x-posted from the Sisters of Elune Wordpress Community site.
At first glance, humans might seem like the least challenging of the races to RP. After all, they’re humans, like us. But in some ways, I’ve found this makes them a little tougher. Most of the other races have unique traits that set them apart; the night elves have their (lost) immortality, the draenei have horns and poor navigational skills, and the Forsaken are, well, rotting.
Be an individual
When it comes to humans, you can make up little things that would set them apart. Just as humans in real life are different, your character’s individuality might express itself through simple appearance quirks, or it could be deeper. For example, a momentous event from your human’s past (maybe witnessing Arthas’ betrayal).
Timeline-wise, the Wowwiki article on humans covers this nicely, so I won’t rewrite it here. In terms of locations and homes, humans span the whole of Azeroth, Northrend, Outland, and the new Cataclysm zones. I’ve found one thing that works is to figure out where your character might have been from: Kul Tiras (sea people), for example, might lead to a merchant, sailor, or marine.
Think in terms of professions
There are all kinds of human professions: healers, cultists, warlocks, thieves, merchants, soldiers, nobles, etc. One way to create a human character is to get a concept of them in your mind. Paint a picture. What do you see? Any important accessories with this person? A sword, or a quill? Do you see them hanging drunk over six pints of ale, or stone-sober, guarding the Stockades with a vigilant eye?
Humans are passionate
While not all humans will follow this rule, wowwiki points out that humans are naturally proud and ambitious. Many players will claim Varian Wrynn is a hothead, and he’s not the most popular leader humans have had.
But this ties in to the humans’ “unchecked passion and ambition”. No matter what kind of profession your human character has, or what motivations drive them, for good or evil (or somewhere in between), your human should be passionate about something.
One of my favorite human characters was actually an SI:7 intelligence agent who became obsessed with someone to the point of losing his job. Another (Cathall) was a former noble who fell into trouble when he met a shady mind-melder at the Slaughtered Lamb. But I’ve also had simple stories, such as an escaped convict who joined a pirate crew and traveled the world, discovering hidden islands and treasures. Wait, I said simple, didn’t I? Okay, I guess I lied.
Names
In terms of names, Old English style names are traditional for humans around WoW, but you could go with alternate spellings of common names in Non-WoW English as well. Theodore, Elenn, Torrance, Brenth, and Lilandelle are some random human names that come to mind. Last names are flexible, and can be anything from “Dawkins” to “Lightbrand”, depending on what family history your human has.
Bottom line: Think details
In the end, humans are exceptional in their simplicity. They do a lot of what we do out of game in real life every day: they fight wars, cure diseases, and protect cities, on a grand scale. Or, if you’re angling towards a smaller scale story, your character might be a humble inscription clerk at one of the shops in Stormwind. Be creative and let your imagination run wild!
At first glance, humans might seem like the least challenging of the races to RP. After all, they’re humans, like us. But in some ways, I’ve found this makes them a little tougher. Most of the other races have unique traits that set them apart; the night elves have their (lost) immortality, the draenei have horns and poor navigational skills, and the Forsaken are, well, rotting.
Be an individual
When it comes to humans, you can make up little things that would set them apart. Just as humans in real life are different, your character’s individuality might express itself through simple appearance quirks, or it could be deeper. For example, a momentous event from your human’s past (maybe witnessing Arthas’ betrayal).
Timeline-wise, the Wowwiki article on humans covers this nicely, so I won’t rewrite it here. In terms of locations and homes, humans span the whole of Azeroth, Northrend, Outland, and the new Cataclysm zones. I’ve found one thing that works is to figure out where your character might have been from: Kul Tiras (sea people), for example, might lead to a merchant, sailor, or marine.
Think in terms of professions
There are all kinds of human professions: healers, cultists, warlocks, thieves, merchants, soldiers, nobles, etc. One way to create a human character is to get a concept of them in your mind. Paint a picture. What do you see? Any important accessories with this person? A sword, or a quill? Do you see them hanging drunk over six pints of ale, or stone-sober, guarding the Stockades with a vigilant eye?
Humans are passionate
While not all humans will follow this rule, wowwiki points out that humans are naturally proud and ambitious. Many players will claim Varian Wrynn is a hothead, and he’s not the most popular leader humans have had.
But this ties in to the humans’ “unchecked passion and ambition”. No matter what kind of profession your human character has, or what motivations drive them, for good or evil (or somewhere in between), your human should be passionate about something.
One of my favorite human characters was actually an SI:7 intelligence agent who became obsessed with someone to the point of losing his job. Another (Cathall) was a former noble who fell into trouble when he met a shady mind-melder at the Slaughtered Lamb. But I’ve also had simple stories, such as an escaped convict who joined a pirate crew and traveled the world, discovering hidden islands and treasures. Wait, I said simple, didn’t I? Okay, I guess I lied.
Names
In terms of names, Old English style names are traditional for humans around WoW, but you could go with alternate spellings of common names in Non-WoW English as well. Theodore, Elenn, Torrance, Brenth, and Lilandelle are some random human names that come to mind. Last names are flexible, and can be anything from “Dawkins” to “Lightbrand”, depending on what family history your human has.
Bottom line: Think details
In the end, humans are exceptional in their simplicity. They do a lot of what we do out of game in real life every day: they fight wars, cure diseases, and protect cities, on a grand scale. Or, if you’re angling towards a smaller scale story, your character might be a humble inscription clerk at one of the shops in Stormwind. Be creative and let your imagination run wild!
