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Character Creation is one of the most important elements that a player can lend to the
game. A character is the collection of personality traits, physical appearence, stats -
or the predetermined points allocated on a character sheet that detail the strengths and
weaknesses of a character, and personal touches that a player adds to bring a character
to life. When creating a character, there are several important steps to consider.
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The Gender
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Male, Female, Neither, or Other.
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The Age
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Young, Old, Dead, or Timeless.
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The Race
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Humaniod, Dragonkine, Fae, or Other.
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The Personality
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Kind, Mean, Obnoxious, Funny, or None.
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The External
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Scars, Deformities, Hair and Body Type.
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The Name
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Ohakmar the Bloodthirsty, Ginger, or The Stranger.
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The Order
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Our first tip is to choose not to follow our order for character creation.
Everyone creates their own order that they believe is the best. Others just
follow a character sheet and go from there. These are only the basics you need
to "conceive" and be the mother/father of a well thought-out persona that is
playable. You need to believe that this character could have existed or does
exist... Even if he walks around carrying sacks of the fingers of his victims,
a hachet, and a make-up job that even Kiss would be jealous of-in a fluffy pink
bunny suit.
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The Gender
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The next tip is to pick a gender. Simple enough right? You're a male, you want
to play a male. Playing a female or a genderless enoch is too creepy or nasty
or "gay". Remember that roleplaying is based around breaking boundaries and
becoming something that you are not. Playing a female isn't just for the
storyteller anymore, or vice versa.
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The Age
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Creation tip number three is to establish an age. Age can lead to more
important decisions about the character, like his values, his knowledge of
technology, his social graces, and his physical appearence. One must remember
that age isn't just how hunched over he walks, it's also why he may believe
that women are devious, malicious creatures who unleashed the wrath of the All-
mighty, so must be made to pay. He may have been brought up in the Ice Ages,
magically transported to the 19th century Old West. Age can also determine what
type of sexual appetite this person has... A 19 year old is far more likely to
be concerned with the opposite or same sex than his schoolwork.
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The Race
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After choosing the gender and age, we then look to ethnic origin or actual race of
the individual. Physical looks are usually based on ethnic heritage. However, with
so many mixed race individuals in society, it becomes harder to say that one
character looks distinct from another. Facial features can be drawn out if you
have an artistic bone, or fleshed out on paper. You should also consider his
background for ethnicity because of the way it may effect his clothing, physical
appearence, stance, wealth, outlook, and pocessions.
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The Personality
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Tip number five is probably the most important part of character creation. It
can be a daunting task to complete a whole new person that is completely
seperate from youself. However, you can base some of the characteristics
on yourself, or something you know you can play. Another suggestion is to grab
a dictionary, pop it open and let your finger fall somewhere, and repeat. Choose
about 10 or more items, and make youself put them together in a story. It
can be items that mean something special to your character like a rabbit you had
when they had when they were five. Always ask, "How did it affect my character?",
"Why would they remember it?", or "What happened to that object or feeling?" The
personality you create needs to be three-dimensional, that is to say, a person
would have a set reaction to stimulants in an environment. Know the immediate
family. Develope them so that you know the history and heritage and upbringing
of the person. Don't forget the classic, is this person good, bad, or in-between?
What distinguishing acts has this person done to place him in this catergory?
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The External
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When you meet individuals, there exists a tendancy to remember traits that are
external. Of course, this varies from person to person as to what they would
remember. For instance, a man could find that a beautiful woman would make a
much deeper impression than a man described as ordinary would. Different types
of physical external traits exist; height, weight, physical body type, skin tone
and coloration, abnormal appendages, scarring, eye color, and clothing such as
eyeware, shoes, or the lack thereof all comprise elements of physical description.
Assess the nature of your character and add characteristics that would enhance the
appearence or perhaps make them less memorable.
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The Name
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Last but not least, your character's name. This can be a defining moment for
you. A time to use your imagination, or lack thereof. Will you choose a normal
name? Or something alluring, unique, or dark? This is your time to experiement.
While we would normally recommend to keep it in genre with your character, we
understand that sometimes we just need a little bit of flair.
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Important Info
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All articles are copyright of Kerri Cordle.
Do not copy without permission.
Contact the Webmaster.
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