Creating an RPG Character: Essential Questions for a Hero

What qualities define your role-playing character as a hero? This critical question lies at the core of the character creation process, shaping the narrative and guiding the development of a compelling and impactful persona within the game world.

What is your character’s worldview?

For a character to be interesting to play, they must first and foremost be connected to the world around them. Their perception of the world in which they live will shape many aspects of their personality and make it easier for you to interpret them.

Do they consider the world to be fair? Perhaps for them, everyone has their place and the established order is perfectly acceptable. Or do they feel excluded, marginalized? They may want to overturn the current regime by fomenting a revolution, or on the contrary, seek a peaceful place where they would feel accepted.

Simply by choosing one of these three perspectives (respecting the established order, challenging it, or fleeing from it), you will create a solid foundation for your role by anchoring it directly in the game universe.

In the relationship between your character and the surrounding world, there are three important and simple aspects to consider: their stance on money, politics, and religion. If your character has strong opinions on these three subjects, it will be much easier for you to interpret them.

The attitude towards money is quite common, but given that many role-playing scenarios revolve around monetary rewards (hidden treasures, bounties for capturing bandits, etc.), it is a useful point to define. Is your character greedy like Harpagon? Completely uncorrupted because they are totally disinterested in material things? Or do they seek to accumulate money for practical (buying a farm and living there peacefully for the rest of their days), romantic (being able to pay the dowry of the woman they love), or political (financing the revolution against the tyrant of the region) purposes?

Afterwards, you can refine this, particularly by considering which events or people have most influenced their worldview. Are they being pursued by the authorities for committing a crime or belonging to an ethnic group considered inferior or hostile? Did they grow up in comfort, safe from dangers, without ever having to work or worry about material concerns? Have they encountered a mentor who changed their perception of the world, for example, the leader of a rebel or criminal organization?

The people who influence us the most during our childhood are often our parents and friends. Avoid the cliché of an orphan; breathe life into your character by creating parents with whom they have established a real relationship. Are they admiring of their father who taught them everything about the art of blacksmithing? Do they have a tyrannical stepmother worthy of fairy tales?

Friendship also shapes our experiences. Did they spend a long time alone reading in the family library because they struggled to make friends? Were they very close to a friend they lost touch with due to an argument? Were they the leader of a small band of rascals who caused mischief in their hometown before embarking on adventures in the nearby big city?

In fantasy worlds, the possibility of embodying an Elf, a Dwarf, or a Lizardman is appealing. Beyond your personal attraction to an exotic race (because you appreciate their special abilities or physical appearance), consider how your character perceives their belonging to their race. Are they proud of their genetic heritage? How do they view other races?

Why does your character go on an adventure?

To create a dynamic character that can evolve, one of the key questions to ask is: “Why did my character decide to go on an adventure?” Note the use of the verb “decide” here, which refers to a thoughtful act, not a passive event.

So yes, your character goes on an adventure. The concept of role-playing games is based on the idea that players’ characters will experience thrilling adventures. Therefore, your character must be ready to do so. If they prefer to stay in their garden cultivating carrots rather than exploring the world and its dangers, then they are not a good role-playing character. A reluctant character can be interesting, but only if it is understood that they will clearly want to move forward after a little grumbling scene.

If going on an adventure is an implicit given for the player, it should not be the case for the character. This means that going on an adventure must be an important choice and involve a degree of risk or sacrifice. If exploring underground crypts inhabited by the undead is a life choice for the character, what is he leaving behind? Does he have to abandon his forge? A forge that belonged to his father and is crucial for the life of the small village where he grew up? Must he leave behind the love of his life, risking leaving her to fall into the arms of his rival? For his adventure to be worthy of great heroes, you must ensure that the trigger is significant for the character.

The great hero Achilles goes to the war of Troy knowing that he will die there. Why leave behind an easy and peaceful life? To obtain eternal glory by dying in combat. By accepting the mission “participate in the war of Troy,” he makes a decisive choice about his life as a hero.

There is a before and an after the decision to go on an adventure. It is important to define this change, as it is the turning point in the character’s evolution. Before, he could have been a farmer dreaming of becoming a spaceship pilot, but after meeting a strange hermit and the death of his adoptive family, he decides to go fight against an evil galactic empire. He could also have quietly smoked his pipe in front of his comfortable home and asked for nothing better than to live a peaceful existence until the day when an eccentric magician dragged him into a dangerous quest, in search of a treasure guarded by a dragon.

Heroic characters are defined by key moments, important decision-making. If your warrior spent his youth learning the art of warfare and eventually, once well-trained, joined a group of adventurers in search of glory and treasures, this makes your character a “mechanical archetype,” but not an interesting hero to interpret. It is too bland.

I think one of the elements to consider in defining the triggering event of the adventure is the level of contrast between the before and after. The more contrasted they are, the more opportunity you will have to develop an interesting role. Many heroic characters rely on strong contrasts:

• Joan of Arc — from shepherdess to war leader
• Conan — from slave to king
• Bilbo — from peaceful hobbit to dragon treasure thief

Another example: Perceval the Welshman. Not the one from Kaamelot, but from Chrétien de Troyes, of course.

Perceval knew nothing of chivalry. Cloistered and overprotected by his mother, he lived a solitary existence, far from the world. One day he meets knights and bam, he wants to become one and promptly leaves the home of his childhood to go to be knighted by King Arthur. What is interesting to consider in this? He knows nothing about the world, customs, and society in general. This makes him an extremely naive (even downright foolish) character, which can be very fun to play. It allows you to maximize the impact of encounters and events and their influences on the character. A naive young man will be influenced by everything he discovers (as opposed to an elf who has been traveling the world for 500 years). You will therefore find material to coincide your discovery of the world with that of your character.

What is your character’s role within the group?

Unless you are embarking on solo adventures, during which you have the freedom to embody your solitary wandering knight or unsociable necromancer, your character will be part of a group.

In fact, they are often the true hero of the game, as most of the time you will overcome obstacles together by coordinating the efforts of the different characters.

The group creation should take place simultaneously with character creation. The game master should organize a group creation session, with all the players gathered around the table, rather than leaving each player to contemplate their hero in isolation.

Within the adventurers’ group that you will develop, what is your character’s role? Are they the dynamic leader? The comic relief? The explorer with insatiable curiosity who will inevitably cause trouble for their teammates?

Also, consider your character’s usefulness in common gaming situations: exploration, combat, and social interaction (to revisit the 3 pillars of Dungeons & Dragons).

What are the connections that bind your character to the other group members? To avoid awkward character introduction scenes in a tavern and, more importantly, to create interesting dynamics, establish links between the characters from their creation: family ties (sibling, cousin, etc.), romantic relationships, long-time friends, etc. Ensure that these connections are an integral part of your character’s background, as this will greatly facilitate your interactions with the other players.

In the universe of role-playing games, your character is more than just a collection of stats and abilities. They are a unique individual with a rich backstory, imbued with personal motivations and goals. Your character’s journey, their interactions with other group members, and the way they influence the game world will ultimately define the adventures you will experience. So take your time, ponder over the aforementioned questions, and carefully craft a character that will not only thrive in the game but also resonate with you on a personal level. Remember, the aim is not just to play the game; it’s to live an adventure through your character’s eyes. Happy gaming!