Ultimate WIP mode! Go ahead and feel free to ask questions. I am spending lots of time typing this out, so I hope it's loved and used. :D
Introduction
~I think we've all reused a OC for a roleplay, even though maybe that OC wasn't the best for that topic. But it's hard to come up with characters, especially interesting or unique ones. Well, it doesn't have to be!
Special note: this guide is more focused on creating (humanoid) OCs for roleplay, not for RPing itself. :"D good luck with that!
Starting Out [character design]
Let's start with a very basic "form" and character design for this.
Name: Kate Hudson
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance: Tall, skinny, blond hair and blue eyes.
Personality: Kind, calm, but can be cold.
Beating Boredom!
~Sometimes it is nice to have something a little better then that! This girl has fallen victim to Basically Common/Commonly Basic Syndrome. Or, we'll call it BCCB.
Tall, skinny, and blond with blue eyes is an overused base, seen when people become rushed, confused, or have no idea what they want to do for this character. Other unoriginal themes are brown hair, green eyes, and stocky, strong and handsome.
Now wait a second there, Epi! Humans only come in a number of variety, right? Those profiles are common but realistic.
Yes, I get that, and that's fine! But also shaking things up a bit, or giving better detail with edge adds fun for all.
Let's give her a better "appearance" description.
"Kate has a slight frame, which is very frail and weak looking. She is very tall, adding to her skin and bones effect. She has little to no muscle, and often slouches over. Her hair is a dusty crop of dirty blond, pushed over to the right side of her face. She has startling sky blue eyes, which pop out against the rest of her broken form. Along with that, she has think freckles, and dirt marks."
This probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd choose as a character, right? She's weak!
Well. Actually, one thing many people enjoy is reading the thoughts and reactions of characters, and you can set yours up to have LOTS of interesting thoughts.
This girl can be extremely busy worrying about how she looks, how hungry she is, or maybe she's thinking of an abusive childhood. Or maybe she's shallow, but that's up to you. One thing is for certain;
Appearances can effect a character in a lot of ways, and it's an important thing to think about.
You can also add other aspects to a characters past and personality through looks, using defects, injuries, or disease.
For example, you could give your character cancer, make them lose an arm or a leg (or maybe just an ear or fingers), or maybe they have cushings? Who KNOWS! The possibilities are endless. So on that note, I'll add a bit more to her looks.
"Kate is also missing her pinky and thumb on her right hand. This makes it hard to grab things, or type. She is bullied and asked about it all the time, making her wish to hide."
Bolding another example about The Look Effect.
~Also make sure to add how someone's character would receive her. What's their first impression?
~We also want to spice up her personality and outlook. This is very important to have a personality you feel comfortable using, because unlike what you may want, a person can't change their attitude or outlook on life overnight, or in two paragraphs. Change is possible, but not very fast, and without cause.
Now, kind and calm, or fiery and daring are two very popular themes you don't have to look for to see. There are many ways to make sure your character doesn't have BCCB. Your character may he layers, or maybe they are sturdy and predictable, which isn't always a bad thing. Some may not agree with me, but I believe personality and outlook should weigh up with appearances to some degree.
Example; The skinny little Kate is not a bold, daring person who likes to punch people in the face.
No. She's laid back and put into a tighter position by the bullying and abuse she suffers due to her malnutrition and mangled hands.
Coming up with the right flavors to the layered cake is hard, but you can do it!
One curious thing, is that, you can mostly group people into to large groups, with subgroups within; Confident and Unsure.
~Confident characters can be charming, charismatic, and dashing people, who can stroll into a bar, guns blazing. They show positive behaviors such as courage and certainty, but can also be reckless, stubborn, and impulsive. They are more often leaders, and can also get in a lot of arguments with other Confidents. I usually associate them with stronger, builds and a heated temperature.
~Unsure characters can be awkward, nervous, shy, cute, and paranoid. Them may sit a dance out instead of getting the girl. They can be far more contemplative, thoughtful, and appreciating, maybe noticing people's feelings. They can also be slower, nervous, afraid, and shut down in stressful files and situations.
I usually associate them with slighter builds, and a calmer and colder temperature.
~Of course, you can also go against all this, and it can create a lovely character, but it can also be harder to make it seem natural.
~As for opinions, make sure to give your characters some. Maybe they prefer the company of girls over boys, or maybe they hate parties. Perhaps they enjoy the outdoors more then indoors, or perhaps they'd rather read.
~Keep this all in mind, bu don't go overboard! A character should be more then a McDonald's sausage biscuit, but you might not want a buffet either. Round out your characters like a meal; add the right amount of protein, carbs, and etc.
You get the point!
Age and Gender?
~You may be wondering why I'd go into age. It's rather simple, and I can handle it, Epi!
Well, I'm actually going into specifics here, farther down then one to three numbers, to the root of age itself. Age counts up from the day you were born to track your maturity!
Maturity can be very important. Age can be important. And I'm sure it's often overlooked.
I could just slap down Kate's age as 16, OR, I could contemplate how I'd like her reactions to bullying to be, and go from there.
Since I'd like a soft, sensitive little girl, we'll say she's 15, when teen females freak out about looks. We may want to make her more mature in street sense for her age, so we'll add that in there. Remember, age and maturity always ring true, so next time you'd like 6 year old Pete to go on a dangerous quest, you may want to reconsider.
~*cough* Gender... heh. I'm not going far into this, because I'm not an expert, but I can say that a hard working homeless girl like Kate, who's starving and cold, won't be considering her sexual orientation or gender the way a rich, bored, and belly-full kid will. Just consider that. It can also be simpler to say ''he'' and ''she'' then ''they/them''.
Past and History; what it means for your character
~What does past and history do to the present? EVERYTHING! Take away history and you have NOTHING. I can't stress how important this is. Opinions, biases, thoughts, experience, everything relies on the past you may or may not include to your ''form''. Even if you don't post it to begin with (which is great, because it can add spice to your RP posts!), at least come up with it as you go. If your character hates mothers for no reason, that's just weird man! Kate may hate her mother for abandoning her on the streets to freeze or starve. History makes or breaks your character.
She's shy, she's weak, and she's homeless because of her past. And that is what effects everything about her! See where I'm getting at?
I think this is the hardest thing to cultivate, but this is something that can be shaped as you go along.
If you want a strong, noble warrior for a character, make wise to have him have the proper history to cultivate his passion for justice. He grew up in a rougher household, and he had a friend that lived on the streets. This old man was kind, and told him tales of glory, but also taught him lessons about what went on in his home. ''Don't be like them,'' the old man would say. Your hero knows what's right, and wants to enforce it when he's older. It's his dream!
~History should also be rich and colorful, like your character. Just having a normal past is as boring as ''blond with blue eyes'' if it ends right there. Add little snippets that give your young one a pause. Maybe a wind of doctrine your character is unfamiliar with, or maybe they agree with these more then their prior beliefs. Anyways, if your character was previously evil/good, give them a good reason they aren't anymore.
Good luck with this!
Name: Kate Hudson
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Appearance: Kate has a slight frame, which is very frail and weak looking. She is very tall, adding to her skin and bones effect. She has little to no muscle, and often slouches over. Her hair is a dusty crop of dirty blond, pushed over to the right side of her face. She has startling sky blue eyes, which pop out against the rest of her broken form. Along with that, she has think freckles, and dirt marks. Kate is also missing her pinky and thumb on her right hand. This makes it hard to grab things, or type. She is bullied and asked about it all the time, making her wish to hide.
~First impressions would be like looking at a damaged flower, that with the right care could be killed or healed. She has a aura of potential.
Personality: Kate is extremely sensitive. She is self-aware of what others think of her, and feels the need to hide. She is fearful of adults, and is very curious and cautious around children. Kate also has an independent streak. Although she is starving, she is proud and thankful she's survived so far. She is creative, and could be loyal if she wasn't so shy and fearful.
History: She had an extremely rocky first two years, and at age three, she was abandoned by her faithless mother at a bakery. The owners took her in and raised her to age five, until there was a fire in the bakery, and the whole family died except her, although she lost her thumb and pinky on her right hand. She's been living off stolen food and pennies since. She hopes to work in the Royal stables when she reaches sixteen.
Introduction
~I think we've all reused a OC for a roleplay, even though maybe that OC wasn't the best for that topic. But it's hard to come up with characters, especially interesting or unique ones. Well, it doesn't have to be!
Special note: this guide is more focused on creating (humanoid) OCs for roleplay, not for RPing itself. :"D good luck with that!
Starting Out [character design]
Let's start with a very basic "form" and character design for this.
Name: Kate Hudson
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance: Tall, skinny, blond hair and blue eyes.
Personality: Kind, calm, but can be cold.
Beating Boredom!
~Sometimes it is nice to have something a little better then that! This girl has fallen victim to Basically Common/Commonly Basic Syndrome. Or, we'll call it BCCB.
Tall, skinny, and blond with blue eyes is an overused base, seen when people become rushed, confused, or have no idea what they want to do for this character. Other unoriginal themes are brown hair, green eyes, and stocky, strong and handsome.
Now wait a second there, Epi! Humans only come in a number of variety, right? Those profiles are common but realistic.
Yes, I get that, and that's fine! But also shaking things up a bit, or giving better detail with edge adds fun for all.
Let's give her a better "appearance" description.
"Kate has a slight frame, which is very frail and weak looking. She is very tall, adding to her skin and bones effect. She has little to no muscle, and often slouches over. Her hair is a dusty crop of dirty blond, pushed over to the right side of her face. She has startling sky blue eyes, which pop out against the rest of her broken form. Along with that, she has think freckles, and dirt marks."
This probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd choose as a character, right? She's weak!
Well. Actually, one thing many people enjoy is reading the thoughts and reactions of characters, and you can set yours up to have LOTS of interesting thoughts.
This girl can be extremely busy worrying about how she looks, how hungry she is, or maybe she's thinking of an abusive childhood. Or maybe she's shallow, but that's up to you. One thing is for certain;
Appearances can effect a character in a lot of ways, and it's an important thing to think about.
You can also add other aspects to a characters past and personality through looks, using defects, injuries, or disease.
For example, you could give your character cancer, make them lose an arm or a leg (or maybe just an ear or fingers), or maybe they have cushings? Who KNOWS! The possibilities are endless. So on that note, I'll add a bit more to her looks.
"Kate is also missing her pinky and thumb on her right hand. This makes it hard to grab things, or type. She is bullied and asked about it all the time, making her wish to hide."
Bolding another example about The Look Effect.
~Also make sure to add how someone's character would receive her. What's their first impression?
~We also want to spice up her personality and outlook. This is very important to have a personality you feel comfortable using, because unlike what you may want, a person can't change their attitude or outlook on life overnight, or in two paragraphs. Change is possible, but not very fast, and without cause.
Now, kind and calm, or fiery and daring are two very popular themes you don't have to look for to see. There are many ways to make sure your character doesn't have BCCB. Your character may he layers, or maybe they are sturdy and predictable, which isn't always a bad thing. Some may not agree with me, but I believe personality and outlook should weigh up with appearances to some degree.
Example; The skinny little Kate is not a bold, daring person who likes to punch people in the face.
No. She's laid back and put into a tighter position by the bullying and abuse she suffers due to her malnutrition and mangled hands.
Coming up with the right flavors to the layered cake is hard, but you can do it!
One curious thing, is that, you can mostly group people into to large groups, with subgroups within; Confident and Unsure.
~Confident characters can be charming, charismatic, and dashing people, who can stroll into a bar, guns blazing. They show positive behaviors such as courage and certainty, but can also be reckless, stubborn, and impulsive. They are more often leaders, and can also get in a lot of arguments with other Confidents. I usually associate them with stronger, builds and a heated temperature.
~Unsure characters can be awkward, nervous, shy, cute, and paranoid. Them may sit a dance out instead of getting the girl. They can be far more contemplative, thoughtful, and appreciating, maybe noticing people's feelings. They can also be slower, nervous, afraid, and shut down in stressful files and situations.
I usually associate them with slighter builds, and a calmer and colder temperature.
~Of course, you can also go against all this, and it can create a lovely character, but it can also be harder to make it seem natural.
~As for opinions, make sure to give your characters some. Maybe they prefer the company of girls over boys, or maybe they hate parties. Perhaps they enjoy the outdoors more then indoors, or perhaps they'd rather read.
~Keep this all in mind, bu don't go overboard! A character should be more then a McDonald's sausage biscuit, but you might not want a buffet either. Round out your characters like a meal; add the right amount of protein, carbs, and etc.
You get the point!
Age and Gender?
~You may be wondering why I'd go into age. It's rather simple, and I can handle it, Epi!
Well, I'm actually going into specifics here, farther down then one to three numbers, to the root of age itself. Age counts up from the day you were born to track your maturity!
Maturity can be very important. Age can be important. And I'm sure it's often overlooked.
I could just slap down Kate's age as 16, OR, I could contemplate how I'd like her reactions to bullying to be, and go from there.
Since I'd like a soft, sensitive little girl, we'll say she's 15, when teen females freak out about looks. We may want to make her more mature in street sense for her age, so we'll add that in there. Remember, age and maturity always ring true, so next time you'd like 6 year old Pete to go on a dangerous quest, you may want to reconsider.
~*cough* Gender... heh. I'm not going far into this, because I'm not an expert, but I can say that a hard working homeless girl like Kate, who's starving and cold, won't be considering her sexual orientation or gender the way a rich, bored, and belly-full kid will. Just consider that. It can also be simpler to say ''he'' and ''she'' then ''they/them''.
Past and History; what it means for your character
~What does past and history do to the present? EVERYTHING! Take away history and you have NOTHING. I can't stress how important this is. Opinions, biases, thoughts, experience, everything relies on the past you may or may not include to your ''form''. Even if you don't post it to begin with (which is great, because it can add spice to your RP posts!), at least come up with it as you go. If your character hates mothers for no reason, that's just weird man! Kate may hate her mother for abandoning her on the streets to freeze or starve. History makes or breaks your character.
She's shy, she's weak, and she's homeless because of her past. And that is what effects everything about her! See where I'm getting at?
I think this is the hardest thing to cultivate, but this is something that can be shaped as you go along.
If you want a strong, noble warrior for a character, make wise to have him have the proper history to cultivate his passion for justice. He grew up in a rougher household, and he had a friend that lived on the streets. This old man was kind, and told him tales of glory, but also taught him lessons about what went on in his home. ''Don't be like them,'' the old man would say. Your hero knows what's right, and wants to enforce it when he's older. It's his dream!
~History should also be rich and colorful, like your character. Just having a normal past is as boring as ''blond with blue eyes'' if it ends right there. Add little snippets that give your young one a pause. Maybe a wind of doctrine your character is unfamiliar with, or maybe they agree with these more then their prior beliefs. Anyways, if your character was previously evil/good, give them a good reason they aren't anymore.
Good luck with this!
Name: Kate Hudson
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Appearance: Kate has a slight frame, which is very frail and weak looking. She is very tall, adding to her skin and bones effect. She has little to no muscle, and often slouches over. Her hair is a dusty crop of dirty blond, pushed over to the right side of her face. She has startling sky blue eyes, which pop out against the rest of her broken form. Along with that, she has think freckles, and dirt marks. Kate is also missing her pinky and thumb on her right hand. This makes it hard to grab things, or type. She is bullied and asked about it all the time, making her wish to hide.
~First impressions would be like looking at a damaged flower, that with the right care could be killed or healed. She has a aura of potential.
Personality: Kate is extremely sensitive. She is self-aware of what others think of her, and feels the need to hide. She is fearful of adults, and is very curious and cautious around children. Kate also has an independent streak. Although she is starving, she is proud and thankful she's survived so far. She is creative, and could be loyal if she wasn't so shy and fearful.
History: She had an extremely rocky first two years, and at age three, she was abandoned by her faithless mother at a bakery. The owners took her in and raised her to age five, until there was a fire in the bakery, and the whole family died except her, although she lost her thumb and pinky on her right hand. She's been living off stolen food and pennies since. She hopes to work in the Royal stables when she reaches sixteen.