Some people choose to begin a character with an empty plate, raw, and free of any expectations. They will give the character a name, a few attributes, and that is that - they simply insert the character and play, making up the character's backstory as they go along, allowing the character's personality to develop on its own. This kind of character creation is fun, but is really best for more advanced players. For a beginning roleplayer, the best way to make a character is to write a small back story with elements of your character's personality - practicing this is how you become an advanced player who doesn't need support wires and a framework to create a good character and storyline.
I wish I could take the credit for all of these ideas, but I can't. When I first began role playing with Vampire: the Masquerade back in 1996, the storytellers, Anthony and Raven, suggested many of these steps to me as a way to learn how to create strong characters with a complex storyline that followed the lore, and I have found their ideas to be invaluable throughout the years - and still do.
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Step 1: Read up on the lore of the game you're going to be playing. With World of Warcraft, you don't have to read all the novels and play all the Warcraft games first - it's very easy to find information from the World of Warcraft wiki, located at http://www.wowwiki.com. You can look up information on everything from how the Naga came into being to what made Illidan Stormrage go insane. Go there to find out the history of your character's race, the race's average lifespan, the traits of his or her class, as well as read up on any past events your character may have experienced or taken part in (for instance, one of my characters has a sister who died at Dalaran - but to make it sound real, I first had to go and read up on everything that happened at Dalaran). This might sound boring, but it will help you to craft a believable character, and a believable story.
Step 2: Start your character's background. This is more simple than it sounds. Start with simple ideas first - where was your character born? How old is your character? Did their family die in one of the wars, or are they still alive? Does your character have children? Where does your character live now? What is your character's class (i.e. warrior, paladin, rogue, etc.)? Once you've answered these basic questions, you'll find that the other questions and ideas about your character will begin to flow more easily. Pretty soon, you'll have a basic framework to begin writing your character's backstory.
Step 3: Give your creation a name. This sounds obvious, but this is what really gives your character that spark of life. You can look at the names of NPCs of your character's race to put together a name, or you can consult baby name guides. I tend to use French name guides for blood elves, Celtic names for night elves, Russian names for draenei, Carribean names for trolls, and so on and so forth.
Step 4: Begin writing your character's story. Take the basic background you decided on earlier, combine it with the information about your character's race and any lore elements you want to include, and begin the story. You needn't write a novel, a short story of two or three pages will do; of course, you are free to write more if you choose to do so. It is here that you will figure out what type of person your character is, the past events that have shaped your character, and the elements that may affect his or her future. Is your character shy or outgoing? Are they a lover or a fighter? Are they cruel or are they kind? Are they loyal or would they sell out their own mother? Have they been in any wars? Did they fight alongside any notables? As you are writing, remember to try not to go too big or get too complicated at first - if you are a new role player, you don't want to take on more than you can handle. It might sound cool to have been the best childhood friend of High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, but that's a huge load for an inexperienced role player to shoulder all at once!
*In case you're wondering what the purpose of this exercise is, it is so you can better understand your character and the reasons why your character does the things he or she does. For instance, perhaps you want your character to be an alcoholic, or maybe distrustful of his or her own race. These are great elements that will lend to a rich character and story, but to make it believable, you must figure out what happened in your character's past to lead the character to these conclusions. It seems like a lot of work, but it makes for a better character and a better experience. Plus, once you get into it, you find that it's actually a lot of fun!
Step 5: Actually make your character in the game. This is, of course, the easiest part.
Step 6: Get started role playing! You may want to just dip your toes in at first, introducing your character to other characters and only revealing bits and pieces of his or her personality before you really jump into it. Sit down in the inn, have a drink, and take it easy. Before you know it, you'll find you immediately know what your character would do in any given situation, and saying what your character would say will become second nature.
Something to remember: sometimes characters don't always turn out the way you think they will. You can create a character thinking that they will be perfect, and soon find that they grow in a direction that you never imagined they would. This is normal and happens to the best of us. If this happens, don't panic - try to reshape the character if you can. But if you can't, there's no shame in abandoning the character and starting from scratch.
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I'll soon be completing a tutorial about creating storylines. I hope you're enjoying this series so far and are finding it helpful!
- Lillian
6/18/2010, 7:41 am by billys
