Character Names

I've always thought, if you're going to roleplay, you shouldn't be choosing your character. You should play what you get, to that end...

Having your group, make your character

The Idea here is, as a group, you have needs and wants of your group, you want to help each other out, and play as a team. So why do we let players make their own character, often it results in some kind of loner, trying to be self centered, or an over achiever as the player is trying too hard to be the best group friendly character.

So Instead, I tried this for several years, often at conventions, because captive audiences will do new things, and go away telling friends how interesting it actually was to try something new.

So, First, your name. 

(Now as player, you can veto one thing, but only one thing, if you want to change your name, do so, but be aware you cannot veto anything else later)

Write down: The last two letters of your first name, the middle two letters of your last name, the first two letters of your mothers name and then the last letter of your fathers name.. sounds like a meme.. I know.. Now, read it to the group. don't show them, read it! and have them spell it for you. That's your name.

(GMs: Nominate your world to match known common earth like traits, this is purely an association game for your group, not fixed to any tropes, unless you want it that way)

Ask the group, what kind of culture does it sound like, matching what the group knows of current cultures, then Ask the GM, if it sounds like a name that matches part of their known world, and have your character come from there, if that place is a set race, that's your race, if there is a choice, have the group decide.

Now you can roll the dice for your characteristics, apply racial modifiers, cultural modifiers, and ask the group, what kind of character do they think it is, picking a primary (or secondary) lifestyle for you, and you choose the other.

Lastly, they pick your starting profession. You can always change, but this is what your parents chose for you.

Why do it like this? Is this un-fun?

As an artist, and author, I often balked at my teachers telling us to write / draw specifically in a genre or style that I didn't like. Yet, every time, I learnt something more of the genre, or the style and while I may have never done another piece like it, I am amazed at how much I got out of it in the long run.

My greatest piece of art, was life drawing of my own shoe, when I encountered it years later, I had forgotten how well I could draw, yet as a kid I distinctly remember how bored I was with the idea of drawing a shoe.

In this sense, I've often considered, roleplay is a form of art, its a learning experience, and we should use it as best as we can to tell stories, but not self-indulgent personal fantasy in the truer sense of the word, but instead the story emerges as we have our characters go on the arc of self discover, self loathing, and self acceptance. Which can be next to impossible if we build out own fantasy archtype as our character.

Lastly, I have had groups make their self indulgent fantasy character, and get bored of it, all to early. They've achieved their pinnacle and there is nothing more to do with them after, But players, saddled with this personal abomination, grow to like them, and over time, have claimed how, despite themselves, they have found it to be their favourite character.

So I say,..Give it go..  you might be surprised.