Choosing personality traits

[Dredwulf60]

Not every RPGer is good at giving their character a distinctive personality. (Others can take it into overdrive!)

I worked up this system the first time I ran a narrow-focus game. I call it a narrow-focus game when I restrict all the player character archetypes in order to achieve a specific feel to the campaign.

To some players, their character is defined only by what archetype they are, what species they are and what their equipment is.

So when you have a game where everyone is playing the same archetype, i see it as an opportunity to really develop a character's personality. But sometimes players need a little bit of help.

It also helps to break the stereotypes. For those players that can only envision their smuggler to be a carbonite-copy of Han Solo (Little pun there.) Or when they can only really visualize a young jedi in the Luke Skywalker mold etc...

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Characters can choose one primary personality trait and one secondary trait. Alternatively the character can choose 3 secondary traits.


At the end of a game, if the character has appropriately met the requirements of their trait, the character earns one extra character point.

A primary can be invoked twice in a game, a secondary only once per game, no matter how many times the personality trait was displayed.

Other players are encouraged to pitch in and help give the GM concrete examples of the roleplaying trait that the character portrayed.

Initially the requirements are pretty minimal, but as the quality of roleplaying approves, the GM is encouraged to be more discerning.

You end up having characters that consciously think to portray their characters with a specific personality and it encourages the players to really watch how others are role-played.

Traits

Aggressive: You go right for the one that gets in your way.
Advisor: Giving good advice that is accepted and implemented.
Amiable: Gets along with others
Brilliant: Idea or concept that leads to success.
Celibate: resist opportunity for sex.
Charismatic: Succeed to excess in social tasks.
Challenging: You make a bet or challenge with an ally and follow through, win or lose.
Commander: When others follow your orders and achieve success.
Compassionate: Easing the suffering of innocents.
Contemplative: Positing an interesting ‘what if?’ scenario.
Confident: Goes through with a planned action anticipating only success.
Courteous: Address everyone with courtesy, even opponents.
Crass: Uses low-brow humor and foul language.
Daring: Taking dangerous chances where difficulty class is 30 or higher.
Decisive: Makes decisions immediately when presented with options.
Deceptive: You make someone else believe something false is true.
Defender: Keep innocents from harm.
Dependable: Succeeds in a task that directly aids a comrade’s task.
Dignified: Refuses to take a potentially embarrassing action.
Dramatic: Makes mundane tasks or events out to be of great importance.
Dutiful: Follows orders to successful ends or into peril.
Elegant: Behaves in a sophisticated way, eschews menial tasks.
Emotional: Feels and expresses himself to the world.
Fierce: Overpowers an opponent within a single turn.
Flirt: Acting suggestive toward the desired sex.
Gallant: For being a champion to females.
Generous: Gives freely to others.
Gregarious: Actions to make others happier.
Humorous: in-character joke that others laugh at.
Investigator: Uncover secret plans, crimes or evil deception.
Independent: Goes it alone.
Intuitive: Anticipates something yet to come (and turns out to be right)
Irrepressible: resists restraint or containment.
Leader: When others follow your example and do as you do.
Learner: For seeking and accepting advice.
Learned: Others come to you for advice.
Loyal: Supporting an ally despite hardship/ consequence.
Mediator: Instigate a working compromise.
Merciful: Always accepts surrender.
Obedient: You do what you’re told.
Patriotic: Takes actions for the good of the clan/ mandalore, and lets everyone know it.
Philosopher: For quoting an appropriate proverb.
Prepared: Having and using a backup; plan, item, etc.
Predatory: goes for the weakest.link.
Prosecutor: Bring justice to criminals and villains.
Prudent: Avoid excessive risk.
Redeemer: Cause villains to repent and make amends.
Respectful: voices their respect for the actions and prowess of others.
Responsible: Accepting the consequences for another’s actions.
Sarcastic: You display a sarcastic wit.
Sensualist: Enjoying a new experience.
Showy: Succeed to excess in a physical task.
Stern: You display your serious side.
Sworn: Has taken a vow and works to keep it.
Teacher: Imparting knowledge, skills to others.
Trustworthy: Makes and keeps a promises and oaths.
Truthful: refuses an expedient lie in favour of the more difficult truth.
Upbeat: Sees the positive in a bad situation.

Personality Flaws

No one is perfect. For every one of these flaws chosen, the character is entitled to 5 free Character points during character creation.


In play, if the character does not make a role playing display of the trait in a game session, his total number of character points earned in that session is reduced by 1.
A character with multiple flaws deducts 1 character point per flaw not displayed. (never less than 0 CPs awarded in a session due to this system.)

In time, the character can work to overcome these flaws.

Negative traits

Arrogant: Believe they are the best and let others know it.
Covetous: Wants what others have and tries to get it.
Coward: Actively avoids their share of danger.
Critical: points out the flaws in the actions of others.
Cynical: Looks at the worst side of any situation.
Gloomy: Avoids being happy about anything.
Gullible: Believes anything of anyone.
Impatient: Acts or speaks before readiness.
Insolent: language intentionally insults others
Insubordinate: Refuses to take orders.
Lazy: Make as little effort as possible.
Liar: lies about petty things, and often for no reason.
Lustful: Pursues sexual gratification.
Masochist: desires pain
Obsessive: Obsesses over an object, person or action.
Perversion: Seeks out abnormal personal gratification.
Reckless: Takes unnecessary risks.
Sadist: Inflicts pain.
Stubborn: Refuses to give in to another’s point of view without argument.
Timid: Cannot stand up for themselves.
Vengeful: Will be driven to even all scores however slight.
.

Changing personalities:
It takes 10 change points to change a personality. This must be done over time.

Once the character has decided he wants to change a trait, he tells the GM which one he wants to switch out and which one he is switching to.

When he satisfies a requirement of the old trait, instead of getting a character point, he gets 1 change point.
When he satisfies the new trait, he gets 2 change points.

When he has accumulated the full 10 change points, his personality is considered permanently changed.


During this procedure, he does not get any character points from his old personality trait or the new.

This rules is simply there to keep players from changing personalities on a whim.

[Whill]

Great lists. I don't need the crunchy rules but I really like the ideas for personality choices.
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[Naaman]

I could have sworn this thread was longer... and that I had even responded to it...

Mandela effect in effect....?

WTH???

[Whill]

[cheshire]

This looks like an interesting idea for helping someone try to fill out the role playing part of their character. Some people take to it easily, and this provides a framework for helping those that need a little nudge.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.