Go Zhuzh Yourself: 4 Tables to Make a Unique Character, Fast

Making a Unique Character, Fast!

Has this ever happened to you? You’re hanging out on a Friday night after working hard all week and trying to decide between splurging for pizza or making mac and cheese. You plan on binge-watching Rick and Morty season 5 for the 8th consecutive time this month, when suddenly you get a text from your buddy – Holy shit! Someone just dropped out of his online Dungeons and Dragons game, and you’d be doing him a HUGE favor if you wouldn’t mind jumping in for a few hours. The only problem is, you don’t have a unique character idea and the game is in 30 minutes; what do you do?

Well, don’t stress about it, fam! Your friends at WatcherDM are here, and we once again have your back when it comes to all things Dungeons and/or Dragons.

So how am I supposed to go about creating a fun unique character when I’m tired and all out of interesting new ideas?

I’m glad you asked, disembodied voice! Normally when I put my D&D characters together I know the direction I’m headed in before I even pick out a name. When I can’t think of anything new and exciting, however, I love to start with things like personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws – after all, these are the things that can often help define our actual personalities in the real world!

Seriously?! I worked hard all week and my brainpower is zapped! Coming up with new stuff is too hard and I need help NOW! What aren’t you getting about this?!

Woah bud! I didn’t realize things were that dire.

How about this; I just put together 4 new tables and this background on dndbeyond to help you roll up someone truly awesome based on their personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. So how about you just sit back, crack open your favorite alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverage, and roll up your next best friend to take on your new adventure.

UNIQUE CHARACTER PERSONALITY TRAITS:

1. I am the owner of an etching of my young son from back home which I will proudly show anyone I possibly can.
2. I will always attempt to eat my problems, even when my problems are a 6-foot ogre named “Mean Pete”
3. I will go out of my way to kill and skin any stoats I come across for the purpose of using them to sew together a glorious jacket. I refer to it as my stoat coat.
4. I am kind and generous when well fed but I have a tendency to get “hangry” (or irritable when hungry).
5. I love language so much that I often make up words when I can’t find the one I’m looking for.
6. Nothing solves interpersonal dilemmas better than a traditional dance-off, and I will stop at nothing to demand satisfaction in this manner.
7. I cannot trust someone I’ve never gotten drunk with. To counter this, I always carry a bottle of fine Elven wine on me to test any new companions.
8. I am considered to be a neat freak and will take time to bathe and launder my clothes even when it’s inconvenient.
9. I truly believe in leaving no man behind, even when that may result in cock blocking my party members at taverns.
10. I am obsessed with Bugbears and will talk about them non-stop whenever I feel nervous or awkward. However, if I meet an actual Bugbear, I get tongue-tied.

UNIQUE CHARATER IDEALS:

1. Family – I have always wanted a large family and will attempt to adopt every orphan I come across.
2. Hierarchy – I always treat those I see as being above me with unending loyalty and reverence while treating those beneath me like the pitiful little worms they are.
3. Violence – Children, animals, old people: doesn’t matter. I just love killing!
4. Compassion – I will always feed a hungry animal, even if it is dangerous for my personal safety.
5. Retribution – No revenge is too petty if I feel I have been slighted.
6. Decorum – I have no problem sharing a table with murderers or saints, just so long as they know what fork to use.
7. Aesthetics – I pride myself on always looking dapper and endlessly buying hats to add to my collection.
8. Sincerity – I am honest to a fault even if it gets me into trouble.
9. Absurdism – I have a great passion for doing anything out of the ordinary, be it walking on my hands, speaking in a made-up accent, or painting extra eyes onto my face.
10. Patronage – I am a great lover of stories and will pay handsomely for ones I’ve never heard of before.

UNIQUE CHARACTER BONDS:

1. I have a stuffed rabbit named Mr. Whetzle. He is badly stained and missing one eye. I’ve had him since childhood and am now determined to care for him in his old age.
2. My idiot brother is our mother’s favorite and I will do anything to show him up and gain her favor.
3. The mayor of my hometown raised me as his own but is now senile and sometimes wanders into trouble.
4. My mentor was kidnapped years ago and I’ve been on a quest ever since to bring her home safely.
5. I was raised by my loving but batshit crazy Aunt Maude. She sends me letters containing bits of old string and multivitamins.
6. My evil twin faked their own death but I know they’re still out there dragging my name through the dirt.
7. My roommate Brian has convinced me that he’s an elder god. I try to spread the good word of Brian wherever I go.
8. My one-time rival once saved me from choking to death and now I resentfully owe them one.
9. I owe everything to Mr. Peepers, my rich parent’s head butler, who basically raised me on his own.
10. I have had a vision of a man from the distant future called “Steve from accounting”. I know not what he wants but I will stop at nothing to find out and do his bidding.

UNIQUE CHARACTER FLAWS:

1. I truly believe I’m smarter than I actually am and will make up “factoids” to seem more impressive.
2. I frequently break into song whenever things aren’t going my way.
3. I have a zany passion for pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing involving literal snake oil.
4. I am awful at lying and make up for it by winking inappropriately.
5. I have an irrational fear of armchairs.
6. I choose not to bathe on principle but get highly offended to the point of tears if anyone points it out.
7. My best friend is an imaginary fire fairy that only I can see or hear. Others can, unfortunately, smell him.
8. I can’t resist the chance to correct someone’s grammar, even at the risk of offending someone important.
9. I once met a famous sorcerer and now I bring him up every chance I get.
10. I have a crippling inability to turn right.

So, how’d I do gang? Did I save the day or ruin your night? Was that a unique character? Feel free to tear me a new one in the comments (I promise not to let you see me cry), and don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for some more great free content!