One of the panel discussions I was involved in at Life, The Universe and Everything Symposium (LTUE) (Website) was on how to express a character's code of conduct. The emphasis in this panel was on writing. However, all of the discussions during this panel can also be used for creating characters and playing them in tabletop role playing games.
Along with considering the ethical boundaries of conduct, there were also considerations brought up about ethical and cultural examples of differences. The way the topic broadened gave a lively discussion (not argumentative, but in depth) about character creation and portrayal.
Ethical and Ethnical Concerns
Every character has a level of personal ethics. This is their code of conduct on how they perceive and interact with other people and the world they are involved with. These points of interaction are influenced by many factors a writer needs to take into consideration. But the main point usually deals with how the character is expected to act within the society or culture they belong to.
This applies to both to the heroes and to the villains. When any character acts outside the norm of conduct that is expected, that could be considered a villainous action. We see this in our world today. There are subcultures that live, dress, eat, and act in ways the dominate culture considers inappropriate.
Cultural differences also provide a large impact into what is ethical. It was mentioned how during major wars in our history (i.e., The Crusades) the concept of who had the ethical right was dependent on which side of the battle the person was on.
The examples were provided as a guideline for how to portray the characters people have, or want to have. They were not as absolutes. These are points to consider when developing a character that are based in the real world, an urban fantasy, or a world of your own creation.
Show Don't Tell
The crux of the discussion was on how to show the difference in characters without presenting a long descriptive passage of what the character is like: their views of self and the larger world. I felt like the panelist were making similar statements that there is no one way for a character to be presented because every character is different. However there are certain aspects of character that can be demonstrated.
Make sure you understand the role of the character in the story you are telling. There is the statement that the villain is the hero of their own story. Are you telling the villain's story, or the hero's? If it is the hero's story then the information provided by the villain, and the other charters are for the purpose of providing a more rounded explanation of the hero's beliefs. They might provide affirmations or contrasts to the protagonist and their story being told. They aren't there to expound upon their own story, thus taking away from the story by sidetracking the reader.
Use consistent and subtle cues and clues to show what the character is about. Everyone has personal habits. The characters habits could be shown to provide understanding of the characters beliefs and backstory. Those habits will also expand out into the general society, cultures, and subcultures the character belongs to. These can include things we consider minor as we go through our days. Things like clothing, food, hygiene, religion, levels of formality, etc.
Another way of demonstrating the characters code of ethical conduct is how deeply they embrace the culture of the society they live in. Also, how that impacts from one culture to another. Dan Wells presented a great example from the movie, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). Azeem (Morgan Freeman) had pledged to save Robin's (Kevin Costner) life because of events in the Middle East. Robin is attacked at the time of Azeem is saying his prayers. Although Robin is calling for help, Azeem doesn't stop praying and only respond after he is finished. This is a great example of showing the ethical and cultural implications for the characters.
Final Thoughts
Building characters is something I like doing. I actually have a number of characters that have never been used in a story or a game. When creating your own characters, be willing to create enough backstory to make the character broad and deep enough to play the role they need to have in the story.
Add details to the character while using them. Those details can become import parts later, even from minor characters. Be willing to revise the backstory to fit the details you want to use. This additional revision of character backstory is a great reference during later stages of drafting as you work on providing the details you want to shine forth from the story you are creating.
Pick out the details that can be shown. Give yourself ways to show that detail when it is needed in the story. You don't have to show everything you've added, most of a character's backstory is only known by the creator of the character. When you show a detail, it can add another level of purpose to the character and the larger story.
Having characters that live by their own code is nothing new. Some follow the codes of society or organizations they belong to. Everyone has a complex layering of conduct codes we use for different circumstances. Being able to show those differences from when your protagonist is with his mother, with a group of friends, or even on a date, provides a depth of character. Even when those parts of the character aren't even discussed, they influence the character make a better story.
Oaths and Honor: Expressing a Character's Code of Conduct (from the program)
Every society operates according to social norms, a sense of justice, and moral codes. How do you write characters within their ethical contexts and make those contexts compelling?
Other Panelists
Paul Robbins
Creator of the Trait Spectrum, a proprietary questionnaire of Paladin & Archer Software Systems, Inc. He is the company's experimental psychologist. A personality type test similar to the MBTI is available to the public for free at app.developerlevel.com.
Ravvyn
They have been a nerdy creator all their life. They're something of a real life bard; they do a little bit of everything. They're a writer and game designer; they designed FUNdemental RPG, which is a d20-based TTRPG system. They stream regularly on Twitch with both TTRPG-based and variety streams. Additionally, they are a professional photographer and has done their fair share of cosplayand prop building as well. Their passion is bringing people together through art and games. patreon.com/TheRavynEvermore.
Steve Simmons
A retired educator/artist/medieval re-enactor. Planet-archipelago.com.
Dan Wells
A New York Times best selling author best known for his horror series I Am Not a Serial Killer. His other novels include two young adult science fiction series. Dan has written for the television series Extinct. He cohosts the Hugo-winning podcast Writing Excuses. He also writes short fiction and game fiction and edited the anthology Altered Perceptions to help raise funds for the awareness of mental illness. Dan lives in northern Utah with his wife, six children, and more than four hundred board games. thedanwells.com.
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