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faderifting) wrote2015-09-20 11:58 am
faderifting) wrote2015-09-20 11:58 am
Character Generation Guide
A GUIDE TO CHARACTER GENERATION
Welcome to the character generation guide, designed to assist in the creation of native characters, whether original AU'd canon characters. While this guide has a few notes may come in handy for those who are familiar with Dragon Age (particularly regarding rare concepts and AU expectations), this document assumes zero knowledge and acts as guidance for those entirely unfamiliar with the world and its options. Once you've gotten an idea of the questions involved, the Setting page, linked throughout, can help you start to answer them.
RACE
The first decision you may want to make is race -- you are not limited to just human, even if humans are the most frequent, diverse, and likely race around. The world of Thedas is home (or second home) to four main peoples (humans, elves, dwarves, and the Qunari), and you can find summaries of what they are like here.
By choosing one race, you are also choosing one primary set of themes and historical perspectives that will drastically cut down on how much Thedas you really need to look into immediately. A Dalish elf, for example, does not need to understand the day to day functions of the Chantry beyond a dim osmosis, while most humans have only a basic idea what Dalish are about beyond being pointy-eared forest dwellers.
Your choice of race will also provide some limits on your character's potential status and role, at least in their background, and provide hooks into some of the key issues of the day. To use elves as an example again, they cannot hold a noble title or political office and are almost universally limited to the lower rungs of society, but they have a personal stake in the elven rights issue. Qunari who aren't mercenaries are rare, but they will also bring a unique perspective on religion and personal freedom. Dwarves who are on the surface and able to join the Inquisition can never enter the dwarven city of Orzammar again, but probably have an interesting take on class structures given their experience with strict dwarven castes.
Upon choosing a race, you can then dig deeper into their cultural overviews, geographical location, and way of life, which vary significantly.
REGION
Fade Rift takes place in Skyhold, a remote fortress in the mountains. Though located on the border between Orlais and Ferelden, the Inquisition has begun to draw recruits from all across Thedas. This means that you will need to select a region your character is from.
Thedas is made up a collection of countries that have very different priorities, populations, and views on magic and religion. Where your character is from will play a large part in determining your character's worldview. An elf from Rivain may be a follower of the Qun who has never known human persecution firsthand, while a city elf from Ferelden is more likely to be a downtrodden servant. A chevalier from the luxurious city of Val Royeaux will obviously have had a very different upbringing from a Ferelden farmer or an Antivan merchant and will bring a different set of skills, opinions, and connections. Nevarrans are more likely to treat mages with respect, while in Kirkwall they have long been feared and hated.
Much like choosing a race, choosing a region will also reduce how much world information you need to consume for an application. You can find some basic overviews here -- choose what interests you most and what you'd like to play out.
MAGES vs. NON-MAGES
The last of major character decisions you will have to make is deciding whether or not your character is a mage. We aren't making a distinction between the other two classes of rogue and warrior, and since this isn't a video game there is plenty of room for healers, diplomats, smiths, and all sorts of other characters who don't fit in either of those three boxes. The only race that does not have to concern themselves with this question are dwarves, who are incapable of wielding magic.
It's likely that the Inquisition will have a fair number of mages. This is because they are specifically recruited for their usefulness, and because mages have more motivation to join the Inquisition. It is one of the few safe places for them at present and also likely to play a role in determining the outcome of the mage/templar conflict. In the general population, however, mages are quite rare. Depending on their background it's entirely possible that your character has never met a mage in person before arriving (or before finding out they were one themselves).
Regardless, you will want to read up on mages here. This will assist not only in your decision, but describes the various lifestyles a mage may have (such as the differences between being a rebel apostate or a Circle mage), and the prejudices they suffer. If you're not playing a mage, you should still consider your character's attitudes towards mages, as this makes up one of the fundamental divisions in Thedas and an issue that is currently in the forefront of most minds.
If you're unfamiliar with Dragon Age canon and decide to apply for a mage OC or AU character, we highly recommend reading this guide to how magic works in Thedas.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Once you have those three elements decided upon, you can explore more details within those confines, such as likely careers and lifestyles, participation in uprisings, exposure to magic, and so on. There are a great deal of factions in Thedas of all shapes and sizes, and you are welcome to explore these things too, such as the Templars, the Chantry, the Wardens, the Carta, and so on, in order to further tie your character into the theme. But don't worry about this if it's not your interest! There are plenty of ways for average citizens without additional ties to help the Inquisition.
Consider also posting at our [enable me meme] if you would like help refining and workshopping your concept. We're happy to help!
JOINING THE INQUISITION
In a way, this might also be the first thing you want to think of before all other decisions. Being a part of the Inquisition (a growing faction of disparate individuals who wish to restore order to Thedas) is the way your character will be involved in the game. Consider why they are joining, or how they are joining. They can be a volunteer who simply wants to help, or have nowhere else to go, or have been blackmailed into recruitment (if you're of a nefarious quality), or any other possibility you can think of. Citizens of Ferelden and Orlais are particularly likely to join, as the Breach was opened above their lands and most of the damage it and the rifts have done was in those countries.
If you are struggling to find a reason driven by the character's background or personality, it is also possible that they happened to be near a rift when the Breach was closed, and were embedded with a bit of magical shrapnel. You can read more about that option in the FAQ.
The Inquisition opens its doors to everyone who wishes to help its cause, but it's up to you to decide what leads them there. But please, feel free to brainstorm with us if you aren't sure.
RARE CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS
Here is a list of concepts we consider to be rare and will ask players to use sparingly to ensure that they remain uncommon in RP. These are not necessarily off-limits (please check the Application page for the current caps), but will always require more detail, justification, and demonstration of familiarity in order to be appable. They are things we would expect to be essential cornerstones of a character concepts rather than afterthoughts.
UNDERREPRESENTED CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS
Here is a list of concepts that are underrepresented in the game's current population. There's no reward for apping one of these characters other than warm fuzzies, but as you're planning an OC or AU adaptation, we recommend considering them.
AU ADAPTATIONS
Adapting a canon character into a native character is a balancing act, particularly if they come from a canon very different from this one. The most important part of this adaptation is that they bear a resemblance to the character you are using to the point of easy recognition -- the essence of who they are must remain consistent, and we encourage you to retain, when possible, the personal developments they took to get there.
However, we would also caution against attempting to too strictly translate these characters from one medium to the other. It will never be a perfect fit, and the end product application needs to describe a credible, well-balanced character. It may be necessary to eliminate some facets of their character if it becomes 'too much', such as an adaptation of Thor Odinson from MCU would probably mean he doesn't have the same political power and authority he does in his original canon, and perhaps won't even be royal at all. You would have to find another appropriate way to translate his story by scaling it down, but finding good parallels that ring true to his personality and growth.
We encourage creativity, first and foremost, and hope these resources help you in adapting your prospective character! Please also feel free to use the enable me meme to find good thematic concepts that match well to your character's canon and story.
OTHER RESOURCES
Names
We ask that all native characters, whether original or AU'd, have names that fit the setting and theme. Here are a few resources regarding names in Dragon Age. We can't vouch for the complete accuracy of any of them, but unlike LoTR DA doesn't have comprehensive linguistic resources so there is going to be a lot of making things up regardless. We're looking for a name that sounds right rather than one that has perfect Elvhen grammar. Someone who is from Orlais should have a vaguely French-sounding name; someone from Ferelden, something vaguely English or Gaelic; etc. No native should be named Fluttershy.