Pre-written characters
Pre-written characters are those created by the organizers before the game. They can vary in length from a few lines of text to several pages of information. The goal is to provide the player with all the information needed to play a particular character in the game. For longer or complex games characters are often sent out well in advance, while rerunable games often hand out characters immediately before play.
Elements
A pre-written character often contain some or all of the following elements:
- Personal history
- Personality traits
- Social role and responsibilities
- Relationships to other characters
- Goals and motivations
- Personal thoughts or memories
- Direction or Fate
- Thematic inspirations
- Costuming advice
Advantages
Some of the benefits of pre-written characters:
- Structuring drama and conflict
- Giving players time to prepare
- Precise information
- Casting players for specific roles
Disadvantages
There are of course also disadvantages, the main ones being that information tends to be forgotten i longer characters and that a given player might not play the character as intended or not feel immersed in it. It can also be hard for players to prepare in-game relationships before play as well.