Story Structure and Character Creation
People have different thoughts and feelings about how to create a d&d character, and I want to preface this with the universal fact that however your group has fun playing d&d is the correct way to play d&d, and what I say here is how I and my group tend to play.
Step one: The World
When I am making a character or starting to review characters during a session zero, I consider how the concepts fit into the world of the game. I consider the setting and the tone of the game before I even start thinking of a concept, let alone a class or race.
Questions to ask your dm:
What pieces of media did you draw inspiration from for this campaign?
What is the tone of this game?
What themes will the game be exploring?
What events in the world of the game could have created an adventurer?
Step two: The Group
The second step I take is considering the group as a whole. What kind of character would fit into the group? Which group members might have a character connected with them in a way? What kind of archetype does the group need?
Questions to ask yourself:
Is my character a team player? If not, how can I justify them being in a group and not hogging attention?
What is the group missing that is integral to the game?
Is there a major theme of the campaign that is missing from the party’s motivation?
Step three: The concept
Before you assign a race and class, make a character. Give them wants, needs, and desires. Motivations for adventuring. Connections within the group. A connection to a main theme of the story and a backstory that fits within the constraints of the world. You can add in the race and class here if that helps you build a concept.
Questions to ask yourself:
What does my character want and need? What desire pushes them forward?
What would they have to achieve to stop adventuring?
What worldview does my character have that relates to a major theme the campaign explores?
Is my character value themselves over others or others over themselves?
Who will my character probably connect with in the party?
Personal freedom or structured rules?
Step four: The Mechanics
Now do all that fun character creation stuff like rolling stats and choosing a class and race.
Conclusion:
In a narrative-focused game like my group plays, having this setup for character creation will allow your DM to easily incorporate your character into major arcs of the game due to how you fit into the setting, your party will appreciate the cohesion from connecting the characters and it will make for fun roleplay encounters, Your character will have driving forces behind their decisions and the choices you make will feel more grounded in reality due to your understanding of your character’s motivations, worldview, and objectives.
P.S. NPCs
For you DMs out there, a condensed form of this formula is also helpful for making memorable NPCs. My process for making any of my NPCs is the “A DOVE” method:
Appearance: What does the character look like? Are they striking or plain? (ex: Arthur Augefort in Fantasy High is a dark skinned, bald wizard with a long white beard. He wears a purple suit that matches his eyes and carries an umbrella. In front of his left eye sits a gold monocle.)
Demeanor: What kind of personality does the character have? Usually a single adjective. (ex: Lucretia in The Adventure Zone being calm and regal.)
Objective: What does the character want from the players? (ex: Mishka in NADDPOD wants the party to rid her town of the Barbarians who have invaded.)
Voice: What sort of voice should the character have? Not necessarily an accent, but deep or high voice? Funny or grounded? How does it connect with the Demeanor? (ex: Ipskix in Escape From the Bloodkeep with his exaggerated screechy voice.)
Eccentricity: What makes this character unique? It can have to do with appearance, it can have to do with their actions, or the environment that they occupy. (ex: Madam Musk in Critical Role *CRITICAL ROLE C2 SPOILERS* being three kobolds in a cloak.)
