[Xerina]

I was just thinking about this myself the other day. I just started a new character and I went fighter and a orc I have never played an orc and it sounded like a fun challange. Reguardless of how much people like drow and forget about the war orcs are right out side Hlint and attack anything they see. But I didn't want the generic fighter my partents were killed I was raised by kind humans so I'm a good orc.

Thinking of the character creation process I realized all my characters share common thread. All my characters have been touched by magic, most in a negative way. Even my old magic users were touched by magic in almost a cursed way.

As far as developing my characters I have a simple but indetph method. Ok sort of indetph. I have some basic questions I try to answer that form the basic guiding principles that form a responcive personality. Such as the blank form below

Parents living or dead? One or both:
How did they respond to parents? : .

Family size and age range?: Oldest/youngest
How is he/she viewed by the family?:
How did the family get where they are and how long have they been their?:

How does the community react to the family?:

Liked or disliked?:
Characters response?:

Friends and companions?:
Now the friends and companions won’t matter in NWN just PnP, but even in NWN it lets you think of some characteristics and responces. Do you like animals, are you friendly, antisocial etc.

Then a life shaping event or important event

If I am really stuck for an idea i sometimes turn to the NPC generator and spin it a few dozen times to see what comes up on the wizards of the coast website, it follows the same format as above. Its the format from the "hero builders guidebook" their are also plenty of other random character/npc generators on the net if you search for them. Under articles on the WotC website are some character ideas for each class that can jump start the imagination.

I like to form a concept and background that not only gets me a character and reason to be a adventurer at level 1 but a over reaching goal or story that will carry me to 20 or more. I make sure that it is flexable to fit into the world but strong enough that the storyline will not completly eclipse my personnel goal. My goals may or may not have anything to do with Blood and his war.

Then I look over the story I wrote based onthe ideas from my outline, and form a basic personality from that, I give myself some traits and responces, think up how I will talk based on race and int. ANd I take that print it off once approved along with my alignment and the alignment breakdown and keep it handy in game to remind me of important things while I get into and use to my character.

I have 3 characters 1 main one pure RP that can't fight her way out of a wet paper sack but is great for chatting up people in town. And my new Orc fighter that I am still trying to get into, but she has been fun so far. I try to stir up a bit of trouble with her because she is not the smartest person you will meet but she is smart for a orc, but distrustful of people unless you follow Az'atta then she will follow you like a faithful hound if you let her. For me the hardest part of multiple characters is remembering who you know and don't know and who each character likes or don't like. ANd staying in character for that character esp if you swap chars part way thry the session.