Want to know how to create D&D characters that are memorable? I’ve got some practical tips and advice to help you do exactly that. I don’t know about you, but I can’t play a character who isn’t memorable. I don’t know what to do with them, at least. And the game suffers. So I’ve got some ideas, and I’ll be talking about how to create D&D characters that are memorable. And I’m going to talk about a few techniques and tips that you can apply. The things that I’m going to be talking about are general tips that apply to all characters, regardless of the kind of character you’re playing, whether you’re playing a wizard, a cleric, a barbarian, a fighter, a rogue, whatever it is, I think that these tips can be very helpful.
D&D Character Basics
First of all, I want to mention that a character is not a sheet of numbers and statistics. A character is a person. A character is a living, breathing soul. A character is not a sheet of numbers and stats and levels and skills and abilities and that kind of thing. A character, in my opinion, is a living, breathing person. A human being. A human being with a personality. A human being with a face and a body and a mind and a soul, and all these things that make you a unique individual.
When you create D&D characters, don’t think about creating a sheet of numbers and stats and abilities and levels and that kind of thing. Think about creating a human being, a character who you would want to hang out with, a character who you would want to go to a bar with, a character that you would want to hang out with at a bar. Think about creating a character who you would want to go to a party with, or who you would want to go to a movie with, or who you would want to go on a date with. Think about a human being. Think about creating a character that you would want to have a beer with.
These are the types of things that you want to think about when you create D&D characters. And I’ll tell you why I feel that way. If I create a character and he’s just a sheet of numbers and stats, and abilities and levels and that kind of thing, it’s like going out on a date with a robot: I might have a good time, but the robot’s not going to be a memorable experience. And then I’ll go on a date with somebody else and I’ll say, “You know, that wasn’t a great date, but it was better than the date that I went on last week with this guy, this robot.”
But you know what? Nothing’s going to compare to the date that you went on where you went out with a living, breathing person who has a face and a body and a soul. You want to have a memorable D&D character? That’s the way to do it. And you know what? If you’re going to go to a bar with this guy, or if you’re going to go to a party with this guy, or if you’re going to go to a movie with this guy, or if you’re going to go on a date with this guy, or if you’re going to go on a camping trip with this guy, you know what? When you create D&D characters, think about creating a character that’s going to be a good companion, a character that’s going to be entertaining. A character that’s going to be interesting to hang out with.
You want to create D&D characters that are memorable. Think about creating a character that is going to be fun to play. This is another thing that you want to do. You want to create D&D characters that are fun to play. You want to create D&D characters that you enjoy playing. You want to create D&D characters that you’re going to enjoy spending the evening with when you go out to play D&D. Because, hey, you might spend 10 hours playing D&D, or seven hours playing D&D, or whatever it is. You’re going to spend a lot of time playing this game. And if you don’t enjoy the characters that you’re playing, then you’re not going to be happy. You’re not going to enjoy the time that you’re spending playing D&D.
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So you want to create D&D characters that you enjoy playing, right? Here’s a look at some ways you can make that happen.
D&D Personality Traits
First, you should look at your character’s personality traits. This is sometimes an overlooked part of the character sheet, but it can go a long way towards making your character more memorable. Just think about it. What is your character like? What sort of personality do they have? When they’re with somebody, what kind of effect do they have on the people who are around them?
Do they exude confidence? Do they exude charm? Do they exude kindness? Do they exude a sense of humor? Or how about charisma? Do they have a certain charisma about them that makes them particularly charming?
Think about your character’s personality traits, because they’re probably going to make your character more memorable. And you know what? If you want to create D&D characters that are memorable, you want to make them interesting to the other people who are sharing the game with you. So make sure your character’s personality traits are interesting and fun for the other people who are playing.
D&D Ideals
Second, you should look at your character’s ideals. Character ideals are a great way to make your character more memorable. Character ideals are a list of things that your character believes in. They’re a list of things your character cares about. They’re a list of things your character feels passionately about. They’re things that your character believes in strongly. They’re things your character wants to do.
Why do I say that character ideals are a great way to make your character memorable? Well, because I’ve played with a lot of people. And I’ve played with a lot of people at a lot of different tables over the years. And one of the ways that I can tell, one of the ways that I can remember the people that I play the most with, is because I’m familiar with their characters’ ideals.
For example, I’ve got two friends and I’ve been playing with them for a long time. It’s like we meet the same people over and over again at different tables. One of the best ways to role play is to play a character that shares the same ideals as you in real life. This isn’t why some people play tabletop RPGs, of course, but it can be good for beginners.
D&D Bonds
I want you to think about the people that your character cares about. Think about the people that your character feels strongly about. Think about the people that your character would do anything for. Maybe it’s your character’s family. Maybe it’s their friends. Maybe it’s their community. Maybe it’s their religion. Maybe it’s their cause. Maybe it’s their culture. Maybe it’s their country.
I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s their god. Maybe it’s their church. Maybe it’s their temple. Maybe it’s their organization. Maybe it’s their work. Maybe it’s their house. Maybe it’s their business. Maybe it’s their castle. Maybe it’s their army. Maybe it’s their pet. Maybe it’s their familiar. Maybe it’s an animal that your character feels strongly about. Maybe it’s a horse. Maybe it’s a dog. Maybe it’s a hawk. Maybe it’s a cat. Maybe it’s a bear. Maybe it’s a dragon.
Okay, you get the idea. The point is, I want you to think about the bonds these people have with those around them. And then you should explore your character’s bonds to the people around them. For example, maybe your character is a knight. And maybe they have a squire who they care about deeply. Or, if your character is a rogue, maybe they have a lot of respect for the local thieves’ guild leader.
A character’s bonds are a great way to make them more memorable, because they can help draw other people into the game. Focusing on your character’s bonds is like focusing on your character’s personality traits, but instead of focusing on how your character acts towards people, you’re focusing on who your character cares about.
D&D Flaws
I want you to think about your character’s flaws. A character’s flaws are a lot like character ideals. They’re a list of things that your character cares about. They’re a list of things that your character feels strongly about. They’re things that your character believes in strongly. They’re things your character wants to avoid at all costs. They’re things your character wants to stay away from.
It’s important to understand that a character’s flaws are different from a character’s bonds. An example of this would be, if your character has a bond with their family, and they have a bond with their work, those are two different things. So, a bond is more of a positive thing. It’s an ideal. It’s a thing that’s good. And a flaw is more of a negative thing. It’s a thing that’s bad.
What are some character flaws? Well, a character might be a coward. They might be afraid of dragons. They might be afraid of spiders. They might be afraid of dogs. They might be afraid of heights. They might hate spiders. They might hate dogs. They might hate heights.
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The point is, don’t make a character flaw something that’s not within your character’s personality. For example, if your character is a cowardly elf, don’t make their flaw “I hate elves.” That’s not a character flaw, because that’s not a part of your character’s personality. You’ll want to make your character flaws related to your character’s personality traits.
So, when you’re thinking about character flaws, think about the things your character is afraid of. Think about the things that your character hates. Think about the things that your character cares about. Think about the things that your character feels strongly about. Think about the things that your character would go out of their way to avoid.
A Better Backstory
Lastly, I want to talk about a better backstory. Now, my favorite way to make a good backstory for your D&D character is to think about their personality traits, their ideals, their bonds, and their flaws. And then, think about the people around them. Think about the people who are important to them. Or, if you want to see some examples of character backstories to get ideas, check out LitRPG Adventures Workshop. I’ve built a set of advanced RPG generators powered by GPT-3 from OpenAI. Members also get access to a growing library of RPG content – from backstories to monsters to magic items to towns … we’ve got a little bit of everything for all your tabletop RPG needs. I encourage you to stop by today and join our community.
