The Dresden Files: making character aspects

How Do I Make the Character?

Now it’s time to start writing stuff down.

Aspects in a Nutshell

An aspect is a word, phrase, or sentence that describes something centrally important to your character. It can be a motto your character lives by, a personality quirk, a description of a relationship you have with another character, a significant possession or a bit of equipment your character has, or any other part of your character that is vitally important.

Aspects allow you to change the story in ways that tie in with your character’s tendencies, skills, or problems. You can also use them to establish facts about the setting, such as the presence of magic or the existence of a useful ally, dangerous enemy, or secret organization.

Your character will have a handful of aspects (between three and five), including a high concept and trouble. Aspects are discussed in detail later — but for now, this should help you get the idea.

Character Aspects

Character aspects are just as permanent, but smaller in scope, attached to an individual PC or NPC. They describe a near-infinite number of things that set the character apart, such as:

• Significant personality traits or beliefs (Sucker for a Pretty Face, Never Leave a Man Behind, The Only Good Tsyntavian Is a Dead Tsyntavian).
• The character’s background or profession (Educated at the Academy of Blades, Born a Spacer, Cybernetic Street Thief).
• An important possession or noticeable feature (My Father’s Bloodstained Sword, Dressed to the Nines, Sharp Eyed Veteran).
• Relationships to people and organizations (In League with the Twisting Hand, The King’s Favor, Proud Member of the Company of Lords).
• Problems, goals, or issues the character is dealing with (A Price on My Head, The King Must Die, Fear of Heights).
• Titles, reputations, or obligations the character may have (Self-Important Merchant Guildmaster, Silver-Tongued Scoundrel, Honor-Bound to Avenge My Brother).

You can invoke or call for a compel on any of your character aspects whenever they’re relevant. GMs, you can always propose compels to any PC. Players, you can suggest compels for other people’s characters, but the GM is always going to get the final say on whether or not it’s a valid suggestion.

High Concept

First, decide on your character’s high concept. This is a single phrase or sentence that neatly sums up your character, saying who you are, what you do, what your “deal” is. When you think about your high concept, try to think of two things: how this aspect could help you, and how it might make things harder for you. Good high concept aspects do both.

Examples: Cynical Blogger, Unwilling Prophet, Judgmental Warden of the White Council

Trouble

Next, decide on the thing that always gets you into trouble. It could be a personal weakness, or a recurring enemy, or an important obligation—anything that makes your life complicated.

Examples: The Truth Is Out There, Everyone Shoots the Messenger, You Can’t Make an Omelette...

Another Aspect

Now compose another aspect. Think of something vital or interesting about your character. Are they the strongest person in their hometown? Do they carry a mighty sword known through history? Do they talk too much? Are they filthy rich?

Examples: Skilled Hacker, Affinity for Cats, The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Optional: One or Two Additional Aspects

If you wish, you may create one or two more aspects. These aspects might describe your character’s relationship with other player characters or with an NPC. Or, like the third aspect you composed above, it might describe something especially interesting about your character.

If you prefer, you can leave one or both of these aspects blank right now and fill them in later, after the game has started.

Name and Appearance

Describe your character’s appearance and give them a name.

Aspects & Fate Points

An aspect is a word or phrase that describes something special about a person, place, thing, situation, or group. Almost anything you can think of can have aspects. A person might be the Greatest Swordswoman on the Cloud Sea. A room might be On Fire after you knock over an oil lamp. After a time-travel encounter with a dinosaur, you might be Terrified.

You spend fate points — which you keep track of with pennies or glass beads or poker chips or some other tokens — to unlock the power of aspects and make them help you. You earn fate points by letting a character aspect be compelled against you to complicate the situation or make your life harder.

What Do You Do With Aspects?

There are three big things you can do with aspects: invoke aspects, compel aspects, and use aspects to declare details.

Invoking Aspects

You invoke an aspect to give yourself a bonus or make things a bit harder for your opponent. You can invoke any aspect that you a) know about, and b) can explain how you use it to your advantage—including aspects of other characters or of the situation. Normally, invoking an aspect costs you a fate point. To invoke an aspect, you need to describe how that aspect helps you in your current situation.

I attack the zombie with my sword. I know zombies are Sluggish, so that should help me.

I really want to scare this guy. I’ve heard he’s Scared of Mice, so I’ll release a mouse in his bedroom.

Now that the guard’s Distracted, I should be able to sneak right by him.

This spell needs to be really powerful—I’m an Archwizard of the Ancient Order, and powerful spells are my bread and butter.

Composing Good Aspects

The best aspects are double-edged, say more than one thing, and keep the phrasing simple. When you need to think of a good aspect (we’re mainly talking about character and situation aspects here), think about two things:

• How the aspect might help you—when you’d invoke it.
• How it might hurt you—when it would be compelled against you.

For example:

• Invoke this when acting against von Stendahl to improve your chances.
• Get a fate point when your dislike for von Stendahl makes you do something foolish to try to get him.

• Invoke this when being extra vigilant and careful would help you.
• Get a fate point when this causes you to be jumpy and be distracted by threats that aren’t really there.

Obviously, your trouble aspect is supposed to cause problems—and thereby make your character’s life more interesting and get you fate points—so it’s okay if that one’s a little more one-dimensional, but other character and situation aspects should be double-edged.