character development [GUIDE] Improve your Character Development.

[Kaito_Ren]

Character Development

This thread serves to help a players to shape their character by develop personality traits,  motivations, practices and backstory.
 

PERSONALITY TRAITS & INTERESTS

 

Always come up with your personality traits and interests first. It’ll direct you to the right backstory. Below is a list of positive and negative traits as well as interests.

 

Positive Traits:

Adventurous - explores the things around them. This doesn’t necessarily mean traveling, it could just mean locally.

 

Athletic - can hit a backflip on command and may randomly challenge you to anything physically competitive.

 

Brave - walks into dangerous situations with their chest out and chin up, even if they’re a little frightened.

 

Clean - doesn’t like things being nasty or dirty. That could include their clothes or the space around them.

 

Confident - believes in themselves at all times.

 

Considerate / Courteous - thinks of others before themselves at times, may hand you the last of whatever.

 

Daring - will test their boundaries, especially for the entertainment of others.

 

Dedicated - devoted to whatever they’re putting their time and effort into.

 

Disciplined - has a controlled or taught way of behaving.

 

Dramatic - does the most in almost every situation, going to the extreme when it’s not quite necessary.

 

Educated - book smart or smart in their own way. However, they know their stuff.

 

Energetic - their burst of energy can either brighten the mood in the room or ruin it, depending on the situation.

 

Enthusiastic - shows great excitement, interest, or approval in whatever is going on at the moment.

 

Fair - rarely looks for an advantage, they’re considerate and moves without favoritism.

 

Forgiving - doesn’t hold grudges against people. At least when it’s nothing too extreme.

 

Freethinking - sees things in their own way, not really caring what others think.

 

Friendly - has an inviting spirit, able to connect with people easily.

 

Genuine - authentic in almost every way, doesn’t sugarcoat.
 

Heroic - puts themselves in position to help others no matter how risky the situation is.

 

Humorous - brings lighthearted laughter and amusement.

 

Independent - willing to get things done on their own.

 

Innovating - brings new ideas or creativity to the table.

 

Level-headed - thinks clearly and remains calm. This could also be considered as non-chalant.

 

Likable - comes off as friendly or plain out likable. This could be because of their vibe or their appearance.

 

Loyal - shows constant allegiance to the people of their choice.

 

Mature - well developed and has a balanced personality,

 

Militant - ready for any and everything that poses a threat.

 

Optimistic - positive about what’s to come, believes great things are ahead.

 

Organized - likes things done in order or in uniform fashion.

 

Patient - willing to wait or give things time.

 

Realistic - looks at everything through a sensible window, doesn’t like false dreams or false hope.

 

Relaxed - at ease majority of the time, not tense.

 

Respectful - shows respect for other people or other people’s belongings.

 

Responsible - takes ownership for their own faults or obligations.

 

Self-critical - aware of their own problems, may voice it publicly.

 

Sharing - generous enough to share with others.

 

Sociable - can spark conversation with anyone and everybody.

 

Strong - can fight through or deal with hard times very well.

 

Sympathetic - shows concern for other people’s problems or situations.

 

Thankful - appreciative of everything they’ve been dealt.

 

Tough-skinned - can take criticism or hardship without showing emotion.

 

Tolerant - allows behavior that most wouldn’t, but may still have a boiling point.

 

Negative Traits:

Abrupt - does things without preparation or warning.

 

Aimless - does things without real purpose or direction.

 

Arrogant - believe they are smarter, better or more important than others.

 

Boisterous - super loud and energetic, too much of it.

 

Childish - has immature outbursts, does things that can be considered appropriate for a child.

 

Compulsive - tries to force people into doing things.

 

Complacent - opposed to change, self-satisfied to the point that you won’t try to better yourself.

 

Deceitful - gives false truths or hope, dishonest.

 

Destructive - not so much physically, but may ruin a good time or cause problems by being reckless.

 

Difficult - not easy to work with, it takes effort to get this person to understand or fall in line.

 

Discouraging - talks down on almost everything, causes people to lose confidence or hope.

 

Dirty - bad hygiene or doesn’t care to keep themselves looking presentable.

 

Envious - wants what other people got, puts off bad energy when on subject of other people’s success.

 

Escapist - rather find a short-lived get away from his problems than actually face them.

 

Freeloader - taking advantage of other people’s generosity and not giving anything back in return.

 

Frivolous - has no real purpose or value, they’re just around to be around.

 

Greedy - selfish, especially when it comes to things like money and power.

 

Gullible - can be easily persuaded into believing or doing things.

 

Ignorant - operates with little knowledge or care, comes off rude a lot.

 

Immoral - doesn’t stand on any morals or principles.

 

Impatient - gets irritated quickly, can’t wait.

 

Impulsive - doesn’t give much thought before making a decision.

 

Indecisive - has a hard time settling issues or making decisions on their own.

 

Intrusive - invades people’s private space, can be annoying at times.

 

Insecure - doesn’t believe in one’s self, no self-confidence in most situations.

 

Insulting - disrespectful with their words.

 

Intolerant - not accepting of beliefs, views or actions that oppose their own.

 

Irrational - Unreasonable or illogical.

 

Irresponsible - doesn’t take ownership of their own faults or obligations.

 

Irritable - easily annoying.

 

Lazy - tends to slack a lot, doesn’t put in much effort.

 

Messy - starts problems, causes issues between others at times.

 

Narcissistic - super self-centered and exaggerates their own self-importance.

 

Neglectful - doesn’t tend to the care of someone or something for long, lets things fall apart.

 

Obnoxious - unpleasant to be around, annoying.

 

Opportunistic - jumps at the first sight of an advantage without regard to what damage could be caused.

 

Oppressed - exploited or ruined by others, burdened by negative restraints.

 

Overaggressive - has a super confrontational aura, can give off the wrong impression sometimes.

 

Overthinker - worries themself more than they have to, dwells on small things.

 

Paranoid - nervous or worried for their well-being.

 

Possessive - demands full attention from others.

 

Power-hungry - chases power in every situation, wants to be the face of everything.

 

Prejudice - shows hostility towards a certain group or race of people.

 

Procrastinator - takes forever to do what’s needed, or just never gets things done.

 

Quitter - easily discouraged, gives up with little effort put in.

 

Resentful - showing bitterness because you feel you’ve been forced into a bad situation or done wrong by people.

 

Sadistic - gets pleasure out of making other people miserable.

 

Self-centered - only thinks of themself, doesn’t consider other people.

 

Timid - easily frightened.

Unpredictable - can’t be learned or figured out, will throw you for a loop at any time.

Vulnerable - open to attack or harm, an easy target.
 

Positive Interests:

Art - this comes in many forms, painting, pencil drawings, airbrush, tattooing, etc.

 

Barber / Beautician - skilled at cutting or styling hair.

 

Bodybuilding - works hard to look their best, the motive is your choice.

 

Boxing - maybe they just like the sport or maybe they’re a boxer themself.

 

Cars - can point out a car’s model from a mile away, and knows them inside out, may upgrade their own car a lot.

 

Black History - Frederick Douglas, Jim Crow Laws, Voting Rights Act, you name it… they know it. 

 

Cooking - this talent can be used to feed your own or to start up a food truck, who knows?

 

Community Service - raising charity money, feeding the homeless, picking up trash at parks, organizing events for the youth.

 

Conspiracy Theories - a deep diver into the internet's wildest conspiracies and will talk your ear off about it all.

 

Event Planning / Promoting - knows how to bring a crowd out rather it’s gang members or civilians.

 

Gaming - self explanatory.

 

Fashion - may or may not be able to afford the latest, but knows how to dress and could start their own clothing line.

 

Health - could be into physical health such as working out or mental health.

 

Languages - learning one or more foreign languages.

 

Lecturing - always speaking their own morals or beliefs to someone else, could be a big help or very irritating.

 

Minimalism - fine with living with things they only need. This person doesn’t need materialistic things or anything of that matter to get through their days.

 

Movies & TV - strongly opinionated on these topics and may binge watch a lot.

 

Music - may create a form of music or could simply hold strong opinions on the topic.

 

Photography - could be for personal use or for a business venture, taking pictures at events or whatnot.

Rapping - self explanatory.

 

Self Growth - learning new skills, reading positive or empowering books, tracking progress, saving money, etc.

 

Story Telling - tells hood stories or any story with great enthusiasm. This person is usually very animated.

 

Negative Interests:

Borrowing - constantly needing to borrow something from someone, may or may not return it.

 

Crash Out / Crash Dummy - ready to do whatever it is on someone else’s command, no matter the risk.

 

Drug Dealing - self explanatory.

 

Drug Usage - condemned by hard drugs or drugs that cause issues down the line.

 

Gambling - making bets for anything competitive rather it’s hood sports or professional sports, shooting dice, etc.

 

Hoeing - giving yourself up to everyone sexually.

 

Jailbird - can’t stay out of the system.

 

Littering - carelessly trashing places, will throw an empty bottle anywhere.

 

Net Bangin - takes his/her gang banging to social media more than their homies.

 

People Pleasing - so busy making everyone else happy, you hurt yourself in the process.

 

Pimping - makes ends meet by having women sell their body.

 

Spending - can’t keep money long, runs through their earnings quickly.

 

Stealing - a bad habit of taking what doesn’t belong to him, might even steal from people close to them.

 

Tagging - can’t stay away from a spraycan, hits up nearly every week.

 

Talks with Full Mouth - talks while chewing their food, deemed disgusting by most.

 

Talks to Themself - self explanatory.

 

Telling Secrets - can’t keep people’s secrets, even their own sometimes.

Texts & Drive - can’t stay off their phone while driving.
 

MOTIVES

 

Usually, there’s always a motive behind certain interests or practices. I won’t provide a huge list of motives since it’s all so dependent, but I do recommend having a motive when necessary. Otherwise, your character is just doing things just to do it. For example, if your character is trying to make money, what’s the motive? Is someone he loves struggling? Is he late on bills? Is there a car he wants? Don’t just be like, “He wants to be rich.”

 

Have that same attitude with everything else that calls for it.
 

BACKSTORY

 

What not to do? — The most overused backstory mentions dead parents. Not only is it cliche, but it’s highly unlikely that you and more than three of your peers have lost a parent. If you see more than two characters in your faction with this backstory? Refrain from doing the same. Once again, have this exact mindset about anything else that’s overdone.

 

There’s multiple environments, households, and situations that you can set your character in to gain whatever trait it is that you want him/her to have. For example, if you want to be a caring person? You could say you grew up nursing a handicapped family member. You could also say you grew up around emotional family members. 

 

This is the formula you want to use. Find your trait, find your story.


I hope this could be helpful for someone who doesnt know where to roleplay, there is a guide to develop your own character. 

Thanks to Bandz who've made this guide.

 

[$Scylla$]

mashokkk +1

[Seanx]

On 2/7/2025 at 11:14 AM, Kaito_Ren said:

Character Development

This thread serves to help a players to shape their character by develop personality traits,  motivations, practices and backstory.
 

PERSONALITY TRAITS & INTERESTS

 

Always come up with your personality traits and interests first. It’ll direct you to the right backstory. Below is a list of positive and negative traits as well as interests.

 

Positive Traits:

Adventurous - explores the things around them. This doesn’t necessarily mean traveling, it could just mean locally.

 

Athletic - can hit a backflip on command and may randomly challenge you to anything physically competitive.

 

Brave - walks into dangerous situations with their chest out and chin up, even if they’re a little frightened.

 

Clean - doesn’t like things being nasty or dirty. That could include their clothes or the space around them.

 

Confident - believes in themselves at all times.

 

Considerate / Courteous - thinks of others before themselves at times, may hand you the last of whatever.

 

Daring - will test their boundaries, especially for the entertainment of others.

 

Dedicated - devoted to whatever they’re putting their time and effort into.

 

Disciplined - has a controlled or taught way of behaving.

 

Dramatic - does the most in almost every situation, going to the extreme when it’s not quite necessary.

 

Educated - book smart or smart in their own way. However, they know their stuff.

 

Energetic - their burst of energy can either brighten the mood in the room or ruin it, depending on the situation.

 

Enthusiastic - shows great excitement, interest, or approval in whatever is going on at the moment.

 

Fair - rarely looks for an advantage, they’re considerate and moves without favoritism.

 

Forgiving - doesn’t hold grudges against people. At least when it’s nothing too extreme.

 

Freethinking - sees things in their own way, not really caring what others think.

 

Friendly - has an inviting spirit, able to connect with people easily.

 

Genuine - authentic in almost every way, doesn’t sugarcoat.
 

Heroic - puts themselves in position to help others no matter how risky the situation is.

 

Humorous - brings lighthearted laughter and amusement.

 

Independent - willing to get things done on their own.

 

Innovating - brings new ideas or creativity to the table.

 

Level-headed - thinks clearly and remains calm. This could also be considered as non-chalant.

 

Likable - comes off as friendly or plain out likable. This could be because of their vibe or their appearance.

 

Loyal - shows constant allegiance to the people of their choice.

 

Mature - well developed and has a balanced personality,

 

Militant - ready for any and everything that poses a threat.

 

Optimistic - positive about what’s to come, believes great things are ahead.

 

Organized - likes things done in order or in uniform fashion.

 

Patient - willing to wait or give things time.

 

Realistic - looks at everything through a sensible window, doesn’t like false dreams or false hope.

 

Relaxed - at ease majority of the time, not tense.

 

Respectful - shows respect for other people or other people’s belongings.

 

Responsible - takes ownership for their own faults or obligations.

 

Self-critical - aware of their own problems, may voice it publicly.

 

Sharing - generous enough to share with others.

 

Sociable - can spark conversation with anyone and everybody.

 

Strong - can fight through or deal with hard times very well.

 

Sympathetic - shows concern for other people’s problems or situations.

 

Thankful - appreciative of everything they’ve been dealt.

 

Tough-skinned - can take criticism or hardship without showing emotion.

 

Tolerant - allows behavior that most wouldn’t, but may still have a boiling point.

 

Negative Traits:

Abrupt - does things without preparation or warning.

 

Aimless - does things without real purpose or direction.

 

Arrogant - believe they are smarter, better or more important than others.

 

Boisterous - super loud and energetic, too much of it.

 

Childish - has immature outbursts, does things that can be considered appropriate for a child.

 

Compulsive - tries to force people into doing things.

 

Complacent - opposed to change, self-satisfied to the point that you won’t try to better yourself.

 

Deceitful - gives false truths or hope, dishonest.

 

Destructive - not so much physically, but may ruin a good time or cause problems by being reckless.

 

Difficult - not easy to work with, it takes effort to get this person to understand or fall in line.

 

Discouraging - talks down on almost everything, causes people to lose confidence or hope.

 

Dirty - bad hygiene or doesn’t care to keep themselves looking presentable.

 

Envious - wants what other people got, puts off bad energy when on subject of other people’s success.

 

Escapist - rather find a short-lived get away from his problems than actually face them.

 

Freeloader - taking advantage of other people’s generosity and not giving anything back in return.

 

Frivolous - has no real purpose or value, they’re just around to be around.

 

Greedy - selfish, especially when it comes to things like money and power.

 

Gullible - can be easily persuaded into believing or doing things.

 

Ignorant - operates with little knowledge or care, comes off rude a lot.

 

Immoral - doesn’t stand on any morals or principles.

 

Impatient - gets irritated quickly, can’t wait.

 

Impulsive - doesn’t give much thought before making a decision.

 

Indecisive - has a hard time settling issues or making decisions on their own.

 

Intrusive - invades people’s private space, can be annoying at times.

 

Insecure - doesn’t believe in one’s self, no self-confidence in most situations.

 

Insulting - disrespectful with their words.

 

Intolerant - not accepting of beliefs, views or actions that oppose their own.

 

Irrational - Unreasonable or illogical.

 

Irresponsible - doesn’t take ownership of their own faults or obligations.

 

Irritable - easily annoying.

 

Lazy - tends to slack a lot, doesn’t put in much effort.

 

Messy - starts problems, causes issues between others at times.

 

Narcissistic - super self-centered and exaggerates their own self-importance.

 

Neglectful - doesn’t tend to the care of someone or something for long, lets things fall apart.

 

Obnoxious - unpleasant to be around, annoying.

 

Opportunistic - jumps at the first sight of an advantage without regard to what damage could be caused.

 

Oppressed - exploited or ruined by others, burdened by negative restraints.

 

Overaggressive - has a super confrontational aura, can give off the wrong impression sometimes.

 

Overthinker - worries themself more than they have to, dwells on small things.

 

Paranoid - nervous or worried for their well-being.

 

Possessive - demands full attention from others.

 

Power-hungry - chases power in every situation, wants to be the face of everything.

 

Prejudice - shows hostility towards a certain group or race of people.

 

Procrastinator - takes forever to do what’s needed, or just never gets things done.

 

Quitter - easily discouraged, gives up with little effort put in.

 

Resentful - showing bitterness because you feel you’ve been forced into a bad situation or done wrong by people.

 

Sadistic - gets pleasure out of making other people miserable.

 

Self-centered - only thinks of themself, doesn’t consider other people.

 

Timid - easily frightened.

Unpredictable - can’t be learned or figured out, will throw you for a loop at any time.

Vulnerable - open to attack or harm, an easy target.
 

Positive Interests:

Art - this comes in many forms, painting, pencil drawings, airbrush, tattooing, etc.

 

Barber / Beautician - skilled at cutting or styling hair.

 

Bodybuilding - works hard to look their best, the motive is your choice.

 

Boxing - maybe they just like the sport or maybe they’re a boxer themself.

 

Cars - can point out a car’s model from a mile away, and knows them inside out, may upgrade their own car a lot.

 

Black History - Frederick Douglas, Jim Crow Laws, Voting Rights Act, you name it… they know it. 

 

Cooking - this talent can be used to feed your own or to start up a food truck, who knows?

 

Community Service - raising charity money, feeding the homeless, picking up trash at parks, organizing events for the youth.

 

Conspiracy Theories - a deep diver into the internet's wildest conspiracies and will talk your ear off about it all.

 

Event Planning / Promoting - knows how to bring a crowd out rather it’s gang members or civilians.

 

Gaming - self explanatory.

 

Fashion - may or may not be able to afford the latest, but knows how to dress and could start their own clothing line.

 

Health - could be into physical health such as working out or mental health.

 

Languages - learning one or more foreign languages.

 

Lecturing - always speaking their own morals or beliefs to someone else, could be a big help or very irritating.

 

Minimalism - fine with living with things they only need. This person doesn’t need materialistic things or anything of that matter to get through their days.

 

Movies & TV - strongly opinionated on these topics and may binge watch a lot.

 

Music - may create a form of music or could simply hold strong opinions on the topic.

 

Photography - could be for personal use or for a business venture, taking pictures at events or whatnot.

Rapping - self explanatory.

 

Self Growth - learning new skills, reading positive or empowering books, tracking progress, saving money, etc.

 

Story Telling - tells hood stories or any story with great enthusiasm. This person is usually very animated.

 

Negative Interests:

Borrowing - constantly needing to borrow something from someone, may or may not return it.

 

Crash Out / Crash Dummy - ready to do whatever it is on someone else’s command, no matter the risk.

 

Drug Dealing - self explanatory.

 

Drug Usage - condemned by hard drugs or drugs that cause issues down the line.

 

Gambling - making bets for anything competitive rather it’s hood sports or professional sports, shooting dice, etc.

 

Hoeing - giving yourself up to everyone sexually.

 

Jailbird - can’t stay out of the system.

 

Littering - carelessly trashing places, will throw an empty bottle anywhere.

 

Net Bangin - takes his/her gang banging to social media more than their homies.

 

People Pleasing - so busy making everyone else happy, you hurt yourself in the process.

 

Pimping - makes ends meet by having women sell their body.

 

Spending - can’t keep money long, runs through their earnings quickly.

 

Stealing - a bad habit of taking what doesn’t belong to him, might even steal from people close to them.

 

Tagging - can’t stay away from a spraycan, hits up nearly every week.

 

Talks with Full Mouth - talks while chewing their food, deemed disgusting by most.

 

Talks to Themself - self explanatory.

 

Telling Secrets - can’t keep people’s secrets, even their own sometimes.

Texts & Drive - can’t stay off their phone while driving.
 

MOTIVES

 

Usually, there’s always a motive behind certain interests or practices. I won’t provide a huge list of motives since it’s all so dependent, but I do recommend having a motive when necessary. Otherwise, your character is just doing things just to do it. For example, if your character is trying to make money, what’s the motive? Is someone he loves struggling? Is he late on bills? Is there a car he wants? Don’t just be like, “He wants to be rich.”

 

Have that same attitude with everything else that calls for it.
 

BACKSTORY

 

What not to do? — The most overused backstory mentions dead parents. Not only is it cliche, but it’s highly unlikely that you and more than three of your peers have lost a parent. If you see more than two characters in your faction with this backstory? Refrain from doing the same. Once again, have this exact mindset about anything else that’s overdone.

 

There’s multiple environments, households, and situations that you can set your character in to gain whatever trait it is that you want him/her to have. For example, if you want to be a caring person? You could say you grew up nursing a handicapped family member. You could also say you grew up around emotional family members. 

 

This is the formula you want to use. Find your trait, find your story.


I hope this could be helpful for someone who doesnt know where to roleplay, there is a guide to develop your own character. 

Thanks to Bandz who've made this guide.

 

makasii