Getting to know a character.

[Chu]

Yes I know i'm nagging by making two threads in less than 15 minutes while still beeing a noob at this forum but here goes:

I myself and with my DM nagging, thinks that you roleplay your char better if you take some time to know him/her/(it) (If someone is a mermaid-abyssal demon who breathes fire and teleports at will). Does anyone have a certain way or a template on how to write a persona sheet. The sheet has like room for two sentences: example: Drizzt is a dark elf with a dark secret. He has a chest containing it and he hides the key in his left... because that all there's room for. I tend to write a template like this:

Hobbies:
- wine and long walks in teh moonlight... whatever
Interests:
- Women, swashbuckling, postal stamps :P
Likes:
- 14 y.o. girls and cake
Dislikes:
- Soap, needles and fluffy things.
Other:
- he was born in the year of the sheep and the story really began at his 18th birthday when his..... blah blah blah no-one really cares and so on...

This was a bit not-serious but you get the clue right? So I wanna hear what you do to familiarize yourself with your characters? Do you use a sheet like the one above? do you draw your character or do you google for porn until you find something?

cheers :-)

[wizarddog]

I'm a little more generic in fleshing out a PC. I use a minimal system based on who the character was, what he is now, and what will he become. I can start with any of those ideas first and build off them for the other for

Example:

I wanted to play a Paladin that was more street smart than the average pally. That is my "who he is now". To explain where he comes. from I have him as a real evil guy who committed atrocities. He was killed and the Gods resurrected him and he became a Paladin in service to the Gods. The Players has a notorious background, but he is now a servant of Good. He uses his past background as a cover to get what he needs to fight the forces of evil. That is the Now.

Evidentially, the forces of evil will figure this out and it will be less useful. But he still is wanted for the crimes committed before his transformation and he will have to decide if the fight against evil is more important than Justice denied. That is the Future... which could change as he has relations with other PC's and encountered many NPC's along the way.

[Midnight Genius]

I usually come up with a personality, a persona that I want to play, and then build a character based around that. My DM says, if you don't enjoy the character you're playing, you won't enjoy the game. So I'd advise asking yourself who your character is, what they've done in the past that brought them here, what they want to do with their life, what do they like and hate, what kind of company would they keep. But remember, your party has to want to play with you every week.