I am Not a Number: Breathing Life into RPG Characters
Workshop 3
There are two ways to play a character.
1. Play by roll / dice.
2. Play by role.
Dice are a great tool. You are playing a character.
There is no creativity in numbers. Any fool can roll
dice! Characters are individualized, complex and deep!
Characters who live on numbers are B-O-R-I-N-G!
Characters who are roleplayed are more interesting
and last longer.
Creating a Character
Start by deciding where you, the Game Master, are
going. This is in contrast with most games of the
industry. Game systems aren’t as important as what
you do with them. If you don’t know where you are
going, you won’t be able to figure out how to get there.
Where does the character you / your players are
creating fit into the adventure and the party?
Choose skills and abilities based on where you are
going. The players still have not yet picked up the dice.
As the character’s creator, you need to know what he’s
able to do. The background will point itself to his
“minor” skills. They shouldn’t all be professional skills.
All professional skills will lead to a one-dimensional
character.
Create the character’s background. When done, the
player should have someone who could be a real
person. Emotions, likes, dislikes, etc. This also helps
the Game Master find out what the players really care
about through the presentation of his character’s
background. The Game Master should make notes at
this time. Don’t show these notes to the players. This
gives the Game Master his emotional hooks on his
player characters.
Game Master Workshop Series
Creating a Background
1. Birth Information (culture shapes character)
This is an important location hook you can use later.
a. Race / Nationality — character may be
discriminated against because of this.
b. Environment
2. Family
What more important ties can the character have?
Parents may play a role in their future. Son doesn’t
always follow in his father’s footsteps. Is the family
alive? Where do they live? How our parents feel
about us has more influence over us than
anything else.
Siblings are annoying. Dealing with siblings can be
different than parents. Characters don’t need to
know where family members are. If they do, it ruins
all the Game Master’s fun.
Siblings / parents view toward the character and vice
versa is important because:
a. Shape the way the character thinks.
b. It provides things you can use against the
character. The more complicated their lives, the
more they’ll enjoy it.
c. Education and training
● Who educated them? This is another hook.
● How much of the teacher’s status reflects on
the student?
● Apprenticeships. If the character is busy when
his apprentice shows up, what happens?
d. Interests and hobbies
● More hooks.
● This helps decide the skills the player character
has. Education, hobbies, etc. should be reflected
by skills.
 e. Experience
What did the player character do before?
Successes and failures also mean “friends” and
“enemies.” A few more hooks and non-player
character contributions.
f. Friends, enemies and lovers
Personality, physical descriptions, and how they
are associated to the player character should be
noted. How did they meet? Get as much
information as possible. “The best enemies used
to be your friends.” This works the other way
also. Where is this person now? (This may be
something the Game Master determines.) Don’t
pass up romances. This leads to even more
ammunition.
g. Life experience shapes what you do (skills).
h. Wealth and class
● What has the player character done to
deserve this?
● If money comes from his profession, what
does he do?
Example: Marvel Superhero doesn’t get money
from being heroic, but because of what he does in
the mundane world. Employers can be a patron
or obstacle for adventuring. If freelance, the
player character is usually poor.
● Where does he keep his money?
● Does he have items he can sell?
This affects skills again. A high social class need
to know those abilities of belonging to that class.
If poor, a player character would have skills to
make money go farther.
3. Features
If the player character has money, he could be
flabby from a lack of exercise and have soft hands.
Poor might have a broken nose, scars, limp or even
his speech may be impaired. Physical descriptions
are what people will notice about you first. When
you introduce your character, you need to present
your physical characteristics.
Certain characteristics build stereotypes (such as
blonde). They’re not true, but people may react if
the player character doesn’t act as the stereotypes.
They expect one thing and get another.
Distinguishing features can be what people grab
to and remember you by. They can also be the
source of nicknames.
4. Appearance.
How the character affects himself! Dress,
cleanliness, and accessories. What the character
wears shows you his culture and wealth. A character
doesn’t have to dress to his own class, however.
Let the character playing a knight design his own
Coat-of-Arms to tell of his family’s history. Read
book on heraldry for information. This adds flavor
that wouldn’t be there otherwise.
Players love things that are flashy. Jewelry can be
good for attracting thieves, family curses, etc.
Transportation can fit into appearance.
How does he get around? Does he walk? Does he
have a horse that has ribbons woven in its mane?
5. Personality
Alignment is worthless. It is a crutch for people
who can’t create personality and an individual.
It’s a great starting point, but not the end all, be all.
Alignment languages shouldn’t be used. They are
really useless. Good and evil are not absolutes.
They are a function of:
a. Background in genre / game.
b. Your personal choices as a Game Master. You
shape your world’s mortality. A person does not
view himself as evil. Neither will your players.
c. Your player’s choice.
6. Recognition Handle
One sentence to describe the entire character.
7. Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Roll
the dice. Create the basic stats for your system.
a. Random generation.
b. Semi-random generation (throw out bad rolls).
c. Roll a number and divide between the areas.
d. Fudge the rolls.
e. Construction — fixed number of character points
and build the character from that.
CHARACTER BACKGROUND RECORD SHEET
Character background record for (name of game / campaign world) _____________________________

Character name __________________________________________ Aliases _______________________

Race / nationality _____________________ Birthplace ________________________________________

Height ________ Weight _________ Hair color / style ____________________ Eye color ____________

Distinguishing features __________________________________________________________________

FAMILY
Name Relationship Sex Age Occupation Status Feelings

EDUCATION

Education level ____________________ Educated by _________________________________________

Apprenticeships / schools ________________________________________________________________

Hobbies / interests _____________________________________________________________________

EXPERIENCE

Past employment information ____________________________________________________________

Major successes / failures ________________________________________________________________

WEALTH / CLASS

Economic status _____________________ Social class ________________________________________

Current profession ________________________ Position ________ Employer _____________________

Pay / period _________ $ on hand _________ $ in hoard _________ $ banked __________

FRIENDS / ENEMIES / LOVERS

Name Relationship Sex Age Occupation Status Feelings
CLOTHING AND CARRYABLES

Clothing (type / material / colors) _________________________________________________________

Weapons / armor / equipment normally displayed ____________________________________________

Jewelry / hand-held items _______________________________________________________________

Insignia / badge / coat of arms ___________________________________________________________

PERSONALITY

Character’s view of self __________________________________________________________________

Character’s view of others _______________________________________________________________

Temperament _____________________ Ideals _______________________________________________

Goals: long-term ______________________________ short-term ______________________________

Likes _________________________________________________________________________________

Dislikes _______________________________________________________________________________

Quirks ________________________________________________________________________________

Recognition handle _____________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Copyright 1992 Guy W. McLimore, Jr.

This paper is a written record of the “Game Master Workshop Series” presented by Guy McLimore and Greg K. Poehlein, creators
of Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game. This workshop was held at GenCon in 1993. There are eight pieces to this series.

This account was made by Laura Rajsic-Lanier (lauralanier@comcast.net). She makes no claims to the material presented herein.

Game Master Workshop Series