How To Create a Good Warriors Character (Guide)
Jun 24, 2017 20:19:08 GMT -5
Dizzi, Pumpkin Spice, and 1 more like this
Post by 🌿 ~ Spottedleaf ~ 🌿 on Jun 24, 2017 20:19:08 GMT -5
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD ROLEPLAY CHARACTER- GUIDE (Warriors Edition)
Spottedleaf here, again! I've posted two other guides here to assist you in roleplaying. This is another guide that provides helpful tips on how to create a good character. If you're stuck on creating a good character, you have come to the right place!
Please note: I am not using any outside resources when writing this. All of this is coming from my own thoughts and opinions. This is a Warriors edition only because I am inexperienced with non-Warriors-related roleplays.
I. Appearance and Personality
When starting out, begin with looks and characteristics. This makes picking a name an easier decision later on.
1) Appearance
- With appearance, there are six things to consider.
1. Size- Are they big or small?
2. Body build- Are they skinny, muscular, etc.?
3. Fur – Do they have short or long fur?
4. Color- What color are they? Are they a solid color or patterned?
5. Eyes- What color are their eyes?
6. Battle markings- Do they have battle markings or scars anywhere?
When you fill in these blanks, then all you need to do is put it in sentence form. Try to add even more details than these when describing. When you do this, you and other roleplayers can really picture what your character looks like in their minds. It allows your character to come to life.
Here’s an example:
Simple profile:
Size- medium-sized
Body build- slender
Fur- long-haired
Color- gray and white
Eyes– green
Battle markings- small scar on muzzle and nick in left ear
Sentence form:
_____ is a medium-sized cat with a slender body build. Their fur is mostly gray, but they have a white underbelly and white on their tail tip. ____ has a small battle scar on the right side of their muzzle and a nick in their left ear. They have green eyes.
2) Personality
Writing out a personality is more than simply listing character traits. A personality should describe who the character really is and how they interact with others. A character’s personality is what makes them an individual. It sets them apart from others, for no one’s personality is exactly the same as someone else’s.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1) Weaknesses- When you see a rule in a roleplay that’s against “Mary-sues” and “Gary-sues”, they are asking you to not create an absolutely perfect character. All characters have their flaws, and every character has something that they are not necessarily good at. It is okay to have more strengths than weaknesses, but don’t overdo it. Try to keep it evened out some.
2) Age- Age doesn’t have a direct correlation with personality, but that doesn’t mean it should be entirely ignored. Age has a connection with personality through maturity. For example, the difference in maturity level between an experienced warrior and a kit is great, and that should show through behavior. In other words, an experienced warrior can definitely be playful and fun-loving, but they shouldn’t act entirely childish. If they are an experienced warrior and still act exactly like a kit, then in the in the real warrior’s world, they might be considered too immature to become an apprentice at that time.
3) Disrespectfulness and Ruthlessness – Creating and playing an evil character is fun. However, unless you are creating the evil character for future plot plans, there is a point where evil is too evil. If a character acts too ruthless or bloodthirsty, or if they show no respect whatsoever, then they would eventually get kicked out of the clan. No one wants a Tigerstar or a Brokenstar in their clan. Therefore, if you choose to create a character who is disrespectful or ruthless, know what the limits are.
4) Character traits- While it has been said that character traits shouldn’t be all that goes into a character’s personality, by no means should they be left out. When writing out the character traits, go more in depth about them. For instance, instead of simply putting that the character is kind, shy, loyal, and good with kits, include when they are kind, who they are shy around, etc.
Here’s an example: (This character is the same character from the example under the Appearance section)
_____ is a pleasant cat to be around. They may be shy at first, especially at strangers, but they are friendly and kind once they come out of their shells. They have a strong sense of humor and a high tolerance level, which makes them excellent around young cats. The gray and white cat is pretty loyal to their clan, and they will do anything it takes to keep their clan out of harm’s way, but there are times that they will break the code if they see it justifiable. All things considered, ____ is a noble cat of ____Clan.
II. Skills
All characters have certain activities that they are skilled in. When choosing skills, remember to include activities they are average in as well as not so skilled in. Characters don’t have to have an activity that they are outstanding at, but that doesn’t make them terrible at everything either. Something else to remember when deciding skills is their physical appearance, as well as their surroundings.
For example, a heavier character with a larger body build isn’t likely to be a very fast runner, and neither is a character who lives in a thick forest, simply because there isn’t a lot of space for running. Another example would be for swimming. Characters who don’t practice swimming aren’t likely to be highly skilled at it. This is the reason you don’t see any ThunderClan characters with -stream or -foot in their names.
When listing skills, you don’t have to only list the common ones in a clan. Characters don’t have to only be good in hunting or fighting. They can be good at a variety of different activities as well. A black cat, for instance, might be at spying, especially at night because their black pelt would prevent them from being easily spotted.
III. Naming
Once the appearance, personality, and the skills are finished and thought out, there is only one last step that can be fairly easy. You have finally reached the point where you get to choose the name for your character. There is more than one way to go about naming your character. Some people prefer traditional naming, while others may prefer lyrical naming. If you don’t know, here are their differences:
Traditional naming- With traditional naming, a character’s prefix is based off of their pelt color or their size, and their suffix is either based off of their personality or a certain skill.
Lyrical naming- Lyrical names are names that are either made to sound pretty or to represent only part of a character, in a non-traditional way. These names don’t particularly make sense when relating to the cat or their abilities. They don’t distinguish them from someone else as well as traditional naming. Naming a cat for one particular thing wouldn’t help if they were trying to be found in a large crowd as much as naming for the cat’s entirety.
1) Keep the names as realistic as possible.
2) Be creative and use your own names. Try not to use a name from the books.
3) Check and make sure the prefix you want to use is not already taken by someone else. It’s too easy to get confused with more than one character having one prefix.
4) Whether it is traditional or not, a name should help distinguish your character from another character. Find something notifiable about them and use that to help you.
For more about naming, please see this thread:
Spottedleaf's Traditional Naming Guide
IV. Additional Tips
1) Pictures are helpful when describing appearances.
2) When picking a rank, consider their age, especially when deciding whether to choose apprentice or warrior. Apprentices usually achieve their warrior name once they reach 12 moons of age. A deputy would need to have had enough time to gain more experience and to fully train at least one apprentice.
3) It is okay to have shorter personalities when creating kits because kits don’t have a fully developed personality. Their personality will develop more as they grow older.
4) Don’t make more characters than you can manage.
5) Don’t be afraid to try different personalities.
6) Have fun.
Thank you to anyone who took the time to check this out. I will be more than happy to answer any questions if you have any. Comments are appreciated, as always. If you want to see me create any more guides like this, you may post your requests below as well.
I'm sure it'll really help some people who are newer to the roleplaying scene! 
