Disclaimer: This guide is not out to even feign the idea that I, a recluse living in my father's basement, will somehow teach you how to write godlike characters of unforgettable proportions that could easily best the works of Tolkien and Asimov put together. This is just a guide to show you how to construct a basic, stable character from which you can expand upon.
Step One: Keep the premise of the character simple and easy to understand, because the complexity of a character will come about as a result of their interactions with the world and with developing relationships with other characters. If the plot is about defeating the evil villains of the realm for example, then giving your character the premise of wishing to defeat them for X reason is perfectly legitimate and well appreciated by everyone around you. If you're not entirely certain of an end goal, or have no end goal to work with, simply use a generic but easily understood long-term goal: Like wishing to attain more power, wanting to explore the world and everything in it, seeking out new-found relationships with other people, etc.
Step Two: Using their premise, give them core personality-affecting traits. It should only be a half a dozen at the most, again, keeping it as simple as possible to make the character clear, coherent, and easily understood. Another note is that the better the trait fits with a group environment, the better it will make your character at not only adapting to various group compositions but at forming interpersonal relationships and stirring emotions--the kind of complex stuff that drives most writers to create dramatic, romantic, and sorrowful scenes.
Step Three: Now that you know who they are and what they want (rules 2 and 1 each respectively), give them a tactical purpose. In a combat-based RP or an adventure RP this might mean arming them with a sword, having them wield magic, using a bow, etc. In a mystery RP this might be investigative knowledge, poisons and medicine, etc. Ideally this should in some way reflect your character's nature: A life-loving optimist who is motherly and soft probably wouldn't wield a giant two handed meat cleaver with the sole purpose of slowly eviscerating people to death while they scream for mercy, for example. Note that this shouldn't be overpowering, give your character skills with intentional weaknesses in mind that others can help cover. A person in plate mail with a two handed sword might be vulnerable to crossbow fire or magic, for example, so teaming up with an agile duelist to keep them safe from harm or with a sniper who can pick off those who can threaten him most would be not only advantageous and absolutely cool, but it gives natural incentives to form relationships of necessity based on actual actions that occurred in the role play itself. Nifty!
Step Four: We know who they are, what they want, and what they do. Now we add the final coat of paint to our product: Their history. Give them something that explains how they acquired their skills, why they became who they are. Like a soft, motherly character might have never really seen a battle, and acquired a skill in archery because of entering competitions of skill and having some desire to be able to keep those she cares about safe from harm. If you want to aim for originality, avoid using any of the following, but note that you can easily use any of these and still have a unique, well crafted character.
Step Five: We know who they are, what they want, what they do, and how they became all of these things... You're done. No, really, you are, take that character and go completely wild on adventures and romances, go find the sword of a thousand truths, chart out the mysterious nebulae of Archimedes.
Structure
Premise: The reason they want to see the plot completed/what they want to do.
Core Traits: Who they are at their very core.
Tactical Role: What technical skills they bring, from combat to detective work and everything in between.
History: Their history. Final Tip: Work from key points and connect them. X grew up as Y, learned Z as a result.
Example: Alida Spiegal.
Premise: Wants to see the civil war in Rheinfeld resolved, sided with the rebellion.
Core Traits: Motherly, protective, courageous, vengeful.
Tactical Role: Plate-mail knight, deficient in ranged combat.
History: She grew up poor and was bullied by the upper classes as being inferior, even as she joined the military to try and earn some level of respect. She gained her knight skills there, and after losing some of her fellow recruits in Crusades that resulted thereafter she grew to be protective of those she considered to be weak like she once was a child. When the rebellion started she sided with them out of sympathy to their cause, and wanting revenge against those who mocked and belittled her all throughout her life.
A nice, stable character who is personally involved to see the plot resolved, who has an easily registered personality that others can see and work with, which is easy to keep coherent and consistent, who has a significant flaw (vengeful), who can easily work in a group on a tactical level and in several interactive manners. Throw any scenario at this character and she can fit in it. Wrote it in sixty seconds.
Hope this is helpful to anyone who struggles with the basics of character design, and no, there is no shame in admitting that, everyone struggles with it at some point. You can bet even Tolkien and Asimov had their incredible god awful stories they threw in the dumpster filled with cliches up to its eyeballs. It took Tolkien literally years to finish the Lord of the Rings as he constantly and painstakingly rewrote parts of it over and over and over again. So trust me. Not only is it perfectly okay to look at your own characters and see and admit to flaws you could correct, but it's probably the greatest tool you have in your arsenal to constantly self-improve: Is honest self-analysis and constructive critique.
Step One: Keep the premise of the character simple and easy to understand, because the complexity of a character will come about as a result of their interactions with the world and with developing relationships with other characters. If the plot is about defeating the evil villains of the realm for example, then giving your character the premise of wishing to defeat them for X reason is perfectly legitimate and well appreciated by everyone around you. If you're not entirely certain of an end goal, or have no end goal to work with, simply use a generic but easily understood long-term goal: Like wishing to attain more power, wanting to explore the world and everything in it, seeking out new-found relationships with other people, etc.
Step Two: Using their premise, give them core personality-affecting traits. It should only be a half a dozen at the most, again, keeping it as simple as possible to make the character clear, coherent, and easily understood. Another note is that the better the trait fits with a group environment, the better it will make your character at not only adapting to various group compositions but at forming interpersonal relationships and stirring emotions--the kind of complex stuff that drives most writers to create dramatic, romantic, and sorrowful scenes.
Step Three: Now that you know who they are and what they want (rules 2 and 1 each respectively), give them a tactical purpose. In a combat-based RP or an adventure RP this might mean arming them with a sword, having them wield magic, using a bow, etc. In a mystery RP this might be investigative knowledge, poisons and medicine, etc. Ideally this should in some way reflect your character's nature: A life-loving optimist who is motherly and soft probably wouldn't wield a giant two handed meat cleaver with the sole purpose of slowly eviscerating people to death while they scream for mercy, for example. Note that this shouldn't be overpowering, give your character skills with intentional weaknesses in mind that others can help cover. A person in plate mail with a two handed sword might be vulnerable to crossbow fire or magic, for example, so teaming up with an agile duelist to keep them safe from harm or with a sniper who can pick off those who can threaten him most would be not only advantageous and absolutely cool, but it gives natural incentives to form relationships of necessity based on actual actions that occurred in the role play itself. Nifty!
Step Four: We know who they are, what they want, and what they do. Now we add the final coat of paint to our product: Their history. Give them something that explains how they acquired their skills, why they became who they are. Like a soft, motherly character might have never really seen a battle, and acquired a skill in archery because of entering competitions of skill and having some desire to be able to keep those she cares about safe from harm. If you want to aim for originality, avoid using any of the following, but note that you can easily use any of these and still have a unique, well crafted character.
Step Five: We know who they are, what they want, what they do, and how they became all of these things... You're done. No, really, you are, take that character and go completely wild on adventures and romances, go find the sword of a thousand truths, chart out the mysterious nebulae of Archimedes.
Structure
Premise: The reason they want to see the plot completed/what they want to do.
Core Traits: Who they are at their very core.
Tactical Role: What technical skills they bring, from combat to detective work and everything in between.
History: Their history. Final Tip: Work from key points and connect them. X grew up as Y, learned Z as a result.
Example: Alida Spiegal.
Premise: Wants to see the civil war in Rheinfeld resolved, sided with the rebellion.
Core Traits: Motherly, protective, courageous, vengeful.
Tactical Role: Plate-mail knight, deficient in ranged combat.
History: She grew up poor and was bullied by the upper classes as being inferior, even as she joined the military to try and earn some level of respect. She gained her knight skills there, and after losing some of her fellow recruits in Crusades that resulted thereafter she grew to be protective of those she considered to be weak like she once was a child. When the rebellion started she sided with them out of sympathy to their cause, and wanting revenge against those who mocked and belittled her all throughout her life.
A nice, stable character who is personally involved to see the plot resolved, who has an easily registered personality that others can see and work with, which is easy to keep coherent and consistent, who has a significant flaw (vengeful), who can easily work in a group on a tactical level and in several interactive manners. Throw any scenario at this character and she can fit in it. Wrote it in sixty seconds.
Hope this is helpful to anyone who struggles with the basics of character design, and no, there is no shame in admitting that, everyone struggles with it at some point. You can bet even Tolkien and Asimov had their incredible god awful stories they threw in the dumpster filled with cliches up to its eyeballs. It took Tolkien literally years to finish the Lord of the Rings as he constantly and painstakingly rewrote parts of it over and over and over again. So trust me. Not only is it perfectly okay to look at your own characters and see and admit to flaws you could correct, but it's probably the greatest tool you have in your arsenal to constantly self-improve: Is honest self-analysis and constructive critique.
