Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of generating, like, witchcraft characters, you know? Just for fun, for stories, or games, whatever. I didn’t really have a solid plan, just a vague notion, so I kinda dove in headfirst.
First Steps – Brain Dump
First thing I did was just open up a blank document and started typing out whatever came to mind. Like, what makes a witchcraft character? I came up with a messy list:
- Powers: What kind of magic can they do? Healing? Curses? Talking to animals?
- Personality: Are they good? Evil? Somewhere in between? Grumpy? Cheerful?
- Appearance: Old crone? Young and stylish? Covered in tattoos? Normal-looking?
- Backstory: Where did they learn magic? Were they born with it? Did they have a mentor?
- Gear: Do they have a wand? A staff? A special amulet? A familiar?
It was pretty basic, but it gave me something to work with. It’s always better to start somewhere than to stare at a blank page forever, right?
Getting More Specific
After that initial brain dump, I started trying to flesh things out. I decided to focus on one character at a time, just to keep things manageable. My first one, I decided, would be a “hedge witch” – someone who lives on the edge of a village, knows about herbs and potions, that sort of thing.
I spent a while just, like, imagining her. I pictured her living in a small cottage, surrounded by a messy garden. She’s got gray hair pulled back in a bun, wears practical clothes, and has a cat that follows her everywhere. I named her Agnes.
Then I went back to my original list and started answering those questions, specifically for Agnes. Her powers? Mostly healing and minor charms. Personality? Gruff but kind-hearted. Backstory? Learned everything from her grandmother. Gear? A worn leather-bound book of recipes and a simple wooden walking stick.
Adding Details, Round Two
Once I had the basics, I went back for another round of details. This is where I started thinking about little quirks and flaws. Nobody’s perfect, not even fictional witches! So, I decided Agnes has a terrible memory for names, always carries a sprig of rosemary for luck, and is secretly terrified of spiders.
I also started thinking about how she’d interact with other people. Does she have any friends? Enemies? What do the villagers think of her? This helped me build a little bit of a “world” around her, even if it was just in my head.
The “Finished” Product (For Now!)
After all that, I had a pretty good sense of who Agnes was. She wasn’t just a list of traits anymore; she felt like a real (fictional) person. Of course, I could keep adding details forever, but I decided to stop there for now. I have a character I can use in a story, or a game, or just keep developing in my spare time. I then repeated this for several other characters.
The whole process was pretty messy and organic. There was no “right” way to do it, just a lot of brainstorming and refining. I found that starting with a broad idea and gradually adding layers of detail worked best for me. It’s probably how I’ll tackle any character creation from now on, magic or not!
