Ash’s Guide to RPG Personality and Background is a fabulous template supported with rich random generators for creating rich RPG characters.
You start by defining Personality in four-ish steps:
- Primary Motivators
- Emotional Disposition
- Core Traits
- Secondary Traits (Sense or Humor, Favorite Conversation Topics, Group Affiliations, Religion/Spirituality, Quirks, Hobbies, Mental Disorders)
Then you get the Background generator:
- Birthplace
- Family
- Professions
- Significant Past Events
- Mysteries
- Existing Conflicts
- Adventuring Trigger
- Quests
Although some of the entries (particularly the Professions) are slanted towards a fantasy setting, most of the material is pretty universal in its applicability. And although the depth of detail created by the template is obviously most useful for player characters, it’s pretty easy to raid it selectively as a GM to fill out elements of your NPC roleplaying templates.
