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Creating an Original Character (OC)

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Creating an Original Character (OC) Empty Creating an Original Character (OC)

Post by ActuallyFace Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:27 pm

Original Characters (OCs) are fun, but the process of creating one can be difficult, and it's all too easy to make the characters flat and rather boring. This guide is an attempt to walk you through the template for OCs on the site, with a few added tips.

Keep in mind that a lot of this is opinion-based, and you aren't going to not have your character approved if you don't follow every tip in here. This is just my attempt to help you through the character-creating process, as well as help you make your character more three-dimensional and interesting to play and be played with. Don't take my word as law here. The factual parts, though, are true.



Original Character Creation Guide


Name


  • Homestuck uses something called 'naming conventions. This means that depending on a character's race or some other factor, they have different rules for how their names look. While you don't actually have to follow them,  Humans have four-letter first names and two-syllable last names, trolls have six letters for both first and last names, and ancestors have eight-letter titles.
  • Don't just try to use a baby name site to find a name that has some kind of meaning to fit your character. It's lazy, and trolls don't even have human names. For humans, try a site with a list of four-letter names, and a last name generator. For trolls, try the names of stars, constellations, Greek or Roman temples, cities, and even obscure god names (you can alter these to fit the six-letter mold. The goal here is to find Latin-based names. You can also use the root for other points on your OC, like the lusus, the symbol, and even certain personality qualities). These are, of course, only if you're having trouble coming up with names.
  • Stay away from generic Japanese names. Please. Naming a character "Sasuke" is just so cheap, and all of the troll names in canon are from stars and constellations, which gives them more of a Latin-based sound. Japanese is not a Latin-based language. If a human character actually comes from Japan, or their guardian does, that's fine, but be careful- It can easily come off as offensive.


Gender and Sex (Physicial Gender)

Please keep in mind that if you make your character's sex something different from it's gender, you need to continue to respect that and keep it in mind.

To clarify, Sex usually means the gender their genitals determine them as. Gender generally means the actual gender of the person, which is not determined by the genitals.

It's great to explore the demographics, but also do not use this as a primary point of interest in your character. Also, it is highly arguable whether trolls can be trans*, given the society is pretty unbiased where gender is concerned.


  • Continue to address your character as their gender, not their sex. I shouldn't even have to say this, but I've seen people do otherwise, and it's incredibly offensive.
  • Make sure you know, if your character is trans*, how they are dealing with that and how the people around them are dealing with that. Is their guardian supportive, or not? Do they have enough money around to do hormones, a full sex change, both, or neither? The situation you put them in may also have an effect on this; if it's a medieval-type setting, nobody is supportive of them. Let's be real here. There are no hormones, no sex changes, nothing. They'll probably still have to dress like their sex and just be incredibly uncomfortable.
  • Don't make a character non-cis as their only point of interest. It's good to address multiple demographics, but something like that doesn't define a character's personality. This also goes for sexuality- It doesn't define someone, it's only part of their character.
  • Your character is going to physically hold elements of their sex no matter what they go through to change it. Keep that in mind.
  • Do some research before you start. This can be a touchy topic, and you need to make sure you aren't getting important things wrong. I can only help so much here.


Height and Weight


  • Try to stay within the bounds of reason. Humans probably shouldn't be over seven feet, and neither should trolls. Ancestors have some leeway here too, being far more extreme, but anything over eight and a half feet is a little bit too much.
  • Make sure the height fits the age and physical sex. Females do tend to be shorter, and males taller. Younger kids also tend to be shorter. Look up height charts for your character's age and sex if you're having trouble. BMI charts, too, are helpful with finding the right weight for a certain height.


Date of Birth

Just make sure it's a real day. Also keep in mind that Trolls measure their years in solar sweeps. Since there isn't any troll calander, you could probably give them an earth birthday anyhow, though.

Age

Most characters are between thirteen and seventeen years old, but ancestors have some leeway. Just keep in mind that the higher the blood in a troll, the longer they live, with the Condesce being almost immortal. Trolls also measure their age in sweeps, which is a bit different from years. This is an easy way to convert years to sweeps.

Appearance


  • Do not make a character's appearance their only point of interest.
  • The appearance should compliment the character. Keep in mind that they are dressing themselves, too.
  • It's pretty much agreed throughout the fandom that horns grow outwards from the head (this being the only way that horns ever grow on any horned creature in nature). Because of this, having two horns that fuse is pretty much impossible.
  • Horns should reflect the symbol or lusus in some way.
  • Try to write the personality first! A person is defined how they are on the inside, not how they look.


Personality

The personality should be the main point of interest in a character, but it is also the hardest to come up with.


  • Make sure your character is three-dimensional. You want them to have plenty of good and bad qualities, and there should be a fairly even amount of these.
  • A personality should be like a tapestry, with every quality acting as a thread, and every thread complimenting another and helping to hold everything together. Of course, a personality is incredibly complex, but trust me, this is still plenty possible.
  • If you're having trouble, try starting with a few base traits (helpful, loyal, manipulative, controlling, appreciative of others, intelligent... there are lots). These base traits will then compliment each other, and go from there.
  • A personality is much like a tree. The base traits will form the roots, then come together and compliment each other to form a trunk, and then go off in a few other directions with each other to form branches.
  • Make sure you know whether each trait is an innate quality, or something gained from an upbringing or situation. If the trait is gained during the character's life, make sure you know why.
  • A character is going to react to it's situation, and how they react will have something to do with the qualities they've already gained. They aren't going to have a super joyful, perfect upbringing and come out evil bitches with no love for anyone or anything. Keep this in mind.
  • Don't use depression, anxiety, or any other kind of mental disorder as a main point of interest for your character. They need to have other qualities, and you need to treat these things as a valid disorder and not some cheap way to make everyone pity the character.
  • Make sure you have a firm grasp on decision-making, leading, and operating under stress abilities, because most stories and RPs are going to include a lot of stress and tough situations, and it's good to know how a character will react to those.


Chumhandle

Try to make sure this compliments your character's personality, and isn't just some kind of mystical thing, like "darkShadow". If you're having trouble coming up with one, look up an adjective that describes your character, find a synonym, and use something a little more complex than the adjective you started with. Apply this to a noun that you think works with your character (romanticist, etc.).
A good idea is to look at the canon examples of chumhandles.

Text color


  • Humans have eyes that match their typing color (but they can also have strange eye colors like red and orange, so basically everything is fair game), and trolls almost always type to match their blood color.
  • If your troll is a mutant, especially in Alternian society, they will probably conceal this behind some other color. Either grey, or a legitimate blood color that they might be pretending to be.
  • If your troll has a text color that does not match their blood color, you should have a legitimate reason for this other than "he likes that color more" or "it adds interest". Other trolls will probably assume the color they type in is their blood color.


Quirk


  • Human quirks don't exist. They only type with varying amounts of grammar/punctuation.
  • Troll quirks include puns, replacing certain letters with something else, and starting messages with something (like Nepeta's ":33<" ).
  • Troll quirks almost always relate back to what their lusus or symbol is.
  • Dead trolls have a special quirk: replacing "o" with "0".
  • Trolls, and sometimes humans, usually have some kind of emote they've changed to symbolize them (Karkat's ")::]"). These all can vary, but usually keep the elements that define the emote as theirs).


Blood color


  • DO NOT MAKE THE BLOOD COLOR OF YOUR TROLL THEIR ONLY POINT OF INTEREST. I cannot emphasize this enough! While blood color can add interest, it shouldn't be the only interesting thing about your troll. If you can't figure out how to make a character interesting without it being entirely based on blood color, you should not be making characters. The personality is what makes characters interesting and three-dimensional.
  • Again, Do not make being a mutant blood the defining character trait of your character. Try to write the personality first, and figure out which blood color fits it best.
  • Rainbow drinkers are essentially the troll version of vampires. Keeping that in mind, they aren't that common. Jadebloods might turn into rainbowdrinkers after dying. Not every jadeblood turns into a rainbowdrinker, and if you made a jadeblooded character for the sole purpose of them becoming a rainbowdrinker later, you need to rethink your strategy there. Jadebloods are interesting in other ways (not to mention incredibly rare). They are more motherly, they care for grubs, and they might get a more interesting lusi, like a virgin mother grub. Jadebloods are also usually female. I'm not telling you to not make your jadeblooded character turn into a rainbowdrinker, but you should explore the possibilities. Also, a jadeblood becoming a rainbowdrinker is a bit overused and predictable.
  • Highblooded trolls have a higher tendency for erratic behaviour, and please keep that in mind. That doesn't mean that every highblood will go insane, but it does mean that they may, and that lowbloods are less likely to.
  • Lowbloods are more likely to have psionic powers than highbloods. Also keep in mind that if you decide to give your character psionics, you need to have plenty of limits on their power. Overpowering is boring and frustrating for everyone.
  • Mutants probably have a lighter blood color. Most trolls have dark shades of their blood color, but a mutant will have a more light and vibrant color. In Alternian society, mutants are culled, so will hide their blood color behind grey, or some other real blood color. In Beforian society, mutants are treated as incapable pets, and aren't listened to. They may hide their color, or show it. Either way, they will not be killed.
    If you make a pinkblooded character, you will be laughed at by the fandom. Don't ask me why.
  • Limebloods are pretty much extinct on Alternia, and hated by highbloods because they are the only trolls with the ability to calm them down.
  • Most of the fandom agrees that any troll above purple is a seadweller, and none below are. Seadwellers must have seadwelling lusi, and not all seadwellers use nautical-themed puns.
  • I shouldn't even have to say this, but trolls can only have one blood color.
  • Lowbloods live shorter lives than highbloods.
  • Lower-blooded trolls are physically warmer than higher-blooded trolls.
  • There is no blood color that is higher than fuchsia. There is no blood color that is higher than fuchsia. There is no blood color that is higher than fuchsia. Fuchsia-blooded trolls are incredibly rare, and on Alternia they usually have an overwhelming instinct to kill each other. Without variation, fuchsiablooded females are either currently the empress, or the heiress, and you should refrain from creating an empress in Alternian or Beforian society because both of those things are actually already ruled by an empress. That is their defining feature. Alternian society is the way it is because the Condesce rules it, and Beforian society is the way it is because Feferi rules it.
  • Blood does not sparkle, shine, glitter, or glow.


Symbol


  • Kids generally choose their symbol, so it should reflect their interests.
  • Kid symbols are not always their own color, but they usually are.
  • Troll symbols should not be shapes. If your troll has a heart symbol, you need to rethink that pretty fricken hard because that's a problem. Be creative.
  • Troll symbols are not solid. Troll symbols are pretty much always drawn with thin thines, between one and five.
  • Troll symbols pretty much never mean anything. Don't just use a letter (in ANY language) for your troll's symbol.
  • Using star or constellation symbols for your troll's symbol is definitely encouraged.


Guardian/living situation


  • Characters in Homestuck usually have one guardian.
  • Don't use a totally terrible living situation filled with hatred and abuse as a way to add interest to a character. That stuff is rare, incredibly serious, and a very triggering topic. You need to treat it as such. Don't treat a real-life, terrible situation as a cheap way to make people pity your character.
  • Usually, a living situation will be reflected in the personality. Try to have a tie there.


Lusus


  • Lusi are entirely white (the color, not Caucasian or Arabic), and usually an animal or insect on it's own or with some kind of variation (multiple limbs, out-of-the-ordinary size, etc.)
  • They aren't necessarily normal animals, either. Tavros has a fairy bull and Sollux has a two headed ogre, so feel free to make things that don't exist or use mythical creatures.
  • Jadebloods have more rare lusi, and are VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY rarely picked by the mother grub herself.
  • Seadwellers and purplebloods have aquatic lusi.
  • They usually have something to do with the troll's symbol.


Strengths and Weaknesses (Pros and Cons)


  • Your character should have a balance here. Don't make your character 100% awful, or 100% perfect. Real people have a balance- This is one of the most important parts to making a well-rounded character.
  • Insecurities do not count as a weakness/con. Your character should have an actual fault, like a lack of intelligence, a bitter edge, or something else of the sort. Nobody is smart, atheletic and charming without deep character flaws to counter it.


Insecurities

Everybody has some small insecurity, at the very least. Just a sneaking little thing that they feel the need to improve on, even if they are the most arrogant ass out there. You character should also not be entirely made of insecurities unless they have severe depression, and like I said, that's a pretty cheap way to go. Be careful how you tread there.

Fears

Fears usually rely on insecurities, but they may not. Usually, a fear will be based on a character's own feelings regarding control over themselves, friends and being able to keep them, etc. It is very rare that fears will be focused outwards.

Likes and Dislikes

Just make sure the likes/dislikes compliment your character, and make sense. These can even add interest to your character, and a third dimension in a guilty (or totally confident) pleasure.

Driving Force

This category is a bit vague, but a driving force usually refers to the thing that your character strives to do; improve in some way, prove something, seek revenge, etc. It will usually tie back to insecurities.

Hobbies

Hobbies will usually tie back to the character’s interest. This is mostly just what the character spends their free time doing.

God Tier


  • Do some research before you give your character a god tier. Look up the wikia's descriptions, or the descriptions given by the person who created whatever fan-class or fan-aspect you have decided to use.
  • The god tier should fit the character. Make sure the god tier fits the character.
  • Aspect is generally defined by the character's personality.
  • Class defines the character's 'story path' or character arc.


Land


  • A lot of it depends on your character's "classpect" (class and aspect) and will use similar themes to the aspect especially.
  • Space players will have "Frogs" in their land ("The Land of Frogs and ____" or "Land of ____ and Frogs").
  • Time players will have lands that relate to actual time, music or tempo, etcetera. They also will have a Scratch Artifact somewhere on it, and the Scratch Artifact will look like the time travel artifact the time player uses to time travel- Dave has his record Timetables and the Beat Mesa, Aradia has her Music Box Time Machines and the massive music box scratch artifact in her land.
  • Hope players might have angels in their land in addition to consorts.
  • Try to make your character's land relate to them or fuck with them in some way, shape, or form. Make it their land.


Consort

Consorts are creatures that inhabit the Land of your character. They usually impact the land's story and can be made into helpers if your character wants their help. In canon, consorts tend to all be reptiles or amphibians, and usually in the color of the character.

Moon (Derse or Prospit)

It is unclear what makes a character dream on any moon. If you’re having trouble, try using intro/extroversion- introverts being Derse, and extroverts being Prospit (introverts tend to get energy from being alone, extroverts from being around others).

Strife Specibus


  • Try not to make the strife specibus a sword. Swords are generic, overused, and boring. Unless it really compliments your character, try something else.
  • A strife specibus should compliment your character and their own personal fighting style in some way. And trust me, all characters have a fighting style. If they don't, the fighting style is probably long-range and/or primarily defensive.
  • If you're having trouble, look up medieval weaponry.
  • Most characters only have one strife specibus, the freebie one they start with, but older characters might have acquired more.
  • Depending on your classpect, it might be more likely for your character to use a specific kind of weapon. Knights might use a knightly weapon, etcetera.


If your character could change anything about themselves, what would they change?:

This usually references the character’s insecurities, too. The biggest insecurity is probably what they would change about themselves.

Entry Item (Artifact)

Entry items are what your character will use to enter the game. Created from the free pre-punched card and pure cruxite, the entry item must be broken or completed somehow to allow the player to enter. Enter items always symbolize some form of entering, as well as something else that relates to the character. John had an apple he had to bite, while Rose had a bottle to break. Anything that requires a small, only moderately time-consuming action.

Of course, you don't need to include this bit, but it's still a good thing to think about and include in the "other" section if you want to play Sburb/Sgrub with your character.

(5-16-17 version co-authored by )


Last edited by tlo on Wed May 17, 2017 9:52 am; edited 4 times in total (Reason for editing : Minor corrections)
ActuallyFace
ActuallyFace
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