It's YOUR Character: Making an Effective Character Profile

[Darkneon]

0.0 Preface
Welcome to “It's YOUR Character” by Darkneon! Consider this a good start to beginning or improving upon your Character Profiling and Building skills. In this guide you'll be introduced the many different ways you can effectively create and present your character starting from absolute scratch! For the remainder of the time, we'll be using Conquest of the Horde's character template, break it down bit-by-bit, and learning tips, tricks, and guidelines for each sect.

Table of Content
0.0 Preface
1.0 Preparations
1.1 Ideas and Inspiration
2.0 Foundation
2.1 Race and Gender
2.2 Physical Appearance
2.3 Class
2.4 Age
3.0 History
4.0 Name
5.0 Personality
6.0 Alignment
7.0 The Finishing Touches
8.0 Keeping it Short (Optional)
9.0 Example Profiles
10.0 Profile-Checking Courtesy
11.0 Special Thanks!
12.0 Epilogue



1.0 Preparations
Okay, first things first. When we start baking, we have to gather all of our ingredients, right? Well, before we begin: here are some questions you should keep in mind while building your character and profile:

1. How am I going to use this character in-game?

-This is simply to remind you what the purpose of this character is. Are they meant to make others laugh and lighten a moody situation, or inject drama into others and create conflict?

2. Will other people take pleasure in role playing with my character?

-You don't role play for you. If other people will be burdened by trying to find ways to accept your character OCCly, then it's best to just not go through with it at all. Give and take, that's what it's all about. Knowing when to take some attention away from others, and when to back down and give them the spotlight. (Humility, anyone?)

3. What would the GMs be thinking?

-Self-explanatory.

4. What am I doing to avoid creating a cliché, Mary Sue, or flat character?

-These are the characters that are basic clones riding on the originality of another author. All it takes to make one is creating a spin-off and switching a few things around with your own imagination. This borders on the edge of copywriting, and requires no imagination on your part. /Nobody/ likes to role play with an idea we've seen hundreds of times. That's why we're going to start from scratch and do this the proper way.

5. What will my character contribute to a situation?

-Role playing is about having fun, portraying realistic emotions, and pulling your weight. If people have to constantly have their character's lessened at your expense, or sacrifice the quality of their role play just to be able to fit you in – do you think you're doing your duty as a role player? This is generally why things such as vampires, half-demons, or Naga aren't playable. Unless you get special attention while you role play that kind of character, you really aren't contributing much. This includes characters that are meant to make everyone (everyone!) feel a certain way. This is godmodding and forces other players to sacrifice their role play by having their characters react to the way you want them to.

Avoid including your opinions of your character in a profile! When writing one, always stick to the facts.


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1.1 Ideas and Inspiration

Start thinking. Did you ever meet somebody that you wanted to be, just because of their personality? Have you ever read a book and just admired the way a character acted and spoke?

Make a catalyst of all the things you'd think you'd have fun portraying (emotions, actions, speech, etc). This will serve as your inspiration and will be the determining factor on whether or not you've created a Mary Sue or an original character. Though, we'll get into that later.

Try jotting down some ideas on what would make somebody act like this. Then, start crossing out anything you're unsure of.

Example:
I personally admire Atticus Finch from to Kill a Mocking Bird. I've always wanted to role-play a businessman. Hey, maybe even that plump boss who always has the giant cig hanging from the corner of his mouth! Though, I don't want my character to be completely heartless, because that's just not my role play style.

Now let's see. . . Atticus Finch is known to be calm, patient, intellectual, and very good with children. However, there are very different types of businessmen. So I'm going to be more specific, and choose something that compliments my other ideas. Therefore, I'll go with the traits of a small-town businessman. The ones I like tend to pay attention to quality, make friends with customers, and are very skilled in their craft. The boss tends to be very determined, demanding, and of course – the famous cig.

Time to make a character collage! I like the intellectual and being good with children, but I'm having some doubts how patience may affect the overall character. So, I'll cross that out. Paying attention to quality and being very skilled is also great! There are a lot of things I can do with a demanding and persistent character. See how easy it is! (corny smile)

~

This is about the time you should start getting a good sense of what type of character you're going to play. I'm advising you never to wing your profile, and don't start this process with a solid intention in mind – you'll have to be flexible if you want a realistic character. When you're trying to hard to get exactly what you want, that's when you start making mistakes and end up 'bending' the rules. In most cases, this is what will get your profile denied or at least severely questioned.




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2.0 Foundation

2.1 Race and Gender

Now that you have an idea in mind, think about which race your ideas would most likely fit in with.

My idea will work great for a human or a dwarf, but being good with children or carrying a cigar isn't something Orcs or Night Elves are known for. Stick to the Status Quo; don't try to assimilate a society to fit your needs. It doesn't really go over well and adds a film of unrealism to your character. If you want to play a particular race, than make sure you eliminate any inspirations that don't fit. A Tauren is chauvinistic where a human is green. Once you have determined your race, this is the perfect opportunity to expand on your collage by adding traits the race is known for. Then based on these traits, determine which gender bests fits them (don't be afraid to play on stereotypes, everyone's a little bit racist).

In this instance, I don't really find it as exciting to portray a Human, so I'm going to roll a dwarf. Dwarves are known to be proud, gruff, and inebriated. When I imagine my character, I see a man. You don't really think of women when you imagine cigars and plump-bosses (, do you?). This is probably because my inspiration was drawn from male dominant sources.


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2.2 Physical Appearance

Oh dear! A luscious blonde with sparkling blue eyes as deep as the ocean? Jet black hair with shining emerald eyes that glimmer with unfathomable thought? Please, stop! Ask yourself: What is the point of the Physical Appearance of your character? Personally, I think it goes beyond what (s)he's going to look like. It's time to learn what to take advantage of and what to leave alone. The appearance of your character can be used greatly to contribute to how (s)he is fleshed out, or serve as an anchor weighing them down at the bottom of the Great Sea.


Hair and Eyes

Please, do yourself a favor and keep these simple. Genetics is the laziest pretext to try and create an original character. Don't take the extra mile by getting too in-depth about what color it is. Of course, expanding blonde to dirty blonde makes sense. Though, putting things like honey blonde or silky-extra-soft blonde is unnecessary and just plain too much. DON'T USE GEMS TO DESCRIBE EYE COLOR. It's excessively narcissistic and takes away from the entire profile. Say blue eyes, not sapphire. Nobody really wants to hear the most specific color for your character's hair that you can come up with, and you're better off using your creativity elsewhere.

Also, keep it natural. When you leave your house to go to work or school – do you commonly see people with yellow eyes and purple hair? It's possible, but it's not common. Please, using hair and eye colors to try and make your character more innovative is not even a pioneering gesture in itself, don't do it! It's a big no-no (sage nod). Well, describe them however you feel. . . that's just my opinion.

~My character is going to have black hair and brown eyes.


Weight and Height

This is your friend! Not many people take advantage of this. How does the life-style of the short and portly man differ from the tall and buff surfer boy? Height and Weight are good sources on fleshing out your character's personality. Perhaps he missed the most important interview of his life because he was so short he couldn't reach his gyrocopter keys that his mother left on the kitchen stool and is now spending the rest of his life cleaning up Kodo dung at the Darkmoon Faire. Just remember, be natural with it. Stay within the limits of your race – that's the reason why we chose that before we got to this.

~My dwarf is going to be pretty average height, but I imagine him very plump. Therefore he's going to be average 4'11'' but a whopping 210 pounds! Can you imagine the disproportion? Nom nom nom nom nom.


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2.3 Class



This is a sketchy topic because it can be determined BEFORE or AFTER you finish your profile. Therefore, we'll split this into two categories. Malleable and Lore-Restricted.

Malleable:
-Warrior
-Hunter
-Rogue

Lore-Restricted:
Lightly:
-Druid
-Shaman
-Mage
-Warlock
-Priest

Heavily:
-Paladin
-Death Knight

Regardless of what class you've chosen, you've now just picked the next source of inspiration to glue to your ever-expanding character collage!

For those of you who've chosen a malleable character, you should have a good sense of what this means your character is capable of. This can determine their fighting style and secondary skills. Don't feel obligated to stay within the limits, though. You don't even have to play the class! If you simply want to be an engineer with no warrior skills- then it's perfectly okay to use a warrior for your place holder. Never feel obligated to have to play a warrior, hunter, or rogue just because there's no Engineer class. NOTE: If you decide to use a malleable class as a place-holder, then your character would not have the skills associated with that class. Feel free to build your characters skills and style from scratch. However, if you're going to be using magic, or portray any skills that belong to a Lore-restricted class, than you're in the wrong category.

Those who've selected a Lore-Restricted Class, start doing your research! You'll probably spend more time researching than you will be actually writing your profile. Don't assume you know your lore well enough NOT to do research. That is a major mistake. Researching the class will provide you with additional information, reconfirm your knowledge, or even correct it. Once again, use this information to your advantage. Think about the traits and personalities associated with this class – add it to your collage. The best character in this genre is one that is accurately portrayed. Once again though, choose carefully. There's no such thing as a loving Death Knight, and a Druid starting forest fires. Like many, you can claim some special event to make this possible, but what use is that to anyone? People want to role play with a shaman, not some industrialized electric shooting orc that got dropped on the head when he was a toddler. It's funny, but it's only meant for laughs. If that's the type of character you're trying to go for, then there isn't much point in you even reading this part of the guide.

~ IMPORTANT NOTE: See Section 9.0 Example Profiles for a default and heavily-lore based character profile.


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2.4 Age

Okay! So you've done your research and you have a pretty good idea what the character is going to be like. Now read the age guidelines for your race and gender (as determined by the server you're playing on). Determine the most accurate age for your character (not the age you want), and stick with it. Once again, draw from this. What are traits associated to the people of this age?

Whoa, whoa! You chose a Night Elf? Even after consulting the guidelines, you may find yourself a bit confused. When it comes to the immortal Elves (Pre-Mount Hyjal Smashing), what basically happened was they were born, aged to 300, and then stopped growing (kinda like being petrified or frozen in carbonite). Well, when the big ol' defiler came around and went all Terminator on the big tree in the sky, the Night Elves lost their immortality. You know the story! If your Night Elf was born before then, you get another 900 years of life! If you were born after, then don't worry about it. When mortal and aging, Night Elves can only live for 1,200 years. So apply this depending on when your Night Elf was born.

~I think mine would be a middle-aged gent, but going into his more elderly years. So in Dwarven years, that would be about 165. The middle-aged tend to be more experienced in the world, but more prideful, as well.


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3.0 History

Whoa, whoa! Hold up Darkneon! You skipped personality!

Haha, your so cute when you think your helping. Actually, there's a point to this. I promise!

Now that you've gotten your foundation and research in order, it's time to start defining where your character comes from. For those with Lore-restricted character, this will be fairly easy for you. Those who have to build from the ground up, sit in for the haul. First things first: RESEARCH YOUR RACE'S LORE! Google, WoWWiki, Fellow Role players. Get all the information you can before you even start writing! This will help you avoid making the many mistakes that the GMs will be looking for. (They're vultures, I tell you.)

What really helps me is starting in Year 30 (the beginning of the WoW MMORPG series) and working backwards on the timeline to determine when my character was born. When writing your history, there may be times where an event that affects your character occured. (Every character is subject to lore! Unless (s)he was born under a rock, yours is not exempt! NO EXCEPTIONS!)

Keep your collage and research at hand, but keep in mind – this is where your character concept will probably undergo metamorphosis and mutate into something far from what you expected. Building a character is kind of like working with water colors. You get to pick which colors to put on the paper, but the second you set your brush down – you just let the water do what it wants.

Start off with the family history. What type of people have been in it -- is it old or new? Think about what traits the parents would probably pass to their children, and base it on how you want your character to turn out.

Then, begin with the childhood. This is the growing phase of every organism, and what happens now will impact your character forever! Did they have any childhood friends that affected them greatly, any experiences that still affect them as an adult, and what skills did they begin to learn? Be original, but don't be afraid. Consider the world of Azeroth. People die everday, everybody carries a sword, and the dead are walking. You're most likely going to experience a death. Portray the character's childhood in away that compliments the culture of WoW. That is why I'd like to mention that having your character changed by the death of his/her parents is NOT cliché, but riding it as the most significant event in their life IS.

Work your way into adulthood. Think, what happens when a person goes from being a teenager to an adult. They begin detaching from their parents, finding work, making new friends. Consult stories and documents of people's lives to gain inspiration, if you must. Write about exciting things they did, how their life is changing, and even if they had their own family. Things they will remember!


For Lore-restricted characters, your life is probably already determined for you. Though, I'm pretty sure your character wasn't a child death knight or destroying the Dark Portal between the First and Second Wars. Don't feel like you have to input extra character subplots just to make your history look unique. THIS IS YOUR HISTORY, NOT YOUR BIOGRAPHY. Think about why GMs want to know about your characters history. Yet alone why anybody (such as a boss, or government) would want to know anything about your history. They want to identify where you were and what you were doing at the time given. If you were in the Wetlands, bathing your bottom in a pool filled with crocodiles during the orcish invasion and got your arse bitten off and had to spend the entire First War in an infirmary - then say so! Though, don't inflate your history uselessly describing every little detail and emotion your character went through.

You do not have to portray your character through his/her history. Remember most of all: everything is cause and effect. This is what will change your character the most. How everything leading up to that point influences the decision they make. Often are histories questioned when somebody feels that the choice your character made completely went against logical reasoning.

COMMON PROBLEM ALERT! Too much do I see people play a race that acts against its entire culture. I'm no exception, as I have done this too. I admit that I chose to play a blood elf, but I purposely made her run away to the Darkmoon Faire just so I wouldn't have to play her as a blood elf. Of course, there are people like this in Azeroth, but it's happening too much. In addition, the reasons for doing so are very selfish, most of the time. The quality of role-play in your community is affected when people go out of their way in order to play the character they want. I have specifically formatted this guide to make sure you don't end up doing the same thing! People want to role play with a tolerant Tauren, not a half-wit moo-moo who's constantly reminds everyone that he's nothing like those druggie cows back home. (Though, this is a good idea, it gets out of hand when everybody does it.)


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4.0 Name

That's a mighty cool Night Elf Druid you got there. What's his name?

…

You haven't even named him yet?
Alright, I guess I'll have to show you how to do it.

With names like Lalamoonspam and L33T, Warcraft is probably requesting some normal people, and you're the best I can do so listen up!

If you researched your race's lore, then you should be familiar with how they name each other. If you're still clueless you can use the randomize option when creating a character in-game, or at least draw inspiration from it. Last names are usually granted through a family history or great deed so it's only common sense that you include it in your history and explain how you got it.

Legacy Rules: This is for last names that are acquired through feats or great deeds.

Rule #1: Use as many fancy words as possible. Instead of Bookeeper, try Tometosser. Nightelfripperandgutter? How about Treantsmasher?

Rule #2: Use a combination of Noun-Verb, Adjective-Noun, or Adjective-Verb (and vice versa).

Humans are Special: It's true; they don't have silly last names like Sunstrider and Pebblewatcher. Humans first gained their last names in association to professions. Ted the metal worker is now Ted Steel, and Sarah the town “lady” who gets so clobbered on Saturday nights that she ends up puking into the public well is now Sarah Dreadfulwater. Yup, it's just that easy ladies and gentlemen.


Quick Tip: You may think names like Ashley and Steve are too common, but your first name is not what makes you unique. That's why you get to have so much fun making a last name from scratch! SO DO IT.


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5.0 Personality

This is the coat of frosting, the presentation and the collaboration of all your hard work thus far! It's time to solidify your character, and show your community what to expect from your character. There are millions of ways you can write out a personality, so I can only offer you some tips and categories to focus on.



1. Keep it organized. If you have to, spread it out into sections.

2. Stay true to your history.

3. Let the paint flow, don't force the character.

4. Determine how your character has been affected by their occupation. Everybody has to make a living.

5. What your character is trying to achieve in life.

6. Their motivation and inspiration. You should be an expert on this stuff by now! Why does your character do the things they do? What are their needs?

Regarding 6, here's a good list of needs that I acquired from a forum sometime ago. (Apologies that I do not know who to accredit for it, if anybody knows – please speak up)

+Achievement - Someone with this need sets out to accomplish difficult tasks. This person might maintain high standard and work towards distant goals. They might enjoy competition and are generally willing to put forth more effort to attain excellence.

+Affiliation - Someone with the need for affiliation enjoys being around people, enjoys being with friends and will accept people readily. This person would make efforts to win friendships and maintain associations with people.

+Aggression - Someone who needs aggression enjoys combat and argument. This person is easily annoyed and willing to hurt people getting in their way. They might seek to “get even”.

+Autonomy - Someone with the need for autonomy tries to break away from restraints, confinement, or restrictions of any kind. They enjoy being unattached, free from people, places, or obligations, and may be rebellious when faced with restraints.

+Exhibition - Someone with this need wants to be the center of attention. This person enjoys having an audience and engages in behavior that wins the notice of others. They may enjoy being dramatic or witty.

+Safety - Someone who needs safety does not enjoy exciting activities, especially if danger is involved. They avoid risk of bodily harm and seek to maximize personal safety.

+Nurturing - Someone with the need to nurture gives sympathy and comfort, assisting others whenever possible. They're interested in caring for children, the disabled, or the infirm, and offer a “helping hand” to those in need. This person readily performs favors for others.

+Order - Someone with this need is concerned with keeping their personal effects and surroundings neat and organized. They dislike clutter, confusion, and lack of organization. They are also interested in developing methods for keeping materials methodically organized.

+Power - Someone with the need for power attempts to control the environment and influence or direct other people. This person expresses opinions forcefully and tends to enjoy the role of leader, which they may assume spontaneously.

+Succor - Someone who needs succor frequently seeks the sympathy, protection, love, advice, and reassurance of other people. They might feel insecure or helpless without such support and confide difficulties readily to a receptive person.

+Understanding - Someone with this need wants to understand many areas of knowledge. This person often has a strong intellectual curiosity and values the synthesis of ideas and logical thought.

You can have as many as you think necessary!

7. Choose two dominant traits that are consistent and reinforce one another. Give a contradictory trait to add more depth. Your character can be kind and caring, but quick to blame others. Heartless and malicious, but easy to talk to.

8. VERY IMPORTANT: Attitudes and Behaviors. These are very different from one another. How you behave to a gnome can differ with what you think about them. Interracial interactions have been clearly defined in World of Warcraft, but you don't have to limit it to just race. We all have different attitudes about genders, certain jobs, and even certain types of people. You may be one who behaves respectfully to the elderly, or one who slaps their butts. Just don't get carried away, you're trying to point out what makes your character different from others.

9. Tastes and preferences. Is your character an advocate of fine wines? Would they rather spend the morning in the library than at a bar? Do they prefer leather to soft . . . sofas? Tell us more about them as a person! If you have to, get a cheesy personal survey to get some ideas.

10. Don't feel restricted to these categories and tips; consider what you remember about other people. Was it their corny sense of humour or their cotton swab building abilities? The personality is what makes your character original, and not just a collection of other people's ideas.

11. Have fun with it!


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6.0 Alignment

Don't complain just because it's optional! You should use it.

Advantages of Having an Alignment:
1. Alignments are simple.
2. They help you stay in character.
3. You're not completely bound to a single alignment for the rest of your life. Your choices and actions will be able to change it.
4. Alignments are very good at coagulating your character's personality.
5. Alignments are simple.

Here's a crash course!

Spoiler:

Hey…if a visual aid isn't good enough, I don't know what is.

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7.0 The Finishing Touches

It's finally all together. Are you happy with the way it turned out? Are you confident that you'll be able to role play this character, and have fun doing it? Reflect upon the questions you were told to ask yourself at the beginning of this guide. If you're absolutely not sure about any of this, I advise you to restart and try again. It's hard, but you just have to know when to quit and start over.

When applying this section of the guide to your character profile, always keep the GMs in mind. They're the judges who determine whether you spend your life happy or in a miserable pit of eternal suffering. Not really, but it'll do you good to think so while posting your profile!

By now, you should probably have most of your template filled out. Based on what I've read about GM comments on character profiles – here's a list of all the things you should keep an eye out for:

Spacing
That giant wall of text containing all of your beautiful and completed ideas glowing in the morning light . . . is very unappealing to read. Every time you finish writing about a specific idea, section of time, or story - put a line of space between that paragraph and the next. The GMs have better things to do than spend almost an hour trying to keep their place in the text-block of your profile, and trust me, they won't bother. You'll most likely receive a reply saying to “Fix your spacing”, and be forced to wait another couple of days before they get around to it, again.

Example
WRONG:
Lisa was a farmer's girl born in Tennessee. She had a ma, pa, and two brothers that she really liked. She's the youngest of the family, and usually ends up getting picked on by her two older brothers. One time, they stuck her hair in cow dung and laughed. She got really angry and pushed her older brother into pa's favorite horse. The horse whined and grew epic wings. Turning into a demon of mass destruction, raging it's hooves of fury across the continental United States. The government quickly deployed several of their ICBMs to deal with the equine threat, but to no success. The horse had used mana shield! Lisa quickly summons the spell breakers of Canada to take care of the horse. Using feedback and the power of love, the hockey elves successfully destroyed the wrathful stallion. When pa found out, Lisa got grounded for a month and denied mashed potatoes on Family Friday.

RIGHT:
Lisa was a farmer's girl born in Tennessee. She had a ma, pa, and two brothers that she really liked. She's the youngest of the family, and usually ends up getting picked on by her two older brothers.

One time, they stuck her hair in cow dung and laughed. She got really angry and pushed her older brother into pa's favorite horse. The horse whined and grew epic wings. Turning into a demon of mass destruction, raging it's hooves of fury across the continental United States. The government quickly deployed several of their ICBMs to deal with the equine threat, but to no success. The horse had used mana shield!

Lisa quickly summons the spell breakers of Canada to take care of the horse. Using feedback and the power of love, the hockey elves successfully destroyed the wrathful stallion.

When pa found out, Lisa got grounded for a month and denied mashed potatoes on Family Friday.

~Much easier to read, right?


Grammar/Spelling
We can all use work on this. Don't be lazy, send your profile to a good friend who'll take the time to go through and edit your work. Even better, use Microsoft Word. An occasional error is okay, but if it happens to frequently it can make your profile hard to read, and you will be asked to correct mistakes on your own time.


Colors, Pictures, and Pizazz
Save it for Wiki. GM's aren't interested in how pretty you can make your profile look. Once it's been accepted and transferred to the wiki, then you can knock yourself out! Though, remember the process. It's very tedious and time-consuming to try and transfer things from the forums into the wiki if you have to deal with colorful words and giant pictures.


Bolding, Italics, and Underlining
I don't know where the GM's stand on the use of these tools. However, treat them respectfully. They are to organize and emphasize certain parts of your profile. If you want, you can set up a format in which to categorize your profile. Such as bolding History and Personality, and then underlining the different sections such as Childhood, Adulthood, Tastes, and Dislikes. If you want to emphasize a certain word, then use the tactic of /slashing/ it. Italics can sometimes interrupt the flow of a sentence, and are better left to point out quotes and sourced information.


Practice Good Writing Skills
Be on the watch for redundant words. If a certain word (verb, adjective, preposition, etc.) appears more than three (maybe even two) times in about three sentences, you should probably find an alternative word. Recycling in the Writing world is bad! Expand your vocabulary and try to find that word that fits perfectly. Tea is sublime, not good. The boy struts, not walks. Lock onto that word you tend to use often, and destroy it with your awesome editing powers!

When it comes to repeating nouns, find other ways to address the subject. Timmy could be the small boy, the curious youngster, or a perverted princox depending on the situation.

Alter your sentence structures! They ate the sandwich. The sandwich, they ate. Ate they, the sandwich. Ate the sandwich, they. This method seems odd, but Shakespeare used it, too!


Be Picky
After posting your profile, read it over and over and over and over again. Post it, sleep on it, then read it again. Eat breakfeast, go to school, eat lunch, come home, then read it some more! You'll often find little mistakes that you didn't catch before. Don't be afraid to edit them out. If you feel that you can add a little bit more to your character's personality or history, then do so! Though, if you find yourself constantly changing things or even altering entire sections of the profile then it's not ready and you should consider taking it off and working on it a little bit more.

Don't make the mistake of withdrawing a good profile, however! Sometimes, you just have to teach yourself to stop and when to know it's enough.


Accept Criticism
Fellow community members will often take the time to assist you in touching up your profile after posting it. Be respectful, regardless if they're wrong, right, rude, or kind. Sometimes they may have a valid point, and if it regards the lore – then somebody has made a mistake. It's best to wait for the final word from the GM if an agreement isn't reached. If you're enlightened to something that was indeed wrong, then it's all the better.

However, if they question something that doesn't make sense about your character (often regarding the very common problems in character profiling I've already addressed), and you aren't able to provide a very clear and realistic answer. Then, it's time to reconsider some things about your character. If there's anything that goes against a good quality character , it's one that people have to make big exceptions for.

Don't assume anything though, sometimes it may just be that they didn't read something correctly and seek clarification.


Don't Argue with the GM
Whether they are wrong, right, mislead, or miserable at the time, their word is final. It's a server rule that you've agreed to willingly, and they're probably right. In the case you truly believe you have been wronged, take it up with another GM, but be prepared to face the negative and positive consequences alike.

Be Patient
I have to explain this to you? Well, whenever somebody groans at you about how annoyed they are that the GMs are taking /so/ long to read their profiles, laugh in their faces for me. Take advantage of the time to be picky. I couldn't imagine what would've happened if a GM pointed out that I spelled Moonbrook as Westbroke. The agony!


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8.0 Keeping It Short (Optional)

This is, as mentioned above, completely optional. Though, I do understand. We don't want to hold up the poor GMs with too many well-thought out profiles, or we're just trying to get this damn character approved ASAP.

When writing the personality, avoid restating attitudes and behaviors already associated with that class or race (e.g. a paladin who hates Scourge, duh). Try to focus on the things that will influence their choices and actions, plus anything that will compliment the history of your character.

When writing the actual history, keep it down to the major events in their life (entering an academy, graduating, fighting the First War, etc). All lore-based events count and should be included.

Going with this option means that you have to sell the personality. GMs are looking for individuality just as much as they are looking for Lore-complimenting characters.


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9.0 Example Profiles

These are two approved profiles that I wrote so that you may use them as a reference. I used this guide to write these.

Wimrick, Profession: Explorer, Default Class: Warrior. (Malleable)

Spoiler:

Information

Player: Darkneon

Character Full Name: Wimrick Hagin Vaultspringer

Character in-Game Name: Wimrick

Nickname(s): None

Association(s): Gnomeregan, Ironforge

Race: Gnome

Class: Warrior (default)

Age: 136

Sex: Male

Hair: White (w/Blue Tint)

Eyes: Hazel

Weight: 43 pounds

Height: 3'

Appearance

Cloth-based materials, and not to forget -- his favorite leather hat.

Other: A journal.

Personality

Wimrick… I could tell you a load about this little bugger. For one, he's always keeping himself busy. I once put a cake in front of him, and he didn't as much as glance at it 'till he was done writing one those fancy papers of his. I mean: Who in their right mind doesn't have time for cake? Bah, you could tell by the look in his eye he's always thinking his way through things. Certainly not about my famous triple-chocolate cake, though.

He's not a dwarf, so it's safe to assume he's non-alcoholic. He is a social drinker on occasion, but has none of that “off-the-rack swill”. He's also a got a very cheesy smile, He uses it often, so you'll always know when he's delighted. Like most of his kind, he's very tolerant, but not stupid. He's got a nose for snubbing out the bad lot. I think it's 'cause he listens so damn much. Then he turns his ears off for just a second and starts letting the words flow out like a broken faucet. He's very articulate with his words, but very easy to understand.

Then there's those times you try to rush him. He can be as slow as old Miss Gertrude, bless her heart. You sometimes have to give him a "gentle push", by which I mean punt him over the side of a cliff. I'm exaggerating, but I often want to. He'll get all fatherly on you, hugging his eyebrows to his nose, and wave around his superior fingers. (Oh, how dreadful the almighty fingers of scorn!) After a good wag or two of the digits, he'll begin to explain the virtues of patience! I don't try to stress him much anymore, not even for fun. Those fingers of his are very pointy.

In the Lab, he's his regular self. Occasionally, he makes small talk to keep the silence from biting at you like a termite on wood. Though quietly enough that you don't end up dropping another vial of potassium nitrate and charcoal into your Bunsen burner. (I do miss my gorgeous mustache.)

In the field, that's where you get a peek at his feral side! You never know what's going to come through the brush, but you know he's always got his trigger finger on "Matilda". Indeed, he did name his gun. I see nothing wrong with it, but feel free to judge. Over the years, Mr. Vaultspringer here has composed himself quite a cranium of data. So, that makes surviving out there much easier.

All in all, Wimrick's a pretty friendly guy who knows how to appreciate good humor. He loves adventure, and he loves sharing them with others. Nevertheless, digging around in unknown places can get you in quite a pickle. In which case, you just have to hope he won't outrun you, aye?


History

Wimrick was born in Gnomeregan in Year -103 to Hagin Tometosser, a short-tempered librarian, and Wimmy Smallrig, an engineer. He was named after his mother, Wimmy. He claims to have been a legendary prankster. Although the worst he ever did was place a lit firework in the gunpowder shop. It wasn't that big of a deal, so I don't know why everybody made a big fuss over it.

He grew up with just enough, but not too much and was given just the appropriate amount of attention. He loved it when Wimmy took him to work with her, where he eventually developed his engineering skills. When studying, his father was also a huge help. Although, Wimrick was constantly scorned when he did not remember information or spoke it inaccurately.

His role model, Clopper Wizbang (The first Gnome ever to join the Explorers' League) kept him striving to become successful. Wizbang wasn't actually there rooting him on, but Wimrick was motivated by the promise of adventure and achievement, especially to the extent of what Clopper had achieved. Wimrick wanted to be just like him. History Amnesia turned into Trivia, and he read more and more, until he was the one correcting his father.

By that time, though, he had already moved out of his parent's hovel and was reaching adulthood. He found a paying job in Crazzle Fiddlestick's mechanical shop as a filing clerk. He was soon promoted to assistant manager, and acquired the money he needed to travel to and buy a small dwelling in Ironforge and quit his job. It was the next step in continuing his pursuit of knowledge.

There, he joined a lab in Tinker Town that specialized in animal husbandry, crude medicine, and alchemy. For the next 15 years he studied both botany and zoology, interests that would fuel his want to explore Azeroth.

In Year -63, he felt his skills were good enough to finally apply for the Explorers' Guild. His life would hit a major hurdle when he found out that they were not interested. Less than a dozen minorities make it into the dwarf-dominant guild each year, and Wimrick thought he had a chance. His dream was crushed, but he wouldn't allow anyone to tell him what he could and could not do. He was always optimistic, in a sense.

Although being denied membership, Wimrick was granted permission to read from the public library the Explorers' Guild hosted. Not only did it contain information on organisms he never believe existed, but it contained history far beyond anything Wimrick had ever seen. It was like turning to the last page of a giant book, just to find out it was only the first volume.

Throughout his early adulthood, Wimrick continued to advance his studies in botany and zoology, extending it to ecology and astronomy. Through hard work and greater knowledge, he was promoted to chief researcher and head of operations for the laboratory. He was even allowed to accompany an expedition into Khaz Modan in Year -30.

These accompaniments turned into regular field work, but he never did again chase his old dream. Whether out of fear of rejection or simply aspiring to greater objectives, it didn't matter. Wimrick was gaining real life experience, which was better than all the gold in Azeroth.

The laboratory was eventually run out of business by aggressive local competition and Wimrick was left unemployed. He wasn't too fazed, as it was about time he became his own boss, and the smell of a bigger world haunted him at the gates of Ironforge, calling out to him like a freshly baked pie on a windowsill. Wimrick marched to Tinker Town and purchased a business permit. With what little money he had left, he bought the equipment he needed and began finding non-commissioned work amongst the quarry sights in the mountains.

Five years passed before he acquired the money needed to hire a crew of his own. He finally set out to explore unknown regions and dwell deeper into the history of Azeroth. By selling copies of his research to a more than willing Explorers' Guild, Wimrick was able to keep his dream alive.

Today, he still retells stories of the most exciting explorations they made. His personal favorite was when his research team descended into the deserted catacombs of Stranglethorn Trolls.

The place was very damaged, with occasional holes in the floor that were hardly wide enough to be leaped. The trolls had bobby trapped it to the brim! The worst one was a room that contained artifacts illustrating troll history back to 3,000 years ago. They rapidly began work, and that was when the trap activated. A rolling stone groaned across the entrance and sealed them inside the vault. The movement alone was powerful enough to crack the tomb's supports, and the ceiling began to fall apart. Wimrick quickly used materials they had with them and some of the artifacts to embed crude dynamite into a nearby wall. They took cover behind a hastily built barrier and he blasted a hole that crumbled away the weakening stone and allowed them to jump out. The frail section of the catacombs quickly began to follow, but Wimrick had known their path well enough to run them to the entrance, where they sprung safely into the jungle as the threshold to the crypt sealed shut behind them ; Thus, earning him his name- Vaultspringer.

Eventually, the dream would have to be put on hold. The Second War had erupted and Wimrick was being called back to the dwarf lands to do his duty. He disbanded his 26 year-old research team with a heavy heart and headed back to assist his kin in finishing the construction of the Deeprun Tram.

Wimrick was 128 years old when the troggs came. He was still 128 when he learned within the safety of Ironforge, that his parents had still been in Gnomeregan when the radiation was released. The year was a miserable one. He didn't pick up a single tome, and everywhere around him could he see the sorrowing faces of countless people.

Life would not wait, however. Morale began to pick up again. In honor of his parents Wimrick took up his father's name and always gave internal remembrance to his mother when his name was spoken.

Now, he wishes to begin his journeys into Azeroth's uncharted lands once more. Maybe achieve his greatest dream and start a laboratory of his own. All he needs...is a crew.

Marcellus, class: Paladin. (Heavily Lore-Restricted)

Spoiler:

Player: Darkneon

Character Full Name: Killian Marcellus

Character In-Game Name: Marcellus

Nickname(s): N/A

Association(s): Brotherhood of the Horse, Knights of Lordaeron, Knights of the Silver Hand, the Church of the Holy Light

Race: Human

Class: Paladin

Age: 53+ (starting Year 30, beginning of the WoW MMO-RPG series)

Sex: Male

Hair: White

Eyes: Green

Weight: 195

Height: 6'1''

Usual Garments/Armor: Platemail

Other: Holding true to old customs and personal morality - Killian does not wear a helmet, foster swords, or ride horses. In place of his helmet, he keeps a Phylactery of Faithfulness.

Alignment: Lawful Good

Personality:

Adherence
Killian has spent a great majority of his time retiring his memories from the wars. He has only recently re-evaluated his life, coming to the conclusion that he'd rather die with a hammer in his hand than coughing up organs (and other assorted bodily fluids) upon his death bed. He remains loyal to the Alliance and pledges himself to its cause forever, regardless of whichever flag he serves under. He is a very traditional and well-mannered. The Three Virtues have been the driving force behind his entire life-style.

Having seen plenty of blood, Killian likes to avoid unnecessary conflict. Never raising his weapon save in the defense of another or himself. There are plenty of other methods to confer with one's troubles. Withal, he holds true to the paladin code of conduct out of responsibility and conscience.

Attitudes and Behaviors
Though his aging and compassion have somewhat pacified him, he still knows the Orcs (both New and Old) as a race capable of great destruction. Regardless of how honourable they may wish to be. He'd rather never see one again. Though, stories of their sacrifice at Mount Hyjal have contributed greatly to an underling respect.

He has heard much of the Blood Elves, though he has yet to see one. Still, such a betrayal cannot be left unconsidered. Once, inside to Chapel walls, he was talking to a priest about High Elves. Then, per chance, the priest began to tell him tales of the new Silvermoon. Killian remembers how he cringed at their vanity and selfishness and how he begged for a change of subject. His stomach is still left in a complicated knot following that conversation. . . the priest got a good kick out of it, though.

The Forsaken and Scourge remain painful and unbearable reminders of past memories. Like most, Killian has pledged to rid Azeroth of these spiteful beings. Despite any humanity they attempt to show, he has seen too much.

If there's any other race he comes to respect as much as humans, it's the dwarves. They are practically brothers. They have shared camp and stories alike about the fire, and blood and sweat upon the fields. Gnomes are always up for debate due to their wide range of personalities and intentions, but their diligence and ingenuity have proven admirable.

Other than these few races, Killian has either not heard enough, or even seen any other race outside of his lifetime prior the end of the Third War. Regardless of how deep his pain may run, he will remain respectful to his ally and enemy alike.

Killian is very humoured by the youth of humankind. They speak in irony, yet are very determined to prove themselves. Any modest elder smiles, knowing what they'll be thinking when they're older. Still, they are young and rash, and contradicting their respectable seniors often. Sometimes, a push in the right direction will do them good. Killian has experienced often what happens when you try to force your opinion upon them. Patience sits well.

A fellow of his own age? Historical timelines are one thing, but the emotional and physical legends within them are plentiful. If his peer (or even a curious youngster) would be willing to forgo the time, then he would be more than prepared to entertain them with one.

The Paladin Within
However, age will not wear away the man he had been. This shows when being forcefully put in an awkward situation, manning the battlefield, leading ignorant people, witnessing heresy, or dealing with somebody speaking out against the Holy Light. He becomes gruff, ordering, and strict. It is not some shadow or anti-version of himself, but that part of a person that never fades. He bears no lament for this, but uses it as strength to inspire the faltering mind.

“Good order makes men bold, and confusion, cowards.” -Niccolò Machiavelli


Inspiration

His faith is his occupation, and therefore he subsists simply. Materialism is a wasted attribute. He remains motivated through order and understanding. Killian dislikes clutter, confusion, or a lack of organization. Although he is able to work calmly in these conditions, the only disorganization he'll ever come to appreciate is that of nature. He is of strong intellectual curiosity and values the synthesis of ideas and logical thought.

During the wars, he often criticized the evils that life could create. It wasn't until he aged that he saw both sides of the moon. He realized humans as beautiful creations, capable of expressing their imaginations through the Fine Arts. He fondly respects those who submit their effort and time to create wonderful paintings, eloquent dances, and inspirational performances. It acts as a balancing force within him.

Although undemanding, Killian has developed quite a taste for quality cheeses. His most favorite would have to be Brie. Stormwind Brie, for the sake of nationalism. Bringing him cheese will always reward you with a warm smile and tender gratitude.

If any confront him asking what he seeks in life, they will get the same answer. That he has no ultimate goal in life, but that he is living it. To give every breathe to the universe, and live for somebody other than himself. He believes that it is a life well spent, a happy one.

“I gaze back upon all of it . . . and wonder how it is that my body and soul have endured so much. Then, I stop asking questions, and I say I am grateful to have come so far. That I am happy with the life I have led, and that I do not fear death. For when it comes, I will be content and look back once more – and know it is enough.” -Killian Marcellus, Year 30


History:

Childhood

In the year of (-)24, in the town of Grand Hamlet, there lives an ancient family. It's history as deep as the roots of a grand oak tree. A tome of a thousand parchments, first written in times when Ironforge remained untouched by civil war. The record of the Marcellus family is filled with knights, both chivalrous and malicious, with property and name flowing through the father to his eldest son. Upon this year, of twenty-four, births the eldest son of four.

Bestown the name Killian, he was ordained to join the ranks of Azeroth's knights (just as his father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, and those alike). In the year of (-)18, the boy of six was sent away to page for Sandford Reginald the IV. A lord of Grand Hamlet. The young folio bowed to the honour of dressing his lord, and jumped at the privilege to accompany his lady about the parish. He wrestled and fought fellow pages with wooden tools. Reaching a status where squires presented him training-at-arms. Killian learned to hunt and hawk, to be quick and graceful, and to stay faithful and flexible. He even learned how to read and write, despite its unknightly petition. He often speaks of friendship with his lord's cleric, Brother Corwin, from the Brotherhood of Northshire. The man who realized it to him to understand and respect the Light.

Nearly ninety-nine full moons will pass to mark the change from page to squire. Upon his fourteenth season, Sir Knight Lon Gregory III seeks a servant. Killian showed promise, and thus, the next seven of his teenage years would be exhausted under the banner of Knight Gregory. He ran the field of battle, delivering fresh lances and horses to his master. He educated his body to accept the burden of heavy armor, and was soon permissioned to play games with real weapons against other knights. His master gifted him his own horse to learn to ride with his weapon arm free, and awarded him a mace and shield to present his rank to his peers. Though, the trial of it all would lead to the most chivalrous act of all. The young Marcellus must understand restraint following a fight, when his blade is at the throat of another knight. Sir Gregory will remember this boy for his swift learning.

Adulthood

Year (-)4, the young Killian outgrew his old mentor. He left the Gregory many blessings and returned to his home of Grand Hamlet. There, he was greeted warmly by Lord Reginald and his court, and received a spacious stockroom to begin his preparations into knighthood. He spent the night in prayer without food or sleep, and come morning, bathed in warm water from head to feet. Dried and ready, he equipped a special padded vest and hood to keep his armor from pinching and tearing at his skin. A page assisted him within the final moments of his childhood. With a huff and puff, he finished the fit with a white tunic, and descended into the grand hall. He approached his lord and knelt at his knee. In turn, the lord touched his shoulder gently, “I dub thee, Sir Knight”, at the age of twenty.

Killian received his mace, lance, and golden spurs. Free to roam the world, if but only a year. As then, he united in the ranks of the Knights of Stormwind to join his father, and was later followed by the second eldest brother.

Four years, the Marcellus family flourished in the continued success of their family unaware (as all) that this marked the end of the era. Nearly 1,200 years of human prosperity would twist and turn in the fiery portals of Draenor. Year one, the orcish hordes flooded from the Dark Portal and crashed upon the walls of Stormwind. The Brotherhood of the Horse fought well, and repelled the fiendish devils. Killian left his family in Stormwind afterwards, escorting the two youngest of the family back to Grand Hamlet. His younger sister was to become a lady-in-waiting and his youngest brother to become a page.

Too soon, did the vile tempest return and topple Stormwind like a castle of sand. Drowning all inside without a single mercy, crashing upon the backend wall and flooding back out to engulf the surrounding towns of Azeroth. Killian awoke at the sound of the manor's warning bell. Grunts and blades clashed outside his quarters, cutting the weasands of his lord, lady, and sister beloved. He grabbed for his only brother and called upon the guard to unite. Long did they fight in the burning night. ‘Till a favorable wind blew forth with news of the late Stormwind walls. Forced to flee, the knight took what little was left and made west – to Moonbrook. There they stood, waiting for hopeful news that never came. Only the entourage of Lord Anduin Lothar. They docked the ships with no past in hand, voyaging the Great Sea to lands of Lordaeron and Dalaran.

It was his twenty-eighth season, when Killian and his brother took arms with the kingdom of Lordaeron. He, himself, joined the Knights of Lordaeron. His brother was stationed into the town of Southshore. Killian was found of good faith and virtue, and selected to join the Knights of the Silver Hand, founded under Archbishop Alonsus Faol and Uther the Lightbringer. He journeyed to Stratholme to study the ways of magic and the three virtues in efforts to fight the oncoming hordes.

Fate would have the orcs crashing upon their door, seeing to the death of his brother in Southshore. Their beaches swelled at the mere size of the orcish flock, forcing the Alliance's shield until they could strike back. Killian was called upon to join the forces of High Commander Lothar, and soon marched upon the Peak of Aerie. Here would he meet his first dwarf, inspired by their brutality and strength upon the field of battle. He fought until the army was forced to split, remaining with the half fighting off the large number of orcs still remaining within the Hinterlands. Faith and determination saw the enemy back and across the bridge of Thandol Span. Joined by more from Ironforge, they relentlessly pushed their way to Blackrock Spire. There, confronted by the destroyer of Stormwind and his malevolent mass. The battle raged, ensuing the deaths of many, including the commander himself, and leaving many more injured and unable to help. Killian was among the critically wounded, and could not continue under Paladin Turalyon in the final push that would shatter the mirror-face of the Dark Portal.

Recovering within the next two months, the aging paladin aided his order in caring for the northern victims of the Orcish attack. Time did pass until he was able to sit back and relax in Year 11, at age thirty-four; soon serving the Knights of the Silver Hand for another fifteen more. Killian humbled and came to terms with his life. He used up most of his prime in combat, and lost his inheritance during the First War. With no family of his own, he grew fond and content tutoring the younger soldiers and paladins amongst the internment camps. He enjoyed the time spent with his brothers combating the rebelling orcs, punishing them for their wickedness and greed. Through tenacity, he finally established the bridge between him and the universe. A path that will guide him through compassion. He left the Foothills on a pilgrimage.

Later, at forty-eight, he was called upon again to aid his fellow paladins north to investigate the disturbances caused by the rebelling orcs. More years depleted, spent fighting the brutal and importunate Orcs. His band was soon called with others to reinforce Hearthglen to aid Prince Menethil. Here, would he learn how honourable the orcs are when compared to the true evils capable of creation. It was a gruesome change, fighting a foe of flesh to hammering away piles of bone and rot. The humans rallied and marched northward, to aid Stratholme against the Plague of Undeath. Here, Prince Arthras' decrees a draconian order to Uther, who in turn refuses. The Prince has ordered all those loyal to Lordaeron to assist in the destruction of innocent life, and in turn contain the plague? The camps hush over in airs of tension, and end in protest when the Prince orders the Knights of the Silver Hand no more. Along with most, Killian refused and left with his paladin brothers, later returning to suffer through the task of burying the dead.

He remained north as the Prince's army sailed away. The paladins tried but could not control the relentless Plague, one far greater in determination than even the Orcs. Then word spread of the Prince's return. Of the King's Death. Of Arthras' Betrayal. The destruction of Uther, betrayed by Lordaeron's own royal blood, left the remaining order in stonic distress. Petrified. Then the ghouls were upon them and ripped into their very souls. Reluctantly, Killian and his brothers chose to depart from each other and flee their separate ways.

Older Years . . .

Hearing of Stormwind's resurrection, it served as a beckon to the old Killian to revisit his birthplace and finally pay respects to his late family and lord. There, he served the Church of the Holy Light throughout the remainder of Third War. Even now, it's still argued whether or not the Silver Hand remains. Regardless, Killian will always consider himself a part of the order, content to die serving the Light.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10.0 Profile-Checking Courtesy

GMs aren't the only ones who try to assist players with profiles. So, here are a few things to keep in mind when commenting on somebodies profiles:

1. Don't comment on profiles near the bottom of the list. This bumps them to the top and makes the wait even longer, after they cross the mid-point line, it's the GMs duty to inform them of any mistakes.

2. Don't try to argue Lore. Most of the time, you will be assuming. Unless you truly know that something will not fly, then don't start a flame war. Often, many people will join in with their own opinions and assumptions.

3. When you know what you're talking about: Make a good argument. Format it, spell/grammar check it, and support it with citations and quotes.

4. Start with the Positive. This is both being mature and respectful. What is it that they did extremely right? Was there anything creative they did that you noticed? Don't lie just to sound courteous.

5. Be Precise: Think of possible ways your comment can be misinterpreted and try to fix it. Always attempt to support yourself with quotations and citations when possible.

6. Don't throw your opinion into a debate over a profile: This is the GMs job, not yours.

7. If you just want to comment for the sake of commenting, PM the player.



______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11.0 Special Thanks!

I'd like to thank Piken for addressing what seems to be big confusion regarding the Night Elf age guildlines. I'd also like to thank Piroska for helping my brain comprehend it. I swear, I tried to explain it, but it wouldn't listen. Your contribution is truly appreciated! (It also makes me look good!)

Another thank you to Sourpuddle for taking the time to point out spelling errors and for helping improve the Class portion of this guide!

Thank you!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12.0 Epilogue

Remember to Thank the GM who takes the time to initial, approve, and transfer your character to the wiki.

It's always polite to show that you're willing to take some time to let them know their efforts are appreciated. They do it for you.

That's about all I can think of right now. Keep in mind that that there are hundreds of different ways to go about making a successful character profile. If you develop your own system, even greater! Hopefully, you find something useful in this guide to aid you in your character-m

[Anski]

That.

Was.

Amazing.

[Piken]

-Very- well written.

But a quick thing to add for ages, maybe, would be about Night Elves would be that you can still play them as older than the guideline says and all that goodness. People always get confused about that.

But still, great post.

[Nostra]

I agree with the others, really well written, amazing work! Thank you, Darkneon, moved this to the articles and guides!

[Darkneon]

Piken: ...But a quick thing to add for ages, maybe, would be about Night Elves would be that you can still play them as older than the guideline says and all that goodness. People always get confused about that.

Would you please explain this a little bit more to me? I'll admit I'm a little bit confused about that to. *has never played a Night Elf* I'll be looking forward to your reply, cheers!

Nostra: ...Thank you, Darkneon, moved this to the articles and guides!

Ah, thank you, too! I almost collapsed arse-over-elbow when I found out people couldn't post in those forums themselves. I suppose we're all have those moments.

[Piroska]

Would you please explain this a little bit more to me? I'll admit I'm a little bit confused about that to. *has never played a Night Elf* I'll be looking forward to your reply, cheers!

The age guidelines for night elves are based on the current status of the World Tree; when Nordrassil, for lack of a better word, exploded, the kal'dorei lost their immortality. However, before that they could live an infinite numbers of years. While they could die to illness or injury or even violence, they did not die to old age. Essentially, they reached a certain point after adulthood and their bodies no longer physically aged.

The guideline now applies more to these now-mortal night elves. They will continue to age past that point in adulthood. Night elves who were older than the life expectancy (1200, to pick the high end of the spectrum) can expect to live around 900 more years since they are physically at adulthood (300 years) despite their age.

It's a bit confusing when you first approach the topic, but it makes sense after you muddle through it a bit.

[Darkneon]

Ah, thank you for the clarification, Piroska! Though, I'm still 'muddling' (I get a really funny picture in my head when I say that) through it, myself. So, in conclusion to that -- are you saying the guidelines have been changed to accommodate the Night Elf Lore, or that I should consider clarifying this purple situation in the Age portion of this guide? (Or Both?)

[Piroska]

My intent was to clarify and I think I may have confused further!

The guidelines regarding night elf ages are correct, but they're not the complete answer. Adulthood is 300 years of age. However, for night elves born a significant period of time before the events at Hyjal Summit, the rest is not as correct. They can live beyond the 700-1200 years of age listed as the expectancy because they were immortal; for them, any age past maybe the 350's or so didn't matter because they physically didn't age beyond that. They grew older, but their bodies didn't.

However, for night elves who were born after the events the guidelines are exactly accurate. So, a night elf born a month after the battle of Mount Hyjal will reach physical maturity at 300, will be middle aged at 500, would be considered venerable at 700, and would eventually die of old age somewhere between 705 and 1200 years later.

Clarification on the article may be best, since it can be such a confusing issue.

[Sourpuddle]

You spelt Rogue wrong under class. I would also like to pick on you about that specific part of the guide; someone who is an engineer would have to devote their life to be an engineer to be a truly effective engineer. Someone who devotes themselves to engineering would clearly be more skilled at engineering then a warrior who is also an engineer. I could get extremely technical and in-deph about how everyone lives the same amount of hours as everyone else, and that we're not always workhorses, but I will tell you that I use a sorta system of percentages to show my characters general skills. For some reason, I love using the "talent" system to show this off. For example, if my Warlock really just doesn't like demonology and favors curses, I might put him as 60% devoted to Affliction, 30% devoted to destruction and 10% devoted to demonology. This would make him extremely dangerous when using curses, however, practically useless when he has to summon demons. The same way could be applied to an Engineer, who would obviously master in different subject, like gun-smithing, large building, small machines, I don't know. I'm not asking to put in that idea, because I think it's complicated, just remember to say something like. . .If you're an Engineer, you wont win an arm wrestle against a full fledged warrior.

Something like that, yeah.

[Darkneon]

Awright, currently, I'm unable to edit the guide due to a BBC code error regarding the use of [IMG]. I'll be PMing an Admin to see how the issue can be resolved. If it is, I'll be able to correct that horrible spelling mistake (sorry Sourpuddle, it's the French I tell you!) and expand on the aging section. Thank you for your help guys!

Sourpuddle: Someone who devotes themselves to engineering would clearly be more skilled at engineering then a warrior who is also an engineer

I hope this is a simple misinterpretation issue. Regarding your post, I'd like to clarify that all classes listed under Malleable are just that - If somebody wants to devote their entire character to engineering- then they can! I'm just advising that they use a class like warrior (rather then mage or paladin) to act as a place holder. You don't have to play a warrior just because it's the class you chose. Though, you have to play a druid if you chose the druid class.

Regarding an engineer using the warrior class vs. an actual warrior, I'll leave it to the player to take the responsibility to role play their character correctly. Perhaps engineering wasn't the best example on my part, either.

[Sourpuddle]

I sorta mean that, if you make a character and pick the class of a warrior because you want to play an engineer, then your character wouldn't have the skills of a warrior, even though that's the class you picked to play an engineer. Does that make any more sense?

[Darkneon]

For those of you who've chosen a malleable character, you should have a good sense of what this means your character is capable of. This determines their fighting style and secondary skills. Don't feel obligated to stay within the limits, though. You don't even have to play the class! If you simply want to be an engineer with no warrior skills- then it's perfectly okay to use a warrior for your place holder. Never feel obligated to have to play a warrior, hunter, or rouge just because there's no Engineer class. However, if you're going to be using magic, or portray any skills that belong to a Lore-restricted class, than you're in the wrong category.

Dang it! Spelt rogue wrong, again.
However, if you believe that somebody is using a class skill that they do not have, such as a miner who uses dual-wield and whirlwind or an accountant using shadowmeld -> Then, this is a major breach of character and should be treated as godmodding. In which case, a GM should be consulted.

Edit: Oh, wow. I see the issue now. It seems that I've implied that you get no choice with the fighting style and secondary skills. Yikes, going to mark that down for editing. Thank you for pointing it out, sourpuddle. (This is the perfect time to advertise being picky, it works!)

[Darkneon]

Update

+ Added additional information to 2.3 Age and 2.4 Class
+ Corrected spelling mistakes
+ Added a new section: 6.0 Special Thanks!

[Josietta]

Thank you

[Darkneon]

MAJOR UPDATE

You can tell because it's big and red. Doesn't that just get you're attention ?

Added Sections:
4.0 Name - So you don't end up giving the name Bubbles to an Orc.
6.0 Alignment - In my head, options are mandatory.
8.0 Keeping it Short - For those of you who suffer from the legendary writer's block.
9.0 Example Profiles - Finally! I give you something to work with!
10.0 Profile-Checking Courtesy - Some good reminders for you next time you see somebody post a goblin death knight.

Edited:
2.3 Class - Added a reminder so that people can check out the example profiles down below.
12.0 Epilogue - Added sections including Thanking GMs and Commenting on this Guide.

That's all for now!

Join the Cause: Eliminating Bad Profiles, One Minor Mistake at a Time.
Refer this guide to your friends if it helped you! The more people stop making those simple mistakes, the faster profiles can get approved, and the less we have to /facedesk.

Thank you!