Making Your Character Iconic

If you followed the steps in my last post, you now have a well-built character and are ready to begin playing. Still, you may feel like something is missing. Ask any DnD group about the characters in their party and they will have have volumes to tell you. Rarely do their stories revolve around the stats or powers of the character, though. It's all about who the character is and what they did. Defining characters can become icons in your group and your character can become one of them.

Know Your Character's History
One of the best ways to give you character that extra kick is to know where they came from. This doesn't mean you have to write a novel on them, but you should know where they grew up, what their parents are like, and where/how they got their training. You may think this is kind of silly, but at least give it a shot. The better you know your character's past, the more ammunition you have as you explore their future.

Why Bother? A developed character history does a lot for you and your character. It will be vital in fleshing out the other components that should ultimately lead to an iconic character. Most important, however, is that your DM can use this information to customize your adventures so they better apply to your character. Instead of attacking generic town C, maybe the dragon has its eyes on your old stomping grounds.

Know Your Character's 'Triggers'
I'm using 'triggers' to mean things that make your character react strongly. They include their hopes and fears, what they love and what they hate, and anything else that has a special significance. If you've already taken the time to figure out your character's history, this part should be pretty easy. The major events that formed your character should spell out a helpful list of triggers.

Why Bother? This should be pretty obvious, but you want to know your character's triggers so that you can better play their actions from moment to moment. If royalty taxed your family into the ground, you'll play that negotiation a lot different from if your family was royalty. Again, your DM (you are telling him all this, right?) can use your information to customize your adventures. Got a thing against goblins? You can bet they'll be everywhere for a while.

Know Your Character's Goals
This is the big one; the driving force that keeps your character moving. If you've figured out your history and your triggers, you probably already know what your character's goal is. This is the thing that made your character leave their old life and become an adventurer. Your goal could be simple, like getting enough loot to live comfortably, or more complex, like overthrow the tyrannical king an establish them self as ruler of the empire.

Why Bother? Your character will not feel successful unless they are making progress towards their goal. All of their actions should come back to it. More importantly, this goal is going to keep them with the other player's characters through the roughest personality clashes. The goal is your character's fuel: without it, you will never be able to make the kinds of decisions that turn a generic character into an iconic one.