Ellie_the_Elf said:
Anyone have one I can 'borrow'? I'm looking for something that will allow my players to get a handle on their new PCs personality and background- some questions about their life, likes and dislikes, what they'd do in a certain situation etc?
Are you most interested in defining the PC or interviewing the player for playstyle.
Phil's advice is most appropriate if the latter.
If the former:
I used to use the "20 questions" format that once appeared in Dusk (Michael Morris' online setting), but soon figured out that players don't like to answer 20 questions.
So I went to this simplified one that seemed to do the trick:
Personality Profiles (or “10 questions”)
These are 10 general questions I would like all players to think about whenever the make a character. The goal of these questions is to give the DM the material he needed to make adventures consistent with the characters’ background and provide more appropriate role-playing interactions, and give the players some “food for thought” concerning the role-playing of their own characters.
- Occupation: While for most PCs, the general job description is either “adventurer,” or their class, what does your character think that their role in life is? Examples might include “defender of the faith,” “ward of the people of haranshire,” “professional treasure hunter,” “semi-retired adventurer,” “revolutionary,” “mercenary,” “bodyguard,” “scholar,” etc.
- Personality: This refers to nonphysical traits associated with the character, mainly behavior and temperament. Some examples are generous, humorless, cruel, optimistic, altruistic, aloof, vengeful, cruel, studious, tactless, morose, etc. You should already have a pretty good idea of what personality traits define your character, though you may wish to include traits that don’t normally show up during the game. If you need more help choosing traits, there is a list in the 2nd Edition DMG* that may be helpful.
- Appearance: Once you’ve had a few epic interludes under your belt, chances are you’ll be noted by bards, storytellers, and mistrels concerning your general appearance. This includes not only your hair, skin, and eye color, but also height, build, manners of dress, any items you normally (or even always) carry, and so on. Start this list with what a person would immediately notice about the character; finish it with things a person would notice after studying the PC for a while.
- Distinguishing Features/Habits: Personally oddities or quirks that might not be immediately noticeable. This can includes physical traits such as buck teeth, tattoos, birthmarks, and scars, or behaviors such as favorite expressions, nervous habits, patterns of speech, etc.
Just for fun, I also like to record memorable lines spoken by a character as they occur.
- Tastes and Preferences: This includes the PC’s hobbies and leisure pursuits, favorite foods, favorite colors, collections, pets, etc. This category also includes things your character doesn’t like: activities your character finds distasteful or boring, foods the character refuses to eat, animals you don’t like, etc.
- History: This includes pertinent background material (your race; where you were born, raised, and educated, etc.), what influence your parents might have had on your life, any current living relations you have, and what events - inside or outside the scope of the campaign - have affected your life.
- Friends, allies, and patrons: Note any influential acquaintances your character has - in the past or currently. This includes friends, contacts, mentors, henchmen, frequently patronized businessmen, etc. Note that I’ll allow a little bit of creativity here (but consult with me).
- Enemies: This may include enemies you designated when you were creating the character or enemies acquired during the campaign that have earned your special ire! This category may also include other more friendly rivals who seek to thwart or outdo you.
- Short-term goals: What does your character want to accomplish in the immediate future? What problems loom largest in their minds? This, of course, requires frequent updating.
- Long-term goals: What are the characters motivations? What plans and ambitions does your character have for the distant future? What will you do as these goals are achieved? What will you do if they cannot be achieved?
* - This was originally written for 2e; substitute whatever reference you have on hand that might be appropraite. I've always liked
Heroes of Legend, but the alignment and class based personality traits in Mongoose's
Ultimate NPC has something to be said for it.
