Roleplaying Guidelines Info Dump
Aug. 17th, 2010 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
finncullenI've been doing a lot of work recently to revamp one of the roleplaying forums over at HOL and it seems to be having a good influence. During the course of the various tidying up sessions I've come ridiculously close to deleting valuable information more than once while merging threads and moving things around.
So I'm copy/pasting it all here so I have a permanent record of it away from the forum on which it is based, just in case.
Ravenclaw RPG Guidelines
Welcome to the Ravenclaw Role Playing Section. This post is intended to provide some guidelines to help everyone get the most out of their chance to roleplay in the HOL universe.
The first and most important thing to remember is that RP should be FUN. If it isn't fun then we're doing it wrong. The HOL universe is an offshoot of the Harry Potter setting, and it's a good bet that anyone who joins HOL does so because they enjoy that genre, the books, the movies etc. RP gives a chance to join in with that world and share the magic.
Consequently this is not going to be a post that reads like one of Umbridge's Educational Degrees. I won't be putting up a list of stern sounding rules whose breach will lead to snotty PMs or condescending OOC posts. What I will be providing are some guidelines that experience has shown to lead to better and more involving roleplays.
Oh - one exception of course - everything has to be "G" rated. Keep it clean and in language you'd be happy to use in front of your elderly auntie. Failure to do this will bring down the wrath of the HOL Gods on us all and frankly life's too short for Deicide.
So... What makes a good RP?
1. Interesting Characters.
Don't feel you have to play your RL self as a HOL character - you can of course if you want - but RP is "let's pretend" and your character is a young Wizard or Witch at Hogwarts. They don't have to be normal, average or run-of-the-mill... unless the stories you want to play out involve a normal, average person suddenly thrown into a magical world they know nothing about.
Think about your character and the sort of stories he or she would like to be involved in. Are they a goody two shoes? A rebel? A practical joker? Someone with a tragic past? A need for healing? Or revenge? Are they an outcast Muggleborn scorned by Pureblood snobs? Or a Pureblood child caught up in the politics of their elders.
RP is about stories, and having an interesting character makes the stories so much more interesting.
When you have a character in mind, post a profile in the RP section. Don't feel you need to follow some checklist style template. Just write! Introduce your character by name, tell us what they look like and what their classmates are likely to know.
That way we can read your profile and interact with the character realistically - we know how you look, we know how you seem to be. There could be a lot more under the surface and feel free to tell us that too in your profile, or keep it safe to come out during the course of play. If the character is particularly good or bad at something, feel free to mention it. But most of all treat your profile as a chance to write something about your character that brings him or her alive, in a way that a form asking for "Favourite colour:" never could do.
2. Respect the Characters of Others
This doesn't mean your character has to be all nicey-nicey all the time. What is a story without a little bit of chemistry from time to time? No, what I mean by this is that since each character is important in the RP you should exercise the same respect for other peoples' characters that you would like them to exercise for yours.
Don't presume they will act in a particular way, don't take control of their characters. Apply this within reason: If you walk into a room in the RP and say "hi" to everyone there, it's safe to assume that you can then move on to sit down etc without having to explicitly wait for them to post that they are not hexing you at random! But certainly don't make them do anything specific. You post about YOUR character's thoughts and actions, and don't determine those of others. That would irritate them and it makes the House Elves very cross and no one wants to have to clean up after them.
3. Play "In Character"
You've made a wonderful character - so when you're RPing stay "in character." You may have read in other posts about things that happened while your character wasn't there... but that doesn't mean your character knows them. If your character is a Muggleborn new to the magical world they won't understand a lot of what is happening. If they come from an old magical family they may know more magical stuff right from the start and be baffled by a Muggle zipper. This sort of thing makes characters come alive.
On a related note - as players we should all get along and be respectful of the needs of the RP and common courtesy. It's not compulsory for all characters to get along all the time... but this should not be used as an excuse to have a go at other players. Neither should an in-character tension be mistaken for a real life one. If you'll forgive the analogy: Draco and Harry don't get on in the books/films, but I'm pretty sure Dan Radcliffe doesn't bear a grudge against Tom Felton.
4. Post Length/Relevance
A lot of RP forums insist on minimum word counts for posts. While the intention behind this rule is a good one it often leads to some quite dreadful results.
Summed up briefly: I would rather read 25 words of good in-character writing that makes a point and advances a storyline, then 250 words of burbling internal dialogue that does nothing but fill up forum space.
RP is story, and should be fun. And if adhering to an arbitrary minimum word count means that it becomes a chore then make shorter but good posts. We all know the difference between a relevant post and SPAM regardless of how long the post is, and I trust you to produce the former rather than the latter.
To summarise:
The goal is to have creative fun in the HOL universe.
Come up with a good character concept that will not only be fun to play but that will be interesting to write and read about.
Respect the characters of others and the needs of the story being discovered.
Play! And discover a magical world that goes beyond the printed page and into stories of your own creation.
***
Creating Interesting Characters.
Don't feel you have to play your real-life self as a HOL character - you can of course if you want - but roleplay (RP) is "let's pretend" and your character is a young Wizard or Witch at Hogwarts. They don't have to be normal, average or run-of-the-mill... unless the stories you want to play out involve a normal, average person suddenly thrown into a magical world they know nothing about.
Think about your character and the sort of stories he or she would like to be involved in. Are they a goody two shoes? A rebel? A practical joker? Someone with a tragic past? A need for healing? Or revenge? Are they an outcast Muggleborn scorned by Pureblood snobs? Or a Pureblood child caught up in the politics of their elders.
RP is about stories, and having an interesting character makes the stories so much more interesting.
When you have a character in mind, post a profile in the RP section. Don't feel you need to follow some checklist style template. Just write! Introduce your character by name, tell us what they look like and what their classmates are likely to know.
That way we can read your profile and interact with the character realistically - we know how you look, we know how you seem to be. There could be a lot more under the surface and feel free to tell us that too in your profile, or keep it safe to come out during the course of play. If the character is particularly good or bad at something, feel free to mention it. But most of all treat your profile as a chance to write something about your character that brings him or her alive, in a way that a form asking for "Favourite colour:" never could do.
Multiple and Original Characters
I've also been asked if it is possible to play characters other than your HOL persona.. Why not! You will only have your Roost log-in of course, but if you have an idea for a new and interesting character that interesting stories can grow from then don't be restricted.
Post a profile here as you would normally, and make sure that when you make a post in an RP thread you identify *CLEARLY* which of your characters you are using. I'd suggest starting your post with the character's name in Bold
Having characters other than your HOL persona can open up new vistas of RP and storytelling - there is a wider world outside school, and maybe there are fun stories to tell there too - a team of Aurors.. a new Magical business starting up in Diagon Alley..
If the ideas are good, fun and involving then let's try.
Existing Character Profiles
The profiles of existing characters are fine of course and aren't going to be deleted or anything. If anyone who is currently RPing and wants to update their profile, then just post the new version in the character profile thread as a new post. That will make things easier to find for the rest of us.
What Next?
Once you have a character in mind, and written a marvellous profile describing him or her, then post it in the Character Profiles thread (here) then go join an existing RP, or start one of your own.
If you want some assistance in building a balanced and interesting character, then check out THIS post which gives a handy system for doing just that.
We look forward to seeing you.
****
Optional Character Profile
In the RP Guidelines for the Roost I stated pretty clearly that I didn't need people to post character profiles using the frankly annoying Questionnaire style character profile formats, as they don't add anything to roleplaying and encourage adding extraneous elements that never come into play (eg, since there is a question asking the name of a pet, everybody answers it and therefore has a pet.. whether they envisaged their character having a pet or not!)
However even though I've commented on this in the Guidelines, at the beginning of the Character Profile thread, and at several points during the Character Profile thread, and posted examples of what would be more useful.... people still keep posting the dratted questionnaires.
Since they obviously help in some way then fine, but from now on please use the following form as a character profile since I think it will actually be more use when developing a character, and for helping other players to get a handle on who your character is.
Anyone who's already posted a CP in the old format does not have to rewrite it - though if they want to, they will probably benefit as a result, and I'm still happy to have people post more creative profiles (as, you know, mentioned that you should be doing in the Guidelines...), but from now on.. ie this post onward!.. any CPs posted in the old format will be deleted and I'll ask you to refrain from RPing till you've posted one that meets the new criteria.
So, without further ado, here is the new Roost RP section Character Profile Form (though I'd still prefer you to follow the advice in the guidelines):
Character Name:
House:
Year:
Blood Status: (options are Pure, Mixed, Muggleborn)
Physical Description: (What do people see when they look at you)
Personality: (What do people think you are like? What is the real you?)
Backstory: (Talk about any key events in your character's life that made them who they are, or that drive them)
Story Hooks: (Has your character any notable strengths? Or weaknesses? Ambitions? Fears? Rivals? What makes them distinctive? If they were the hero or heroine of their own story what would be the key things that the reader would regard as central to the character?)
And here's a version without the explanations so you can copy & paste:
Character Name:
House:
Year:
Blood Status:
Physical Description:
Personality:
Backstory:
Story Hooks:
Have fun, be creative, see you in Hogwarts.
***
Character Balancing System
There follows a system that is designed to help you create interesting characters - it's not compulsory, but using this tends to create balanced and interesting characters and avoids the Mary Sue syndrome of creating characters that are good at everything and unplayably dull as a result.
Basically you get to choose FIVE positive traits and ONE drawback from the lists below.
If you want to take one additional positive trait you must take one additional drawback (this can only be done once for a total of SIX positive traits and TWO drawbacks).
One of your Positive traits MUST be spent on a House speciality as follows:
Gryffindor: Tough OR Fearless
Hufflepuff: Miss Congeniality OR Iron Willed
Ravenclaw: Brainbox OR Specialty
Slytherin: Bonus Bloodline OR Silver Tongue
The rest you can choose for yourself
Traits marked "*" can be bought twice if desired, yielding a higher level of bonus - so someone with Duellist(2) will be better than someone with Duellist for instance.
Positive Traits
Animal Magnetism- The character is good with animals (including magical beasts) - and is better than normal at understanding them, and making friends with them. Within reason: it does not guarantee that the rampaging dragon will be friendly... just that it will eat someone else first...
Bonus Bloodline* - This could be that the character comes from an influential wizarding family, or perhaps they have some magical being in their ancestry which gives them some small advantage in day to day life Doubling up on this trait means the character is from a very influential family, or that their lineage gives a power or ability that is more regularly of use.
Brainbox* - This character is a regular Hermione - a repository of obscure facts and knowledge. They probably do well in classes that require academic excellence rather than wandwork.
Duellist* - Character is more than usually skilled in magical combat and will have the advantage over a similarly skilled character who lacks this trait
Eagle Eyed - The character doesn’t miss much. They can overhear whispered conversations, see small clues, notice sneaky characters trying to pass by, and so on
Fearless - The character is able to shake off shock and fear more easily than most. Faced with a monstrous dragon most people would cower, faint or run... a Fearless character is less likely to panic
High Powered - The character is a natural wellspring of magical energy - they may not know more spells than a normal character of their age, but when they cast them the effects are bigger or better
Iron Willed* - The character has a strong will and is hard to influence. They are better than usual at resisting magic that controls the mind, and can see through attempts to manipulate them in general
Looker* - The character is significantly more attractive than his or her peers. However, keep in mind that this character will attract all kinds of attention, and not always the desirable kind.
Maguffin - The character has some item or artifact of use. It could be a family heirloom, or something they have found or made. Things like a magical ring, a box of potions, or something else with a notable benefit.
Miss/Mr Congeniality - This character is socially adept and usually popular. They make friends easily and people tend to like them unless they are given a good reason not to. You know those girls that are the centre of everything? this is her.
Nimble* - The character is agile and quick on their feet. They are able to run, dodge, climb etc a little better than other characters
Scrapper* - The character is skilled, or naturally good at, physical fighting.
Silver Tongued - This character is charming and convincing, and skilled at bending people round his or her little finger. It may be fast-talk, or reasoned arguments, or just a winning smile.. but they usually get their own way
Sneaky* - The character is able to move quietly without being overheard, or sneak through shadows etc without being noticed. Easily blends into a crowd.
Speciality* - Choose a single type of magic (Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, etc) at which you excel. Taking this trait more than once allows you to choose a second speciality OR be extra good at your first.
Sporty* -Choose a single sport at which the character performs better than one would expect of someone of their age. Doubling up on this means they are good enough to eventually turn professional.
Teacher’s Pet - For some reason the character is liked by the teaching staff more than most. They will get the decent assignments, more points awarded, and blind eyes will be turned to minor rulebreaking.
Tough* - The character has more stamina, endurance or pain tolerance than normal. They can keep going when others would fall.
Drawbacks
Absent minded - a character with this trait finds it hard to stay focussed on the things around them, always being occupied with their own thoughts, or random ideas. Usually disorganized (at least to outsiders).
Blind Spot - The opposite of “Speciality” - choose a subject at which the character is notably bad... I mean “requires extra lessons” or “potions always blow up” bad. You *can* choose Blind Spot AND Speciality as long as they apply to different subjects.
Bothersome Bloodline - Something in the character’s ancestry is causing them trouble. It could be a controlling or unpleasant family background, or some trace of magical being in their ancestry that causes problems for them today. This *can* be taken along with Bonus Bloodline. Muggleborns can take this drawback to represent the prejudice against them.. if they do it means they will be the ones singled out by the bigots.
Clumsy - Need someone to bump into a table, trip over a shoelace or drop a Prophesy? This character will do it without exception. Assuming they haven’t fallen down the stairs on their way here. This is the opposite of Nimble or Sneaky and cannot be taken alongside those traits.
Easily Led - the Opposite of Iron Willed. An Easily Led character has few strong opinions of their own and can usually be convinced easily by almost anyone about almost anything. They are very susceptible to magic that controls the mind or emotions
Excessive Pride - Your character is excessively pleased with some aspect of their personality, looks, or achievements and is tiresomely eager to dwell on it.
Firebrand - the character tends to fly off the handle and lose their temper very quickly whether the situation calls for it or not.
Impulsive - your character is prone to acting first and thinking later. This inevitably leads to trouble.
Lazy - a character who would rather have fun than work, and convince others to do it for them or manipulate circumstances in their favour - taking the easy way out. But sometimes the easy way isn’t the right way.
Low Self-Esteem - the other end of the confidence spectrum - your character has trouble making friends, is scared of failure, and is overly cautious about everything.
Overconfident - Your character is certain that everything will work out alright in the end, and consequently assumes that they are perfectly able to walk the narrow bridge in a high wind... and so on.
Paranoid - A character who tends to question the motives of another person. “What does he mean ‘How am I doing?’. Do I look bad?”
Scapegoat - Some kids just don’t seem to get on with teachers. When a teacher is in a bad mood, or something goes wrong, they tend to assume it’s the Scapegoat. These characters tend to get penalised more than their peers and singled out for criticism
Scaredy Cat - the opposite of Fearless. A Scaredy Cat character will probably not even try sneaking down the dark corridor at night.. and if there was a sudden noise while they did, this character would probably run for their life, or faint on the spot
Semi-Squibby - the Character has weaker magic than usual. It may backfire a lot, or produce weaker effects, or just stop working for short periods of time. This is the opposite of High Powered and cannot be combined with it.
Slow Learner - the opposite of the Brainbox. This character has trouble retaining facts and figures, and is generally a little behind their classmates academically.
Softy - the Character has little stamina, or little physical confidence. They tend to spend a lot of time either out of breath, or complaining of twisted ankles. This is the opposite of “Tough” and cannot be combined with it
So I'm copy/pasting it all here so I have a permanent record of it away from the forum on which it is based, just in case.
Ravenclaw RPG Guidelines
Welcome to the Ravenclaw Role Playing Section. This post is intended to provide some guidelines to help everyone get the most out of their chance to roleplay in the HOL universe.
The first and most important thing to remember is that RP should be FUN. If it isn't fun then we're doing it wrong. The HOL universe is an offshoot of the Harry Potter setting, and it's a good bet that anyone who joins HOL does so because they enjoy that genre, the books, the movies etc. RP gives a chance to join in with that world and share the magic.
Consequently this is not going to be a post that reads like one of Umbridge's Educational Degrees. I won't be putting up a list of stern sounding rules whose breach will lead to snotty PMs or condescending OOC posts. What I will be providing are some guidelines that experience has shown to lead to better and more involving roleplays.
Oh - one exception of course - everything has to be "G" rated. Keep it clean and in language you'd be happy to use in front of your elderly auntie. Failure to do this will bring down the wrath of the HOL Gods on us all and frankly life's too short for Deicide.
So... What makes a good RP?
1. Interesting Characters.
Don't feel you have to play your RL self as a HOL character - you can of course if you want - but RP is "let's pretend" and your character is a young Wizard or Witch at Hogwarts. They don't have to be normal, average or run-of-the-mill... unless the stories you want to play out involve a normal, average person suddenly thrown into a magical world they know nothing about.
Think about your character and the sort of stories he or she would like to be involved in. Are they a goody two shoes? A rebel? A practical joker? Someone with a tragic past? A need for healing? Or revenge? Are they an outcast Muggleborn scorned by Pureblood snobs? Or a Pureblood child caught up in the politics of their elders.
RP is about stories, and having an interesting character makes the stories so much more interesting.
When you have a character in mind, post a profile in the RP section. Don't feel you need to follow some checklist style template. Just write! Introduce your character by name, tell us what they look like and what their classmates are likely to know.
That way we can read your profile and interact with the character realistically - we know how you look, we know how you seem to be. There could be a lot more under the surface and feel free to tell us that too in your profile, or keep it safe to come out during the course of play. If the character is particularly good or bad at something, feel free to mention it. But most of all treat your profile as a chance to write something about your character that brings him or her alive, in a way that a form asking for "Favourite colour:" never could do.
2. Respect the Characters of Others
This doesn't mean your character has to be all nicey-nicey all the time. What is a story without a little bit of chemistry from time to time? No, what I mean by this is that since each character is important in the RP you should exercise the same respect for other peoples' characters that you would like them to exercise for yours.
Don't presume they will act in a particular way, don't take control of their characters. Apply this within reason: If you walk into a room in the RP and say "hi" to everyone there, it's safe to assume that you can then move on to sit down etc without having to explicitly wait for them to post that they are not hexing you at random! But certainly don't make them do anything specific. You post about YOUR character's thoughts and actions, and don't determine those of others. That would irritate them and it makes the House Elves very cross and no one wants to have to clean up after them.
3. Play "In Character"
You've made a wonderful character - so when you're RPing stay "in character." You may have read in other posts about things that happened while your character wasn't there... but that doesn't mean your character knows them. If your character is a Muggleborn new to the magical world they won't understand a lot of what is happening. If they come from an old magical family they may know more magical stuff right from the start and be baffled by a Muggle zipper. This sort of thing makes characters come alive.
On a related note - as players we should all get along and be respectful of the needs of the RP and common courtesy. It's not compulsory for all characters to get along all the time... but this should not be used as an excuse to have a go at other players. Neither should an in-character tension be mistaken for a real life one. If you'll forgive the analogy: Draco and Harry don't get on in the books/films, but I'm pretty sure Dan Radcliffe doesn't bear a grudge against Tom Felton.
4. Post Length/Relevance
A lot of RP forums insist on minimum word counts for posts. While the intention behind this rule is a good one it often leads to some quite dreadful results.
Summed up briefly: I would rather read 25 words of good in-character writing that makes a point and advances a storyline, then 250 words of burbling internal dialogue that does nothing but fill up forum space.
RP is story, and should be fun. And if adhering to an arbitrary minimum word count means that it becomes a chore then make shorter but good posts. We all know the difference between a relevant post and SPAM regardless of how long the post is, and I trust you to produce the former rather than the latter.
To summarise:
The goal is to have creative fun in the HOL universe.
Come up with a good character concept that will not only be fun to play but that will be interesting to write and read about.
Respect the characters of others and the needs of the story being discovered.
Play! And discover a magical world that goes beyond the printed page and into stories of your own creation.
***
Creating Interesting Characters.
Don't feel you have to play your real-life self as a HOL character - you can of course if you want - but roleplay (RP) is "let's pretend" and your character is a young Wizard or Witch at Hogwarts. They don't have to be normal, average or run-of-the-mill... unless the stories you want to play out involve a normal, average person suddenly thrown into a magical world they know nothing about.
Think about your character and the sort of stories he or she would like to be involved in. Are they a goody two shoes? A rebel? A practical joker? Someone with a tragic past? A need for healing? Or revenge? Are they an outcast Muggleborn scorned by Pureblood snobs? Or a Pureblood child caught up in the politics of their elders.
RP is about stories, and having an interesting character makes the stories so much more interesting.
When you have a character in mind, post a profile in the RP section. Don't feel you need to follow some checklist style template. Just write! Introduce your character by name, tell us what they look like and what their classmates are likely to know.
That way we can read your profile and interact with the character realistically - we know how you look, we know how you seem to be. There could be a lot more under the surface and feel free to tell us that too in your profile, or keep it safe to come out during the course of play. If the character is particularly good or bad at something, feel free to mention it. But most of all treat your profile as a chance to write something about your character that brings him or her alive, in a way that a form asking for "Favourite colour:" never could do.
Multiple and Original Characters
I've also been asked if it is possible to play characters other than your HOL persona.. Why not! You will only have your Roost log-in of course, but if you have an idea for a new and interesting character that interesting stories can grow from then don't be restricted.
Post a profile here as you would normally, and make sure that when you make a post in an RP thread you identify *CLEARLY* which of your characters you are using. I'd suggest starting your post with the character's name in Bold
Having characters other than your HOL persona can open up new vistas of RP and storytelling - there is a wider world outside school, and maybe there are fun stories to tell there too - a team of Aurors.. a new Magical business starting up in Diagon Alley..
If the ideas are good, fun and involving then let's try.
Existing Character Profiles
The profiles of existing characters are fine of course and aren't going to be deleted or anything. If anyone who is currently RPing and wants to update their profile, then just post the new version in the character profile thread as a new post. That will make things easier to find for the rest of us.
What Next?
Once you have a character in mind, and written a marvellous profile describing him or her, then post it in the Character Profiles thread (here) then go join an existing RP, or start one of your own.
If you want some assistance in building a balanced and interesting character, then check out THIS post which gives a handy system for doing just that.
We look forward to seeing you.
****
Optional Character Profile
In the RP Guidelines for the Roost I stated pretty clearly that I didn't need people to post character profiles using the frankly annoying Questionnaire style character profile formats, as they don't add anything to roleplaying and encourage adding extraneous elements that never come into play (eg, since there is a question asking the name of a pet, everybody answers it and therefore has a pet.. whether they envisaged their character having a pet or not!)
However even though I've commented on this in the Guidelines, at the beginning of the Character Profile thread, and at several points during the Character Profile thread, and posted examples of what would be more useful.... people still keep posting the dratted questionnaires.
Since they obviously help in some way then fine, but from now on please use the following form as a character profile since I think it will actually be more use when developing a character, and for helping other players to get a handle on who your character is.
Anyone who's already posted a CP in the old format does not have to rewrite it - though if they want to, they will probably benefit as a result, and I'm still happy to have people post more creative profiles (as, you know, mentioned that you should be doing in the Guidelines...), but from now on.. ie this post onward!.. any CPs posted in the old format will be deleted and I'll ask you to refrain from RPing till you've posted one that meets the new criteria.
So, without further ado, here is the new Roost RP section Character Profile Form (though I'd still prefer you to follow the advice in the guidelines):
Character Name:
House:
Year:
Blood Status: (options are Pure, Mixed, Muggleborn)
Physical Description: (What do people see when they look at you)
Personality: (What do people think you are like? What is the real you?)
Backstory: (Talk about any key events in your character's life that made them who they are, or that drive them)
Story Hooks: (Has your character any notable strengths? Or weaknesses? Ambitions? Fears? Rivals? What makes them distinctive? If they were the hero or heroine of their own story what would be the key things that the reader would regard as central to the character?)
And here's a version without the explanations so you can copy & paste:
Character Name:
House:
Year:
Blood Status:
Physical Description:
Personality:
Backstory:
Story Hooks:
Have fun, be creative, see you in Hogwarts.
***
Character Balancing System
There follows a system that is designed to help you create interesting characters - it's not compulsory, but using this tends to create balanced and interesting characters and avoids the Mary Sue syndrome of creating characters that are good at everything and unplayably dull as a result.
Basically you get to choose FIVE positive traits and ONE drawback from the lists below.
If you want to take one additional positive trait you must take one additional drawback (this can only be done once for a total of SIX positive traits and TWO drawbacks).
One of your Positive traits MUST be spent on a House speciality as follows:
Gryffindor: Tough OR Fearless
Hufflepuff: Miss Congeniality OR Iron Willed
Ravenclaw: Brainbox OR Specialty
Slytherin: Bonus Bloodline OR Silver Tongue
The rest you can choose for yourself
Traits marked "*" can be bought twice if desired, yielding a higher level of bonus - so someone with Duellist(2) will be better than someone with Duellist for instance.
Positive Traits
Animal Magnetism- The character is good with animals (including magical beasts) - and is better than normal at understanding them, and making friends with them. Within reason: it does not guarantee that the rampaging dragon will be friendly... just that it will eat someone else first...
Bonus Bloodline* - This could be that the character comes from an influential wizarding family, or perhaps they have some magical being in their ancestry which gives them some small advantage in day to day life Doubling up on this trait means the character is from a very influential family, or that their lineage gives a power or ability that is more regularly of use.
Brainbox* - This character is a regular Hermione - a repository of obscure facts and knowledge. They probably do well in classes that require academic excellence rather than wandwork.
Duellist* - Character is more than usually skilled in magical combat and will have the advantage over a similarly skilled character who lacks this trait
Eagle Eyed - The character doesn’t miss much. They can overhear whispered conversations, see small clues, notice sneaky characters trying to pass by, and so on
Fearless - The character is able to shake off shock and fear more easily than most. Faced with a monstrous dragon most people would cower, faint or run... a Fearless character is less likely to panic
High Powered - The character is a natural wellspring of magical energy - they may not know more spells than a normal character of their age, but when they cast them the effects are bigger or better
Iron Willed* - The character has a strong will and is hard to influence. They are better than usual at resisting magic that controls the mind, and can see through attempts to manipulate them in general
Looker* - The character is significantly more attractive than his or her peers. However, keep in mind that this character will attract all kinds of attention, and not always the desirable kind.
Maguffin - The character has some item or artifact of use. It could be a family heirloom, or something they have found or made. Things like a magical ring, a box of potions, or something else with a notable benefit.
Miss/Mr Congeniality - This character is socially adept and usually popular. They make friends easily and people tend to like them unless they are given a good reason not to. You know those girls that are the centre of everything? this is her.
Nimble* - The character is agile and quick on their feet. They are able to run, dodge, climb etc a little better than other characters
Scrapper* - The character is skilled, or naturally good at, physical fighting.
Silver Tongued - This character is charming and convincing, and skilled at bending people round his or her little finger. It may be fast-talk, or reasoned arguments, or just a winning smile.. but they usually get their own way
Sneaky* - The character is able to move quietly without being overheard, or sneak through shadows etc without being noticed. Easily blends into a crowd.
Speciality* - Choose a single type of magic (Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, etc) at which you excel. Taking this trait more than once allows you to choose a second speciality OR be extra good at your first.
Sporty* -Choose a single sport at which the character performs better than one would expect of someone of their age. Doubling up on this means they are good enough to eventually turn professional.
Teacher’s Pet - For some reason the character is liked by the teaching staff more than most. They will get the decent assignments, more points awarded, and blind eyes will be turned to minor rulebreaking.
Tough* - The character has more stamina, endurance or pain tolerance than normal. They can keep going when others would fall.
Drawbacks
Absent minded - a character with this trait finds it hard to stay focussed on the things around them, always being occupied with their own thoughts, or random ideas. Usually disorganized (at least to outsiders).
Blind Spot - The opposite of “Speciality” - choose a subject at which the character is notably bad... I mean “requires extra lessons” or “potions always blow up” bad. You *can* choose Blind Spot AND Speciality as long as they apply to different subjects.
Bothersome Bloodline - Something in the character’s ancestry is causing them trouble. It could be a controlling or unpleasant family background, or some trace of magical being in their ancestry that causes problems for them today. This *can* be taken along with Bonus Bloodline. Muggleborns can take this drawback to represent the prejudice against them.. if they do it means they will be the ones singled out by the bigots.
Clumsy - Need someone to bump into a table, trip over a shoelace or drop a Prophesy? This character will do it without exception. Assuming they haven’t fallen down the stairs on their way here. This is the opposite of Nimble or Sneaky and cannot be taken alongside those traits.
Easily Led - the Opposite of Iron Willed. An Easily Led character has few strong opinions of their own and can usually be convinced easily by almost anyone about almost anything. They are very susceptible to magic that controls the mind or emotions
Excessive Pride - Your character is excessively pleased with some aspect of their personality, looks, or achievements and is tiresomely eager to dwell on it.
Firebrand - the character tends to fly off the handle and lose their temper very quickly whether the situation calls for it or not.
Impulsive - your character is prone to acting first and thinking later. This inevitably leads to trouble.
Lazy - a character who would rather have fun than work, and convince others to do it for them or manipulate circumstances in their favour - taking the easy way out. But sometimes the easy way isn’t the right way.
Low Self-Esteem - the other end of the confidence spectrum - your character has trouble making friends, is scared of failure, and is overly cautious about everything.
Overconfident - Your character is certain that everything will work out alright in the end, and consequently assumes that they are perfectly able to walk the narrow bridge in a high wind... and so on.
Paranoid - A character who tends to question the motives of another person. “What does he mean ‘How am I doing?’. Do I look bad?”
Scapegoat - Some kids just don’t seem to get on with teachers. When a teacher is in a bad mood, or something goes wrong, they tend to assume it’s the Scapegoat. These characters tend to get penalised more than their peers and singled out for criticism
Scaredy Cat - the opposite of Fearless. A Scaredy Cat character will probably not even try sneaking down the dark corridor at night.. and if there was a sudden noise while they did, this character would probably run for their life, or faint on the spot
Semi-Squibby - the Character has weaker magic than usual. It may backfire a lot, or produce weaker effects, or just stop working for short periods of time. This is the opposite of High Powered and cannot be combined with it.
Slow Learner - the opposite of the Brainbox. This character has trouble retaining facts and figures, and is generally a little behind their classmates academically.
Softy - the Character has little stamina, or little physical confidence. They tend to spend a lot of time either out of breath, or complaining of twisted ankles. This is the opposite of “Tough” and cannot be combined with it
