OC character profile template: make a character recognisable and active
For original characters, role-playing characters and written briefs for artists. Establish identity and goals before adding appearance and references. Uncertain details can stay undecided.
Start with the useful fields
- Concept and goal
- Summarise the role and tension in one sentence; make the immediate goal something the character can act on.
- Personality and behaviour
- “Checks the lock twice” makes caution easier to write consistently than a list of adjectives.
- Appearance and references
- Choose two or three recognisable features and record source permissions. A reference does not grant ownership of someone else's design.
- Skills and limits
- Specify what works, what does not, and the cost of using a skill.
Copyable blank template
Select the text box, select all and copy into your own editor. This box is for copying only; it does not save or upload content.
Complete original example: Lin Che, harbour line inspector
This fictional character and setting were created for this page, not taken from a user's records.
- Name / alias
- Lin Che; signs inspection notes “Che”.
- Age and role
- 28, an underground line inspector in Mist Harbour.
- World and environment
- A foggy port relies on manual maintenance of old lines. Che lives in a converted garage.
- Concept
- An inspector reluctant to depend on others must guide a new colleague through a fault investigation.
- Immediate goal
- Locate a leak in the South Pier circuit before the evening outage.
- Fear
- A mistaken judgement injuring a colleague, and losing their trust afterwards.
- Personality and behaviour
- Cautious: checks tools twice before entering a shaft; rewrites completed notes when anxious.
- Appearance
- Short black hair, grey-brown eyes, a gap in the right eyebrow, and a forward-leaning stance.
- Outfit and objects
- A navy waterproof coat, worn gloves and a brass torch; a ticket left by Che's sister stays in the inner pocket.
- Skill and cost
- Recognises faults in old motors by sound. Noise masks clues, and fatigue makes subtle changes harder to notice.
- Relationship and tension
- New colleague Zhou Lan wants to act independently; Che's repeated checks cause arguments.
- Speech
- Short sentences: observations before conclusions. Tries to comfort people by explaining tools.
- Boundary
- Will not let a colleague enter a shaft without a safety check.
- Reference rights
- No uploaded reference images; these written details are an original example.
- Still to check
- The harbour's electrical system and maintenance procedure need consistent world rules.
Common problems
- Too many adjectives: give each defining trait an observable action.
- Contradictory details: track age, event order and what the character knows.
- Unlimited abilities: add conditions, costs and failure situations.
To turn the profile into plot decisions, continue with the novel character worksheet.