Nobody's perfect. And if we're honest, we don't want 'em to be. Especially in an rpg, where the best characters take on a life of their own.Our Tribe favorites certainly weren't perfect, and that made for all that much more fun. Jack was a sucker for a pretty face. Ebony was power-hungry. Lex was...well, face it, Lex was Lex. And Salene had all kinds of troubles, from bulimia to drinking to lack of confidence in herself.
It wasn't their strengths that drew us in & made us care about them. It was their weaknesses.
The same thing is true in KTDARPG. The best characters--the ones who stay with you, the ones you cheer for, the ones you empathize with--are the ones who have weaknesses & human qualities we can identify with. I know that everyone has their faves, but here are a few of mine.
Rio. Oh this guy is a beaut! He drinks alcohol like a fish, has mad schemes to make money, gambles, and has a personal view of women that's almost medieval. But he cares, and most times he tries to do the right thing. He knows goodness when he sees it, and he isn't out looking to hurt anybody.
Villa. If you only know 1 thing about Villa, it's that she's crazy. Looney-tunes. She's also a quasi-homicidal-maniac, but she has a good heart. Yeah, that part's kinda strange, I admit. And she loves with an intense loyalty that's impressive. You definitely want this crazy lady on your side, not against you.
Arianna. Arianna is a blonde beauty with a big heart & a generous spirit. Ari gives so much of herself, constantly. She's watched lovers die & picked up the pieces, raising her daughter solo. It's awful, but sometimes you have to wonder, which will be the straw to break the camel's back?
Maggie. After everything she's been through, Maggie always strikes me as basically naive. The first thing she sees is the good in people; and she struggles to hold onto that later after, sadly, she's proven wrong. She's had so much heartbreak...but she still tries.
I've talked a few new players off the ledge after they created characters that were just too perfect to be true.
> The invincible warrior.
> The all-knowing wise one.
> The character who's seen it/done it/had it all.
> The one who can find "anything" in a world that's defined by it's shortages & lacks.
*Sigh* Yep. It gets interesting.
So. one bit of advice for all my KTDARPG players -- when you build a character, put just as much thought into his or her human-ness as you do into appearance & strengths & back story. Give us a real person to play with. It's a whole lot more fun, for sure.
Thanks!
-Chyna
Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
