In my opinion, creating a character is one of the most fun parts of role-playing. This is your opportunity to be as creative as possible. This is your chance to create a person without all the responsibility of giving birth to children and raising them for 18 years. Step 1: Determine Gender and Race The first thing you want to do when you’re creating a character is to determine if you want a male or female character. Please, don’t limit yourself by your own gender. It’s very common for male players to play female characters and vise versa. It can be a lot of fun to look at the world through the eyes of the opposite gender. There are also more genders than just male and female in the role-play world. You could have a hermaphrodite or transgendered character. Or your character could be neuter. Pick a gender that will be the most fun for you to see through the eyes of. There are no taboos here. Also you want to decide if your character is a human, demon, elf, fairy, dragon, or anything else that you can imagine. Your character’s race is very important because it will have an effect on the character’s background. Step 2: Set An Age Next, you want to decide how old your character is. Do you want a rebellious teenager? Or maybe you’d prefer an older, wiser teacher. It doesn’t matter how old or young your character is. The character’s age does, however, determine what the character can know. A young child probably won’t be able to read very well, if at all. An older character is more likely to know how to read. Don’t let this stifle your creativity, though. If your idea is for a genius toddler, then go for it. You also shouldn't see age as a limit. Character ages in the role-play community range from very young to extremely old. Some Vampire characters are thousands of years old. Don't let reality limit your imagination, and remember; the rules can always be bent or broken in role-playing. Step 3: Appearance How does your character look? Is she a blonde or a brunette? What body type does he have? What is your character’s preferred style of clothing? This is your chance to make your character stand out in the world or blend in. Your character can look any way that you want him/her to look. Don’t hold yourself back by what you look like or what your friends look like. Step 4: Background Background is the last part of the character creation process. This is where you write down how your character has lived up until the point where you start playing him/her. Has your Elf lived in Rivendale her entire life? What was her childhood like? If you have a soldier, when did he decide he was going to dedicate his life to serving? What life experiences has your character had that have shaped his/her life? Write down anything important that will have an effect on the character’s personality. In the end it will help guide you in your play. Your character's background and experiences will determine how he or she reacts to any given situation. A human kindergarten teacher is going to react differently to seeing a demon running down the streets of RhyDin than a genetically engineered soldier would.