Personality
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
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Skills | |
Personality is possibly one of the most important aspects of a PBP character. Much of the enjoyment of such a game comes from showing all aspects of the personality of the character, subjecting the PC to situations that constitute an emotional journey, a character development. This makes PBP similar to creative writing or acting (especially improv comedy). The fact you can show the thoughts and tribulations of a character adds to this dimension.
However, even a PC who is more focused on a competitive or ambitious path through the game will benefit from spending some thought on personality.
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First Impression
See Also Physical Description
Rather than who your character truly is, a First Impression suggests how your character presents itself to the outside world. A dark sullen character might try and appear to be lively and charming in public for instance. Much of this is determined by role playing, but some notes might give guidance both to the player and his fellows.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In the TGS we do not work with characterpoints to determine talents or weaknesses of the characters. Still, stimulating PC's to develop a few established weaknesses, strengths and quirky habits before hand can ensure that PC's are fun to play but also are not overpowering the rest. Foremost what the moderator is looking for is balance.
The game system of our affiliate game Age of Intrigue allows for a system of Flaws and Boons at character creation, that requires players to choose a flaw for every boon that is part of the background story. Many of these flaws deal with character traits. Of course these are notoriously difficult to moderate, as it all comes down to how the player writes it. It cannot be enforced by a moderator.
List of questions for players to use at character creation
The personality of a PC character can determine quite a lot. Of course this will develop during the game, but even at character creation some decisions need to be made, that match with the background story. Who is your character? What are your character's quirks? How did your character gain them? What does your PC love or hate? How does your PC appear to others?
The following list of questions can be helpful.
- What about your character is good / evil?
- What does your character like / dislike about people?
- What is your character’s real name? What name does he / she go by?
- Does your character have a nickname? What is it, and where did he / she get it?
- In your opinion, what is your character’s most redeeming feature? How about their least redeeming?
- What is your character’s most prized material possession? Why is it valued?
- What one word best describes your character?
- What is your character’s view of authority, and what event most affected it?
- What is something your character learned to loathe?
- Does your character tend to save or spend their money? Why?
- What annoys your character more than anything else?
- What would be the perfect gift for your character?
- What habit that others have annoys your character most?
- What kind of things embarrasses your character? Why?
- What time of day is your character’s favourite?
- What kind of weather is your character’s favourite?
- What is one thing your character does not like about themselves?
- What one act in your character’s past are they are most ashamed of?
- What one act in your character’s past are they most proud of?
- Is your character a better leader or follower? Why do you think that?
- What is the thing that has frightened your character most?
- Do you think there is anything out there that's scarier than that? What would that be?
- How private of a person is your character? Why?
- What is one thing your character is a sucker for?
- Does your character have any bad habits?
- If your character were to gain an obscenely large sum of money what would you do with it?
- Does your character believe in fate?
Character Development after the game has started
See Also Goal Oriented Playing and Summary RP.
PC's can be encouraged to use their Compendium to keep track of accomplishments, as well as listing how their characters have changed over time. Moderators can stimulate this by periodically making a list of questions that make the players think about how their character is turning out to be.
