30 questions to ask your characters

[baratron]

Found this on Tumblr today, and it's awesome: A Character-Building Question Meme.

I'm surprised how utterly easy it is to answer every single question for some of my characters, and how hard it is for others. Anyway, thought it might be a useful resource for writers and/or roleplayers.

 

[Coreysawrus]

What foods do they love, and what foods do they refuse to eat? Loves sweet rolls and meat, hates grilled leeks
What is their weapon of choice, and what weapon do they dislike using the most? Uses a bow and hates any 2 handed weapon
What is their preferred method of transportation? Horseback
Who did they look up to the most as a child? Who do they look up to as an adult? His parents for both
What kind of weather makes them happy, and what kind makes them sad? Sun makes him happy, thunderstorms make him sad
What languages do they speak? Do they have any idiosyncrasies or identifiable patterns of speech, word usages, etc? Speaks English doesn't really have any identifiable patterns of speech and word usage
What clothing do they like to wear, and what do they wear most often? Likes to wear regular clothes but wears his fur armour most often
Do they eat a healthy diet? A varied one? Tries to eat healthily can sometimes be varied
As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? Did they realize their dream? Wanted to become a bard and a bard he became and he ended up getting bored of it
What makes them feel safe or secure? What makes them feel insecure or unsafe? Safe and secure: Warmth from a fire and shelter. Insecure and unsafe: Strange noises and necromancy
What do they do when they need comfort? Do they seek out a person, a food, an activity, etc? Eat anything sweet or lots of physical training
Do they sing or play any musical instruments, even if just for fun? How well? Can sing and play the lute very well, fairly good on the drum, nearly there with the flute
What decision in their past did they most analyze and fret over after the fact? Leaving Dragon Bridge but has nearly gotten over it
What are they like when they are drunk? Flirtatious and laughs a lot
Where in their body do they keep stress or tension? Shoulders
What do they think about where they currently live? If they could move elsewhere, would they? He doesn't mind camping and he freely moves around anyway
Do they have any pet peeves or petty dislikes, and how do they react to encountering them? People who think they are more important than they really are, he rolls his eyes, mumbles and thinks about them getting bludgeoned in the face
What foods do they eat most often? Do they enjoy it? Tends to eat Venison, Rabbit and Cabbages. He enjoys it but would prefer different vegetables
What is their favorite texture? He doesn't really have a preference although there are a few textures he hates
Do they like to travel? How do they pack and prepare? He likes to travel and travels often, he makes sure he has empty soul gems and plenty of food, drink and arrows.
How well do they take criticism? How do they react to others noticing their flaws? He takes criticism well as he just laughs it off or doesn't care due to his carefree nature
What are they like when they get sick? Do they have a particular system (ears, lungs, etc) that illness gravitates to? Lethargic but will be active if provoked or nagged at and illness gravitates to his lungs having really bad chesty cough
What is their favorite drink? Juices from any fruit he has or water from a stream isn't a heavy drinker like the Nords
How do they react to being physically injured or undergoing medical treatment? Initially shows shock but tries to brush it off as much as possible and continue battling, braves a smile and tries to keep calm going under medical treatment because that's how he'd want his patients to be
What do their hands look and feel like? Hands are averagely sized with slim fingers, look and feel dirty but are nice and soft when clean
How much do they eat, and how often? Do they drink appetite suppressants (tea, coffee, etc)? Eats twice daily, doesn't drink appetite suppressants
Do they have children? Do they want children? What names would they choose? Has no children, not sure at the moment whether he wants them, if he had one he'd want it to be called Jesper for a boy or Svana for a girl. He likes Nordic names and he'd have to adopt due to preferences
What is a gift that they have received that was especially touching or significant? An amulet of Kynareth given to him by his mother before she passed away
How do they arrange or decorate their living space? Nothing really to arrange or decorate
Do they have any allergies or chronic conditions? No allergies or chronic conditions

 

[Shiny Motley]

Found this on Tumblr today, and it's awesome: I'm surprised how utterly easy it is to answer every single question for some of my characters, and how hard it is for others. Anyway, thought it might be a useful resource for writers and/or roleplayers.

This, most definitely. It's also pretty surprising how much my characters have changed as I use these questions to kind of evaluate them, Lyn especially; she started out as just me with funny little water powers, but a lot of little things really seperate her from me now.

I also never really considered some of the aspects of my characters addressed by the questions, especially the ones about food and eating habits since I never deemed them really important when I role played. I didn't expect myself to be able to answer them so easily and readily because of it, so I guess I had thought about it at some point when I was making them. XD

 

[Atma]

[22] <baratron> i don't think you need to answer ALL of them, Karu!

I will rise to your challenge I am no amateur RPer! (Just lazy..) Go, Karu~!

What foods do they love, and what foods do they refuse to eat? Fond of desserts. Outright refuses to eat spicy food above mild.
What is their weapon of choice, and what weapon do they dislike using the most? One or two crystal swords, dislikes guns and crossbows.
What is their preferred method of transportation? Ship
Who did they look up to the most as a child? Who do they look up to as an adult? Once looked up to Queen Nioyu, now looks up to no one.
What kind of weather makes them happy, and what kind makes them sad? Rain, sun and snow make him happy, hailstorms making him quite upset.
What languages do they speak? Do they have any idiosyncrasies or identifiable patterns of speech, word usages, etc? Speaks the common tongue and Abyssal, the common language of his home. Identifiably uses a strange mix of archaic and modern syntax, his idiosyncrasies lying mostly in his tendency to idly toy with the hilt of his sword or tendrils.
What clothing do they like to wear, and what do they wear most often? Likes to wear regular clothes but wears his fur armour most often
Do they eat a healthy diet? A varied one? Follows cravings more than advisable dietary requirements, varied in that as a traveller it is difficult to come by the same food and like meals to be set out in courses.
As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? Did they realize their dream? Upon creation he desired to be as powerful and wise as their leader, he has gained knowledge but still fails to match her power or leadership.
What makes them feel safe or secure? What makes them feel insecure or unsafe? The ocean and company of good friends vs. Thunder and being separated from his blade.
What do they do when they need comfort? Do they seek out a person, a food, an activity, etc? Tends to try and separate himself from people, reaching water if he can. The larger the body of it the better.
Do they sing or play any musical instruments, even if just for fun? How well? Can play the flute expertly.
What decision in their past did they most analyse and fret over after the fact? Helping seal away the Queen, rebellion against their wards.
What are they like when they are drunk? Good spirited, emotional.
Where in their body do they keep stress or tension? Shoulders
What do they think about where they currently live? If they could move elsewhere, would they? Despair, as it was recently destroyed. Would prefer to mend it but knows he must move away.
Do they have any pet peeves or petty dislikes, and how do they react to encountering them? Ignorance. Tends to clench his teeth and bare it if he can, often helplessly arguing against it.
What foods do they eat most often? Do they enjoy it? Often eats a meat-based meal with vegetable side. Finds it a boring meal.
What is their favourite texture? Assuming this isn't food, silken textures.
Do they like to travel? How do they pack and prepare? Being born of ocean, adores drifting from place to place before always returning to his origin. Packs and prepares simply by picking himself up and moving on.
How well do they take criticism? How do they react to others noticing their flaws? As an artificial humanoid take it quite personally, often becoming flustered or debating the flaw internally at the very least. However if this is a notation on his combat skills, he will take it far better and adapt if he can.
What are they like when they get sick? Do they have a particular system (ears, lungs, etc) that illness gravitates to? If infected will tend to suffer breathing troubles. Often this is debilitating, though he will do his utmost to fight on through it.
What is their favorite drink? Fresh spring water.
How do they react to being physically injured or undergoing medical treatment? Takes both relatively well, used to magic to heal wounds. Under other treatment becomes relatively panicked.
What do their hands look and feel like? Hands and fingers are pale and slender with cut, well-kept nails, feeling soft as was pleasing to his ward.
How much do they eat, and how often? Do they drink appetite suppressants (tea, coffee, etc)? Eats when the appetite strikes him, roughly one major meal a day and a variation of snacks. Consumer no suppressants.
Do they have children? Do they want children? What names would they choose? Has no children and feigns no desire to have them. Is actually quite keen on the idea though fails to grasp how, as an elemental. Due to the thought being upsetting is unable to settle on names.
What is a gift that they have received that was especially touching or significant? The gemstone and pauldron he wears, given to him by Queen Nioyu to remind him of his freedom from humanity.
How do they arrange or decorate their living space? Has no living space to decorate, though builds things around his waking or daily routine.
Do they have any allergies or chronic conditions? No allergies or chronic conditions short of a severe elemental weakness.

 

[Zachary]

I'm too lazy to add the questions but I did the meme. It was pretty easy for me for most of them. The only ones I had to think about were #10 and #15

1. He eats anything within reason, he won't eat anything that has been cooked by his friend Gao. Has a fondness for bizarre foods.
2. Zachary uses a three foot long modified longsword/jian hybrid that has a serrated edge and is fireproof. He doesn't like using anything that needs aim.
3. Walking, he doesn't like to travel by boat unless he has too. Doesn't mind trains but hates airships due to the Battle of Betha.
4. Zachary used to look up to his older brother, Connor or Brutus by Sheolian naming customs because he was the well liked guy and just was awesome. He still looks up to Connor even as an adult.
5. Zachary likes sunny weather and rain. He loathes snow because it's harder to walk in and not many things can be done in snow.
6. Zachary speaks the generic language, Sheolian, and ancient Ixios. He doesn't finish saying parts of words like "going or doing", he says "doin' or gonna". He has a Sheolian accent(new york). He talks with his hands.
7. He wears belted tunics and breeches, boots and gauntlets. He always wears his checkered scarf and a sword sling for Flammadeus.
8. He eats a high protien/carb diet for energy. He eats fruits and veggies to void off vitamin disorders, has a huge sweet tooth though.
9. He wanted to be an archeologist, joined the military and went through a 10 month training program and became one. Ended up becoming a part of the Sheolian Special Forces. Eventually discovered Avantasia, the sky islands.
10. Zachary never feels safe after fighting in a war almost all of his life but when he feels secure is when he is reminded of how well he is off from others. He often becomes insecure from reminders from the past that haunt him from killing his best friend to watching Connor die to letting go of his dream of finding Avantasia for so long.
11. He often just withdraws and broods. He often talks to Gao or Zelark about the war. When he feels violent, he goes away for a day and just destroys landscapes. When he feels sombre, he retreats into his hall of trophies and sits and ponders.
12. He sucks at playing anything.
13. He often over thinks the death of his friend, Vallance and Gao. He also is haunted by the execution of his brother. Zachary is also haunted by his actions as the Fenrir.
14. Zachary becomes depressed and brooding, he doesn't talk and just sits away from everyone and rubs his army tags.
15. His scarred eye. He claims that everytime it throbs its because of his past sins coming to haunt him.
16. He has a home in his hometown of Zaelos but he just travels. He accepted the fact as the Sol Invictus that ended the war, he will be a legend, a symbol and he never wanted to risk his family and children for it.
17. He hates it when people mock his older brother. He also hates womanizers, anyone who whines about being weak and himself.
18. Not really.
19. He doesn't have one.
20. He is a vagabond, he doesn't really travel with equipment. He prefers to rough it because thats how he was taught in the military.
21. Zachary can take critism if he believes he needs it. If someone tries to critque him about something he feels superior in, he'll get pissy and blow fire in their face.
22. Zachary gets grouchy and quiet. He used to have a diease called Seithr Madness where the body begins to accumlate Seithr and cause it to go into shock from it.
23. He likes water.
24. He takes it and ignores it. His ability to handle pain is inhumane.
25. Rough and calloused, covered in small scars.
26. He eats normally and 5 times a day. He eats everyting.
27. He has two biological twins that are 2 years old named Lilah and Salem. He adopted a 7 year old girl named Rachel.
28. His scarf from his brother, and his sword from his teacher and friend. A book from his wife.
29. He puts up his awards and trophies from his past and hangs his weapon near him.
30. None, used to have Seithr Madness.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

What foods do they love, and what foods do they refuse to eat?
Pizza is a personal favourite, followed by hotdogs and burgers. He doesn't like anything raw, so sushi and undercooked steaks are out. Any drinks with a high sugar content are good but anything diet will just be poured away.

What is their weapon of choice, and what weapon do they dislike using the most?
Usual weapon is a one-handed sword (length variable) and he liked anything with a blade on it. He dislikes blunt weapons (hammers, maces and the like). Whips are kind of a grey area, and he has been known to used firearms.

What is their preferred method of transportation?
Depending on the situation, running or jet-boot flying.

Who did they look up to the most as a child? Who do they look up to as an adult?
As a child, he never really looked up to anyone due to not having any real adult figures in his life. As an adult, he looks up to anyone who has a strong moral code (whether he agrees or not) and conviction to stick to it.

What kind of weather makes them happy, and what kind makes them sad?
He likes rain and thunderstorms (he finds the sound of rain on a rooftop or on windows oddly relaxing) but he really dislikes dull, overcast days.

What languages do they speak? Do they have any idiosyncrasies or identifiable patterns of speech, word usages, etc?
English primarily, and broken phrases in other languages but nothing to make his grasp of the language noteworthy. His speech is very casual, full of contractions.

What clothing do they like to wear, and what do they wear most often?
T-shirts and jeans, very casual stuff. For activity-filled days, he goes for vests and cargo pants for ease of movement.

Do they eat a healthy diet? A varied one?
Fairly healthy, but if it's a choice between a pizza and a salad he'll always go for the salad.

As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? Did they realize their dream?
He pretty much grew up wanting the strength to protect himself and his friends. He got that.

What makes them feel safe or secure? What makes them feel insecure or unsafe?
Familiarity of surroundings and company of his friends makes him feel secure, and some earthy smells like trees and flowers calm him. Harsh or unknown locations or tense environments make him uncomfortable but not cripplingly so.

What do they do when they need comfort? Do they seek out a person, a food, an activity, etc?
Usually he'll stick a terrible movie on and have a few quiet drinks.

Do they sing or play any musical instruments, even if just for fun? How well?
Can drum, has once been known to be able to play a saxophone. Fairly good at drumming, passable on saxophone.

What decision in their past did they most analyze and fret over after the fact?
About 50% of his morally ambiguous decisions. Every decision that could have (or did) end with a death.

What are they like when they are drunk?
Flirty, silly, loud and active.

Where in their body do they keep stress or tension?
His shoulders and hands, though it's usually visible on his face as well.

What do they think about where they currently live? If they could move elsewhere, would they?
He likes it, it's far enough away from civilisation that he can get some peace and quiet but not so far that it's a pain to visit. He probably wouldn't move permanently, but an apartment in a busy city would be nice.

Do they have any pet peeves or petty dislikes, and how do they react to encountering them?
Arrogance and smugness really rubs him the wrong way. Depending on the person, he'll either grit his teeth and bear it or he'll call the person out on it. Has mixed results.

What foods do they eat most often? Do they enjoy it?
Pizza primarily, but anything that's quick and easy to make. If it's made properly, he always enjoys it but anything cheap and coming from a box of lies he's more likely to throw in the bin.

What is their favorite texture?
Anything soft and furry. He likes cats for that reason alone.

Do they like to travel? How do they pack and prepare?
He doesn't mind travelling and always carries around his essentials with little else. Often, he'll only take what he can fit in his pockets but sometimes he'll have an overnight bag with a change of clothes and such.

How well do they take criticism? How do they react to others noticing their flaws?
Mixed reactions, depending on who's saying it. If it's gentle or constructive, he'll accept it quietly and aim to improve. If it's said as if it's an attack, he'll be indignant and determined to prove it wrong.

What are they like when they get sick? Do they have a particular system (ears, lungs, etc) that illness gravitates to?
Rarely gets sick, but spends a lot of time in bed with water or juice and rests the illness away. Nothing overly specific.

What is their favorite drink?
Any kind of fizzy drink with a high sugar content (he adores energy drinks) during the day. On nights out, he pretty much sticks to beer.

How do they react to being physically injured or undergoing medical treatment?
Depends on the situation again. If it's mid-battle, he'll push through it because it's not worth losing his life over. Outside of fighting, he'll rest long enough to recover strength (but not usually long enough to heal fully).

What do their hands look and feel like?
Like the rest of his body, pretty thin fingers but he has a firm handshake and callouses from years of sword-fighting. They're slender as opposed to skinny.

How much do they eat, and how often? Do they drink appetite suppressants (tea, coffee, etc)?
Eats when he can, mostly, but has no problem putting away quite a bit of food. Drinks a lot of coffee and smokes from time to time so his appetite isn't always high.

Do they have children? Do they want children? What names would they choose?
No children, because his life isn't exactly conductive for raising a kid and he's also still quite young.

What is a gift that they have received that was especially touching or significant?
He still wears a necklace with a sapphire pendant on it and very rarely takes it off. It reminds him of what he had and what he's lost and motivation to not lose anything so precious to him again.

How do they arrange or decorate their living space?
Fairly bare-bones. His bedroom has a bed, a vanity table and a wardrobe. His living room has a sofa, an end table and a TV. Essentials.

Do they have any allergies or chronic conditions?
Nothing noteworthy.

 

[Mr.RMA]

1. What foods do they love, and what foods do they refuse to eat? :
Loves anything meat related, namely chicken, ham and beef. Refuses to eat tofu, or other meat substitutes of the sort.

2. What is their weapon of choice, and what weapon do they dislike using the most? :
Likes to use handguns when he gets the opportunity, but he more often uses his powers to create two twin blades made of ice. He dislikes close-range and melee weapons not made by his own abilities.

3. What is their preferred method of transportation?:
When not simply on foot, he often creates ice trails in front of them and forms makeshift blades on his feet to skate along at a faster pace, kind of akin to Frozone.

4. Who did they look up to the most as a child? Who do they look up to as an adult? :
As a child, he looked up to his father. As an adult, however, he’s come to avoid looking up to anyone anymore.

5. What kind of weather makes them happy, and what kind makes them sad?:
Snowy, cloudy weather usually lifts his spirits. Warmer and more humid weather irritates him the most.

6. What languages do they speak? Do they have any idiosyncrasies or identifiable patterns of speech, word usages, etc?:
He speaks English, but has come to know bits and pieces of a few other languages, though not enough of any to be of any use when it comes to translation. He used to have a very thick Brooklynite accent, which has dulled a bit over time, having been forcibly relocated from his old home, though it’s still noticeable.

7. What clothing do they like to wear, and what do they wear most often?:
Usually sticks to his normal button-up and slacks, underneath the infamous trademark of his that is his trenchcoat.

8. Do they eat a healthy diet? A varied one?:
Doesn’t really do healthy very well, and though he isn’t just carnivorous, that’s where most of his preference lies.

9. As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? Did they realize their dream?:
He wanted to open up an auto-dealership, having had an early affinity for cars. Never had the chance to get this realized, and due to his current circumstances, he most likely never will.

10. What makes them feel safe or secure? What makes them feel insecure or unsafe?:
Being alone, playing his saxophone, is the closest thing to a secure experience he gets. Spending too much time in public, namely around people who question his controversial fashion sense, tends to make him uncomfortable. Being in the company of 'Them', and remembering what that organization did to him and his family, also tends to make him vulnerable, though he tries not to show it.

11. What do they do when they need comfort? Do they seek out a person, a food, an activity, etc? :
Often simply stays in his home alone, in silence. Hardly ever seeks out other people.

12. Do they sing or play any musical instruments, even if just for fun? How well?:
He plays his aforementioned saxophone traditionally before he goes on missions. He’s gained some fair experience with the instrument, far more now than when he started out.

13. What decision in their past did they most analyze and fret over after the fact?:
His decision to simply keep moving on, the very day that he found out about his powers, the same day he was taken by 'Them', his father was killed, he found out about his father’s career, and he barely escaped ‘Their’ clutches with what remained of his ruined life. He still feels that maybe he didn’t deserve to make it out of that ordeal alive if he had to lose so much in the process.

14. What are they like when they are drunk?:
Angry, violent, nearly bloodthirsty and savage.

15. Where in their body do they keep stress or tension? :
His shoulders and his fists, though he’ll also start to hunch forward if particularly stressed.

16. What do they think about where they currently live? If they could move elsewhere, would they? :
Doesn’t think too much of being stuck where he is for safety reasons, but doesn’t think it’s too bad of a place in retrospect. He’d still like to go back to living in New York, even if such a desire is basically impossible to fulfill.

17. Do they have any pet peeves or petty dislikes, and how do they react to encountering them? :
People bugging him about his trenchcoat will usually set him off if they are persistent about it. Often, he’ll just yell at the person or tell them off, but if he’s really upset, he’ll sometimes lash out physically at them.

18. What foods do they eat most often? Do they enjoy it? :
He often eats whatever meals he can get in the Citadel. If he can get his hands on meat, he’s happy. If not, then, not so much.

19. What is their favorite texture? :
Sharp and brittle, basically icy textures.

20. Do they like to travel? How do they pack and prepare?:
Though he likes being alone, he also likes to be reminded of his former life on the surface, and doesn’t mind traveling back up there when he gets the chance, so long as whoever he’s traveling with doesn’t get on his nerves. Doesn't usually pack much, since his trips to the surface are usually brief, and he can get whatever supplies he needs while on the job.

21. How well do they take criticism? How do they react to others noticing their flaws? :
Indifference is usually his first reaction, but this can elevate to irritable and violent quickly if provoked. His confidence isn’t exactly the greatest, so he doesn’t really care if others notice his flaws themselves.

22. What are they like when they get sick? Do they have a particular system (ears, lungs, etc) that illness gravitates to?:
Acts even quieter than usual, grumbles in a raspy tone when he does speak, and often hides the lower part of his face under his coat.

23. What is their favorite drink?:
Beer if he can get it. Water is usually the alternative that he drinks the most however.

24. How do they react to being physically injured or undergoing medical treatment? :
Stiffens up at first, and usually attempts to disregard the pain if he can. Tries to avoid medical treatment, but when he has to resort to it, he’ll usually keep quiet and allow any sort of medical personnel in charge to finish their work without complaint.

25. What do their hands look and feel like? :
They’re cold, dry and fairly large, usually kept half-way into a fist position.

26. How much do they eat, and how often? Do they drink appetite suppressants (tea, coffee, etc)? :
Eats when he gets hungry, and when it’s convenient for him.

27. Do they have children? Do they want children? What names would they choose? :
He has no children, and since he hasn’t really taken love life into consideration, he doesn’t expect, nor want, any in the future. Names, of course, would then be unneeded, and if he somehow got kids, he’d probably just number them.

28. What is a gift that they have received that was especially touching or significant? :
Though not technically given to him, his trenchcoat was one that he recovered from someone significant to his life, and he wears it namely as a keepsake.

29. How do they arrange or decorate their living space? :
It’s mostly constructed in a noir style, with dim lighting and dark colors, mostly brown and beige, in an apartment style setting.

30. Do they have any allergies or chronic conditions? :
None that he’s aware of.