Today I'm focusing more on personality traits and backstories. Nothing here about numbers or stats. So you can use these ideas for any rpg system.
There will be a lot of questions for you to think about. Get brainstorming!
Choose a Race.
Do you want pointy ears? Demon Horns? or the extra abilities you get as a more versatile human?
A lot of players choose race to boost their stats based on their class. You want to be a strong fighter, be a half orc or a dwarf that boosts strength. A halfling thief will have more dexterity than most. I'm sure you want to do something you don't get to do in real life.
Don't be that player who wants to be a dragon. It makes the game harder for everyone. You can totally do it if your DM lets you of course, but you should definitely ask about that one first.
Find the class and their abilities that are right for you.
How does your character like to fight?
How brave/stupid are they?
Would they rather heal their friends instead of seeking out a fight? Be a cleric or a bard.
Would they make tactical plans instead of jumping headfirst into battle?
Would they prefer to make weapons or brew potions instead of fighting?
Would they rather sneak up behind their enemies or karate chop them to death? Rogue or monk.
Would you like to throw fireballs or sing a song to inspire your friends?
Do you spend all your time hugging trees and raising animals? Druid.
Personalities are not classes!
Classes are simply what determines the abilities your character uses.
Personality is how they act and feel, how they interact with the world around them.
Remember, that classes aren't necessarily a characters personality.
All barbarians aren't stupid, like Bruce Banner. All clerics aren't brainwashed religious nuts.
The comic Rat Queens does very well to turn character tropes around. A fighters day job could be a talented chef.
Batman's personality is a lot different than Deadpool's. But their goals are almost the same. Protect innocence people and make their world a better place.
Use a personality you like. if you can't think of a good idea it is okay to copy a famous movie star or character from any other media.
Classes are simply what determines the abilities your character uses.
Personality is how they act and feel, how they interact with the world around them.
Remember, that classes aren't necessarily a characters personality.
All barbarians aren't stupid, like Bruce Banner. All clerics aren't brainwashed religious nuts.
The comic Rat Queens does very well to turn character tropes around. A fighters day job could be a talented chef.
Batman's personality is a lot different than Deadpool's. But their goals are almost the same. Protect innocence people and make their world a better place.
Use a personality you like. if you can't think of a good idea it is okay to copy a famous movie star or character from any other media.
Do you want to be Indiana Jones or Jack Burton? Are you John Wick or Marty Mcfly? Is your character more like Jack Black than Will Smith? Could you be the next Picard or Mal Reynolds? Steal a personality idea and make it your own. Are you Arya Stark or John Snow? Are you more like Legolas or Bilbo?
Find words that describe a personality or emotion you can base your character on. Are you loving or closed off? Boisterous or stoic? Lazy or intense? Bossy or rude? How do other people perceive your character? Do they want you at all their dinner parties? Or do they tolerate you like an offensively dull co-worker? Is your character only nice to certain people? Are they introverts who can only talk to laid back people?
Develop a voice or accent for your character.
This adds personality right away. It also helps everyone at the table know if it's you or your character talking. Do you want to sound like LeeLoo or Wonder Woman?
Maybe your character was burnt in a planet full of lava and now you sound like Darth Vader or Stephen Hawking. You don't have to have a specific accent. Maybe your character talks slower or faster than you do.
Simple backstories are the most effective.
Try to tone down the idea into two or three sentences.
Give us a simple elevator pitch; I'm a cut purse who grew up on the streets of a shady port town. I ended up traveling with a caravan of merchants to sell snake oil. Now I'm adventuring to meet my long lost sister and maybe make some extra gold along the way.
If you can tone it down this simply, it becomes a lot more memorable and exciting. No one wants to read your 5 page history. You can write that history of course, but find a way to tone it down and get an essence of the character.
How did your characters family die? Oh wait, not everyone is an orphan?! Your aunt and uncle didn't die in a fire and inspire you to fight the empire? Maybe your parents got killed when you were a baby and now their killer is a dark lord who wants to attack your high school.
As far as backstories go, you can make up whatever you want. Don't worry about being totally original, because it's all been done before. Put your own spin on it. Who cares if it's already been done, as long as you enjoy it.
Keep your backstory pretty simple. If it gets too long, it gets harder to add things to it later on during the game. The DM needs something to work off of and your fellow party members should have a way to add their characters to your story.
Plan with the other players and dungeon master. Maybe the players are all from the same village that was destroyed by orc bandits during the rat wars and now all of you want to get revenge. Maybe your character is a mob boss and your party needs to take out a few rival gang members.
Make sure your character has a goal
I think the most important thing for a character is a goal. This can directly be related to how you character sees the world and how the world sees you. Do you want to find love? Or do you just want the world to see how smart you are?
A goal could be as simple as wanting to live alone in your swamp and it eventually brings you love and adventure. Having a goal or a mission will help out the DM with adding your character to the story. Give the DM something to use so your character can be directly involved with whatever is going on.
Are you looking for your missing brother? Trying to save a soldier named Ryan? Do you want to learn a new powerful spell? Or obtain a legendary weapon? Do you want money? Or fame? Do you want to save your homeland from a dragon who invaded years ago? Did your mommy get killed by vampires and now you have sworn revenge?
Character goals work with personality.
What does your character care about?
If your character had to fight, what would it be for? Family? Friends? Money? Political power?
Does your character want to control armies or own a large shipping company?
Would your character fight for her homeland or find the easiest way to survive?
Is your character an explorer or scientist? Do they want to study magic or exotic creatures?
Do you want to study mythology or history of your world?
Do you want to craft epic magical weapons or technology to make life easier?
Does your character want to see an elf city in the trees or visit the astral plane and talk to angels?
Do you want to own a castle and have a fancy title?
Don't create a character that won't interact or play well with the group.
RPG's are group games! You need to be interacting with the party and helping them out.
Your lone wolf type won't be every fun if they aren't talking to anyone. It's OK to be a loner as long as you are still a part of the game. There is no reason a group of characters would work with someone who doesn't work with them. The characters have every right to kick your character out of the party if they aren't playing well.
If you want to lone wolf it, talk to a DM about running a solo game. Or make sure the rest of the group agrees before the game starts.
Work Together
Create with the entire group brainstorming ideas. It also makes the beginning of the game easier if all the characters already know each other and have a common goal.
Find words that describe a personality or emotion you can base your character on. Are you loving or closed off? Boisterous or stoic? Lazy or intense? Bossy or rude? How do other people perceive your character? Do they want you at all their dinner parties? Or do they tolerate you like an offensively dull co-worker? Is your character only nice to certain people? Are they introverts who can only talk to laid back people?
Develop a voice or accent for your character.
This adds personality right away. It also helps everyone at the table know if it's you or your character talking. Do you want to sound like LeeLoo or Wonder Woman?
Maybe your character was burnt in a planet full of lava and now you sound like Darth Vader or Stephen Hawking. You don't have to have a specific accent. Maybe your character talks slower or faster than you do.
Simple backstories are the most effective.
Try to tone down the idea into two or three sentences.
Give us a simple elevator pitch; I'm a cut purse who grew up on the streets of a shady port town. I ended up traveling with a caravan of merchants to sell snake oil. Now I'm adventuring to meet my long lost sister and maybe make some extra gold along the way.
If you can tone it down this simply, it becomes a lot more memorable and exciting. No one wants to read your 5 page history. You can write that history of course, but find a way to tone it down and get an essence of the character.
How did your characters family die? Oh wait, not everyone is an orphan?! Your aunt and uncle didn't die in a fire and inspire you to fight the empire? Maybe your parents got killed when you were a baby and now their killer is a dark lord who wants to attack your high school.
As far as backstories go, you can make up whatever you want. Don't worry about being totally original, because it's all been done before. Put your own spin on it. Who cares if it's already been done, as long as you enjoy it.
Keep your backstory pretty simple. If it gets too long, it gets harder to add things to it later on during the game. The DM needs something to work off of and your fellow party members should have a way to add their characters to your story.
Plan with the other players and dungeon master. Maybe the players are all from the same village that was destroyed by orc bandits during the rat wars and now all of you want to get revenge. Maybe your character is a mob boss and your party needs to take out a few rival gang members.
Make sure your character has a goal
I think the most important thing for a character is a goal. This can directly be related to how you character sees the world and how the world sees you. Do you want to find love? Or do you just want the world to see how smart you are?
A goal could be as simple as wanting to live alone in your swamp and it eventually brings you love and adventure. Having a goal or a mission will help out the DM with adding your character to the story. Give the DM something to use so your character can be directly involved with whatever is going on.
Are you looking for your missing brother? Trying to save a soldier named Ryan? Do you want to learn a new powerful spell? Or obtain a legendary weapon? Do you want money? Or fame? Do you want to save your homeland from a dragon who invaded years ago? Did your mommy get killed by vampires and now you have sworn revenge?
Character goals work with personality.
What does your character care about?
If your character had to fight, what would it be for? Family? Friends? Money? Political power?
Does your character want to control armies or own a large shipping company?
Would your character fight for her homeland or find the easiest way to survive?
Is your character an explorer or scientist? Do they want to study magic or exotic creatures?
Do you want to study mythology or history of your world?
Do you want to craft epic magical weapons or technology to make life easier?
Does your character want to see an elf city in the trees or visit the astral plane and talk to angels?
Do you want to own a castle and have a fancy title?
Don't create a character that won't interact or play well with the group.
RPG's are group games! You need to be interacting with the party and helping them out.
Your lone wolf type won't be every fun if they aren't talking to anyone. It's OK to be a loner as long as you are still a part of the game. There is no reason a group of characters would work with someone who doesn't work with them. The characters have every right to kick your character out of the party if they aren't playing well.
If you want to lone wolf it, talk to a DM about running a solo game. Or make sure the rest of the group agrees before the game starts.
Work Together
Create with the entire group brainstorming ideas. It also makes the beginning of the game easier if all the characters already know each other and have a common goal.
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