When Tides Change
Roleplay is literally portraying a character other than yourself. If the Character is well formed and realistic than they eventually start to take on a life of their own. Yes, you make the decisions for them but you base your choices on how THEY would respond. You don't base it on you. Realism is a big piece to pulling off a believable character. Anyone can stick a fictional name in a fictional world and make them nice and happy all the time. But that is bupkis. Not everything is princesses and diamond Tiara's in a realistic world. Eventually, things are going to hit the fan and some hard choices are going to have to be made, just like in the real world.
How your character chooses to deal with these issues shows as much about them as the way they talk and the words they speak. Do they handle pressure well? Are they wimps? Do they cry easy? Are they stoic? Are they the “gimme” type? These are some basic questions when you are dealing with hardships. If you need easier let's go this route: Is your character good? Is your character Evil? Do they do things just because they feel it is right? Or do they do what is easy?
There are moments in game that are character changing. And when you run into them it is time to dig deep into what your character is made of and look at their list of experiences. You literally have to run down every event that has brought them to this point before you choose a direction. Case in point:
Scenario Number 1: Your character has been part of a secret society for some time. Initiation is to take place and what is required is for your character to slaughter an innocent man. He lays before begging for his life. He tells you he has three children at home all under the age of 12.
This is a basic setup but if your character has been preparing for this night for years as an apprentice then this is no meager feat. What's more, take into consideration what beliefs your character holds. What is the purpose behind killing this man? Has he done something to deserve it? Is the astrological alignment to blame for this? Your character has a thousand different things running through their head and it is this moment that will define them for years to come. But it is also their years prior that help to determine what they will do.
Scenario number 2: Your character lives within a valley of Were Wolves. Having been included in the inner folds for sometime it has come to your attention that a situation is occurring where a longer life span and an easier healing process might be more beneficial. The elders of the clan grant you the permission to join the folds and be bitten.
This one I have experienced on a personal level. The questions that ran through my mind were: This is possible death. How does my character face that? How does my character face never being the same? How does my character feel about the body differences she will experience? What will this do on an emotional level?
Scenario number 3: Your character is an American girl who has mysteriously been transported through time and placed smack dab in the middle of Luna. The sights are different, the dialect is different and she is utterly confused.
Now this one is a major character definer from the ground up. Every word, every movement and every sound your character makes will change how her world is shaped. In order to determine what the situation will do you will have to first know for a fact what your character is made of. The intricacies of this are what is going to make or break your story. When you come up against a situation that will change who your character will be, details make the difference.