For the benefit of GMs and players, I am sharing some insights on roleplaying, specifically on how to run a roleplaying game, from "Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 6th Edition." Do any of you have a roleplaying resource to recommend?
*Always read published scenarios thoroughly before presenting them: you want to surprise the players, not yourself.
*Don't force a horror upon a party without giving them some warning.
*Keep down the number of non-player characters which you must roleplay in a scenario. Too many individuals, especially if not organized by house or city or in some other way, are confusing to players and keeper alike.
*Investigators who pursue Mythos knowledge should do so through thickets of nightmare and moral dilemma. Acquiring Mythos knowledge should never be bland or routine.
*Shy away from mass combats. Portraying mass combat is a concept for miniatures play. In roleplaying, descriptions can be broad but action must be intimate.
*Kill investigators dramatically. Death should mean something.
*Attentive keepers (i.e. gamemasters) have attentive players. As investigator plans change, remain flexible and adaptable. Accommodate events and change scenarios to suit them.
SILVEAN
SILVEAN
Re: Resources
07/29/2014 12:08 PM CDT
I am entirely unschooled in the art of fiction writing but here are some insights on "character" from what I understand is a classic in the field, Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird:"
*Knowledge of your characters also emerges the way a Polaroid develops: it takes time for you to know them.
*... every single one of us at birth is given an emotional acre all our own... One of the things you want to discover as you start out is what each person’s acre looks like. What is the person growing, and what sort of shape is the land in?
*Another way to familiarize yourself with your characters is to base them partly on someone you know, a model from real life or a composite--your Uncle Edgar, but with the nervous tics and odd smell of this guy your observed for ten minutes on line at the post office.
*One line of dialogue that rings true reveals character in a way that pages of description can't.
*Think of the basket of each character's life--what are the person's routines, beliefs?
*What are your characters teaching their children by example and by indoctrination?
*They shouldn't be too perfect; perfect means shallow and unreal and fatally uninteresting.
*What sort of first impressions do they make? What does each one care most about, want more than anything in the world? What are their secrets? How do they move, how do they smell? Everyone is walking around as an advertisement for who he or she is–so who is this person? Show us.
So, the author rightly tells us that we need to engage with an ongoing process of reflection when it comes to the inner lives of our characters. We need to be attentive to the motivations of our characters and how those motivations show forth. Occasionally, in Gemstone, one person's character will approach mine intent on telling their life story. This might be fine if people want to listen but there's another question to consider. How can we show the life story? How does it come across in one sentence of dialogue?
*Knowledge of your characters also emerges the way a Polaroid develops: it takes time for you to know them.
*... every single one of us at birth is given an emotional acre all our own... One of the things you want to discover as you start out is what each person’s acre looks like. What is the person growing, and what sort of shape is the land in?
*Another way to familiarize yourself with your characters is to base them partly on someone you know, a model from real life or a composite--your Uncle Edgar, but with the nervous tics and odd smell of this guy your observed for ten minutes on line at the post office.
*One line of dialogue that rings true reveals character in a way that pages of description can't.
*Think of the basket of each character's life--what are the person's routines, beliefs?
*What are your characters teaching their children by example and by indoctrination?
*They shouldn't be too perfect; perfect means shallow and unreal and fatally uninteresting.
*What sort of first impressions do they make? What does each one care most about, want more than anything in the world? What are their secrets? How do they move, how do they smell? Everyone is walking around as an advertisement for who he or she is–so who is this person? Show us.
So, the author rightly tells us that we need to engage with an ongoing process of reflection when it comes to the inner lives of our characters. We need to be attentive to the motivations of our characters and how those motivations show forth. Occasionally, in Gemstone, one person's character will approach mine intent on telling their life story. This might be fine if people want to listen but there's another question to consider. How can we show the life story? How does it come across in one sentence of dialogue?
SILVEAN
Re: Resources
08/05/2014 03:54 PM CDT
Charlie Jane Anders posted a list of tips on "creating memorable characters today" at io9:
http://io9.com/10-tips-and-tricks-for-creating-memorable-characters-1616544190
3) Weird Contradictions
Again, a lot of inventing people, and having them take on a life of their own, is making yourself curious about them. And one thing that can make you wonder about someone is their personal contradictions — in real life, as well as fiction. When you meet a Vegan who wears leather, you want to know more about why they refuse to eat animal products but they wear animal skins. Or if you meet a Buddhist sadist, that's automatically fascinating. Those are somewhat extreme examples, but everybody has contradictions between their beliefs and actions, or between two different ideas they subscribe to.
6) A Compelling World, And Someone At Odds With It
So you've already done some gangbuster worldbuilding, and created a setting that's a living, breathing place — and now the temptation is to fill it with people who fit perfectly with it. After all, the world is so fascinating, your characters should be an extension of it, right? Maybe not. Oftentimes, the most interesting character is the one who sticks out from the world, or is at right-angles to it. In a world of cloud-herders, write about the person who's allergic to vapor. Your protagonist doesn't have to be a social outcast, or someone who defies the society's norms and values — although that sure doesn't hurt — but writing about someone who has a unique relationship to your world is a good way to create fictional people with some life to them.
http://io9.com/10-tips-and-tricks-for-creating-memorable-characters-1616544190
3) Weird Contradictions
Again, a lot of inventing people, and having them take on a life of their own, is making yourself curious about them. And one thing that can make you wonder about someone is their personal contradictions — in real life, as well as fiction. When you meet a Vegan who wears leather, you want to know more about why they refuse to eat animal products but they wear animal skins. Or if you meet a Buddhist sadist, that's automatically fascinating. Those are somewhat extreme examples, but everybody has contradictions between their beliefs and actions, or between two different ideas they subscribe to.
6) A Compelling World, And Someone At Odds With It
So you've already done some gangbuster worldbuilding, and created a setting that's a living, breathing place — and now the temptation is to fill it with people who fit perfectly with it. After all, the world is so fascinating, your characters should be an extension of it, right? Maybe not. Oftentimes, the most interesting character is the one who sticks out from the world, or is at right-angles to it. In a world of cloud-herders, write about the person who's allergic to vapor. Your protagonist doesn't have to be a social outcast, or someone who defies the society's norms and values — although that sure doesn't hurt — but writing about someone who has a unique relationship to your world is a good way to create fictional people with some life to them.
UBERWENCH
Re: Resources
08/05/2014 11:00 PM CDT
Those tips for creating memorable characters are great overall, but I think a couple of them lack nuance. I find some authors tend to reach too hard for weird contradictions or being at odds with a character's world. They use it as a kind of shorthand for character, creating instead a bundle of quirks and contrariness. Obviously, characters shouldn't blend into the background -- or at least, not unless they're designed to play a supporting role, which few Elanthian characters are -- but neither should they seem to have oppositional defiant disorder, intentionally setting themselves at the opposite pole from established cultures and mores in their world. Stretching is good; bending over backwards just for the sake of making a character different can be wearing. In Elanthian terms, sure, a Faendryl sorcerer who's frilly and giggly and just loves pink things and cuddly little rolton lambs is against type, but once one person's done it, it's been explored pretty thoroughly. There isn't much more meat on those bones. Mirroring a stereotype with "Every day is opposite day" characters is still going to create a paper-doll persona. If everyone's facing north, it's almost always more interesting to go northwest or east instead of marching relentlessly south.
I love the point she made about characters being defined by actions, though. We're a little circumscribed in that regard because most of our characters' actions on any given day include hunting, hunting and hunting some more, but some of the most vivid characters are those who take or at least refer verbally to having taken action. Bristenn's really good at it, for example, and so is Grhim. A long time ago, I remember Silvean casually pushing a peasant child out of his way with his boot at some crowded event; it was a small action, but it really helped sell who he is. (Lylia could stand to shove a few more children, come to think of it. I've made her too nice lately.)
<This might be fine if people want to listen but there's another question to consider. How can we show the life story? How does it come across in one sentence of dialogue?
I'm not sure it can all fit into a single line or two of dialogue. It can, however, come across through line after line of it as long as it's consistent for that character. IC posts on forums help define that voice too. Text is pretty much all we have to create character, but fortunately, it's one of the richest media in which to work. Dickens was, of course, great at it. So was Mervyn Peake:
We're not all Dickens or Dostoevsky or Peake, but over time, I think the best characters do have a kind of presence that would make them memorable characters if they were re-cast in a novel. They aren't perfect; some of them might be flat-chested social climbers or stiff and brittle old men or ruled by their ambitions. They often aren't the ones who stand out from their surroundings dramatically either, and in fact they're some of the ones setting the tone for their race, culture, profession or town.
I don't think Anders is wrong. I just think she sacrificed a little nuance for the sake of brevity and clarity. It's certainly food for thought -- food I should be pushing away from the table so I can get some damned work done instead of talking about characterization, but this is much more fun. I never get to write stuff with characters and plots and exciting goings-on.
I love the point she made about characters being defined by actions, though. We're a little circumscribed in that regard because most of our characters' actions on any given day include hunting, hunting and hunting some more, but some of the most vivid characters are those who take or at least refer verbally to having taken action. Bristenn's really good at it, for example, and so is Grhim. A long time ago, I remember Silvean casually pushing a peasant child out of his way with his boot at some crowded event; it was a small action, but it really helped sell who he is. (Lylia could stand to shove a few more children, come to think of it. I've made her too nice lately.)
<This might be fine if people want to listen but there's another question to consider. How can we show the life story? How does it come across in one sentence of dialogue?
I'm not sure it can all fit into a single line or two of dialogue. It can, however, come across through line after line of it as long as it's consistent for that character. IC posts on forums help define that voice too. Text is pretty much all we have to create character, but fortunately, it's one of the richest media in which to work. Dickens was, of course, great at it. So was Mervyn Peake:
| Vain as a child, thin as a stork's leg, and, in her black glasses, as blind as an owl in daylight. She misses her footing on the social ladder at least three times a week, only to start climbing again, wriggling her pelvis the while. She clasps her dead, white hands beneath her chin in the high hope of hiding the flatness of her chest. |
| It did not look as though such a bony face as his could give normal utterance, but rather that instead of sounds, something more brittle, more ancient, something dryer would emerge, something perhaps more in the nature of a splinter or fragment of stone. Nevertheless, the harsh lips parted. ‘It's me,’ he said, and took a step forward into the room, his knee joints cracking as he did so. His passage across the room - in fact his passage through life - was accompanied by these cracking sounds, one per step, which might be likened to the breaking of twigs. |
| If ever he had harboured a conscience in his tough, narrow breast, he had by now dug out and flung away the awkward thing - flung it so far that were he ever to need it again he could never find it. High-shouldered to a degree little short of malformation, slender and adroit of limb and frame, his eyes close-set and the colour of dried blood, he is climbing the spiral staircase of the soul of Gormenghast, bound for some pinnacle of the itching fancy - some wild, invulnerable eyrie best known to himself where he can watch the world spread out below him and shake exultantly his clotted wings. |
We're not all Dickens or Dostoevsky or Peake, but over time, I think the best characters do have a kind of presence that would make them memorable characters if they were re-cast in a novel. They aren't perfect; some of them might be flat-chested social climbers or stiff and brittle old men or ruled by their ambitions. They often aren't the ones who stand out from their surroundings dramatically either, and in fact they're some of the ones setting the tone for their race, culture, profession or town.
I don't think Anders is wrong. I just think she sacrificed a little nuance for the sake of brevity and clarity. It's certainly food for thought -- food I should be pushing away from the table so I can get some damned work done instead of talking about characterization, but this is much more fun. I never get to write stuff with characters and plots and exciting goings-on.
EULOGIA
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 03:45 AM CDT
- Less Backstory
No one cares about your great-uncle who cursed your step-aunt, plunging your family into an extraordinarily deep despair that you must re-explain at every turn. Roleplaying, unlike literature, is a present-tense storytelling format. The only thing that matters is who your character is now, what they want now, and what they are willing to do to get it now. Prologue should only be texture.
- Clear Drive
Good characters are complicated. But more importantly, they are simple. Any legendary character has a life mission that can be summarized in one sentence, from Hamlet ("Avenge father, rid world of corruption") to Buffy ("Balance personal life as a teenage girl with destiny to kill vampires"). Your character should always be animated by a simple drive. Complicated things can emanate from it, but if you lose the simplicity, you lose the ability to be grasped by others.
- Yes, And
Agree with other people's roleplaying. Amplify to it. Add to it. And give people to do the same to you. The worst word in the world of creativity is "no." Whenever someone waves a baton in this world of play, take it and wave it harder. Play begets play. You see this in great GM interactions when they pick up on the playful game of what is happening and heighten it. It becomes delightful. We can do the same for each other. Always "yes, and" -- never "no, but".
JADZIABLUE
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 09:00 AM CDT
>No one cares about your great-uncle who cursed your step-aunt, plunging your family into an extraordinarily deep despair that you must re-explain at every turn. Roleplaying, unlike literature, is a present-tense storytelling format. The only thing that matters is who your character is now, what they want now, and what they are willing to do to get it now. Prologue should only be texture.
Being a walking font of exposition definitely makes your character kind of tedious. But I think the backstory is critical to some internal consistency... it should always be informing what you do, even if you're the only one who actually knows anything about it. (And GS... being so long-lived as it is... for many of thus, the backstory is a former part of the "now".)
... not to mention, you never know when it might be relevant. Some of my character's family-related issues that have been rattling around in my brain for 10 years are just coming to light in game, since it just sort of came up.
Signed,
Raelee and her Strings
>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."
Being a walking font of exposition definitely makes your character kind of tedious. But I think the backstory is critical to some internal consistency... it should always be informing what you do, even if you're the only one who actually knows anything about it. (And GS... being so long-lived as it is... for many of thus, the backstory is a former part of the "now".)
... not to mention, you never know when it might be relevant. Some of my character's family-related issues that have been rattling around in my brain for 10 years are just coming to light in game, since it just sort of came up.
Signed,
Raelee and her Strings
>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."
ARSENAULTL1
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 09:11 AM CDT
Agreed with Raelee. All of my main characters have backstories, some complicated, some not so much, and this is what I draw on when playing them in the now. Very few people know much about any of their backgrounds because I also agree that it's just not that important to anyone but me and those close to her.
I have seen a lot of people roll their eyes at the many who have tragic loss in their back ground, but given the GS world we live in, it actually makes a lot of sense.
This isn't normal!
What do you mean this isn't normal!?!
This is way worse!!
I have seen a lot of people roll their eyes at the many who have tragic loss in their back ground, but given the GS world we live in, it actually makes a lot of sense.
This isn't normal!
What do you mean this isn't normal!?!
This is way worse!!
COYOTERRE
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 10:01 AM CDT
This is a great thread. I don't have anything to add at this time, but I wanted to say that I'm enjoying the perspective, and please continue.
~ Bill, Coyote.
~ Bill, Coyote.
SILVEAN
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 11:33 AM CDT
In regard to weird contradictions, I think Anders' point is better suited to writers (and maybe Gamemasters) than roleplayers as she seems to have the responsibility for creating a host of background characters in mind. Lylia's player is quite right to point out that the well runs dry real quick when the substance of your character amounts to "Every day is opposite day." I detect something here of the growing trend toward tremendously quirky characters with outrageously snappy dialogue. It works well in Wes Anderson films but the latest string of Wendy's commercials suggests a saturation point. Still, at the beginning of that third item, Anders asks what makes you curious about a character and there's something to reflect on.
In regard to background, two points. First, avoid grandiose claims. Sometimes Silvean will go on about how he is in line for the Patriarchal throne -- 273rd in line. To say 4th would be ridiculous, to say 273rd is an amusing characteristic. Second, I do not have ten pages of back story for my character. Once Simu had invented a lore to work off of, I found it helpful to come up with questions I absolutely had to answer and go from there:
1. What sort of Faendryl family does my character come from?
2. What is his relationship to his Faendryl heritage?
3. Why did he leave New Ta'Faendryl?
My attention has been more focused on designing a worldview for Silvean rather than a backstory and this is in accord with Eulogia's description of roleplaying as a "present-tense storytelling format." See Krakiipedia for more on what I mean by worldview: http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/Silvean_Rashere
In regard to background, two points. First, avoid grandiose claims. Sometimes Silvean will go on about how he is in line for the Patriarchal throne -- 273rd in line. To say 4th would be ridiculous, to say 273rd is an amusing characteristic. Second, I do not have ten pages of back story for my character. Once Simu had invented a lore to work off of, I found it helpful to come up with questions I absolutely had to answer and go from there:
1. What sort of Faendryl family does my character come from?
2. What is his relationship to his Faendryl heritage?
3. Why did he leave New Ta'Faendryl?
My attention has been more focused on designing a worldview for Silvean rather than a backstory and this is in accord with Eulogia's description of roleplaying as a "present-tense storytelling format." See Krakiipedia for more on what I mean by worldview: http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/Silvean_Rashere
DMWCINCY
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 11:59 AM CDT
But how do you have a character without a back story? How did pup get to the landing? Why is he a ranger? Why does he have a half sister that is a half elf when he was born in tbe empire? Those and many more help to answer who pup is. Not just the last 7 to 8 years of his life. The history gives a starting point. The start of playing pup to now describes his growth to who he is now.
JARHEAD
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 12:37 PM CDT
I believe a back-story for a character is essential in maintaining how you want to play your character. It keeps me "grounded" with Radeek. He has no claims to royalty, no claims to personal fame, no claims to great deeds. I was told by another player that he sees Radeek as a voice of the common man. I myself have trouble seeing that and I don't know if it's right or not. His back-story is simply who he is and I try very hard to maintain him in regards to his back-story, but the last week or so of Shadows has complicated it a bit. Empire related issues are always hard for Radeek, especially when he can't kill them, for whatever reason, and others believe he should be slaughtering them wholesale.
Each of us should always consider our characters history when we run across an unfamiliar issue. I know a lot of people have had to do some pretty deep soul searching that was related to different events revolving around the Shadows storyline. I think this is excellent. It gives our characters life and dimension and a depth of character. I love what Madmountan's player said about his character. On the outside he portrays him with an abundance of confidence and bravado, but get him one on one and he shares those nagging doubts and concerns. And still others portray their characters exactly the opposite. To me, that is RP....That is the multidimensional character, the onion begging for those layers to be peeled back to expose still more depth, and the better your back-story the more layers that onion can have.
Only the dead have seen the end of war - Plato
Radeek Andoran
General, Drakes Vanguard
Defender of Wehnimer's Landing
Black Raider of the Mir'Sheq
Each of us should always consider our characters history when we run across an unfamiliar issue. I know a lot of people have had to do some pretty deep soul searching that was related to different events revolving around the Shadows storyline. I think this is excellent. It gives our characters life and dimension and a depth of character. I love what Madmountan's player said about his character. On the outside he portrays him with an abundance of confidence and bravado, but get him one on one and he shares those nagging doubts and concerns. And still others portray their characters exactly the opposite. To me, that is RP....That is the multidimensional character, the onion begging for those layers to be peeled back to expose still more depth, and the better your back-story the more layers that onion can have.
Only the dead have seen the end of war - Plato
Radeek Andoran
General, Drakes Vanguard
Defender of Wehnimer's Landing
Black Raider of the Mir'Sheq
SILVEAN
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 01:47 PM CDT
Background is essential. I would echo Raelee's comment against being a "walking font of exposition" and I don't think you need reams of background to roleplay a believable character of depth. I am a great supporter of the tightly written paragraph but let's consider what can happen when you ask the right question and produce just once meaningful sentence in response.
Question: Why did my character come to Wehnimer's?
1. She felt stifled by the book learning and competitive examinations forced upon her in Ta'Illistim.
2. She stowed away on the Glaesen Star to escape her physically abusive family.
3. She is a sorcerer killer for hire and Wehnimer's affords business opportunities.
4. She is wandering the world in search of a younger sister sold into slavery.
5. She killed a minor noble in a bar fight and is now a fugitive in a town full of rogues.
I wish the PROFILE function had a second page for a couple paragraphs of background information.
Question: Why did my character come to Wehnimer's?
1. She felt stifled by the book learning and competitive examinations forced upon her in Ta'Illistim.
2. She stowed away on the Glaesen Star to escape her physically abusive family.
3. She is a sorcerer killer for hire and Wehnimer's affords business opportunities.
4. She is wandering the world in search of a younger sister sold into slavery.
5. She killed a minor noble in a bar fight and is now a fugitive in a town full of rogues.
I wish the PROFILE function had a second page for a couple paragraphs of background information.
EULOGIA
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 02:00 PM CDT
>>But how do you have a character without a back story?<<
You have behavior. Personality. Point of view. Beliefs. Emotions. Ways she would react when she is bored, flattered, anxious, scared. Tics, gestures, habits, needs, wants, desires. All of these things can have a basis in backstory, but I think sometimes roleplayers fall in the trap of starting with backstory, and thinking that backstory is the character.
Think of real life. You're a character. Your friends can describe what kind of person you are, but they don't know the ins and outs of how you got there.
Backstory is also something no one will ever encounter in the game. To put too much emphasis on it is to make roleplaying a game of "read up on me." And then, what -- discuss things that have been read? The only thing worse than exposition is talking about exposition.
It's a matter of taste, but still…
-E
TROUBLE13
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 02:23 PM CDT
I think what is being said is not that a character's back story isn't important but there is a time and a place for sharing/revealing those facts. I haven't seen it in a while but there had been a trend of people just sitting around in public gushing out all this very personal knowledge of their characters and people considered it role play. I've also heard the term role play tossed around lately to describe when people are standing around and talking about various things, but it is so much more then that. As far as I know the idea is to always be role playing, be consistent with the way your character is portrayed not just during those deep meaningful conversations but even during the most mundane of tasks.
JADZIABLUE
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 02:38 PM CDT
>You have behavior. Personality. Point of view. Beliefs. Emotions. Ways she would react when she is bored, flattered, anxious, scared. Tics, gestures, habits, needs, wants, desires. All of these things can have a basis in backstory, but I think sometimes roleplayers fall in the trap of starting with backstory, and thinking that backstory is the character.
>Think of real life. You're a character. Your friends can describe what kind of person you are, but they don't know the ins and outs of how you got there.
>Backstory is also something no one will ever encounter in the game. To put too much emphasis on it is to make roleplaying a game of "read up on me." And then, what -- discuss things that have been read? The only thing worse than exposition is talking about exposition.
Backstory creates the "why" behind a lot of the behavior.
But as I said... it should inform your RP, it shouldn't BE your RP. I think we're in total agreement that walking around and explaining who you are instead of being who you are is bad... but I think that backstory has a lot of value as something that's just rolling around in the back of your own brain. (IE - There's a ton of backstory on my character that I've never written down, never spoken about, never told anyone about - but it's there in my head, and it matters to how I portray her.)
And never say never on it ever coming up. One never knows what you'll run into. (For instance... GM Kenstrom was asking participants in his storyline for backstory on characters, so he could pull elements from them in attempts to manipulate us all into quivering lumps of fear.)
Signed,
Raelee and her Strings
>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."
>Think of real life. You're a character. Your friends can describe what kind of person you are, but they don't know the ins and outs of how you got there.
>Backstory is also something no one will ever encounter in the game. To put too much emphasis on it is to make roleplaying a game of "read up on me." And then, what -- discuss things that have been read? The only thing worse than exposition is talking about exposition.
Backstory creates the "why" behind a lot of the behavior.
But as I said... it should inform your RP, it shouldn't BE your RP. I think we're in total agreement that walking around and explaining who you are instead of being who you are is bad... but I think that backstory has a lot of value as something that's just rolling around in the back of your own brain. (IE - There's a ton of backstory on my character that I've never written down, never spoken about, never told anyone about - but it's there in my head, and it matters to how I portray her.)
And never say never on it ever coming up. One never knows what you'll run into. (For instance... GM Kenstrom was asking participants in his storyline for backstory on characters, so he could pull elements from them in attempts to manipulate us all into quivering lumps of fear.)
Signed,
Raelee and her Strings
>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."
SILVEAN
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 03:08 PM CDT
Here's a quote from the Call of Cthulhu sourcebook describing the creation of a 1920s character named Harvey Walter and his "deeper background."
"Harvey Walter's player decides that Harvey attended Miskatonic University, and that he graduated with a M.A. in Journalism. She also decides that Harvey is brave. She already knows that he has an engaging personality, but is delicate physically and emotionally. She has not yet decided what Harvey's low STR (strength) means, but for the moment will play him as physically lazy, always scheming to get someone else to lift the box or change the flat tire."
"She thinks Harvey's grandfather made great profits during the Civil War, but that his father and elder brother have since gambled away much of it, or spent it on mysterious projects they refuse to discuss."
"This is enough. Roleplaying Harvey in the future will add more information, and that accumulation over time is much of the fun."
Note the emphasis on an abbreviated background and the importance of drawing connections between stats, background, and how the character behaves.
"Harvey Walter's player decides that Harvey attended Miskatonic University, and that he graduated with a M.A. in Journalism. She also decides that Harvey is brave. She already knows that he has an engaging personality, but is delicate physically and emotionally. She has not yet decided what Harvey's low STR (strength) means, but for the moment will play him as physically lazy, always scheming to get someone else to lift the box or change the flat tire."
"She thinks Harvey's grandfather made great profits during the Civil War, but that his father and elder brother have since gambled away much of it, or spent it on mysterious projects they refuse to discuss."
"This is enough. Roleplaying Harvey in the future will add more information, and that accumulation over time is much of the fun."
Note the emphasis on an abbreviated background and the importance of drawing connections between stats, background, and how the character behaves.
UBERWENCH
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 03:32 PM CDT
Oh, Lylia has a back-story. It's just vague because I've never felt the need to flesh it out significantly. I used to feel guilty about that -- surely my beloved character merits a page or two of background? -- but I think what Silvean's and Raelee's players and Eulogia have said holds true for me too: Roleplaying is a present-tense activity that has been informed by the character's past but rarely if ever dwells there. It's enough to know she came from humble beginnings and suffered a lot of loss. That's it -- one line of not-very-specific information that virtually no one knows. From there, it's an easy jump to her being the character she is, but no one ever has that kind of expository conversation in which her background is revealed. It's really prosaic, for one thing -- no secret royal bloodline, no alien lineage, no spiritual or demonic possessions, nothing outre like that -- and for another, no one much cares.
That isn't to say a detailed, lovingly crafted background is a bad thing. Some people love doing that, and they feel it greatly enriches who that character is. Some of them are interesting to read, too, and I enjoyed the thread about character histories as much as anyone. It's equally okay, though, to not do that as long as you have some idea why your character does as he or she does.
<...be consistent with the way your character is portrayed not just during those deep meaningful conversations but even during the most mundane of tasks.
I think that's at the heart of it. You don't have to be one-note, but you do have to remain internally consistent to create a sense of who that person is.
That's great news about Silvean, by the way; I didn't realize he had moved ahead to 273rd in line. Just a decade ago, he was somewhere in the 300s. Lylia definitely married up!
That isn't to say a detailed, lovingly crafted background is a bad thing. Some people love doing that, and they feel it greatly enriches who that character is. Some of them are interesting to read, too, and I enjoyed the thread about character histories as much as anyone. It's equally okay, though, to not do that as long as you have some idea why your character does as he or she does.
<...be consistent with the way your character is portrayed not just during those deep meaningful conversations but even during the most mundane of tasks.
I think that's at the heart of it. You don't have to be one-note, but you do have to remain internally consistent to create a sense of who that person is.
That's great news about Silvean, by the way; I didn't realize he had moved ahead to 273rd in line. Just a decade ago, he was somewhere in the 300s. Lylia definitely married up!
FIREPHOENIX
Re: Resources
08/06/2014 09:53 PM CDT
I still got called a douche based on reputation feedback recently! It made me sad! Then I moved on cause it's their problem. I am not a douche :)
BLACKKOBOLD
Re: Resources
08/07/2014 06:29 AM CDT
<<Here's a quote from the Call of Cthulhu sourcebook describing the creation of a 1920s character named Harvey Walter and his "deeper background."
"Harvey Walter's player decides that Harvey attended Miskatonic University, and that he graduated with a M.A. in Journalism. She also decides that Harvey is brave. She already knows that he has an engaging personality, but is delicate physically and emotionally. She has not yet decided what Harvey's low STR (strength) means, but for the moment will play him as physically lazy, always scheming to get someone else to lift the box or change the flat tire."
"She thinks Harvey's grandfather made great profits during the Civil War, but that his father and elder brother have since gambled away much of it, or spent it on mysterious projects they refuse to discuss."
"This is enough. Roleplaying Harvey in the future will add more information, and that accumulation over time is much of the fun."
Note the emphasis on an abbreviated background and the importance of drawing connections between stats, background, and how the character behaves.>>
I like this. Just a few details, and let the character unfold.
I intended Tav to have no backstory. Just a few quirks and personality traits and then let things happen to further define him. It was also my intention to find ways of utilizing game mechanics. For instance, I was annoyed as a player with the design of the familiar gate spell, specifically the way it has a habit of killing or severely injuring the caster initially. So I developed a name and a snarky persona (modeled in my mind after a comically snooty elf with no love for halflings!) for my familiar and allowed the relationship to evolve gradually. As Taverkin's skill as a wizard increased and familiar gate became more usable, Trevor became more cooperative and less critical of Taverkin.
Taverkin began as far more modest regarding his abilities. He was initially embarrassed about not being accepted into the wizard's guild (which I saw no value in as a player), and thought that it reflected upon his abilities. I even selected the "hedgewizard" title while leveling to go along with that. Nowadays he has an abundance of confidence in his own abilities and the story, if you were to ask, is that he never payed his dues...which is only the truth, after all! And, should they make the guild worth joining, there's no reason I can't shift gears. The wizard guild finally got around to seeing the value in having Tav as a member. It's about time!
I don't need a backstory to do that sort of stuff. I just take what the game throws at me, and work it into my character in some way.
~Taverkin
"Harvey Walter's player decides that Harvey attended Miskatonic University, and that he graduated with a M.A. in Journalism. She also decides that Harvey is brave. She already knows that he has an engaging personality, but is delicate physically and emotionally. She has not yet decided what Harvey's low STR (strength) means, but for the moment will play him as physically lazy, always scheming to get someone else to lift the box or change the flat tire."
"She thinks Harvey's grandfather made great profits during the Civil War, but that his father and elder brother have since gambled away much of it, or spent it on mysterious projects they refuse to discuss."
"This is enough. Roleplaying Harvey in the future will add more information, and that accumulation over time is much of the fun."
Note the emphasis on an abbreviated background and the importance of drawing connections between stats, background, and how the character behaves.>>
I like this. Just a few details, and let the character unfold.
I intended Tav to have no backstory. Just a few quirks and personality traits and then let things happen to further define him. It was also my intention to find ways of utilizing game mechanics. For instance, I was annoyed as a player with the design of the familiar gate spell, specifically the way it has a habit of killing or severely injuring the caster initially. So I developed a name and a snarky persona (modeled in my mind after a comically snooty elf with no love for halflings!) for my familiar and allowed the relationship to evolve gradually. As Taverkin's skill as a wizard increased and familiar gate became more usable, Trevor became more cooperative and less critical of Taverkin.
Taverkin began as far more modest regarding his abilities. He was initially embarrassed about not being accepted into the wizard's guild (which I saw no value in as a player), and thought that it reflected upon his abilities. I even selected the "hedgewizard" title while leveling to go along with that. Nowadays he has an abundance of confidence in his own abilities and the story, if you were to ask, is that he never payed his dues...which is only the truth, after all! And, should they make the guild worth joining, there's no reason I can't shift gears. The wizard guild finally got around to seeing the value in having Tav as a member. It's about time!
I don't need a backstory to do that sort of stuff. I just take what the game throws at me, and work it into my character in some way.
~Taverkin
GS4-SCRIBES
Re: Resources
08/07/2014 10:45 AM CDT
Virtually every NPC I ever deployed for storylines had a background to go with them. Rarely, though, did anyone every learn of them, or at least, all of it. I find backstories to be immensely helpful in informing how one's character, player or GM run, acts and interacts with everything else. It's very useful, but not required. For those who don't have a backstory, they do, it just begins with them stepping out of the character manager.
GM Scribes
GM Scribes
VANKRASN39
SILVEAN
LAUGHINGFOX
Re: Resources
08/07/2014 12:01 PM CDT
Prior to joining GS, I was a staffer on a more freeform, space-opera themed roleplaying MUSH for many years. One of our oldest and most talented players wrote what I always considered a phenomenal guide on believably portraying a role, taking initiative, and operating both within and at the top of a player-run organization. It's written with military characters in mind, but the points it makes are universal and can be applied to any archetype anywhere.
It's here: http://otherverse.wikia.com/wiki/Military_RP_Primer
A Taladorian knight dies from your shot!
>exp
Level: 11
It's here: http://otherverse.wikia.com/wiki/Military_RP_Primer
A Taladorian knight dies from your shot!
>exp
Level: 11
DJINN1979
Re: Resources
08/23/2014 11:18 AM CDT
Here is Nairena's backstory:
Nairena was the second born. Her father is a very skilled ranger. Her mother is a master healer. Her older brother (Known in sylvan culture as a blades master) was killed defending Ta'Vaalor. She experienced her first taste of war inside her mothers womb as her mother healed the injured Vaalorians and Sylvans.
Shortly after her birth her mother and Matriarch of her family (Grandmother) noticed how the candle flames pulled towards the newborn girl. They learned quickly that Nairena had a strong connection with the elements. She was still tested and trained like other young sylvan: tracking, swords, archery, survival. And because sylvan elementalists are so rare, she didn't have a proper teacher.
Her parents also arranged, after her birth, for Nairena to be the lifemate of the third son of a highly prominent sylvan family. She didn't think much about this growing up. But noticed how cruel and mean her intended husband was towards her friends. He was also a very snobbish male.
Thirty years later (barely out of teenager status for elves) she was unsure if she wanted to marry the man her parents had choosen for her. The females of her family taught her everything a good sylvan wife should know. Still, she knew in her heart that she didn't want to go through with this.
On the day of her wedding, Nairena, overheard her intended referring to her as an object; Not an equal sylvan woman. She also witnessed him being crueler than normal towards some of her male friends. As Nairena stood across from her intended mate, she decided on not going thru with it. When asked to recite her devotion to him, she punched him square in the face. Then she summon the earth underneath him and shot it at him, knocking him out. She also turned to his snobbish parents/family and insulted them infront of the whole village.
She was given two options: Her family demoted to lower class; Or banishment. She chose banishment. Under drawn bow and ready blades, Nairena, left her village knowing that her family's honor and status were safe. PLus she got to travel (She always wanted to travel.) After a long trek east by northeast she found the walls of Ta'Vaalor. The rest, as they say, is history she is still writing for herself.
Thank you. (Nairena deeply curties)
Lady Nairena
Air Mage of Ta'Vaalor
Proud Member of the Eahnor Assembly
Nairena was the second born. Her father is a very skilled ranger. Her mother is a master healer. Her older brother (Known in sylvan culture as a blades master) was killed defending Ta'Vaalor. She experienced her first taste of war inside her mothers womb as her mother healed the injured Vaalorians and Sylvans.
Shortly after her birth her mother and Matriarch of her family (Grandmother) noticed how the candle flames pulled towards the newborn girl. They learned quickly that Nairena had a strong connection with the elements. She was still tested and trained like other young sylvan: tracking, swords, archery, survival. And because sylvan elementalists are so rare, she didn't have a proper teacher.
Her parents also arranged, after her birth, for Nairena to be the lifemate of the third son of a highly prominent sylvan family. She didn't think much about this growing up. But noticed how cruel and mean her intended husband was towards her friends. He was also a very snobbish male.
Thirty years later (barely out of teenager status for elves) she was unsure if she wanted to marry the man her parents had choosen for her. The females of her family taught her everything a good sylvan wife should know. Still, she knew in her heart that she didn't want to go through with this.
On the day of her wedding, Nairena, overheard her intended referring to her as an object; Not an equal sylvan woman. She also witnessed him being crueler than normal towards some of her male friends. As Nairena stood across from her intended mate, she decided on not going thru with it. When asked to recite her devotion to him, she punched him square in the face. Then she summon the earth underneath him and shot it at him, knocking him out. She also turned to his snobbish parents/family and insulted them infront of the whole village.
She was given two options: Her family demoted to lower class; Or banishment. She chose banishment. Under drawn bow and ready blades, Nairena, left her village knowing that her family's honor and status were safe. PLus she got to travel (She always wanted to travel.) After a long trek east by northeast she found the walls of Ta'Vaalor. The rest, as they say, is history she is still writing for herself.
Thank you. (Nairena deeply curties)
Lady Nairena
Air Mage of Ta'Vaalor
Proud Member of the Eahnor Assembly
ZHOUY1
Re: Resources
08/25/2014 03:05 PM CDT
There's a scene in Life's Too Short where Liam Neeson (playing himself) is trying to act out an improv comedy situation and failing spectacularly because he's so committed to his backstory that when his partner suggests a plot hook he immediately breaks character and shuts down with, "That's a backstory we didn't agree on!"
Backstories add a lot of depth, as they do for real people when you talk to them, but they work best when they're flexible.
Like several of the posters on the last page I play a sylvan main character, but when I came back to the game after a long break I wanted to cut against the grain of the reclusive, forest-loving type while retaining the essential respect for nature. So she's very dedicated to the absolute equality of all living things -- a lush forest is no better or worse than a scorching desert, each has a unique ecosystem of life that can only thrive in that environment; nor does the highest royalty deserve any more or less consideration than an anemone at the bottom of the sea. Since this type of fundamentalism isn't shared by other PCs of her race, the backstory had to change for the different cultural beliefs to make sense, but at the end of the day I'm much happier with the altered version and the ideas about sylvan diaspora for future use.
Backstories add a lot of depth, as they do for real people when you talk to them, but they work best when they're flexible.
Like several of the posters on the last page I play a sylvan main character, but when I came back to the game after a long break I wanted to cut against the grain of the reclusive, forest-loving type while retaining the essential respect for nature. So she's very dedicated to the absolute equality of all living things -- a lush forest is no better or worse than a scorching desert, each has a unique ecosystem of life that can only thrive in that environment; nor does the highest royalty deserve any more or less consideration than an anemone at the bottom of the sea. Since this type of fundamentalism isn't shared by other PCs of her race, the backstory had to change for the different cultural beliefs to make sense, but at the end of the day I'm much happier with the altered version and the ideas about sylvan diaspora for future use.
MONARCH1
Re: Resources
08/28/2014 10:54 AM CDT
Regarding backstories, I have had characters who have well thought out histories of how they got here and how they interact with the world. I have had a couple who I created with no thought to their backstory at all, and when I do that, I find that their experiences in game shape them into who they are. One of the most interesting character I have ever played, had no initial backstory, just a personality that was quirky and fun. Her experiences in game shaped her into a fascinating person to watch develop. On the other hand, those I have created with backstories in mind give me direction and purpose in that character. I have learned, like mentioned above, that it has to be flexible. Too rigid (or if the character is too stubborn) and they become no fun and set in their ways and I soon lose interest in them. Jocastae is my newest and my challenge with her is to view the lands with new eyes (after 15 years or so this is hard to do!) She has no preconceived notions about anything, has never seen anything and so everything is fascinating and curious to her. Her blanket backstory gives her a reason for why she is this way, but doesn't have to be explained in depth to anyone for them to understand. I find that's the easiest way.
Jocastae's Muse
Jocastae's Muse
COYOTERRE
Re: Resources
10/04/2014 09:54 PM CDT
This showed up in my FB timeline by the SFWA, and I wanted to share it here, not only for ya'll but for my own handy reference.
--
Variations of Villainy
by Nancy Fulda
Villains are challenging to write. Make them too heartless, and no one will find them believable. Make them too empathetic, and the audience will end up rooting for the wrong team. It can be difficult to create an antagonist with enough human virtue to be interesting and enough human foibles to be, well, villainous.
Villains have their own priorities, goals, fears and aspirations. The more effectively you demonstrate these differences to the reader, the more compelling and believable your villains will become. The old adage, “Everyone’s the Hero of His Own Story” applies here.
There’s no one way to write a good villain, but there are a number of basic personality types which frequently appear in villainous characters. Understanding them can help you create the right villain for your story.
1. The Connoisseur
This is the black suited, mustache-twirling villain of children’s films; the cackling criminal in search of the perfect dastardly deed. This type of villain deplores goodness and kindness and seeks to be cruel for cruelty’s sake. Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, who despises the idea of love’s first kiss, was initially presented as this type of villain.
Connoisseur villains are seldom believable and often verge on the melodramatic, but they do have their place. There are times when, for reasons pertaining to audience, tone, or thematic exploration, it’s useful to present a villain’s choices without getting bogged down in the psychological and emotional spaces lurking beneath. Satire, comedy, hyperbole and crime fiction are examples of literature that is well-suited to this kind of villain. As a general rule, the Connoisseur is best utilized in situations where disbelief is inherently suspended or in which the complexity of the villain’s scheming – and not the complexity of the villain’s soul – are the reader’s primary concern.
A related manifestation of the Connoisseur is sometimes seen in epic fantasy. Authors in such genres may wish to keep the reader’s sympathies focused on the epic hero and her band of noble adventurers. It’s hard to root for a sword-swinging slayer of monsters if the monsters become too engaging. Therefore, the antagonists in such novels are often presented as a physical embodiment of evil. Sauron from The Lord of the Rings is a variation on this type of villain, as are the Nazis from the Indiana Jones movies.
2. The Outsider
The Outsider is attached to a different group, and therefore serves a different set of priorities, than the protagonist. Outsiders can be empathetic (like Magneto from X-Men), unscrupulously merciless (like Kahn from The Wrath of Kahn), or enigmatic (like the Hive Queen from Ender’s Game).
The distinctive characteristic of the Outsider is that he seeks the welfare of a different group than the protagonist. If the needs of the two groups conflict – and in genre fiction they almost certainly do – then hero and villain are thrust into a confrontation that neither of them has consciously sought.
The Outsider is best utilized when the conflict between groups, and not merely a contest between individuals, plays a prominent role in the story.
3. The Sociopath
This group includes psychopaths as well, although for simplicity I’ve chosen to use only one moniker.
The Sociopath villain thinks, feels, and experiences the world differently than the average human. Typically presented as a character largely lacking in human empathy, and hence capable of hideous crimes, this type of villain is a frequent choice of horror and crime writers. Serial killers, mass-murderers, and those bent on the destruction of humanity all fall into this group.
Although the sociopath is frequently used as a convenient cardboard cutout, hardly more than a faceless shadow whom the police must hunt down, the deep psychology of the socio- or psychopathic mind is fully capable supporting an entire book. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells provide two examples.
4. The Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist stands firm in the conviction that genius creates its own rules. Characterized by a sense of entitlement and a conviction that her actions need not be dictated by the expectations of society, the Mad Scientist pursues her own objectives. These may include an obsession with physical or chemical phenomena, a driving desire to unravel a mystery, or the dogged pursuit of a self-imposed vendetta. Dr. Octopus from Spiderman II is a prime example. Criminal Masterminds, like Professor Moriarty from the original Sherlock Holmes novels, are a variation on this type of villain.
The Mad Scientist villain does not necessarily focus on scientific research, and his fundamental motives need not always be evil. The desperate father searching for the cure to a child’s illness, the abused woman on a quest for justice, or magician enthralled by the possibilities of his newfound power can all fall prey to the fundamental conceit of the Mad Scientist. The common characteristic here is the villain’s conviction that he or she is exempt from the laws to which other people adhere. Normal rules no longer apply, and the Mad Scientist’s personal priorities take precedence over everything else.
The Mad Scientist is obsessed, often self-obsessed, and frequently exhibits megalomaniacal behavior. Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars is a classic example of the Mad Scientist.
5. The Everyday Villain
Not all villains are evil geniuses or criminal masterminds. In real life, the people who mistreat others seldom have a set of lofty ideals, misguided or otherwise. Instead, people tend to bumble into situations which allow – or require – the exploitation of others. This villain, too, can be of use in creating compelling fiction.
The Everyday Villain is characterized by two traits: (1) Poor judgment, and (2) The unwillingness to back down. He is Biff from Back to the Future, Malfoy from Harry Potter – the average guy who, having made one bad call, continues to stumble into ever murkier waters in the attempt to defend it. The Everyday Villain may begin as a schoolyard bully, a down-on-her luck teenager looking for a few thrills, or a middle-class businessman struggling to feed his family, and if things stopped there, there wouldn’t be much villainy in the story at all. But the Everyday Villain, once committed, refuses to back down.
About half the time, the Everyday Villain has a moment of revelation near the end of the story. He finds himself in an untenable situation, compelled to take actions he finds reprehensible, but unable to see a better alternative. “I never meant for things to go this far!” is his catch-phrase, and while he sometimes receives a moment of redemption near the end of the story, he is equally likely to take a moral nose-dive.
* * *
Naturally, villains seldom fit neatly into exactly one of the above categories. Many straddle the bridge between character types: the megalomaniac of the Mad Scientist combined with the fatal error in judgment typical of the Everyday Villain, for example, or the differing priorities of the Outsider mingled with the monochrome agenda of the Connoisseur. The objective of this article is not to create a black-and-white compartmentalization, but to offer insight into the fundamental motivations that drive people to oppose a story’s protagonist.
When creating villains, it’s helpful to ask the same questions one asks when creating protagonists. What does this person yearn for? What does she fear? What is the best thing that could possibly happen to her? What can she least afford to lose?
For story purposes, a villain exists to oppose the protagonist. But for believability purposes, the villain exists as a being in his own right. Take time to discover who he is, and your stories will be richer for it.
•••
Nancy Fulda is a past Hugo and Nebula Nominee, a Phobos Award winner, and a Jim Baen Memorial Award recipient. Get a free ebook by joining her mailing list.
~ Bill, Coyote.
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius
--
Variations of Villainy
by Nancy Fulda
Villains are challenging to write. Make them too heartless, and no one will find them believable. Make them too empathetic, and the audience will end up rooting for the wrong team. It can be difficult to create an antagonist with enough human virtue to be interesting and enough human foibles to be, well, villainous.
Villains have their own priorities, goals, fears and aspirations. The more effectively you demonstrate these differences to the reader, the more compelling and believable your villains will become. The old adage, “Everyone’s the Hero of His Own Story” applies here.
There’s no one way to write a good villain, but there are a number of basic personality types which frequently appear in villainous characters. Understanding them can help you create the right villain for your story.
1. The Connoisseur
This is the black suited, mustache-twirling villain of children’s films; the cackling criminal in search of the perfect dastardly deed. This type of villain deplores goodness and kindness and seeks to be cruel for cruelty’s sake. Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, who despises the idea of love’s first kiss, was initially presented as this type of villain.
Connoisseur villains are seldom believable and often verge on the melodramatic, but they do have their place. There are times when, for reasons pertaining to audience, tone, or thematic exploration, it’s useful to present a villain’s choices without getting bogged down in the psychological and emotional spaces lurking beneath. Satire, comedy, hyperbole and crime fiction are examples of literature that is well-suited to this kind of villain. As a general rule, the Connoisseur is best utilized in situations where disbelief is inherently suspended or in which the complexity of the villain’s scheming – and not the complexity of the villain’s soul – are the reader’s primary concern.
A related manifestation of the Connoisseur is sometimes seen in epic fantasy. Authors in such genres may wish to keep the reader’s sympathies focused on the epic hero and her band of noble adventurers. It’s hard to root for a sword-swinging slayer of monsters if the monsters become too engaging. Therefore, the antagonists in such novels are often presented as a physical embodiment of evil. Sauron from The Lord of the Rings is a variation on this type of villain, as are the Nazis from the Indiana Jones movies.
2. The Outsider
The Outsider is attached to a different group, and therefore serves a different set of priorities, than the protagonist. Outsiders can be empathetic (like Magneto from X-Men), unscrupulously merciless (like Kahn from The Wrath of Kahn), or enigmatic (like the Hive Queen from Ender’s Game).
The distinctive characteristic of the Outsider is that he seeks the welfare of a different group than the protagonist. If the needs of the two groups conflict – and in genre fiction they almost certainly do – then hero and villain are thrust into a confrontation that neither of them has consciously sought.
The Outsider is best utilized when the conflict between groups, and not merely a contest between individuals, plays a prominent role in the story.
3. The Sociopath
This group includes psychopaths as well, although for simplicity I’ve chosen to use only one moniker.
The Sociopath villain thinks, feels, and experiences the world differently than the average human. Typically presented as a character largely lacking in human empathy, and hence capable of hideous crimes, this type of villain is a frequent choice of horror and crime writers. Serial killers, mass-murderers, and those bent on the destruction of humanity all fall into this group.
Although the sociopath is frequently used as a convenient cardboard cutout, hardly more than a faceless shadow whom the police must hunt down, the deep psychology of the socio- or psychopathic mind is fully capable supporting an entire book. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells provide two examples.
4. The Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist stands firm in the conviction that genius creates its own rules. Characterized by a sense of entitlement and a conviction that her actions need not be dictated by the expectations of society, the Mad Scientist pursues her own objectives. These may include an obsession with physical or chemical phenomena, a driving desire to unravel a mystery, or the dogged pursuit of a self-imposed vendetta. Dr. Octopus from Spiderman II is a prime example. Criminal Masterminds, like Professor Moriarty from the original Sherlock Holmes novels, are a variation on this type of villain.
The Mad Scientist villain does not necessarily focus on scientific research, and his fundamental motives need not always be evil. The desperate father searching for the cure to a child’s illness, the abused woman on a quest for justice, or magician enthralled by the possibilities of his newfound power can all fall prey to the fundamental conceit of the Mad Scientist. The common characteristic here is the villain’s conviction that he or she is exempt from the laws to which other people adhere. Normal rules no longer apply, and the Mad Scientist’s personal priorities take precedence over everything else.
The Mad Scientist is obsessed, often self-obsessed, and frequently exhibits megalomaniacal behavior. Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars is a classic example of the Mad Scientist.
5. The Everyday Villain
Not all villains are evil geniuses or criminal masterminds. In real life, the people who mistreat others seldom have a set of lofty ideals, misguided or otherwise. Instead, people tend to bumble into situations which allow – or require – the exploitation of others. This villain, too, can be of use in creating compelling fiction.
The Everyday Villain is characterized by two traits: (1) Poor judgment, and (2) The unwillingness to back down. He is Biff from Back to the Future, Malfoy from Harry Potter – the average guy who, having made one bad call, continues to stumble into ever murkier waters in the attempt to defend it. The Everyday Villain may begin as a schoolyard bully, a down-on-her luck teenager looking for a few thrills, or a middle-class businessman struggling to feed his family, and if things stopped there, there wouldn’t be much villainy in the story at all. But the Everyday Villain, once committed, refuses to back down.
About half the time, the Everyday Villain has a moment of revelation near the end of the story. He finds himself in an untenable situation, compelled to take actions he finds reprehensible, but unable to see a better alternative. “I never meant for things to go this far!” is his catch-phrase, and while he sometimes receives a moment of redemption near the end of the story, he is equally likely to take a moral nose-dive.
* * *
Naturally, villains seldom fit neatly into exactly one of the above categories. Many straddle the bridge between character types: the megalomaniac of the Mad Scientist combined with the fatal error in judgment typical of the Everyday Villain, for example, or the differing priorities of the Outsider mingled with the monochrome agenda of the Connoisseur. The objective of this article is not to create a black-and-white compartmentalization, but to offer insight into the fundamental motivations that drive people to oppose a story’s protagonist.
When creating villains, it’s helpful to ask the same questions one asks when creating protagonists. What does this person yearn for? What does she fear? What is the best thing that could possibly happen to her? What can she least afford to lose?
For story purposes, a villain exists to oppose the protagonist. But for believability purposes, the villain exists as a being in his own right. Take time to discover who he is, and your stories will be richer for it.
•••
Nancy Fulda is a past Hugo and Nebula Nominee, a Phobos Award winner, and a Jim Baen Memorial Award recipient. Get a free ebook by joining her mailing list.
~ Bill, Coyote.
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius
GS4-SHERLISE
Re: Resources
10/05/2014 01:28 AM CDT
Wow, nice share! Thank you, I very much enjoyed this article!
~Sherlise
