[center][u][color=cee2d9][h1]CHARACTER CREATION GUIDELINES[/h1][/color][/u][/center]

Characters in Men-at-Arms are inherently flawed. You'll notice that you cannot create a character that has mastered many skills, nor can you make a master-of-arms that has no weaknesses. Every character can only be so specialized, and the more proficient you are with a given skill or weapon, the more proficiency points it will cost you.

[b]PLEASE post your character applications in the OOC thread, not here.[/b] This is for accepted character sheets. But please keep reading! The rules for character creation lie below.

When you design your character, go in with the following goals:

[list][*][b]Make a person, not a cartoon character.[/b] I don't want an Edgy McBadass. I want a person that has real fears and real desires. I want a person with goals, with virtues and with failings. I want a [i]person.[/i]
[*][b]Make me want to know more about your character.[/b] Long, boring backstories that go nowhere are NOT as valuable to me as engaging backstories that leave some measure of mystique. Entice me.
[*][b]Show me through your character what your vision for this game is.[/b] I want to know what sort of role you want to play and what sort of game you expect this to be. How you write your character and what you do with them will help me decide who I keep as players and who I politely refuse.
[*][b]Don't try to "cheat" the system.[/b] If you try to powerplay in character creation, chances are you're going to be misbehaving in the game, too. "Cheating" the system I've presented is grounds for immediate dismissal from my roleplay.
[*][b]Show me the good and the bad.[/b] Your character should have flaws, but they obviously need to have virtues, too. I don't want Sadsack McSadderson; that can be a sort of reverse Mary Sue. Refer back to my first guideline. [i]Make a person.[/i]
[*][b]Have decorum.[/b] I'm okay with tragic and dark elements in my game, but I don't want to see GRRM-style expository about fucking and undesired intercourse, okay? Writing about stuff like that won't win you any brownie points with me. Allude to such tragedies if you must, but always be tactful and respectful of the topic.[/list]

I think those are guidelines enough. On to the actual character sheet!

Firstly, [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PK2PECL78Z3adcua-YAbbpxKT8LhNbRgidpu7dI2WOU/edit]remember to use the hyperlinked Google Document here for the RPG elements of your character sheet.[/url] Fill things out on the sheet as you go. And most importantly, [b]please follow instructions.[/b]

I don't have any preference as to how you format your sheet. Use fancy colors, realign the text to suit your preferences, etc. So long as you have all the information I requested and [b]put your sheet in a hider and don't make the text hard to read,[/b] I'll be happy. Please note that I have bad eyesight and I will fight you if you choose to make the text some freaking dark gray bullcrap that blends in with the background of this website. I'm serious. I will [i]fight[/i] you.

You may include an image for your character, though it is not necessary. I will say that I prefer painting-quality pictures, and I don't like anime or photos that much; however, I won't disqualify you solely on your choice of picture. Probably. Within reason.

[hider=Character Sheet][b]NAME:[/b] Your character's name.
[b]SEX:[/b] Your character's biological sex. And if you say anything along the lines of "Yes please" I will slap you.
[b]AGE:[/b] Your character's age in years AND their age category in parentheses, such as 19 (Youth) or 31(Middle-Aged). Your character must be at least 16 years of age. Most people are dead by the age of 60-70 in this setting.
[b]HOMELAND:[/b] What realm does your character hail from? (You CAN be an Outlander, but I highly recommend you be from within the Aldaric region. If you have an idea for an Outlander, feel free to discuss things with me.)
[b]BACKGROUND:[/b] List the background you chose for your character from the Google Document I presented. Don't write a backstory yet.
[b]TRAITS:[/b] List your character's traits and describe them in 1 sentence each. Use 2 sentences if you absolutely must. No more than that. Remember that you can either use traits I listed in the document OR make up your own - but don't try gaming the system. Did I say that already?
[b]FLAWS:[/b] See Traits. Also, Fatal Flaws should be very clearly listed as Fatal Flaws. You can only have one Fatal Flaw.
[b]PROFICIENCIES:[/b] List your character's proficiencies and their associated ranks. You can use numbers or Roman Numerals. Just be sure you do things in the correct order given your chosen background.
[b]PERSONALITY:[/b] Write a few sentences or a few paragraphs. Use your discretion. Try to answer some of the following topics, but don't worry if you can't touch on them all:
[list][*]What does your character fear?
[*]What are their hopes and dreams?
[*]What is their instinct in battle?
[*]How do they cope with fear?
[*]What is their faith? What do they worship, and how does it define them? DO they worship at all?[/list]
[b]PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:[/b] 3-6 sentences. You don't need more.
[b]EQUIPMENT:[/b] Give me a few sentences about what sort of weaponry, armor, and other equipment your character has. Try to think about your character's background and what they can reasonably carry on the road. Don't worry if you make a mistake; I'll make a post about what people can reasonably carry later. And don't forget: if you have a packmule or a cart or something, you can carry more, but you can't always take that stuff indoors. Also, removing stuff from belt pouches or a backpack takes time. Your bags ain't magic.
[b]HISTORY:[/b] 5 paragraphs max. Be reasonable here. If you "technically" make only 5 paragraphs but they're each 10 sentences long, I will just refuse your character. Note that your character is a [b]freelance mercenary[/b] with no affiliation to a major mercenary company at present.

Try to cover some or all of the following topics in your history:
[list][*]Why did your character become a mercenary?
[*]How long have they been a mercenary? Have they ever served in a mercenary company, or have they always been a solo act?
[*]Does your character have any friends or family?
[*]Does your character have any enemies?
[*]What made them who they are today?[/list][/hider]