forum "Character template please?" ~ An answer for your question

Started February 23, 2023 by Deleted user

tune

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Idk how to make a character template lol.

Hi! I was scrolling through and saw this, and I thought I might offer to help. What kind of template are you looking to make?

Probably just suggestions on what I could put past "name" "age" "gender" "race" "looks" and "personality". I feel like if i just do those it's too short. :/

you could always put things like "background" "likes / dislikes" and "other" (can be used to just talk about small things that aren't that important. like character a has a pet snake). it really just depends on what you're using that template for because other templates (especially one used to create superheroes and supervillains) might have things like "weapons" "powers" "code name", etc.

You could get more specific with each one! I know a lot of people like to separate their templates into different categories. So you could have one section for Basic Traits that includes stuff such as Name, Age, Gender, Race, Backstory, etc., and then you could have a following section that goes more specifically into Physical Appearance that might include things such as Height, Body Type, Hair Style/Color, Eye Color, Clothing, Notable Markings, etc. You could also add a Personality section that includes Likes/Dislikes, Strengths/Weaknesses, Hobbies, etc. Of course, this all depends on how much you want to know about the characters; anything that you think is relevant can be included. So for example, if your character has magic, then you could add a Magic section onto your template. Maybe it could include Power(s), Magic Item(s), Fantasy Pet(s), etc.

I also think it matters whether this is for personal use—for your own writing—or whether it’ll be for role playing with other people (since I believe it’s posted here in Limited). If it’s the former, then you can just do whatever feels natural, but if it’s the latter then you‘ll want to consider what the other person will expect when they see the stuff in your template. If, for example, you know for a fact that you want to do a role play that won’t include any sort of romance, then you’ll want to specify that in the instructions. If that’s the case, then you also probably wouldn’t need to include Sexuality in your template. The same thing would apply if you didn’t want to include fantasy species in your role play. You’d specify that it’s human only in the instructions and then make sure not to include any sort of magic or fantasy related traits in your template.

If you’re feeling like you’re struggling with coming up with extra things to put in your template, the Internet might help! I know there are a lot of people who will post blank templates online for writing and DND. And while I wouldn’t just copy theirs exactly, you could definitely use those blank outlines as inspiration for what you might want to put in your own template.

Thanks! This was really helpful! I think I'll leave it up for other writers :)