WormRP:Character Creation Guide
Hi there, and welcome to WormRP! This page is intended as a primer for getting started roleplaying with us! Note that currently it's a little bit of a work-in-progress, if you are unsure about anything, the best place to ask is on our Discord server.
Step Zero - Where to be
Besides this wiki, the two places you'll want to have a presence on are our subreddit and our Discord server:
Our Discord server is used for most meta and informal discussion regarding the community. It's also where most of us end up hanging out and what-not.
Our subreddit is where all of our actual "in character" roleplaying happens. We also handle initial character and lore approvals there, although oftentimes we try to sort out issues in real-time on the Discord.
All of our sites are governed by the Rules and the Community Code. You should definitely read the former, and at least be aware that the latter exists.
Step One - Character Concept
This section assumes you are somewhat familiar with Worm and may include spoilers. You've been warned!
The first, and most important, step of character creation is figuring out what your concept is. There are two primary ways of looking at this, and each have their pros and cons.
The first method is developing a character, figuring out some sort of trigger event, and then workshopping out what power would result. For the most part this tends to result in "tighter" characters, but for newcomers, figuring out a power can be tough.
The alternative option is starting with a cool power or concept, and working backwards from there to determine what sort of person and/or trigger would result in that power. For first-time players or those unfamiliar with powergen, this might be the easier option.
| Unpowered Characters | |
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Many players have opted to play unpowered characters. This is perfectly fine! Just skip the trigger and power stuff, as needed. Many times a player will do this, planning on having them trigger in-character, but that's not necessary either. We've had several successful just plain ol' humans in our RP and they've pretty much always been fun to play with. |
Regardless, you will need (usually) three things for your concept:
A person
- Who were they before they got powers? What did they do, what was their family like, their personal life, etc? What changed when they got powers? What are their ambitions and goals and dreams? Also, more practically, what's their name, appearance, skills, etc?
A trigger
- Everyone[1] has some breaking point that caused them to gain powers. This is called their trigger event. The nature of that event directly determines how the character's powers are manifested. This is much more of an art than a science, so don't be worried about getting things 100% right. Checking out #character_creation on the Discord is a good place to start, and some helpful links are included in the pins!
A power
- Your character's power is directly derived from your power. Depending on what that trigger is, the power will be manifested in a specific way. Again, a lot of this is subjective, so don't worry 100%. Just remember that a Wormy power is one that tries to indirectly "solve" the problem while reminding its wielder of their trauma and promoting conflict.
Again, if you aren't sure, vomit your idea into the Discord and our powergenners can help! It's also worth considering balance here, something stupidly OP will probably not make it past the Approval process. That being said, don't worry about it too much.
Some tips and tricks for those new to things:
- Keep your first power simple. We're normally not super keen on newcomers having super complex powers, for many assorted reasons. It might be better to keep the weird one for your second or third character instead.
- Stop thinking about numbers! We're not a mechanic-based roleplay, and while some characters opt to toss numbers into their power details, it's not recommended. Try to come up with a power that can be described without enumerating things. This gives you flexibility (something Wormy powers tend to have!) and keeps the RP simple.
- For relating a trigger to a power, the Worm Power Docs are a great way to get some help. Anything relating to Weaverdice mechanics (Tinkers, we're looking at you) can be safely disregarded.
- If you want to help flesh out a character, consider writing a short snip of their power in use to get an idea of how it feels. This may also kill two birds with one stone, as the Approval process will ask for an example of your power in use.
Step Two - Drafting Your Character
- Create a Wiki page with |status=Draft
- outline filling-out process
- Submit to subreddit
Step Three - Approval
- Queue
- First approver will look
- Answer ?s, edit as needed
- First approval, then to mods.
- edits, eternal edits
Step Four - Ready!
Template:Character Creation Template
- |status=Alive
- Opening event!