Growing the Character

Creating a Character is just the beginning. Roleplaying is all about interaction between Characters, and interaction creates growth. A character that isn't allowed to grow and change often becomes boring to play after a while. This section will offer a few ideas to help you build a growing character, and keep it evolving.

The Unfinished History

One good way to ensure that your character has room to grow is by leaving things unresolved in its history. Say the character is wanted for murder, has some strange disease, or had its heart broken at one time in the past. These sorts of recurring conflicts can offer opportunities for your character to interact with others. They can also give your character depth and intrigue, which will usually attract the interest of other Players. A past which continues to effect your Character can lead him/her into relationships and situations, and can be played until the conflict is resolved.

Interactions Create Relationships

Your Character's past is secondary. The real Roleplay begins when you take that character into chat and begin interacting with other characters. Your character can meet other characters, like them, dislike them, love them or hate them. The world In-Character is much like the OOC one, and your character's relationships should have an effect.

No matter how your character feels about another, it is important to be consistent with your character's attitudes. If your character meets an elf and they come to blows, then walk away angry at one another, you should most likely have your character dislike that elf should your character run into him again. Consistency of attitude helps define a character.

Ramifications of Past RP

Interactions are the center of good roleplay, and those interactions should leave their mark. Your character's past does not stop at the History on its Character Sheet. It continues to expand every time the Character is played. Gifts given to your Character are in its posession until your character gives them away or uses them. Should your character be injured in a fight, or learns a spell from another character, you can play out the effects of the injury or the spell's use in future RP. Friends and enemies your character makes should be remembered. In short, your Character's IC experiences should remain with it.

Quality over Quantity

Growing a character requires effort and devotion. A well-done character is one whose IC experiences help define its personality and abilities. This is not easy to do. The more characters you have, the harder it becomes to properly develop them.

Some Players can maintain several well-rounded characters, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it is recommended that players new to these concepts stick to one character until they are more confident in their abilities. Indeed, many players are loyal to a single character for years, and their characters are the better for it.

Continuity

However you decide to make your character, you should be consistent. For example, a character who posesses a deep-seated fear of fire might be slower to leap to the rescue of a family trapped in a burning home. While he may overcome this fear, its presence should not be forgotten.

It can be fun to play a character who changes with each new experience, but it can be just as rewarding to RP the challenge of a consistent personality.

And so on...

There really are no limits as to how far you can take your Character (as long as you and those you game with are enjoying the experience). Once you are completely comfortable with the ideas and practice of creating and maintaining a Character you can consider using more advanced concepts like Non-Player Characters (NPCs).