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Kismet's Character Palette

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Heterochromia by fantasio

"Heterochromia" by fantasio (resized) used with permission

Kit: They weren't human. They were monsters.
Sister Jude: All monsters are human. You're a monster.
-- American Horror Story: Asylum

What the Palette Is & Why You Should Use It

Roleplaying characters are more than just statistics. They're made up of all the reasons why the points are placed just so and why they respond as they do. The process starts with the basics (like a name, a class, and a role), but with further development, they can feel like real people. And once they seem real, the quests they give take on more urgency and the world they live in takes on new life. But how do you dig deeper into who they are, and where do you put all the information that goes beyond a character sheet?

The character palette is a tool I've developed for detailing fictional characters of all kinds. It can be used at any point to develop and organize the character's features, inside and out. You don't have to fill out the whole thing; just respond briefly to whatever seems interesting or necessary. Return to the palette at intervals or when the character starts to become predictable. Then, you can update old answers to reflect how things have changed or develop new aspects by choosing new prompts. This way, you'll craft the character in layers, which will make them seem more realistic.

How Do You Use It?

The palette is a form that you fill in by following the prompts given. It's not specific to any system or type of character, so it can be used by players, Game Masters, and fiction writers. It starts with a space for the character's name and the setting. From there, it's divided up into factors that are important to know about a person. The Physical category, for instance, pertains to visible things like the character's coloring, bearing, and clothing.

For a new character, you should try to fill in at least 4 entries in 4 different categories (such as describing them physically, determining how they feel about their profession, figuring out their plans, and noting what tends to get in their way). If you're short on time, stick to the Description prompts; they'll help you figure out what other people are likely to see when the character appears. Your answers can be as long or short as you wish.

For example, let's say you just finished creating a character sheet for a new RPG character. While other members of your group are finishing up their sheets, you want to develop a flavorful view of your new PC. So you start a new palette (file) for the character. You fill in their name, the campaign title, and decide you want to know the following factors: Physical, Possessions, Skills & Function, and Temperament. Since time could be short, you stick to the Description prompts:

Describe the character physically
Describe the character's key possessions
Describe the character's professional specialties
Describe the character's temperament and/or how it is likely to appear to others

This is enough to give you fun details that make your brand-new character feel more fleshed out. After playing for a few weeks, you decide to answer prompts about the character's physical condition. You explain how the character feels about their appearance in the Opinions section, then dig deeper by exploring why they present themselves as they do in the Motives section. Finally, you come up with anything physical about the character that stood out about them in the past (in the History field). You look for opportunities to use the new information during play and tell your DM about the character's motivation because it has given you an idea for a personal goal/quest.

The Palette

Fill In Prompts As You Wish
Character Name:	Setting:
Physical Develop the character's visual aspects Description Describe the character physically. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their physical state. Motivations Explain what really motivates the character to present themselves the way they do. History Describe anything physical about the character that stood out about them in the past, and whether it has changed or not.	Possessions Define their owned gear, locations, and vehicles Description Describe the character's key possessions. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their key possessions. Motivations Explain why the character values (or disregards) their possessions, or what they want to get in the future. History Describe long-time possessions or things that the character used to have that were lost, stolen, etc.
Encountering Determine what it's usually like to meet the character Description Describe what the character is like when encountered and where they can often be found. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their usual haunts and reactions to others. Motivations Explain what drives the characters to live where they do and go where they go, or what's driving them away. History Describe a few significant encounters or reactions the character had in the past.	Residence Illustrate their living situation and personal space Description Describe where the character lives. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their living conditions (the location or its qualities). Motivations Explain the deeper reasons why your character chooses to live where and how they do. History Describe where the character has lived before, if they have moved a lot, and so on.
Skills & Function Flesh out the character's profession, skills, and powers Description Describe the character's professional specialties and how they tend to earn a living. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their professional skills and standing. Motivations Explain what drives your character in their profession or what is driving them away from it. History Describe when the character started to learn key skills, when they lost or changed jobs, etc.	Hobbies & Interests Explore what they pursue for fun in their spare time, not for profit Description Describe the character's hobbies. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their personal interests and crafts. Motivations Explain how often your character tries to indulge in their hobbies and the kind of satisfaction they get out of them. History Describe what the character used to be interested in, whether that interest has dried up or not.
Plans & Plots Define the character's goals, hopes, dreams, and schemes Description Describe some of the character's key plots and schemes. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their plans. Motivations Explain the deeper reasons why they pursue their goals, what they really hope to achieve, or the underlying satisfaction they gain. History Describe some of the character's previous major plans and briefly explain whether or not they worked out.	Secrets & Mysteries Sketch what's being hidden by or from the character Description Describe a mystery the character hasn't figured out yet, a few personal secrets they keep, and how far the character is going to reveal or hide the truth. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about the secrets they haven't cracked yet, the lies they're telling, or the deeds they're hiding. Motivations Explain what the character truly hopes to gain by solving a mystery, or what they're desperate to keep or avoid by maintaining their secrets. History Describe some secrets the character encountered in the past or that have haunted them from earlier years.
Obstacles Define the character's deadlines, conflicts, and impairments Description Describe some of the character's worst or recurring obstacles. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about these problems. Motivations Explain what really inspires the character to react as they do (fight, flight, flee) when they encounter these conflicts. History Describe some obstacles the character used to face, whether they have resolved them or not.	Reputation Examine the impact of their fame and notoriety Description Describe their reputation in areas they frequent or key places that have received news of them. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their reputation. Motivations Explain what motivates the character to improve, ignore, or destroy their reputation. History Describe what the character's reputation used to be like in earlier life stages or in other places.
Politics Outline the character's faction, activities, standing, and role Description Describe any of the character's titles or roles in groups, political or otherwise. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about politics and/or groups they're involved in or pressing political matters. Motivations Explain what motivates the character's political stances and affiliations. History Describe what the character's political alliances used to be like.	Culture Explore the symbols, accent, and folkways they embrace Description Describe the cultural influences on the character's appearance. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their cultural affiliations or pressing cultural issues. Motivations Explain what drives the character to maintain, abandon, or interact with their cultures. History Describe cultures the character has belonged to previously, whether they still do or not.
Temperament Determine the character's inclinations and disposition Description Describe the character's predominant attitude, usual body language, or other ways that transmit their general emotional state to others. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their temperament. Motivations Explain what is behind the character's usual disposition. History Describe what the character's basic temperament used to be like and how much has changed.	Morality Develop their beliefs, virtues, vices, and religious affiliation Description Describe the character's beliefs and/or what their beliefs seem to be to others. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their personal ethics, their god, or their religious group. Motivations Explain why the character values key beliefs, moral traits, or religion, or why they don't value something they're expected to. History Describe and major ethical breakthroughs and shifts that have shaped the character's world view.
Irrationality Detail the character's superstitions, obsessions, phobias, and prejudices Description Describe beliefs or practices the character holds onto that seem illogical and offensive to others or that the character hides out of fears they are unacceptable. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about how smart, fair, or sympathetic they are or appear to be. Motivations Explain what drives the character to give in, fight, or deny their irrational tendencies. History Describe any old phobias, obsessions, etc., and whether or not the character still has them.	Relationships Clarify their bonds with family, friends, lovers, and colleagues Description Describe the character's major associates. Opinions Explain your character's opinions about their key relationships. Motivations Explain what drives the character to regard others or particular types of relationships as they do, what they believe they gain from certain ties, or why they pursue or avoid people. History Describe a few of the major relationships the character used to maintain and whether or not they have changed.

Fill In Prompts As You Wish

Character Name:

Setting:

Physical

Develop the character's visual aspects

Description

Describe the character physically.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their physical state.

Motivations

Explain what really motivates the character to present themselves the way they do.

History

Describe anything physical about the character that stood out about them in the past, and whether it has changed or not.

Possessions

Define their owned gear, locations, and vehicles

Description

Describe the character's key possessions.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their key possessions.

Motivations

Explain why the character values (or disregards) their possessions, or what they want to get in the future.

History

Describe long-time possessions or things that the character used to have that were lost, stolen, etc.

Encountering

Determine what it's usually like to meet the character

Description

Describe what the character is like when encountered and where they can often be found.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their usual haunts and reactions to others.

Motivations

Explain what drives the characters to live where they do and go where they go, or what's driving them away.

History

Describe a few significant encounters or reactions the character had in the past.

Residence

Illustrate their living situation and personal space

Description

Describe where the character lives.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their living conditions (the location or its qualities).

Motivations

Explain the deeper reasons why your character chooses to live where and how they do.

History

Describe where the character has lived before, if they have moved a lot, and so on.

Skills & Function

Flesh out the character's profession, skills, and powers

Description

Describe the character's professional specialties and how they tend to earn a living.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their professional skills and standing.

Motivations

Explain what drives your character in their profession or what is driving them away from it.

History

Describe when the character started to learn key skills, when they lost or changed jobs, etc.

Hobbies & Interests

Explore what they pursue for fun in their spare time, not for profit

Description

Describe the character's hobbies.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their personal interests and crafts.

Motivations

Explain how often your character tries to indulge in their hobbies and the kind of satisfaction they get out of them.

History

Describe what the character used to be interested in, whether that interest has dried up or not.

Plans & Plots

Define the character's goals, hopes, dreams, and schemes

Description

Describe some of the character's key plots and schemes.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their plans.

Motivations

Explain the deeper reasons why they pursue their goals, what they really hope to achieve, or the underlying satisfaction they gain.

History

Describe some of the character's previous major plans and briefly explain whether or not they worked out.

Secrets & Mysteries

Sketch what's being hidden by or from the character

Description

Describe a mystery the character hasn't figured out yet, a few personal secrets they keep, and how far the character is going to reveal or hide the truth.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about the secrets they haven't cracked yet, the lies they're telling, or the deeds they're hiding.

Motivations

Explain what the character truly hopes to gain by solving a mystery, or what they're desperate to keep or avoid by maintaining their secrets.

History

Describe some secrets the character encountered in the past or that have haunted them from earlier years.

Obstacles

Define the character's deadlines, conflicts, and impairments

Description

Describe some of the character's worst or recurring obstacles.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about these problems.

Motivations

Explain what really inspires the character to react as they do (fight, flight, flee) when they encounter these conflicts.

History

Describe some obstacles the character used to face, whether they have resolved them or not.

Reputation

Examine the impact of their fame and notoriety

Description

Describe their reputation in areas they frequent or key places that have received news of them.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their reputation.

Motivations

Explain what motivates the character to improve, ignore, or destroy their reputation.

History

Describe what the character's reputation used to be like in earlier life stages or in other places.

Politics

Outline the character's faction, activities, standing, and role

Description

Describe any of the character's titles or roles in groups, political or otherwise.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about politics and/or groups they're involved in or pressing political matters.

Motivations

Explain what motivates the character's political stances and affiliations.

History

Describe what the character's political alliances used to be like.

Culture

Explore the symbols, accent, and folkways they embrace

Description

Describe the cultural influences on the character's appearance.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their cultural affiliations or pressing cultural issues.

Motivations

Explain what drives the character to maintain, abandon, or interact with their cultures.

History

Describe cultures the character has belonged to previously, whether they still do or not.

Temperament

Determine the character's inclinations and disposition

Description

Describe the character's predominant attitude, usual body language, or other ways that transmit their general emotional state to others.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their temperament.

Motivations

Explain what is behind the character's usual disposition.

History

Describe what the character's basic temperament used to be like and how much has changed.

Morality

Develop their beliefs, virtues, vices, and religious affiliation

Description

Describe the character's beliefs and/or what their beliefs seem to be to others.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their personal ethics, their god, or their religious group.

Motivations

Explain why the character values key beliefs, moral traits, or religion, or why they don't value something they're expected to.

History

Describe and major ethical breakthroughs and shifts that have shaped the character's world view.

Irrationality

Detail the character's superstitions, obsessions, phobias, and prejudices

Description

Describe beliefs or practices the character holds onto that seem illogical and offensive to others or that the character hides out of fears they are unacceptable.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about how smart, fair, or sympathetic they are or appear to be.

Motivations

Explain what drives the character to give in, fight, or deny their irrational tendencies.

History

Describe any old phobias, obsessions, etc., and whether or not the character still has them.

Relationships

Clarify their bonds with family, friends, lovers, and colleagues

Description

Describe the character's major associates.

Opinions

Explain your character's opinions about their key relationships.

Motivations

Explain what drives the character to regard others or particular types of relationships as they do, what they believe they gain from certain ties, or why they pursue or avoid people.

History

Describe a few of the major relationships the character used to maintain and whether or not they have changed.

Sample Character Palette

I filled out the palette below using information for a character I played in a Changeling: the Lost game. Even though it's been some years since I last played him, the palette helped me to remember many things. And since I know the character so well, I was able to fill in many of the categories without too much work.

Name:	Scott Morgan, Changeling	Setting:	Long Beach, CA
Categories	Description	Opinions	Motivations	Past
Physical	slender white male without much to distinguish his looks, for good or ill	knows he's not a stud and doesn't like it, but clothes only fix so much	makes up for the outside by being brilliant	knew that being a doctor would earn him respect and attention
Possesions	items he's enchanted, part of a hollow, an apartment, a car, and a heavy truck	he's only just begun to gather things to study and enjoy	wants a place to experiment and to hole up, and he enjoys the Hedge	used to live alone, but prefers sharing space with his few trusted friends
Encountering	travels to investigate for the Autumn Court	wants to be able to deal with others	thirsts for knowledge about the WoD and the Keepers	used to be much more of a single-minded loner
Residence	stays often with his girlfriend at her place, and shares a hollow with her and their friend Matt	his apartment is for crashing, but isn't really his home anymore	keeping more than one location means he'll have somewhere to go if need be	was raised middle-upper class, but lived hard in Arcadia
Skills & Function	doctor who works at a clinic and offers services to the freehold	likes having yet another use for the freehold	wants to keep changelings alive and well	likes to heal, but also to study and sometimes to torment
Hobbies & Interests	the Hedge, goblins, plants, the supernatural	everything is so damned fascinating	anything could turn out to be beneficial	didn't used to care so much about hobbies
Plans & Plots	create a group to share information about the Fae	needs to find a way for the freehold to get along	wants to take the fight to the Fae some day	used to think he was busy, but he had no idea
Secrets & Mysteries	is in contact and studies with his fetch, Stan	Stan's a bit bloodthirsty, but amazing	Stan is a part of Scott, in some ways closer than a brother	he never had such a weird relationship with family before
Obstacles	freehold tensions, Tosk the Jack Ketch, his Keeper Salmissra	these fuckers get in the way of the real things he came back to do	takes threats very seriously and plans against them all	all of his old rivalries mean nothing now
Reputation	useful but sometimes an asshole	cares what people think of his trustworthiness and abilities, but little about what people think of his personal life	wants to cultivate connections so he can learn more and trade easier	makes more of an impact now than he ever did before
Politics	prefers the Summer Court faction that is more strategic and careful	charging into the Hedge will kill us all	maintaining a safe freehold means we can get to other things	never gave a shit about politics before
Temperament	in his hedge-spun lab coat, he becomes the emotionless doctor and experimenter	wary of being stuck in the doctor persona too much or going too far	the control and distance soothe him	he developed the persona in Arcadia
Morality	there is stranger shit in Heaven and Earth than he ever dreamed	hurt the deserving and the willing, but try not to lose control	when you're in the same boat, you might as well paddle together	used to be an atheist, not sure anymore
Irrationality	came back from his Durance a sadist	reigns bloody urges in by finding a willing partner	needs control, and to hurt females (who stand in for his Keeper)	would never have dreamed he would like hurting others
Relationships	keeps in light contact with his family	they feel normal, sane	knows he'll have to give them up for their own safety eventually	appreciates them more now
	has a girlfriend in Desiree, which is a very lucky thing	likes the vulnerability that she tries to cover up; feels connted to her	knows she will likely move on, and their history won't prevent it	used to be very jealous but now just accepts the time he has with her
	has a friend and traveling companion in Matt	feels glad to have a big walking carpet at his back	knows he needs multiple friends and can't put all his eggs in one basket	knows he wouldn't have had a friends like Matt if it weren't for being a changeling
	has a boss in the Autumn Court seneschal, Anthony Breer	feels Anthony is a colleague who understands what they're up against	wants to help Breer get the work done and knows that Breer will support him later	thinks that he and Breer would have gotten along as regular mortals

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