Role-Playing Details

The character sheet includes space for a certain amount of role-playing information such as bonds, fears, and desires. For the most part, these variables have no hard rules attached. Their main purpose is to help you assume the role of your character by thinking about who you are, where you come from, how you act, what you want, and so forth.

There is no need to spend too long on this information—you can always develop your character further during play. Don’t plan out your character’s future development. After all, you might get turned into a frog! Plan to let your character grow and change in response to whatever happens in the game.

The relationship between two characters is often more interesting than either of the characters on their own.

When you introduce a new character, you must define a bond with at least one character belonging to another player. While it is easy to say that two characters are old friends, more complex or unusual relationships can be very interesting to explore. Some possible bonds include:

Relationships with power dynamics provide great material for both serious and humorous scenes. For example, in a master-servant relationship, the servant might be bumbling, worshipful, disobedient, or functionally in charge. The master might be pompous, cruel, clueless, or even uncomfortable about his social position.

You will need to agree with the other player about the nature of your relationship. Don’t force someone into a role that makes them too uncomfortable (unless they want to use it to practice their acting skills). Don’t choose a relationship so hostile that it will make it impossible to work together in one party.

You can create bonds with multiple other characters if you wish. If you are role-playing well, it is likely that your relationships with other characters will change or develop over time. Don’t be afraid to resolve conflicts or start new ones.

Background. What was your character’s life like before you became an adventurer? Think a little about your upbringing. Did you grow up in the country, in a town, or in a castle? Were you raised by your parents, or by someone else? What was your social class? Did you learn a trade, such as blacksmith or sailor? What do your race and character class suggest about your probable background?

Think about one or two key life events that put you on the course you are on now. Did you fight in the war? Did you meet someone who changed your life? Were you forced to run away from someone or something? Look for ways to incorporate your bonds.

Personality. What is your character like? How do they usually interact with others? You might want to brainstorm a number of possible habits and mannerisms that you can use while role-playing to express your character’s personality. That said, keep in mind that while funny accents and mannerisms are a lot of fun, they are less important to defining your character in the long term than your choices and your relationships with others.

Heart’s desire. What does your character desire above all else? Write down one or more desires. Some possible examples:

You can change your heart’s desire when it feels right to do so. For example, if you fulfill your dream of wealth, you may decide that your real calling is philanthropy. If your friend is killed by orcs, you may decide that all you want now is revenge.

You can choose more than one desire if you wish. You can even choose contradictory desires; this could lead to wonderful role-playing as you wrestle with internal conflict.

Darkest fears. What does your character dread the most? Write down one or more fears. These can be immediate fears, like a fear of spiders, or they can be deep-seated fears, like the fear of abandonment, or the fear of being thought a coward. You can add new fears when it seems appropriate, such as after a particularly harrowing experience. You can remove a fear from your character sheet when you feel you have faced and overcome it.

Some people are afraid of making a cliché character—like a gruff, hairy dwarf who loves gold. Instead, they create absurdities, like a hairless dwarven philanthropist, or a shy bookish barbarian. This feels creative, but it’s really just obtuse.

It’s better to see what you can do while working within the cliché. If you make a real effort to assume the role of a dwarf or a barbarian, and play the part with sincerity, you will end up with a character that is distinctly your own. After all, no two actors ever played exactly the same character, even when reading from the same script.

Of course, you can put your own spin on a cliché if you want to, but don’t spoil what made it interesting to begin with. Remember, Spock was very emotional for a Vulcan, but he was practically emotionless compared to a normal human being.

Portraying your own character well is only a first step. You should also think about how your character would react to other characters. What would your free-wheeling thief think of the disciplined law-abiding cleric? Aren’t you a little curious about such a different philosophy of life? Whatever your first impression, make an effort to be interested in the other player characters. Discuss their deeds and comment on what you think they are like. Ask them questions (in character!) to draw out their backstory, motivation, and philosophy.

It’s easy to become stoic and disaffected when playing a tabletop adventure game. After all, none of the danger is real. Nonetheless, try to portray the emotional reactions of your character, which may be stronger than your own. Be thrilled to discover treasure! Be creeped out by the strange sounds you hear at night! Exult in victory, pant in exhaustion, and cry out in terror if you meet a dragon! Doing so makes the characters more vivid and the game more exciting.