Aspect of All

Roleplay is a journey, an opportunity for some to simply get away from reality and immerse themselves into the shoes of someone else; similar to reading a book, though far more interactive. It is more like imagining yourself in a characters shoes withing a story. For others, it is acting without the pressure of being on a stage or in front of random people. Others play RPGs simply for the hack-n-slash opportunity.

If you are a usual reader of this blog, you know where my opinions fall. RPGs should focus on the growth of the character you are playing. They should not be 'flat' characters, without depth. They should be diverse and multifaceted. A character will usually take on some aspects of your own life, but you need to remember that they are not you. You might think that something would be funny because its what you would do in real life, but if it is out of character for the person you are playing then it might be time to rethink things.

I presented a number of Aspects as a series of posts with the expressed purpose of generating ideas for new characters. The next concept is therefore an easy transition. Each of the Aspects I covered (and those that I didn't) can, and probably should be combined to give your character greater depth.

The dreamer can be tied in with a "shy guy" role, making for a character with huge ideas and goals, but lacking the social skills to reach them. They would make a wonderful addition to a group as a character who is working to come out of their shell. It shouldn't be a transition that occurs in a single game, and it might not even occur during an adventure. Let the character develop at their own pace.

Adding additional aspects to a single character will add to the back story, and if you didn't create a back story, simply start creating one as you go. What makes your character shy, why do they have a stutter, what do they fear, can they over come it? These will reveal themselves as the game goes, but the more preparation you do in advance for such a situation means that you will be much more prepared. As a player this will help you to further develop the role you've stepped into.

Over time, that character of yours will begin to morph and take itself in whole new directions you may not have seen coming. I've said it before, and will continue to press the idea... let your characters govern themselves. You want them to become something, but if you discover that is not what they truly want, then let them undergo whatever metamorphosis they wish to follow.

Perhaps that means they will become evil over time. If your GM is careful with how they work the plot, you could be a hero worthy of mention in future games, or possibly the villain that the next group is after.* There is only one way for you find out what they will become, so go with it, and have fun.

*GMs - it is probably wise to take control of a character you turn into a villain. Your players need to stand apart from the actions taken by that character or you risk revealing vital plot information and possibly alienating players. I have taken this route in the past and employed it to great effect. As an added bonus to your players, you may want to allow the "villain" to still be voiced by the original player, or have them work with you to achieve the most effective tale.