Character creation help

[1st of Lunch he/him]

Doea anyone have a character creation form, scale or chart they use to help in the creation of their characters? Aside from the neutral good/chaotic good charts...

Something that might list out basic characteristics that you could then input the characters levels of said characteristics?

[Ixthos Luke/Luke]

If you mean coming up with characters, I think that the best method is to shape a character and a story and a setting together, so that each fits into the other as well as produces points of friction for conflict - characters emerging from the needs of the story or the needs of other characters. Thus you need to identify what traits of the character and characters are best suited for the conflict in the story you are writing, and which are important to make the characters interesting and seem like real people. If you mean traits to list about a character, my own system involves listing (which not every character requiring all of these):

• Name, origin, date of birth
• Description / appearance
  • includes species, height, eye colour, what they normally wear, etc.
• Personality
  • their goals, motivations, general disposition, starting conflicts, what they like and dislike, their hobbies, their flaws and their strengths
• Relationships
  • who they have relationships with, the relationship dynamic, and if this can tie into their personality
• Powers and abilities
• History

 

None of these need to be very detailed, only enough to summarise them and make things clear about the path their story starts at, and the direction they are inclined to walk.

[TheMothLord she/her]

I just use like basic questions and them meme charts like

the basic questions help me actually develop the character, the memes help me see how they would react to a situation

[Ixthos Luke/Luke]

@1st of Lunch Maybe a little more feedback would help us help you. Could you indicate if what we've said is more or less what you wanted, or if you are looking for something else, etc.?

[1st of Lunch he/him]

Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks for all of the responses! I've seen these posts but I've been kinda busy. Honestly, these are all helpful in ways but not really what I was looking for. When I was a kid I had some Marvel trading cards that had, like, a power graph of sorts. Strength, invincibility, and several other traits with a corresponding bar to show their levels, like the picture attached. I could make one but I thought I would see if one already exists that might cover more than mine would. I'm kinda new to this so I might miss something but I guess that's part of the process. If I get to work on it in the next week or so I'll post it so folks can see it and even use it if they so desire.

 

 

[Ixthos Luke/Luke]

10 hours ago, 1st of Lunch said:

Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks for all of the responses! I've seen these posts but I've been kinda busy. Honestly, these are all helpful in ways but not really what I was looking for. When I was a kid I had some Marvel trading cards that had, like, a power graph of sorts. Strength, invincibility, and several other traits with a corresponding bar to show their levels, like the picture attached. I could make one but I thought I would see if one already exists that might cover more than mine would. I'm kinda new to this so I might miss something but I guess that's part of the process. If I get to work on it in the next week or so I'll post it so folks can see it and even use it if they so desire.

 

 

The writing on that is a little small so I can't make everything out but I think I know what you mean. I think it would be best if you made your own chart, as that chart would match what is important for the story rather than match traits that someone else considered important for their own things. And if you miss something you can always add it in later - the main thing is to make what works for you. Some people use one system and some use another and some use a combination of others. As you said it is part of the process, so start yours and find what works.

 

Something to keep in mind is that - if you are using some sort of absolute level - is that depending on your story not every character would need everything listed, and you might need to keep from superlatives unless you really have them locked down. For example, would Mary Jane Watson have an invincibility and strength bar, when the variables of strength for Marvel characters means for practical purposes both she and the world weightlifting champion might for all intents be exactly the same as far as the Hulk is concerned if you are using a linear graph rather than logarithmic, and if if the Hulk were to be listed as at the very top of the list for strength then if someone new arrives who can bench press continents then you would need to extend the scale, and again if someone arrives who can fight them both off with one finger. So either have an open ended graph - not a maximum value but rather just a number, and lots of room to extend the graph - using a logarithmic scale to allow for the distinction between weaker characters to be represented while stronger characters need to be significantly stronger to be distinct and so to have distinct tiers, or decide ahead of time the maximum values the charts have and don't add anyone stronger afterwards. Though this is just advice, and you are free to do this in what method works for you, and if any of this advice isn't helpful, disregard it and to what works for you.

[1st of Lunch he/him]

15 hours ago, Ixthos said:

The writing on that is a little small so I can't make everything out but I think I know what you mean. I think it would be best if you made your own chart, as that chart would match what is important for the story rather than match traits that someone else considered important for their own things. And if you miss something you can always add it in later - the main thing is to make what works for you. Some people use one system and some use another and some use a combination of others. As you said it is part of the process, so start yours and find what works.

 

Something to keep in mind is that - if you are using some sort of absolute level - is that depending on your story not every character would need everything listed, and you might need to keep from superlatives unless you really have them locked down. For example, would Mary Jane Watson have an invincibility and strength bar, when the variables of strength for Marvel characters means for practical purposes both she and the world weightlifting champion might for all intents be exactly the same as far as the Hulk is concerned if you are using a linear graph rather than logarithmic, and if if the Hulk were to be listed as at the very top of the list for strength then if someone new arrives who can bench press continents then you would need to extend the scale, and again if someone arrives who can fight them both off with one finger. So either have an open ended graph - not a maximum value but rather just a number, and lots of room to extend the graph - using a logarithmic scale to allow for the distinction between weaker characters to be represented while stronger characters need to be significantly stronger to be distinct and so to have distinct tiers, or decide ahead of time the maximum values the charts have and don't add anyone stronger afterwards. Though this is just advice, and you are free to do this in what method works for you, and if any of this advice isn't helpful, disregard it and to what works for you.

I do believe you are correct - I shall have to make my own! I was trying to be lazy and see if someone had a template but i think I've spent more time now here discussing it than just getting it done! Anyway, thanks for the advice it is appreciated and some of it will indeed be incorporated. 

Have a Merry Christmas!

[Ixthos Luke/Luke]

11 hours ago, 1st of Lunch said:

I do believe you are correct - I shall have to make my own! I was trying to be lazy and see if someone had a template but i think I've spent more time now here discussing it than just getting it done! Anyway, thanks for the advice it is appreciated and some of it will indeed be incorporated. 

Have a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and God bless you!