Character development Part three details details, details

Character development Part three details details, details

Now this is where things get detailed and maybe a little tricky and sometimes tedious!!!

This is the history, biography of your character, this is almost all the information someone would need to play your character if you ever decided to “give up” your persona!!! Much like a character sheet to a role-playing game!


Here I am going to repost the basics list, it will look very similar but I will add a lot more questions to each for you to consider and develop

1. name
a. what are the origins of your name,
b. what does it mean
c. Is it a family name?
d. is your name earned because of your virtues and skills or given at birth
e. Do you have a nickname, is the name your persona goes by their full name?
f. HOW do you want to be called by the party, strangers, the world

2. race
a. Are you human? if so what is your ethnicity, where are you from,
i. If our setting is fantasy, please continue to use earth ethnicity for easier reference.

b. Are you elf?
i. Full elf?
---- What kind of elf? There are many, do some research and find the kind you want to be. Also find out about ears
ii. Half elf?
---- Human and elf? Or some other combination??

c. Are you an orc?
i. Why? Lol!

d. Are you a dwarf?
i. There are also different “fantasy” histories regarding dwarves do some research and find what you feel is best!

e. Are you another race? Please include all important information for us so that we may best interact with you!


3. age
a. age is very special, each race has a different life span… for the sake of argument on how each races age is determined, I feel it best to pick an age that is how you appear using humans as the reference point since IRL we are all human… well most of us anyway
b. Also needed, is if you intend to look older or younger then you are IRL, consider the work required to “age” yourself.

4. historical / fantasy influence
a. Why did you decide to be this persona?
b. Where did the idea(s) come from? Movies, books, history? Etc…
c. Is there a specific character (historical or not) that you are basing your persona on?

5. Family background, parents living? Siblings? Rich/poor? This is the point where in my opinion we should each have 1-2 pages of information. The more detailed the better, the more detailed the easier for us to be in character not just at events, but in practice!!

a. Family? Do you have one… that you speak to?
i. Are they all alive? Did any get murdered, die a tragic death, this could play into your persona’s reasoning in joining a mercenary group!

ii. Are they all “free,”
---- For example did your brother break a law and is sitting in jail?

iii. Basically is there anything in your family background that would give you a reason to fight?

b. What was it like growing up?
i. Did your family have money? Did you get the best sword training not because of necessity but because you were bored? Did you receive the best education? Are you a noble snob?

ii. Was your family poor? Did you live meal to meal? Did your family make sacrifices for your education, training, “new life?” did you get ANY education? What did you pick up for skills that were not a part of a formal education? What does it mean for them that you are on your own now?

iii. Did you live in the same place your entire life? You could include here anything about parent’s marriages/ remarriages? Also what happened after your primary income was decreased if someone died.

iv. Did you move around? Were you always on the road? Why? How did it prepare you for the life or a mercenary? Did it have any effects on your personality and interaction with people?

c. Where did you grow up?
i. Location
ii. Village, farm, town, city, castle, on the road?
iii. Have all your family lived there?
iv. Are you a foreigner?

d. What do you want to be when you grow up?
i. Are you fighting, to learn the skills needed to be a knight? Pirate? Thief? Soldier (more then likely not, since you didn’t join an army right away)? Etc?

ii. Are you merely part of the group to get away from home so you can branch off to your area of expertise, or the area in which you desire to become and expert?

iii. Do you already have any of the skills required for your future trade? If so what are they? If not how do you plan to get them?

e. Why did you leave home?
i. Were you disowned?
ii. Are you on a quest? Were you sent on this quest?
iii. Did you run away?
iv. Were you captured? Then escaped or rescued?
v. What took you from your family? Please include the story. Imagine someone at RAG saying, “now aarya you seem like a nice girl, why are you a mercenary? I just don’t get it…” insert your name of course, and tell them

f. What is your current “marital status”
i. Did you leave your family behind children and wife?
ii. Are you married and they are on the road with you? If so... where are they: D
iii. Single life? For religious reasons? Not by choice?
iv. Is your persona looking for “love” or avoiding a marriage?

6. preferred garb
a. What does your character wear?
i. For fighting
ii. For feasting
iii. Any special disguises your persona is particularly good at becoming or fond of

b. What are your colors?
i. Do they have a meaning that would let people know something about you? If they understood?

c. Does your style of garb reflect your persona's heritage?

d. DO YOU HAVE GARB????
i. If NOT do some research about your persona’s history and look at styles, cuts, colors, etc, and decide if you ACTUALLY want to wear that….
---- Also begin making your garb NOW especially if you are going to gates

ii. If you DO have your garb, what needs to be completed yet?
---- Do you need help with anything?
---- POST A PICTURE OF YOU IN YOUR GARB if you have it

7. preferred weapons
a. What is your fighting style?
i. Do you only fight one way?
ii. What weapons can you use, do you use? Prefer to use?

b. DO you need practice learning your preferred technique? What areas do you want to work on in general in regards to fighting?

c. DO YOU PERSONALLY OWN YOUR PREFERRED WEAPONS?
i. If not why? Are you going to buy or make them? Do you need help?
ii. If so? Are they legal? Do you have extras to loan? Can you help others make some?


8. other skills (this will be in the final character development section, which will be coming shortly)

holy crap...could you make this ANY more confusing I mean would it just be easier to type each others story and then fill in the grey areas later...

holy face crack im confused u must have had a lot to say jeeze!

Dont get me wrong I like detail I do...but this is the SAT's mixed with the ACT's mixed with the ASVAB! Can we cut this down just a smidgeon or at least make it more relevant than detailed or something?

Gerrard Axecleave wrote:Dont get me wrong I like detail I do...but this is the SAT's mixed with the ACT's mixed with the ASVAB! Can we cut this down just a smidgeon or at least make it more relevant than detailed or something?

The asvab wasnt that hard actually...

ok i will toy with formatting and changing a couple things!!

this section is MOSTLY JUST questions to ask yourself that may or may NOT be important to your character...

the section where some of you have Already put up character info is great that is the starting point and the QUICK look place for character development!

this section was for the purpose of bringing to mind all the little things that COULD make you character easier to play IF you have this all thought out.

I will edit the starting post to make things less confusing and we will go from there!


PS "answering" those questions don't HAVE to be in a 1. 2. 3. kind of format, make it a story!

As previously mentioned my name is Aarya Nell, using the two main meanings Aarya Nell is the noble born foreigner, she could also be pitied for her noble birth, as well as a light in social standing. Neither names are family names. I human as far as anyone can tell, and I appear to be right around 28-32 ish.

I was raised in a gypsy caravan. Everyone was my family. It wasn’t until I became an “adult” that my sense of belonging was shattered, finding out that the family I grew up with are not actually my family. I left home with the clues that have become my name. I am here to find my true family, if they are alive, or discover that the family that abandoned me is not worth my heart.

Living on the road made me defend those I love fiercely. My family did not have a lot of money, but I learned to sell my handiwork and artwork as a means of honorably getting by. It was odd growing up with gypsies, because I always had an indescribable urge to learn. Along the road I would find ways to learn history, reading, writing, basic math, and the skills required to make it on my own. Although I loved my family I always “knew” something was going to bring me away from them.

I feel there is great honor in defending your loved ones and this group has become a family. I am not just here to fight and gain treasure. I am here to find myself and if that requires fighting to secure our safety believe me when I say I will fight to the death. Although I feel I have a large family, I do not have anyone near to me. I am in my lateish 20’s and not married off. Partially by choice and partially by force.

I prefer the comfortable garb of gypsies, not performers, but of those of us dedicated to hard work. My feasting garb differs very slightly then my fighting garb, as it is usually once I have a couple drinks in me that someone decides that they need to make something out of nothing. My clothing reflects the uncertainty of all situations. My prefers colors are all colors, but in themes my warm colored clothing will be used for certain occasions, the same goes for my cool colored, and dark colored clothing.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING GARB WOOT WOOT!!!

I am not one to carry a shield although understand that I may need to make use of one in my future. I prefer two single handed long swords, as I feel that have damage able to be given from both hands is better then solely depending on one for damage one for defending. I am practicing more and more as the road gets tougher. I feel that staying in practice and precise technique is essential if I am to be effective in a tight and dangerous spot. I would like to learn archery as well as effective ways to defend against various other attack styles.

I DO NOT OWN MY OWN WEAPONS YET!! THAT IS ALSO HAPPENING SOON!

ok boys there you go!!!

this is what I want to happen with this thread, tell your character's story, introduce them us!

My name is Tarnit Fyre, and my story is a simple one. I was born in Mablen, its a small town acouple miles north of a huge desert, though we lived in a good type of environment. My parents moved their from the northern lands for land and the seeking of a fortune, for, rumor had it that area was filled with diamonds, lies. I was the oldest born into my family, my first sister a year after my birth, and my youngest sister, two years after that. When i was five, as the tradition in the town, I chose which career I wanted to be apprenticed under, I chose a blacksmith path. My dad said it was a good idea, and it was fascinating for me.

When I was seven, my dad went off to war because of a mandatory draft. He never came home. This left me with few options, i had to make a career out of making weaponry. I had to support my family. I did just that. I started to excel at the art of making metal into things, so much that by the age of ten, my things were almost as good as my masters, accept he was still alot stronger then me and i needed him to help me hammer sometimes.

At the age of twelve I wanted to go off by my self, both my sisters were working now... and my mom had taken up a job, so i talked with her. She reluctantly agreed and the point that i shouldn't have to suffer because my father died. So i packed and took 200 gold coins. I vowed to keep in touch and to still help support them.

I went north, to the frozen wastelands.. I had heard that there was new villages sprouting that would need a blacksmith. I found acouple villages and ended up making due with one about sixty miles north of the biggest city in the frozen north. I easily made a living there, people were generous and it was fun to make it, but i found myself not enjoying weapon making anymore. I had seen masters, and i was nothing compared to them... nothing.

I then heard of a group of mercenaries. They had made camp near by. Now i had never been trained in the art of sword craft officially, but i did practice with some of my swords. So i strapped my sword on my hip and a great sword on my back and marched to the camp. I was then greeted warmly by a half-elf named Joseph. I had never met anyone who wasn't human, and it was weird at first.

I trained hard with them and excelled through the ranks, they became a second family. I still made a good living with them and sent money to my mother and sisters alot. I am proud to be a member of Arminas of Nagorthrond.

Oh? My preferences?

I usually prefer sword and board, but every once and awhile, a great sword just calls to me. I love using both, and having a balace of agility and strength is nice.

My Clothing? Aarya, i know you're just trying to get to know me... but... my clothes? ... ugh Fine!
I like a nice simple tunic. It needs to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer something absorbent. I've dreamed about armor, but i dont know for sure...

HAHA My fighting style too? You'd know it better then anyone! I've bested you enough! Oh okay okay....
When i fight sword and board it's all about countering, waiting for them to make a mistake and killing them for it. Or i go nuts... but thats a rare occasion.
On the Contrary, when i fight with a great sword, its all about being on the offensive, forcing them to block and then bashing down there defensive.. Though i tend to take off alot of legs.

No Aarya, i've had enough for tonight, Good night.

1. name (Izz ad-Din Suleiman Abd al-Hadi ash-Shamaal bin Yaqub bin Istfan)
It's all Arabic.
"Strengthener of the Faith Solomon (from a root meaning "peace") Servant of the Guide (one of Islam's 99 names of God) the Northman son of Jacob son of Stephen"
ash-Shamaal, "of the North," is my family's name.
"Izz ad-Din" is earned; the rest I've always had.
Anyone who can say my full name is welcome to, but it's much more convenient if you just call me Suleiman
Suleiman

2. race
I be human. Caucasianish human, although I've spent my entire life living among Arabs.

3. age
I am precisely the same age as James Francis. Purely coincidence, I assure you.

4. historical / fantasy influence
I'm an Arabic major, so picking an Arab background was kind of natural. Plus, it let me pick an interesting name.
Ideas are mostly historical, plus my own brain.
I'm not really basing me on anybody in particular.

5. Family background, parents living? Siblings? Rich/poor? This is the point where in my opinion we should each have 1-2 pages of information. The more detailed the better, the more detailed the easier for us to be in character not just at events, but in practice!!

I've got a family, and I'd speak to them as often as anybody else if we weren't kind of separated by about the distance of a continent.

Yeah, everybody's alive, unless you count siblings who died as infants (yay, third-world infant mortality rate!); I can't say the same about grandparents. Actually, my entire extended family is kind of out of the picture, although I'm pretty sure they're out there somewhere. Maybe.

Everybody's free. Not much interesting stuff here.

Bedouin tribes fight each other a lot. Ergo, I fight people.

b. What was it like growing up?
My family's got a decent amount of money, but we don't flaunt it. Besides, there aren't many ways to do that with the Bedouins. I grew up pretty much like everyone around me.

I got the basic education given to all Bedouin youth, and in addition to that, my parents taught me all kinds of stuff that carried over from my northern heritage.

I was born with the Bedouins. My parents are from the north, though, hence me being sent back there.

The tribe moved around quite a bit. I can set camp and break camp practically in my sleep; I can sleep nearly anywhere, and I'm used to travel. It taught me not to carry too much stuff.

c. Where did you grow up?
In the desert. There were some mountains nearby, too.
I lived all over the place. That's what happens when you live with nomads. I also would spend weeks alone or with others in the mountains.
My entire family, except for me, still lives there.
I am most definitely a foreigner by race, and to a certain extent by upbringing. However, I was born with the Bedouins and I lived all my life as one of them.

d. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I'm basically figuring out what I want to do with my life, and figuring out how to stay alive a continent away from my tribe.

I'm away from home because my dad kicked me out and told me to do something with my life. Now I'm doing something.

I have skills that could be used for a future trade, but not knowing for certain what that trade will be, I don't know how relevant they will be.

e. Why did you leave home?
Like I said, my dad kicked me out and told me to do something with my life. (Not that I was being particularly useless, but I'm supposed to have higher ambitions than being a nomadic herder.)

f. What is your current “marital status”
I'm single, no love interests to speak of. When they come, they'll come.

6. preferred garb
a. What does your character wear?
I've never lived in the north, so I don't know proper dress (my native dress is not really suited for the climate). I wear what people who know what they're saying tell me I ought to.

b. What are your colors?
Brown and green seem like good colors to me. No particular reason.

c. Does your style of garb reflect your persona's heritage?
Not really. I'm not in the desert anymore, and my parents never really told me how to dress in their homeland. Besides, that was decades ago, and fashions change so quickly...

d. DO YOU HAVE GARB????
I need garb. But I will probably not be doing anything official for quite a while, so it's not urgent. (This is where I note that I'm going to be taking a two year leave of absence from basically my entire life, including dag, to serve as a missionary--hence the title "Izz ad-Din," "Strengthener of the Faith.")

7. preferred weapons
Fighting style: Whack people.
I like swords. The larger, the better. I do not have a two-handed sword, but I do have a long one-hander.

I basically need to do a lot more fighting, since first, I don't know if I was ever terribly good, and two, I'm definitely out of practice.

As stated above, I don't own preference number one, but I do own preference number two, and as far as I know, there's nothing illegal about it.

I can cook stuff. I can do campingish stuff. I can survive alone in the wilderness. I can speak a bunch of languages that I'm never going to have occasion to use, in all likelihood. If we should ever find ourselves in a desert, I'd know what I was doing. I am quite certain I'm forgetting stuff, but I assume that is not a problem.