What're your biggest inspirations for characters?

[Catnapper]

Pretty much all of my characters have been based off of a song in some way. Music definitely helps me create an overall theme for my characters, otherwise they're really boring and/or I'm not able to play as them very well. In my eyes, giving a character a song gives them so much more life! What about you? What helps you make your characters?

 

[LegoLad659]

For me it's usually pictures or concepts. If I see a picture I like, sometimes I'll end up making a character out of it. Other times I'll see something really cool and base a character off of that concept (eg. One character was inspired by a hacking game called Hacknet, while another is based off of Vee Is Calling).

 

[TheCarolean]

The scenario in which I'll be RPing in, a video game or movie, and sometimes a book. I don't take a character from one of those things, I just more so make them as if they were from that world

 

[YanaAi]

It's all in the name.  :ph34r:  I find it most fun choosing a name and deriving the character's background, personality and quirks from it. It can be as straightforward as the meaning of his/her name or as paradox as I can twist it.

 

[spookie]

sometimes i'll end up turning one of my random sketches into a character if i like how the design turned out. music helps a ton, but usually only once i've got a very rough idea already. most of my characters are at least a few years old, so their development has been kinda slow. i haven't made a new roleplay character in forever, honestly. 

 

[sealdust]

Wow, I didn't expect that my usual inspiration wouldn't have been previously mentioned here. I don't have an exact inspiration other than me deciding that I want to create a character and going from there. Usually I do try to create them for a certain setting (since I hate placing them into a default 'no world' category), but it's more of an interview process for me when actually creating them (rather than referring to something as an inspiration point). So my inspiration is my mood? Then it's just a process where I try to imagine what their life is like, so I can slip into the process of how they think?


So my final answer would be my mood. Moods can be pretty inspiring. Thoughts can also be inspiring. Visualizations of the characters in my head are also inspiring?

 

[Inner Power]

Music and images. Top two 

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

Depends on the situation. Sometimes I derive my inspiration from the rp universe and work from there. Other times I take a name and make him/her the opposite personality wise. Usually it's all just based on fantasy stuff though. Basic concepts like, today: I WILL MAKE A TANK

 

[Truthblade]

I can't count how many times choices about my characters was influenced by something I saw in a movie, game, or show (i don't rip it off of course though).So yeah..,that...

 

[Shin Positron Laser]

The initial creation of a character is done by taking into consideration all available information provided in the RP.


I try to dedicate about an hour or so when making a character and never leave it unfinished otherwise my train of thought can be lost over several days of completing a character sheet.


The personality for sure is derived from a bit of myself and someone who I know very well, just to make it challenging and not self inserting myself.


When actually developing the character in the Roleplay itself, I try to reflect thoughts, patterns of speech and little subtle  actions as much as I can.


I definitely try to base any actions on experiences either myself or someone else I know has gone through, or at least have some form that is similar to that experience.


For example when RPing in Fantasy, you have your characters fighting a dragon, well I do not know anyone who has faced a dragon. But I have the knowledge of my


friend who was chased down by a grizzly. He described to me the feelings, his thoughts and what he did as well as the great details of the bears actions. In that way


 I can translate that experience into my character. But mostly it is the interaction with other players that life experience lends a hand in really diversifying ones character creation.

 

[StarryKnights]

A lot of my characters are based off of songs, things I've seen in TV, or something I've read in a book. Sometimes I'll be drawing and I'll make something new, and then that picture becomes a character concept to be developed...

 

[zooka]

I agree with what people have said about fitting a character into a world.  


I like to figure out what sorts of strengths and weaknesses, successes and struggles a character might have in the plot, and then go from there.  What life events lead to these characteristics?  What else would that mean for this person?  


Roleplaying, for me, is all about the story, so the characters should compliment the story in an interesting way.


Though I should add that I love figuring out what music then fits my character, and I sort of use that to develop my "voice" and emotion for that character.  Does anyone else do this?

 

[Shin Positron Laser]

Though I should add that I love figuring out what music then fits my character, and I sort of use that to develop my "voice" and emotion for that character.  Does anyone else do this?

I take a somewhat different approach. Whenever my character is in a situation I try and find music from my storage of soundtracks that would fit the situation properly, whether my character is pondering a sort of dilemma, reflecting on his past events through a flashback or combating fantastical creatures. There is always a good sound to each. And if you know what music fits because you understand the composer created that piece specifically for that kind of situation then its a bonus.

 

[zooka]

I take a somewhat different approach. Whenever my character is in a situation I try and find music from my storage of soundtracks that would fit the situation properly, whether my character is pondering a sort of dilemma, reflecting on his past events through a flashback or combating fantastical creatures. There is always a good sound to each. And if you know what music fits because you understand the composer created that piece specifically for that kind of situation then its a bonus.

See, I love lyrics.  But I have to admit I am a huge fan of soundtracks.  I used to do homework to the music from Series of Unfortunate Events.  Or I would just turn on a Pandora Station of musical scores. 


I think Hanna has my all time favorite soundtrack though.

 

[Sign]

Music or the picture that I'm working it.


The power and influence of music is amazing, I mean, I enjoy making roleplay plots because I listen to music. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

 

[call me rae]

Usually depends on the roleplay. If I'm doing something more original I'll pull from book series I enjoy or pictures. If it's superheroes I usually just pick a power and build a character around that.