Tips for Making Characters
I started assembling a list of tips and suggestions on how to make a good character for newer players and some notes on what I have seen work in the past when it came to my games. This is all system-neutral so feel free to incorporate this into whatever game you are making a character for:
Consider the campaign's theme and mood:
Consider looking at the environment and type of game you are going to be playing and make a character that would fit in that setting with the appropriate skills. Is the game going to be a serious affair or a goofy one? It can be frustrating for the group and yourself if you make a great character, but this character does not fit the mood of the campaign your GM is trying to convey. Ask your GM what the theme and mood will be if not mentioned during session zero. Don't come to session zero with a pre-made character as you might have put a lot of work into a character that might not fit the setting. It's a good idea to have a few concepts outlined but trying to fit a peg into a round hole ends up in a disaster.
Consider the rest of the group: Lots of games start off with the characters not knowing each other but the players know they will be playing together and creating bonds in the game. I would suggest making a character that compliments the group and other characters in the party. Synergy is key as your strengths should augment their strengths and vice versa. Your character's personality should get along with the rest of the party in some way (looking at you lone wolf). Even an evil character can find a reason to get along with the party in the sense of "these people amuse me or accept me" or "these pawns are mine and no one messes with what is mine". Ask everyone when making their character what their personalities are like so you can make ones that get along. This doesn't mean you have to get along all the time as conflict can be fun to play out. You do need some reason though why you will work together in the long run as opposed to the short term. Don't forget to discuss what roles you will fill and who can be the backup. What will happen if the healer in incapacitated? What happens if the investigator can't make it to the next session?
Balance your specialization: Sometimes we make characters that are "one-trick ponies" that are great at one thing and one thing only or we distribute skills across the board and become "painfully average". Figure out what skills or abilities the players will all absolutely need in the future game. This can be as easy as asking the DM.
Ask your GM what they recommend: The GM likely has an idea of what skills would be cool to have or what skills will be useful in the upcoming game. Don't rely on them dropping hints and just ask directly. They might not give away spoilers to what is to come in the game but most GMs are willing to tell you more when inquired on what sort of languages or skills are the most useful. Doing this means you will have skills more useful in the campaign and less likely to pick skills that won't come up as much.
Learn the rules for your character: If you are picking a character that has special skills and powers, you are committing to learning how those things work. The GM has a lot of plates to spin and a good steward of gameplay should know how their character works. Don't let the game grind to a halt when everyone ends up having to look up the rules for your character's special things. It might take a few sessions to learn it all but if you are not making an effort, it can become painfully obvious. Make cheat sheets or review them before a session if you have to.
Check with your GM what not to get: You or the GM might be new to the game. Your GM might want to hold back on some of the specialized things until they get a good grasp of the basics. Ask yourself if the special thing you want to get will become a burden to yourself or the GM to learn or track. Verify this with the GM as you want them to enjoy your character and not feel like it is a burden.
Plan what your PC will become: Character creation is all about making a character on what they were prior up to this point. Once the game begins though, you should have some kind of goal to what direction you want to take this character. Some games have things like skill trees to unlock to gain something cool or to realize a concept. Doing this requires foresight and this is done during character creation. This will prevent frustrations later on by having a clear plan on what you want the character to be.
Be open/flexible to changing the plan: Once the rubber hits the road, things are going to change. You might need to adapt your initial plan of the direction you wanted to go with your character. Be flexible with the direction you want to go.
Assign a personality adjective: A good character is not just a collection of stats and abilities. They also have a personality. A classic writing trick to develop a character's personality is assigning that character an adjective to describe their personality. Simple is better. Write this adjective down and consider it a core of their personality and try to emulate it during play. This will help your character stay consistent and keep a foundation of your character. This might develop and change over time which is fine. Just ensure you are staying consistent and make sure this concept works well with the party and the players (No adjectives like assholes or loners).
Choose a gimmick: This can be something in-game like dress attire, voice, favorite items you are always cleaning and talking about, or mannerisms. Bring these to the table. Gimmicks are fun quirks that make a character memorable and should be noted next to your personality adjective as a reminder. Don't use this to detract from the game but it should be something that over time other players know what it is, not because you told them but because they regularly see it.
Decide a PC motivation: What does your character want? What do they desire? Share what that motivation is with your GM and players around the table. This should inspire the character to take up the quest. Money should never be a motivation but what that money can do for a character. It shouldn't be easily obtainable, and it should be a pinnacle for how long your character's career will be. If you achieve that motivation/goal, think of a new one. This motivation separates your character from an NPC from a PC. While a GM can provide hooks and plot points to encourage you to take a quest, it is up to you to find motivation enough to accept that quest.
Consider the rest of the group: Lots of games start off with the characters not knowing each other but the players know they will be playing together and creating bonds in the game. I would suggest making a character that compliments the group and other characters in the party. Synergy is key as your strengths should augment their strengths and vice versa. Your character's personality should get along with the rest of the party in some way (looking at you lone wolf). Even an evil character can find a reason to get along with the party in the sense of "these people amuse me or accept me" or "these pawns are mine and no one messes with what is mine". Ask everyone when making their character what their personalities are like so you can make ones that get along. This doesn't mean you have to get along all the time as conflict can be fun to play out. You do need some reason though why you will work together in the long run as opposed to the short term. Don't forget to discuss what roles you will fill and who can be the backup. What will happen if the healer in incapacitated? What happens if the investigator can't make it to the next session?
Balance your specialization: Sometimes we make characters that are "one-trick ponies" that are great at one thing and one thing only or we distribute skills across the board and become "painfully average". Figure out what skills or abilities the players will all absolutely need in the future game. This can be as easy as asking the DM.
Ask your GM what they recommend: The GM likely has an idea of what skills would be cool to have or what skills will be useful in the upcoming game. Don't rely on them dropping hints and just ask directly. They might not give away spoilers to what is to come in the game but most GMs are willing to tell you more when inquired on what sort of languages or skills are the most useful. Doing this means you will have skills more useful in the campaign and less likely to pick skills that won't come up as much.
Learn the rules for your character: If you are picking a character that has special skills and powers, you are committing to learning how those things work. The GM has a lot of plates to spin and a good steward of gameplay should know how their character works. Don't let the game grind to a halt when everyone ends up having to look up the rules for your character's special things. It might take a few sessions to learn it all but if you are not making an effort, it can become painfully obvious. Make cheat sheets or review them before a session if you have to.
Check with your GM what not to get: You or the GM might be new to the game. Your GM might want to hold back on some of the specialized things until they get a good grasp of the basics. Ask yourself if the special thing you want to get will become a burden to yourself or the GM to learn or track. Verify this with the GM as you want them to enjoy your character and not feel like it is a burden.
Plan what your PC will become: Character creation is all about making a character on what they were prior up to this point. Once the game begins though, you should have some kind of goal to what direction you want to take this character. Some games have things like skill trees to unlock to gain something cool or to realize a concept. Doing this requires foresight and this is done during character creation. This will prevent frustrations later on by having a clear plan on what you want the character to be.
Be open/flexible to changing the plan: Once the rubber hits the road, things are going to change. You might need to adapt your initial plan of the direction you wanted to go with your character. Be flexible with the direction you want to go.
Assign a personality adjective: A good character is not just a collection of stats and abilities. They also have a personality. A classic writing trick to develop a character's personality is assigning that character an adjective to describe their personality. Simple is better. Write this adjective down and consider it a core of their personality and try to emulate it during play. This will help your character stay consistent and keep a foundation of your character. This might develop and change over time which is fine. Just ensure you are staying consistent and make sure this concept works well with the party and the players (No adjectives like assholes or loners).
Choose a gimmick: This can be something in-game like dress attire, voice, favorite items you are always cleaning and talking about, or mannerisms. Bring these to the table. Gimmicks are fun quirks that make a character memorable and should be noted next to your personality adjective as a reminder. Don't use this to detract from the game but it should be something that over time other players know what it is, not because you told them but because they regularly see it.
Decide a PC motivation: What does your character want? What do they desire? Share what that motivation is with your GM and players around the table. This should inspire the character to take up the quest. Money should never be a motivation but what that money can do for a character. It shouldn't be easily obtainable, and it should be a pinnacle for how long your character's career will be. If you achieve that motivation/goal, think of a new one. This motivation separates your character from an NPC from a PC. While a GM can provide hooks and plot points to encourage you to take a quest, it is up to you to find motivation enough to accept that quest.
