How to Create Your Own RPG Character

Give your character a purpose. Role playing games (RPGs) are all about quests and discovery, so your character should be searching for something. This doesn’t have to be as obvious as finding a magic item or talisman, it can be something much more incorporeal. Maybe your character is searching for his father’s acceptance, or maybe your character wants everyone to hate him. This purpose will be the driving force behind almost all of the character’s decisions and if the character ever achieves her purpose, it will be time to retire her, since she will no longer be entertaining.

Create a quick personality for your character. You&'ll have time, as you play the character, to better fill out his personality, but you&'ll need some good starting off points. Consider how the character acts around friends, then around strangers. If you are having trouble, create a quick list of questions and “interview” your character, answering as the character would answer. It doesn’t even really matter what the questions are, it just gives you a chance to get inside the character’s head.

Come up with a few interesting little quirks that make your character more memorable and fun to play. This could be something like having the character constantly twiddling his thumbs, or whistling when he is nervous. The point here is to give your character something cute and memorable that you can come back to when you find yourself slipping out of character.

Detail your character’s history. This should include the place of her birth, along with information about her parents or upbringing. Note a few key events in the character’s past that led her to become the person she is today. If the game master allows it, try to tie the character’s past into the current story, either by familial association or by past interaction with some of the prominent non-player characters. Detail any major conflicts or grudges from your character’s past, as the game master can integrate these into the story.

Write down the character’s physical characteristics. By now you should have a fairly good idea of the character, so this may be easy for you. Even if you have an excellent idea of the character’s physicality, it is best to write it down so that you don’t forget if the game takes a break for awhile. Include staples such as height, weight and skin color, as well as any unusual characteristics, like a scar or deformity.

Roll the dice or assign the points to build your character according to the game system that you are using. Different game systems have vastly different rules for this, so consult your game manual or player’s handbook for specific instructions. Statistics are simply a numerical representation of your character’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Some people will begin their character creation by rolling their stats, but it is better to choose your statistics based on a developed character than to create a character based on a group of stats.