This article is made with Elric! in mind but is usefull to all other BRPs and even other games.
The idea I bring here is to make players fill a Personality Sheet so that they can define their personality on an easy and yet complete way. It is also useful to keep track of personality changes or evolutions which increases roleplaying potential (i.e. Deilar didn't beleive in magic until he met a tribe shaman in the Sighing Desert. The shaman created a small flame on his hand out from nowhere and made it dance and shape into curling naked female figures. Amazed with what he saw, Deilar asked the shaman if he could learn... magic. Deilar's life changed forever. He's now a great shaman adventurer and regularily visits his master.)
The Personality Sheet is divided into three columns. The first one, contains some situations or topics the PC could/will react at. The second is the Inner Being column where the player writes how his PC will feel, react and/or think in relation to the first column's situations. The third column is the Outer Being, where the player states in what way or how his PC will expose his feelings to the outside world.
Situation Column: Try to define the most common situations the PCs will make front. Also leave empty spaces. In an ongoing campaign, PCs may discover new interests and it should be useful to write down their reactions. In the examples below, I wrote some of the topics I mostly use in my adventures. If your campaign is about Melniboneans roaming the world, a Human Society topic, would be nice.
Inner Being Column: Think deeply about each topic and try to find many different views to it. Write them all if you want, or write the most common ones.
Outer Beign Column: Again, think deeply how will your PC expose his inner feelings. He may expose them all. Don't expose a thing. Or expose a bit, or in a different way. The most common example of this "mask" in real life is the love topic. Usually, people show an aspect or a mask of his feelings. His macho side, her curves, etc. It's extremely hard to show one's inner feelings without seeming a jerk, at least in OUR world. Well I think you've got the idea of how the Outer Being works.
Sample Personality Sheet
Topic Inner Being Outer Being
Morale or Values
Family
Society
Friends
Enemies
First Meeting
Opposite Sex
Religion
Magic
Money
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
Sample PCs
STR: 16
CON: 16
SIZ: 10
INT: 9
POW: 10
DEX: 10
APP: 11
HP: 13
MP: 10
DB: +1D4
NAME: Wafff
NATIONALITY: Org
PROFESSION: Escaped Slave
Age: 19
Phisical Description: 1.62 meters, 77kg. A somewhat hairy guy, but with
normal looks. Heavy built and broad shoulders. A bit dumb. Black eyes and
hair.
Personality Sheet
Topic Inner Being Outer Being
Morale or Values
Feeling
good is good,
Shows
his values freely.
feeling
bad is bad.
Family
Wishes
he had some relatives He exposes nothing of it.
to
find caring and counsel.
Society
Trusts
no one. He's used to be He'll remain aside if possible
alone.
and
won't talk with anyone unless
survival
is at stake.
Friends
Has
no friends but wishes to. He wont look for a friend and wont
move
to get one, but he waits his
arrival.
Enemies
Will
take revenge as soon as He will show himself valiantly
possible.
Will think of it if before them, even if
he's at loosing
it's
a powerful enemy or has odds.
"strange"
weaponry.
First Meeting
Won't
trust him but will
He shows himself
as a closed and
listen.
self
sufficient guy.
Opposite Sex
Almost
supersticious fear to Tries not to show his fear but fails
women
mixed with great desire. miserably every time.
Religion
Doesn't
know what it is. He's Shows his superstition. He
thinks
extremely
supersticious with its logical.
natural
manifestations. Fears
cementeries
and the like,
because
of the tales of the
ghouls
from the hill.
Magic
Can't
make difference between As above.
magic
an other "strange" things.
Money
Sees
money as a tool for
Acts
as the rest of society just
survival.
to
not catch much attention.
STR: 8
CON: 12
SIZ: 18
INT: 16
POW: 18
DEX: 14
APP: 16
HP: 15
MP: 18
DB: +1D4
NAME: Ghafar. Also known as the Tower of the Dunes
NATIONALITY: Quarzhasaat
PROFESSION: Merchant
Age: 29
Phisical Description: 2.08 meters, 92kg. Brown skin, light brown hair,
green eyes, very tall and thin, hard features and quite handsome.
Topic Inner Being Outer Being
Morale or Values
Wants
a life of pleasures:
Restrains
his desires to give the
money,
prestige, women. Cheats, impression
of a decent nobleman.
manipulates
and lies to get it.
He
has no bad intentions.
Family
Has
a living father and mother.
Behaves like a winner in
front of
He
loves them very much, and
his parents.
Hides his hate to his
visits
them regularly. Has a
brother
from them.
brother
who he hates very much.
Society
Likes
living in society. Seeks
Poses
and merges with the high
benefits
or contacts that help society.
him
in his goals.
Friends
No
true friends.
He
behaves like a friend only if
its
benefitial.
Enemies
Will
revenge if they are on
Smiles
and behaves ironicaly in
his
way. Will do it subtlely.
front
of them.
First Meeting
Grabs
his attention. Seeks
Behaves
kindly and comprehensive.
possible
benefits.
Opposite Sex
He
just wants sex and having
Puts on his romantic
mask to catch
a
good time.
his
prey.
Religion No real beliefs. ---
Magic
Able
to cast magic. Distrusts
Hides
his magical abilities. Every
it
but he's being attracted
time
he is in presence of something
more
and more to its "virtues"
magical
his eyes sparkle a little.
Money
Money
is extremely important.
Hides
his greed from possible
Money
grants a good life,
"contribuitors"
prestige,
women, grimoires, etc.
Melniboneans
Long
extinct. Just a bunch of
Same.
arrogant
people... not like
the
Quarzhasaati.
Test it, you won't be disapointed. Let me know how it went at:
octogono@oocities.com
Cheers
Patricio Gonzalez - Erekose