Props.

There are a lot of possible props that can be used to enhance mood, in-game immersion, and overall good experience of the game time.


Here are just a few of most common possibilities:

- Candles & Incense,
- Mood music played in background during rpg session. Films or Computer Games Soundtracks are among the best of background music available for this purpose,
- Maps,
- Tattered Notes,
- Characters' Portraits & various images of people, items and places used in the game,
- etc.

Character Creation & Development.

Creation.

Filling character sheet should be an Art, not just a character optimization mathematical exercise.

Best way is to start from a character's concept - decide whom you wish to play.

Some ideas might include:
- Archer Witch?
- Swordsmaster?
- Lightsaber engineer?
- Hacker?

Character's concept must adhere to the game world - in the most of fantasy worlds, technology is underdeveloped - so there are no hackers, for example.

Once concept is decided, think of character's background - where he or she was born and raised, what's her or his age, education, goals, hobbies, history, personality, etc.

Then come up with description - how he or she looks, behaves, what he or she wears and on what occasion, what she or he carries.

Then choose skills, feats, powers, equipment, etc - in a way that makes sense considering concept and background.

Then add visual representation - if You can draw, do it. Otherwise You can download something from the internet.

Character's theme song or a few are also nice, You can give these to Storyguide / Game Master / so he or she can use these during game sessions - or if You play online, You can listen to these while playing Your character.


Development.

In most of roleplaying games characters accumulate experiences, scars, gain and lose equipment.

Choosing which powers to develop should be consistent with what was played already, as well as with what training options character has.

It's nice to write character's journals - even if You do not publish these, as well.


Conclusion.

Character creation & development should be internally consistent, an art form - but too many don't know how to fill their character sheets. ;)

Play Styles.

Introduction.

There are many of possible goals & play styles, people can play as they wish ... but not everyone will want to play with those who abuse, and i think it's wise to avoid harmful 'company'.

... playstyles can be combined - one can include skills/powers in talk, expressions, descriptions, etc.

Powergaming doesn't have to exclude 'playing roles'.

... initial character idea often evolves after character's creation.

... failinig is character development, i think.


Evoking moods.

i started Game-Mastering with 'Ravenloft' AD&D Horror Game setting. Earlier tries with 'Crystals of Time' were far too unsignificiant to consider them a true start.

Various types of scares, romaticism, evoking various feelings & moods were taught & considered to play with, to entertain.

Word plays, acting, voice modulation were considered, as well as building up tensions, drama & other tools.


Intelectual Game.

Many players love intellectual challenges - social games, politics, puzzles, plotting, scheming, combat tactics and/or problem solving.


Power Gaming.

Many players like to feel power, advantage over others - either over other players, their characters or game-master-guided adversaries.

i think that lessons of skillfull and responsible power-wielding can be nice challenges, ... - but there's danger of very quick escalation into immaturity, into conflicts and/or worse.

...

... is 'dressing nicely' a form of powergaming?

...

Going beyond a Class & Archetype.

There are roleplaying games with character classess, such as Dungeons & Dragons.

Strictly adhering to selected class is somewhat limiting, as far as character's description & idea originality goes.

Class is a stereotype, but also a 'framework' for a character.

To enrich storytelling, characters & game masters can use character class to describe character's abilities, then come up with alternate description & name for an in-character's profession.

This can include unusual background, morality, personality, goals - as well as a weapon, armour & tool choices, etc.

Examples:

1. Is Your Monk-class character in fact a Yogin? Which of monastic vows he did take, which he did not?

2. Is Your Fighter-class character is in fact ceremonial warrior of a temple? Does he fight in Ceremonial Robes instead of in a Full-Plate Armour? How he thinks about violence & harm, how he thinks about self-defence & protecting others? Does he eat meat?

3. Is your Cleric-class character coming from far-eastern continent in fact a Mage-Priestess caste member, a worshipper of light & shadow? A godless sect believing in self-realization & self-ascension? Is she gentle & pragmatic or ruthless & brutal? Did she swore to not use certain weapons because of her religion?


There's lot of possibilities for character design, even with limiting factor of a character classes - but let's not deny it - skill based character creation usually offers more of flexibility for character creation than class-systems.

Griefing.

part of roleplaying games is using written speech & symbolics properly.

it's best to not call someone a dog then 'go hunting gnolls' in a way or another.

gnolls are 'dogs on two legs' in this game, orcs are 'pigs on two legs', kuo-toa are 'fish-folk', etc ...

not everyone is expert in this at first, but this can be learned, practiced, perhaps more literary & artful friends can undo damage someone unskilled did cause to other players, etc ... (et cetera ...).

characters are not players, but every interaction afffects mind, later speech, then body, etc ... of players as well.

staying in character helps, but everything counts.

griefing is making someone suffer by improper conduct, for example with improper speech that belittle others.

see also, if You wish: Fishmen.

Archetypes.

in roleplaying games characters are often archetypes.

archetype is a stereotype, something easy to understand.

there can be anti-stereotype characters but this is also the stereotype.

more complex characters are hard to convey.

Scent.

Introduction.

Scent is short for Stories, Scenes & Messages.

For Roleplaying to scent well, each of these should be of highest quality.


Stories & Scenarios.

Scenario is a Story's parts.

Who plays which role, how & why.

Where is the Stage, why, what it says.


Stage.

Stage is a place.

At given time there are certain characters & proper furniture.


Lighting.

Light can set a mood.

In proper light things are seen differently.

Darkness is different lighting, for there are creatures that thrive in dark.

Every stage can have different lighting at different times.


Scenes.

Scene is something played.

Scene can occur at a stage with certain characters playing together or against.


Messages.

Message is something told.

Each character, each scene, each story carries a message.

They are woven together by players & storyguide to tell something together.