[ROLEPLAY GUIDE] Characters and Situations

[Atiku]

(Original Created by Me, in 2013 - Thought it might be usefull up here)

 

Creating Interesting Characters and Situations
Let me start by saying that in role play there are no winners and losers. Role play is about the story and how it is told not the final outcome. If your character is character killed you win because you got to tell an engaging story that involved fantastic role play with a host of other characters. So what makes an engaging and interesting story?

Conflict.

Every piece of fictional literature ever created; movies, TV shows, books, video games, are filled with conflict - internal, external, imaginary and real. Without conflict to test characters there is no story to engage with. By definition conflict installs a sense of winning and losing which we all know is detrimental to role play so needs to be forgotten.
Conflict does not only mean violence.

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Examples:

Two brothers with conflicting personalities. One is ambitious the other is happy in his safe zone.
A mafia member who is forced into the criminal world despite his reluctance to kill someone.
Jealousy of someone with a bigger house, nicer car, more power.
Knowing that your actions will have consequences for someone close to you.
Through the conflict you can display your characters true traits. What makes them who they are.

 

 

Goals

Your characters need a goal. Something that is specific and measurable.

 

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Examples:

To defend and rep his hood to the death.
To stop the government from brainwashing the citizens.
To complete a $1,000,000 drug deal.
To own a particular house.
To become the boss of a mafia.

The nature of the goal usually reveals a lot about a character. The harder the goal is to obtain the more interesting the journey towards it will be. The more opposition there is to achieving the goal the more conflict it will create which in turn will make the journey more interesting.

Motivation

Give your characters motivation, a reason for wanting to achieve that goal. The more personal the goal the more engaging and colourful your character will be.

 

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Examples:

Becoming a ?made man? because your characters father and his father were both ?made?.
Wanting to make money because you grew up poor.
Wanting to become a police officer because a stray bullet killed a relative.
Wanting to help others in an effort to find redemption for something your character has done wrong in the past.

Avoid cliche? at all cost. Seeking revenge for dead parents is a particular favourite amongst people new to role play so stay well clear of it.

History

In order to be believable and consistent your character needs to have a past. Not only will this determine how your character speaks, it will determine how they act in situations and what they believe.

Each character should have their own voice. By voice I mean a speech pattern and choice of words that is distinct to them.

 

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Example:
Take the simple action of greeting someone. How would Bart Simpson and Count Dracula greet someone? They would both choose different words and carry themselves in a different way.

Bart Simpson says: Hey. What's up, Man?
Count Dracula says: Greetings...?

Past experiences shape your characters beliefs and values. If your character was mugged by a gang member when they were younger they might have a preju**** against an ethnic race. If your character has killed in the past would they think twice about killing again? If your character is a con man who was stabbed in the back by their accomplice would they have trust issues?
Make Them Believable, Characters need to be believable. This means they have to have flaws because, after all, no one is perfect. Does your character have commitment issues? Is your character a coward? Is he brave to the point of stupidity? Does he have a gambling /drink / drug problem? Of course we all also have things we are good at. Is your character charismatic? Intelligent? Physically strong?

People are emotional. Every word spoken by your character should show some emotion, even if that emotion is apathy. Better than telling people how your character feels, show it through their actions and choices. If your character is angry then sling a glass against a wall or storm out of the room and slam the door. If your character is in love stumble over their words like an awkward teenager.

The real believably comes from the details. The idiosyncrasies and habits that make people who they are. All these things make characters unique, believable and memorable.