Ten Cliches to Avoid in Character Creation

Now, I'm going to put my instruction on hold for a bit, to rant on a pet peeve of mine. In my nearly two decades of being involved with LARP's in a variety of formats and with a couple thousand different players, I've run across some cliches that seem to repeat themselves on a fairly regular basis. When I encounter "That Guy/Girl" in a game doing one of the things on this list, I tend to ignore them and make sure they aren't involved in anything I'm doing.

The following cliches weren't cool the first time I saw them, they aren't cool after seeing them repeatedly for two decades. These are things that you should avoid when making your Requiem character.

1. The Highlander
Seriously, everyone has seen the movie, you can stop now. Katanas aren't as epic as you think they are. When there's a half-dozen characters all running around with katanas and trench coats, all attempting to decapitate things, they become the fail squad.

2. The Unoriginal Movie Character
Tied in with the Highlander, but without the sword. Yes, we understand that you really liked the movie, but please don't blatantly rip off someone's Intellectual Property. Playing one of the brothers from Boondock Saints doesn't make you cool, it makes you just like all the other people playing the same character.

Also, the Unoriginal Character Stolen from Another Genre and the Unoriginal Character Stolen from Fiction falls into similar realms, but won't take up slots here. We all understand you have a hard-on for King Arthur, or Superman, or Wolverine, or Spider Jerusalem... but we also can tell when you're lifting someone's work.

3. The Rock Star
In Requiem, your image blurs on camera, thus making it impossible for you to ever become even semi-famous. Let's face it, your rocking days are over.
Supernatural type characters should never be in the lime light, especially if they have a particular reason to conceal their existence.

4. The Blind Master
...or other characters that overcome a severe handicap (a.k.a. the Flying Cripple). If you're playing a cripple, play one, don't find a cheap method to overcome your weakness, as it cheapens the real people that have to suffer with the handicap. If you're blind, it doesn't make you Mr. Miyagi.

5. The Character From Another Venue
Yeah, I get it, you have a hardon for playing Werewolf, or Dungeons and Dragons. That doesn't mean the rest of us care that your Gangrel worships the earth mother and you spend most of your time on all fours sniffing crotches. Stand up and put shoes on. Make a character type that's appropriate for the venue, don't try and force other people to make exceptions for you. If you want to play a different game, go do so.

6. The Character that Blatantly Breaks the Fourth Wall
Your PC doesn't know that they are part of a game. You are not playing Deadpool.

7. The Player that Breaks the Fourth Wall
I have a good imagination, however, even the best actors would have a difficult time imagining that a 400 pound behemoth of a man is actually a petite little catgirl. If you want to do that, play on the internet, where nobody needs to see the real you. Also, if you show up to game wearing shorts, sandals, and a World of Warcraft t-shirt, don't tell people your character is wearing an Armani suit. Players react to what they can see, not what you try and cram on a name-tag.

8. The Last Survivor
No, you are not "the Last X", nor are you the sole survivor of some once-epic race/Clan/organization. The fate of the world/universe does not rest upon your shoulders.

9. The Vampire Priest
Especially amongst the Lancea Sanctum, you can't throw a stone at one without hitting the person that was the repentant priest or nun in life.

10. The Whedon Girl
A frail looking little girl that apparently is so badass that she can whip up on thugs all day long. It only works on film because you have fanboys drooling over that character (and doing other unmentionable things with visions of that character in their head).