¶ Creating a Character
On this page, I will highlight the things I'd like to know of your character, and make them fit the world of Greyhawk. Designing your character can be a lot of fun, and I will try to stand as little in the way as possible in your creativity, but it is still important that it fits the world, so I may alter some details. What I expect of your character is that you create a character you will enjoy playing. It's best if your character's backstory isn't just superficial, but delves a bit more in the details. Playing a roleplaying game is not just about the game (by which I mean the mechanics as layed out by the rules), but about the roleplay too. You can choose to roleplay whatever character you desire, and the great part about this is that your character doesn't necessarily need to reflect who you are in reality. It can be whatever you want so long as you have fun roleplaying it. A well-written character will allow you to embody them better during roleplay, and will allow me to integrate your character better in the story, so that whatever happens during the game actually involves your character or your character's background.
To help you to understand what is epxected of your character's backstory, two running examples will be illustrated, one of a snobby human paladin King Avras III, and one of a mysterious tiefling monk Zhao Difang.
¶ 1. Pick Race and Class
Let's start with this first thing. Picking a race and a class will be the foundation on which your character will be built upon. Don't choose a race and class by minmaxxing its stats, but by what you'd prefer to play as. Try to diversify these (especially the class) among the other players. Any class in the Player's Handbook is fine. To get to know more about the races in the Flanaess, check this page. If you'd like to play a race that isn't on the list, please contact your DM.
¶ Prince Avras III
Prince Avras will be a Human Paladin, as he is the ruler of a human-majority nation of Furyondy.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao will be a tiefling monk from humble origins, who attempts to supress his inner demon.
¶ 2. Create a Backstory
The backstory of your character is what brings your character to life. With a good backstory, you can play as someone you'd love to play with, and it provides me with ample opportunities to involve your character in the going-ons of the world. Your backstory should highlight the following:
- Where is your character from? Briefly describe their location of origin (name, climate, is it a small or large settlement, how long have they lived there, ...)
- Does your character have any relationships with other people (friends, family)? If so, briefly describe these characters (name, notable characteristics, how they relate to you, ...)
- How did they end up with their assigned class?
- What made them go on adventure?
Some details can be left out for the DM to fill in, such as the exact country, location on the map, names of important characters, gods or religions, etc.
¶ Prince Avras III
Prince Avras, a human paladin is a prince of the Kingdom of Furyondy. He is very aware of his status, and as such acts with an air of spoiled superiority over commoners. In truth, however, prince Avras has yet to truly earn his title as leader. Moreover, he is not guaranteed to ascend the throne, as the title of successor king is being challenged by his younger half-brother Belvor. As his father, King Belvor III ages, questions on who will succeed him has made the young prince only more anxious. He wants to prove to his father that he should become the next king, he is the first son after all, but he is afraid that his father has set his eyes on his half-brother. After all, he even gave his own name, Belvor, to him. Furthermore, from the perspective of Avras, his brother seems to be better at many things; combat and women in particular. Prince Avras, in contrast, has dedicated more time on the less appealing things, namely sudying the history of Furyondy, the surrounding countries, and the many legends told throughout the Flanaess. This has made the young prince a useful diplomatic asset for his father.
Avras's mother, Ala Sarneth, is the daughter of Velunian nobleman Eldrien Sarneth, Avras's grandfather with whom he had a good relationship. Eldrien would teach young Avras a lot about, history, including the Great Kingdom that Furyondy and Veluna were once a part of. Avras's father had married Ala in the hopes of establishing good relations with Veluna, but it could not save the ever increasing tensions between the two nations. In Avras's youth, Veluna would wage a war of independence on Furyondy. The souring relationships between the two nations began to have an effect on Avras's relationship with his grandfather. During the war, Eldrien was arrested and imprisoned in the dungeons of a remote tower in Furyondy, and King Belvor would divorce his wife Ala in an attempt to distance him from any Velunians. With his mom, Avras would occasionally visit Eldrien, until Ala would pass away due to complications.
Ever since the death of his mom, Avras would no longer visit his grandfather in an attempt to stay on his father's good side. As such, Eldrien would live out his last years in solitude, until he would eventually die a few years after the war had concluded. In his will, Eldrien had declared that his sword, the Sattel Blade, would be passed down to Avras. It is a rapier with a silver edge and a dark-blue handle. Avras remembered his grandfather carrying that blade in his youth, and thought it was the most beautiful of all blades in the castle. However, today, as he obtained the sword, he would shamefully hide it away, fearing the reaction of others if they would realize he has a Velunian blade in his posession.
One day, the young prince was set out on a diplomatic mission to the hostile nation of Veluna. With the assumption that enough time had elapsed since the war, Prince Avras was sent to establish friendly relations between the two nations. However, during his travels, he got robbed by a large group of bandits. All of his possessions that he had carried with them, were robbed, with one exception being the Sattel Blade. With it, Avras managed to escape the bandits, but he was now stranded in a hostile environment with nothing to his name other than a fancy blade. With seemingly no way out, it is best for Avras to keep his profile low, while he tries to figure out who raided him, and for what reason, and to get back to Furyondy on time to fight for the throne.
¶ Zhao Difang
When Zhao was still in the womb, his mother was attacked by a demon who had come to terrorize the town of his folks. During the attack, the demon had hurt his mother by piercing its claws through her belly, but she and her unborn miraculously survived. However, when Zhao came to Oerth, it was immediately noticeable that the demon had cursed this innocent child. Unlike its parents, the child had horns, a pointy tail, and eyes had burning red flames; windows straight to Hell. Moreover, Zhao could already talk at a very early age. He was seen as a menace to the townspeople and a disgrace to his parents. From what little Zhao remembered, his parents cut his horns down to little stumps, and told him to hide his tail at all costs. But it was too late, everyone knew him as the disgraceful abomination, and this treatment towards him fueled his inner demon even further. He would frequently lash out on the other children, hurting them severely. The children feared him, and the adults wanted him gone. For Zhao's parents, the pressure was too much. No matter what new village they arrived in, nobody would want anything to do with their child. They themselves felt he was a curse, and so they decided to leave Zhao to fend for himself in the woods. There, he nearly died, that was until someone by the name of Master Furong took Zhao under his wing. He acknowledged the demonic curse that was bestowed upon Zhao, and decided to help him take control over it. He noticed how Zhao would calm down if his fiery eyes were being covered. And combined with the meditation which Furong taught him, he could take control of his inner demon. Master Furong taught Zhao a lot of life lessons about the importance of being in control of one's actions. He was like a father to him.
As Master Furong aged further, Zhao would take care of him. One day, after coming back home from gathering food in the woods for Furong, Zhao saw his old Master lying dead on the ground. His chest was ripped open by three giant claws. No doubt the work of a demon beast. Somehow, they had made Furong a target, and Zhao has an aching suspicion that whoever this demon is, they are after him. But Zhao would not stand idly by. Instead, he vowed to himself he would hunt down every single demon that is out there, sowing chaos upon the innocent in order to avenge the death of his Master, and the curse they had bestowed upon him.
¶ 3 Create a Personality
Related to the backstory, your character also needs to have a personality. This makes it easier for you to roleplay as them, and for your DM to judge your actions on.
¶ 3.1. Alignment
The primary thing to consider is your character's alignment. The alignment of a character consists of two axes: how your character behaves morally (good vs. evil), and how they behave according to law (lawful vs. chaotic).
These two axes are a spectrum, so you don't have to play your alignment to the letter. Then again, deviating too much away from your alignment will make it difficult for you to roleplay a believable character. Some gods in the world of D&D are associated with a certain alignment, and require their worshippers to adhere to that alignment.
It is not recommended to choose an evil alignment, since from the perspective of the player, you are either doing what you believe is morally correct (good), or you are indifferent about morals (neutral). Throughout the game, a character can shift its alignment, provided there is a good enough reason for it.
¶ Prince Avras III
Prince Avras is a neutral good: he believes that good should triumph, but that he should be the one in charge of peace. He doesn't like being talked down to, especially not commoners.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao is a lawful neutral: he has a code he upholds, which includes the teachings of his Master, as well as his duty to slay demons.
Aside from the two spectrums given in your alignment, consider other spectrums and where your character resides in them. Examples are:
- introvertedness vs. extravertedness
- guided by emotions vs. by reason
- do they prefer sweet vs. savory foods
- ...
¶ Prince Avras III
He leans more towards being an extravert, and can very easily say what he thinks, but he is wise to use euphemisms. Avras knows that people do not function purely on reason, and will let his emotions guide his way into persuading others. He's more of a sweet-tooth.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao is introvert, but not shy. He is simply very reserved. He has suppressed his emotions to a fault in an attempt to keep his inner demon at bay. He eats only plain and vegetarian meals.
¶ 3.2. Strengths, Weaknesses and Ambitions
Thinking about these gives you a clearer image on how you would like to roleplay your character.
Alongside your alignment, consider applying the SWOT principle to your character to further flesh out their roleplay behavior:
- Strengths: What is your character good at?
¶ Prince Avras III
Prince Avras knows his way around history, and he can be a good mediator between two parties. He knows how to behave himself in a courtly manner, and he can use his status to persuade people... if they actually believe him to be a prince.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao knows the importance of the balance between body, mind and soul, and knows everything there is to know about the seven chakras. He can be very collected and appears as a very wise man. He may walk around blindfolded, but it has only helped to heighten his other senses.
- Weaknesses: What is your character bad at?
¶ Prince Avras III
Prince Avras is deathly afraid of anything common. His tongue is not adjusted to the flavorless "food" that the peasantry eats, he gets annoyed at anyone talking in a posh manner, and he does not like to make himself dirty. He does not like being told what to do.
¶ Zhao Difang
When Zhao lifts his blindfold, he unleashes his inner demon. He loses control over himself and he would kill anything that is not itself a devil, demon, or otherwise related to the demonic cause. He has to spend a lot of time hiding his Tiefling nature by trimming his horns anytime they begin to grow, and putting away his tail under his clothes. He is very adament on following his code, which includes the refusal to kill any non-demonic life, and he can often get stuck in philosophical dilemmas. He may not show it, but he often misses the guidance of his Master.
- Opportunities: What does your character want out of adventuring?
¶ Prince Avras III
He wants to return back to Furyondy, whilst proving that he is in fact a prince, even though he has lost all of his belongings and has to walk around as a commoner.
¶ Zhao Difang
He wants to rid the world and himself of demons, and find out why they had attacked his mother, and why they had killed his master. He will often travel from place to place, to hear if anyone has any demon-related trouble to go and help their cause.
- Threats: What are the challenges that your character faces (and wants to overcome)?
¶ Prince Avras III
He does not want to see his half-brother ascend the throne. He believes his brother would be too violent of a leader who does not know the intricate details of Furyondy's neighboring countries. He fears his reckless brother could start a war. As such, it is imperative that his father chooses him over his brother. He also wants to know why he got robbed, and if it's Veluna that's behind it, or some other party.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao sometimes has difficulties keeping his inner demon under control. He often has conversations with his inner demon (the demon occasionally manifests itself as a separate entity that lives within Zhao and that only Zhao can see), and on occassion he holds these conversations out loud without his knowledge. He would love to see again for once. There was a time when he was younger when his eyes weren't covered, and he dearly misses the beauty of the world. He often hears stories of romance where people look each other deeply in the eyes, but it's unfortunately something Zhao will never be able to witness if he can't get rid of his demonic side. Now, he prefers to keep his eyes covered, because the few times he did take it off, he couldn't see much before his inner demon would take over.
Think of strengths and weaknesses, not just in gameplay terms, but in roleplay terms as well. It might seem counter-intuitive to give your character weaknesses, but it provides for more depth, and more roleplay opportunities. Also, you will be rewarded with inspiration points for creatively roleplaying your character. Not to mention, these weaknesses can be challenges in their own right to overcome throughout the adventure.
¶ 3.3. Character's Appearance
Thinking about how your character looks like and describing it makes it easier to imagine your character. Its looks can say a great deal about who he is. You can bring out your very best drawing skills too if you'd like.
¶ Prince Avras III
He is slender, and slightly above average height. He has short black hair and often walks around gracefully with his chin pointed upwards. Even though he usually wears commoner's clothes, he prefers to keep them clean and smelling nice. He keeps his Sattel Blade near his thighs in an unassuming leather scabbard as to not draw too much attention to it, although the blade's beautiful handle still sticks out. He often smirks uncontrollably, a feature that sometimes comes in handy, but more often than not gives him his iconic air of arrogance. He is well spoken, and usually finds the right words for the right occassion. Once you get to know him a little more, his arrogant side may give way for a caring and trustworthy friend. Prince Avras is still young, he's in his early 20's.
¶ Zhao Difang
Zhao will always keep his blindfold on, which is a long linen bandage that is wrapped several times over his head. he usually tells people he lost his eyes in a cruel battle against a demon, which he means figuratively, but most others will interpret it as literally. He keeps his black hair as long as possible, to cover his horn's stumps. He wears loose and baggy monk's clothes, and he holds a wooden staff he uses for walking and defense. At one end of the staff hangs his bag, and he tries not to use that side of the staff during combat. Zhao seems very reserved, and it seems difficult to get close to him and to get to know him better. He wants to keep his demonic secret to himself as much as possible. He is around 40 years of age in human years.
¶ 3.4. Trivia
Think of anything else you want to let me know about your character, such as some random facts that may or may not be important, but deepen your character none the less.
¶ Prince Avras III
- His favourite gemstones are sapphire and lapis lazuli. He is quite drawn by the color blue.
- Despite his arrogant demeanor, Prince Avras fears his younger step-brother Belvor, who can be quite the bully to him.
- He's supposed to attend his studies at the University of Greyhawk, but no longer can since the attack.
- If he can, he will ride a horse as often as possible, even though he's afraid of doing so and prefers the caravan.
- He seems to be more successful with women than he gives himself credit for, especially those who have taken the time to get to know him a little better and see past his arrogance. However, he's not very aware of social cues.
- He knows a lot about the Great Kingdom, and can ramble about minor and major historical facts about the kingdom.
- In the evening when nobody is looking, Avras will often pretend fight with his sword, imagining himself saving a princess from a dangerous situation.
¶ Zhao Difang
- His moral code is very important to him. This code includes the following:
- He does not kill creatures deemed innocent, which includes humans and humanoids. Exceptions are made for certain evil-aligned monsters, such as demons and devils. As a result, he's strictly vegetarian.
- Balancing good and evil is important to him
- He is very fogiving and is open to give people second chances
- He must meditate at least once in the morning, and once in the evening
- He cannot wake up too early
- He has named his inner demon Tengu, and during meditation sessions he may hold conversations with him, usually about moral and ethical questions.
- Sometimes, he slips up, and talks about Tengu out loud
- Due to his blindness, he does not concern himself with that is up or down, left or right, front or behind. He has a heightened sense of smell, sound and touch.
- He fears returning to his hometown, which is situated somewhere in the south-east Flanaess
- Most people thinks he talks too slowly, and that he has difficulties making a decision.