Jackstack
Junior Member
Recently, it seems I have made it easy for my character. How do I challenge them, without them dying (Of course, I can say they lived, but that wouldn't make sense.)?
Advice/Help How do I challenge my Character?
- Thread starter Jackstack
- Start date
rae2nerdy
left site
Just to be clear your asking how you make your character physically stronger? ( or fight better )
Jackstack
Junior Member
No, because I'm not in a RP where strength is required. Like, a survival zombie RP, how do I challenge him more, like, harder zombies, less supplies, inconvenient supplies, and how do I do it in a way in which he lives?
Hachi Machi
Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong
You should have your character get sick randomly, or get distracted, etc. Maybe an event is making him mentally unstable? Just weaken your character, if you want to make it more challenging. You can make your character survive the scenario by overcoming his current predicaments with flashbacks, witnessing the carnage, adrenaline rush, etc. However, make them suffer the consequence later, after they survive.
Borkus Lazorus
Senior Member
Dismembered or crippling him is usually reserved for major things when you want to up the tension and horror of the RP.
Windsock
Two Thousand Club
How do you challenge yourself?
Yaruzaru
Feral tendencies, cuddle at your own risk
I think you pretty much have to put yourself in situations where you might actually die in order to challenge yourself. You can always plot armor your way out if you really want to survive an otherwise fatal moment. Just try not to be too cheesy about it.
Coward
A marshmallow.
I think we tend to worry about our characters too much. You can treat your guy seriously terribly and he'll bounce back... how could he not? You have all the power.
So maybe he gets bit and someone chops his hand off to save him. Maybe he's starving and he's forced to eat something horrible. Maybe he's seen too much and he's suffering nightmares. Maybe he's looking for a loved one and just not finding them. Maybe his last hope is being crushed.
It shouldn't be hard to challenge someone in the apocalypse, tbh - you've probably thought of all these yourself. The hard part is pulling the trigger and being cruel to your character. Just take a deep breath and do it. Let them be weak for a while and struggle, so it feels more important when they get stronger again.
So maybe he gets bit and someone chops his hand off to save him. Maybe he's starving and he's forced to eat something horrible. Maybe he's seen too much and he's suffering nightmares. Maybe he's looking for a loved one and just not finding them. Maybe his last hope is being crushed.
It shouldn't be hard to challenge someone in the apocalypse, tbh - you've probably thought of all these yourself. The hard part is pulling the trigger and being cruel to your character. Just take a deep breath and do it. Let them be weak for a while and struggle, so it feels more important when they get stronger again.
DeerPrince
lulu
This might sound weird, but if you want to challenge your character, you should probably think about how it might affect the RP in the long run and how you want the character to change.. Like what sort of change do you want in him/what you want him to become, if that makes sense? You don't want to just put in random challenges that don't enhance the story, because that can be seen as gratuitous and distracting. So, the first order of business would be figuring out if it does relate significantly to the RP/add something (i.e. action, angst, tension) and then figuring out how you want this event to change the character. So, if you want your character to become mentally stronger, perhaps you could have him tortured and desensitized (like Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul), or if your character is on the weaker/more privileged side, you could have them see a scene of tragedy that occurs normally for the less fortunate that would open their eyes and make them want to help others. That's also a show of strength.
These are just overall suggestions, though they don't actually pertain to your current RP idea.
To challenge your character does not necessarily have to be physically. You can challenge your character mentally.
For your current roleplay, maybe he sees someone getting eaten and he has to decide whether or not to save himself or the other person and risk death. That inner turmoil can also be a fun challenge to write about and help your character grow and develop.
If you do do a major sort of character challenge/plot twist, you might want to limit yourself to only one to two through the whole RP because then it can come off as too much and cheesy, and that's not good either~
These are just overall suggestions, though they don't actually pertain to your current RP idea.
To challenge your character does not necessarily have to be physically. You can challenge your character mentally.
For your current roleplay, maybe he sees someone getting eaten and he has to decide whether or not to save himself or the other person and risk death. That inner turmoil can also be a fun challenge to write about and help your character grow and develop.
If you do do a major sort of character challenge/plot twist, you might want to limit yourself to only one to two through the whole RP because then it can come off as too much and cheesy, and that's not good either~
AldarisLordOfLight
Friend of Colors, Knight of the Pen, Cat Father
A challenge for your character can come in the form of a physical obstacle/disability, a mental puzzle or conundrum, maybe it can be an emotional baggage that no one in the world he/she operates knew about. But you have to remember that this can affect the RP you and your buddies are doing as well as how your character would grow as the world moves forward. So, challenges are good but don't go overboard to the point where it would ruin the story for you and your friends. 
Bone2pick
Minority of One
I second this.
Umbrie
Adorable Little Nymph
if your character is an Epic Action Hero in an Apocalypse Roleplay, Combat might no longer be a challenge, but having to take on some new orphans under your wing and raise them as if you were a surrogate father might be a separate type of challenge that might potentially enhance the story.
even if your character is an extremely jaded pragmatist who is cold to everybody else, spending a week or few protecting children could thaw even the most frozen of hearts. according to hollywood tropes.
so your badass action hero still gets to be a badass in combat, but now, they have to deal with the non combat related challenge of caring for a random group of orphans they just rescued and could possibly end up slowly softening up for those orphans.
it is a possibility. from badass action hero to badass fatherly mentor
even if your character is an extremely jaded pragmatist who is cold to everybody else, spending a week or few protecting children could thaw even the most frozen of hearts. according to hollywood tropes.
so your badass action hero still gets to be a badass in combat, but now, they have to deal with the non combat related challenge of caring for a random group of orphans they just rescued and could possibly end up slowly softening up for those orphans.
it is a possibility. from badass action hero to badass fatherly mentor
Idea
The Pun Tyrant
SImple answer: put something they care about at stake, and then put that on the line to force the character to confront their weak points. This is not the most original route, and you shouldn´t ALWAYS use it, but it´s one of the easiest to pull off right.
Tedronai
Member
How you challenge your character will depend on the character. As
Umbrie
said, if they're already a competent warrior then combat isn't what's going to challenge them. Understand what their weakness is and put an obstacle related to it in their way.
No-one likes being outside of their comfort zone, but if you don't stray from it you don't grow as a person. Characters are no different.
Umbrie
said, if they're already a competent warrior then combat isn't what's going to challenge them. Understand what their weakness is and put an obstacle related to it in their way.No-one likes being outside of their comfort zone, but if you don't stray from it you don't grow as a person. Characters are no different.
AlecTheTransPrince
Unlucky Member
you throw a challenger at him with a sword and demand a duel
