Character Flaws

No one is perfect. People have unsavory habits, take unpopular actions, live in ways that a rational person wouldn’t—because people aren’t all that rational. When you’re making up a character, whether a PC or an NPC, try adding one of these character flaws to the mix. Choose one or roll it up, and then try playing it out. See what kind of story flows from the addition. These should make gaming more interesting, not more aggravating.

1d6 Character Flaws

1. Anarchist. The character has serious problems with authority. It might be for socio-political reasons, but it’s more likely because he or she just hates paying taxes. The character speaks out against authority figures often, and certainly refuses to bow to anyone, especially someone who thinks he or she should be bowed to.
2. Constant Thief. The character is a thief at heart. Petty robbery is a habit that’s the character won’t give up no matter how much trouble it causes. When the character spends more than a little time in one place, he or she breaks out the plans for the big heists.
3. Cowardly. The character fears physical conflict. The character holds his or her life at high value, and chooses safety over risk every time. That doesn’t mean the character can’t participate in battle (though he or she would rather not), just that the character chooses the safest way to do so.
4. Miserly. The character values fungible wealth over all else. He or she wants money, money, money and hates giving up even a single coin that could otherwise be saved. It doesn’t matter that cash for cash’s sake is pointless—the character wants the security of having it.
5. Prejudice. The character holds a certain class or race in irrational low esteem. He or she is quick to dismiss members of that group according to a few preconceived notions of how they act. Halflings are thieves, dragonborn are honorbound to the point of stupidity, tieflings are liars, and eladrin think they know better, for examples.
6. Violent. The character resorts easily to violence. It is a simple answer for the complex questions that life is so fond of asking. When a situation frustrates or confuses the character, he or she pounds through to the chewy center and makes everything better.

Peter Schaefer has posted about character flaws a lot lately. Give him some feedback!