General Character Information
Not every character in your story has to be handcrafted, with believable motivations, goals, character traits, and flaws. Creating a few good ones will, however, make your story stand out and be memorable. There are a few things you should think of when making these characters: Goals, Motivations for those goals, Path/How they are going to achieve their goal, Flaws, Quirks or Character traits. The first three are vital for understanding what the character would do in any given situation.
Villains
Villains are perhaps the most important type of character you should think about. A memorable villain can make the campaign for many players. A Villain should have a clear goal (does not have to be known to the players) that fuels the Conflict of the story. Below are some examples of villains:
Villain Examples
- The powerful ruler of an empire wishes to keep a long war going in order to unite the people in hatred and fear. He does this by keeping the country on the defensive and controlling many different powerful people in the empire. He is calculated, stern but charismatic, plotting very well, but lacking the insight to know when others plot against him.
- The leader of an occultic organization aims to overthrow the major governments, gaining power for themselves and their organization while supporting freedom by spreading their influence and uniting the common people. They do this because as an orphan child, the government wronged them and their younger sibling. They’re sly, doing anything to get what they want, no matter the cost. However, if their younger sibling is threatened, they will back down.
- A brave tribal warrior from the mountains seeks an artifact of legend with his tribesmen. They wish to fulfill their prophecy that once the chosen warrior holds the brilliant stone, the dragon of the mountain will awaken, freeing the mountain tribes. Brute forcing their way through many situations, no one can stand in the way of their might, but they can be easily outsmarted.
Side Characters
Side Characters are not as important as Villains, but can still be quite memorable for the players. They are crafted in much the same way as Villains, but you can have more creative freedom with them. They can be as connected or as distant from the Conflict as you want, as quirky or serious, the choice is up to you.
Side Character Examples
- An extravagant shopkeeper who loves dangerous things wants to see the world. He ventures out, selling dangerous gadgets, potions, and chemicals along the way. The players might encounter him, or the destructive path he carves, of which he’s oblivious to.
- The mayor of a small town has been helping his town rebuild since it suffered from a disaster a few years ago. It’s slowly becoming more popular, but other people wish to gain a profit from his town. He is good-hearted, likable, and persuasive, wanting only the best for his town.
- A Paladin of the Order of Order wishes to keep peace, even though a dangerous artifact has been uncovered. They’re quite strong and charismatic, though a bit dimwitted.