As much as I love playing characters with joyous and happy lives, as many of us learn in primary or elementary school, every story is like a roller-coaster! Meaning there is some kind of conflict is usually present in any long running piece of story telling. Otherwise there wouldn't really be a point in reading it, would there? Reading simple stories of love and fluff are nice every now and then, though without conflict or some kind of action it can get bland and boring. Which is the same with roleplay! Which is why we have the constant updates in our little world and character arcs galore! But what if something major happens to my character? What if this would curve the way I play my character? How would this effect them mentally in a realistic sense? Wellll, boy do I have the study for you!
So! You're looking to play a character with trauma! (Or, you've entered an arc with a character who's coming out with trauma.) This should be a ride!
Firstly! What kind of trauma is it? Is it the kind of trauma such as a war veteran having been fresh off the battle field against terrifying Kathar who's been brutally injured and watched hundreds die? Or maybe a traumatic experience involving a broken trust and being literally, or metaphorically stabbed in the back? Or maybe it's something small that adds just a quirk to your character! Maybe they've been pushed into the water as a small child and thus refuse to swim! Or even smaller, have a large distaste for milk due to finding a bug in their warm evening glass. Trauma can range in many different levels to add depth and realism to your character! Explaining the way they act or their quirks!
Here's a little form to fill out to help you write out reasons for character quirks due to their trauma, to fully flesh them out!
Traumatic Experience: Make this big or small! The more details you add in the more you can connect each action from the memory into your characters actions.
Main Trauma-points: Alright! Now let's take that story and pull out the specific bits that made this memory so ingrained into their mind.
Trauma After effects: Here put all the different quirks that can be explained by said trauma! Connect them together with reasoning from their experience! For example, my character Frankie has the habit of over-dressing and overreacting to the cold due to contracting frostbite in a mix of other traumatic events. As long as you can explain the quirk to fit with the experience, you're dandy!
Fears: Traumas not only change the way we are as people in the form of quirks or personality shift, but they also press our minds with fear (ie the whole reason they're traumatic). Explain that here! If they're a war veteran maybe they're afraid of a certain race they fought against! Or loud noises due to canons! Details, details!
And finally ! The last step! Apply what you've learned to your character. Theres no point in adding a traumatic arc if they are still the same person as before! Add some spice, work those quirks and fears out into their actions. This character study is all about fleshing out a character's fears and connecting their actions to events in their life!
Have fun, hope this was some help! <3
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