Can your character pass a Plinkett test?

>Can your character pass a Plinkett test?
Yes

>He's selfish and duplicitous
>makes friends easily
Gives me conniptions

Her voice once howled a sadistic laugh at the world, but not an echo of its repetitive guffaw remains. She speaks in soft whispers that squirm their way out from underneath the crushing weight of the truth; every day she wonders if she'll fade away. Gazing out at the endless horizon of crystalline snow, she smiles softly and then collapses to the ground, breaking down into tears and releasing an agonized ear-piercing shriek.

The girl is gone. A faint wind blows through the lonely wilds and carries a mocking chuckle out into the empty expanse. God kill me, I feel so pretentious right now.

He was introduced to a skill of civilization that many of his people ignored, and found it a passion and a calling that drew him from his tribe.

His faith in the skill lights a way and empowers him, but often also blinds him to his surroundings, but did not blind him to the racist disdain that civilization had for his kind.

However, his belief and dream to be the best at the skill was only reaffirmed, seeking vengeance in the form of making those who cast him out for who he was admit they were wrong to ignore his talents and calling.

Can't most characters?
I mean, what you are asking for is personality traits and background, and every pc I've ever seen has those in some degree.
>80 year old veteran who is forced into the Secret Service against his will because his CO nurses a grudge. Impatient, cares only for the simple things in life, and hates his new job, but endures it because it offers the opportunity to put his religious convictions and deeply held beliefs into practice in a way few things can

A genocidal and bitter racist, who is a shockingly decent family man with upstanding and rigorous moral standards. He hates nonhumans with a passion, in part because he believes they're responsible for bringing in the plague that killed his wife. The other part, naturally, is simply because of the culture he was raised in. He's unwilling to move on.

He's already got grandkids with great grandkids on their way soon, and most of the friends he's had have died by now. Part of him wants to die in glory, fighting.

Describe the BBEG(ugh) then.

A Hurt man who has somewhat neglected his now teenager daughter due to his pain at the murder of his wife. He is overly committed to his work, vengeance is on his mind. Despite this, he is overly protective of the only family he has left, but hypocritically allows her to be in the same danger he puts himself into.

He tries to be a good father.

She's consummate liar who is obsessed with finding the truth in everything else.

I'll do two, one from a past campaign and one for a campaign that's starting this Sunday:
A weasel with a silver tongue and a penchant for living off of other peoples' money. Thinks of himself as being better than most people. Despite all of this he ultimately has a sense of right and wrong that steers him more often than not, even if it's just a little bit of course-correction. He despises bullies and those who use their station in life to take advantage of common people, which he's quite careful to avoid doing himself.

A coward with a very powerful enemy, who he's spent the last four months running from. Now he's trying to earn his way into the good graces of their long-standing foe. He's young and feeling alienated, having been used as a bartering chip and left for dead by friends and family, so right now he doesn't really know what he believes in or where he's going in life past those immediate goals.

1. A psychologically broken fanatic of an unpopular ideology who can't keep her mouth shut.
2. A sad and rejected young creature seeking redemption.
3. An acts before thoughts person who's genuinely decent, but has issues with taking social hints.
4. A melancholic thinker who's torn between her individualism and the simplicity of a life under a commandeering someone.
5. Painfully yanked out of routine normalcy, too shocked to be afraid, yearning for familiar existing to return even though she realises it's not possible anymore.
6. An unstoppable curiousball who does not realise her true potential.
7. A man with a code of honor that he built himself over many years, but now it's clear that it has a lot of internal inconsistencies. Now he has to relearn adjusting his moral compass on the fly.
8. A blood-hungry patriot rejected by his own country.

>existing
existence

I'l do another one.

He got dragged into a world that he could never be a part of. Yet he relies on his quick wits, silver tongue and being a gambler to walk out of situations alive instead of a smoldering corpse.

He knows a guy, who in turn could know a guy. He prefers to be liked and respected by everyone... but he wants a better world free from the politics of secret societies, so he aims to bring them down and let people regain control over their city... his city.

I could even describe QuiGon and pass the test.

the plinkett test is pretty retarded because whether or not you can describe a character following those rules doesn't actually depend on the character.

My current character is young and brash, hotheaded but does the right thing, and plays the bagpipes during battle because he thinks it instills fear into his enemies.

[/spoiler]No, he is not a bard

It’s [“spoiler] and [/“spoiler] without the quotes around the words you wanna hide, I phonepost mostly so I forgot the other way; which is supposedly easier

You fucked up. You can't mention role, and age falls under appearance. You're not supposed to describe their background, you're supposed to get to the meat of the character without crutches like "he's about this old", "he's a veteran", etc.

>Can't most characters?
Sadly, a great number of PCs don't have a lot of things left when you strip away the labels like "Elven druid" or "Klingon warrior". Even on Veeky Forums when people describe their character, they usually describe the surface level details as looks and profession.

Technically I don't have a BBEG right now. Party is trying to deal with the force of nature Wild Hunt lead by king Arthur. Maybe I should try one of the major NPCs instead.
He's the man of a few words. He acts at the backstage and not a lot of people are aware of his presence. He looks cold and bitter outside, but at the core he's an idealist. His ideals lead him to do questionable actions, but he strongly believes that they will lead to the greater good.

Good, 'cause you sound it. Try and take the purple prose down to a lavender.

>Sadly, a great number of PCs don't have a lot of things left when you strip away the labels like "Elven druid" or "Klingon warrior".
Encourage actual RP then, it’ll solve itself

The other way is Ctrl + S highlighting the text you want to hide, like this

yes exactly, the Plinkett test doesn't fail for bad characters per se, just for bad characters after some time has passed after being confronted with them. Qui Gon is bland and forgettabel in a way that the casual watchers didn't remember his character because neither his actions nor his words stuck with them.

If you're bloomin' PLAYING the character you bet your ass everybody would pass the plinkett test

Is this a reference I'm missing? Basically his friendships are shallow and only worth their weight in gold.

You've opened my mind, kind user.

RP is a huge chunk of my sessions, everyone stays IC most of the time. However when new people join my games, the problem with surface details is usually the case.

>Sadly, a great number of PCs don't have a lot of things left when you strip away the labels like "Elven druid" or "Klingon warrior".
The real problem is that most people don't get a reason to show the other traits they might have.

Stalin?

Yeah, that’s the thing though, when you create a character, starting your journey you’re only what you say you are; but actions speak louder than words, once they get into the groove of things they can start actually building their character. An example is in lord of the rings, when you’re introduced to Frodo all you know is what he looks like and what he does, you don’t actually get to know him until you watch his journey

No, you commie.

>Is this a reference I'm missing?
No, just a dark souls thing. I just hate the whole “I’m an asshole with many friends” thing cause it’s unrealistic, nobody likes an asshole.

The idea behind the Plinkett Test is basically: does the character have personality beyond their job or appearance? The genesis of it was comparing characters from the Original Star Wars movies to those in the Prequels. Han Solo has a lot more going on to him than the fact he flies the Millenium Falcon or owes a debt to Jabba. Contrast with Padme Amidala, who is basically a non-character outside her weird hairstyles and the fact she's Luke Skywalker's mom.

I can safely say most PCs I've encountered--including many I myself have played--fail this test.

Fuck you pinko you made him

He started naive and big headed, learned from his mistakes then found his niche. Then despite his loyalty he is abandoned when he moved mountains to save his comrades. Upon taking a new banner or face another two years on the rack, he fought and killed for the destruction of the world. Now his contract has died with the leader of the hordes of demons, he is left with nothing but a new set of skills and a lot of hatred.
Kore is coming home, and it's not going to be a happy homecoming.

9" cock, likes anal sex with underage girls

who cares about his history

Without saying what they look like.

An asshole with many friends isn't openly an asshole. They're a secret asshole.

Does anyone else create a backstory of events without necesarily considering motivation or reaction and then allow the character to "grow" during the first few sessions? Often i create characters that, while they are fleshed out and rounded in terms of knowledge, abilities, and experience, tend to be a blank slate in terms of personality. As i play the first few sessions of the campaign i consider how current events fall parrallel to his past and how that may guide his reactions, and then i use those reactions to guide his choices and emotions. This has resulted in stoic honor duels over generations old vendettas, grizzled veterans with a scarred sense of optimism who strive to follow logic and rules of engagement until the real morallity hits come and he crumbles like a house of cards, and once a "gripli" who was secretly an enchanted sentient hat puppeteering a normal frog.

For some reason that image always reminded me of this character. For a long time I actually thought they were the same.

Driven, ambitious and proud.

Thats not what he looks like, thats how good he feels. Its not looks if you can still appreciate it in the dark or in broad daylight with plenty of onlookers

It passes the test

The character's history is generally unimportant to the Plinkett Test. Especially since the Test was designed for films, TV, and books, where the character's backstory definitely does play a part in his "role".

It's meant to describe the character's personality. Han Solo is cocky, cynical, and boastful.

Abrasive, obnoxious, and rude (oftentimes unintentionally), but goofy and playful, and generally means well. Usually distrusting of strangers, but loyal and protective (often fiercely so) of the few individuals he values other than himself. Despite usually being relatively boarish and immature, he's responsible, doting, and paternal when it comes to his precious animal companion, whom he always considers first, even above himself. There is also a deep, spiteful pit of hate in him and a desire for revenge that can lead him to rashness.

How did I do?

wow you're very smart dude

You sort of missed the point of the Plinkett test.

The original Plinkett test was thus: "Describe the following Star Wars character WITHOUT saying what they look like, what kind of costume they wore, or what their profession or role in the movie was.

"Describe this character to your friend like they ain't never seen Star Wars."

Charismatic, but hot-headed, impulsive, doesn't believe in -4 strength while having -6 strength and probably would have gotten themselves killed multiple times if it weren't for their allies.

He tried to do everything himself, didn't tell his team where he's going, and drowned in angst and wine when things inevitably went wrong.
He once thought he could make everyone happy, but then he killed his wife while trying to kill his best friend.
Now?
He's made some big mistakes in the past, and he's been trying to atone ever since. His old friends are all dead, and he blames himself. Regret is what drives him to keep moving forwards, because if his past ever catches up to him, there will be a reckoning.
Now he's got responsibility, and power. Now he's just trying real hard not to screw up.

Why? Are you unwell? There's nothing mutually exclusive about those two statements, so hopefully that's not what's bothering you, otherwise you should probably go back to school.

two games

>Adherent of the path of least resistance. Follows a code that's frequently misinterpreted as the 'do the right thing' code, though it's really always been the 'do the easy thing' code, which leads to hilarious looks of shock when they pull up stakes and gtfo from a harrowing situation.

> Smart son of a bitch hoarder who knows that the right tool for the job is always more useful than years wasted towards building expertise and that the smartest approach usually won't even cost you gear.

Overdoing it won't make up for a lack of quality, man. Get good and then get all flowery if you still want to afterwards.

>I just hate the whole “I’m an asshole with many friends” thing cause it’s unrealistic, nobody likes an asshole.

Being an asshole doesn't mean you're overtly mean to everyone every time.

If nobody likes an asshole it's because he's a stupid asshole. Clever assholes can get away with a lot. Have you really not met anyone who's popular but manipulative?

You described your character’s profession. How are people too thick to follow such simple criteria?

He finds the opposition and hits them hard

>pic
Trying to insult me and debase my post by saying I’m “unwell” and implying I’m too young is not a very good argument, a better way is to provide examples and evidence that supports your claim
I’m pretty sure I already explained this, but you won’t get any friends being an asshole and exploiting people, some examples from popular media would be Jack Sparrow, Rick Sanchez and I’m sure there are more.
>Clever assholes can get away with a lot.
Just because you can manipulate people and get away with it doesn’t mean they’re actually your friend, as soon as people find out what you’re really like(trust me, they will find out) they’ll throw you under a bus
>Have you really not met anyone who's popular but manipulative?
No, but I live in a nice community with good people, so your results may differ

he's a fucking asshole who fucks shit up because it's the only thing in his life that he's good at

He's obsessed with saving lives and making a difference. Doesn't think too highly of his own skills, yet still holds himself to unreasonably high standards, always thinking that he could be doing better than he is. Has a tendency to lose his temper while stressed. Refuses to compromise his beliefs even in adversity.

fierce but good hearted, cares much about and loves her people and religion, hates the people that killed her sister

Except he was a terrible father.

He's a person extraordinarily desperate for a purpose. He's lived so long and done so many different things, ranging from farmer to craftsman to merchant to mercenary to even a stablehand, but he always feels out of place and like he just doesn't fit with the rest. He feels, deep down, that he deserves it. He doesn't know why, he just does. He doesn't feel like he deserves romance or even a stable life, hence adventuring. If he ever gets a serious amount of money, he just dumps it all on whores and drinks and maybe a local charity if he feels despotic. He stays with his group mainly because they seem just as fucked up as him, even if they don't get along well, longing for a clear reason to live

> as soon as people find out what you’re really like(trust me, they will find out)

You're treating a non-inevitability as an inevitability on the basis of 'no, really, trust me guys.'

> they’ll throw you under a bus

And you did it twice. My brother is a sociopath and I can absolutely promise you that both points are wrong. Your argument is based only on a limitation of your experience- you're arguing against the existance of something because you aren't aware of any time you experienced it first hand. But one of your points is that realizing you've experienced it is inevitable. But, what if you're wrong? 'Trust me, I'm right, because I've never seen it' is a /terrible/ argument.

>no, really, trust me guys.'
>My brother is a sociopath and I can absolutely promise you that both points are wrong.
Ironic. Regardless of my own experience, I know for a fact people do not like being fucked with, and you know what people do when they get angry.
>But, what if you're wrong? 'Trust me, I'm right, because I've never seen it' is a /terrible/ argument.
I’ve never seen it in person, that’s why I say it’s a bad way of going about things. Plus media covers this character a lot and they usually end up in a bad place or dead unless they learn to trust people and put their lives in the hands of their team

Nice mannered acursed one with some evil plans for the future relating to there brood.

I'm speaking from personal experience, not a lack of experience. That former is a thing that usually people take as a cue to stop injecting input like they have special knowledge.

And your argument has evolved from

> I've never seen it

to

> but that's not what it's like on TV

so you're clearly qualified, my mistake, I'll step aside and let you continue to display your mastery of all things social skill-related despite literally admitting your sheltered from the very thing that you're claiming doesn't exist.

You're a mentally deficient underageb&.
Seperate from that, your conclusion is wrong because there is nothing mutually exclusive about those two statements.
That's not an ad hominen, capisce?

>I'm speaking from personal experience, not a lack of experience
>”trust me guys, I’m right”
No, only thing I know is what you’re telling me, and it’s common knowledge that manipulation and deception between friends is ineffective or else it would be common enough for me to have experienced it first hand.
And I’m not saying
> claiming doesn't exist.
I’ve always said it’s a useless tactic and people who use it don’t actually have friends.
Also you’ve posted no examples or evidence that backs your claim whatsoever. So yes, please shut up

>your conclusion is wrong because I say so
Also
>You're a mentally deficient underageb&.
Pre school tier insults, you’re not going to get anywhere in life like that

So I live in Germany and people here pretty much identify themselves with their profession. Does that mean that all of them fail and are basically faceless NPCs?
I know there are exceptions, I know.

Young, relatively inexperienced but obsessed with and unusually skilled at her craft. High strung, stuck up, easily offended, and thinks too highly of herself. Egotistical to a fault and generally unlikable as a consequence, but still craves to be liked by others. Generally needs to depend on other people for things outside her specialty, but bad at sharing credit.

I do sometimes feel bad for my party because she can be pretty unpleasant, but she's fun to play and I try not to push it too far.

A desperate and paranoid man one step from the edge.

He's loud and boisterous with a quixotic nature, the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and is constantly hurt by it, but never for long. Shows a level of concern for friends well being that would be considered belittling if it wasn't so earnest. Secretly terrified of being left alone

Psudo-nihilistic member of an oppressed race that was magically rendered sterile at birth in order to force those slaughtering his species to allow him to live.
Pretends to be an amoral, cynical fuck, is really a tired, ancient being that has no one, will never have anyone, knows that he is going to spend his entire, very long, existence without children or a family and leave no mark on the world when he dies alone and unmourned.

Spends a shitload of his time on drugs as a consequence.
Basically youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME by way of youtube.com/watch?v=_YbVsEhNuT0

A barely adolescent man, whose soul was sold by his parents to demons, and whose current job by those demons is to find ones that escaped "hell" and kill them.
He finds himself more and more sociopathing, caring less and less about those around him unless they are useful to him.
He's starting to get wary of his companions (aside from the Wizard who he still likes and somewhat trusts). He mostly wishes that he could have his soul back and settle somewhere nice

Backing this up I'll do my best description of the prequel cast.

She's wise beyond her years in some respects, but still immature and too willing to look past people's flaws. Compassionate and always ready to leap into action, even when it's a TERRIBLE idea.

A man with a deep connection to family and community and an abundance of empathy, who was denied the things he wanted most in life and looked down upon by his superiors and adoptive family. Where our story takes place, he is deeply resentful of his 'friends' and worries deeply about the fate of the few people he cares about.

Some guy who's fond of puns and amputation.

>manipulation and deception between friends is ineffective or else it would be common enough for me to have experienced it first hand.
what if (bear with me for a second) IT ALREADY HAPPENED AND YOU JUST DIDN'T NOTICE IT?

She's generally nice but a bit mischievous, she has a tendency of saying stupid shit she regrets afterwards, and she has some self-confidence issues after a woman she was trying to protect died.

N-Nani!!!??!?
ignorance is bliss I guess, plus if I didn’t notice probably wasn’t anything big to me anyways plus I trust my friends to come to me when they’re in trouble.

>A man with a deep connection to family and community and an abundance of empathy, who was denied the things he wanted most in life and looked down upon by his superiors and adoptive family. Where our story takes place, he is deeply resentful of his 'friends' and worries deeply about the fate of the few people he cares about.

In some fairness, both young and adult Anakin pass the Plinkett Test and Plinkett doesn't even try to suggest he's a non-character. In fact there's several points where he says he very much understands Anakin and how he fits in with the plot other than the ultimate endgame of getting into the Vader suit.

Some might say he's overzealous, some might say he's too violent, others would say he's prone to obsessions. I say he's faithful to his creed, only violent when necessary, and protective of his interests.

An amiable fellow who's jovial and friendly until he catches wind of a perceived injustice. Because of what he's seen, he's wary of authority and anyone who uses it for his own gain. He wishes for big change, but he's usually a bit too in his cups to get much of anything done.

My current character is an honorable sort, always trying to be within the law - or whatever is in line with justice. He tries to uphold ideals of Chivalry, even if he has some flaws. He's afraid of sex, which leads to his vow of Chasity, to stave off obvious criticisms to his courage.

A religious man who abandoned his wife and young son when the political situation in his country went south. This this has wracked him with guilt for years, and now he's finally trying to set things right with them.The guilt from his actions has been eating him up for a few decades, but he's always been pleasant albeit blunt in his dealings with people.

He's charitable, dignified, and has a very warm demeanor, but he's also very prone to naivety. Emphatic almost to a fault, he tries to to see the good in everything and bring it out if possible.

Can I identify as an attack helicopter %%pilot%% in Germany?

He's the kind of guy who'll jump into a fight for you and before you know it he's made you a better person

She loves to drink and have fun, she wants to get married but knows it probably won’t happen, she cares deeply for the party and does not want to see them die, she sometimes wonders what her life would be like if she hadn’t been caught up in everything that day

bors is a tormented soul, suffering from failing to protect its sister and live up to the legacy of its father. bors was saved from certain death at the hands of an ogre through pure providence but was through a gross misunderstanding hailed as a hero and given credit for the creatures death. the legend that grew upon bors first foray into heroism and its later achievements grew till it was far greater than bors ability to match it. but bors pride and stubborn determination to see justice done forces bors into unwinnable situations that are only overcome through meticulous planning and a not insignificant amount of luck. these victories only expand the unwanted legend and make it ever harder for people to understand the reality of bors own existance. and these victories seem only to attract greater adversity and raise the stakes of war ever higher. because of this bors lives in fear of the day when its luck runs out and it fails what is rapidly becoming its people.

theirs the plinkett test attempt I guess

a) She's capricious, with a fiery temper and no love for those she thinks are below her in the social order. If you can prove you are her equal you might have the time of your life. Otherwise you'll find out how much joy she takes in making others suffer.

b) Utter bastard with a heart of gold. You can trust him with your life but i wouldn't trust him with your money. You will always be number two to the mechanical wonder that he calls his home away from home.

A is my cyborg'd Sith Sorcerer i play in a Old Republic-inspired dark-side Force and Destiny game. B is my Rogue Trader

He's pious and god fearing but struggles with cruelty and wrath. He is sympathetic to the outcasts and downtrodden, seeing himself in them. He's torn between filial duty and bitterness towards those who made him as he is