The Hive Custodian
17th of July, 2006, 05:12
I'll begin with my latest, somewhat unwieldy (that's an understatement) character questionnaire.
Character Description
Yes, it's another character questionnaire! Like D&D 3.5 and the special edition of the theme of this version is more. More sections! More questions! More organization! More lame attempts at humor!
For the duration of this text, "you" are the character, and you are being played by "your player". Answering every single question is not required, nor even advised. I mean, if your character description is only as long as this questionnaire, that's still pretty fricken' long. However, despite the long length, this is by no means a comprehensive list.
0. Basics
Don't put down your life story here; there'll be plenty of room to elaborate later. This is driver-license-type stuff, more for identification than anything else. (Or would be if there were cars in the setting... or maybe there are?)
Name. At least have a name. Unless you want things to be like the training missions in Mechwarrior: Mercenaries, where your call-sign was listed as "Kid or Hey-You".
Concept. Describe yourself in less than a dozen words or so, or even in a single word. Do not use the word "badass".
Player. That's the player who's playing you. In PBP this is implied, but if your player makes a hard copy, this let people know who to return the character sheet to should your player lose it.
Campaign. Again implied in PBP.
Race. Whether your player thinks they are you, or views you as simply a bunch of numbers with a name attached, they probably paid some attention to your race. (Sadly, they're often better at determining your race than your name...) Although this should technically be species, as I've heard it said.
Sex. Them crazy chromosomes. Note: "sex" is biological, "gender" is social.
Alignment. Good 'ol Ethical Moral. Don't put anything else here, even if you're using one of my alignment models.
Age. Fun fact: If you're the average adventuring elf, it would take the average unskilled laborer about two weeks to make enough money to buy enough candles for your birthday cake.
Skin. As in color.
Hair. As above.
Eyes. As above (again).
Height. Okay, so it's not terribly enlightening to know your height to the precise inch. But it's on the driver's license!
Weight. Again as above.
Other. If it's really important to the campaign, you can include your religion, nation of origin, family, and so forth. Try to keep this section short, though.
I. Appearance
Okay, on to the real part. Appearance is first because it's the first thing other people see of you, so it's only fitting that it be the first thing other people read of you.
Overall. What does your overall appearance convey, if anything? Do you look imposing? Submissive? Intelligent? Serious? Tired? Are you good-looking, ugly, or average?
Visual. Although the visual isn't the only aspect of appearance, it's certainly the most obvious.
Statics. What would a photograph of you look like?
Clothing. Most sensible people are mostly covered in clothing most of the time.
Parts. What parts are there to the clothing you wear? Do you wear pants, a skirt, a shirt, armor, a helmet or hat, bracers, a belt, socks, sandals, boots, shoes, gloves, a vest, a jacket, a cloak, glasses, a headband, hairpins, a necklace, rings, bracers, other jewelery, and/or anything else? What items do you carry on your person? Do you carry them openly?
Colors. What colors do you favor? Remember hue, brightness, and saturation. Do the colors represent anything? Are they your favorite colors?
Styles. What styles of clothing do you usually wear? Do you always wear the same style of clothing, or do you change your styles regularly? Do you try to keep up with the latest fashions?
Utility. What practical functions does your clothing serve? Do you use it to blend in with foilage? Is it armor? Does it keep your identity hidden? Does it keep you warm? Do you need lots of clothing to keep you warm, or do you burn up as soon as you put on a sweater, even if it's in the middle of winter? Is your clothing just there to keep you covered? Does it even do that?
Social Significance. Does your clothing represent a particular organization, nation, culture, class, or other social group? Do you belong to that group?
Personal Significance. What, if anything, does your clothing mean to you personally? Do you put a lot of thought into what you wear? Is there any piece of clothing that has special significance to you?
Upkeep. How often do you change, wash, or repair your clothing? Do you make and repair your clothing yourself? How well-kept is your clothing? Do you prefer to patch up your garments, or replace them entirely?
Body. You know, the fleshy stuff under your clothing.
Face. This includes your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, chin, and cheekbones. What color, size, and shape are they? Are they unusually positioned? Do you use makeup?
Hair. What color is your hair? Are there highlights in it? Is it straight, wavy, or curly? How long and in what style do your wear it? How much of it do you have? Is it natural, or do you dye or curl it? Do you wear a hairpiece? Do you wear anything in your hair? Do you have facial hair? What kind(s)? What about body hair? How much of it, and where?
Skin. What color is your skin? Is it all of the same color, or is it mottled or patterned in some way? Do you have rashes, scars, or tattoos? Do you have prominent veins?
Hands. How large are your hands? Are they calloused or delicate? How do you keep your nails? Do you still have all your fingers?
Muscles. Are you heavily muscled or are you a stick figure? How large or well-defined are your muscles?
Shape. How tall are you? Do you weigh more than a duck? Are you fat or thin? Are your limbs especially long or short? What parts of you are thick or narrow, large or small, compared to the average?
Dynamics. Mein fuhrer, I can walk!
Movement. How do you move around? Do you tend to walk or run? Do you take small steps or large ones? Are you graceful or jerky? Are you nimble or clumsy? Are your footsteps loud or soft? Are you any good at dancing or acrobatics? How flexible are you? Do you have a limp? Do you tend to use lots of force when you do things, or do you hold back?
Expression. Do you show your emotions visually? Do you show them through your facial expression or body language? Does your expression convey a particular emotion, regardless of whether you're feeling it at the time? What is your "default" expression? What emotions do you show most clearly? Are you usually relaxed or tense? Do you surprise easily? Are you scary when you're angry? What does your smile look like? Your frown? Other facial expressions? Can you make convincing puppy-dog eyes? The "look"? Any other signature expressions?
Posture. Do you stand up straight, or are you a hunchback? How do you sit? Do you rely on a walking stick? Do you try to fill up space, or shrink from view?
Manual. Do you have steady hands? Are your fingers nimble? Are you left- or right-handed? What does your handwriting look like? Your crafts?
Mannerisms. What habits do you have? Is there anything you do subconsciously when you're anxious, bored, or thinking? Is there anything you do that tends to annoy people without you realizing it? Do you have any favored poses or gestures, rude and otherwise?
Hygiene. Do you bathe often? Are your teeth and nails good or bad? Are they intact?
Violence. What do you look like when you're fighting? What are your favored weapons and tactics? Do you move around a lot? Do you use fancy manuevers or straightforward ones? Are you careful or aggressive? Do you fight clean or dirty? What does your war face look like?
Sensing. Do you have good eyesight? Are you colorblind?Auditory. Sadly neglected in most descriptions, sound is a close second to vision in terms of our senses.
Speech. What do people hear when you open your mouth?
Volume. How loudly do you talk? How loudly can you shout? What does your whisper sound like?
Pitch. Are you squeaky like a chipmunk, or do you have a baritone voice? Do your words tend to rise or fall dramatically in pitch or do you speak in a monotone? Can you hold a pitch?
Speed. Do you say everything slowly, or are you the kind of person that they hire to read the fine print on radio commercials?
Articulation. Do you enunciate clearly, or do you mumble? Do you seperate your syllables, or do they run together in a constant stream?
Texture. Is your voice rough or smooth? Is it more sound or more breath? Do you wheeze? Do you have a good singing voice? Is your voice rich or pure? If you had to liken your voice to a musical instrument, another source of sound, or the texture of some material, what would it be?
Accent. Do you have an accent? What kind of people share your accent? How strong is it? Do you have a lisp? Do you mispronounce certain letters?
Diction. What vocabulary do you use? Do you favor or overuse certain words or phrases? Do you say "um" or "well" a lot? Do you use non-standard grammar or diction? Do you use formal words, archaic words, or slang? Do you exaggerate a lot? Do you use lots of contractions? Do you qualify everything you say? Do you make up nicknames for people?
Emotions. How do your emotions change your voice? Do you shout when you're angry, or does your voice become colder? Do you talk faster when you're excited? Do you "middle name" people when you're exasperated? Does your voice waver, crack, or get rougher when you're distressed? What is your battle cry, and what does it sound like, if you have one?
Sounds. Rawr!
Voice. Are you prone to screaming? What does that sound like? What is the scariest sound you are capable of, and how scary is it? What does your cough sound like? Your laugh, chuckle, or giggle? What about when you cry? Sigh? Hum? Groan? Grunt? Gasp? Snort? Can you whistle? Are you any good at it?
Internal. Are you continually clearing your sinuses? Your throat? What does it sound like when you pass gas, or are you good at hiding that? Do you burp? Does your stomach tend to growl when you're hungry? Do you snore when you sleep? Do you crack your knuckles? Does anything else crack?
External. Do you drum your fingers against available objects? Are your footsteps loud or quiet? Do you play any musical instruments? What does that sound like?
Sensing. Are you hard of hearing?Tactile. Not just for grapples.
Texture. Is your skin smooth or rough to the touch? Is it calloused or otherwise bumpy? Is it hard or soft? Do you have thick skin? Is your hair dry or oily, soft or rough? Are your joints stiff or supple?
Temperature. Are you particularly warm or cold to the touch?
Sensing. Are you sensitive to heat, cold, or pain?Olfactory. What do you smell like? Do you use perfume? Do you have a good sense of smell?
II. Personality
The most challenging section, and the most rewarding.
Values and Goals. What is your quest? What do you live for? Why do you adventure?
General. What is your greatest dream? What is most precious to you? What do you value the most? What makes you happy? What drives you to adventure? How strong are these feelings? Do you think you can reach your goals? Is what you want the same as what you need?
Self. Is there something you want to change about yourself or keep from changing? Is there some fault about yourself that you want to get rid of? Is there someone you aspire to be? Do you crave knowledge or power? Do you consider yourself important?
People. Who are the most important people in your life? Is there something that you really want to do for or to certain people? Is the feeling mutual? Do you care a lot about people in general?
Traits. What traits do you consider most important in people? Strength? Honesty? Confidence?
Social Status. Do you care what people think of you? What do you want them to think of you? What kind of impression do you make on people? Is there some particular position in society that you want to hold?
The World. Is there something about the world that you want to change or keep from changing?
Powers. Do you serve some greater power?
Objects. Do you value material possessions? Wealth? Magical items? Paintings? Clothing?
Experiences. Is there some type of experience that you seek out? Seeing new things? Fighting? Learning? Romance? Thrills? Eating?
Ideas. Is there some idea that you are committed to? Is there some idea that you want to spread throughout the world?Methods. How do you get things done?
Ideals. What is most important to you when you set out to do something? Do you want to do things quickly? Well? Efficiently? With style? Are there certain things that you simply won't do, regardless of the circumstances? Why?
People. What's your approach to dealing with other people? Are you very social? Do you make friends easily? Do you keep secrets, or are you vocal about what you think? How do you react if someone wants to insult or hurt you? Do you get help from or use other people to solve your problems? How so? Are you competitive or cooperative?
Problems. What happens when you're faced with a challenge or a puzzle? Do you meet it head-on? Do you wait it out? Do you flee? Do you follow your feelings, or do you try reason things out? Do you do things personally, or do you get someone else to do it? Do you try a physcial solution? Do you try to talk your way out of problems? Do you make a plan?
Sacrifices. What are you willing to give up to get what you want? Your time, your effort, your health, your possessions, your life, your friends, your dignity?
Violence. Do you resort to violence easily? What tactics do you use? Do you take prisoners? Do you give it everything you've got in the first go, or do you keep reserves? Are you averse to running away?Beliefs. All the stuff generally not talked about in polite company, and then some.
Religious. Are you religious at all? Who is your diety? What do you think about the dieties? Are you a part of a sect or cult? What does your faith tell you? What do you think about people who don't share your faith?
Philosophical. What is your alignment? What is the purpose of life, according to you? What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be sentient?
Political. Do you believe in government? What kind of government do you believe in? What is the purpose of government? What kind of people should lead? What things should the government decide, and what things should be left to individuals?
Economics. What kind of economy do you believe in?
Social Groups. What do you believe about various social groups? Genders? Races? Cultures? Classes? Nations?
Other Issues. Consider your beliefs on such matters as magic, nature, technology, and so forth.Emotions. What moves you?
General. Are you an emotional person? What emotions do you feel most strongly? Are there emotions that you try to repress or encourage? Are you proud or ashamed of any of your emotions, or lack thereof? Are you prone to mood swings? How well can you control your emotions? How much do your emotions control you?
Expression. How do you deal with your emotions? Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or do you hide what you feel? At what point can you not hide your feelings any longer? How do you express your emotions? Who do you trust with your emotions? What emotions do you express more than others? What emotions do you try to hide?
Specific Emotions. What makes you feel a certain way? A partial list follows:
Anger. What makes you angry? Does anger usually make you violent? Are you a vengeful person?
Boredom. Do you get bored easily? Are you a patient person?
Fear. Do you have any phobias? How paranoid are you? What's the worst thing that could happen to you? How justified are your fears? What do you do when you're scared?
Grief. How do you express sadness?
Hate. Is there anything or anyone that you really hate? Why do you hate them? What would someone have to do to make you hate them?
Jealousy. Are you a prideful or vain person? Do you have to be the best at everything? At one specific thing?
Joy. What makes you happy? Are you a happy person? Do you celebrate early, or do you wait for your chickens to hatch, as it were?
Love. How do you show your love? Do you feel unloved?
Lust. What arouses your desires?
Pride. What is it that you most admire about yourself?
Respect. What earns your respect? How do you show your respect toward someone?
Revulsion. What do you find just plain icky?
Ridicule. What do you consider pathetic? Is there something or someone you like to make fun of?
Shame. What are the things that you could never forgive yourself for doing? Have you done any of those things?
Sympathy. Are you a sympatheic person? Do you find it hard to hate people you know? Strengths and Weaknesses. What do people turn to you for? What couldn't you do if your life depended on it?
Overall. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? How powerful are they? Will they probably lead you to greatness or destruction?
Self-Perception. What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses? How accurate are these perceptions of yourself? What strengths and weaknesses are you not aware of? Do you consider yourself a good person? What strengths are you most proud of? What weaknesses are you most ashamed of?
Physical Traits. These include strength, stamina, agility, manual dexterity, and appearance.
Mental Traits. These include empathy, experience, knowledge, intuition, perception, and reason.
Personal Traits. These include confidence, drive, loyalty, prejudice, and self-control.
Social Traits. These include social status and friends.
Possessions. Are you wealthy? What is your most prized material possession?Likes and Dislikes. What are your tastes?
Color. What is your favorite color? Does it have any special significance, or do you just like it for no reason in particular?
Clothing. What style of clothing do you like to wear?
Music. What are your favorite styles of music? What types of music can you not stand?
Food. What are your favorite foods? Do you like sweet, sour, spicy, or some other particular flavor?
Interests. What do you do in your free time? What things do you find fascinating? Would you consider yourself obsessed?
Pet Peeves. Is there anything you find particularly annoying?Style. What is signature about you?
Outlook. How's life?
Humor. Do you have a sense of humor? Is your humor crude or refined? Is it light or sarcastic? Is it verbal or physical? Do you laugh at people or with them? Do you laugh at yourself?
Symbols. Is there some sort of symbol that represents you? Do you have a coat of arms?
Art. If you're an actor, artist, dancer, musician, poet, singer, writer, or are creative or a performer in any way, what is unique about your art, craft, or performance?
Other. Any other quirks of note?III. Relations
In America, you know who you can party with. In Soviet Russia, the Party knows YOU!!
While you could run another full character description for everyone you know, that would take way too long. (Not that it isn't already...) In addition to basics, you may consider the following:
Alive? Is this person alive or dead? Or undead, even?
Past. How long have you known this person? When did you become friends, enemies, or whatever? What did you think of each other back then? What have you done for (or to) each other since?
Feelings on Each Other. What do you think of them? What do they think of you? Do you show your feelings toward each other openly?
Present. Where is this person now? What are they doing?Positive. Well, mostly.
Family. Blood runs thicker than water... especially in the heat of combat.
Parents. Who were you born to? How legitimate was your birth?
Siblings. Did you have any siblings?
Other Relatives. Any other relatives of note? Do you have children?
Friends. You don't want to be lonely, do you?
Personal Friends. Who do you trust with your life and your secrets? Who do you share a drink with? What do you look for in a friend?
Business Friends. You may not know them well personally, but perhaps you share a common interest. Or maybe one of you owes the other a favor.
Romantic Interests. Both past and present. What do you look for in a lover? How far did your relationships go?
Teachers. Who gave you your skills? Who influenced your beliefs? On the other hand, are or were you anybody's teacher?
Hero(ine)s. Who is your hero(ine)? Who do you aspire to be? How worshipful are you? Have you ever met your hero(ine) in person? Does anybody look up to you in turn? Are you aware of it?
Organizations. What organizations do you belong to? What's your rank? Are you a devoted member? How do you feel to be member of that organization?Negative. You know what they say about friends and enemies...
Rivals. Who do you love to one-up? Who's winning? Is it a friendly rivalry or a vicious one?
Enemies. People who want to hurt you. Badly.
Dislikes. People who you would prefer to stay away from you. You might be too polite to say so, though... or they might be too dense to realize it. Alternately, people who feel that way about you.IV. Background
Now put down your life story.
Birth. Where were you born, and under what circumstances? Do you have any unusual ancestry?
Childhood. What were you like as a child? How were you treated and raised? What kind of education did you have? Did one or both of your parents spend a lot of time with you? Did you get along with other children?
Adolescence. How did you change as you grew toward adulthood? Did you expect to be where you are today?
Important Events. Describe major events in your life: great accomplishments, deaths of loved ones, sudden changes in social status, and so forth. What are the best and worst things that have ever happened to you? What are the best and worst things that you ever made happen? What got you into adventuring?
Hindsight. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?
The Present. Where are you now? Who are you with? What are you doing? Do you want to be there?
The Future. Where do you see yourself in the future? Does the future look good for you? Or is your future probably going to be very short?
V. Abilities
This essentially means "justify your stat sheet". Describe what you are good/bad at and any special abilities you possess, and how you came to have those traits.
Ability Scores. Probably the first thing that was determined of you, stat-wise. What do your ability scores represent about your being? Did they result from a special lineage, exposure to magic, or lots of hard work? How obvious are they to a casual onlooker?
Class. How did you come by your class? Is it what you always planned on being? Do you fit the stereotype for your class?
Feats. What neat things are you capable of?
Skills. Do you practice your skills every day, or do they come naturally? Do you like to show off your skills?
Spells. How did you learn to cast your spells? Why do you have the spells you do? What types of spells do you favor?
Special Abilities. Anything else interesting you can do.
VI. Possessions
Because in D&D, what you own determines who you own. Describe what each item looks like, who made it, what it's made out of, how you carry it, how you came to own it, and any special significance they may hold for you.
Weapons. What is your favored weapon? What weapons do you carry? Do you keep some weapons concealed?
Magical Items. Do you like the feeling of wearing magical items?
Money. Do you carry lots of money around? Are you wealthy? Do you like to let people know you're wealthy or poor?
Mundane Items. Do you prefer to use mundane items or magical items?
Land. Do you own land? A shack, house, mansion, or castle? What do you use your land for? Does anybody else live there?
Businesses. Do you have a part in any businesses? What kind of business, and what part do you play in them?
Upkeep. Do you take good care of your possessions? Do you have other people take care of them?
VII. Other
Anything else about you, or closely connected to you, not covered above.
VIII. Metadescription
What was your player thinking when they created you? What influences did they draw upon? Are you a ripoff of some other character? Are you recycled? How much effort did your player put into your creation? How would your player describe themselves?
Character Description
Yes, it's another character questionnaire! Like D&D 3.5 and the special edition of the theme of this version is more. More sections! More questions! More organization! More lame attempts at humor!
For the duration of this text, "you" are the character, and you are being played by "your player". Answering every single question is not required, nor even advised. I mean, if your character description is only as long as this questionnaire, that's still pretty fricken' long. However, despite the long length, this is by no means a comprehensive list.
0. Basics
Don't put down your life story here; there'll be plenty of room to elaborate later. This is driver-license-type stuff, more for identification than anything else. (Or would be if there were cars in the setting... or maybe there are?)
Name. At least have a name. Unless you want things to be like the training missions in Mechwarrior: Mercenaries, where your call-sign was listed as "Kid or Hey-You".
Concept. Describe yourself in less than a dozen words or so, or even in a single word. Do not use the word "badass".
Player. That's the player who's playing you. In PBP this is implied, but if your player makes a hard copy, this let people know who to return the character sheet to should your player lose it.
Campaign. Again implied in PBP.
Race. Whether your player thinks they are you, or views you as simply a bunch of numbers with a name attached, they probably paid some attention to your race. (Sadly, they're often better at determining your race than your name...) Although this should technically be species, as I've heard it said.
Sex. Them crazy chromosomes. Note: "sex" is biological, "gender" is social.
Alignment. Good 'ol Ethical Moral. Don't put anything else here, even if you're using one of my alignment models.
Age. Fun fact: If you're the average adventuring elf, it would take the average unskilled laborer about two weeks to make enough money to buy enough candles for your birthday cake.
Skin. As in color.
Hair. As above.
Eyes. As above (again).
Height. Okay, so it's not terribly enlightening to know your height to the precise inch. But it's on the driver's license!
Weight. Again as above.
Other. If it's really important to the campaign, you can include your religion, nation of origin, family, and so forth. Try to keep this section short, though.
I. Appearance
Okay, on to the real part. Appearance is first because it's the first thing other people see of you, so it's only fitting that it be the first thing other people read of you.
Overall. What does your overall appearance convey, if anything? Do you look imposing? Submissive? Intelligent? Serious? Tired? Are you good-looking, ugly, or average?
Visual. Although the visual isn't the only aspect of appearance, it's certainly the most obvious.
Statics. What would a photograph of you look like?
Clothing. Most sensible people are mostly covered in clothing most of the time.
Parts. What parts are there to the clothing you wear? Do you wear pants, a skirt, a shirt, armor, a helmet or hat, bracers, a belt, socks, sandals, boots, shoes, gloves, a vest, a jacket, a cloak, glasses, a headband, hairpins, a necklace, rings, bracers, other jewelery, and/or anything else? What items do you carry on your person? Do you carry them openly?
Colors. What colors do you favor? Remember hue, brightness, and saturation. Do the colors represent anything? Are they your favorite colors?
Styles. What styles of clothing do you usually wear? Do you always wear the same style of clothing, or do you change your styles regularly? Do you try to keep up with the latest fashions?
Utility. What practical functions does your clothing serve? Do you use it to blend in with foilage? Is it armor? Does it keep your identity hidden? Does it keep you warm? Do you need lots of clothing to keep you warm, or do you burn up as soon as you put on a sweater, even if it's in the middle of winter? Is your clothing just there to keep you covered? Does it even do that?
Social Significance. Does your clothing represent a particular organization, nation, culture, class, or other social group? Do you belong to that group?
Personal Significance. What, if anything, does your clothing mean to you personally? Do you put a lot of thought into what you wear? Is there any piece of clothing that has special significance to you?
Upkeep. How often do you change, wash, or repair your clothing? Do you make and repair your clothing yourself? How well-kept is your clothing? Do you prefer to patch up your garments, or replace them entirely?
Body. You know, the fleshy stuff under your clothing.
Face. This includes your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, chin, and cheekbones. What color, size, and shape are they? Are they unusually positioned? Do you use makeup?
Hair. What color is your hair? Are there highlights in it? Is it straight, wavy, or curly? How long and in what style do your wear it? How much of it do you have? Is it natural, or do you dye or curl it? Do you wear a hairpiece? Do you wear anything in your hair? Do you have facial hair? What kind(s)? What about body hair? How much of it, and where?
Skin. What color is your skin? Is it all of the same color, or is it mottled or patterned in some way? Do you have rashes, scars, or tattoos? Do you have prominent veins?
Hands. How large are your hands? Are they calloused or delicate? How do you keep your nails? Do you still have all your fingers?
Muscles. Are you heavily muscled or are you a stick figure? How large or well-defined are your muscles?
Shape. How tall are you? Do you weigh more than a duck? Are you fat or thin? Are your limbs especially long or short? What parts of you are thick or narrow, large or small, compared to the average?
Dynamics. Mein fuhrer, I can walk!
Movement. How do you move around? Do you tend to walk or run? Do you take small steps or large ones? Are you graceful or jerky? Are you nimble or clumsy? Are your footsteps loud or soft? Are you any good at dancing or acrobatics? How flexible are you? Do you have a limp? Do you tend to use lots of force when you do things, or do you hold back?
Expression. Do you show your emotions visually? Do you show them through your facial expression or body language? Does your expression convey a particular emotion, regardless of whether you're feeling it at the time? What is your "default" expression? What emotions do you show most clearly? Are you usually relaxed or tense? Do you surprise easily? Are you scary when you're angry? What does your smile look like? Your frown? Other facial expressions? Can you make convincing puppy-dog eyes? The "look"? Any other signature expressions?
Posture. Do you stand up straight, or are you a hunchback? How do you sit? Do you rely on a walking stick? Do you try to fill up space, or shrink from view?
Manual. Do you have steady hands? Are your fingers nimble? Are you left- or right-handed? What does your handwriting look like? Your crafts?
Mannerisms. What habits do you have? Is there anything you do subconsciously when you're anxious, bored, or thinking? Is there anything you do that tends to annoy people without you realizing it? Do you have any favored poses or gestures, rude and otherwise?
Hygiene. Do you bathe often? Are your teeth and nails good or bad? Are they intact?
Violence. What do you look like when you're fighting? What are your favored weapons and tactics? Do you move around a lot? Do you use fancy manuevers or straightforward ones? Are you careful or aggressive? Do you fight clean or dirty? What does your war face look like?
Sensing. Do you have good eyesight? Are you colorblind?Auditory. Sadly neglected in most descriptions, sound is a close second to vision in terms of our senses.
Speech. What do people hear when you open your mouth?
Volume. How loudly do you talk? How loudly can you shout? What does your whisper sound like?
Pitch. Are you squeaky like a chipmunk, or do you have a baritone voice? Do your words tend to rise or fall dramatically in pitch or do you speak in a monotone? Can you hold a pitch?
Speed. Do you say everything slowly, or are you the kind of person that they hire to read the fine print on radio commercials?
Articulation. Do you enunciate clearly, or do you mumble? Do you seperate your syllables, or do they run together in a constant stream?
Texture. Is your voice rough or smooth? Is it more sound or more breath? Do you wheeze? Do you have a good singing voice? Is your voice rich or pure? If you had to liken your voice to a musical instrument, another source of sound, or the texture of some material, what would it be?
Accent. Do you have an accent? What kind of people share your accent? How strong is it? Do you have a lisp? Do you mispronounce certain letters?
Diction. What vocabulary do you use? Do you favor or overuse certain words or phrases? Do you say "um" or "well" a lot? Do you use non-standard grammar or diction? Do you use formal words, archaic words, or slang? Do you exaggerate a lot? Do you use lots of contractions? Do you qualify everything you say? Do you make up nicknames for people?
Emotions. How do your emotions change your voice? Do you shout when you're angry, or does your voice become colder? Do you talk faster when you're excited? Do you "middle name" people when you're exasperated? Does your voice waver, crack, or get rougher when you're distressed? What is your battle cry, and what does it sound like, if you have one?
Sounds. Rawr!
Voice. Are you prone to screaming? What does that sound like? What is the scariest sound you are capable of, and how scary is it? What does your cough sound like? Your laugh, chuckle, or giggle? What about when you cry? Sigh? Hum? Groan? Grunt? Gasp? Snort? Can you whistle? Are you any good at it?
Internal. Are you continually clearing your sinuses? Your throat? What does it sound like when you pass gas, or are you good at hiding that? Do you burp? Does your stomach tend to growl when you're hungry? Do you snore when you sleep? Do you crack your knuckles? Does anything else crack?
External. Do you drum your fingers against available objects? Are your footsteps loud or quiet? Do you play any musical instruments? What does that sound like?
Sensing. Are you hard of hearing?Tactile. Not just for grapples.
Texture. Is your skin smooth or rough to the touch? Is it calloused or otherwise bumpy? Is it hard or soft? Do you have thick skin? Is your hair dry or oily, soft or rough? Are your joints stiff or supple?
Temperature. Are you particularly warm or cold to the touch?
Sensing. Are you sensitive to heat, cold, or pain?Olfactory. What do you smell like? Do you use perfume? Do you have a good sense of smell?
II. Personality
The most challenging section, and the most rewarding.
Values and Goals. What is your quest? What do you live for? Why do you adventure?
General. What is your greatest dream? What is most precious to you? What do you value the most? What makes you happy? What drives you to adventure? How strong are these feelings? Do you think you can reach your goals? Is what you want the same as what you need?
Self. Is there something you want to change about yourself or keep from changing? Is there some fault about yourself that you want to get rid of? Is there someone you aspire to be? Do you crave knowledge or power? Do you consider yourself important?
People. Who are the most important people in your life? Is there something that you really want to do for or to certain people? Is the feeling mutual? Do you care a lot about people in general?
Traits. What traits do you consider most important in people? Strength? Honesty? Confidence?
Social Status. Do you care what people think of you? What do you want them to think of you? What kind of impression do you make on people? Is there some particular position in society that you want to hold?
The World. Is there something about the world that you want to change or keep from changing?
Powers. Do you serve some greater power?
Objects. Do you value material possessions? Wealth? Magical items? Paintings? Clothing?
Experiences. Is there some type of experience that you seek out? Seeing new things? Fighting? Learning? Romance? Thrills? Eating?
Ideas. Is there some idea that you are committed to? Is there some idea that you want to spread throughout the world?Methods. How do you get things done?
Ideals. What is most important to you when you set out to do something? Do you want to do things quickly? Well? Efficiently? With style? Are there certain things that you simply won't do, regardless of the circumstances? Why?
People. What's your approach to dealing with other people? Are you very social? Do you make friends easily? Do you keep secrets, or are you vocal about what you think? How do you react if someone wants to insult or hurt you? Do you get help from or use other people to solve your problems? How so? Are you competitive or cooperative?
Problems. What happens when you're faced with a challenge or a puzzle? Do you meet it head-on? Do you wait it out? Do you flee? Do you follow your feelings, or do you try reason things out? Do you do things personally, or do you get someone else to do it? Do you try a physcial solution? Do you try to talk your way out of problems? Do you make a plan?
Sacrifices. What are you willing to give up to get what you want? Your time, your effort, your health, your possessions, your life, your friends, your dignity?
Violence. Do you resort to violence easily? What tactics do you use? Do you take prisoners? Do you give it everything you've got in the first go, or do you keep reserves? Are you averse to running away?Beliefs. All the stuff generally not talked about in polite company, and then some.
Religious. Are you religious at all? Who is your diety? What do you think about the dieties? Are you a part of a sect or cult? What does your faith tell you? What do you think about people who don't share your faith?
Philosophical. What is your alignment? What is the purpose of life, according to you? What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be sentient?
Political. Do you believe in government? What kind of government do you believe in? What is the purpose of government? What kind of people should lead? What things should the government decide, and what things should be left to individuals?
Economics. What kind of economy do you believe in?
Social Groups. What do you believe about various social groups? Genders? Races? Cultures? Classes? Nations?
Other Issues. Consider your beliefs on such matters as magic, nature, technology, and so forth.Emotions. What moves you?
General. Are you an emotional person? What emotions do you feel most strongly? Are there emotions that you try to repress or encourage? Are you proud or ashamed of any of your emotions, or lack thereof? Are you prone to mood swings? How well can you control your emotions? How much do your emotions control you?
Expression. How do you deal with your emotions? Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or do you hide what you feel? At what point can you not hide your feelings any longer? How do you express your emotions? Who do you trust with your emotions? What emotions do you express more than others? What emotions do you try to hide?
Specific Emotions. What makes you feel a certain way? A partial list follows:
Anger. What makes you angry? Does anger usually make you violent? Are you a vengeful person?
Boredom. Do you get bored easily? Are you a patient person?
Fear. Do you have any phobias? How paranoid are you? What's the worst thing that could happen to you? How justified are your fears? What do you do when you're scared?
Grief. How do you express sadness?
Hate. Is there anything or anyone that you really hate? Why do you hate them? What would someone have to do to make you hate them?
Jealousy. Are you a prideful or vain person? Do you have to be the best at everything? At one specific thing?
Joy. What makes you happy? Are you a happy person? Do you celebrate early, or do you wait for your chickens to hatch, as it were?
Love. How do you show your love? Do you feel unloved?
Lust. What arouses your desires?
Pride. What is it that you most admire about yourself?
Respect. What earns your respect? How do you show your respect toward someone?
Revulsion. What do you find just plain icky?
Ridicule. What do you consider pathetic? Is there something or someone you like to make fun of?
Shame. What are the things that you could never forgive yourself for doing? Have you done any of those things?
Sympathy. Are you a sympatheic person? Do you find it hard to hate people you know? Strengths and Weaknesses. What do people turn to you for? What couldn't you do if your life depended on it?
Overall. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? How powerful are they? Will they probably lead you to greatness or destruction?
Self-Perception. What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses? How accurate are these perceptions of yourself? What strengths and weaknesses are you not aware of? Do you consider yourself a good person? What strengths are you most proud of? What weaknesses are you most ashamed of?
Physical Traits. These include strength, stamina, agility, manual dexterity, and appearance.
Mental Traits. These include empathy, experience, knowledge, intuition, perception, and reason.
Personal Traits. These include confidence, drive, loyalty, prejudice, and self-control.
Social Traits. These include social status and friends.
Possessions. Are you wealthy? What is your most prized material possession?Likes and Dislikes. What are your tastes?
Color. What is your favorite color? Does it have any special significance, or do you just like it for no reason in particular?
Clothing. What style of clothing do you like to wear?
Music. What are your favorite styles of music? What types of music can you not stand?
Food. What are your favorite foods? Do you like sweet, sour, spicy, or some other particular flavor?
Interests. What do you do in your free time? What things do you find fascinating? Would you consider yourself obsessed?
Pet Peeves. Is there anything you find particularly annoying?Style. What is signature about you?
Outlook. How's life?
Humor. Do you have a sense of humor? Is your humor crude or refined? Is it light or sarcastic? Is it verbal or physical? Do you laugh at people or with them? Do you laugh at yourself?
Symbols. Is there some sort of symbol that represents you? Do you have a coat of arms?
Art. If you're an actor, artist, dancer, musician, poet, singer, writer, or are creative or a performer in any way, what is unique about your art, craft, or performance?
Other. Any other quirks of note?III. Relations
In America, you know who you can party with. In Soviet Russia, the Party knows YOU!!
While you could run another full character description for everyone you know, that would take way too long. (Not that it isn't already...) In addition to basics, you may consider the following:
Alive? Is this person alive or dead? Or undead, even?
Past. How long have you known this person? When did you become friends, enemies, or whatever? What did you think of each other back then? What have you done for (or to) each other since?
Feelings on Each Other. What do you think of them? What do they think of you? Do you show your feelings toward each other openly?
Present. Where is this person now? What are they doing?Positive. Well, mostly.
Family. Blood runs thicker than water... especially in the heat of combat.
Parents. Who were you born to? How legitimate was your birth?
Siblings. Did you have any siblings?
Other Relatives. Any other relatives of note? Do you have children?
Friends. You don't want to be lonely, do you?
Personal Friends. Who do you trust with your life and your secrets? Who do you share a drink with? What do you look for in a friend?
Business Friends. You may not know them well personally, but perhaps you share a common interest. Or maybe one of you owes the other a favor.
Romantic Interests. Both past and present. What do you look for in a lover? How far did your relationships go?
Teachers. Who gave you your skills? Who influenced your beliefs? On the other hand, are or were you anybody's teacher?
Hero(ine)s. Who is your hero(ine)? Who do you aspire to be? How worshipful are you? Have you ever met your hero(ine) in person? Does anybody look up to you in turn? Are you aware of it?
Organizations. What organizations do you belong to? What's your rank? Are you a devoted member? How do you feel to be member of that organization?Negative. You know what they say about friends and enemies...
Rivals. Who do you love to one-up? Who's winning? Is it a friendly rivalry or a vicious one?
Enemies. People who want to hurt you. Badly.
Dislikes. People who you would prefer to stay away from you. You might be too polite to say so, though... or they might be too dense to realize it. Alternately, people who feel that way about you.IV. Background
Now put down your life story.
Birth. Where were you born, and under what circumstances? Do you have any unusual ancestry?
Childhood. What were you like as a child? How were you treated and raised? What kind of education did you have? Did one or both of your parents spend a lot of time with you? Did you get along with other children?
Adolescence. How did you change as you grew toward adulthood? Did you expect to be where you are today?
Important Events. Describe major events in your life: great accomplishments, deaths of loved ones, sudden changes in social status, and so forth. What are the best and worst things that have ever happened to you? What are the best and worst things that you ever made happen? What got you into adventuring?
Hindsight. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?
The Present. Where are you now? Who are you with? What are you doing? Do you want to be there?
The Future. Where do you see yourself in the future? Does the future look good for you? Or is your future probably going to be very short?
V. Abilities
This essentially means "justify your stat sheet". Describe what you are good/bad at and any special abilities you possess, and how you came to have those traits.
Ability Scores. Probably the first thing that was determined of you, stat-wise. What do your ability scores represent about your being? Did they result from a special lineage, exposure to magic, or lots of hard work? How obvious are they to a casual onlooker?
Class. How did you come by your class? Is it what you always planned on being? Do you fit the stereotype for your class?
Feats. What neat things are you capable of?
Skills. Do you practice your skills every day, or do they come naturally? Do you like to show off your skills?
Spells. How did you learn to cast your spells? Why do you have the spells you do? What types of spells do you favor?
Special Abilities. Anything else interesting you can do.
VI. Possessions
Because in D&D, what you own determines who you own. Describe what each item looks like, who made it, what it's made out of, how you carry it, how you came to own it, and any special significance they may hold for you.
Weapons. What is your favored weapon? What weapons do you carry? Do you keep some weapons concealed?
Magical Items. Do you like the feeling of wearing magical items?
Money. Do you carry lots of money around? Are you wealthy? Do you like to let people know you're wealthy or poor?
Mundane Items. Do you prefer to use mundane items or magical items?
Land. Do you own land? A shack, house, mansion, or castle? What do you use your land for? Does anybody else live there?
Businesses. Do you have a part in any businesses? What kind of business, and what part do you play in them?
Upkeep. Do you take good care of your possessions? Do you have other people take care of them?
VII. Other
Anything else about you, or closely connected to you, not covered above.
VIII. Metadescription
What was your player thinking when they created you? What influences did they draw upon? Are you a ripoff of some other character? Are you recycled? How much effort did your player put into your creation? How would your player describe themselves?