When you’re noodling with a PC's visual design, I think there's a temptation to treat the character’s appearance as a living record of your adventures. You’re a complex, three-dimensional protagonist after all, and you want to convey the rich palette that is your dude. Therefore, rather than working towards a unifying motif, it’s all too easy to transform your character into chronicle: She got this dagger from the first goblin she killed, and there’s a bead from her dwarven foster father tied into her hair, and she has a scar on her throat from that time she got crit by a hag, and she bought these boots of speed last session.
So as a possible corrective, what do you say we try an exercise I learned back in undergrad? Describe your character using only three details. That’s about how many items a reader can fit into their head after a first impression, and the same holds true in the oral landscape of the tabletop. If you choose wisely, we should get a coherent picture of your PC and their personality. I’ll give you the usual race/class/gender stuff for free, so feel free to get specific with the other items. All clear on the ‘three details’ thing? OK then. Go!
Big. Dumb. Fighter.
That first one was kind of a joke. Kind of.
My favorite character of all time would be: "Always smiling Kobold"... sure, Hbob had tigerstriped scales of two different colors, his toothy grin dripped with acid, and he had glossy, onyx-black eyes that always reflected flames regardless of what he was actually looking at. He had a golden tattoo of a spear and sun ON HIS FACE. But what stands out the most was that Hbob was always smiling.
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Aasimar - Variable/Arcanist/Female - Variable
1) Traveling, curious, fox-mask,
2) Immortal, curious, shapeshifter,
3) Strawberry blonde, amber eyes, petite.
EDIT
I've been thinking about this and it occured to me only one of my details was actually a visual one you'd see so I'm doing three as I'm not sure if you want "details of character" or "visual details of character". The distinction is important as there are non-visual things that are a part of her so . . I'm editing to change the 3 details to 3 lots of 3 details pick the one that closest match's your desire. The first one is the 3 things that sprang to mind, the second is more general ones that aren't going to be obvious to a viewer i.e personality and the third is all visual details that will normally be the first visual detail you see about them.
I feel like I've done this before.
male/goblin/bard
Akathisiac
worn down, scratched up equipment repaired by hand
always failing to force a smile
I don't like alignment, so I usually pick some maxims to play a character by. Kanarith Braevin, my Eldritch Knight (via Arcanist and Swashbuckler) happens to have exactly three she goes by:
Suffering to betrayers
Mercy to the conquered
Swift death to evil
That might not be in the spirit of what's asked for though, so a more elevator pitchy three details might be: Ambitious former magistrate spent too long contemplating the Void and fell out of the world.
For my human reach fighter, Lucinda: Last scion of noble family realises her forebears were dicks, trades social Darwinism for justice. I think that counts as three?
For my ridiculous Anima Beyond Fantasy warlock: Frighteningly intelligent insecure teenager never met an energy field she wouldn't consume. Saffron was a fun character to play
My Double Cross character, Action Mask (Morpheus/Black Dog): Classic tokusatsu superhero showing a lot of zeerust makes a big comeback anyway
Weird weapons, blacksmith, short.
Daoud, human oracle
1. No personality
2. No roleplay
3. Polearm & shield
Garak: Male half-orc barbarian/horizon walker
Really really hates demons
Knows lots of ways to kill demons
Unhealthy dislike of other outsiders
Mariko Snowtop, female undine witch:
1. Long queue of white hair that moves on its own.
2. Water-filled globe holding a crab hanging from her belt.
3. Dresses to show off her many tattoos, even in mid-winter.
Cassilda Tillinghast, female human magus:
1. Flame-colored red hair, worn long.
2. Wields a fancy rapier, but sword belt only holds sheathed kukris, no sword scabbard.
3. Glowing butterfly pendant worn around her neck (or sometimes tucked inside her chain shirt).
Neferanu, male oread brawler:
1. Jeweled scarab affixed to his forehead.
2. Hairless skin glitters in bright light.
3. Heavily calloused hands are frequently ink-stained.
. . .
Swift death to evil
. . .
So... Aku Soku Zan?
So... Aku Soku Zan?. . .
Swift death to evil
. . .
Yeah, that's the one
Daoud, human oracle
1. No personality
2. No roleplay
3. Polearm & shieldYou inspired me to post yet again. This was a guy I ran back in 2e D&D:
Fen Equitar, Human Male Fighter
Axe
…
…
There is a reason we're doing this exercise. I think I played the same character. :P
Hmmm... Well, let's get the basic stuff out of the way: Human/Male/Witch-Brawler-Rogue-VMC Magus
1) Pale & anemic, destined-for-hell, seeking redemption and fueling his spellcasting by spilling his own blood.
2) Battlefield tactician using every ability at his disposal to buff his allies and disable his enemies.
3) Unholy levels of face-smashing when his supernatural hair attacks land and squeeze the life out of ... well, anything.
Pindoodly Wandfondler:
"A keen fashion sense, rapier wit, and world class culinary skills are just three of the benefits I bring to any adventuring party."