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The 20 Question Game; How to Design a Character
Topic Started: Mar 29 2008, 07:45 PM (201 Views)
cmdrnmartin
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This was liberally ripped from a Source book. Still worth a read.

Quote:
 
To better understand your Hero’s personality, take a moment to look through and answer the questions below.
By the time you are finished, you should have a much clearer idea of the Hero you want to play.

1. What country is your Hero from?
This question gives you a foundation upon which to build.
When you understand your Hero’s culture, you will begin
to understand your Hero. Imagine how his environment
helped shape his personality. Your homeland stays with you
no matter where you go.

2. How would you physically describe your
Hero?

First off, is your Hero male or female? Théah doesn’t have
as many prejudices as Europe did in the 17th century, but
women can expect raised eyebrows when accepting
challenges on their own behalf and performing other such
“manly deeds.”
Aside from sex, how does your Hero look? Start at the top
of his head and work your way down to his feet. Focus on
the things that reflect his personality and the way he is
treated by others. Which is more interesting – the fact that
your Hero is blond, or that he wears his hair in a single
braid and scents it with contraband Crescent lotions?
Build and height are also important in determining how
others see your Hero. The average height in modern Théah
is about 5′ 6″, although certain nationalities are a bit taller
or shorter.

3. Does your Hero have recurring mannerisms?
An accent, a nervous habit, or a peculiar expression of
speech can serve as shortcuts to developing a personality.
Too many can turn a character into a clown, so pick one or
two and run with them.

4. What is your Hero’s main motivation?
What keeps your Hero going when his ship has been sunk
and he’s marooned on an island? Is it greed, love, or
revenge? Perhaps the Hero dreams of freeing his homeland
from foreign occupation or hopes to find a younger sister
who was carried off by pirates.

5. What is your Hero’s greatest strength?
Greatest weakness?
Is your Hero really good at one particular thing? Maybe
he’s a master navigator and can guide a ship through the
blackest night with only his wits to work from. On the other
hand, does your Hero have something he’s terrible at?
Maybe animals don’t like him, or he’s nervous around
ladies and blurts out less than intelligent comments. A Hero
with no strengths is difficult to keep alive; one with no
weaknesses is difficult to sympathize with. A Hero with both
strengths and weaknesses has a more balanced personality
and will develop into a richer roleplaying experience.

6. What are your Hero’s most and least favorite
things?

The secret of the soup is in the details. Does your Hero hate
eggs? Perhaps the glistening sickly yellow of the yolk
disgusts him. Maybe he has a favorite breakfast that he eats
every morning, such as a cup of tea and a slice of toast
spread with apple butter. Maybe it’s not a food that your
Hero loves or hates but a particular sight or smell? Some
people find great solace in the sight of the stars above them,
while others aren’t happy unless they can smell the salt
spray of the sea. This is a grand opportunity to add a touch
of poetry to your Hero’s soul.

7. What about your Hero’s psychology?
Is it hard for him to restrain his anger or hatred? Does his
passion always get the better of him? Maybe he thrives on
the rush of adrenaline that battle brings with it and disturbs
his comrades with his laughter during a fight. Does a
particular song bring him to his feet stomping and clapping?
What song or play brings tears to his eyes?

8. What is your Hero’s single greatest fear?
It is a rare person that fears nothing at all. Even the greatest
warriors may have a fear of heights or dread growing old.
If your Hero is terrified of dying of old age and hears a
rumor about a fountain that brings eternal youth, might he
not search the world for it, even if the rumor came from an
unreliable source? Sometimes a man’s fears propel him to
his greatest achievements.
Of course, many people fear simpler, more physical things
than old age. Some have a dread of snakes or spiders,
others have a horror of worms and slimy things, and a
number of people experience panic attacks in dark, narrow
places.

9. What are your Hero’s highest ambitions? His
greatest love?

When your Hero dies, what does he want people to say
about him? Does he want to be remembered forever for his
poetry? Maybe he hopes that tales of his battle exploits will
outlive him. Maybe he just wants a small house and a loving
wife, but ridiculous fortune keeps obligating him to go on
one adventure after another. Perhaps he dreams of glory
and a kingdom of his own, or a country reunited by his
hands.
If he could live forever, what would he want to spend
eternity doing? Sailing? Wooing beautiful women?
Cataloguing the artifacts left behind by the Syrneth?
Whatever his greatest love is, your Hero will take every
opportunity to indulge in it.

10. What is your Hero’s opinion of his country?
Is your Hero a die-hard patriot, blind to the flaws of his
countrymen, or is he a man without a country, having
grown tired of his homeland’s foolishness long ago? Most
people are somewhere in between, neither hating their
country nor believing it can do no wrong.

11. Does your Hero have any prejudices?
Is there a group of people that your Hero immediately turns
up his nose at? Perhaps he can’t stand the smell of “those
filthy peasants”, or maybe a Vodacce Fate Witch killed his
brother. There may be no reason for the Hero to hate this
group, but he believes there’s one. Traumatic childhood
incidents can lead to a lifetime of hatred and prejudice that
the Hero may never get over. For the sake of party unity, it’s
a good idea to hate a group that you know none of the
other players want as characters.

12. Where do your Hero’s loyalties lie?

Does your Hero loyally serve a certain noble? Maybe his
loyalties lie with his family or his spouse. Perhaps his first
concern is looking out for himself, or maybe he serves a
greater cause.

13. Is your Hero in love? Is he married or
betrothed?

Is there someone who makes your Hero’s heart beat faster?
Perhaps he is already married to the love of his life. If so,
do they have any children? How old are the children?
Maybe he’s just betrothed to be married sometime soon,
and the happy (or unhappy) event has yet to take place.

14. What about your Hero’s family?
Decide on a family name. Then talk about your Hero’s
early childhood. List events that would have occurred
before your Hero would even be able to remember them.
Some of these events may be influencing your Hero’s life
without him knowing it.
Also, consider the family’s social standing. A Hero from a
rich family will certainly have a different outlook than a
Hero from a poorer family.

15. How would your Hero’s parents describe
him?

This question reveals much about both your Hero and his
relationship to his parents. Answer this one in the voice of
your Hero’s mother, then go back and answer it again for
your Hero’s father. You may come up with two very
different answers.
16. Is your Hero a gentleman or gentlewoman?
Being a gentleman or gentlewoman means that your Hero
attempts to follow the code of chivalry. Your Hero’s word is
his bond. Of course, there are those who see you as
foolishly old-fashioned, but there’s always the possibility of
having a moon-eyed damsel or handsome young poet fall in
love with you.

17. How religious is your Hero? What sect of
the Church does he follow?

Religion is, for many people of Théah, their deepest
passion. The Church of the Prophets has been the greatest
power on the planet for over a thousand years, and for all
the bureaucracy it has a number of redeeming qualities. It
fosters learning and education, provides hospitals for the
poor and needy, and is a great source of comfort for many
people in their hour of need. True and honest men are
often attracted to the Church for this reason, and they are
more than willing to help it perform its good works.
Of course, there are many who see the Church’s actions as
evil. They look at the Inquisition and the Crusade as prime
examples. They hate the things the Church stands for and
would love to see it fall.
Then there are those people in the middle, who either don’t
worry about the Church since it doesn’t affect their daily
lives or believe in a religion that is a variant of what the
Church preaches (such as Objectionism or the Ussuran
Orthodox Church). These men try to live out their lives
with as little official contact with the Church as possible,
either out of fear, or lack of interest.

18. Is your Hero a member of a guild,
gentleman’s club, or secret society?

Contacts are important, and they can be made through
these organizations. They are a source of adventures and
information. From a roleplaying perspective, many tangible
benefits come from being a member of these organizations.
Perhaps your gentleman’s club buys a communal copy of
the latest archæology journals, or serves tea and biscuits
every morning to members. The clubs your Hero joins also
influence the type of people he meets. You find a very
different crowd of people in the Rose and Cross than you
do in Madame Josette’s Gentlewoman’s Society.

19. What does your Hero think of Sorcery?
Not all people with Sorcery like it, and not all people
without Sorcery hate it. It sometimes alienates people, and
the Church preaches against it; some people will dislike you
for no other reason if you possess it. On the other hand,
some who lack Sorcery look at the power it brings its bearer
and long desperately for magic of their own. They tend to
purchase any runic items they can get their hands on, and
sift through Syrneth ruins seeking mystic secrets lost to the
world.

20. If you could, what advice would you give
your Hero?

Take a good, long look at the other questions before you
answer this one. Speak to your Hero as if he were sitting
right in front of you, and remember to use the proper tone.
You’ll want to make certain your Hero actually listens to
you when you give him this free advice.
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