How to Build Compelling Characters

Summary

In this Adventuring Academy Office Hours session, Dungeon Master Brendan Lee Mulligan offers practical guidance for aspiring DMs, focusing on crafting engaging campaigns and plot points. He emphasizes making player characters the story’s core, providing strategies for motivating both passive and proactive characters. Brendan shares techniques for rewarding creative play, managing improvisation, and handling absent players, while underscoring the importance of loose, flexible campaign planning. The discussion also covers the interplay of world-building, plot, and character development, encouraging DMs to embrace both preparation and improvisation. Overall, the session is a rich resource for creating immersive, player-driven tabletop RPG experiences.

Takeaways

• 😀 Don’t pressure yourself to be perfect as a new Dungeon Master; storytelling skills improve with practice.
• 😀 Start plotting campaigns by considering your players’ characters as the main focus of the story.
• 😀 Passive characters are motivated to act when the status quo is disrupted, creating stakes and engagement.
• 😀 Proactive characters benefit from built-in motivations created during character creation, making their actions intuitive and immersive.
• 😀 Character creation should be a collaborative process between players and the DM to ensure adventures align with characters’ traits and goals.
• 😀 Reward creative player actions beyond standard mechanics by adapting the world or providing narrative recognition.
• 😀 Improvisation is a crucial skill for DMs, allowing for dynamic storytelling and integrating unexpected player actions seamlessly.
• 😀 There is no fixed plan for storylines; a loose framework allows player decisions to shape the campaign organically.
• 😀 Handling player absences can include in-game explanations, turning the PC into an NPC, or using a rotating roster system like West Marches style campaigns.
• 😀 World-building and plot creation are interconnected; both evolve together as characters interact with the setting.
• 😀 Avoid making players feel obliged to undertake adventures; focus on creating in-character desire and motivation to engage naturally.
• 😀 Burnout is not inevitable if DMs genuinely enjoy creating worlds and running campaigns for their players.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Adventuring Academy's Office Hours?

The main focus of Adventuring Academy's Office Hours is to provide advice and insights about running tabletop RPGs. Dungeon Master Brendan Lee Mulligan answers questions from the audience, sharing tips and personal experiences on campaign creation, character development, and other aspects of DMing.

How does Brendan suggest handling passive characters in a campaign?

Brendan suggests that passive characters, who are not inherently motivated to act, can be spurred into adventure by disrupting the status quo they are comfortable with. This disruption can be through an antagonist, a villain, or a major event that harms or threatens what the characters care about.

What are the two types of heroes Brendan mentions, and how do they differ?

Brendan describes two types of heroes: reactive/passive heroes and proactive heroes. Reactive heroes, like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, are thrust into adventure due to external forces disturbing their normal life. Proactive heroes, like Jack Skellington from *The Nightmare Before Christmas*, actively seek to change the status quo because they are unsatisfied with the world as it is.

What does Brendan say about the relationship between character creation and plot development?

Brendan emphasizes that character creation should be done in collaboration with the Dungeon Master to ensure the character's motivations align with the campaign’s story. This partnership helps shape a plot that resonates with the characters’ personal goals and desires, making the adventure more engaging.

How can a Dungeon Master create compelling plot points to start a campaign?

A Dungeon Master can create compelling plot points by either disrupting the world to motivate passive characters into action or by building proactive characters with clear personal motivations. It's important that the plot hooks feel natural and intuitive, rather than obligatory, so the players are immersed in the narrative.

What is a common issue Brendan sees in tabletop RPG campaigns, and how does he suggest avoiding it?

A common issue Brendan sees is when characters and their motivations are not aligned with the world or the campaign. He advises that characters should not be passive, and the world should be constructed in a way that responds to the players' actions, motivations, and desires to prevent cognitive dissonance in the story.

How does Brendan recommend handling character absences during a campaign?

Brendan suggests that when a player is absent, the character should either be written out of the story for the duration, be turned into an NPC, or be played by another character. The best option is to create an in-game justification for the absence, which avoids disrupting the immersion of the story.

What advice does Brendan give to someone new to DMing who struggles with coming up with plot points?

Brendan advises not to be too hard on yourself as a new DM. Plot points often develop naturally as you play, and the more you practice, the better you'll become. He also emphasizes that character creation and world-building are key, and you don’t need to have everything figured out from the start.

How does Brendan recommend rewarding creative play from players in a tabletop RPG?

Brendan suggests rewarding creative play by not only granting advantages but also by being open to improvising and adjusting the world to fit the players' ideas. If a player does something unexpected and creative, like using a spell in an innovative way, the DM can adjust the narrative to make that decision feel impactful, which rewards the player's creativity.

What is the significance of 'improv' in being a good Dungeon Master, according to Brendan?

Improv is crucial for a Dungeon Master because it allows them to adapt to unexpected player actions and integrate them seamlessly into the story. Brendan suggests that improv classes or even watching improv performances can help DMs develop this skill, enabling them to make on-the-spot decisions that feel intentional and well-planned.