An Idea About Your Characters

This'll be one of my rare theory-and-idea posts, using a couple of games in early dev as examples, not presenting the games themselves. (That's coming, if they get to that point.)

First off, here's some text from Roger Corman's Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven's Ars Magica:

Wizards’ bizarre obsessions and…

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2025-03-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: The X-Earther & The Ungiven Future *
2025-03-29 An Idea About Your Characters *
2025-03-29 Warriors of the World Ablaze: the Gutter Jay *
2025-02-28 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: 3 More Interactive Extended Playbooks *
2025-02-26 Warriors of the World Ablaze: the Lost Priest *
2025-02-26 In Dreaming Avalon: The Kissing Game *
2025-02-24 Under Hollow Hills: The Dancing Bear *
2025-01-31 The Receiving Rooms Project — First Look *
2025-01-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: MC Threat Sheets *
2025-01-24 Warriors of the World Ablaze: the Bloody Sword *
2025-01-16 Warriors of the World Ablaze: the Axe King *
2024-12-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: 4 Interactive Extended Playbooks *
2024-12-30 Warriors of the World Ablaze: the Warlock *
2024-12-23 Meredith Baker's Alien Tea Party Playtest *
2024-11-30 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: the Interactive Forerunner *
2024-11-30 Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven's Ars Magica Post #3 *
2024-11-25 Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven's Ars Magica Post #2 *
2024-11-23 Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven's Ars Magica Post #1 *
2024-10-31 Space Opera Detective Game Setting Notes *
2024-10-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: the Last 4 Interactive Core Playbooks *
2024-10-30 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: Forerunners *
2024-10-28 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: the Next 4 Interactive Playbooks *
2024-09-24 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: the First 4 Interactive Playbooks *
2024-09-23 Fantasy TTRPG Elemental Characters 1st Sketch *
2024-09-22 Giving It Another Shot... *
2024-09-19 Fantasy TTRPG Spells 1st Sketch *
2024-08-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: Advanced Move Candidates *
2024-08-30 Speaking of the Demon Tree... *
2024-08-29 Fantasy TTRPG Character Creation 1st Sketch *
2024-08-25 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: The Ungiven Future *
2024-07-31 AW:Burned Over 2024 Playtest: Player & MC Packets *
2024-06-29 Meguey Baker: Reentry *
2024-06-25 AW:Burned Over - A Standout *
2024-05-21 AW:Burned Over - Quarantine *
2024-05-17 The Demon Tree: the First Demon Playbook, the Fleshmelder *
2024-04-30 The Demon Tree: The Pixie *
2024-04-29 The Wizard's Plasmic Scribe *
2024-03-31 Burned Over Interactive Playbook - the Harrier, a 1st Stab *
2024-03-30 Preview: The Wizard's Library - Studying Between Sessions *
2024-03-27 The Demon Tree: The Demon-Binder *
2024-03-26 The Wolf King's Son: Improved Interactive PDF Character Sheets *
2024-02-29 AW:Burned Over - The Child-Thing *
2024-02-24 The Demon Tree: the Gutter Kid *
2024-01-30 AW:Burned Over - The Proprietor *
2024-01-30 Tales of Timberwind 2024: Systems & Basic Moves *
2024-01-27 The Demon Tree: the Mercenary & the Soldier *
2024-01-26 Apocalypse World Basic Moves - Reconsolidated *
2023-12-31 Tales of Timberwind 2024: Bows and Powderarms *
2023-12-28 The Demon Tree: Battle Setup *
2023-12-20 Meguey Baker: Truce *
2023-11-30 Tales of Timberwind 2024: Duelling & Martial Combat *
2023-11-18 Orbital Transport Board Game Prototype 1 *
2023-11-15 The Demon Tree: First Campaign Prep Notes *
2023-10-29 Meguey Baker: The Thing that Gnaws *
2023-10-27 Meguey Baker: Hearth & Home *
2023-10-20 Dice & Moves: PbtA vs The Demon Tree *
2023-09-26 Some Kind of Space Ship Hornblower Game, First Notes *
2023-09-09 Untitled Game ("The Demon Tree"): The Gargantuan and the Pinnacle *
2023-08-27 Untitled Game ("The Demon Tree"): Skills & Spells *
2023-08-19 Untitled Game: the Enchanter, Life's Paladin, and a working title? *
2023-08-08 Untitled Game: the Demon Tree & an Example Demon *
2023-07-30 Untitled Game: the Farm Kid & the Demon-Bane *
2023-06-29 [AW SRD] Preview 7: Sample Playbooks *
2023-06-27 Closing In on the Wolf King's Son *
2023-06-25 Untitled Game: the Servant of Blood, the Archwizard, the Initiate Bard *
2023-06-25 [AW SRD] Preview 6: Weapons, Gear, & Personal Places *
2023-05-31 Fugitive Dreams: Spectral Mysteries *
2023-05-30 [AW SRD] Preview 5: Followings & Gangs *
2023-05-28 [AW SRD] Preview 4: Playbook Moves *
2023-04-30 The First Age: Basic Moves, plus an Initial Selection of Spells *
2023-04-29 Meri Baker: Strike Wing! *
2023-04-28 The First Age: The Harrier *
2023-04-26 [AW SRD] Preview 3: Holdings *
2023-03-31 Amazons 2023 1st Draft - GM Prep *
2023-03-30 Tovey Baker's OverDRIVE: the PRIMORD *
2023-03-29 [AW SRD] Preview 2: Playbook Mix & Match pt1 *
2023-03-27 Fugitive Dreams: Monster Mysteries *
2023-02-28 The Wolf King's Son: 4 Interactive Playbooks *
2023-02-28 Amazons 2023 1st Draft *
2023-02-27 The Wolf King's Son Preview: A Briar-Elf *
2023-02-20 The Wolf King's Son Preview: A Graveyard Bird *
2023-01-31 The Wolf King's Son: Draft Interactive Playbooks *
2023-01-30 [AW SRD] Preview 1 *
2023-01-29 The Wolf King's Son Preview: A Young Witch *
2022-12-31 Numbwater Salvage Company: Complete Playtest Draft *
2022-12-28 Burned Over: The Imperson *
2022-11-30 The Boondoggle Hob: Interactive Digital Playbooks *
2022-11-29 The One with a Path and a Mission *
2022-11-29 Bones to Dust: The Butterfly *
2022-10-31 Mysteries in Fugitive Dreams (part 1) *
2022-10-26 The Street Wizard *
2022-09-30 The Young Witch & The Possible Lover *
2022-09-22 The One Who Put Aside Their Wings *
2022-08-31 The One with the Wrong Eyes *
2022-08-28 The One Who is Actually a House *
2022-08-28 Repair Shop Bingo: Postmortem *
2022-07-30 World of Fantasy!?! *
2022-06-30 MF0:Firebrands: The Unit Rosters *
2022-06-26 MF0:Firebrands: A Medical Crisis *
2022-06-17 MF0:Firebrands: Violence Erupts *
2022-05-31 The Pit: Complete First Draft *
2022-05-20 The Deseret Affair - Play Material Sketch *
2022-04-28 Space Tug Blues - Demo *
2022-04-27 The Pit Part 2 *
2022-04-26 Kite Day in Reign Country - Demo *
2022-03-31 The First Age: Primordial Kinds *
2022-03-28 The Pit Part 1 *
2022-02-28 The Deseret Affair *
2022-02-28 Into the Fray: Orbital Skirmish - a Completely Failed Playtest! *
2022-02-27 The First Age: The Healer & The Nightbird *
2022-01-31 The Unnamed World Players' Handbook *
2022-01-27 The First Age: The Lawmaker & The Vigilant *
2021-12-31 As Surely as Night Follows Day... *
2021-12-20 Meguey Baker: This Longest Night *
2021-11-30 Faie Baker: Shell & Soul Player Preview *
2021-10-30 Tiptoes...In Ghost Mansion! *
2021-10-26 Under Hollow Hills: The Witch's Cat *
2021-09-30 Under Hollow Hills: C.W. Spider *
2021-08-31 Goblins the Most *
2021-08-26 The Unnamed World: 3 New Packets *
2021-07-27 Dracula: a playbook for Under Hollow Hills *
2021-06-18 The Unnamed World 1st Look: Basic Rules *
2021-05-27 The Unnamed World 1st Look: Character Creation *
2021-03-31 Meguey Baker's How the Story Ends *
2021-03-30 Bones to Dust: The Stitcher, the Lucid, and 3 Hard Zones *
2021-03-29 Space Tug Blues *
2021-02-28 The Book of the Radiant Lance *
2021-02-22 Under Hollow Hills: Complete Text Preview PDF *
2021-01-31 A Sampler of Fantasy Games *
2021-01-23 AW:Burned Over: the Playbooks & the Moves *
2021-01-22 5 years of lumpley games biz *
2020-12-31 Tovey Baker's Equinox: a Game of Preparedness *
2020-12-30 Pirate Rummy: a Family Card Game *
2020-12-21 Under Hollow Hills: Winter Solstice Prerelease *
2020-11-30 Meguey Baker's Games To Play While Falling Asleep *
2020-11-30 Tovey Baker's Objective:Survive *
2020-11-29 I guess this is the announcement? *
2020-10-31 Haunted Presents: The Grand Crescent Manot *
2020-10-30 First Look: Shell & Soul *
2020-10-29 Racing Toward an Announcement *
2020-09-30 Under Hollow Hills: Occasion Playbooks - 1st Look *
2020-09-30 A New Sorcery Magic System *
2020-08-31 1st Look: A City on the Great Road *
2020-08-31 Elliot Baker: Numbwater Salvage Company *
2020-08-26 Under Hollow Hills: The Young Witch & the Witch's Bird *
2020-07-31 Keep Keeping It Under Your Hat! *
2020-07-27 Meguey Baker: Tea With Cats *
2020-06-30 AW:Burned Over: No One *
2020-05-31 Visible Mask Pattern by Meguey Baker
2020-05-27 Keep It Under Your Hat! *
2020-04-30 Faie Baker: Poetry in Play *
2020-04-29 AW:Burned Over: the Bloodhound & Vehicle Update *
2020-04-09 AW:Burned Over: The Harrier & Battle Update *
2020-03-31 Sneak Peek: Into the Fray *
2020-03-19 Meguey Baker: Space Station Home *
2020-03-08 New $3+ Patron Forum *
2020-02-29 AW:Burned Over: The X-Earther and Near Earth *
2020-02-04 The Lost Spells of Venus: a party game *
2020-01-31 World of Fantasy! *
2020-01-30 Elliot Baker: Ninecourts *
2020-01-23 World of Adventure: REBORN! *
2019-12-28 8 Pretty Good Games: a Video Game Zine *
2019-11-30 The Wolf-King's Son *
2019-11-30 Elliot Baker: On the Old Dirt Road *
2019-11-26 Six Interesting Things You Might Otherwise Scroll Past *
2019-10-31 Tales of Timberwind Early Access - Update! *
2019-10-30 Run For Your Life! *
2019-10-25 Game Design as Acquired Skill *
2019-10-15 Changes Coming!
2019-09-30 You Guessed This was Coming... *
2019-09-30 Haunted: Lost and Found *
2019-09-30 The Wizard's Grimoire Series *
2019-09-24 Meguey Baker: Saving Stories *
2019-08-31 Under Hollow Hills: A Dangerous Tea-Party *
2019-08-31 Elliot Baker's Haunted *
2019-08-30 Under Hollow Hills: The Giant's Daughter *
2019-07-31 The Dictum of Polume the Farer: a Wizard's Grimoire *
2019-07-12 The Red Tome: a Wizard's Grimoire *
2019-06-30 Tales of Timberwind Early Access! *
2019-06-29 The Last Adventure *
2019-06-23 The Thief & The Necromancer *
2019-06-23 Monthly Discussion #??? *
2019-05-30 The Ghost of Eunice Williams *
2019-05-24 The Barbarian's Bloody Quest *
2019-05-05 The Three Scrolls: a Wizard's Grimoire *
2019-04-30 Under Hollow Hills: The Messenger *
2019-04-25 The True & Preposterous Journey of Half-a-Fool *
2019-03-27 Under Hollow Hills: Introducing the Artists, part 1 *
2019-03-25 Liam Downs: the Phanto-mime *
2019-03-14 The Wizard's Grimoire *
2019-02-28 Bricksticuffs! *
2019-02-28 Under Hollow Hills: The Worldly Frog and Half-a-Fool *
2019-01-31 The Hunters *
2019-01-30 Burned Over: The Restless and the Undaunted *
2019-01-30 Tales of Timberwind Sneak Peek: the Careers & the Items *
2019-01-13 Monthly Discussion #44 / #45 *
2018-12-31 Tales of Timberwind Sneak Peek: the Acres *
2018-12-30 Burned Over: The Weaponized and the Effects *
2018-12-13 A Magic System from 2012 *
2018-11-30 Sneak Peek: Tales of Timberwind *
2018-11-30 Burned Over: The Lawmaker and the Threats *
2018-11-27 Monthly Discussion #43 *
2018-10-31 Burned Over: the First Six Playbooks *
2018-10-24 Penguin Space Disco! *
2018-10-22 Monthly Discussion #41 / #42 *
2018-09-30 First Look: Burned Over *
2018-09-30 Under Hollow Hills: Two Playbooks, Plus an Update! *
2018-08-24 Ennis Bashe: The Runaway *
2018-08-20 Monthly Discussion #40 *
2018-08-16 The Long History of Under Hollow Hills *
2018-07-31 Under Hollow Hills: The Elfin Knight & Boneshoes *
2018-07-12 Monthly Discussion #38 / #39 *
2018-06-29 Under Hollow Hills: Example Places and Two More Playbooks! *
2018-05-31 Under Hollow Hills: an Unredacted Preview! *
2018-05-25 Monthly Discussion #37 *
2018-04-28 Five Torn Out Pages *
2018-04-19 Monthly Discussion #36! Happy Anniversary! *
2018-04-02 The King Is Dead Kickstarter! *
2018-03-17 The Skiller *
2018-03-16 Monthly Discussion #35 *
2018-02-28 AW: Fallen Empires *
2018-02-17 AW: The Symbiote (was: the Macaluso) *
2018-02-11 Monthly Discussion #34 *
2018-01-31 AW: The No One *
2018-01-17 Monthly Discussion #33 *
2017-12-31 Remnant Humanity *
2017-12-28 Tiny and Chrome! *
2017-12-14 Monthly Discussion #32: Free For All *
2017-11-29 AW: The Contaminated *
2017-11-14 Monthly Discussion #31 *
2017-10-28 Murderous Ghosts: a Party Game *
2017-10-14 Monthly Discussion #30 *
2017-09-26 Codename: Snakeguts *
2017-09-12 In Dreaming Avalon *
2017-09-04 Monthly Discussion #29 *
2017-08-31 Apocalypse World: The Patron *
2017-08-08 Monthly Discussion #28 *
2017-07-30 Apocalypse World: Landfall Marine
2017-07-08 Monthly Discussion #26 / #27 *
2017-06-30 Rhinoceros Joust! *
2017-05-29 A Walking Beet! *
2017-05-13 Monthly Discussion #25 *
2017-04-30 AW:Fallen Empires *
2017-04-01 Monthly Discussion #24 *
2017-03-27 Playing Guessing Laughing
2017-03-06 Monthly Discussion #22 / #23 *
2017-02-27 Updated Previews: Bedlam Beautiful and The King Is Dead *
2017-01-31 World of Adventure: Still Not Abandoned! *
2017-01-02 Monthly Discussion #21 *
2016-12-31 Wizard Pit Fight! *
2016-12-02 Monthly Discussion #20 *
2016-11-20 Butt Trumpets: the Deluxe Director's Rip *
2016-11-07 Monthly Discussion #19 *
2016-10-26 The King Is Dead *
2016-10-04 Monthly Discussion #18 *
2016-09-30 Bedlam Beautiful *
2016-09-04 Monthly Discussion #17 *
2016-08-31 The Quest *
2016-08-05 Monthly Discussion #16 *
2016-07-27 World of Adventure: Not Abandoned Yet! *
2016-07-26 Amazons is out!
2016-07-08 Monthly Discussion #15 *
2016-06-26 World of Adventure *
2016-06-06 Monthly Discussion #14 *
2016-05-20 A Year's Work *
2016-05-04 Monthly Discussion Lucky #13 *
2016-04-03 Monthly Discussion #12 *
2016-03-31 MF0: Firebrands *
2016-03-02 Monthly Discussion #11 *
2016-02-29 A Wicked New Direction for Freebooting Venus *
2016-02-02 Monthly Discussion #10 *
2016-01-04 Monthly Discussion #9 *
2015-12-20 Apocalypse World: Fallen Empires *
2015-12-02 Monthly Discussion #8 *
2015-11-24 What If a Roleplaying Game... *
2015-11-01 Monthly Discussion #7 *
2015-10-29 Freebooting Venus *
2015-10-17 Technically Playable Games
2015-10-01 Monthly Discussion #6 *
2015-09-24 A Pragmatic Theory of Playtesting
2015-09-20 A Swashbuckling Romance Game *
2015-09-13 Hand To Mouth in the City of Nephthys *
2015-09-01 Monthly Discussion #5 *
2015-08-30 Apocalypse World 2E Battle & Threats Preview *
2015-08-01 Monthly Discussion #4 *
2015-07-24 Trauma Games presents: Eden Landfall *
2015-06-30 Monthly Discussion #3 *
2015-06-26 What is a Roleplaying Game?
2015-06-19 Amazons *
2015-05-31 Monthly Discussion #2 *
2015-05-20 Verbal Interactive Fiction *
2015-05-13 Apocalypse World 2nd Edition *
2015-05-01 Monthly Discussion #1 *
2015-04-27 One Move's Iterations *
2015-04-20 The Dark Age: the Sea-giant's Throne *
2015-04-16 Rock of Tahamaat, Space Tyrant
2015-04-13 Apocalypse World: Nightmare City
2015-04-12 Ground Rules
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