Creating Character (CSC)

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We know people in many different ways. We know them by their names, by what they look like, by their experiences (or our experiences with them), and by their personalities. For an NPC to appear as a real person to the players, the DM needs to know the character in many ways.
The DM begins by deciding why the character exists in his world. Based on his reasons, the character gains skills and abilities and, if necessary, gains a set of character attributes like those of the player characters. To go beyond this stage of development, the DM must delve deeper into the character and into his campaign world.
==A Bit of Background==
The first thing to recognize is that NPCs do not live in a vacuum. They are as much a product of their environment as anyone. They have backgrounds, personal histories, personality quirks, and their own motivations for their actions. The better grasp a DM has on these factors, the more "real" the NPCs will become in his own mind.
For example, if the PCs encounter a stable boy who is important to the DM's adventure, he could be just another nondescript person who tends horses for a living, or be a boy, 15 years of age, orphaned when was young, taken in by a farmer and raised in an environment where food was scarce and beatings plentiful. In fact, one of the beatings could have damaged his hearing so that he yells out "ey?" whenever someone speaks to him. He has a particular fondness for horses and will immediately befriend anyone with a similar interest, or viciously turn on anyone he sees mistreating a horse. His lifetime dream may be to have his own stable some day, and marry Eliza, the cobbler's daughter (which is a near impossibility, as she has been secretly betrothed since birth to an ogress's son in order to lift a curse on the cobbler's wife).
Given this quick personality and background sketch (and the fantasy sidelight to the love of his life), the DM can much more accurately respond to questions put to the boy by the PCs. He has a rough idea of the type of information the boy might know and how much he would be willing to share with strangers.
==Producing a Past==
Many DMs believe that there is nothing more to creating an NPCs background than putting together a few notes and slapping the character into place as an encounter or aside for his players. The rest of the documentation and development, they feel, will all just take place as the game progresses. Unfortunately, if writing character histories that are both believable and interesting from a roleplaying standpoint was that easy, most DMs could readily change occupations to become professional novelists. The truth of the matter is that creating character histories with any amount of variety (or that haven't been clipped unmodified from a fantasy novel) is a task in itself Dice tables could be used to generate a character's background, but to do it right requires many pages of tables. The best alternate solution is look at the character with the perspective of his environment. Ask what could have happened to this character during his life. Focus on events that shaped his personality or that have some bearing on the adventure in which the character participates. As far as a character's parents or family are concerned, assume that the character works at the same occupation as his father or mother.
==Personality Traits==
To effectively role-play a character, a DM needs to know the character's personality, his likes or dislikes, and the things he places value upon. For each major NPC consider the following facets of his personality and decide which among them will be most prominent. Complex characters will have complex personalities. One personality attribute will usually dominate the character's personality, such as a devotion to money or being kindly, greedy, or brave, but the other personality attributes will also affect how the DM roleplays his characters.
Detennine what the character holds to be most important to him. When making value decisions, the character may weigh his decisions in favor of what he values most. Example: When given a choice between obtaining gold and saving the life of an ally, an NPC who values money may choose gain at the cost of another's life.
Select several key personality features for each major NPC (such as greedy, kin~ helpful, dull, etc.). Decide which of the personality attributes will be the most prominent and how it affects the way he is role-played. If dice tables are used for random generation of specific character personality attributes, the DM should use the dice only as an aid to his imagination, not as a substitute for it.
==Motivations==
Something makes people do what they do. Even insane beings rarely act without a reason. When the PCs encounter an NPC decide (if it has not already been determined) why the character is here, and what his goals are.
Motivations are often the character's reason for continued existence, the focus of their lives. The most common motivation in adventure games seems to be greed, the sheer accumulation of wealth and power. However, characters with other motivations might make the game more interesting. Consider characters who are motivated by faith and live only to serve their gods or a character dedicated to serving others, who wants to make the world a better place. Other motivation categories include: revenge (always a favorite), solving mysteries, discovering the truth about oneself, love of another (either romantic or familial), devotion to research or a profession, personal pleasure, gaining knowledge, power or insight, striving to be the best at something, obtaining a goal or sheer survival.
Motivation directly affects the way a character behaves. In general, one can assume that a character who is seeking great riches (greed) will behave differently than one who wishes only to serve his god faithfully.
==Physical Appearance==
Make a few notes about the appearance of each NPC create~ regardless of whether or not they are immediately important to the adventure. These notes can always be embellished later as more details are needed. Make all the characters colorful. Avoid making characters nondescript, unless it is important that they blend in with background.
Exaggerate appearances-use colorful adjectives when describing the character. Make the characters the ugliest, the prettiest, the most handsome or smelliest being the PCs have ever encountered. Don't be stingy with detail. Are their clothes ragged and dirty, well-mended, or even stylish and new? What color is the character's hair? Does he have any unusual possessions or pets? Does the character have any unusual types of behavior (like rubbing his hands together, twisting hair or beard, wiping sweat from the forehead, sneezing, coughing, rapid blinking and so on)? If he does, try showing these behavioural oddities rather than telling about them.
Draw upon observations of other people to create realistic characters. The DM may wish to pattern the appearance of a character on someone he has seen, including public figures, translating those appearances to fit a fantasy setting. Even so, the DM should avoid using people known personally to himself or the players. Even a gentle caricature or a friend can be taken in a manner other than intended.
Rely on popular movies (new and old) to supply additional NPC characterization. If the DM says that a bounty hunter sneers like Clint Eastwood, most players instantly superimpose the actor's face over anything they have previously imagined. As the game develops, the DM may even fmd the players supplying the NPC's lines for him, (usually quotes from the actor's films). When this happens, the DM knows that his character has truly become alive for the players.