How to Create a RolePlay Character in 10 Easy Steps

Written by Galen Mars

Reviewed by Robert Wohnus

Introduction

Welcome to the galaxy, far, far away! Crafting a compelling character is essential for enjoyable roleplay in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This 10-step guide will walk you through the key decisions and details for building a well-rounded character ready to dive into SWTOR RP or any forum roleplay or in-game roleplay, etc.

Whether you’re a seasoned roleplayer or totally new to creative character-building, these tips will help you bring your ideal Star Wars persona to life. Following the steps below, you’ll end up with a distinctive character with a name, backstory, personality, and equipment matching your vision.

Roleplaying in SWTOR offers a chance to tell your own unique tale in one of sci-fi’s most beloved universes. This guide will set you up for success by outlining the core components of a fleshed-out, thriving character. Let’s jump to lightspeed and get started!

History & Identity

Creating a backstory and identity is key to building a believable character. Decisions like species, planet of origin, family ties, and major life events build the foundation for motivation and personality. By solidifying these historical details, you craft an identity that shapes your character’s selfhood.

Pick your character’s species

Selecting your character’s species is an important foundational choice that will inform many other decisions down the line. Some popular options are humans, Twi’lek, Zabrak, or Cathar, but don’t be afraid to pick any species that fits your vision. Consider the average lifespan, homeworld environment, common personality traits, and archetypes associated with that species as you make your pick.

Create your character’s backstory

Flesh out the details of your character’s history before the events of the roleplay. Figure out their home planet, family ties, socioeconomic status, major life events, education, how they joined their faction, motivations, goals, proudest moments, biggest regrets, and whatever else you feel shapes who they are. A compelling backstory brings depth.

Pick your character’s name

Choose a name that fits your character’s species and backstory. Look to their cultural context for inspiration. Utilize online name generators or dictionary terms in Star Wars languages to find the perfect name you connect with. Their name can reflect their personality too.

Recommended Generators

I personally recommend Fantasy Name Generators and Swtorista, but the others are worthy mentions.

• Fantasy Names Generators
• Swtorista
• Codexnomina
• Names Nerd
• Names Generator IO

Class & Abilities

Choosing a class provides the tools your character needs to thrive in the world. Consider their natural abilities, training, education, and experience to pick a class that fits their competencies. The class opens or limits options for gear, combat styles, story arcs and more. Define what they can do.

Choose your character’s class

Select a class, such as Jedi, Sith, Trooper, Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, or Imperial Agent that matches their key skills and abilities. This will determine available equipment and story options. The class should logically fit with your character concept.

Equip your character’s gear and weapons

Carefully choose and customize gear, weapons, armor, tech, and tools that complement your character’s class and skills. Keep their personality and backstory in mind too. For instance, do they prefer flashier items or more practical ones? Coordinating colors and styles makes for cohesive looks.

Appearance & Presentation

Carefully designing your character’s look and sound is how you present them to other roleplayers. Customize visual details like hair, clothing, weapons, and physical features. Decide how they sound through voice, accent, and speech patterns. These aesthetic choices let your character make a distinct first impression.

Design your character’s appearance.

Spend time customizing features like hair, facial features, body type, markings, and more to match your vision for them. Consider their age, species tendencies, backstory, personality, and other factors as you craft how they will look. Detailed customization brings them to life visually.

Consider your character’s voice.

When participating in roleplay interactions, it’s important to decide how your character will sound. Even if it’s just through text, you can choose to speak in your everyday voice or attempt an accent that fits the character. To get the voice right, it’s recommended to practice writing as your character. Their voice is key to their unique self-expression.

Personality & Alignment

Personality details show who your character is on the inside. Their emotional spectrum, quirks, motivations and morality come together to form a unique psyche. Details like light/dark side alignment, habits, fears and temperament bring your character to life with all their complexities.

Select your character’s light or dark side alignment

Figure out if your character aligns more with the light or dark side of the force. Are they good, evil, or neutral? This affects the available story paths. Make sure their personality and backstory support their alignment.

Choose character personality traits, quirks, and mannerisms

Define your character’s attitude, quirks, humor style, temperament, approach to others, and other personality nuances. Are they serious or funny? Kind or sarcastic? Give them habits, nervous tics, distinctive laughter, catchphrases, fears, pet peeves, or other quirks.

Conclusion

Bringing a character to life is a creative process. By following these steps, you now have a small guide to help you make the key decisions that enable rich character creation.

Remember, there is no single way to develop your ideal character. Let your imagination guide you as you choose their species, abilities, name, history, alignment, personality, and more. Treat it as a fun, engaging way to express your originality and passion for the Star Wars universe.

Roleplaying is meant to be an immersive, communal storytelling experience. As you introduce your character and interact with other players, maintain an open, collaborative spirit. Support your fellow roleplayers in bringing their characters’ tales to life.

The connections you make through respectful, creative roleplay will stick with you. Now that you have these character creation tools under your belt, you’re ready to let your distinct story unfold in a galaxy far, far away. May the Force accompany you on your journey to vivid, memorable adventures!