Character Creation Tips: Building Better Heroes Together

If you're anything like me, and I'm sure you're better than I am at most things, you've likely experienced the challenge of creating characters with your players in one of the following ways…

1. They create a complex backstory for their character that is hard to align with the group and creates unforeseen difficulties in the group’s storytelling goals.

2. Players create characters, but feel detached from them and don’t truly engage with the story as a result.

3. Players don’t know where to start and shut down, unsure of what they want.

4. Every player makes a great character they personally love, but now you don’t know how to get the players’ characters to care about working with each other, other than because the game tells them they should.

Character creation is one of the most exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) parts of starting a new tabletop roleplaying game. It’s that magical space where imagination meets intention—where a few ideas on a sheet of paper become the heroes (or lovable troublemakers) who will shape the story to come.

No matter your reasons for running a TRPG campaign, how you approach character creation with your players can make or break the experience. We want to share a few helpful tips and tricks to make the character creation process fun, engaging, and meaningful for you and your players.

Don’t Forget Session Zero:

You don’t have to leave character creation up to your players on their own. Make session zero an integral part of character and story creation as a team. After all, this is a group narrative.

Whether you choose freeform or structured creation, Session Zero is a must. This is your chance to:

• Set expectations

• Review safety tools (like Lines & Veils, X-Card, or a safety survey)

• Establish group norms and goals

• Confirm consent for themes or content

• Establish group connections both in the context of character backstories and real-life group rapport building.

Bonus Tip: Use a Session Zero checklist or script to model language like:

“We’re here to tell a story together. Let’s make sure each of you feels safe and excited to take part in that.”

Start with the Why: Purpose-Driven Character Creation

Before dice hit the table, it’s helpful to ask: What’s the goal of this group?

• Therapy group? Characters might explore aspects of self-expression or emotional growth.

• Social-emotional learning in schools? Consider emphasizing teamwork, perspective-taking, and communication.

• Casual storytelling fun? Focus on creativity, joy, and group dynamics.

Understanding the purpose of your group can help guide how much structure and scaffolding to provide during character creation.

Approaches to Character Creation

Here are a few common strategies you can use, along with their strengths and weaknesses:

1. Freeform Brainstorming

Let players invent their character from scratch with minimal prompts.

Pros:

• Encourages creativity

• Good for experienced players

• Builds unique characters

Cons:

• Can overwhelm new or younger players

• May result in uneven group dynamics

• Risk of creating overpowered or disconnected characters

Tips: Use this method when players are confident storytellers. Provide guiding questions like “What motivates your character?” or “What secret are they hiding?”

2. Template or Pre-Generated Characters

Provide players with pre-made or partially-filled character sheets to tweak.

Pros:

• Speeds up the process

• Reduces analysis paralysis

• Ensures balance and group cohesion

Cons:

• May reduce personal investment

• Limits creativity

• Can feel less personal

Tips: Great for short campaigns or one-shots. Give players a few key choices (like backstory or goals) to make the character their own.

3. Guided Prompts and Worksheets

Use structured prompts to help players discover their character.

Pros:

• Supports thoughtful development

• Encourages alignment with story or learning goals

• Builds buy-in without overwhelming players

Cons:

• Takes time

• Can feel too “academic” if overused

Tips: This is especially helpful in educational or therapeutic groups. Ask things like:

• “What is your character proud of?”

• “What do they avoid at all costs?”

• “Who do they care about most?”

4. Collaborative Party Creation

Create characters as a group with built-in connections.

Pros:

• Fosters immediate social bonding

• Reduces friction later in play

• Supports shared goals and themes

Cons:

• Can take longer

• Players may feel constrained by others’ choices

Tips: Use a “party connections” worksheet or simple question prompts like:

• “How do you know the person to your left?”

• “Which party member saved you once, and how?”

Mental Health and Ethics Tip for the Applied GM

If you’re a therapist or educator, remember:

• Keep character sheets confidential if they contain personal insights.

• Clarify that players can play differently than they are in real life—and that’s okay.

• Normalize retconning or revising characters as players grow and reflect.

Final Tips for Strong Characters

• Tie characters to the setting. Ask: What keeps them here? What do they want to change?

• Include an internal conflict. Something they wrestle with emotionally makes for great growth.

• Leave room for growth. The best characters don’t start perfect, nor do they start flawed and end perfect; however, they do become something new through play.

Most of all, just remember this is all a game anyway. If you make something that you don’t like after a few sessions. You can always change things up. There is no rule that says you must never change anything about your character once you start the story. After all, real life isn’t like that either.