever really saying much at all. Knowing the definition of a name and using that as a guide to a character's personality is a nice trick that I like to use from time to time. It isn't exactly a necessity for success mind you, but it can still be quite useful. A nick-name or a title can also reflect an image of personality in a player's mind, and as long as they have some general idea of what a character's direction is they can keep themselves on track.

Image is Everything

What a character looks like may actually be one of the most important parts of them. The old saying of "A picture is worth a thousand words." holds a lot of weight. Seeing how a character dresses, a weapon they use in combat, or even just a hairstyle can speak tomes on their personal history. Of course I'm a bit a stickler when it comes to character details, but I must say I love it when those details coalesce in furthering a character's development. Notable features such as scars immediately gets others to start asking questions or postulating theories. Were they in an epic battle with a horrible monstrosity? Maybe they had a really nasty kitchen accident? Whatever the cause, the idea is that parts of a character's design help to define aspects of them in not only the player's eyes, but also the eyes of viewers. 

As a game progresses a character can begin to change their image too. Perhaps they get a haircut so that they can put on a better helmet. Maybe they grow their hair out longer because they haven't had the time to cut it. A new weapon or cursed item may come into their possession, forcing them to switch up the paradigms with which they fight. It doesn't really matter what happens as long as the changes that are occurring help to develop the character in positive or interesting ways. I've seen plenty of player characters that looked like a completely different person by the time their campaign wrapped up, and I find that to be totally awesome. There was a Shadowrun character I'd once seen that had lost both of his legs by the end of a botched mission. Having them replaced with robotic legs actually lead the player to consider augmenting his character in new and unique ways. Every time he had the opportunity to gain cybernetic parts, he took it. He didn't want to ever end up in a situation where his character had to be dragged out again. By campaign's end the character eventually became something akin to that of Robocop. While not all aspects of a character need to shift with the narrative, I think it helps a character feel more alive when their image reflects their ever changing circumstances. 

Unforeseen Circumstances    

Not everything goes according to plan, and RPGs are no exception. In fact, with most RPGs building themselves around a dice mechanic, it can safely be assumed that unexpected developments are bound to happen to a player's character. Certain setups in any given game's system may require that a character pass a certain target number in order to maintain their composure, or even just survive a challenge. When a player fails to hit that number you can get some very interesting results sometimes.

A character who once laughed in the face of danger may second guess a head-first charge after a failed encounter with an evil elder beast. Your once calm and cool sniper may now be in a fit of rage due to missing all of his shots, or your brave spartan may be cowering in fear of the gorgon that is chasing him down through a dungeon. While some can perceive these moments as bad, they're actually quite good. Seeing a character placed in a situation that is outside of their element, or challenges them in a way that causes potential failure can lead to some intense storytelling. It is the unpredictable nature of a dice roll that really helps to set storytelling in an RPG apart from everything else. Anticipated events can completely change in a matter of one or two rolls, and that is what can make a game super exciting sometimes. A player that may have to think their way out of situation with whatever they have available to them can garner untold amounts of gratification. Goals and objectives can shift quickly, only further enhancing the more organic narrative aspects of the game. When a player loses a limb, or maybe even a friendly NPC, it can cause some of the best character driven drama around. So remember that sometimes a "bad" dice roll can maybe open the world up to a whole lot of potentially awesome tales. 

In Conclusion

While I may not be the most experienced gamer out there, I will say that RPGs are certainly a form of entertainment that I've come to love and respect. The amount of creativity that the genre invites is staggering to say the least, and I think anyone who considers themselves to be of a more creative mind should play in at least one game to see/feel what it's like. Even with the bits I've just stated here, there really isn't one definitively right way to make a character. It all comes down to what really just speaks to you as a player. I do know that with the years to come I can only hope that I'll be able to continue building and growing interesting characters through RPGs.