My Problem With Character Sheets Is ..

[ViceVersus]

Howdy-hey, guys and gals. Your friendly neighborhood Sato here with another discussion point!

Over the last year or so, I've come to understand something about myself as a roleplayer. I hate character sheets.

Seriously. I really go out of my way to avoid them. They feel awkward. I find them amateurish, in a way. This in no way reflects how I feel about those who use them, however, I just don't think in terms of name: age: history: weapons & equipment: when creating a character.

Rarely have I found, in my day-to-day interaction, that the people in life simply volunteer information about themselves on a little index card. Learning every little detail about a character before I even get to be in a scene with them takes away the mystery and fun of learning more about them through dialogue or (more importantly) through action.

Now that I'm a full-on Screenwriting snob (#filmstudentswag) I'm seeing the parallels and dissimilarities between text-based roleplaying, and writing for film. So here's a bit of my perspective on that: When you first introduce a character into a scene, you don't get the chance to go into things too much. You have one sentence to describe what the character looks like, something distinctive about them, and then perhaps an added action tag.

Here's a snippet of a bunch of character descriptions I did for my feature-length script. All rights reserved.

And that's all you have! The rest of the character is conveyed through action and dialogue. That's all you get. Maybe that's what's caused this slow, burning hatred I have towards extensive character profiles.

I know the other side of the issue, of course. As a past and current GM, I understand the organizational nightmare it would be to have a jillion character profiles, with no lasting information on any of them. For this reason, I far prefer to read a bio about the character (a little bit on who they are, what they look like and what they're about) just in a general sense rather than reading through everything that the character has done in their conscious life since day one.

Ultimately, I'm still a fan of the one-sentence synopsis.

Here's an example of the sort of character profiles I write, when forced to. Everything you need to know about the character is given as a seamless sort of narrative entry - almost like something you'd read on the back of a book. I suppose my primary problems with character sheets are how halting and clinical they feel. I don't feel like I know the character that way. I just feel like I'm looking at a handful of symptoms of features.

I'd love to hear what others of you think. Perhaps you think I'm some sort of strange animal, some maverick in the way of Roleplayers. I do advocate the dissolution of rigid character sheets in roleplays. I really do. Perhaps it can force us to convey character through action rather than through handy little cheat-sheets collecting in an OOC forum ..

Of course, take what I say with about twenty-thousand grains of salt. Love to hear everyone else's thoughts!

-VV

[Diablo]

This is a topic that caught my interest as it can be viewed many different ways, when I first started role playing in the summer of 2010 I believed in order to be considered a good role player you must do two things; the first being making a extremely lengthy and details profile of my own character and than write pages upon pages for a post. At the time, I was wrong and shown the error of my ways through various readings and talks with some people I meet on various forms.

Now however I am personally a fan of not writing a character profile/bio at all and believe you should discover your character through his or her own interactions with others. Yet that is not far for others who wont a tiny insight on your character so they can understand them ooc. This is where I came up with my current position on this debatable topic...

If joining a role play or just randomly writing a character you must follow a character sheet however it shouldn't be a advanced or complex one but just a basic profile on him/her. For example some of the templates I currently use:

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Height:
Weight:
Personality traits:
Physical traits:
Clothing/Equipment:

With this small template you cover what most advanced ones do but on a basic level. However this is not the end to the template itself because during the role play, after each interaction and major event I would update the profile and expand it some more. So over the time your character has developed his unique personality through meeting others and the events he/she has anticipated in. If your character got her arm cut off, you change that to note her new physical appearance.

I believe this makes the reader more involved with the character and forms a closer bond with them as there constantly changing and are not set in stone unlike some character templates that what every last detail about them.

Hope this helps.

[Nannyhap]

Hating character sheets is really pretty reasonable. They're generally tedious and put a lot of pressure on the player to know the character well enough that he or she can build one.

That being said, I really, really adore them. I like filling them out, at least the moderately detailed ones, because it gives me a chance to really put into words who the character is. I also fill them out it in a fairly text-heavy style, I suppose, so for me it counts as a preliminary writing of a character. It really, really gets me into their head. It also gives me a chance to say some of the things about their backstory that I would otherwise be tempted to emphasize during the course of the roleplay, which makes me feel like I've got that much more control over what I write because I'm not scrambling to get unfortunately forgotten details into my posts. Introspection and detail are both good, but you can have too much of a good thing.

I also like reading them, and think that they're really helpful in the context of a roleplay. Sometimes, as a player, it might be more interesting to go in blind, knowing very little about the other characters in the game, but I find that as a GM, when characters are going to be interacting in my world, it's immensely helpful to know what they're up to and why. It also makes it easier, considering the sorts of games I play (see: the roleplay I'm running is set in Hell, but you knew that :P), to throw the monkey wrench into their plans for the sake of the plot and watch them cry about it. If I know that Susan is deathly afraid of snakes, for example, then it is not outside of my rights as a GM to expose her to some snakes in the midst of the Big Bad's plot, assuming the Big Bad would also know this.

I think it's a little less obnoxious/presumptuous than requiring an actual sample post, but that might just be my opinion. You can tell what kind of effort someone is going to put into a roleplay by looking at the effort they put into their character (even those that aren't necessarily on the "required" sheet, and as a GM I try to be pretty lenient about that unless I'm using the sheet as an excuse to kick someone who clearly didn't read the introduction well enough).

All of that being said, I think that "draw up a character bio and attack" would probably be a really excellent strategy, especially in small, familiar groups. I'm not knocking it! :P I just like playing with the sheets as well.

[ViceVersus]

Hmm. You guys bring up good points. Nice job bringing up the idea of sample posts. I do find those a bit condescending, but it's not terribly dissimilar from asking for a "reel" or something when looking for some media jobs.

I've seen character profiles that are injected with a bit of personality. They're written as though the character themselves had to fill it out. Writing them in first person makes them more fun to read. Something like that, I like to read.

I don't know. This was more just me flailing around and complaining. At the end of the day I know that character sheets, to some extent, are necessary (you wouldn't hire someone without a resume or the faintest inkling of their skills and abilities) I'm just afraid of players feeling that they're limited to them, ya know?

[Romaneck]

I do agree that character sheets are a chore at time, particularly when they ask things that can be developed on the roleplay.

I have not tried it out yet but I might be on to something, on a manga I read there was a particular octagon that really ilustrated the characters in a short and easily digestive manner

it looked something like this


But the points where
speed
potential
power
skill
stamina
experience
intellect
awakening (willpower)

Now those 8 points are mostly focused combat wise but still an octagon could tell you a lot of their personality now you would have to flavor it with a short bio and have the rest roll

[ViceVersus]

Easily digestible? To me, that looks like a nightmare. Haha. Looks more like the D&D system of piecing together a character. If you ever get a chance to use that system, let me know. It looks like a nightmare but until I see it in practical use, I'll have to bite my tongue.

[Kestrel]

I don't like set-in-stone characters and as a roleplayer I tend not to read co-players their profiles. Yet I've found that as a GM, unless I create canon games it's just going to be hard to do without sheets. They're tools for me, nothing more, I'll forget about everything in it just as easily, but one of the most useful tools I have regardless.

As a roleplayer though I tend to write much shorter sheets nowadays than most co-players and often bullshit history sections with the idea of "Here's my background, now fuck off." I don't feel RP's should focus on my character's history anyway unless other characters know them. I have no issue showing character through actions and dialogue, which is my preferred way of elaboration.

[Nova Saber]

An interesting topic and i'll post my tidbit for what i generally uses for a Char Sheet when making a RP :)

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Appearance: (Useally perfers pics for this :p)

and then depending on the genre or RP idea i'll add other things but every CS i makes has thos for main things in them :) i also includes Bio/history but that design is subject to the RP i makes :)

[BabyFaceBeauty]

I hate pictures for appearance,your character should come from you there should not be a picture that sums it up.Describing is so much better than just pasting a picture,I think using your characters personality and coming up with a fitting appearance is better,or sometimes you can even throw people off with your characters appearance.Posting a picture isnt really doing it justice in my book,because that's not your character that's someone else's.

Though if people like doing it they can I just wouldnt do it,as ViceVersus said those things can be explored throughout the RP

[Seerow]

*Clears throat.*
I don't have a tendency to take sides when dealing with roleplays in general. Far too many flavors and ideas that work within their own contexts and standardizing RPs in my opinion is an effort in futility. Which brings me to my point, character sheets work best when tailored to the RP in which it is to be used for.
For instance a while back back I had the pleasure of joining into a sort of atypical super hero RP. Yet, the character sheet came with this quirky rating system where we determined how strong or resilient and even how quick our characters were to be. This was brilliant because it set the entire field for our characters in terms of niche roles and even combat prowess. Balancing a game genre that is usually deluded with debate or unstable fluctuation in powers or capabilities. There was less time figuring out who could trump who, and more time to develop our characters past their initial gimmicks.

Still I would not recommend that type of system to be used on a game where combat isn't prominent. For instance a mystery type setting with that lovable Lovecraftian vibe is going to suffer under the same style of skeleton.

The cookie cutter sheet has it uses please do not mistake me, but the creation process should aid the RP not the other way around.

[ViceVersus]

I like your last line, there, that the creation process should aid the RP. Sometimes, I fear, the story and structure and general trajectory of a roleplay gets too lost in a midst of royalty-free images and fancy colors and coding.

When I GM, these are the sorts of "profiles" I collect:

Twenty: The well-meaninged American; a reluctant, occasional psychic. Twenty is a curious member to the Outcross Specialists, one of the few "gifted" with a hypernatural ability. While she possesses no discernable skills in physical ability, language, intelligence, looks or charm - her infrequent yet vividly precognative visions (her monicker, then, being a play off of (20/20) set her apart from anyone else. Hailed by some as Outcross' trump card on the most puzzling of cases, what most don't know is how rare and uncontrollable these visions are, much less the nauseating toll they take on the girl's body. Those who actually know/have encounted Twenty find her good-natured but easily discouraged. With her only other special abilities being complaining, running out of breath, and generally being confused, as the frequency of her visions decreases, Twenty begins to wonder what could only happen to a broken asset in the world of Outcross.

Debonair: On the crux of higher education, and already solving international mysteries, Debonair's 'talent' is in persuading just about anyone of just about anything. Debonair is one of Outcross' valuable 'gifted' agents, and as a result is often tugged out of classes and shipped abroad to work his magic on imporant figures within investigations. Aside from his talent with words, Debonair has little in the way of physical ability, but makes up for it by getting out of bad situations with charm and wit. On a personal level, Debonair suffers from a little over-abundance of confidence, which can come off as superiority and wear on fellow Specialists. Underneath this, though, he is quite oblivious to any arrogance he displays, and is a nice guy at heart. With a sense of humour and a remarkable ability to look on the bright side of a string of murders, Deb is more inclined to flirt with the witnesses than question what happens behind the scenes - at least until it's thrust under his nose.

Vyral: The comparatively gritty city-kid; with the addition of a photographic memory. A former Navigator, now Regional Specialist, Vy uses his keen mind and observant sensibilities to pick apart everything presented to him. Able to memorize habits, patterns, anything in a flash, he is an invaluable asset to the current investigation, playing off as a much-needed counter to airy Deb and panicky Twenty with his no-nonsense, direct "I-Don't-Really-Buy-This-Magical-Ability" attitude.

Vulpes: A child star, Tom rose to prominance once his videos of his unique brand of neu-fusion metal, incorporating both the eerie scrapes of his violin, and scremo-esque vocals, were snapped up by Aftershock, the producer leading the charge in the teen music scene - Taken from Tom Mecredy's (Vulpes) Wikipedia page. "Tom has really taken to his new lifestyle.. Every weekend he's out at some party or gig, playing to massive crowds. I think the music has really changed him." - Tom's Mother on his rapid rise to power. "The Partying is fun and all, but I think there's something more to life..." Tom, on the music scene lifestyle.

I like that they get progressively slimmer. Hah.

[Kai]

I think that character sheets are incredibly useful when used correctly. If you really think about it, what is a role play? It is a collaborative effort between two or more people in creating a story. You are essentially writing one single narrative, revolving around however many character in the same setting/time/storyline. When collaborating in this way, doesn't it make sense to know different pieces of the puzzle ahead of time?

There are a lot of character collaborations that don't work out simply because the characters themselves don't mesh. They don't create a good story. They aren't interesting enough together. When you know the puzzle pieces ahead of time, you are better able to work around each of them to pull the best qualities out into the open and side-step anything that doesn't contribute anything for the story. It also helps the GM's figure out what characters are best suited for their stories.

Even in the event that I don't present a full character sheet to the public, I often times write one for myself because it is often how I flesh out the character and pull it from my own mind onto the paper. Makes a great reference file as well for future use when you aren't sure how said character might respond to a certain situation.

[ViceVersus]

Right! I totally agree with your post. I think that knowing your character inside and out, upside, downside, flaws, everything is necessary. That doesn't mean you know what they're going to do in any given situation, which is the fun of roleplaying. My problem with character sheets is more the tedious filling out, rather than having the information. The little blurbs I presented up there? That gives you just about everything you need to know without needing to fill out Equipment, History, Likes/Dislikes, that sort of thing.

I think I agree with the organic goal of character sheets, but not the way that they get there.

By the way, Kai, wtf. We haven't ever RP'd together. :C

[TheFinalOne]

I think it's better to tell a character's backstory and all that through roleplaying instead of a CS. Backstory posts are especially helpful when you are forced into a corner by a "how are you?" question. Show not tell and all that jazz.

I'm just complaining because I'm bad at making characters sheet.

[Blackbird26]

Hello. :)

I'm just going to take the time to give my personal two cents on this matter.

Overall: I love character sheets, and the more extensive the better. Anyone who has RPed with me knows that when I say extensive I mean EXTENSIVE. I love getting to know characters to their most insignificant and boring details and I very much enjoy writing my characters out as thoroughly as I can before actually playing them. But that is just me and not something I demand or expect from others. :)

With that said:

As a player, I don't see character sheets as a set of rules carved in stone, I see it as starting point. I see it as a description of who my characters are up until the start of the story; they didn't just materialize into the world, they existed before and are coming from somewhere. It doesn't really mean that I'm telling who my character will be throughout the story, because there is such thing as context, and some situations cause a person to act differently from their usual, or even change their point of view on certain matters. By the end of any RP, if I play him/her correctly, that character will have changed significantly from what is written on the sheet, because the RP, through a character's point of view, is nothing more than another piece of his/her life. I think if the RP is great, and the players are talented, the story will affect the characters as much as the characters will affect the story, so in this case one can't view a character sheet as something unchangeable.

As a GM whose plots are greatly influenced by the characters and their actions, I find characters sheets to be vital, I do demand some things to be disclosed (even if only to me through PMs), and I will get myself as involved as the players are comfortable with in developing a character's background. Still, if a player doesn't want to write too much, all I need is something like:

Jon was born in the city of Blackpond to loving parents and had a somewhat average childhood. He began military training at age 14, but dropped out before it was completed, at which point he began working as a mercenary to support himself. He currently moves from one city to another taking on jobs where he can.

Where you come from, how you became what you are now, and why you are in the place you are now; plain and simple; and that's the minimum of effort I need.

However if someone writes on a character background that they once killed a bandit in a specific place a few years ago, I will make sure one of my characters knew that bandit, or I will bring that bandit's brother/sister or kid, or best friend as a NPC to mess with that character, and that player. Because, as a GM, the level of torture I put them through is how I let my players know I care. ^.^

Two cents given. Have a cookie: *leaves tray of cookies*