Step Two: Where did I come from?
Secondly, decide what type of character you want to play, based on the DM's campaign world. If it is set in an urban human city, it is a little pointless playing a deep-gnome or a goblin, much less a barbarian/ranger type. After receiving a world description from the DM, think of the character races that would fit into the campaign world. They do not have to be completely compatible, but they should neither be banal or outrageous.
In the example above, the type of races that could be native to the city are Semphari locals, possibly Dwarves, a Shou descendant, or the good ol' fashioned wanderer (although this is a little overdone). Ones that would be unsuitable are Tuigan nomads (do not live in cities, and would probably be tried as spies or thieves if they did), westerners (how did they get there?), elves, goblinoids (except half-orcs), or other races amongst Semphar's enemies. Whilst this should never preclude races that are out of the ordinary, you have to make the character concept believable.
As an example, I will make up a character using the Semphar setting as I go. Looking at the information provided by the DM, I decide to play a human, as they are most common in the area.
After deciding on a race, think of what sort of pre-adventuring experiences the character may have had. In this step, social class is very important, as it will have a significant effect on the choice of character class. Back in the days of Unearthed Arcana, there were a plethora of tables to determine social class, which can be used for this step. (As a caveat for DMs, read the Dungeon Master�s Guide concerning the problems with noble or abnormally wealthy characters). Each social class, which can be roughly defined as low, middle, and upper, has it's own sub-structure. Upper class for example, would cover everything from very wealthy merchants to minor nobility to kings. The DM is advised to have these classes (roughly) mapped out for his campaign as a tool for both character creation and for general gaming.
In Semphar, there are several distinct classes; the Nobility, the Bureaucracy and Clergy, the Mercantile and Artisan class, the Warrior class, and the low caste or untouchables. Each has it's own sub-structure which defines a social standing to all members. The Warrior caste for example, has several ranks, each within the city guards, the navy, the standing army. These are split into three main groups; the officers, the career soldiery, and the conscripts. Being a Lawful Neutral society, these social castes are strongly adhered to, and it is difficult to move up a class, but easy to go down.
In regards character creation, players should choose a social class which is compatible to the race that they have chosen. For example, Dwarves in Semphar are usually Artisans or Merchants, so a Dwarven character should belong to one of these castes. Humans, on the other hand, could be anything from a noble to an untouchable. The human character I had earlier chosen will be from the warrior caste, because I would like to play a fighter.
Next step is to decide what sort of upbringing the character has had, and social class will be the chief determinant of this. A character from the nobility will have learned different skills and have a different view of life than a character from a rural background or a character from the urban slums. As an example, it would be uncommon for a character from an impoverished background to be a magic user, because their would be a question as to where the money to fund such an education came from. Similarly, a character from a noble or wealthy background would not be likely to become a thief (although this is not impossible). Social class should also provide ideas as to motivation. Why would a wealthy character suddenly decide to abandon the comfort of his existence and go adventuring? Why would a farmer leave the land that has been in his family for countless generations to go and rob caravans? These are questions that need to be answered in this step.
After deciding a social class, draw up a brief family tree for the character, including at least two previous generations (ie mother and father and grandparents). Decide what these ancestors did for a living. Was your mother a housewife or a seamstress or a troll-slayer? Was your father a humble farmer, a petty bureaucrat, a soldier, a highwayman or a lay-preacher? Was grandad the man who saved the village from rampaging orcs, or was he the local trapper, or even the local drunk? Doing this in reasonable detail will help the player to determine the motivations and mannerisms of the character. The son of the town drunk may be a vocal abstainer from any vice resembling frivolous entertainment. The son of a witch may become a crusading paladin, or a black wizard. The son of a violent, wife-beating mercenary may become a city guard to stop similar incidents. The key to this is WHY? Why did this imaginary person become what they are? 'Whys' become 'what's', and without a 'why' for a character, they tend to be very hollow, or just numbers on paper.
Another useful activity in this step is to craft a few significant life-events compatible with the character's demographic and geographic background. These events should not be to over-the-top, but should go some way to explain the character's motivations and personality (Cyberpunk uses some tables to do this, and they�re worth a look). The result need not be a complete timeline of the character's life, but should include a few major occurrences. Examples of these would include such things as meeting future mentors, parental or sibling deaths, brushes with the law, wars or raids that the character witnessed and so on. Childhood loves that may have an effect on personality or career choice are also examples of these.
These life events are used to create the 'Defining Elements' of the character, which will make up the character's motivations, outlook, self-image and become the basis for determining the character's career choice and skills.
In my example, I decided I'd like a fighter-type character. With some input from the DM, I decide upon some life events for my character. These are:
The city guard in Dhantazar (the capital of Semphar) was once a highly regarded group of professional soldiers. However, in the past twenty years, the ranks have been filled by retired soldiers who are more often than not lazy at best and corrupt at worst. I decide my character, (whom I have christened Yusef al-Alzar'ed), will be in the city guard, as was his father and grandfather (mother's side).
Yusef's grandfather (Amir al-Alzar'ed) was a stoic and well respected officer in the guard when it was still reputable, and achieved a fair measure of fame amongst the locals for his fairness and dedication to duty. He retired on a good pension at forty-five, and died shortly after. As was the tradition in those days, Yusef's grandfather had served in the Caliph's army before becoming a guard, and had seen much of Semphar, and told many of his tales to Yusef before he died.
Yusef's father, Abdul al-Alzar'ed, also joined the guard after having served his allotted time in the army. Abdul did not have the same moral character of his father however, and soon succumbed to the temptations of his position, taking bribes, casting a blind eye, and debauchery. He had taken the surname of his father-in-law when he was married, because it elevated him from the common soldiery class to an officer's rank.
Whether it was the pressure of expectation from his father-in-law and his peers, Yusef did not know, but Abdul became a disgrace to the uniform Yusef held in such high esteem. When Amir died, Abdul no longer had his father-in-law's reputation to protect him, and was soon arrested and tried for corruption. During this time, Yusef had just joined the guard, and had to now support his mother and younger siblings, and suffer the taunts of his fellows and overly officious investigations the Caliphate into his own activities. Despite this, Yusef was a man of stronger fibre than his Father, and remained in the guard, though never promoted because of his father's crimes.
Looking at the life-events for Yusef, I decide (with the DM's aid) that there are four Defining Elements that have shaped Yusef�s personality:
� Grandfather's stories and tales about the army and his life as a City Guard: Makes Yusef want to be a guard like Amir, and to see the world outside Dhantazar's walls;
� Grandfather's death: Yusef wants to carve out some fame and fortune of his own, and not die as modestly as his grandfather, but live and die as a rich man;
� Father's arrest and subsequent conviction: Deep-seeded hatred of corruption, and a determination to make his way by his own deeds, not by living off the backs of others, and hates people who bully others like he was when his father was accused;
� Continually overlooked for promotion because of his father's crimes: dislike of bureaucratic overzealousness, and a casual disrespect of authority.
I decide from this that Yusef will be Neutral Good; his grandfather was very Lawful Neutral, and his father was Lawful Neutral with evil tendencies, shifting towards Lawful Evil. Yusef does not have the blind-acceptance of authority as his grandfather, but has a dislike of bureaucratic oppression, thinking more freedom is needed in a society.
After turning some life events into Defining Elements, the character concept originally created is becoming a well-defined template.
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