My character creation process. [Archive] - Wizards Community

My character creation process. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Denis_sadowski
04-21-04, 07:03 PM right now this is what i have its basically a paragraph that explains his personality and one of his goals in life nothing special and comments would deffinatly help me out.

"Ray is proud and confident, but extremely critical of his performance in battle. He can be friendly and outgoing when he wants to be, but tends to keep to himself. He always looks before he leaps, especially when it comes to his well being or the well being of his friends. He is the quite athletic and is constantly training in body, mind and soul to become the greatest warrior his abilities will allow. He has been constantly training his entire life and when he felt he could learn no more in his hometown, he set out on a long journey to unleash his inner potential as a warrior."
Trydan
04-22-04, 07:31 AM What I'd suggest now, is that you give the character some quirks. At the moment he is good, but plain. Just another good quality warrior, standard personality, average background.

The next step, then, is to throw something in that makes him unique (and thus memorable). Give him an obsession. Perhaps a quest. Perhaps a talisman, token or some other reminder. Even an accent, manner or dressing or a special weapon (which he treats in a special way).

That way, Ray becomes the fighter with <insert some special trait>, rather than just... oh, Ray, yeah, well he's just another fighter.

Oh, and finally, don't over do it. Too many characters take the other extreme. One trait is enough. Two is pushing it. Three is starting to become contrived.
LiXinjian
04-22-04, 09:40 AM I don't mean to sound rude, but I find the whole "he wishes to become the greatest warrior" part to be oh so cliché. Your variation adds a "his abilities will allow", but overall, it's the same old same old I've heard from players accross the table for years.

Why not make it something different? Perhaps his father wishes Ray would be a great warrior, and Ray sullenly plays along, like he always did. Perhaps at some later point in his carreer, he decides he's had enough of his father vicariously living his dreams through him, and completely drops the warrior's life. If you are planning on multiclassing, this might be an interesting avenue. The father, of course, was in the military at some point in his youth, and "those were the days" as he says every other sentence. Maybe an accident put an end to his adventurous/warrior life, and now he pushes his son to follow in his footsteps. Ray's quest is not to become the greatest hero, but to shake off his father's influence over his life, although he might not realize this at first.

Or perhaps Ray's routine is so well-defined that he continues training simply because he's done so for all of his life (remember the father?), and the training routine has become natural to his life.. like breathing, every morning he wakes up and does one hour of swordplay. It's a habit, nothing else. Of course, habit or not, his skills get better.

Or maybe Ray never feels he's ready for the next challenge. He trains and trains to prepare for whatever awaits ahead, never realizing he's gotten very good in the process. I suppose Ray would tally his good performances under sheer luck. He'd willfully shut his eyes on his accomplishments. Perhaps because he was told he was never good at anything throughout his younger years? Or because he never felt useful once in his life? Ray would be a character trying constantly to help others, especially his fellow party members, trying to make himself useful in a very invading way at times. This could be Ray's defining quirk, as suggested Trydan.

Or maybe Ray just wants to test his mettle against the world's. He wants to become the best warrior in the whole wide world. ;) Sometimes, simplicity works best.

edit: corrected syntax error
Denis_sadowski
04-22-04, 04:10 PM Wow you guys are really good, the idea about him never being ready for the next challenge is sheer genious! I didn't even think of adding some form of personality quirk (probably becuase this is the first cahracter my dm didn't pregenerate for me.) Ill post my upgraded character soon.

thanks alot
LiXinjian
04-22-04, 06:09 PM Glad you like it, although it's certainly not as genial as you make it sound ;)

I also liked this idea better than the other two, and it easily fits what you originally described of Ray being extremely critical of his battle prowesses.
Denis_sadowski
04-22-04, 07:37 PM I've chosen to make my character weild katars for there ability to be hidden in long sleaves and because i just love katars? but how would i be able to incorporate this distinct weapon selection in this characters history?
Morka
04-22-04, 08:07 PM What is a katar?

Here are some tought about how to dedicace a fighter to an exotic weapon:
- family's weapon: asked every relative, no one knows why, but it is that;
- saw it on TV, or on the local arena, weild by some gladiator;
- a bugbear raider killed your father with that weapon, before being himself killed by a mob of milimilitia men; the weapon since lies at the town hall, but it obsess you;
- your god appear to you, and claim it is the weapon you must use;
Denis_sadowski
04-22-04, 09:14 PM Katar is another word for the weapon known as a puching daggar. A katar is a simple weapon found just under dagger in the PHB.

a picture of a katar can be found in the PHB or one i found online (http://www.antiquearms.co.uk/dagger%20image/katar8333.JPG)
TheMightyMcClaw
04-22-04, 09:46 PM Definitely go with an accent or mode of speech. You're character really only manifests itself when you speak with its voice; if that happens to be the same as your normal voice, the character becomes much less memorable. Does he prefer short, harsh statements? Is he always on the verge of sleep? Is he oh-so-flowery? Does he have a Turkish accent?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Denis_sadowski 04-21-04, 07:03 PM	right now this is what i have its basically a paragraph that explains his personality and one of his goals in life nothing special and comments would deffinatly help me out. "Ray is proud and confident, but extremely critical of his performance in battle. He can be friendly and outgoing when he wants to be, but tends to keep to himself. He always looks before he leaps, especially when it comes to his well being or the well being of his friends. He is the quite athletic and is constantly training in body, mind and soul to become the greatest warrior his abilities will allow. He has been constantly training his entire life and when he felt he could learn no more in his hometown, he set out on a long journey to unleash his inner potential as a warrior."
Trydan 04-22-04, 07:31 AM	What I'd suggest now, is that you give the character some quirks. At the moment he is good, but plain. Just another good quality warrior, standard personality, average background. The next step, then, is to throw something in that makes him unique (and thus memorable). Give him an obsession. Perhaps a quest. Perhaps a talisman, token or some other reminder. Even an accent, manner or dressing or a special weapon (which he treats in a special way). That way, Ray becomes the fighter with <insert some special trait>, rather than just... oh, Ray, yeah, well he's just another fighter. Oh, and finally, don't over do it. Too many characters take the other extreme. One trait is enough. Two is pushing it. Three is starting to become contrived.
LiXinjian 04-22-04, 09:40 AM	I don't mean to sound rude, but I find the whole "he wishes to become the greatest warrior" part to be oh so cliché. Your variation adds a "his abilities will allow", but overall, it's the same old same old I've heard from players accross the table for years. Why not make it something different? Perhaps his father wishes Ray would be a great warrior, and Ray sullenly plays along, like he always did. Perhaps at some later point in his carreer, he decides he's had enough of his father vicariously living his dreams through him, and completely drops the warrior's life. If you are planning on multiclassing, this might be an interesting avenue. The father, of course, was in the military at some point in his youth, and "those were the days" as he says every other sentence. Maybe an accident put an end to his adventurous/warrior life, and now he pushes his son to follow in his footsteps. Ray's quest is not to become the greatest hero, but to shake off his father's influence over his life, although he might not realize this at first. Or perhaps Ray's routine is so well-defined that he continues training simply because he's done so for all of his life (remember the father?), and the training routine has become natural to his life.. like breathing, every morning he wakes up and does one hour of swordplay. It's a habit, nothing else. Of course, habit or not, his skills get better. Or maybe Ray never feels he's ready for the next challenge. He trains and trains to prepare for whatever awaits ahead, never realizing he's gotten very good in the process. I suppose Ray would tally his good performances under sheer luck. He'd willfully shut his eyes on his accomplishments. Perhaps because he was told he was never good at anything throughout his younger years? Or because he never felt useful once in his life? Ray would be a character trying constantly to help others, especially his fellow party members, trying to make himself useful in a very invading way at times. This could be Ray's defining quirk, as suggested Trydan. Or maybe Ray just wants to test his mettle against the world's. He wants to become the best warrior in the whole wide world. ;) Sometimes, simplicity works best. edit: corrected syntax error
Denis_sadowski 04-22-04, 04:10 PM	Wow you guys are really good, the idea about him never being ready for the next challenge is sheer genious! I didn't even think of adding some form of personality quirk (probably becuase this is the first cahracter my dm didn't pregenerate for me.) Ill post my upgraded character soon. thanks alot
LiXinjian 04-22-04, 06:09 PM	Glad you like it, although it's certainly not as genial as you make it sound ;) I also liked this idea better than the other two, and it easily fits what you originally described of Ray being extremely critical of his battle prowesses.
Denis_sadowski 04-22-04, 07:37 PM	I've chosen to make my character weild katars for there ability to be hidden in long sleaves and because i just love katars? but how would i be able to incorporate this distinct weapon selection in this characters history?
Morka 04-22-04, 08:07 PM	What is a katar? Here are some tought about how to dedicace a fighter to an exotic weapon: - family's weapon: asked every relative, no one knows why, but it is that; - saw it on TV, or on the local arena, weild by some gladiator; - a bugbear raider killed your father with that weapon, before being himself killed by a mob of milimilitia men; the weapon since lies at the town hall, but it obsess you; - your god appear to you, and claim it is the weapon you must use;
Denis_sadowski 04-22-04, 09:14 PM	Katar is another word for the weapon known as a puching daggar. A katar is a simple weapon found just under dagger in the PHB. a picture of a katar can be found in the PHB or one i found online (http://www.antiquearms.co.uk/dagger%20image/katar8333.JPG)
TheMightyMcClaw 04-22-04, 09:46 PM	Definitely go with an accent or mode of speech. You're character really only manifests itself when you speak with its voice; if that happens to be the same as your normal voice, the character becomes much less memorable. Does he prefer short, harsh statements? Is he always on the verge of sleep? Is he oh-so-flowery? Does he have a Turkish accent?