This is almost one of those internet memes, but not really. It’s an NPC building exercise that’s fun to do every now and then. Character creation with some musical influences. Originates from the good old days when I used to GM Vampire: The Masquerade.

Basic rules: Random songs from your full playlist to tie to each of the things mentioned, then improvise, forming a character as you go along. Decide the setting and the primary role you want to build the character into before rolling with this thing.

Well, going with Buffy-esque setting, set in Finland. This one will be a “big bad” character.

1. Character gender/sex

Dead Can Dance – Song of the Nile

A very soft song. Feminine in a way. Some serenity to it. I’m thinking a heterosexual woman who has lost her someone and now in stages of mourning.

2. How is he/she physically

(The Real) Tuesday Weld – Waltz for One

Another graceful song, full of elegance and physical frailty. Dancer maybe, ballet or something like that. Not strong either.

3. How is he/she socially

Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!

Very outgoing, anarchistic, chaotic, energetic. Maybe not that beautiful, but something raw and wild.

4. How is he/she mentally

Placebo – UneedmemorethanIneedU

Bit lost on her own, come to rely on others for answers. Now has her own way and maybe someone has to rely on her… Generally a bit weak willed.

5. How would he/she be described

John Murphy – The Beginning

The sounds in the beginning make me think of someone in the media. Maybe a reporter. Someone who would be good in front of the camera. Then there is chaos, panic. And the end makes me think of far away things, childish things.

6. What’s his/her “edge” (depends on the setting what that means)

Metallica – Carpe Diem Baby

ok… the lyrics scream a “Lost Boys” Vampire to me.

7. What’s his/her motive

The KLF – 3am Eternal

*glares* A song about “the ancients of mu mu”… I refuse to comment on that.

8. Now put it all together while listening to this tune

The Cranberries – Twenty one

There is the a strong contrast between the serene, cold and the passionate, fiery in everything about this character. She’s been something else than she is now. Maybe due a loss. She can’t cope with things. I really like the idea of a media professional, a reporter. Maybe a documentary maker, who stumbled onto something she wasn’t supposed to. Ok, I’m a bit inspired now by the Witch from Left 4 Dead, but maybe she’s seeing the universe in a completely new light. The whole universe.

So…

Tanja is a frail twentyish media student who was filming a documentary about some old iron age grave site with her fiancé when they stumbled upon something that was left on this side of the world from Beyond. Her fiancé got devoured by the fragment, but she survived. Different. Now she’s half-awake, half-aware, walking the line between the real world and the Beyond. Other things from the Beyond are drawn to her, which is the reason she’s a “big bad” for the story. She’s very energetic personality. Charming even. She’s suffered some physical scarring (frostbite-like scarring on her neck and chin) from her encounter, but her force of personality makes up for such minor flaws.

She is something of a “flower person” now, seeming to enjoy her unique perspective on the world in a way that appears almost childlike to an outside viewer, but she will fly into a wild rage if disturbed, full of new claws and fangs and other sharp things of Beyond producing from her flesh. At first, she’ll be easily swayed by the other Beyond entities to do things they want, but will eventually she’ll develop a sense of purpose and try to open up a rift to the Beyond to bring her fiancé back, which is an even worse thing, since it’ll be the end of the world as we know it.

Probably would play the character more to the “childlike harbinger of doom” direction if I were to use her in my campaign. Have her waltz somewhere and disappear, leaving the things that followed her there wreck havoc on things. Also, since she’s quite dualistic character, almost split personality, would probably keep her as a NPC the players can talk to and interact with, until her role in things would be revealed.

The original thought of Lost Boys vampire got tossed aside in the final writeup, more going with the “split sky, part sea, shake world” -direction from the song.

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Tags: characters, exercise, npcs, rpgs

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 22:14 and is filed under roleplaying games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.