Something that I've always been intrested in is where we get insperation for our characters. Every character isn't just a blank slate that's filled in ambivelently, there's a reason and then there's comparable characteristics. There's the base insperation, and as personality grows there are subtler influences on characterization.
I'm kind of curious as to what kind of influences affect EfU. I'll share mine later once the post gets off the ground.
But for a rough format, probably
"Basic Insperations"
"General Insperations"
"More Specific Insperations"
Or whatever floats your boat. Works for me.
I just watch RwG, he is my inspiration for all things, non-sexual included.
Jurrasic Park The Lost World
Ideals, Like I make a char an Avatar of honesty or somesuch and build him around that idea.
Conflict- Whether its political, religious, playing a monster race or even just the desire to be a murdering bastard.
I then look at how I can go about doing that with unique and outstanding goals. For that I look to books ive read, movies ive watced or whatever i can come up.
I look through the ideas and combine the bits I like and boom, new character.
I just come up with an idea, sometimes the class, sometimes the goal, sometimes it's the background I want to play.
"I want to play a barb"
"I want to play a criminal"
"I want to play an exile from Cormyr"
etc.
I'll use Gloin as an example for my own.
The most basic concept for him was a Dwarven Guardian from LOTR: BFMEII. Those guys were frankly my favorite mainline unit, and I used that as the basic premise. I then decided to focus on the meaning behind the name "guardian", so developed him as a defender who has teeth when it's time for the best defense. However, one thing I overlooked was his crappy CHA, and since I already established him, balancing him became a trick. I took insperation from Gimli, of course, but I focused more on his guardian side that just KIN KIN ALE KIN
I eventually went with the warm and approachable soldier who's just trying to make his way through politics and what not, not quite a young-eyed idealist but not a hardened veteran either, all with the goal of protecting the dwarves stuck on Ymph. I took some insperation from Orik from Christopher Pallini's Eragon books, but that was more just because it was an awesome example of dwarf that's not all KIN KIN ALE KIN. Then I took a loooong break from him.
When I returned, I had more maturity and finally found his niche, that of being the #2 clanker (and a technical DD wannabe) to whoever the dwarven faction leader was. I realized how to play his low CHA without compromising his previous characteristics; he's fine in his comfort zone, but afraid outside of it. I actually took some insperation from Ron Stoppable of all characters, as he really is a low CHA character who's a great #2 and his wisecracking, lampshading attitude felt very approperiate for a character who technically has been in Ymph for a few years (though the wisecracking was heavily limited due to Gloin's lawful nature, of course). And that's pretty much how he went, stepping up to the plate and getting his ass handed to him taking Beholders down and getting lit up like the 4th of July or Guy Fawkes day.
So yeah, there's sort of my style. I go for the most basic concept, I get my feet wet, then build it up and take influences as I feel are approperiate for the character.
I like to look for what I feel is an underserved gap, a concept or class that doesn't have large representation, then build from there. I find giving them a culture or place in the world helps immensely.
Combination of what Wafflecone and Craig said, for me.
Quote from: Spiffy Has;234791I just watch RwG, he is my inspiration for all things, non-sexual included.
<3
My favorite way to get some characterization rolling is probably just going through the portraits list and finding something that will incite me.
I try to find out what will have opposition in game, or whatever idea happens to feel interesting to me at the time.
I roll up a bunch of good builds, then I open up the toolset and make about twenty badass-looking character models, preferably that match one of the portraits. Then I look at what's missing in the server, and mix and match concept to a build.
95% of the time this results in a female human with exposed thighs.
Most characters I look at the server, and then at my life. Some of my characters are based off of people I know, friends, family or famous folk.
I look for something that is fun, interesting, and unique but fits in my stellar time zone.
Whatever I think will be most challenging.
http://badassoftheweek.com/
Try this guy
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/dwightjohnson.html
There are ample quirky historical persons, ideologies and organizations to take your inspiration from.
A recent PC of mine for example was based on Talleyrand, a French politician famous for betraying just about everyone he knew. Some of his personality traits helped define the character.
Quote from: General-shadow;234856Try this guy
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/dwightjohnson.html
Holy shit.
Holy shit. Wow.
Back on topic, it's really hard to come up with a good name sometimes, but fortunately, Hollywood is full of screenwriters who have already picked out some good ones. If you're ever running out of inspiration for a character name, go to IMDB, pick a film at random, and surf around until you find both a first and last name suitable for your PC.
For my best characters, I always start out with a bare bones concept that is nonetheless capable of standing alone. I flesh them out during play, making sure that it all fits together logically. Some of the examples I liked best:
Shannon: Fallen paladin who had become a fighter but who decided to try and continue to live by the paladin's code. Failing is barely excusable, giving up is not.
Solace: former slave of drow severely traumatised by her experience who will do anything whatsoever to stay free.
Ulfrin: Abjurer wizard who a long time ago caused vast damage through irresponsible magic use. Captured by other mages who tried to salvage her rather than kill her. Became born-again Mystran determined never to slip up again and to do all she could to mend damage done by magic elsewhere. Accidentally sent to Ymph and the Mythallar instead of the high powered pro her masters had originally intended to send there.
Deirdre: Helmite. Human former support battlemage and veteran from the battlefields of Impiltur, defending her homeland against the uncontrolled necromantic and infernal forces still contaminating large parts of the country. Grabbed by the Mythallar moments before her unit was overrun in an ambush.
Karrin Connell: Hin who was exiled from her home for murder when she killed her sister's brutal and abusive husband. Spent many years on the road ostensibly looking for a new home, actually running from herself. Had her life saved from Mist Raiders by the Duke and his men and decided to stop running and make a stand. Made Ymph her new home and her dream was to end the famine, repaying the Duke the debt she to her mind owed him.
How I make characters that always fail: I find a cool build and decide to try it out. Then I discover I can't get the character to make sense and the build loses its glitter. I stop playing the character. The End. >.>
I like to combine classic books/history and children's movies. Seriously. Awesome philosophical ideas (Cicero, Sun Tzu, Bible stories, Winston Churchill) combined with interesting characters (Lion King, Aladdin, Toy Story... think about how many SWEET characters come from them!).
As for Dwight Johnson, and adding to the craziness of that man's life already, the man died when he was shot and killed while robbing a liquor store in 1971. =(
I always begin my concepts with the thought "Wow, that would make a cool gnome!" and start from there. While these characters very often do not stay gnomes, I always attempt to start by at least wanting to roll another gnome..
Mostly, the sources of my inspiration are from real life. Characteristics and personalities that I see while I'm at work, or shopping etc. People that I see every day that I can see personality traits in that I would like to explore through my roleplay. I usually mix this with a Forgotten realms deity somewhere along the line and use that as a basis to fuel character goals and such.
My weeks badass is still a kicker
respect
Cool figures from history or literature. For example, Albert Gull was a mix of Ernst Rohm and other militaristic fascist types. Jacques de Villiers was based off the Duke of Buckingham and Jamie Lannister. The Spirit That Sings was a mix of the Uruk Hai, Genghis Khan and Tyler Durden. I find that mixing attributes of several interesting figures, and trying to put your own take on it helps enormously in developing a rounded personality.
I usually just make a character and they develope as I go.
I like to look at where in the server needs people. Then I look at what I might want to do there. Usually I find I like to pick a class or have some kind of idea on my classes first so I can build around it in cases such as clerics and monks.
For personalities, many of my pcs tend to be mixtures of films and books. Alignment also factors in for me heavily, for I used it to determine where I might take inspiration from.
And sometimes they just come to me by random thought. Old Man Franco, arugably one of my favourite pc's in my opinion. Was just the result of me thinking one day, "lol it'd be amusing to play an angry old man who flips out and beats the shit out of people with his walking stick".
Inspiration:
http://wearefyw.com/
... Also a smattering of renaissance Italy.
I look at objects around me and try to think how they would act if they were alive, like speakers or bits of lego.
As silly as this sounds, I have switched the NWN menu music to the old music for the ambiance. During character creation, I stare at the portraits and imagine who they would be. Somehow, the old menu music helps that.
A lot of the time, I think what hasn't been done before or what goes against most expectations, and then rule out any ones that are plainly Too Stupid To Work. I will admit several of my characters have been silly concepts, but I've always played them seriously, and anchored them in goals I try to accomplish. I find that if a PC makes me smile when I play them, I stick with them.
Alvin was originally going to be an alchemist Consort who'd be more educated than his Caliphar. He changed to a half-orc when I realised that 1: It would work, as I could still do it with slightly lower INT and CHA, and 2: There's never been a half-orc who achieved a high rank in any surface DM faction. Result, one ambitious, smart, halforc grease-monkey.
Whiskey Bill started as a mechanical challenge of "Could I make a half-decent stealth mage without resorting to Halfling or minmaxing". Yes, if you're willing to take a level in Ranger. I then decided on a background, and thought that a poacher and moonshiner turned Illusionist to hide his illicit doings would make for a fun concept, especially if I could mass-produce booze from Alchemy. Result, one blue-collar wizard with a spear and a penchant for impaling monsters as opposed to invising.
Mister Utucha was my shot at subverting the usual "Me tribal" Chultan concepts, by playing a press-ganged sailor turned merchant who wanted to save his countrymen from poverty and ignorance. His personality was inspired by Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses and the Operative from Serenity in equal parts.