Pre-written characters

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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.