This is an interview with myself and Mercedes Lackey.
She wanted to help out the cape and the city of heroes community with ways you can develop your characters for Role Play
Intreview with Mercedes Lackey
Some of the information we talked about
Nine Questions:
When I am doing biography stuff with my "clients" as Vickie, I have come up with my "nine infamous questions" that actually serve to tell you what your character's fundamental personality is. I use these same questions with my prose characters. When you know the answer to these, you will know what that character's reaction is going to be to just about anything.
What does he love?
What does he hate?
What would he be willing to die for, real death, no rez?
What would he go through anything to live for (because there are things that are worse than death)?
If he were granted one completely unselfish wish, what would it be?
If he were granted one completely selfish wish, what would it be?
When he is all alone in the dark, with no one to see how he feels, what scares the crap out of him?
Where does he think he'll be 5 game-years from now, and what does he think he'll be doing?
If all the villains were defeated and he didn't need to be a hero anymore, what would he do with his life?
Follow up (biography repair)
There are three kinds of players wanting better bios.
Number one: brand new
Most often this player hasn't a clue and is floundering around in the dark. You start with the costume and the powers; this will hopefully suggest a direction. Ask my particular powers and look were chosen. Then ask:
Where/when did your powers first manifes?
What happened when they did?
Did you keep them secret?
Why are you not doing so now?
Where are you from?
What kind of family do you have? Supportive of being a hero? Not?
Why did you leave and come to Paragon? (If character is from Paragon, asky "why do you stay?"
What did you expect to find here?
What do you intend to do here?
Are you a loner or are you looking for others like you?
Have you a particular nemesis?
Then ask the nine questions.
Number two: Levels 15 to 25
This is a player who is probably tired of endlessly "arresting" things and wants to try RP
You can ask the same questions as above, and add the following based on "experience" in game acquired:
What impact did those missions have on you? Successes? Failures? Feel bad about the failures?
Family still supportive or not?
Have you found friends and allies? Who are they? What are they like?
Have you joined an SG? Why? What are your allies like?
Anything you regret?
And the nine
At this point there will be too much information, so you will then need to pick out what is the most important and suggest places where the rest can be written up and posted (like the RP section of the CoH boards and/or the Pinnacle Boards)
Number Three:
The Big Gun, levels 30 and higher
Here we are looking at an RPer who isn't articulate OR someone who is REALLY dissatisfied with "arresting" things.
Background questions as above plus:
In-game, this player has a character they are really satisfied with and it is starting to "bloom" The good story arcs are coming up.
Now that you have some idea of the crises we face here, what are you aiming to take down? Why?
Where do you see yourself at lvl 40?
What are you going to do at lvl 50? (if the player hasn't decided, this is the time to help suggest endgame strategies. For instance, Infurno is now set up as a firetank teacher par excellence. Other people have killed/retired/deleted their characters. Still others reroll the same character as a Kheld fusion)
If you want more information please visit
RP Congress
