The Game of 20 Questions.

To better understand your Hero’s personality, take a moment to look

through and answer the questions below. By the time you are
finished, you should have a much clearer idea of the Hero you want
to play.

1. What country is your Hero from?

This question gives you a foundation upon which to build. When you
understand your Hero’s culture, you will begin to understand your
Hero. Imagine how his environment helped shape his personality.
Your homeland stays with you no matter where you go.

2. How would you physically describe your Hero?

First off, is your Hero male or female?

Aside from sex, how does your Hero look? Start at the top of his
head and work your way down to his feet. Focus on the things that
reflect his personality and the way he is treated by others. Which is
more interesting – the fact that your Hero is blond, or that he wears
his hair in a single braid and scents it with contraband Crescent
lotions?

Build and height are also important in determining how others see
your Hero. The average height in modern Korvosa is about 5' 6?,
although certain nationalities are a bit taller or shorter.

3. Does your Hero have recurring mannerisms?

An accent, a nervous habit, or a peculiar expression of speech can

serve as shortcuts to developing a personality.

Too many can turn a character into a clown, so pick one or two and
run with them.

4. What is your Hero’s main motivation?

What keeps your Hero going when his ship has been sunk and he’s
marooned on an island? Is it greed, love, or revenge? Perhaps the
Hero dreams of freeing his homeland from foreign occupation or
hopes to find a younger sister who was carried off by pirates.

5. What is your Hero’s greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

Is your Hero really good at one particular thing? Maybe he’s a

master navigator and can guide a ship through the blackest night
with only his wits to work from. On the other hand, does your Hero
have something he’s terrible at? Maybe animals don’t like him, or
he’s nervous around ladies and blurts out less than intelligent
comments. A Hero with no strengths is difficult to keep alive; one
with no weaknesses is difficult to sympathize with. A Hero with
both strengths and weaknesses has a more balanced personality
and will develop into a richer roleplaying experience.

6. What are your Hero’s most and least favorite things?

The secret of the soup is in the details. Does your Hero hate eggs?
Perhaps the glistening sickly yellow of the yolk disgusts him. Maybe
he has a favorite breakfast that he eats every morning, such as a
cup of tea and a slice of toast spread with apple butter. Maybe it’s
not a food that your Hero loves or hates but a particular sight or
smell? Some people find great solace in the sight of the stars above
them, while others aren’t happy unless they can smell the salt spray
of the sea. This is a grand opportunity to add a touch of poetry to
your Hero’s soul.

7. What about your Hero’s psychology?

Is it hard for him to restrain his anger or hatred? Does his passion
always get the better of him? Maybe he thrives on the rush of
adrenaline that battle brings with it and disturbs his comrades with
his laughter during a fight. Does a particular song bring him to his
feet stomping and clapping? What song or play brings tears to his
eyes?

8. What is your Hero’s single greatest fear?

It is a rare person that fears nothing at all. Even the greatest

warriors may have a fear of heights or dread growing old. If your
Hero is terrified of dying of old age and hears a rumor about a
fountain that brings eternal youth, might he not search the world for
it, even if the rumor came from an unreliable source? Sometimes a
man’s fears propel him to his greatest achievements.

Of course, many people fear simpler, more physical things than old
age. Some have a dread of snakes or spiders, others have a horror
of worms and slimy things, and a number of people experience
panic attacks in dark, narrow places.

9. What are your Hero’s highest ambitions? His greatest love?

When your Hero dies, what does he want people to say about him?
Does he want to be remembered forever for his poetry? Maybe he
hopes that tales of his battle exploits will outlive him. Maybe he just
wants a small house and a loving wife, but ridiculous fortune keeps
obligating him to go on one adventure after another. Perhaps he
dreams of glory and a kingdom of his own, or a country reunited by
his hands.

If he could live forever, what would he want to spend eternity

doing? Sailing? Wooing beautiful women? Cataloging the artifacts
left behind by the Syrneth? Whatever his greatest love is, your Hero
will take every opportunity to indulge in it.

10. What is your Hero’s opinion of his country?

Is your Hero a die-hard patriot, blind to the flaws of his countrymen,

or is he a man without a country, having grown tired of his
homeland’s foolishness long ago? Most people are somewhere in
between, neither hating their country nor believing it can do no
wrong.

11. Does your Hero have any prejudices?

Is there a group of people that your Hero immediately turns up his

nose at? Perhaps he can’t stand the smell of “those filthy peasants”,
or maybe a Varisian Witch killed his brother. There may be no
reason for the Hero to hate this group, but he believes there’s one.
Traumatic childhood incidents can lead to a lifetime of hatred and
prejudice that the Hero may never get over. For the sake of party
unity, it’s a good idea to hate a group that you know none of the

other players want as characters.

12. Where do your Hero’s loyalties lie?

Does your Hero loyally serve a certain noble? Maybe his loyalties lie
with his family or his spouse. Perhaps his first concern is looking
out for himself, or maybe he serves a greater cause.

13. Is your Hero in love? Is he married or betrothed?

Is there someone who makes your Hero’s heart beat faster? Perhaps
he is already married to the love of his life. If so, do they have any
children? How old are the children? Maybe he’s just betrothed to be
married sometime soon, and the happy (or unhappy) event has yet
to take place.

14. What about your Hero’s family?

Decide on a family name. Then talk about your Hero’s early

childhood. List events that would have occurred before your Hero
would even be able to remember them. Some of these events may
be influencing your Hero’s life without him knowing it. Also,
consider the family’s social standing. A Hero from a rich family will
certainly have a different outlook than a Hero from a poorer family.

15. How would your Hero’s parents describe him?

This question reveals much about both your Hero and his
relationship to his parents. Answer this one in the voice of your
Hero’s mother, then go back and answer it again for your Hero’s
father. You may come up with two very different answers.

16. Is your Hero a gentleman or gentlewoman?

Being a gentleman or gentlewoman means that your Hero attempts

to follow the code of chivalry. Your Hero’s word is his bond. Of
course, there are those who see you as foolishly old-fashioned, but
there’s always the possibility of having a moon-eyed damsel or
handsome young poet fall in love with you.

17. How religious is your Hero? What sect of the Church does he
follow?
Religion is, for many people of the Inner Sea, their deepest passion.
The Church of the Asmodes has been the greatest power in the city
for over 300 years, and for all the bureaucracy and evil it has a
number of redeeming qualities. It fosters learning and education,
provides law and order, and is a great source of power within the
city. Ambitious men are often attracted to the Church for this
reason, and they are more than willing to help it perform its works.

Of course, there are many who see the Church’s actions as evil.
They look at the Hellknights and the demonic rituals as prime
examples. They hate the things the Church stands for and would
love to see it fall. Then there are those people in the middle, who
either don’t worry about the Church since it doesn’t affect their
daily lives or follow a different church. These men try to live out
their lives with as little official contact with the Church as possible,
either out of fear, or lack of interest.

18. Is your Hero a member of a guild, gentleman’s club, or secret

society?

Contacts are important, and they can be made through these

organizations. They are a source of adventures and information.
From a roleplaying perspective, many tangible benefits come from
being a member of these organizations. Perhaps your gentleman’s
club buys a communal copy of the latest archæology journals, or
serves tea and biscuits every morning to members. The clubs your
Hero joins also influence the type of people he meets. You find a
very different crowd of people in the Sable Company than you do in
the Cerulean Society.

19. What does your Hero think of Korvosa?

Not all people in Korvosa like it, and not all people outside Korvosa
hate it. It sometimes alienates people, and the Shoanti preaches
against it; some people will dislike you for no other reason if you
live there. On the other hand, it is the jewel of the region and brings
about many trading opportunities.

20. If you could, what advice would you give your Hero?

Take a good, long look at the other questions before you answer
this one. Speak to your Hero as if he were sitting right in front of
you, and remember to use the proper tone. You’ll want to make
certain your Hero actually listens to you when you give him this free
advice.