Note: It is okay to leave one or two of these questions blank, such as the questions about fears or dark secrets.

1. What's your character's name, race, and class?

2. Where was your character born? Try to describe it: What kind of people lived there, how large was it, did it have a special purpose, etc.

3. What are your character's favorite weapons and items? I don't hand out golf bags of magic weapons and armaments. Instead, a character's items "level up" as he increases in experience. I prefer magic items that feel personal and have their own unique histories. Also, I try to connect a character's items with plot hooks already in place within the campaign. This gives the character a vested interest in the adventure. Common favorite items include heirlooms that belonged to beloved family members, sets of tools from memorable first experiences, or prizes won in contests.

4. What is the most important event in your character's life? The answer to this question is preferably something that changed your character in a meaningful way. Another way to look at the question is, "Why is my character going out into the world and leaving his warm, quiet, normal life behind?" As an example, look to television shows, movies, and literary works to see how the important events in their character's lives affected them:

	Firefly: River was sent to a government run facility and had to escape.
	LOST: The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 were stranded on an island.
	Chuck: Chuck downloaded CIA secrets into his brain.
	Smallville: Clark was sent to Earth to escape his dying planet.

5. What motivates your character? Character motivations like the acquisition of wealth and power are assumed. What I'm looking for are ways to keep your character searching for clues, or to keep him with the party. Common motivations include protecting a secret or another character, seeking out the answer to a question, or revenge against an enemy.

6. What is your character's family like? I try to incorporate NPCs into the game, so feel free to mention best friends, distant relatives, mentors, etc. I don't use them as ways to attack the character indirectly; instead, I use them to motivate the characters into the campaign. Be sure to name the NPCs you create.

7. What does your character fear? List a few fears that can happen in-game. Common fears include spiders, snakes, or water. More unique fears can be certain spells, types of people (like kings or beggars), or special weather conditions and environments (like swamps, the desert, or the open ocean).

8. Does your character have any dark secrets or hidden shame in his past? Troubled pasts can really flesh out a character's future, but they don't have to be deep, dire, and psychological. Dark secrets or hidden shames can be as involved as an accidental murder that the character was never caught for, or as simple as a theft of bread that left another to be flogged by the town guard.

9. What goals does your character hope to accomplish? What will your character achieve during the course of the campaign? Some goals, such as "to be a better person" or "to be wealthy" might be great goals for real-life people, but I'm looking for something more along the lines of things that can be accomplished through the campaign's plot. Common goals include saving an important NPC, recovering a missing artifact, or finding a lost civilization.

When you're done, send the questionnaire back to me with your answers (leave the questions as well). I'll read through it and suggest things to include or take away that might nudge your character towards other NPCs or campaign goals.