Personality Flair

[RangerWickett]

I realize that I don't put enough over the top personalities in my campaigns. No Jack Sparrows, Tony Starks, or Gollums. I need to work on that.

I mean, I did have the villainous torturer who got fired and wanted revenge, and was very polite and friendly to the PCs while cracking jokes about torture. And the Japanese kami who looked like a guy in a wrinkled business suit, spoke with an almost-offensively caricatured accent, and would always invent weird games to play. Or the Rodian bounty hunter who was basically me copying Jon Stewart's "George W Bush" impression.

But now I've got some characters I'm thinking of introducing. They've got interesting backstories, motivations, all that jazz, but they're lacking personality hooks for when I roleplay them. What are some good roleplaying traits I can throw in to make them really memorable?

1. The PC's Boss. Short guy, kinda scummy looking, plays politics in the office (it's a law enforcement gig).


2. Court mage. Responsible for making sure threats to the king and nobility are thwarted. Served in a war 40 years ago, and is a powerful spellcaster.


3. Archaeologist. Female professor who hunts for treasure and comes across more than she bargained for. (Yeah, I ripped off Lara Croft, basically.)


Any ideas? Or do you wanna just brag about some of the over-the-top characters you've had?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Do you have access to the 7 Sentence NPC article from either the Dragon or Paizo's Dragon Compendium? That article's never steered me wrong.

 

[Wik]

Some movie inspirations for you:

1. The PC's Boss. Short guy, kinda scummy looking, plays politics in the office (it's a law enforcement gig).

Make sure you watch Bladerunner. Bryant is pretty much this guy, and he's just got this smarmy way of talking. You can almost see the filth ooze out of this guy's skin.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Xk8PCvJvc]YouTube - Blade Runner - Deckard meets Bryant[/ame]

2. Court mage. Responsible for making sure threats to the king and nobility are thwarted. Served in a war 40 years ago, and is a powerful spellcaster.

Make him loyal, and not someone that the PCs are going to assume is sneaking behind the throne looking for ultimate power. He should have some strong personality parts, while also projecting an aura of confidence and power. But he should very much be subservient to the king.

General Maximus at the start of Gladiator is a good starting point. He's a great leader, and the scenes where he's with Aurelius are amazing.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYtK0C-b0y4[/ame]

(not the best link, because someone decided to ending the last half, but this is kind of how I imagine this guy).

3. Archaeologist. Female professor who hunts for treasure and comes across more than she bargained for. (Yeah, I ripped off Lara Croft, basically.)

Fight against the trope, at least a little bit. I personally like Elsa Schneider - the female archaeologist from Last Crusade - sure, she's german and maybe just a bit untrustworthy, but she's a good starting point for a femme fatale who also has the necessary knowledge for the role.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7pbhhsqyi8[/ame]

(not the best video, but you get the idea. The voice is easy to mimic.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

But now I've got some characters I'm thinking of introducing. They've got interesting backstories, motivations, all that jazz, but they're lacking personality hooks for when I roleplay them. What are some good roleplaying traits I can throw in to make them really memorable?

1. The PC's Boss. Short guy, kinda scummy looking, plays politics in the office (it's a law enforcement gig.)

He's very fond of 3D puzzles- he says it helps him understand the human mind. (Note: do NOT give him a LeMarchand box...)

2. Court mage. Responsible for making sure threats to the king and nobility are thwarted. Served in a war 40 years ago, and is a powerful spellcaster.

He likes to paint with oils on canvas, in an extremely photorealistic style. In fact, they are realistic enough that he can use his portraits as crude scrubby devices. He has a collection of 52 key portraits that are the size of playing cards, painted on canvas affixed to thin planes of ironwood, and he keeps these in an ivory and platinum card case in a concealed pocket on his person.

3. Archaeologist. Female professor who hunts for treasure and comes across more than she bargained for.

She is also a musical prodigy- give her a brass instrument and she will play your ears off your head. Favorite instrument: tenor sax.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

#1) Has a severe case of Napolean syndrome. Likes to be in charge of everything, micromanages everyone, talks down to them. Fun fact: Got his position because his last boss was indicted on corruption, and he had a clean nose, but now that he's in power is even more corrupt than the previous guy. Fun Fact #2: Even though he thinks he knows everything, truth is his underlings run everything and he is a horrible manager. Everyone makes fun of him behind his back, but are to afraid to stand up to him.

#2) I'm thinking Geoffery Rush from the movie Elizabeth. Coldly calculating, generaly a rat bastard, will do anything for king and country. Very loyal to the crown and not interested in personal power.

#3) Doesn't understand social interaction that well; will absolutely talk your ear off about her given area of expertise, and is always trying to turn the conversation back to her comfort zone.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Boss - Tony Stark

Court Mage - Gollum

Archeologist - Jack Sparrow

/non-obvious bookmark. Hopefully I'll be more inspired later.

 

[Quickleaf]

1. The PC's Boss. Short guy, kinda scummy looking, plays politics in the office (it's a law enforcement gig).

I was thinking a cross between Joe Pesci from "My Cousin Vinny" and Michael Keaton from "The Good Guys". Napoleon complex, probably giving kickbacks to family & friends, a bit of a sleaze, brusque with the PCs, and with some kind of eccentric comic trait. Bonus points if you throw in a smarmy accent.

2. Court mage. Responsible for making sure threats to the king and nobility are thwarted. Served in a war 40 years ago, and is a powerful spellcaster.

I envisioned a Sean Connery type (I'm thinking of his performance in Name of the Rose or Russia House), insightful, charming, a bit quaint, tongue in cheek sense of humor. Also was thinking he had an idiosyncratic habit of tea time alone at a table in center of a room with his servants all at edges of room, so when he asks for milk a runner is sent to him. Sort of an iconic trait to make your players wonder.

3. Archaeologist. Female professor who hunts for treasure and comes across more than she bargained for. (Yeah, I ripped off Lara Croft, basically.)

I second Wik's selection of the Schneider character from "Last Crusade", that's just perfect. Play up the virtuous or wicked side of the NPC as you like by showing her leading a tour of young archaeology students.