Profile Help Guide

[REDEMPTION]

This is something I made up for another one of my forums a while back, and I figured y’all would benefit from it. (I changed a couple of things, of course, to fit the RP world we’re currently in.)

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These are tips alone. Please feel free to add more to your profile than just answers to the questions posed here. Remember, creating a character is supposed to be a fun, creative process. Changes in format and style of writing can make the creation process a little more engaging. We recommend that you never create a character simply out of boredom. You may grow tired of the character, and you won’t put as much effort into its creation.

Name

Pretty simple. First name required for each character, but a last name can be added to a human character, if you so desire. Remember, when choosing a name, that you want the name to fit in with the setting, so names like John, Bob, or Joshua may be unsuitable. I’m not going to stop you from using a name that doesn’t necessarily fit. It’s just a thought for you to consider.

Age

Everyone wants to have that young, good-looking lord or lady. Or that oh so youthful and very experienced fighter. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not how things work. Sure, we don’t mind you being a young lord or lady, but chances are, you’ll have problems. You won’t have the wisdom of the elders, or the experience. And sure, having a younger, more experienced and older fighter is possible but very unlikely. Be realistic with your character’s age and what you want them to be able to do.

Try to be unique in choosing your age. Think about your occupation, your history. What about an old, retired soldier? (Or even a soldier currently in the service of one of the demon lords.) What about one of those lesser demons can make up the servant population of the demon lords, like the demon horses? Maybe you have a demon who talks a little too much and enjoys getting drunk (I guess demons can get drunk….). Some people do appear older in manner, or younger, but that goes along with personality as well.

Gender

I’m not going to bash you if you choose to have both genders. It’d certainly be unique, and it is possible, but it’d be a little odd. Your choice. You know what a gender is, right? You know, male and female?

Orientation

Heterosexual. Homosexual. Straight. Gay. Bi. Whatever you want to call it. Straight people prefer partners of the opposite gender. Gay people prefer partners of the same gender. Bi people, well, they either don’t care about the gender problem, or they like having their options open (they like both genders, in other words). Simple and straightforward?

Race

Alright, with race, you are either a human, half demon, or demon (human, hanyou, or youkai). Figuring out that part is simple, but you need to remember to choose the type of youkai. Cat. Dog. Horse. Snake. What-have-you. Think about this carefully. You might not have a cat demon who has snake fangs and poison, for example.

Occupation

Is your character a blacksmith? Soldier? Cook? Keep your character’s personality and talents in mind when choosing an occupation, unless you want him to hate his job. Sometimes, people choose an occupation, then the character itself, building it around the occupation they want the character to have. Try to stay away from the norm. Sure, high lords and ladies are very welcome, and so are talented soldiers, but fun can be had with merchants, scholars, or even horse trainers! (And remember, here on “In Subjection” we’re always looking for slaves and masters.)

Birthmarks

Well, some of us have ‘em. Some of us don’t. Humans are probably more likely to have them. Be creative in where you put them, but don’t tie them to some mysterious story and whatnot. Birthmarks, in my opinion, are better when they don’t really have a meaning at all.

Scar(s)

Be creative. Have a scar somewhere hidden and not so obvious as the face.

Appearance

Height. Weight. Body build. Hair color and style. Eye color. All these things are wanted, plus more! Describe your character from head to toe, down to the dirty fingernails or curly leg hair. We want to know where the scars are, the tattoos and birthmarks, the piercings (if not already mentioned). Everything! (Okay, we’re not asking for certain details, if you know what I mean. I’m fine with you describing curves or other things, as long as it’s not worded like a porno scene.) Create a photo of your character with words.

Start by describing the head, if you’d like. Ears. Lips. Nose. Cheeks. This is where you want to talk about their face (obviously). Complexion can also be included here. Does your guy have a beard or stubble? Does your girl have a beauty mark? You might want to describe the hair here as well. Does it fall in the face? Short/Long? Straight/Curly? A whole paragraph can be dedicated to the head!

Another paragraph could go to the body. Muscular or skinny? Hairy chest? Those curves we were talking about earlier? Flat? Long nails? Color of body hair (ha)? Still another could go toward talking about scars, birthmarks, and the like (one which extends on those already listed), and then one more about the way they dress. Take into account in what kind of place and family they were raised, as their clothing may reflect certain traditions. You could also describe how they walk and talk, and how many people appear to act when around your character. Do they often flirt, avoid, or gawk?

Personality

How does your character act around people? Is he (or she) introverted or extroverted? Explain. Does it take a lot to get him to talk? (Is he shy?) Is he sometimes considered too talkative? One way to work on this is to start with a description of how the character acts around various people: superiors, soldiers, women/men, etc. Depending on your character’s occupation, the sets of people you choose to use may vary. What about the legal system (as far as the demon lords and their reign are concerned)? Any opinions?

Personal beliefs. Superstitions. Outstanding virtues or terrible faults. Pride. All these things, in addition to hobbies and likes and dislikes, could be discussed, with examples of how these things have been developed (or not developed).

Strengths

Okay. Let’s face it. Your character can’t be the best at everything. Pick a few major talents or strengths and describe them. Many use a paragraph per talent, or two per paragraph, if the talents go well together. You can even list them and give a sentence or two about them. Up to you. Just remember to describe. These talents are not all physical talents, like swordsmanship, carving, or horse-back riding, though those are important to list. They also include things like knowledge, game savvy, and patience.

Weaknesses

These should match your talents. Got four talents? Get four flaws (really depends on the talents or flaws in question). Try to balance everything. If your character is just great in handling a sword, make him not so good in one-on-one combat (or group combat). Maybe he can’t work well with others and therefore is liable to jeopardize the lives of others or himself. Being naïve can be a flaw. So can a disability like being mute, blind, or in lack of a pinkie finger or even arm. In coming up with both talents and flaws, be creative! Try to think of something few others have.

Fears

Have fun with this one. Maybe your character’s afraid of spiders, bugs, or . . . monkeys! Think of your own fears or phobias. Give one to the character that doesn’t really make sense. Like a snake demon scared of actual snakes. (You never know.) The small, silly things make a character pop! You can provide reasons for these fears, if there are any.

Items

Pretty self-explanatory. Do they carry a flute around with them? A set of demon teeth? Anything they carry, besides the clothes on their backs and their weapons, can be listed here.

Weapons

There are a variety of weapons your character could use. Be creative, but remember to keep the setting in mind. We would prefer that if you want a weapon, and you are unsure of what to call it or say about it, just describe what it looks like in as much detail as possible. If you feel the need for clarification, you can mention OOC that the sword looks like a certain modern sword.

Do not go overboard with this! We are not impressed with a character that can handle every weapon out there. Even if they can handle two or three, it is very doubtful your character can use them extensively well. Be realistic!

DESCRIBE your weapons. Not many people are interested in the fact that you just have a sword. It doesn’t have to be anything special. Describe its length, width, sharpness, age, etc.

Abilities

This is where you’d put things like elemental powers, telekinesis, and the like. I warn you. DO NOT go overboard with this section. We don’t mind you being powerful, but there needs to be a limit. You can’t be “god-like” or have the “powers of a god.” It won’t pass. In this section, too, I’ll repeat, “Be creative!” Give your character a “stupid” power alongside the bigger ones, like levitating a foot off the ground for a few seconds or being able to drink alcohol without ever getting drunk. (I dunno. XD)

Flaws

Make sure you balance the abilities with appropriate flaws. Again, have a few funny, silly flaws that have nothing to do with the abilities. It makes the RP more interesting if you change things up a bit. Make your abilities and flaws different from those of others. Examples include: Weaknesses to certain elements, inability to tell lies (not by choice), or constantly obeys every order given to him ( Would be interesting…).

Family

Father. Mother. Siblings. Pets. Even close friends can be listed here. If they’re all dead, say so. If they’re not, say something about what they’re doing or where they are, or whether you character actually knows anything about his or her family.

History

Here’s the big one. Here on In Subjection, there is a minimum of 400 words required. It sounds like a lot, but really, that’s around three to four large paragraphs, not too much in the whole scheme of things. Now, we know the usual loss of loved ones can be tragic and can usually provide reason to why the character acts the way he or she does, but why can’t you have a character who is naturally reclusive or angry towards people? Upbringing can be a cause for a certain behavior, too, and it does not entail the tragedy of someone’s death.

Start from early childhood. Were the parents lenient or strict? Did your character hate the parents from the beginning? Good relationship? Bad? (Were they left on their own?) Did the character have many friends, a select few close friends, or little to no real friends at all? Moving on into adolescence, you can talk about similar things. Any big turning point in the character’s life? Rebellion against parents? (Search for parents/family?) Against values? Witness something horrific that scarred their mind? Did anything happen the character itself? Abuse, attacks?

Depending on the age of your character, one could go into all sorts of detail concerning the history. After adolescence, you move up to adulthood. What did your character decide to do with its life? Did it disagree or agree with any certain political, ethical, or military views of surrounding powers? What about now? What do they think of what’s going on in the world, with the demon lords, the human slaves, and also the enslavement of the lesser demons?

What made your character into the one we see in the Role Play? Think of the history as a story about your character. A story. Not just a few paragraphs you must write to get accepted.

RP Sample

Something I thought was usually fairly easy was taking a scene you can think of from your character’s past and write it out. If your character is a fighter, write a sample with him fighting. If your character is a scholar, write about his search for knowledge in a certain town or something. It’s usually easy to base your sample off of both the history and the character’s occupation.

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Hope that helped.