Roleplayer #13, February 1989
"Where Do You Get Those Crazy Characters?"
by Walter Milliken
There's no doubt about it -- character design in GURPS
can be very complicated. Players new to the system can be intimidated by
the wide range of options, and often miss useful advantages or skills. Novices,
or experienced players used to character class systems may have trouble
finding starting points for designing their first few PCs. The following
are some of the techniques I've used to develop characters.
Conception
First, you need an idea. You don't need a complete personality yet, only
a simple concept around which the whole character will be built. When I
design a new character, I usually mix several of the following sources to
get the initial concept:
Literature, Movies, and Television
Stereotypes are the familiar literary roles from bad fiction, and
are also similar to "character classes" used in some other games.
The big, dumb, barbarian fighter, the crotchety old wizard, and the lantern-jawed
Space Patrolman are typical examples.
These characters are best used as NPCs, or in "silly" games, where
they can be overplayed. Taking a stereotype out of its literary genre can
be interesting, though. While Gonad the Barbarian can be tiresome in a fantasy
campaign, he's fresh and new in a Space
game.
Anti-stereotypes are stereotypes turned upside-down. What about
a genius swordsman, a free-spending dwarf, or the scientist who's in it
for the money? A favorite mage character of mine is a 15 year-old kid --
an inversion of the "crotchety old wizard."
Another interesting anti-stereotype is a character who wouldn't normally
be an "adventurer"; pick some unlikely sort of person as a starting
point. One of my modern characters is a slightly scuzzy ex-used car salesman.
Stealing a character from a story or TV series can sometimes work.
One of my more unusual fantasy characters started out as a Roy Rogers clone.
Make sure you file off the serial numbers, though -- otherwise you're likely
to find your playing creativity stifled by other players' expectations of
the original. For this reason, I don't recommend trying to play characters
taken directly from existing fiction.
Another variant on this idea is playing an idealized version of yourself.
This normally works only in a modern game setting. If you do this, don't
try to duplicate yourself too exactly -- that way you won't get into arguments
with the other players about what you're really like in game terms!
Playing with the System
Extremes in attributes, advantages, disadvantages and skills can
be used as a central character feature. An attribute below 8 or above 13,
an advantage worth 20 or more points, a single disadvantage worth -20 or
more points, or a skill at level 20+ will all greatly influence a character's
life. Think about how such an extreme characteristic would affect the PC
and his interactions with other people.
Experiments with game mechanics can sometimes yield interesting
characters, although they can produce abusive designs, too. These PCs are
best suited to "one-shot" games. Be prepared for the GM to reject
experimental designs in a campaign game.
Campaign Considerations
Profession can be a good starting point, since it will define a
set of skills and indicate which attributes are important. Some excellent
suggestions concerning professions can be found in several GURPS
sourcebooks, including Magic,
Horror
and Space.
Background is for the player who likes creative writing. Start
with the character's childhood, and create a biography for him up to the
point where he enters play. The PC's parents, teachers, and early experiences
will mold his character and dictate what skills he is likely to learn.
Party composition is sometimes important. I've created characters
just to "fill out" a group of adventurers by providing needed
skills. I find this type of character one-dimensional and unsatisfying to
roleplay, although some have taken on a life of their own. On the other
hand, a party that already has several big, dumb fighters probably doesn't
need another one . . .
Motivation
One more thing needs to be determined at this stage -- why is the character
going to get mixed up in adventures? The answer is usually related to either
profession or a disadvantage. Character motivation is as important a good
roleplayer as it is to a good actor.
Advice for the Novice Designer
There are several things that will help the player new to the GURPS
character design process.
You should have some knowledge of the campaign setting and your character's
background before picking advantages and skills. Ask your GM if he has a
"Campaign Plan" form. If not, discuss the game world with the
GM or other players before designing a character. Understanding the setting
is more important to developing a good GURPS character
than it is in most other games.
When you pick advantages and skills, it often helps to page through the
Basic
Set, listing each one that you come to that looks interesting.
When you finish, review the list and throw out things that don't seem to
fit the character's background.
Studying existing
character designs can be rewarding. There are complete
characters in the Basic Set, GURPS
Magic and the Car
Warriors supplement for Autoduel.
The GM and experienced players are excellent resources, too. It helps to
design your first few characters with the aid of someone who's familiar
with the system -- they will point out omissions and shortcuts, and their
familiarity with the campaign will assure the character fits in well. Also,
experienced players and GMs will often have "surplus" characters
they are willing to show newcomers as examples.
Polishing the Character
Once I have the broad outlines of the character, I work out the details
-- picking any remaining disadvantages and quirks, and balancing point costs.
My final design stage is to look at the completed character and decide how
he got to where he is today. This adds to my "feeling" for the
character. During play, more of his past and character comes to light, adding
depth and dimension. But the seeds of a good character are in the conception.
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#13 Table of Contents)