Joining the game, Step-1: Create your Character

For those of us already in an rpg, it seems easy to join--just create your character & jump into the fun. Simple! The reality is, it's a lot harder. How do you create a character? How do you decide at what point in an ongoing story to "drop in"? That's where it begins ... maybe I can help.

1. Create your Character

First, male or female? People usually stick with their own gender, especially for a first character. Second, a name? Something you like, maybe something you wish your parents had given you, or a name you have planned for your firstborn. Third, physical description? Start with age and then figure out tall or short, fat or thin, blond or brunette or redhead, pale or dark, "normal" or muscular or sexy--it's easy to get carried away with all the details. The simplest method is to pick a tv or movie role you have in mind for your character, then use the physical description of the actor who portrays that role. Or just look in the mirror & describe yourself. Who's gonna know?

Once you know what your character looks like, consider his/her capabilities -- especially in light of the type of rpg you're joining. For example, if the rpg tends to have a lot of fighting in-game, better be sure your character has some skills in that area (unless you plan for that character to be a victim or somehow "above it all," which is always possible). Does your character sing? gamble? cook? know computers? dance? hunt? have medical skills? tell a good story? is s/he a leader or a follower? maybe just a loner (which means you'll need more skills to make up for fewer friends). Lots & lots of possibilities, but remember: if you decide your character will have medical skills (as an example), you'd better have some knowledge or start reading up on the subject. The point is to have those skills play a part in the game--and for that, you need to know what you're talking about!

Next: history. Your character didn't just pop into existence the minute you entered the game. Character histories are written with the general game-story in mind. For example, with KTDARPG, we created histories to describe where our characters came from & what their lives were like before the Virus killed all the adults. How did they become the people they are now? Usually you can give as much or as little detail as you want. (I tend to go with fewer details -- keeps my character more unpredictable & just a bit mysterious, which is kinda fun.)

That's pretty much it. All this gives you a character ready to play. And it's even more fun to see how that character develops as s/he interacts with other characters & moves through the story.

Stay tuned for Step-2: Making an Entrance ...next time!

-Chyna
Photo source: copyright Renaissance Pictures