Character Inspiration

I put this quick and dirty page together if you need inspiration for a new character. It could also work well for npc's.

Note that just one of these entries does not make a character but a few of them together could lead to more ideas and a well rounded character.

Appearance

Age Discrepancy; looks much older or younger than they actually are.

Animalistic features even if not part-animal; claws, fanglike teeth, slit pupils, fur patches. Natural or inflicted?

Noticeable Mannerisms; tics, fidgets, a specific way of standing or walking, constantly adjusting something, bites nails, etc.

Physical defect; missing or non-working body part, etc.

Remarkable appearance; strange markings, very specific tattoos, etc.

Scars with Stories; each scar tells a tale, and they might be visible or hidden. Consider the type of wound that caused the scar.

Unique style; clothes, hair, fighting, casting, speaking, etc.

Voice doesn't match the body; too deep, too high, echoing, or clearly not their own. Why?

Wears a mask at all times; religious, medical, cultural, hiding identity—or hiding a face they don’t believe is theirs.

Motivations

“A voice speaks to me”; deity, other entities, all imagined, etc. Also a personality trait.

Compelled to create; art, machines, undead, monsters. Doesn’t matter why, the compulsion is stronger than reason.

Fighting fate; a prophecy says you'll destroy something precious—you’re trying to prove it wrong.

“I can’t be saved but I’ve made it my mission to save others”; everyone or a specific class/race/gender/age group/etc. And why can't you be saved?

"I made a deal I regret. Now I’m doing everything to avoid paying the price." What was the deal? With who? What’s the cost?

Living for revenge, but it’s complicated. The target is now a hero, a monarch, your lover, or long dead. Still worth it?

Multiple (actual) personalities in one body. Also a personality trait.

“My death has been foretold, I couldn’t be more free”; daredevil, ‘don’t give a fuck’, without a care, etc. What happens if the foretold seems to near?

On a spirit quest; told to do what? Bathe in all rivers in the country? Find the White Hart? Careful this does not become a long term thing. Could work well if you get a new destination every time you do the last one, could even help the DM.

Righting a Wrong (Not Your Own); feel compelled to help someone else or a group who has been unjustly treated.

Seeking forgiveness for terrible event in your past; from a specific person or just trying to regain karma?

Something to prove; to yourself or others (the haters, your sibling who was always better than you at everything, your parent or teacher who said you’d never amount to anything, the romantic interest who declined your advances). What specifically are you trying to prove? Certain skill, martial prowess, etc.

Testing Your Limits; constantly push physically, mentally, or magically to see what you are capable of.

“This one time I was exploring/fighting/etc. I had a moment of perfect happiness/contentment/etc. I must find it again.”

Undercover; actually a spy or agent for some entity (government or other organization); hard to justify for a full campaign though. Being discovered could be a fun adventure that leads to new motivations.

Writer; looking for inspiration, battling writer’s block, publishing party’s adventures, etc.

Past

Banished or exiled; why were you kicked out? If you want to get back in good graces that might be a motivation.

Bearer of; family heirloom, curse, reputation you did or did not earn, scandal, etc. Could be hard to live up to or makes you overconfident.

Clone/simulacrum of someone; are you really or is it all in your head? If real, do you have their memories, are they looking for you?

Cult upbringing; escaped, reformed, or still secretly faithful?

Escaped convict; are they still looking, what can you expect if caught?

Experimented On; the subject of magical, scientific, or other types of experiments, leaving lasting effects, physical and/or mental.

Fallen from grace; what did you do and do you want to fix it, if possible?

Fleeing destiny back home; heir to something, becoming the next leader, have to sacrifice something, etc.

Fleeing from family; arranged marriage, their bad reputation, a blood feud, etc.

"I was supposed to die instead of someone else." You lived. They didn't. Why?

Joined the circus; just a silly one but many options here.

Mentor or parent who still keeps in contact or makes themselves known in some way.

Mentor or parent with class totally unlike yours; divine caster teaching a mage, Paladin raising a Barbarian, etc.

Stole someone’s identity; why and why are you still pretending to be them? Who are they? Do they know?

Survivor of something no one else remembers; plague, town disappearance, alternate reality collapse. Was it real?

Trained for something that no longer exists—slayer of extinct beasts, priest of a dead god, protector of a lost realm.

Upbringing; by different race, privileged, utter poverty, away from civilization, home schooled, etc.

Veteran; war hero (justified or the reverse?), draft dodger, AWOL, war profiteer, coward, etc.

Witness to a Significant Event; saw something that changed your life forever, a crime, a miracle, a historical moment, etc.

Personality traits

Addict; either makes bad decisions because high/drunk, or always needs money to feed the habit.

Casanova; can cause lots of problems when going after the wrong person.

Chronic liar, even when it’s pointless or dangerous. It’s not always intentional.

Clumsy and Accident-Prone; frequently stumble, drop things, and cause minor mishaps.

Cynical and Jaded; seen/read too much and always expect the worst.

Deeply Superstitious; believe in omens, rituals, or luck, guiding your actions accordingly.

Doesn’t understand metaphors. At all. But thinks they do. “Ah yes, kill two birds with a sword.”

Hedonist; seeking pleasure can be real expensive and get you in trouble.

Memory loss; full, partial, or brainwashed? Temporary or returning with events happening?

No concept of personal space or boundaries. Raised differently, or using this to manipulate people?

Perpetually upbeat—to an irritating or unsettling degree. Is it sincere, trauma, or something darker?

Ritual; has to do the same thing every day, come hell or high water.

Speech; talks in slang, jargon, etc. Or always whispers or speaks loudly. Or almost impossible to understand, especially when things go wrong.

Stubborn to a Fault; refuse to back down from beliefs or decisions, even when proven wrong.

Talks to animals like they talk back. Maybe they do. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they used to.

Unorthodox spellcaster; witch, hedge mage, shaman, etc. Cast spells different from others or spellbook consists of lots of ropes with beads or knots.

Quote

"The main three rules of all storytelling: who wants what, why can't they have it, and why do I give a shit?"     -- John Rogers