CharIntroduction Übersicht
- Aussehen
- Ausrüstung und Kleidung
- Symbolik, Schmuck, etc.
- Herausragendes Feature oder Verhaltensweise
- Kürzlich offenbarter Fun-Fact
The First Element: Gross Physical Features
First, describe the character’s gender, race, build, ethnicity or features, and apparent age. If the character’s a human, use qualitative descriptors instead of numbers. If the character’s not human, provide numbers for context and qualitative descriptors.
Alain is a tall, broad-shoulder human male barely out of his teens. He has the fair skin and sandy hair of a Sunderlander and a well-kempt growth of beard.
Beryllia is an elf. She’s a head shorter than a human, lithe, and graceful. It’s impossible to judge her age. She has long, straight bronze hair and alabaster skin.
The Second Element: Arms, Armor, and Clothing
Next, describe the character’s weapons, armor, and clothing. Describe every visible weapon and note where it is stowed or carried. Describe the armor your character’s wearing. And then, if your character isn’t so heavily armored as to hide most of their clothing, describe the quality and kind of clothing they’re wearing.
Alain wears a battered steel breastplate over mail and has a longsword in a scabbard on his hip. A quiver of arrows and a recurved horn bow hang on his shoulder. Over his heavy pack, he wears a patched and faded traveler’s cloak.
Beryllia is decked in elegant noble’s attire. Her long skirt, blouse, and bodice are of rich autumn hues. She holds a gnarled quarterstaff in one hand and has a dagger tucked into her sash-like belt.
The Third Element: Symbols and Decorations and their Meaning or Context
Next, describe any meaningful symbols your character’s wearing or displaying. Holy symbols, signet rings, pendants, charms, s$&% painted on shields, badges of office, marks of rank, and so on. Anything that means anything about the character’s place in the world.
If the meaning of the said symbol should be common knowledge — say, for instance, the holy symbol of any commonly worshipped god — then you should provide that meaning.
If the exact meaning wouldn’t be common knowledge, but a reasonable and reasonably intuitive human native of the world would be able to at least guess the significance of the symbol, then you should provide that context.
Alain’s shield is painted with three interlocked, golden rings, which is a symbol of the church of the Vasaar that represents the King and His Knights.
While Beryllia wears lots of jewelry, the plain silver-blue ring she wears stands out. It’s marked with a single runic symbol and it’s clearly a signet ring, but what family, order, or group connection it represents isn’t known to you.
The Fourth Element: Unique Feature or Personality Signifier
Now, pick one noticeably unique feature that makes your character stand out. Anything will do: a striking hair or eye color or style or appearance, a piece of jewelry or equipment, a clothing element, whatever. It doesn’t even have to be a thing. Or a feature. Gestures, mannerisms, and stances that indicate something about your character’s personality work too. Provided it’s something your character is always doing. A rigid posture, for instance, or constant nervous glances about.
This isn’t permission for you to wax poetical about your character’s personality. You only get to describe the feature itself. Not what it means. Let your tablemates guess. If they guess wrong, that’ll make for an interesting scene later.
Alain has a rigid, soldier’s posture and never seems to relax.
Now, if the unique feature you’ve picked fits in best with one of the other Key Elements in this script, mention it there rather than waiting until the end. For example, Beryllia’s eyes are distinct. So Beryllia’s player should mention them alongside her other gross, physical features.
The Fifth Element (Reintroductions Only): Recently Revealed Fun Fact
If you’re introducing your character for the first time, you’re done. Good job. Take a cookie and sit down. But if your GM’s smart enough to do what I say and you’re being forced to reintroduce your character at the start of every play session, then end your reintroduction by reminding your tablemates of a Recently Revealed Fun Fact about your character.
By recent, I mean something that came out during the last session of play. By revealed, I mean something that actually happened during gameplay. Interesting backstory elements you wish people would ask about don’t count. And by remind, I mean literally just remind everyone that the fact was revealed. Do not give a speech about whatever it is.
As for what counts as a fun fact? Anything will do. Maybe the party learned you’re a wizard. Or that you’ve got a certain combat ability. Or that you’re from the City of Padma. Or that you know how to pick locks. Or that you prefer mead to ale. Anything will do. The important thing is that it actually came up in the game and that you think it’s noteworthy.
During your first battle as allies, Alain interposed his shield to protect Beryllia from an orc’s attack. He can protect you if you stay close to him.
At camp, Beryllia revealed that she’s the daughter of a high elf lord named Vallianthe who rules an enclave deep in the Mearan Forest.