Create Memorable Characters with DETAILS

#1

I’ve been working on this and playtesting it for almost a year. I’m ready to hear what Runehammerians think. Can you use this in your games?

#2

Being honest:

For MY personal style of play, I find it would just take up space on the paper. Most of that stuff won’t come up in play, and what will I’ll either have memorized from thinking about it so many times (hello perks of anxiety) or come up with it on the spot with whatever makes the encounter more fun and engaging.

If you’re more prep-heavy, it might be a good resource.

#3

I like this as a character developing tool. It’s visible to GMs so they can implement elements of characters that players want to interact with, and that’s great for player investment. I can see this as an excellent tool for GMs to create motivation with their players to keep going on, especially for a long-term kind of game where more is asked of a player and their character. Very cool stuff!

#4

Is it just the one page? I’d like it better if it had just a few rollable tables for potential types of dread, possible agendas, and ires. In essence, a small table for all of the good categories you have. Choose or roll would be great, which is very similar to the background pieces in 5e. Somehow, you’ve re-created that concept but made it LESS usable at the same time. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I know that seems like harsh feedback, but let me say that the concept is great. I think it just needs to be more accessible than just saying, “consider these categories.” If it were more specific, then I think it would VERY helpful for players.

#5

For those who have played in my games…I might not remember the names of my NPCs or exactly what voice I used last time, but I do remember their attitude and motivations, and how they would react in almost any situation…so I am not the intended audience

But if I where to start more or less from scratch…
Find 10ish personality types, Enneagram, Myers & Briggs, colors, major archana tarot…whatever personality type system appeals to you…

Then start making your own markers for them! People you know, characters in your favorite books, or movies…a good stable of 8 to 15 personality types, and achtypeal people/characters to draw from…Lock them in your head!

Lastly, give them traits “stoner”, “drunk”, “power hungry”, “control freak”, “tragic upbringing”, “stranger in a strange land”, “newly liberated from all encompassing oppression”…the traits are their out ward presentation…not what is going on in their head!

In their head, is their personality type and their traits…as to how they navigate the world.

Soooo back to OP…
I like this concept…but it lacks the thought process and choice tree one would have! The problem at the core of my system would be a personalized personality type. Describing their thought pattern, but this covers major formative events!

Overall evaluation, this is way over half way to major outlines…but missing how they think!!!

Also agree, it is too much paperwork to keep track of.
Great start, and can help a ton…outline personality types, short hand it, include what you have here and provide a shorthand…and you are really on to something.

Result,
Outwardly brutish and fierce!
Inwardly conniving and focused on vengeance.
Choices made on fear of loosing status and want of saving others from his experience.

But that my hay penny worth of advice…this is a good goal! Perhaps others can gain more from this than my silly chaotic mind can. But you are on to something cool and useful…but about halfway there!

#6

What varied feedback! Thanks for taking a look, everyone.

The intention of this tool is to provide a few prompts to quickly sketch a character’s personality. It takes me five minutes, and takes up 7 “spaces” on a page, unless you want to get elaborate with the Story. This has worked very well for me as a GM and as a player, and for others playing with me. Below is a picture of my character sheet from @Paxx’s GhostHeim game.

This was inspired by Prof. Dungeon Master’s Love, Hate, Fear prompts, which he included on his custom character sheet. I just wanted a few more prompts.

@Alex, I can definitely see how having roll tables would help those who are stumped - and I may include that! But I’m surprised by your suggestion to make them more specific. Could you please unpack that?

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#7

I kinda get it :-p. You have brought the RP every game…and some of these traits I get where you are coming from.

At the moment I think this system is personally set to you! As opposed to the population at large.

In reality, what should I note? The things I forget!
But everyone focuses on different things and remembers things differently. So having a system that encompasses most things would be helpful.

Like I said before, this has potential, possibly huge potential, it is just not fully formed yet.

#8

Absolutely. I just mean examples for each category. When it’s just, “think of an ire,” that might be overwhelming to players. Having all possible choice at my fingertips can be paralyzing. At least, it is to me. But if I had four or five specific examples to choose from or get my gears turning, then it would be super helpful. Anyway, just my two cents.

#9

@Alex is probably right… he usually is. I’m just an idiot stuck in his own unique world. But Alex usually has a better pulse.

I return, probably a great start!

#10

I always thought of TAGS and KEYWORDS in the way you thought of DETAILS.

This is how I define them (this is not a hard rule, just a suggestion):
TAGS have a mechanic bound to them. “SWORD MASTER: all attacks with SWORDS are EASY.”
KEYWORDS have more of a story or background tied into the character. “CAN’T SWIM: you are slightly afraid of deep water and have trouble just floating.”

While either type could be interpreted into having mechanical effects, both work to provide more DETAILS to each character. Players could choose (or roll on tables like you have them) 1 or 2 things to provide DETAILS to their characters at creation or as additional milestones depending on the setting rules.

I do not usually categorize my TAGS or KEYWORDS like you did, but it could easily work; as you clearly have shown … Nice Work!

Game On!