Character Creation Worksheet

You should show this document to your GM and the other players. Everyone will be able to see it, including all your secrets! But that's
what makes the game fun! It isn't about keeping secrets, it's about the melodrama surrounding them.

* ​Required

❧ The Core
"What, but what about backstory?" Don't worry, we''ll get to that! But *who you are* is far more important than your backstory! As you
complete this worksheet, you should be thinking about who you want to be -- and then, how you can reverse engineer your backstory
to fit it. This is a game about what your character is doing -- not what they did! You should never think of your character as a
collection of experiences. Instead, think of them as a collection of traits, or hats that you put on.

You should not write a proper "backstory" until the end. You may find at that time that you need to go back and tweak or change a few
things, and that's fine. This is a fluid process! In fact, your backstory can and should even be tweaked and changed as you play the
game.

⬥ “I am a [adjective] [noun] who [verbs]” ​*

You may use multiple adjectives and complicated "verbs." For example: "I am an excitable young knight who adventures to someday
find his lost brother!" "I am a grumpy old ranger who people think is a witch." "I am a greasy thief who lives for his next hit of Suude."

I am a rough and ready bareknuckle boxer and thug for hire who lives a life of crime with his brother
to repay an old family debt

❧ Your Personality
Traits
Traits are how others are likely to perceive you.

Give your character at least two and no more than six personality traits (any more than that and you'll forget them). Personality traits
are small, simple ways to help you set your character apart from every other character. Your personality traits should tell you
something interesting and fun about your character.

"I'm smart" is not a good trait, because it describes a lot of characters. "I've read every book in Candle keep" tells you something
specific about your character's interests and disposition. Personality traits might describe the things your character likes, his or her
past accomplishments, your character dislikes or fears, your character's self-attitude or mannerisms, or the influence of his or her
ability scores.

A useful place to start thinking about personality traits is to look at your highest and lowest ability scores and define one trait related
to each. Either one could be positive or negative: you might work hard to overcome a low score, for example, or be cocky about your
high score.

You can create a trait for yourself, you can roll for or choose a trait from the list in your background, you can choose from the master
list of all WotC traits, or you can draw inspiration from the sources below. If you create one yourself or adapt it from inspiration, try to
write it in the first person.

Master list​: ​Download Here

Inspiration​: ​Quirks 1​, ​Quirks 2​, ​Tropes​, ​Unrealistic Character Traits

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⬥ Trait One ​*

I ain't the sharpest knife in the block...

⬥ Trait Two ​*

Best way to win an argument is by punching the other fella in the mouth

⬥ Trait Three

Don't matter how strong you think you are, I'm stronger. Here let me prove it...

⬥ Trait Four

I always smoke a cigar before a big fight.

⬥ Trait Five

I'm a nice guy, I don't have anger issues. Say that I do again and I'll break both your fucking legs,
got it?

⬥ Trait Six

Ideals
Ideals shape how you perceive the world.

Describe between one and three ideals that drive your character. Your ideals are the things that you believe in most strongly, the
fundamental moral and ethical principles that compel you to act as you do. Ideals encompass everything from your life goals to your
core belief system.

Ideals might answer any of these questions: What are the principles that you will never betray? What would prompt you to make
sacrifices? What drives you to act and guides your goals and ambitions? What is the single most important thing you strive for? You
can choose any ideals you like, but your character's alignment is a good place to start defining them.

Each background in this chapter includes six suggested ideals. Five of them are linked to aspects of alignment: law, chaos, good, evil,
and neutrality. The last one has more to do with the particular background than with moral or ethical perspectives.

You can create an ideal for yourself, you can roll for or choose an ideal from the list in your background, or you can choose from the
master list of all WotC traits. If you create one yourself, try to write it in the first person.

Master list​:​ Download Here.

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⬥ Ideal One ​*

Family. My big brother is the only person I have, and I'd kill everyone to keep him safe.

⬥ Ideal Two

Strength. I had to get strong to survive, and so will you. This is a dog eat dog world- get caught with
your pants down and you're toast.

⬥ Ideal Three

Bonds
Bonds are what motivates you.

Create between one and three bonds for your character. Bonds represent a character's connections to people, places, and events in
the world. They tie you to things from your background. They might inspire you to heights of heroism, or lead you to act against your
own interests if they are threatened. They can work very much like ideals, driving a character's motivations and goals.

Bonds might answer any of these questions: Whom do you care most about? To what place do you feel a special connection? What is
your most treasured possession? Your bonds might be tied to your class, your background, your race, or some other aspect of your
character's history or personality. You might also gain new bonds over the course of your adventures.

You can create a bond for yourself, you can roll for or choose an bond from the list in your background, or you can choose from the
master list of all WotC traits. If you create one yourself, try to write it in the first person.

Master List:​ ​Download Here.

⬥ Bond One ​*

I must pay off our debt no matter what

⬥ Bond Two

I have to find a way to rid myself of this dark vision that haunts me

⬥ Bond Three

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I need to find out who killed our mother.

Flaws
Flaws can get you into trouble.

Finally, choose between two and six flaws for your character. Your flaws are as important, if not more important, than your traits.
Flaws are what makes for good story! Your character's flaws represents some vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness-in particular,
anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests. More significant than
negative personality traits, a flaw might answer any of these questions: What enrages you? What's the one person, concept, or event
that you are terrified of? What are your vices?

You can create a flaw for yourself, you can roll for or choose a flaw from the list in your background, you can choose from the master
list of all WotC traits, or you can draw inspiration from the sources below. If you create one yourself or adapt it from inspiration, try to
write it in the first person.

Master List​: ​Download Here

Inspiration​: ​DarkWorld Character Flaws​, ​TV Tropes Flaw Index​, ​Six Types of Character Flaws​, ​Writing Good Flaws

⬥ Flaw One ​*

I've got a fucking violent temper. And it don't take much to set it off

⬥ Flaw Two ​*

I'd rather punch a problem than try to find a sensible solution to it

⬥ Flaw Three

Drink makes everything better.

⬥ Flaw Four

I'm not great with words. Tend to fuck up what I'm trying to say. Sometimes that can backfire

⬥ Flaw Five

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⬥ Flaw Six

Extras
Here are some optional extra ways to think about your character's personality.

⬥ Sexuality & Gender Identity

Male

⬥ Pessimism/Optimism
Mark one square with an X.
1 2 3 4 5

Pessimistic Optimistic

⬥ The Big Five

If you're super high-speed, you could try taking the ​Big Five Personality Inventory​ *as* your character...But that's a lot of effort, so
here's an easier way! Instead, just think about each metric, and try to place your character on a scale of one to five.

Extraversion

Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy,
and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic,action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's
go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.Introverts lack
the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and disengaged from the social
world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation
than an extravert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or
arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant
when approached.

Mark one square with an X.

1 2 3 4 5

Solitary, Reserved Outgoing, Energetic

Agreeableness

Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony.Agreeable individuals value getting
along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly,generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others'.
Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.
Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being,
and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be
suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative. Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity.
Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require
tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can makeexcellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

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Mark one square with an X.
1 2 3 4 5

Challenging, Detached Friendly, Caring

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad;
occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of
play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful,
fun-to-be-with, and zany. Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial.
Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society, but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such
impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term
consequences. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and
persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive
perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring.
Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will
experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Mark one square with an X.

1 2 3 4 5

Easy-going, Careless Efficient, Organized

Neuroticism

Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression,
but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally
to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret
ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. At the other end of the scale, individuals who score
low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from
persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings;
frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Mark one square with an X.

1 2 3 4 5

Secure, Confident Sensitive, Nervous

Openness

Openness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth,
conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to
closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals
typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called or . Nonetheless, Intellect is probably
best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of
education and scores on standard intelligence tests. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common
interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and
sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty;
they are conservative and resistant to change.

Mark one square with an X.

1 2 3 4 5

Consistent, Cautious Inventive, Curious

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❧ Your Secrets
Secrets push people apart and bring them together; they add intrigue and add drama. They can be playful, depressing, or horrifying.
They provide a window into your character’s psyche. Pick at least one secret! Everyone has something they don't want other people to
know, no matter how small.

Try creating at least one secret that ties you to another party member or the setting. The most dramatic characters will have a
personal secret, a setting-related secret, and a party-related secret. You should share your secrets with the other players and
collaborate on them as a party to make them as juicy as possible!

Inspiration:
Secret-Writing Advice ​, ​Secret Generator

⬥ Secret One ​*

I am plagued by visions of a black dog that stalks me often at night. I don't know what it wants or
why it stalks me, but I cannot get it to leave. It terrifies me.

⬥ Secret Two

Tommy doesn't know about my side-job with the Bishops. That I killed all those people. I dread to
think what he'd think of me.

⬥ Secret Three

I take laudanum for my many old injuries. I have become dependent on it.

❧ Your Beliefs
Beliefs are the most important part of your character. You must create at least three beliefs for your character, but no more than five.

A belief is three things: it is characterization, a goal, and an indication of how you want to be rewarded for playing your character.
You can gain inspiration by playing to or against your beliefs, as long as it causes drama!

When writing beliefs for your character, make sure that at least one of them is an active goal -- something your character can
accomplish. A belief must include an action, and a reason. For example: "I will topple my brother the duke, no matter the cost" is a
good belief. It could have been written as "I don't like my brother, the duke," but that's a terrible belief because there is no action to
create an interesting story.

How are beliefs different from TBIFs?

TBIFs are static guidelines on how to play your character that you might choose from your background or create yourself. They have
varying degrees of weight and affect on the story, but help to flesh your character out.

Beliefs, on the other hand, are always-changing, hand-crafted declarations of *priority*. They are in many ways like goals, but they
also express an idea, a conviction, or a feeling that you have. Beliefs interact with the setting, the plot, and other characters.

Types of Starting Beliefs

● If you have a very important secret about your character, make a Belief about it. It seems counter-intuitive, but in order to make a
secret work, you have to tell everyone about it!
● If you have an object or artifact that is very important to your character, write a Belief about it.
● If there is an NPC who is important to you, write a Belief about him or her.
● If you are interested in or care about another player character, write a Belief about him or her.
● If there is something your character wants to learn or gain, write a Belief about it.
● If you have a philosophy for your character, write a belief about it.
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Beliefs and the Setting and Situation
At the beginning of the character creation process, your GM discussed the setting of the game and the situation that is starting off your
campaign (if they haven't, go ask them.) Use this in your Beliefs! Incorporate what you care about, you hate, or what you want to
change about it.

Little Goals
When writing beliefs, try not to make them too big. Try to create goals for yourself that you can at least try to accomplish in the next
couple of sessions. Don't write beliefs for things you'll get to in the future. Instead, put those in your "Bonds" or "Ideals" sections.
Then, break it down into steps and write a Belief about the step you can take a shot at right now.

Broad Statements are Bad

Broad, vague statements make bad Beliefs. "This world is doomed" is a bad belief. A simple change, "This world is doomed if I should
fail to save the princess," turns it into a much better belief.

Be Colorful
It's easy to write simple, direct Beliefs. "I will save the princess." Unfortunately, such simple direct statements often lead to simple or
flat play. The more colorful -- the more in character -- you can write your Belief, the more fun you're going to have in the game.

Changing Your Beliefs

These beliefs are not permanent! Your beliefs can and absolutely should change during play.

⬥ Belief One ​*

I need to get me foot in the door with this Coliana mansion, make sure I get a moment to talk to this
Irena girl alone.

⬥ Belief Two ​*

I should look for any bareknuckle fighting rings I can make some quick dosh in. I'm going to need it.
For both the silver and the entertainment.

⬥ Belief Three ​*

Have to find the local footie club, see how much worse than Waterdeep FC them cunts are.

⬥ Belief Four

Have to find a dealer I can get some laudanum off of. Shouldn't be too hard...

⬥ Belief Five

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❧ Your Ties to the Campaign
What themes, plot hooks, factions, religions, organizations, people, ideas, monsters, or places from this campaign are you tied to? If
your gm hasn't given you the necessary information to answer this question, ask them! It's important that you aren't just some rando
that walked into a bar, right? You need at least one good tie to the campaign, or two or three little ones.

Make sure not to just list the ties -- also briefly explain how your character fits in to them.

⬥ Campaign Tie One ​*

⬥ Campaign Tie Two

⬥ Campaign Tie Three

❧ Your Inspirations
Write down at least two characters from media (tv, books, games, movies, etc) that inspire your character, that you can use as a
familiar touchstone when you're feeling lost. It's important to have more than one inspiration so your character doesn't accidentally
turn into an exact copy of your inspiration.

⬥ Inspiration One ​*

⬥ Inspiration Two ​*

⬥ Other Inspirations

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❧ Your Backstory
You can write a couple paragraphs of backstory here or put a link down below to an online document.

⬥ Backstory

⬥ Link

❧ Your Body
What do you look like? How has your life scarred you, molded you, made you into the image you are today? How many years has it
taken you to get here?

The Basics
⬥ Age ​*

⬥ Height & Weight ​*

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⬥ Hair, Skin, & Eyes

⬥ What kind of clothing and equipment do you prefer?

Quirks
⬥ Physical Quirk
Create at least one (but no more than three) physical quirks that makes your character unique. ​Here ​are some examples of physical
quirks.

⬥ Vocal Quirk
You can and should use accents, affectations, ticks, or vocal quirks and habits. Make sure to pick something you’re able to actually do
while roleplaying! There are some examples in the link under Physical Quirk, but here are some more: ​Quirks​, ​Affectations​, ​Accents

❧ Your Name
Finally, give your character a name! You can find names in the back of Xanathar's Guide to Everything, or you can try generating some
from ​this website.

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