Character Frameworks

It's very easy to create a character and jump straight into the game, going with the flow of what happens. This can also be really fun, as you aren't restricted by what your character would or would not do. You simply do what you think would be most enjoyable. In my experience, however, the best characters tend to be the ones that were made with an idea in mind. These can be more limiting, but they are also the most natural feeling and rewarding characters you can make. Sketching a framework to build from can give you a very good overview of who and what you are playing and how they would act in certain situations.

How do you get such a framework? If you're asking that question, you're already on the good path: by asking questions! Feel free to use any, none, or all of the questions I've detailed below to help you create this framework. Keep in mind that these questions can both define their starting and current point in life. Things change, and thus it might not be a bad idea to revisit some of these questions every once in a while. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there are rarely any wrong answers to be given here, and you can ask them at any point in your character's life.

In the life of a Shinobi, leaders and teachers are central figures. These are the individuals to whom they have sworn their fealty. This can be your Kage, your clan leader, a leader of an organisation, or a different person of importance to your character. In most circumstances, Shinobi will follow the established social hierarchy of servitude, but other times their loyalty might be limited to only one person directly, such as ANBU to their Kage. In the former case, the people your character serves might have different ideals each tugging on them from different directions.

Think of who stands above your character, and think of what their duty towards these people is.

In theory, strong Shinobi should only care for their village. In practise, Shinobi possess their own individual desires as well. What is the greatest, most pressing personal goal or belief that your character carries within their heart? What prevents them from finding resolution on this matter? This is a challenge that you set before your character, forcing them to confront the ideals of their duty and the cost to uphold it as they pursue their desire. Another way to look at it is to ask yourself: what goal might tempt the character to disobey their leaders or do other dishonourable things? What would be worth such risks to them?

Drama often revolves around competing desires. To create quandaries for your character that enhance drama and make for enjoyable roleplaying, you should think about how your character's duty and desire might come into conflict. They don't need to be in constant opposition, but there should always be the possibility for friction between the two—and the conflict your character would feel at such times should be interesting to you!

Not every Shinobi lives and breathes their clan's creed, and individuals often diverge considerably from their clan on specific issues of philosophy, politics, or other personal matters. Does your character embrace their clan or family's ideals and goals, or do they find themself in conflict with them? Does your character agree with current policies or regard them as mistakes?

Consider not only how your character differs from clan orthodoxy, but how they arrived at that point. Perhaps an ancient grudge with another clan was revealed as foolishness when they had to work alongside a member of that clan—or maybe one of the clan's allies uses methods your character can't tolerate. This can help flesh out not just your character's worldview, but also their story so far.

All Shinobi are supposed to respect and serve their rulers without question, but some clans and families are more loyal to their ideals than the rulers they happen to fall under. There are always a few Shinobi who refuse to believe in rulership at all. Does your character agree with the general population's views, or does your character differ on certain points or even disregard their ruler in general? If your character is unwaveringly loyal to their ruler, what past experiences have reinforced it or renewed their faith in it? If your character has come to believe that their ruler (or rulers in general) are flawed, or that most people are misguided in the way they serve them, what events drove them to this development?

What is your character's greatest achievement so far in life, and how did they accomplish it? Your character might have won a tournament or event, slain a remarkable foe, or even taken the initiative to cultivate a politically advantageous negotiation.

It's likely that your character achieved this accomplishment through some sort of unique ability, ideal, or dumb luck. Consider what it was that allowed your character to perform this deed, and think about whether your character plays to this strength. It can even be interesting to create contrast between what the characters thinks of their strengths and what they actually are. Even in real life you are not always aware of your own best quality, or you might mistakenly believe you succeeded for unrelated reasons.

Many things are expected of Shinobi in this world, and nearly all of them have some ongoing challenge in their life that makes these expectations harder to live up to. This challenge might be a personality quirk such as naivete, selfishness, or a bad temper; it could also be a physical ailment or disability. When choosing a challenge such as this when you start out, you should choose something that you will enjoy roleplaying (especially at times when your character does not enjoy facing this difficulty). If you are an established character, perhaps you suffered wounds through play: consider how your character experiences this in their daily life, but also in crucial moments.

The answer to this question could be anything from food and drink to specific activities, certain material possessions, or particular persons. Why does the character like or dislike these things? Does it stem from sharing the activity with a loved one in the past or a seemingly spontaneous fascination with the subject itself? How has an enjoyment of this activity shaped your character's life? Have they made friends—or enemies—as a result of this hobby?

Shinobi are often expected to maintain their composure befitting their station at most times, but no human can avoid having some thigns that make them anxious, afraid, or angry. Are your character's fears or frustrations derived from past experiences, trauma, or personal failure? Are they related to a person or specific event? Does your character fully understand the source of their emotional turmoil, or do they have trouble expressing or processing these feelings? As with their challenge, you should select something you think you will enjoy roleplaying when it challenges your character if you are starting out. If you are already an established character, you can also reflect on their past and choose something that would have been a natural result of these experiences.

Nearly every portion owes some portion of their personality, strengths, and weaknesses to the people around them, and usually, a few people in particular stand out as mentors—although their influence is not always positive. Who has taught your character the most about life, for better or for worse?

An instructor at your character's academy might have set them on their current path, or a parent's influence might still guide their actions. Your character's ruler might have served as a political mentor, showing them the value of compassion—or of ruthlessness—and thereby shaped their ethos for life. A good friendship might have led your character to a true peer who helped them overcome a challenge or personal obstacle, while a bad friendship might have left your character jaded about these things overall. Having to care for a younger sibling might have caused your character to develop in unforeseen ways. Losing a loved one might have driven your character into anguish, or it might have forced them to grow in ways they never thought possible to stand on their own. A disastrously bad relationship or long-running feud with a hated rival could have forged your character into the person they are today.

Shinobi can often be distinguished by their clan or village with a single glance. Their upbringing and surroundings have made them behave, dress, and/or comport themselves in a certain ways. Village headbands and genetic traits are just two examples. Within the character's homeland, however, any aspect that veers from the norm, from slight oddities of appearance to trivial mannerisms, tend to attract attention. A minor behaviour, like chewing one's lips when nervous or clasping one's hand to hide trembling fingers, can be the things that others remember about a character. Perhaps the character always says the same thing when meeting a stranger. All these things add subtle depth to the character—and so does a deliberate absence of memorable details.

When considering broader details such as looks or dress, consider also the effect this has on your stranger name.

Few people are able to conceal their feelings at all times. Even the most stoic, and rigidly self-controlled Shinobi occasionally lets out a true sign of feeling, especially when they are being berated by the ones they look up to or treated disrespectfully by subordinates. What emotions does your character show, and why? What events or feelings can make them lose their self-control? Conversely, what emotions can they always control, no matter what?

Moments when your character shows their true emotions are great opportunities for their personality to shine through, so you should think about how stress affects them. Does your character get loud and abrasive when enraged, or does their voice fall to an icy whisper? Do they fall to their knees in prayer when whacked with uncertainty or respond to everything as if it is a violent threat? Perhaps they have a simple mannerism they display as they grow more anxious, such as idly flexing their fingers or shifting subtly to a guarded posture. Do they have a particular turn of phrase they tend to use upon growing excited or frustrated? Come up with a few examples that help breathe life into your character as they approach emotional threshold.

A character is exposed to many other groups during their life in numerous ways; diplomacy, wars, and travel all may bring a person into contact with groups they do not belong to (at least initially). What other groups within the world has your character been exposed to, and what impressions have these exposures left? Does your clan have a standing rivalry with another? Has your character been too involved in battles or even all-out war against another village? Did victory or defeat harden their heart against members of this group, or did the pointlessness of war against them become obvious during the war? Does your character have a personal reason to feel sympathy for a particular group or to hate them, and if so, how did this develop?

Parental devotion is an expected virtue in a land where family and clan can decide the fate of a person. However, despite this, there are plenty of Shinobi who have a fractious relationship with their parents, or who offer outward veneration while concealing a lack of respect. Does your character have a proper relationship with their parents, or are they estranged? Was the character's childhood a happy one? Were they a torment to their parents, or vice versa? Are their parents still alive?

All Shinobi should expect to die sooner rather than later. However, some deaths have more meaning than others, and there are plenty of Shinobi whose outward facade of courage hides a deep-seated fear of mortality. Although we can't always decide the fate of our characters, considering an end they would be satisfied with can be a great tool when approaching lethal circumstances. Perhaps they are willing to lay everything down for their village caring not when they die so long as it is on the battlefield, or perhaps they believe they are not allowed to die until they complete a certain goal. While this can not change the lethality of the situations your character might find themselves in, it will solidify their thoughts and actions in their final moments.