Character Generation Tips

[LoD]

I find that I typically write descriptions as if you were looking at someone in reverse order, from least important to most important.

1. Far to Near

I normally write broad to specific, far to near.  I'll start with how they are framed, how they move, limbs, dimensions, weight, skin tone -- things that you could tell from a short distance.

Example:

   Willowy as a loreshi reed, this man's narrow shoulders hang in a
depressive slump from which a pair of gangly arms descend, gnarled and
bent like a twisted branch.  Often moving with a nervous energy, spindly
fingers connect to a pair of bony palms that appear heavily callused from
some years of harsh labor.  Ashen skin, pallid and slack about his bones,
lends him a sickly appearance when exposed to direct sunlight.

2. Toe to Head

As I write, I find that I almost always move from general to specific and toe to head.  I don't follow a pattern of what someone might "see" when they look at someone, but rather the pattern of what someone might "see" when they type "look <person>".  The screen will scroll up, and if the description is cut off they'll probably glance at the last 2-3 sentences of my description followed by my equipment.

I want those 2-3 sentences (at the end of my desc) to be what the character would probably see first if they were really taking a look at my own character; facial features, hair, etc...

Example:

   Hidden with the recess of his bony socket lay a pair of glittering black
orbs, flitting back and forth like a pair of angry beetles.  Sprouts of a
murky black hair jut from his brows and chin, untamed and caked with
gritty muck and sand.  His features are hawkish, withered cheekbones
elongating his nostrils and pointed jaw.  Visible just beneath his left eye
is a poorly inked, black serpent.

3. Use Words that Support a Theme

I try to use words that support how I want my character to be perceived physically.  I want a "feeling" to be associated with the words that I choose.  In the example above, I used the following words to reinforce a character that may be malnourished, ill, diseased, cursed, have mental problems, paranoid, skittish, weak, etc...

"Willowy" - thin, shifty, bending/weak

"His shoulders hang" - How someone carries themselves can say a lot about their personality.  I could have written "His shoulders support" or "His shoulders drape" or "His shoulders provide" -- each conveys a different meaning.  Hanging implies someone submissive, beaten, or weary.

"...spindly fingers...bony palms..." - Reinforce an image with the words that you choose.  These words create images of someone frail, but quick, no excess fat might mean someone desperate.  Spindly hints at something always moving, or moving quickly.

"Ashen skin,...slack about his bones..." - Pale skin is uncommon, and implies a good deal of time either spent indoors or covered up.  And why would someone be covered up or indoors?  Because they were sick?  Because they were afraid?  Because the sun doesn't reach where they live?  Lots of neat possibilities by just using a few images and words.

These are just a few tips for how -I- personally write character descriptions, but writing is a very personal process.  Everyone will be a little bit different and develop their own style.  I hope that some of this may help you to find yours.

-LoD

[Yokunama]

These are just a few tips for how -I- personally write character descriptions, but writing is a very personal process.  Everyone will be a little bit different and develop their own style.  I hope that some of this may help you to find yours.

I have to agree with LoD. Yes, writing is a very personal process.

Heres my sids:

It wouldn't hurt to use zalanthan adjectives to describe the shape, feel, and look of your character's features. An online thesaurus can offer you a lot of help as well. Also, if your character is from a certain area of the world, give them some of the characteristics only people from that part of the world would have.

Please, don't be afraid to add scars, mutations, to your character. Everyone is not as beautiful as Amos. You can also be creative and fill your character with holes (piercings) or turn them into a walking picture (tattoos).

Don't feel because it takes you day or so to write up a description, because thats a normal sign of writers block, and everyone is going to have a casee of it every now and then.

[Cuusardo]

One thing I noticed that I have noticed happens periodically with PCs is that the PC is "all head".  (I have been guilty of this before, and had to rewrite the entire mdesc.)  When proofreading the mdesc, look over it to make sure that you haven't devoted most or all of it to the PC's head, face, or any other body part.  Try to balance out what you're describing.

[picklehead]

Regarding a few of the examples in this thread:

Personally I like to stay away from describing characters as pretty or handsome or something of that sort. I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while you may think your character is such, the person looking at them might find those same qualities to be unappealing. I think it's better to describe a character as objectively as possible and let those that interact with them decide how they feel about their appearance.

[Lizzie]

Descriptions aren't my strongest point but here's something I try to keep in mind:

Tell the player what he sees, and don't tell the player how he sees it.  Most of the time my character will have something covering her torso and most of her legs. So I'm not going to include the scars around her bellybutton, or the tattoo on her thigh. I'll save that for coded scars and tattoos so if she has some reason to take her clothes off, that's when another player will see them and not before.

I won't show "a pretty girl" but I will describe things in a pretty way so the reader can come to that conclusion on his own if it's IC for him to. So like,

"She has luminescent green eyes with flecks of gold, framed by thick, long lashes and delicately rimmed with kohl" is a "pretty" description. I want you to think I have really pretty green eyes. If my character had really ugly green eyes it might look like this instead:

"Dull yellow spots the woman's green eyes, with slitted pupils. Thick furry lashes run roughshod from one corner to the other, made even more pronounced by dirty-black kohl slashing above the rim of the eyelid."

They're the exact same eyes. Bright green, yellow flecks, thick lashes, kohl. Except one is written to make the reader think they're pretty and one is written to make the reader think they're ugly. I'd only do something like that if I wanted that body part to really stand out. Like eyes, or describing a facial scar, or a really thick or long neck, something unusual, or something that sets itself apart from the rest of face or body.

L. Stanson

[Djarjak]

I think this is good info and an important topic.  I have every intention of linking this in applications so that it might help future Armageddon Addicts.

Thanks to you all for the great words of wisdom. Feel free to add.

[FightClub]

Here let me put in my expertise then.  Write down a mess of crap in five minutes, a good description never takes more than fifteen minutes to complete.  Second you spell check it through hotmail or something else.  Then you read over it to make sure you don't sound like a retard.  Then finally you toss some creative words in there using thesaurus.com that no one would actually use in their entire life to make you look like you're "down" with these elitist.

Backgrounds -- however, are where I spend the time.  And often oh so not enough of it.

AND NEVER USE Zalanthian words that aren't commonly known in your sdesc or physical or anywhere! It it's not in a helpfile then bah you shouldn't be using it!  Your average person isn't going to know what a numbnut haired gwoshi eyes tregil fingered braxat tongued bantha fodders is colored, and might not even know icly or oocly what color it is-- so for the sake of god just say brown haired black eyed .... bleh bleh bleh it might sound generic but atleast I'm not sitting in lala land wondering if you're my type because I like blonde's not red head's and your hair is tandu and I have no idea what a tandu is because I'm from mars, I've never seen a tandu!  And let alone what poor descriptors these words are, and tandu gwoshi, anything could probably be fifteen different colors depending on age and size, that goes for basically everything, even wood!

And take this as a warning baobab tandu skinned yompar eyed holligans, I know who you are, and I will stab every last one of you, I hate you all! HAHA!

And I'm not alone, Foamy will help...

[Djarjak]

Then finally you toss some creative words in there using thesaurus.com that no one would actually use in their entire life to make you look like you're "down" with these elitist.

You had me until this part. Don't do this. And here's why: we get dozens of applications every day. When we get applications who misuse common words because they did this, we reject them.  If you, the player, don't know what a word means or don't know how properly to use it, then you shouldn't use it. Armageddon is not a game where you get extra points for having a larger vocabulary.

[Cale_Knight]

I think he was being pretty transparantly sarcastic, D-man. Not serious.

[Djarjak]

Oh, I know, but I'm sure there's at least -one- person who won't get that.

[Cuusardo]

It would be nice if posts in sticky threads such as this one would be kept to things that would legitimately help newbies who read them, rather than attempting to make jokes that might confuse those who mistakenly take them seriously.

[FightClub]

I actually do all of what I posted, most of the words I get off of the thesaurus I know the definition of, but a few times I don't that's when I click for dictionary results of the words used.  It's both serious, and sarcastic.  I really do have a peeve for people who use a slew of arm'ish words in their physicals, sdesc don't bother me as much for lack of variety, but I believe that physicals should be truely what a person would see, and they might not know what to see when tembo shows up.  If this is especially for use of newbies, then I -highly- highly reccomend you don't spend all of the time suggested above writing it out, because as we all know newbies tend to die quick and often.

EDIT: And occasionally I IM this guy from another mud I play, and have him write my descriptions for me.

[spawnloser]

I know a player whose first ever character lived almost two years real time.  Not all newbies die quickly and frequently.

Also, don't suggest to people that they use certain types of words (small or big)...just that they use the words which work best and which they understand how to use.  This is what will produce better descriptions.  Don't impress players with big words...impress them with a well-written, cohesive description.  One of the best descriptions I've ever seen didn't use any obscure words whatsoever.

[xandir]

I cant seem to keep a PC alive so i dont want to spend 1 second extra on a descript then i have to. throw something down submit it and go on I know your all gonna yell at me for this..But its my comment and ill say how i feel.

[jstorrie]

You could always write the description for your new character while your current one is still alive, xandir. In fact, it's not a bad idea to keep a little text file with a handful of pre-written descriptions for different types of characters. That way you won't have to spend any seconds at all when applying for your next one.

Five or six lines is pretty sufficient for a description anyway, and making a good one won't really take any bite out of your time. You never know when one of your 'throwaway' characters is going to last for eight months - why risk getting saddled with a mediocre mdesc?

[Djarjak]

-laughs- No, it's ok. It's fine to have that take on it. I think a lot of the recommendations in this thread are designed more to make it easier for folks to write a desc in just such a situation.

[Akoto]

Here's some of what I do when describing ...

Consider the dominant traits of your character. Things people might first notice about them. You know, the kind of stuff that they'd mention when trying to point you out to a friend:

"He's that man over there. See him? The one with the scar over his right eye."

Picture your character in your head, and then pick out those dominant traits. Once you have them listed, figure out a way to connect them logically within your description. Lets say your character has a scar over his right eye, and long hair. Example:

"At some point in the past, it appears that the man bore an injury just above his right eye. The swath of flesh has since healed shut, but a ghastly scar remains. It is often obscured by the mane of black hair crowning his scalp, however."

In the above example, we've taken two very basic traits and connected them in an interesting way, instead of simply saying that he has black hair and a scar. It gives the person a much clearer and more involving picture of your character. How did he get the scar? What could have inflicted such a wound? Do you see it through his hair?

Another tip, which someone has already mentioned, is to give your character some unappealing traits. Remember that Zalanthas is a very harsh place. Depending upon where you live, you are probably parched for water and walk through abrasive sandstorms on a daily basis. Bathing is likely unheard of for most.

My current character is wildly rich compared to most Zalanthians, yet he's anything but a supermodel. You don't have to be fine-featured and statuesque to be interesting, and money can only fix so much. My guy is old, overweight and dresses flamboyantly, and that seems to interest people!

[Djarjak]

Adding this, as it is useful and has repeatedly been requested to archive:

Ghardoan's Aramgeddon MUD Resources

Character Personality Questionnaire

Part I, Basics:

1. What is your character's full name, including any nicknames?

2. What is your character's race?

3. What is your character's age?

4. What is your character's sex?

5. What is your character's place of birth?

6. What does your character look like?

7. What have you decided for his guild/subguild?


Part II, Emotions:

1. What makes your character feel happy?

2. What makes your character feel angry?

3. What makes your character feel sad?

4. What makes your character feel secure? What makes him or her feel insecure?

5. What makes your character feel afraid or upset?

6. What makes your character feel jealous?

7. How does your character respond to positive emotions?

8. How does your character respond to negative emotions?

9. How does your character cope with emotional extremes?

10. How does your character outwardly express his or her emotions?


Part III, Lifestyle:

1. Does your character have any peculiar quirks or habits? If so, what are they?

2. Does your character suffer from any addictions? If so, what are they?

3. What does your character do for a living? Does he or she enjoy it?

4. Does your character have any hobbies or particular interests? If so, what are they?

5. What social situation would your character feel most comfortable in?

6. Does your character speak in an usual or remarkable manner? If so, what is it?

7. How does your character dress? How would he or she prefer to dress, if given the proper means?

8. Does your character drink alcohol? If so, how much, and how often?

9. Does your character indulge in spice? If so, how often, and what varieties?

10. Does your character enjoy gambling? If so, what forms of gambling?

11. What is your character's favorite possession?


Part IV, Views and Opinions:

1. How does your character view the world in general?

2. How does your character view his or her self?

3. How does your character feel about his or her current social status?

4. What does your character think about his or her current nationality?

5. How does your character generally feel about figures of power or authority?

6. Does your character have strong opinions about any particular races? If so, which, and why?

7. Does your character have strong opinions about any particular nationalities? If so, which, and why?

8. Does your character have strong opinions about any particular organizations? If so, which, and why?

9. Does your character have any particular spiritual beliefs? If so, what are they?


Part V, Mentality:

1. What is your character's general outlook on life?

2. What does it take to earn your character's trust?

3. What does it take to earn your character's loyalty?

4. What does it take to earn your character's friendship?

5. How does your character typically react to strangers?

6. How does your character typically react to figures of power or authority?

7. Does your character believe in any particular values or virtues? If so, which, and why?

8. What kind of leader is he? How does he view and interact with his subordinates?


Part VI, Sexuality and Romance:

1. What is your character's sexual orientation?

2. Is your character monogamous or polygamous?

3. What is your character's sexual history?

4. How does your character feel about sex, and why?

5. What does your character generally find attractive in another person, both physically and otherwise?

6. Does your character easily become attached to a lover? If so, why?

7. Would your character be interested in a romantic relationship? If so, why?


Copyright © 2004 Aaron Goulet. Please direct any questions, comments, or suggestions to ghardoan@hotmail.com.

[Hymwen]

That is exceptionally useful. Thanks!

[Lizzie]

Proxy is acting up again so this post will probably have some stupid slash marks. It isn\'t me, I swear!

One thing I see occasionally that I wish I didn\'t see, is descriptions that read as though they were paragraphs in romance novels. Sentence after sentence of metaphors and similes that you have to read several times just to figure out the color of the guy\'s skin.

I don\'t think everyone has to be abrupt (he has orange skin), but if NewGuy walks in a crowded room in the middle of a few discussions, and a few people in those discussions are \"looking\" at NewGuy, all the RP ceases for a couple of very awkward minutes because it takes so long for those people to try and decipher the description. An example of what I mean (making this up, no reference to any living or dead PC that I know of):

Musculature like the vast dunes of the desert ripples and flows in ebbs and tides down his arms, the sultry subtle hue of a clear sky when Jihae and Lirathu perch overhead on a starless night.

That isn\'t even as poetic as some of the ones I\'ve seen but it gives an idea of what I mean. When a description is written in a way that implies the writer wants his paragraphs to read like the description of that Romance Novel model guy, as a player I just have to laugh. Very loudly. My character will know only that he has muscles and reddish-black skin, thus wasting all the writer\'s efforts in trying to impress whatever characters happen to notice him.

Do I have a solution? Nope. But I do find there is a balance between textual masturbatory descriptions and the \"He has muscles. His skin is dark.\" simplicity. I strive for the balance between the two.

L. Stanson

[Socko]

Keep a notebook. Write down some vague physical descriptions of people in general. People-watch. Think up the general appearance of a person; how they can look so different and yet so similar. Think on verbiage to express those differences.

Tack on some other minor details; scars, tattoos.. anything you like, really. Think on how a person's life and mindset can affect how they look. If a mul's gone through a life of pain and misery, express it in his characterization. Express it in his appearance.

Scars. Deep-set eyes. That sort of thing. I don't know how that really helps, but it might.

[tortall]

It seems that Darklyn's Character Creation Tips is gone.

My poor beat up brain is not good at thinking up words. Would anyone happen to have another site like that one?

[Agent_137]

is that the one with all the different types of faces listed and such? I have a copy somewhere on my other computer that I can host if there's not already a mirror somewhere.

[Is Friday]

http://web.archive.org/web/20011208073914/http://www.ci-n.com/~darklyn/armageddon/char.html

[Lizzie]

This:

One thing I noticed that I have noticed happens periodically with PCs is that the PC is "all head".  (I have been guilty of this before, and had to rewrite the entire mdesc.)  When proofreading the mdesc, look over it to make sure that you haven't devoted most or all of it to the PC's head, face, or any other body part.  Try to balance out what you're describing.

...bears repeating, after all this time. Lots of new folks who might not even notice that they're describing only their face - and if they have a hood up, that would mean - ICly - no on has even the faintest idea of what your character looks like. We don't know the color of your skin, or whether or not you're reedy or sturdy looking, if you have scars on every uncovered part of your body or if it's pristine and unblemished, or if you're missing a finger, or anything else.

Things that -typically- would be included in a main description (in my observation and opinion):

1. basic body type - scrawny, stocky, barrel-chested, hunchbacked, slender, curvaceous
2. some indication of your character's race - you don't have to say "This is a human" but you could make it clear that he has round ears (not an elf), and hair on some visible part of his body (not a dwarf), and is fairly short and thin (probably not a half-giant or mul), etc.
3. Any obvious scars/blemishes/imperfections of the skin that people would actually see if you were wearing pants, a shirt, and shoes. So we might not know that you have a third nipple, but we would notice if you only have one massive hefty bodacous left breast, but are missing the right one entirely. Oozing sores covering your body would go in this category.
4. Basic facial features: does he have 2 eyes, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 ears, all in their expected locations? If so, color, width, lip type, ear shape are useful. If not, let's have a little detail as to what's unusual.
5. Hair - does he have any? If not, is he naturally-looking bald, or shaven-looking bald? What about hair on his face? Especially if it's a she - if your human maiden has a mustache, we wanna know. General length, color, and style/type (braided, hanging loosely, windswept, slicked back, filthy, dreadlocked, curly, frizzed, etc).

Lastly - if it's in your sdesc, it should be explained in your main desc. I've seen a bunch of people who might be "the tall dark man" but in their main desc, I can see about the enormous scar slashing across their entire face and missing nose, I can see their hunched back, I can see their tiny feet, but nowhere in their main desc do they even -mention- their height or skin color. I typo that kind of thing, because really he shouldn't even -be- the tall dark man. He should be the noseless hunched man, or the scarfaced small-footed man, or something that matches "what is the most obvious thing about your character that people will see" with your sdesc.

[tortall]

http://web.archive.org/web/20011208073914/http://www.ci-n.com/~darklyn/armageddon/char.html

Thank you! The link on the Arm site wouldn't take me there for some reason.

[Is Friday]

I had the same problem. I fished around on the site and found it again.

[SMuz]

I'm still new at this game, but I'm a good writer, so here's my two 'sids.

First, just close your eyes and imagine what your character will be like. Let your brain randomly generate a bunch of people until you stop upon someone you find interesting. There. That's your short-description. It's what people should see first. If your character is huge, go ahead write huge. Don't bother so much about fingers or eyes, unless they're really noticeable. It's weird to refer to someone as "the lady with the green eyes", so avoid such things, if possible.

And don't use complicated words - that makes your character a lot harder to imagine. I could easily recall say, "the obese, tall man", over "the elephantine, sizable humanoid". Remember, this'll be your char's first impressions for the rest of his life, so make it good. Complicated words work well for sophisticated Zalanthans, but not for most people.


For long descriptions, LoD says toe to head, but I read head to toe. Whichever your choice, what I do is I focus more on whatever makes your char special.

Say, you're making a typical, huge, muscular warrior. What I'd suggest is that you write 2 sentences about how frigging big he is (long legs, big chest, 5 cords tall, etc) and another 2 sentences about how frigging big his muscles are (thick hands, veins on his biceps, big.. thighs). Then describe the face in just one long sentence. A lot of professional writers tend to miss this out and describe things that don't have to be described.

Also, if you really get going, it's easier to overdo it than underdo. Remember that writing an ultra-long description is not always a good thing. Example:
"He has a thumb-sized greenish-yellow wart on his left hand, behind his knuckles, which oozes a yellow pus-like liquid" <-- Overdone
"He has a large wart on his left hand" <-- Better

Unless the wart has some special kind of significance, you don't want people to be staring at it. This also applies to hair, eyes, scars, etc. If your character is going to be average-looking, then focus more on the facial features instead of the body, perhaps giving the upper body a single sentence and lower body another sentence.

Just remember, descriptions shouldn't show off your great English, they should describe your character to other people the way you want people to see him/her. My character's sdesc is only 3 words long and his mdesc is about 4-6 sentences long, but people often refer to him exactly the way I want them to - which is what I wanted all along.

If you really must show off your English, that's what emoting is for

[Bushranger]

For long descriptions, LoD says toe to head, but I read head to toe. Whichever your choice, what I do is I focus more on whatever makes your char special.

For the most part I agree, but other ways I've done things are detailed to general, and general to detail.

Lets say that the sdesc is The wart-nosed, sunburnt man.

You could start by focusing on the large wart on his nose, since when someone looks at him this is what they focus on, and how it is the size of a testicle and has some wiry hair growing from it. Then you can add how his eyes are blue, his hair is brown and his jaw is square because once someone gets over just how ugly and noticable the wart on his nose is they start seeing things nearby on his face. Then move on to general things like his physique and how his skin is crimson and sunburnt. Thats detailed to general, starting with the thing everyone notices first.

General to detailed is the other way around. Start with things that are everywhere, like the colour of his skin and his physical size, then slowly go more detailed - the size of his muscles, the length of his limbs, then shape of his face, and end up describing the ugly wart on his nose that draws everyones attention. This way leaves the reader with the ost noticable feature of the description freshest in mind.

The best advice though, is to try out different styles of writing and find out what works best for you.

[SMuz]

Oh yeah, also - Try to mention everything that a person would wonder about your looks. Mainly hair color, hair length, height, fatness (skinny, fat, athletic), eye color, face, obvious injuries (scars, missing limbs, etc), body proportion - big arms, long legs, and body figure, for females. Men don't wander about the figures of other men, but definitely do for females.

If you have really no creativity at all and have a very average looking person, you could randomly generate an acceptable character from the above :p

[Is Friday]

Men don't wander about the figures of other men, but definitely do for females.

Sexist!

[Bushranger]

Men don't wander about the figures of other men, but definitely do for females.

Sexist!

I wonder about the figure of other men. Usually along the lines of: Crap, I can't compete with him.. or WooHoo! I reckon I can totally collect more numbers than him!

[tortall]

Men don't wander about the figures of other men, but definitely do for females.

Sexist!

I wonder about the figure of other men. Usually along the lines of: Crap, I can't compete with him.. or WooHoo! I reckon I can totally collect more numbers than him!

What if you're a female though? I really hate when people leave their body type out in their mdesc.

[Is Friday]

Men don't wander about the figures of other men, but definitely do for females.

Sexist!

I wonder about the figure of other men. Usually along the lines of: Crap, I can't compete with him.. or WooHoo! I reckon I can totally collect more numbers than him!

What if you're a female though? I really hate when people leave their body type out in their mdesc.

I thought you knew that there aren't any women playing this game. Sure, female characters, but no female players.

Who cares about male mdescs anyway? Psh.

[Malken]

That's all you really need:

mdesc - The man.

sdesc - He stands here.

[Kryos]

Just a general toss out to get to the tipping.  Everyone's creative process is different, but learning the methodology others apply to creation processes can be of great use, so here's a portion of my own.  It all starts with a kernel.

From this crux of a character or goal, you can then easily expand, using what knowledge you have, the concept to the point you lay out the framework to achieve it.  This is often times a rigorous process, and I can't tell you HOW freaking upset I was when my first character died at less then a day played to a situation that was not a role played one with another player.

Then I exhaled and remembered its the passion that makes a pema-death RPI a superior experience to other role playing experience.  Sure, he was snuffed out well before his time, but that loss makes the rapscallion stick out more in my mind.   Yeah, quick rehash:  Kernel and outwards, and don't get discouraged if you get horribly savaged on your first couple characters.

[Comrade Canadia]

Language is important while choosing a character. Armaggers often suffer from adjective abuse, which is using excessive or inappropriate adjectives in order to make their character appear unique. Why use unusual language for character who looks normal?  If your character looks odd, then the descriptions often write themselves. However, if your character doesn't stand out from the crowd appearance wise (this counts nobles in a crowd of nobles), don't bog down people with ridiculous language in order to make your sdesc and mdesc seem unique. Unique is overrated when so many people can't do typical.

[a strange shadow]

Unique is overrated when so many people can't do typical.

This.

[Agent_137]

a single unique adjective was important until they fixed the contact code to take multiple adjectives.

now there is no excuse for words that require a graduate school level education to know without looking up.

as far as mdescs go, I could care less. I never read them anyway unless you are wearing a hood at the time my char meets yours. But even then, if you make me read a page of scroll . . . i won't.

[Rairen]

Disclaimer:

a)  I have a bad memory for people.  My character doesn't.  Deal. 
b)  I had a lousy day and this was the perfect mental escape.
c)  I may not have written down your character's sdesc.  I may have written it down incorrectly.  I may have written it down more than once if I forgot I already had it.  I occasionally include important NPCs.

My summation is that if you think you're being creative, you probably are.  Here's a list of three-hundred some unique adjectives that I've interacted with over the last two years or so.

able-bodied       
angular      
angular-inked      
aquiline      
argent-maned       
ashen-haired       
athletic   5   
auburn-haired    2   
auburn-tressed       
azure-eyed   3   
bald      
baobab-haired       
barrel-chested       
belshun-eyed       
bewhiskered      
big      
black      
black-haired   7   
black-mustached       
black-skinned      
bleach-haired      
blind      
blister-scarred       
blithe-faced       
blocky      
blonde-haired      
blue-eyed   2   
blue-inked       
boyish      
braid-bearded   2   
braid-crowned      
braid-locked      
braid-tressed      
broad      
bronzed       
browned      
brown-haired   2   
brunette      
brutally-scarred      
bulging      
bull-necked   2   
burgundy haired    2   
burly      
burnish-haired       
burn-scarred      
callous      
calloused      
charcoal-locked      
cherubic      
choppy-haired      
chubby      
cinnamon-skinned      
claw-scarred   2   
clean-shaven   2   
coffee-dark      
coffee-tressed      
comely      
compact   2   
copper-haired       
copper-toned       
crimson-haired   3   
crook-nosed   3   (Variation:  Crooked-nosed)
crop-haired      
curl-bearded       
curly      
curly-haired   3   
curvy   2   
dark       
dark-eyed   3   
dark-haired   5   
darkly skinned      
dark-skinned   4   
delicate   3   
doe-eyed      
dot-etched       
dread-locked      
drov-eyed      
dusky   3   
ebon-haired    3   
elaborately-inked       
emerald-eyed      
epicene      
ethereal   2   
fair-haired      
fair-skinned      
falconine      
feminine-faced       
fine-featured      
flat-faced      
florally-inked      
frail   2   
freckled   3   
freckle-nosed       
gangly      
garnet-haired      
gaunt      
gimlet-eyed       
gnarled      
golden blonde       
golden-brown      
golden-haired      
gold-eyed       
graceful   2   
green-eyed   5   
grey-eyed   3   
greying      
grey-skinned   3   
grim      
grizzled      
hale      
hale-skinned      
harsh-looking       
hazel-eyed      
heavyset      
henna-maned       
huge   2   
husky   2   
immense   2   
inky-haired      
inky-tressed       
ivory-locked      
ivory-maned      
ivory-skinned       
jade-braided      
jaded      
jallal-curled       
jallal-tressed      
jet-braided      
krath-kissed    2   
krath-ruptured       
lanky      
large-eyed       
lavender-eyed       
lean   3   
lean-muscled      
leathery   2   
light-haired   2   
light-skinned       
limber      
lissome      
lithe   3   
lithesome      
lofty   3   
long-braided      
long-jawed      
long-limbed   2   
malachite
manilla      
maroon-flaked      
massive      
mesh-tattoed      
modestly-built      
muscled young       
muscular      
muted      
narrowly-built       
nature-toned      
night-dark   2   
nubile      
obsidian      
obsidian-braided      
ochre-tressed       
old       
olive-skinned    3   
one-eyed      
onyx-braided       
onyx-haired    2   
onyx-skinned      
pale      
pale-haired       
patchy      
pearl-haired      
pepper-stubbled      
petite   2   
pitch-haired      
platinum-haired       
poised      
ponytailed       
prismatic-braided       
puce      
ragged-haired      
rawboned      
red-haired   2   (Variant: dark red-haired)
red-headed       
red-skinned   2   
reedy   2   
jet-ringleted      
ringlet-haired   2   
ringletted      
robust   2   
ropy      
rotund       
rough-braided      
rounded      
ruby-maned      
rugged   6   
rune-inked       
russet-haired       
sable      
sable-curled      
sable-haired       
sandy-eyed       
scaled      
scar-faced      
scarlet-haired    2   
scarred   3   
scar-riddled       
scrawny      
sculpted      
sepia-toned       
shadowy-donned       
shaggy-haired      
shapely   2   
sharp-eared   3   
sharp-featured      
short   3   
short-haired      
sienna-maned      
silt-toned       
silver-crowed       
silver-eyed       
silver-haired      
sinewy   6   
single-braided      
slash-tattooed       
sleek   6   
sleek-maned      
slender   8   
slight   3   
slim   2   
smoke-eyed       
soot-braided       
sordid      
spare      
spartan      
spiral-haired       
spiral-scarred      
spiral-tressed      
spry   3   
squinty-eyed      
stalwart      
stately   2   
statuesque   2   
stern-eyed      
stocky   5   
strapping      
striking      
stubble-bearded   2   
stumpy      
sturdy      
substantial      
sun-browned      
sun-darkened   2   
sunken-eyed      
sun-tattooed      
svelte   3   
swarthy   2   
swarthy-skinned       
tall   11   
tanned   4   
taut      
tawny   4   
tembo-tattooed      
manila       
twin-braided      
thick   3   
thick-bodied      
thick-sideburned       
thin   2   
thin-braided       
thorn-tattooed      
toffe-hued      
top-knotted      
tribal-inked young       
trim      
turquoise-eyed       
twiggy      
twilight      
twin-braided    2   
unkempt      
urbane      
vine-inked       
violet-eyed      
vivacious      
vividly-inked    2   
war-battered       
warbraided   2   
wasp-waisted      
wavy-haired      
weather-beaten      
weathered   2   
weather-worn      
well kempt      
well-kept       
whiskey-eyed       
white-haired      
wild-looking       
willowy   2   
wiry-muscled       
worn       
wrap-braided       
youthful      

Editted because there were some glaring mistakes in there the first time.

[tortall]

I know who well over half those keywords belong to. It's really interesting to how you have make something original without knowing you're doing it.

[Kol]

Just a quick thought, I Know most people like being imaginative with ther Chars, over and over again....but my process makes my char gen easy, me not being an imaganative fellow and all,....

I've found a character I fell in love with.....admitidly he died fairly quickly....all my chars die too soon....(blame the halflings....) But what I've done since is just alter that description slighty, not majorly, just hair colour, length, style, eye colour, marking features such as the shape of tattooes, or where they are, as well as a few injuries..(not all at once of course)...and I've been fine so far....

my point is, if you like char you create, dont re-create when they die, re-cycle, sure, its not the char you love, but he could be slighty better, worse, or just hated....its the magic of this world we live in....

Now whered that tandy run off too?

[Cavaticus]

Thank you for that very interesting list, Rairen.

[Tuannon]

I get confused with the sky.

I immediatly think light blue, when I should be thinking orange.

[Taven]

I get confused with the sky.

I immediatly think light blue, when I should be thinking orange.

Red, actually. Different shades, but often described as "blood red."

[FantasyWriter]

My desktop image:




Higher rez link:
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q372/JLewisWilliams/ZalantahnSunset.jpg?t=1237103542

[Bluefae]

Thank you for that very interesting list, Rairen.

     Seconded.  I had a major work-geek moment reading through it!   

[Maso]

Only 11 'talls'?!

[Morrolan]

Only 11 'talls'?!

It was still the most common desciptor on the list, with "black-haired" at 7 and "sinewy" and "rugged" next up at 6.

[shadeoux]

Then finally you toss some creative words in there using thesaurus.com that no one would actually use in their entire life to make you look like you're "down" with these elitist.

You had me until this part. Don't do this. And here's why: we get dozens of applications every day. When we get applications who misuse common words because they did this, we reject them.  If you, the player, don't know what a word means or don't know how properly to use it, then you shouldn't use it. Armageddon is not a game where you get extra points for having a larger vocabulary.

Though, I am not versed in many large words nor am I gifted with excellent writing skills. I am an everyday schmoe that enjoys playing, I find myself at times simply repeating the same three or four emote phrases or words simply because I don't know many more or don't want to look up what vehement means ( as an example) I am the redneck of ARM I guess an have a lil Karma, but I would tend to disagree perhaps, I am amazed by the depth of some of these players emotes and leet skillz in using hemote/phemote emote and such. Either way, I do think that your vocabulary does in many ways reflect how far you can go in arm.

I am not a perfect player, nor do I ever claim to be, i have spammed/twinked and such but atleast im tring not to do it anymore, though I still do at times.
but im tring

[Kryos]

Huzzah me.  Out of my six or so total characters, 4 of them had unique portions or totally unique sdescs (according to the posted list).  Just what I didn't need, an ego boost.

[Xagon]

Haha, from that giganto-enormous list (That's going to be in my next character's Sdesc), I can tell which of my characters you have and have not interacted with. Huzzah?

[Rairen]

Haha, from that giganto-enormous list (That's going to be in my next character's Sdesc), I can tell which of my characters you have and have not interacted with. Huzzah?

Isn't it scary that this list is only from a span of a year, year and a half - and a good percentage of that time spent away from people?  That said, I did play primarly (but not entirely) in Tuluk during this timeframe.  For all I know, there could've been three belshun-eyed folks hanging around Allanak during that same period.

[Aaron Goulet]

I got quoted. That makes me feel awesome.

[Aaron Goulet]

As a courtesy, I have re-uploaded my Character Personality Questionnaire once again to my new website for easier readability.

[saquartey]

I'm totally on there twice.  I feel proud.  Also, I know exactly from where I'm going to pick one word for my next sdesc.

[Uberskaapie]

1 - can somebody remind me what the playable age range of humans is?
2 - I seem to remember staff calling a moratorium on sdesc nouns like 'boy'. Is that true? Maybe it was just 'lad'. I never like lad anyway. makes me think the character is a dandy.

[Cutthroat]

1 - can somebody remind me what the playable age range of humans is?

13 to 57 to start, I believe.

2 - I seem to remember staff calling a moratorium on sdesc nouns like 'boy'. Is that true? Maybe it was just 'lad'. I never like lad anyway. makes me think the character is a dandy.

http://www.armageddon.org/general/words.html

However, mutant is no longer on the "definitely okay" list.

[DustMight]

As a courtesy, I have re-uploaded my Character Personality Questionnaire once again to my new website for easier readability.

this is dead, I believe.

[Aaron Goulet]

As a courtesy, I have re-uploaded my Character Personality Questionnaire once again to my new website for easier readability.

this is dead, I believe.

Oh, crap, I've gotta re-upload it.  They deleted all of my stuff when I stopped paying for my site for a month.

[AmandaGreathouse]

If you want, I can put it on my site.

[Creslin]

It wouldn't hurt to use zalanthan adjectives to describe the shape, feel, and look of your character's features.

Someone recently told me about a great site for picking descriptions, including many if not all of the Zalanthan adjectives / colors and whatnot.

Unfortunately the site was no longer up when I checked it, but through the magical powers of archive.org you can still access it! 

http://web.archive.org/web/20011208073914/http://www.ci-n.com/~darklyn/armageddon/char.html#armspec

[Riya OniSenshi]

Be mindful when picking certain colors - the sky is not blue, after all.

[FantasyWriter]

A.  1. Alecost Blossom /Salt Yellow
     2. Chedya Stems
     3. Haspeth Seeds
     4. Gohn Grass
     5. Joylit
     6.
     7. Kzul Leaves
     8.
     9.
    10.
    11.
    12.
    13.
    14. Dung/Bynner Brown

B.  1.
     2.
     3. Ginka Fruit /Blood Red
     4.
     5. Suk Krath Red
     6.
     7. Jihea Red / Redheart / Baobab
     8. Ox-hide Brown
     9. Cunyati-nut Brown
   10. Japak Fruit
   11.
   12.
   13. Glimmergrass
   14. Hytenni Grey

C.  1. Salt Purple
     7. Kadian Purple / Agafari Leaves
     8. Agafari Wood / Belshun Fruit
   10. Bakri Cone Brown
   12. Horta
   13. Ashkiss
   14. Ash

D.   1. Pymlithe
      2. Harelle Berries
      7. Salt Grey
      8. Azure


E.  1. Kanjel Blue
    11. Cerulean


F.
     4. Kalan Fruit
     5. Inix-Hide Green
     6. Citrodora Green
     7. Verinbloom
     8. Alecost Leaves
   11. Fafad


G.
     3. Firebreather
     4. Greenmantle
     7. Emerald
     8. Jade / Allanaki Green
     9. Fenrel
   10. Escrufoot
   11. Bimbal
   14. Khol

Feel free to post additions/suggestions/corrections in the color chart thread.  Especially colors that do not yet have a tag.

[RogueGunslinger]

Jade and the 'nakki cross are more G9 than G8. Sort of a mix between G9 and F9, really.

[Maso]

A8-A13 I would definitely consider to be sky colours....?

Also, spice, sand, salt-flats etc...Probably some of the most common colours in the South...