The most essential elements of a character bio?

T

Tachyonalpha

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In your opinion, what are the most essential elements of a character bio?
 
For me it's finding a balance between too much and too little information. You want to get a sense of who the character is and their potential, but you don't need a biography. People tend to dip out if you're writing 2k words about your character's childhood traumas.

That also may be a product of my writing style. I'm a minimalist, not necessarily short posts, but I'm not descriptive about the shimmering prism of blissful sweat rolling inexorably down the rose-blushed cheek of my character. I like to write just as much detail as is necessary for the seed of creativity to be planted in the imagination of my audience, so that their inner television can fill in the blanks. We do it that way anyway, so why not economize the descriptors. Buts that's just my particular style. That and I tend to focus on the emotional experience rather than the visual one. And I like to tell stories primarily through dialogue.

Hope I answered the question somewhere in that!
 
I'm very fickle in this area, but most recently I don't invest too much time in a sheet. I'd much rather throw a name, a face, and maybe a few other minor details in than write up something extensive. I like to give my characters some flexibility in the story; room to grow and a chance for me to do a bit of creating on the fly. You write too much and you risk the possibility of leaving nothing to chance. Furthermore, I always think to myself that when you walk down the street today, you don't know the people walking in front of you. The same goes for a story. Why should anyone know your character? They should feel them out in the story just like you would have to in real life. I feel like knowing a character's story gives other players some sort of advantage. On the flip side, I've written up far too many characters for role-plays that went nowhere to last a lifetime.

~M
 
The number one most important thing in my opinion is character motivation. This doesn't necessarily need to be written out for other players to see, but you should at least have a reason in your head about why your character takes the actions they do. This really helps with consistency and interest. Always keep in mind your characters motivation whenever you do anything.
Edit: Keep in mind though, that character motivations can change from revolutionary knowledge, new threats, or life changing experiences.
 
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I agree with Caffeine. Your character most likely won't be able to remain the same if they go through the roleplays you put them through.
I can't help much with this topic, since I also have trouble creating a character as well.
If you're still utterly confused with where to start when creating a brand-new character, I'd suggest looking over other characters members have made just for a reference.

Best regards,
Demo
 
I always try to have a flaw thought out. Not all skellies call for this, but for me, keeping the flaw in mind helps me think of my character as human, rather than just words.
I think the flaw is most important because it also helps alleviate god-like characters.
 
I'm gonna offer a differing opinion here, because I think that writing a lot of stuff can actually be really good! My character's form is I think a little around 9,000 words - yeah, I know, TL;DR to the max. But even if other people just skim through it or don't really care, it's still useful for me as the owner of the OC to be able to look back on it and see all the stuff I have. The more stuff you have, the more you can develop your character and get to know them.

I think what would also be useful is to just note down some seemingly minor but interesting facts about the character. It can be random things, such as: "he likes to run and used to be on the track team in middle school, he often makes veggie shakes and thinks they actually taste good, has a secret hobby for collecting stamps" - stuff like that. Those little details can really help a lot getting to know your character, and acknowledging the things they like and dislike. You'll come across as well informed and personally in touch with them.

Also, make sure to keep the form organized and have everything split into easy to access sections. And I, too, agree with Caffeine. Understanding the motivations behind what they do is essential, and placing them somewhere on the alignment spectrum to figure out what kind of decisions they generally make is recommended. Just in general, be sure to add things to the form that really build on your character, and even change it later as they grow and mature through their experiences.
 
I hate to advertise, but I admire the character creation guide offered by Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, in its Player's Handbook. It focuses on key elements like a background, a flaw, and a belief/virtue. It's broken down like this:
The Background is a separate element from the character class and such. In tabletop I often see people who say, "I'm an assassin so I get paid to kill people" and that's it. How bland, how drab! Where did you come from, who influenced you? A background is more tied towards a profession and a heritage. Whenever I make a character or encourage others to make a character, I ask them these questions. Not all Orc Barbarians come from the badlands, and not all Dwarves come from the deepest mines. When I ask for a background, I usually also ask for a defining event that set the character on adventuring anyways - but not too heroic. For example, defying a king's decree and smuggling your family out of a war-torn city is less heroic (and more realistic) than a starting character who defeated a lich lord (or something else overblown and unreal)
The flaw is different than a quirk. This is what defines the difference between a multi-faceted character and a Mary Sue. A flaw is deeply rooted and tied to your character's vision on life. For example, a young boy who saw his village slaughtered may grow to become a monk and a pacifist. Pacifism is not inherently a flaw, but in a campaign orchestrated with combat and magic, a pacifist could be squeezed into tight situations that will pressure the character. If a player is having trouble with finding a flaw, the seven deadly sins (Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy, Greed, Wrath, and Pride) can be a touchstone to figure out where a character's flaw should be centered. I do not condone racism, but often a racist character can cause much trouble for himself and others - but still stay true to themselves, based on their character's backstory
The virtue is the hinge pin of the character. I agree; never lose sight of your character's motivation while roleplaying. The best way to do this is to write a small motto or phrase your character follows, such as "Nobody gets left behind" (Lilo & Stitch Reference) or "The only person who matters is #1". These mottos create the lens from which your character will view the world and interact with it. Now, the best characters change over time, but this is not erratically changing every session. A character's virtue defines them in their first walk through that glorious world, and when that virtue is put to the test and pressured by a good GM, it can create what we desire most from a main character; internal conflict and emotionally hooked story sequences
 
I tend to develop a lot of my characters more on the spot, I'll be writing or doodling something and they'll kind of start to take on a life. After that I usually try to find a solid name for them, not something I try to overthink. As far the actual bios I like to try and include a somewhat basic one but I usually write out a more detailed one for myself somewhere. I agree that it's important to leave them flexible though, it's always interesting to see how they change along the way.
 
I think that putting a lot of thought/time/effort into your character sheet will naturally make you more invested into the character/RP. I especially think that a biography is important, because the only reason why people think, say, or do the things that they do is past experiences. A character's childhood and history will inevitable shape their current personality and greatly impact the decision that they make in the present. Usually, this comes with a "reason to live" for most characters. Like in the above posts, I think that every character has a motivation for why they get out of bed in the morning and what makes them continue to live. This, of course, can change throughout the course of the RP as characters will inevitably develop. However, I do also agree that biographies that are too long will be met with glazed eyes, so I think it's important to condense the information into 2-3 paragraphs. Making a well thought-out biography can also help form fun backstories with other players too!
 
The most essential thing in a character's bio... is probably the flaw, like Daze said. This makes the character a little more human. It's essential for them to have their own beliefs as well, own biases, own moral compass, desires and stuff. It makes them an entity separate from their creator, and makes them more interesting, in my opinion. An 'empty' character is a dead and boring character. You can give them their backstories, their physical characteristics, their powers and the like, but without their desires and beliefs, they're just... words.
 
My thought process goes like this:
People who influence them,
Events that influence them,
Who they are now,
What they could become,
What will never change.
I usually mention at least 1 event or person, usually one of each, 3 things that describe who they are now, 2 that will never change, and 1 alluding to what they could become. This is fluid and I change it as they develope.
 
Motivation. Build everything around their motivation. If a character fails in this regard, they fail at a critical level--you cannot justify a person doing something they have no interest whatsoever in.

In terms of a priority structure, I tend to put it this way.
  • Motivation. (IE: Why do they want to resolve the conflict within the premise of the RP? This can be open ended, like explaining why they want to explore the galaxy, or overthrow an evil empire.)
  • Group Role. (IE: What do they do in a group environment? Are they a warrior, a rogue, a mage? A pilot, a mutant, a soldier? Et cetera. Try to avoid overloading on the same role.)
  • Personality. (Who are they?)
  • Background. (Justify who they are.)
  • Long-Term Goals. (Something outside of their motivation. What do they dream of becoming? Why?)
  • Sex. (Their biological gender.)
  • Sexuality. (What they find as eye candy.)
  • Profession. (What they do. Usually covered by their background/personality.)
  • Family. (Who their family is, and what impact they may have on the character.)
  • Opinions on situation. (Their starting, default opinions on the given situation at hand. If they're on a survival island for instance, what do they think of this? How are they coping?)
Not all of these need to be answered at once--only the top two need to always be filled.
 
Basic information and detailed gear/armour/backstory sheets is what I'd argue is very important. You need too know how a character looks, acts, and what they carry on them if you're going to know what to do around them.
 
For me the sheet is far less about the character and more a quick way of getting a measure of the player behind them.

I use it to ensure they've actually read the information about the RP and taken on board any magic systems, societal specifications etc., that they're a competent writer and that they have taken the time to come up with an interesting character concept that doesn't scream of being over-powered or flawless. I usually find a decent screening process as this stage can really help to avoid the issues that often crop up during RPs further down the line.
 
Depends on what perspective you're looking from and what you're trying to gain from it.

As a GM, a CS goes in order of;
  • Is this person capable as a player? Do they read and use the context of the OOC? What is their general vibe as a person?
  • What kind of character do we have here? AKA, what can they do? What skills, perspectives and conflicts do they bring to the party?
  • What kind of staying power does this character have? Why are they joining the quest? What needs to maintain intact for them to function?

As a player, it's the more abstract but general feel of a character. Bullet points to keep for consistency references. Characters tend to start changing the moment I start writing, so I'm not sure how much value I attach to sheets.
 
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