Create a Character

[danex he/him]

Pretty simple game. Give a single aspect of a potential character, as simple or as detailed as you want. The next person fleshes out that idea into a full character. (Just make sure you only give a single aspect. Don't define the character, that's their job.)
You don't need to make the aspect that you've been given central to the character. just include it in some capacity. 
Originally this was going to be DnD characters specifically, but I figured that having to do all the stats and stuff would dissuade people. If you want you can still do that. I probably will at least a few times. 

Here's the official dnd sheets for reference:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

At the very least you should include a character's:
Ideals
Goals
Fears
Flaws
because if you don't have those, you don't really have a character. 

If you're looking for other qualities to write up, here's some off the top of my head:
Relationships
Habits
Skills
Talents
Speech patterns
Appearance
Unconscious desires
Insecurities
Guilty Pleasures
 

To start off, I'm giving the prompt:
Create a Character who fears the ocean, but pretends they don't.

 

[Eluvianii he/him]

Ok, this sounds really fun actually.

Spoilered for length. 

Spoiler

Born to a family of fishermen, Saul grew up surrounded by the smell of fish and sea water. He grew up hearing stories about the sea. Its beauty, its wonders. And its dangers. Stories of drownings and shark attacks were the bread and butter around the village, an occupational hazard they called it. But where his elders could tell all this and laugh it up, Saul was terrified. 

He, however, was also proud. He had no ambitions of his own beyond growing up to be a worthy member of his family, and continue the family business. And so he trained. He wasn't brave enough to swim in the sea, but he forced himself to be close to it. Went on as many trips as he could. Putting on a brave face in front of others, and near collapsing from the fear when no one could see. 

And so, as the years passed, Paul gained a tolerance. He was trusted to lead an expedition on his own, and he was able to complete it without issue. And that's how he leads his life now. Sailing bravely and being successful at it, so long as he doesn't fall. 

The only person who knows about it is Lissa, his closest friend. As kids, they both shared a passion for the stories they heard from the grown ups. She focused on the beauty and he focused on the danger, but fact was both loved to hear them. When the time came, it was only natural that she was the first one to hear about Saul's fear.

Ironically, Lissa is in love with the sea. Swimming is part of her daily routine, and frequently asks to come along during fishing trips, just to be able to swim on open sea. This peculiarity of hers made her the perfect teacher for Saul. 

She taught him to be brave near the water, and constantly tries to convince him that the ocean's beauty is greater than its danger. Even now that Saul is a full fledged fisherman, she continues to teach him. Who knows, maybe one day they'll be able to swim together. 

Create a character that wants to be rich, but is only willing to put the least amount of effort for it. 

[Mr. Misting he/him]

This is my kind of jam.

I love making characters

Spoiler

Born raised and living off the streets Fax grew up fighting for every scrap. He would take all that he would get and was the most ambitious orphan in town. Fax wasn't satisfied with his life, he wanted the world for himself.

So after hearing the rumors of a cult that could change his life, Fax gave everything he owned to get into the cult. After years of hard effort he was admitted and quickly rose to the top. He became a warlock, bound to demon in exchange for powers. Fax was consumed by ambition and greed, selling his soul for more power. With his guild behind him he was unstoppable.

Sadly, at this point Fax became an stereotypical villain and a group of adventures broke into his hideout and killed everyone in inside. Because Fax was a reoccurring big bad he narrowly survived and swore vengeance upon the group.

After years of back and forth Fax gave up. He had lost time and time again, watching decades of plans and hopes shatter to pieces. Fax stopped caring, he still wanted to be rich he just didn't have the energy left for it.

Fax now spends most of his time sleeping away days or drunk at a bar. His demon can only demand he does one thing a day and after he completes it's request Fax goes back to caring about nothing. 

He is a very adapt magic user and still remembers his life from living off the street. He has quick hands and is much to good at getting into somewhere he shouldn't be. 

Fax fears caring about something. He had lost his cult, his dreams and decades of work. He had lost his mother on the streets. He has learned over a long life that the only way not to be hurt is to not have anything that can hurt you. And so by caring about nothing, Fax can never feel the pain of loss again.

He would love to be rich but work sounds like to much effort. He does the occasional odd job so he can have a room at the inn or have a drink, but in general he has no money. He still has dreams he just puts no stock into them.

Fax is a crusty, lazy old man who finds as many ways as possible to poke fun at people. He uses his quick wits and charisma to try to get people to stop bothering him as fast as possible. He speaks in a lazy drawl and loves to talk circles around people. 

He has a scraggly beard and white hair. His face is wrinkled and weary with discerning eyes. He wears ragged old robes that bear the symbol of his old cult if you look closely. He has a brand of chains around his arms that signify his slavery to his demon. He is fairly tall though you couldn't tell, because he often slumps. 

Create a character who does excessive backflips.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Mr. Misting

[Primeival Chaos he/him]

Bro making characters is my favorite part of DND. 

I have made so many characters that I probably will never use as a forever DM

Spoiler

Growing up in the circus leads to a different childhood. Of course, Enii would never have chosen a different life. Her "family" had cared for her and helped her when she had been abandoned by her actual parents. They took her in.

Later, when she was somewhat older, they found that she was surprisingly nimble for her size. She could do flips and tricks until the day grew dark, and only stopped because they told her to. It was as if she was born to it, like it was the reason that she was alive. Little did they know how true their observations were.

When the team of scientists that had lost their experiment finally located her, the circus was burned. The only survivors were a little monkey named Chee and Enii herself, now 13 years old. Enii learned of her nature from the team sent to take her back. She had no parents, but was an experiment, manipulated and changed before birth with magic and twisted alchemy into a superhuman, incredibly strong and dexterous.

When Enii escaped out of their clutches, she ran to hide in the forest, with Chee as her only company. It was there that she learned that Chee was actually an awakened animal sent by the Forest Sage to watch over Enii, as the Forest Sage had seen into the future and learned that Enii had an important role to play. 

Chee took Enii to the simple hut of the Forest Sage, where Enii was greeted by an old, gnarly woman. For 5 years, Enii was trained by the old woman to slip silently through the forest, to hunt, and listen to the animals. However, Enii appeared to have little talent for magic beyond the most simple of spells.

After 5 years had passed, Enii came home from a successful hunt with a massive buck slung over her shoulder. She finds the door hanging off its hinges, and the woman gone.

Enii finds a secret note scratched into the wall. It is in a cypher that only she and the old lady know. The note says that the old lady- the Forest Sage- had been found. She had put a spell on Enii so that Enii would go on a long hunt, then waited for the assailants. She expects that they will kill or capture her, and to not try to save her, instead to run.

Enii decides to save the Forest Sage. She tracks her to a caravan of 20 guards and a wizard. She recognizes the wizard from the first abduction attempt back at the circus. 

She jumps in and manages to take out 3 guards before she is subdued. The wizard walks over to her and says that the trap had worked, and their prey had been captured. At this moment, Enii throws herself out of the guard's arms. She is covered in blood, and she finally finds out why she has no aptitude for magic. Her blood absorbed all of her magic. She finally figured out her powers, and tapped into the latent magic in her blood. Hairs sprouted all over her body, and her mouth elongated into a muzzle. She now knows what experiments they did to her as a fetus. They had mixed her DNA with that of a werewolf.

She left no identifiable remains of the people in the caravan.

Unable to see what the peaceful Forest Sage thought of her massacre, she ran away, slowly transforming back into a human. Legends say that she forever tried to prove herself, throwing herself into harder and harder situations. However, it was never good enough for her, knowing what the Forest Sage, her beloved mentor, would think of her- a killer. She imagined her family back at the circus, and how it was her fault that they died, and that pushed her further.

She became the Mistress of the Night, undefeated in combat and ruler of outcasts and those society rejected. But she never forgave herself.

That is the legend of the birth of the first Bloodhunter

[Szeth's Facepalm]

17 minutes ago, Primeval Chaos said:

Bro making characters is my favorite part of DND. 

I have made so many characters that I probably will never use as a forever DM

  Hide contents

Growing up in the circus leads to a different childhood. Of course, Enii would never have chosen a different life. Her "family" had cared for her and helped her when she had been abandoned by her actual parents. They took her in.

Later, when she was somewhat older, they found that she was surprisingly nimble for her size. She could do flips and tricks until the day grew dark, and only stopped because they told her to. It was as if she was born to it, like it was the reason that she was alive. Little did they know how true their observations were.

When the team of scientists that had lost their experiment finally located her, the circus was burned. The only survivors were a little monkey named Chee and Enii herself, now 13 years old. Enii learned of her nature from the team sent to take her back. She had no parents, but was an experiment, manipulated and changed before birth with magic and twisted alchemy into a superhuman, incredibly strong and dexterous.

When Enii escaped out of their clutches, she ran to hide in the forest, with Chee as her only company. It was there that she learned that Chee was actually an awakened animal sent by the Forest Sage to watch over Enii, as the Forest Sage had seen into the future and learned that Enii had an important role to play. 

Chee took Enii to the simple hut of the Forest Sage, where Enii was greeted by an old, gnarly woman. For 5 years, Enii was trained by the old woman to slip silently through the forest, to hunt, and listen to the animals. However, Enii appeared to have little talent for magic beyond the most simple of spells.

After 5 years had passed, Enii came home from a successful hunt with a massive buck slung over her shoulder. She finds the door hanging off its hinges, and the woman gone.

Enii finds a secret note scratched into the wall. It is in a cypher that only she and the old lady know. The note says that the old lady- the Forest Sage- had been found. She had put a spell on Enii so that Enii would go on a long hunt, then waited for the assailants. She expects that they will kill or capture her, and to not try to save her, instead to run.

Enii decides to save the Forest Sage. She tracks her to a caravan of 20 guards and a wizard. She recognizes the wizard from the first abduction attempt back at the circus. 

She jumps in and manages to take out 3 guards before she is subdued. The wizard walks over to her and says that the trap had worked, and their prey had been captured. At this moment, Enii throws herself out of the guard's arms. She is covered in blood, and she finally finds out why she has no aptitude for magic. Her blood absorbed all of her magic. She finally figured out her powers, and tapped into the latent magic in her blood. Hairs sprouted all over her body, and her mouth elongated into a muzzle. She now knows what experiments they did to her as a fetus. They had mixed her DNA with that of a werewolf.

She left no identifiable remains of the people in the caravan.

Unable to see what the peaceful Forest Sage thought of her massacre, she ran away, slowly transforming back into a human. Legends say that she forever tried to prove herself, throwing herself into harder and harder situations. However, it was never good enough for her, knowing what the Forest Sage, her beloved mentor, would think of her- a killer. She imagined her family back at the circus, and how it was her fault that they died, and that pushed her further.

She became the Mistress of the Night, undefeated in combat and ruler of outcasts and those society rejected. But she never forgave herself.

That is the legend of the birth of the first Bloodhunter

awesome...... but you didn't give a trait for the next person D:

Edited November 14, 2022 by Szeth's Facepalm

[Primeival Chaos he/him]

15 minutes ago, Szeth's Facepalm said:

awesome...... but you didn't give a trait for the next person D:

Crap my bad.

Create someone that obsesses over their clothes

[Eluvianii he/him]

Spoiler

They say if you are good at something, an opportunity will find you. That was a blatant lie and Nala knew that very well. Skills and knowledge can only take you so far. Presentation is the real key to a bright future. If you look like you crawled out of a third rate internet cafe, that's the kind of job you will get. If you wish for success, you need to look the part.

Nala's family owned little, a roof and two rooms. And a whole lot of books. They belonged to her grandfather, a memory of better days. Days before he had been kicked out of the company he worked at, deemed too old to be of use. Days before her father was used as a scapegoat when his office became indebted to the wrong kind of people. Days before they had to move to a smaller house where they barely fit anymore. But they still had the books.

They were old, but no antiques. If they were, Nala's family would have tried to sell them. No, they were simply old, worth nothing her father said. But they were Nala's life. Her grandfather was a studied man, who had shared his collection with her since she was little. They ranged from history to science, from literature to math, from knitting to survival techniques. She had little to do at home anyway, so reading was the only way she could keep herself away from boredom. Besides, she didn't just read. She practiced what she read.

While other kids were playing Pokémon she entertained herself fixing furniture. While her classmates got to go to the movies she made camping trips, with nothing but a few blankets and her own knowledge. She was practiced in differential equations before reaching high school. But when the time came to choose a passion, she chose cooking.

Maybe she missed the meals they used to have, back then, but she was determined to make the most of what they could afford. And she did it. Reading gave her the basics but soon she was making combinations of her own, adapting expensive recipes to their tight budget. Not only did she become the main cook of the house, but she managed to make a bit of money with it. Just enough so that their lives were a little easier. A bit of knowledge had turned her house into a happier place.

As years went by, Nala decided this would be her life, she would become a chef, and she'd open her own restaurant, right there in that city. However, she was starting to feel her limit. Books could only teach her so much, especially if she was aiming high. She needed a teacher. College was out of the question, so once she graduated from high school she set out to find a place that would hire her. A place to train, a place to become a better cook. Right now the style wasn't important, she simply wanted to learn.

She chose a french cuisine place. It seemed a little ambitious for a first job, but she noticed the ad specified they weren't asking for previous studies or experience. She could come, cook for them, and if she was good enough, she was hired. The owner apparently was known to be eccentric, and this peculiar method of hiring was one of his quirks. But Nala was eager to find out what she was capable of in front of an expert. She didn't even care if she was rejected, it was a test. This way she would get to see how long the path she had chosen truly was.

She was turned away at the door.

It took nothing but a look. A look at herself, and at what she was wearing. An old shirt, her mother's, that had once been pure white but was now closer to beige. And a long brown skirt that had been visibly patched by Nala before she chose it as her job hunting outfit. It didn't look perfect, but it was the best she could find at her house.

Logic told her that she should just forget about that place, that they weren't worth her time. She could learn at a lower class restaurant, she could grow there, be successful. But that would be like saying they had been right to reject her, and she simply couldn't bear that thought. Suddenly it wasn't about testing herself but about showing them. She would work there.

But she needed some money first. And sure enough, there were plenty of middle class restaurants that gave her a chance. She was good, and they saw it. They gave her a chance to prove it because she didn't look that different from the people working there. She settled for a small sushi place near her house and started saving up. She couldn't be selfish, her family was counting on her after all, but she saved every cent that didn't go into the house's expenses.

And though it took her a couple years, she did it. A small wardrobe of "high class" clothing. Truly, it disgusted her. When she thought about how much it had cost she wanted to tear them into pieces and scream at herself for wasting so much money into this. But she was close now, she could prove it. She walked out the door, looking like a different person, and made her way to the same french restaurant as two years ago. And this time she was treated like a princess. They opened the door for her and guided her to the waiting room. She would see the boss himself and then the interview would start. She looked the part so she belonged. Then the time came and she took the test. She knew only the basics when it came to french food, but they told her that would be enough to get a feel for her abilities.

It was. She was hired in a blink. The future she wanted, now within her grasp. That night Nala cried in frustration. It was her win, and yet she felt insulted, disgusted. She had proved she belonged but it meant nothing. She had still bowed to their stupid standards just to be allowed inside. By next day however, she couldn't help but see the bright side. Sure, her appearance had bought her the chance, but her skills had gotten her the job. It truly was her win. The clothes were just a key.

And so she accepted it. If expensive clothes could get her through life so be it. She had a great job now, she could buy more. Nala was single-handedly responsible for getting her family out of poverty and all it took was a nice shirt. When she looked at it that way, she couldn't help but smile.

She didn't forget her ambition, and before a decade had passed, she had her own restaurant. She didn't want to be like her previous boss, and made sure to give a chance to everyone, regardless of appearance.

Even then, if you asked her family if she had changed, surprisingly the would tell you that she hadn't. She was still an avid reader, and had now a small library of her own. She still supported her family, and had helped them achieve their own goals, until they could live well by themselves. She still had a variety of hobbies, that truthfully sometimes even got in the way of her job. But if you insisted they would admit that there was one small change. Since the incident, you couldn't pull her out of her room in the morning looking anything less than her very best.

Create a character that loves dogs but fears them.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Eluvianii