Questions

Questions

This page is a collection of external links, questionnaires, and little quizzes that will help you build your character into a more robust roleplaying experience. I don’t expect you to answer every single question, but browse through and find 10-20 that pique your interest.

A Note on Physical Descriptions

To some degree, a LARP relies on suspension of disbelief, and one way you can help that is by trying to make your character appear similar to you. For example, if you have long brown hair, you’re free to make a character with short silver hair, but you’ll probably have to keep reminding everyone you meet that you look different. Likewise, if you want to do a character who’s ‘slightly thinner than me’, ‘slightly taller than me’, etc, you might just make them the same as you so you don’t have to worry about the details.

I don’t mean to shoehorn you into only doing characters that look like you. Just think about how well you can costume your mental image - if you can’t get close enough, try a different image.

Going beyond the numbers – building an interesting character for a LARP. (http://www.skaro.com/larpplay.html)

Questions by Rich Taylor (hosted at http://skitten.best.vwh.net/100questions.html)

Mandatory Questions

1. What about you is heroic?
2. What about you is social? What do you like about people?
3. Of what benefit could you be to the current group?
4. Why would you choose to join the current group?
5. Invent an adventure/plot that your character would actively undertake, as opposed to just tagging along.

Personal Questions

1. What is your real, birth name? What name do you use?
2. Do you have a nickname? What is it, and where did you get it?
3. What do you look like? (Include height, weight, hair, eyes, skin, apparent age, and distinguishing features)
4. How do you dress most of the time?
5. How do you "dress up?"
6. How do you "dress down?"
7. What do you wear when you go to sleep?
8. Do you wear any jewelry?
9. In your opinion, what is your best feature?
10. What's your real birth date?
11. Where do you live? Describe it: Is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.?
12. Do you own a car? Describe it.
13. What is your most prized mundane possession? Why do you value it so much?
14. What one word best describes you?

Familial Questions

1. What was your family like?

2. Who was your father, and what was he like?
3. Who was your mother, and what was she like?
4. What was your parents’ marriage like? Were they married? Did they remain married?
5. What were your siblings’ names? What were they like?
6. What's the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What's the worst thing you've done to one of your siblings?
7. When's the last time you saw any member of your family? Where are they now?
8. Did you ever meet any other family members? Who were they? What did you think of them?

Childhood Questions

1. What is your first memory?
2. What was your favorite toy?
3. What was your favorite game?
4. Any non-family member adults stick out in your mind? Who were they, and how did you know them? Why do they stick out?
5. Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
6. What is your fondest, childhood memory?
7. What is your worst childhood memory?

Adolescent Questions

1. How old were you when you went on your first date?
2. It is common for one's view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. What is your view of authority, and what event most affected it?
3. What were you like in high school? What "clique" did you best fit in with?
4. What were your high school goals?
5. Who was your idol when you were growing up? Who did you first fantasize about in your life?
6. What is your favorite memory from adolescence?
7. What is your worst memory from adolescence?

Occupational Questions

1. Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it? If no job, where does your money come from?
2. What is your boss or employer like? (Or publisher, or agent, or whatever.)
3. What are your co-workers like? Do you get along with them? Any in particular? Which ones don't you get along with?
4. What is something you had to learn that you hated?
5. Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?

Likes/Dislikes Questions

1. What hobbies do you have?
2. Who is your closest mundane friend? Describe them and how you relate to them.
3. Who is your worst mundane enemy? Describe them and why you don't get along.
4. What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?
5. What tape or CD hasn't left your player since your purchased it? Why?
6. What song is "your song?" Why?
7. What's been your favorite movie of all time?
8. Read any good books? What were they?
9. What do you watch on the Television?
10. When it comes to mundane politics, do you care? If so, which way do you tend to vote? If not, why don't you care?
11. What type of places do you hang out in with your mundane friends?
12. What type of places do you hang out in with your normal friends?
13. What annoys you more than anything else?
14. What would be the perfect gift for you?
15. What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
16. What time of day is your favorite?
17. What kind of weather is your favorite?
18. What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
19. What is your favorite drink? (Coffee, Coke, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.)
20. What's your favorite animal? Why?
21. Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?
22. What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)
23. What habit that others have annoys you most?
24. What kind of things embarrass you? Why?
25. What don't you like about yourself?
26. How would you like to look?

Sex and Intimacy Questions

1. Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why?
2. Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? What was it like? How well did it go?
3. Have you ever had a same-sex experience? Who with, what was it like, and how did it go?
4. What is your deepest, most well-hidden sexual fantasy? Would you ever try it?
5. What was the wildest thing you've ever done, sexually? Who was it with and when did it happen?
6. Is there any sexual activity that you enjoy and/or practice regularly that can be considered non-standard? (Bondage, Fantasy Play, etc.) Why do you like it?
7. Is there any sexual activity that you will not, under any circumstances, do?
8. Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
9. What is the perfect romantic date?
10. Describe the perfect romantic partner for you.
11. Do you ever want to get married and have children? When do you see this happening?
12. What is more important - sex or intimacy? Why?
13. What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)
14. What's the worst thing you've done to someone you loved?

Drug and Alcohol Questions

1. How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like? Did anything good come out of it? Did anything bad come out of it?
2. Do you drink on any kind of regular basis?
3. What kind of alcohol do you prefer?
4. Have you ever tried any other kind of "mood altering" substance? Which one(s)? What did you think of each?
5. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any people should not do? Why or why not?

Morality Questions

1. What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act in your past are you most proud of?
2. Have you ever been in an argument before? Over what, with who, and who won?
3. Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?
4. What do you feel most strongly about?
5. What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?
6. What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it?
7. Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or art (sex, violence, greed, etc.)? If so, what, and why? And if not, why not?
8. Do you have any feelings in general that you are disturbed by? What are they? Why do they disturb you?
9. What is your religious view of things? What religion, if any, do you call your own?
10. Do you think the future is hopeful? Why?
11. Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure? Which is more valuable? Why do you feel this way?
12. What's the worst thing that can be done to another person? Why?
13. What's the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
14. Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that? If you think the whole leader-follower archetype is a crock of shit, say so, and explain why?
15. What is your responsibility to the world, if any? Why do you think that?
16. Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
17. Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
18. What do you think is wrong with MOST people, overall?

Post-Awakening Questions

1. When did you go through whatever made you supernatural? What was it like (in your opinion)?
2. What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool, or have you been screwed?
3. Do you have a mentor? Who are they? How did you become their student?
4. Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them?
5. What do you think of the other denizens of the World of Darkness? Why for each? (If you haven't met something, do you think it exists, and if it does, is that bad or good?)
6. Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. What was it?
7. What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?

Miscellaneous Questions

1. What is the thing that has frightened you most? Do you think there is anything out there that's scarier than that? What do you think that would be?
2. Has anyone or anything you've ever cared about died? How did you feel about it? What happened?
3. What was the worst injury you've ever received? How did it happen?
4. How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
5. What is your current long term goal?
6. What is your current short term goal?
7. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they, and do you plan to get rid of them?
8. If you were a mundane person, what would you do with your life? What occupation would you want, and how would you spend all your time?
9. What time period do you wish you had lived in? Why? (Looking at this as an attempt to change history doesn't count.) What appeals to you about this era?
10. How private of a person are you? Why?
11. If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money (via an inheritance, a lawsuit, a lottery, or anything else) what would you do with it?
12. What would you wish for if you found a genie?
13. What do you do when you are bored?
14. What is the most frightening potential handicap or disfigurement you can conceive of? What makes it so frightening?

Mage Questions

1. How do you feel about your tradition?
2. How do you feel about Sleepers?
3. What tradition, outside of your own, do you feel the biggest connection with? Why?
4. What tradition do you dislike the most, and why?
5. What is a bigger curse to Mages, Paradox or Hubris, and why?
6. Have you ever been in Quiet before? What was it like?
7. What's a bigger threat to reality right now, the Technocracy or the Nephandi? Why?
8. Is it better to destroy your enemies or convert them? Why?
9. Should Ascension be personal or social, and why?
10. Define Magic, in your own terms. What is it? How does it work? Are Foci tools or crutches, and why?
11. Describe your avatar in detail, both in appearance and personality.
12. Do you think the Traditions can win the Ascension War? Why?

Questions by M. Kathleen Crouch (http://www.mountainwolfden.com/rpg-charac.html)

Introduction Questions
Give a two or three word description of character.
Does your character have any nicknames, street names, titles, nom de plume?
What is your character's full birth name?
Where do your character live?
Why does your character live there?
What is your character's citizenship status?
What is your character's most obvious blessing or strength?
What do your character's perceive as your greatest strength?
What is your character's most obvious flaw or weakness?
What does your character perceive as his/hers greatest weakness?
Was there any event or cause of these weaknesses?

Physical Traits
How old is your character?
What is your character's gender?
What is your character's ethnicity?
How tall is your character?
How much does your character weigh?
What is your character's general body type, frame, bone structure, and poise?
What is your character's skin color?
What is your character's hair color?
What is your character's hair style?
Does your character have any facial hair?
What is your character's eye color?
How attractive is your character?
What is your character's most distinguishing feature?
Does your character have any scars, tattoos, or birthmarks?
If so, how did your character acquire them?
What do these distinguishing marks look like?
Do they have any special significance?
Where are they located?
What is your character's handedness (left/right)?
Does your character resemble some currently known person?
What is your character's hand size/description?

Does your character wear a uniform?
What kind of clothing does your character wear?
What is your character's clothing's style or level of sophistication?
What size is your character's for various pieces of clothing?
Does your character wear makeup?
Does your character wear glasses/contacts?
What sort of vocal tone does your character have?

Does your character get sick? Maybe your character catches the flu twice a year and that's it?
Or maybe you have a weak immune system and catch anything that goes around?

History

Where is your character's homeland?
What are its people like?
Is your character aware of its history?
Is your character patriotic, or a social outcast?
What are your character's opinions of home?
Where is your character's home town?
What is your character's home town's name?
What was the area like and how did it affect you?
Did your character witness any historical events?
If so, how did that event impact your character?

Are your character's real reasons for being active in the group different from what he/she tells others?
If so, how might such secrets be revealed?
How far would your character go to keep such secrets from being revealed? What would your character do if the truth became known?
What do your character fear would occur if the truth became known?

What about your character's race, growing up was your character in the majority or a minority?
How was your character treated by other nearby races?
Was your character persecuted for his/her race?
Did this impact your character's outlook in any way?
Did it affect your character's personality?
How does your character feel about other races?
Does your character have any justification from his/her past experience for holding such views?

Were there any traumatic experiences in your character's early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age, etc.)?

Briefly describe a defining moment in your character's childhood and how it influenced your character's life.

What was childhood like for your character?
Was it calm and peaceful or turbulent and traumatic?
Did your character have any childhood friends?
If so, who and where are they now?
Is your character still close to them or have you grown apart?

What stupid things did your character do when he/she was younger?

Which toys has your character kept from childhood?
Why? What do they mean to your character?
If your character didn't keep any, why not?
What did your character do to them all?

Does your character have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt him/her?
What conflicts might arise from your character's past?
Is your character who he/she claims to be?
Does your character have any sort of criminal record?
How does your character view the heroes/legends of his/her country?

Family

Who were your character's parents?
Was your character raised by them?
If not, then why didn't they and who did raise your character?
What is your character's father's full name?
What is your character's mother's full name?
What did your character's parents and/or foster parents do for a living?
What was their standing in the community?
Did your character's family stay in one area or move around a lot?
How did your character get along with their parents?
How would your character's parents describe you? Answer this in the voice of your character's mother, then in your character's father's voice.
Does your character have any siblings?
If so how many and what were their names?
What was your character's birth position in the family (i.e.-first born, only child, youngest of four, etc.)?
How did your character get along with each of their siblings?

What was your character's family life like?

List all current knowledge of family locations, spouses, children, birth dates, schooling and any important incidents that only your character and they might remember.
Are any or all of your family still alive?
If so, where are they now?
Does your character stay in touch with them or has your character become estranged?
Draw out your family tree, including living and dead relatives.

Does your character love or hate one member of the family in particular?
Is any member of the family special to your character in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)?
Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including your character)?
If so, who are they and how did they "gain" the position?
If this person is not your character, then how does your character feel about them?

Does your character have a notorious or celebrated ancestor?
If so, what did this person do to become famous or infamous?
What do people assume about your character once your character's ancestry is revealed? Does your character try to live up to the reputation of their ancestor, try to live it down, or ignore it?

Has your character begun your own family?
If not, does your character ever want to have a family of his/her own someday?
If so, with who or what type of person?
What type of person would be your character's ideal mate?
What would your character be willing to do to protect such a person?
Is there anything your character wouldn't do to protect such a person and if so what? Would anything change your character's mind on this issue, and if so, what?

Relationships

Does your character have any close friends? If so, who and what are they like?
What is the history of their relationship(s) with your character?

Does your character currently have a best friend whom your character would protect with your character's reputation or your character's life?
If so, who are they and what caused your character to feel so close to them? What would have to happen for your character to end this relationship?

Does your character have any bitter enemies?
If so, who are they, what are they like, and what is the history of their feud with your character? How might these enemies seek to discomfit your character in the future?

What valuable or important contacts does your character have?
How did your character come to know them?

Which person(s) or group(s) is your character most loyal to? Who is your character most trusted ally?
Who does your character trust, in general?

List any past serious relationships that your character had, and give a brief overview of the relationship(s). How does your character think others generally perceive him/her?

If someone crossed your character's path, what would your character do?
Who does your character despise and why?

Name seven things your character hate in others.

Is your character's image consistent?
Do people see your character in similar ways?
Does your character deliberately present him/her-self differently in different situations, and how?

For what would your character die for?
For whom would your character go to extremes for?

Who does your character turn to when he/she's in trouble?
What is the worst thing someone has done to your character?

What are your character's general reactions to an attractive member of the opposite sex who lets your character know they are available?

How does your character get along with others in the same field and/or work environment?
How can your character be blackmailed, beaten, and tricked by others?

Has your character lost any loves?
How did your character handle the situation (short & long term)?

Who would miss your character, should he/she go missing?
Who might protect your character?
Who might be convinced to sell your character out?

How close is your character to his/her friends?
What do they know about your character?
What do they not know about your character?
What does your character know and not know about them?

Does your character live with anyone (housemates, roommates, relatives, friends, near-strangers, family friend, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, lover)?

Is your character a member of any special interest groups?
What is your character's level of involvement?

What is your character's current status with local law-enforcement?
Does your character have a record of cooperation or non-cooperation with authorities?
Does your character have a file with local, national or international law enforcement?

Personality/Beliefs

Does your character, or did your character, have any role models? Does your character have any heroes or idols, either contemporary or from legend?
If so, has your character ever met them?
Did your character ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?

Does your character have any dreams or ambitions?
If not, why?

What are your character's short term goals (what would your character like to be doing within a year)?
What are your character's long term goals (what would your character like to be doing twenty years from now)?
If these goals seem at odds with each other or with your dreams, how does your character reconcile the differences?
How does your character seek to fulfill these dreams, goals, & ambitions?

Does your character have any great rational or irrational fears or phobias? If so, what are the origins of or reasons behind them?
What, if anything, would it take for your character to be able to overcome this?
How does your character react when this fear manifests itself?
Is your character willing to discuss, or even admit to, the situation?

What are your character's attitudes regarding material wealth?
Is your character miserly with your share of the wealth, or do you spend it freely?
Is your character greedy or generous?
Does your character see wealth as a mark of success, or just as a means to an end?

How does your character generally treat others?
Does your character trust easily (perhaps too easily) or not?

Is your character introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)?
Is your character a humble soul or blusteringly proud?
Does your character act differently than you feel (concealing his/her true thoughts)?

What habits would your character find most annoying in friends?

Is there any race, creed, alignment, religion, class, profession, political viewpoint, or the like against which your character is strongly prejudiced, and why?

How do others typically react to your character?
Why, in your opinion, do they act that way?

What are your character's most annoying habits?

What is your character's favorite food?
What is your character's favorite drink?
What is your character's favorite treat (dessert)?
Does your character favor a particular cuisine?
Does your character savor the tastes when eating or "wolf down" his/her food?
Does your character like food mild or heavily spiced?
Are there any specific foodstuffs that your character find disgusting or refuse to eat? Is your character allergic to any food?
What are your character's favorite color(s)?
Is there any color that your character dislikes?
Does your character have a favorite (or hated) song, type of music, or instrument?
What is your character's favorite bard song?
If your character has a favorite scent, what is it?

What is your character's favorite type of animal?
Does your character have an animal totem or affinity, and if so for what?
Is there a certain type of animal that your character hates or fears?
Is your character allergic to any kinds of animals?
Does your character have any allergies?

Is there anything that enrages your character?
Is there anything which embarrasses your character?
How does your character react to being teased about it?

Does your character enjoy "roughing it", or does your character prefer his/her creature comforts?

Does your character believe in the gods or not?
Does your character have a patron Deity?
Is your character devout or impious?
Does your character actively worship or proselytize or does your character simply pay lip service?
What lengths would your character go to defend your faith?
Was your character's faith influenced or molded by anyone special?
Does your character belong to the orthodox church, or a fringe element thereof (and is the group accepted, frowned upon, or considered heretics)?
How has this impacted your character's faith and life?
Is your character's church an accepted religion where your character grew up or did it have to conduct its services in secret?
How did this affect your character's faith and life?
Has your character ever been persecuted for your faith?
If so, when and how did you handle it?

Can your character kill?
When did your character decide (or learn) that they could?
What happened and how did your character handle it?
When does your character consider it okay to kill (under what circumstances)?
When does your character consider it wrong to kill (under what circumstances)?

What would your character do if someone else attempted to (or successfully did) kill under their "wrong" circumstances, what would be your reaction?
What if it was your character's enemy?
What if it was your character's friend?
What if it was an innocent?
What if the opponent were not in control of their own actions (i.e.-under duress, charmed, dominated, possessed, etc.)?

What would your character do if someone shot at (attacked) you?
What would your character do if something were stolen from you?
What would your character do if you were badly insulted publicly?
What would your character do if a good friend or relative were killed by means other than natural death?

What is the one task your character would absolutely refuse to do?
What does your character consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?

How does your character feel about government (rulers) in general?
Why does your character feel that way?
Does your character support the current government of your homeland?
If so, how far is your character willing to go to defend the government? If not, does your character actively oppose it?

Does your character belong to an anti-government organization?
If so, describe the group and it's aims.

What form of government does your character believe is the best (democracy, monarchy, anarchy, aristocratic rule, oligarchy, matriarchy) and why?

Has your character ever been persecuted for their political stance? If so, describe the occurrence and how it affected you?
Is your character a member of any non-religious group, cause, order, or organization? If so describe it, its goals, and membership. How loyal is your character to this group and why? How did your character become a member?
If your character is a former member, did yyour character leave voluntarily or involuntarily and why? Was it under good (amicable) conditions or bad?
Is your character being sought or hunted by the organization? If so, by whom and with what intent (to murder your character, to force your character's return through blackmail or coercion, to spy on your character and make sure they do not reveal any of the groups secrets)?

Does your character have any unusual habits or dominant personality traits that are evident to others?
If so, describe them and how your character acquired them, as well as when they might be more noticeable and what causes them? How does your character react if made fun of for any of these things?
Does your character have any unusual or nervous mannerisms, such as when talking, thinking, afraid, under stress, or when embarrassed? If so, are there any reasons behind them from your character's past?
Does your character have an unusual gait or accent? If so, where did your character acquire them? Are there any circumstances where they become more (or less) evident?
How does your character feel and react if made fun of for any of these things?

What place would your character most like to visit?
What annoys your character the most?
What is your character's most treasured possession? What things could he/she not live without? Does your character have a good luck charm?
If your life were to end in 24 hours, what 5 things would your character do in those remaining hours?

Does your character have a "Black-and-White" view of reality or can he/she see shades of grey?
Does your character prefer to tear down or build up?
Is your character deliberate or spontaneous?
Does your character prefer the town or the country?
If made to decide, would your character rather be deaf or blind? Why?
How does your character feel about magic, myth, and the supernatural?
Does your character remember his/her dreams? Describe a typical dream your character might have. Describe your character's worst nightmares.

Questions by Nick Malysz (http://www.ifvchicago.com/process/wr_characters_questions.shtml)

Basic Attributes

* Given Name:

* Nickname(s):

* Appearance:
- gender
- age
- height
- weight
- hair color/style
- eye color
- makeup
- clothing style
* Race/ethnicity:

* Physical abilities/limitations:

Background

Socioeconomic class/standing:

* Religion:

* Place of birth:

* Place and time of story:

* Parents' profiles
- race/ethnicity:
- socioeconomic level:
- religion:
- habits:
- quality of relationship with child(ren):
- living/deceased:

* Brothers/sisters/significant-other relatives (profile each)
- race/ethnicity:
- socioeconomic level:
- religion:
- habits:
- quality of relationship:
- living/deceased:

* Family structure/life:

Brief Life Story

It is very important to write a biography for your character. The more detail you create, the deeper you can make your character, and this rich history will be such a rich source of information that it will change and evolve your story accordingly.

Make sure to keep in mind:
- How did your character get here from there?
- What was their life like before the story began?
- What was growing up like for them?
- Did they have a good or bad childhood?
- What struggles have that had, or hardships they have overcome?
- Has their life worked out like they expected?
- Has their life been difficult or easy until now?
- Were they forced into their current path, or are they here by choice?
- Do they have regrets?
- What special circumstances have made them into who they are today?
- Did anything happen in their past that they cannot forget or live down, or that has deeply changed them or scarred them in some way? (warning: do not create cheap Freudian backstory as motivation for your characters! i.e. "His mother beat him as a child, and now he hates all women." "She was once robbed at gunpoint, and now has a irrational fear of guns." People are more complex than this. If such a traumatic event happened in their lives, then make the psychological or emotional consequence unexpected rather than exactly what any five-year-old would instantly assume.)

Psychology

* Outer Goal (physical):

* Inner Goal (psychological/emotional):

* Superobjective:
* Life, career, or personal goals outside of the realm of the story:

* Defining characteristic:

* Hopes/desires:
* Fears/phobias:
* Dirty Secrets:

* Introvert or extrovert?:

* More thinking or feeling?:

* What do you see is the biggest contradiction(s) your character lives out?:

* Tends to be self centered? Selfish? Selfless?:

* Favorite and hated foods/drinks:

* Education or important learning experiences:

* Most hated activities:

* Most enjoyed activities:

* Deepest secret or wildest fantasy:

* Sense (or lack!) of humor: what makes your character laugh?

* Who is your character's hero, or who do they admire or emulate?

Philosophy & Morality

* Attitudes toward:
- self
- others
- friendship
- sex
- love
- family
- marriage
- country
- the world
- religion

* Political philosophy:
- conservative/traditional/ liberal/radical:
- public causes supported/protested:
- politically active/apathetic:

* Superstitions?:

* Catchphrase that defines their worldview? (examples: "What goes around comes around." "Live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse." etc.):

Life & Lifestyle

* Closest friend(s):
* Job/career/occupation:
- Attitude towards job:
* Noted accomplishments:
- Famous/infamous?
* Clubs/organizations belonged to:

* Favorite music or group/favorite TV shows or films:

* Hobbies:

Food for Thought

* How would your character react to:

- Inheriting $1 million:
- The death of a loved one:
- A natural disaster: hurricane/earthquake, etc.:
- Being fired:
- Meeting an old friend or enemy not seen for years:
- Having or raising children:
- Being raped/mugged/violated in some way:
- An unexpected kindness or compliment:
- A serious illness such as AIDS or cancer:
- A flat tire on the expressway:
- An interracial relationship:
- Five minutes on local or national TV:

From The Book of Questions

A further source of great questions to ask your characters is the brilliant work The Book of Questions. This is filled with juicy and thought-provoking questions that explore personal philosophy, morality, politics, knee-jerk reactions, secret fantasies, wishes, and much more. It's also a great party activity to sit around with your friends and pass the book around as you each take turns selecting questions for all to answer.

A. If your character were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would they most regret not having told someone? Why haven't they told them yet?

B. Would your character accept $1,000,000 to leave the county and never set foot in it again?

C. Your character is given the power to kill people simply by thinking of their deaths and twice repeating the word "good-bye." People would die a natural death and no one would suspect them. Are there any situations in which they would use this power? [If they can imagine themselves killing someone indirectly, could they still see doing it if they had to look into the person's eyes and stab the person to death? Have they ever genuinely wanted to kill someone or wished them dead?]

D. What would constitute a "perfect" evening for your character?

E. Would your character rather be extremely successful professionally and have a tolerable yet unexciting private life, or have an extremely happy private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life? [Since so many people place great emphasis on a happy private life, why do people often wind up putting more energy into their professional lives? If you feel that their private life is more important to your character, do their priorities support this? Are they simply unwilling to admit that work is more important? Do they use work as a substitute? Do they hope professional success will somehow magically lead to personal happiness?]

F. If your character could wake up tomorrow having gained any one ability or quality, what would it be?

G. Your character has the chance to meet someone with whom they can have the most satisfying love imaginable - the stuff of dreams. Sadly, they know that in six months the person will die. Knowing that pain that would follow, would they still want to meet that person and fall in love? What if they knew their lover would not die, but instead would betray them? [In love, is intensity or permanence more important to them? How much do they expect from someone who loves them? What would make them feel betrayed by their mate - indifference? Dishonesty? Infidelity?

H. Does your character prefer being around men or women? Do their closest friends tend to be men or women?

I. Would your character be willing to murder an innocent person if it would end hunger in the world? [Would it torment them more to have the blood of an innocent person on their hands or to know they let millions of people die? What do they think of people who achieve great things by compromising their principles? Many are will to give their own lives but not to take the life of another; is anything so important they would sacrifice their very soul for it?]

J. What is their most treasured memory?

K. If your character knew there would be a nuclear war in one week, what would they do?

L. What is the greatest accomplishment of your character's life? Is there anything they hope to do that is even better?

M. One would be the one material item your character would save during a fire?

N. Your character is offered $1,000,000 for the following act: before them are ten pistols - only one of which is loaded. They must pick up one of the pistols, point it at their forehead, and pull the trigger. If they can walk away they do so a millionaire. Would they accept the risk?

O. If your character could choose the manner of their death, what would it be? [Would they die a hero's death, die a martyr to some great cause, die in a natural catastrophe, or die peacefully? Why is it so tempting to have death catch us in our sleep?]

P. For what in your character's life do they feel most grateful?

Q. How forgiving is your character?

R. When your character tells a story, do they often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?

S. How much does your character feel in control of the course of their life?

T. Is it easy for your character to ask for help when they need it? Will they ask for help?

U. Would your character like to be famous? In what way?

V. What are your character's most compulsive habits? Do they regularly struggle to break those habits?

W. What does your character strive for most in their life: accomplishment, security, love, power, excitement, knowledge, or something else?

X. How easily embarrassed is your character?

Y. Does the fact that your character has never done something before increase or decrease its appeal to them?

Z. How many different sexual partners has your character had in their life? Would they prefer to have had more or fewer?

Questions from http://strawdogsociety.tripod.com/tips.html

Where did they grow up and with whom? What era? Do/did they have divorced parents? Lifelong friends? Wife and kids?
List as many ways as you can that you are like your character.
List as many ways as you can that you are not like your character.
If s/he was a color, what would your character be?
If s/he was an animal, what would your character be?
If s/he was a song, what would your character be?
If s/he was an insect, what would your character be?
If s/he was a vehicle, what would your character be?
If s/he was a season, what would your character be?
If s/he was a book, what would your character be?

What does your character look like? Use lots of adjectives!
Search for people who resemble your character... Take pictures of them! Heh, ok, maybe not.
What does your character wear? Polyester? Purple Cotton? Never sandals?
How about their hairstyle? Up or down? Long or short?
What does your character carry with them? Do they have a favorite weapon or lucky ring?
What is the best thing that ever happened to your character?
What is the worst thing that ever happened to your character?
What is your character's biggest problem? Derangement? Obstacle to power?
What is he/she most afraid of?
Does this person like who they are? Why?
What is your character's main motivation? Anger? Greed? Love?
Does your character know why they do what they do?
What are your characters short and long term goals?
What is the best & worst part(s) of their personality?

Questions from http://www.pgtc.com/~slmiller/indepth.htm

Is your character right or left-handed?
Does your character wear glasses, or contact lenses?
What about weight? Shoe size? Clothing size?
What is your character's favorite color? Favorite song?
What does your character think is his/her best feature? Worst feature?
Is your character's handwriting neat and precise, or sloppy and unintelligible? Does your character care?
What kind of car does your character drive? Is it neat and usually washed, or cluttered and "lived-in"?
Does your character have a collection of anything?
What is your character's attitude toward money? Is your character a bit of a spendthrift, or prone to spend freely?
What are your character's hobbies?
What are your character's talents? Do his/her friends routinely call him/her when they need help in a certain area?
What is your character most proud of? Most embarrassed about?
Does your character donate to any charities? Play the stock market? Gamble? Pay child support or alimony?
Who are your character's heroes?

Questions from http://www.auterytech.com/enantiodromos/characterdev.html

    1) Try to imagine your character walking past you, or hearing a rumor about your character from a friend of yours.
     2) Read through the questions below, asking them about your character. Write down everything that comes to mind about your character while reading it. Don't be afraid to skip around, and come back later.
     3) Go through what you wrote down and figure out what things don't really seem to fit in with the rest. Weed them out.
     4) When you're done, sketch a back-history for your character, MAKING SURE to insert a few intentional blanks and unexplained "mystery" events that the ST can map out.
     5) Describe any kind of weird components of setting you pictured being involved in your background that aren't common knowledge in the setting already (like, "the Red Ninja Clan really likes Hostess Cupcakes, and will duel to the death for them, which is why they killed the character's father.") so the ST can map them into his universe.

What does the character truly care about? (Hint: Be flatfooted about this. You don't need to weave bizarre abstract reasons for wanting to fight the ascension war or be thought "wise" by your peers. The technocrats killed your father. Everybody called you "stupid" in highschool because of your stuttering.)

What is the key thing the character has to change to be satisfied?

What are the character's ambitions for the next month?

What are the character's ambitions for the next year?

What are the character's ambitions for the next decade?

What are the character's ambitions for the next 30 years?

What are the character's ambitions for this lifetime?

If the character were going to create a world, what would it be like?

How does the character make a living?

What role does the character play in society?

What is the character's income level/affluence?

What is the character's ethnic background?

Where was the character born?

Where was the character reared?

What culture(s) was the character reared in?

What parts of society does the character believe he owes his alliegance to?

What is the character's name?

What is the character's sex?

What is the character's birthday?

Explain how and why the character is pleasant, and/or not, to look at.

What is the character's skin color?

How tall is the character?

How much does the character weigh?

What sort of build does the character have?

What color are the character's eyes?

What color is the character's hair?

How does the character wear his hair?

What clothing does the character wear in different situations, and how does the character groom himself?

What distinguishing marks does the character have?

What speech style does the character have? What sort of accent and dialect does he speak in? How formal is his speech in various situations? What does he say over and over?

What is the character's sexual orientation?

What political beliefs does the character have? What political affiliations does he publicly claim?

What religious beliefs does the character have? What are their religious practices? What religious affiliations do they publicly claim?

How is the character courageous? Why doesn't the character hesitate in the face of real danger? Or, if they're not, how might they find their courage?
How is the character clever and resourceful?

In what sense is the character something of an "outlaw," or at least, someone who lives by their own rules?

Is the character good at what they do for a living?

What kinds of things get the character to take the lead in a situation demanding action?

How is the character "wounded" (disgraced, mourning), or how might they be?

In what ways is the character motivated by idealism?

What about the character makes them seem sexually potent?

Does the character have a big head/ suffer from hubris?

Is the character stoic?

Is the character loyal?

Was there anything that marked the character with "greatness" at birth or early on?

Is the character cynical?

Is the character mouthy/a wise guy/sharp tongued?

What adjective would people who just met your character use to distniguish your character's personality?

What little thing is the character always doing that makes them distinct? Playing with cigarettes? Tugging at their ear? Saying "groovy" in the 21st century?

What noteworthy attitudes does your character have? Are they cheerful? Sexist? Paranoid? Holier-than-thou?

What kind of person is your character beneath the surface? What accurate generalizations can be made about their personality? Are they a worrier? Soft-touch? Freeloader? Grouch? Bully? Cruel? Kindly? Pious? Hypocrite? Selfish? Unselfish? Honest? Dishonest? Considerate? Inconsiderate? Unaware?