Intrigue in the Imperfections

As some of you may know, I participate in some nerdy pursuits like "Dungeons and Dragons". The game has the social misconception of being a game for social outcasts. But, would you believe, Stephen Colbert, fake news anchor; Ed Robertson, guitarist and singer of Barenaked Ladies; and Vin Diesel, actor from Fast and the Furious have picked up the dice and played "Dungeons and Dragons"? Many people don't understand what the game really is. “Dungeons and Dragons” is a structured, collaborative story-telling game.

The setting for the adventure takes place in a magical, medieval universe where wizards and warriors; elves and dwarves; and good and evil collide. One player controls the world, in which, the other players move in by using the elements of the game he finds interesting from the Player's Core Rulebook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide. This player weaves the story together and presents the conflict the characters must overcome. He decides when they will reach the next town, when they'll be attacked, and when the group is ready for the ultimate showdown withe evil. By having imagination, the players bring the world to life.

Now, each player has to create their own character, or protagonist, from scratch. They decide on the race, job class, what skills he knows, and the background information for the character. For the past week, I've been trying to dream up what it takes to be a good, memorable hero.

Through this process, I came to realize I have the problem of balancing my character too much. I don't want my players to have an Achille's heel. My hero's are flawless, and I design them to statistically destroy anything that comes in their way. This perfection makes them boring. Despite whatever backstory they may have, finding a lost family member, fulfilling some last request, or revenge against their rival, they are uninteresting. Only by struggling are real memorable heroes made.

I decided to take a look at literature. I discovered that the great heroes we remember like Hercules, Cerano, Don Quixote, etc. are flawed men, and it is their imperfections that we come to admire. The greatest challenge of the hero is overcoming his own personal shortcomings. Hercules lost himself in rages, and he quests to atone for his sins and overcome that rage. Cerano cannot confess to the love of his life and selflessly protects her. We cheer for him when we finally tells her how he feels. Don Quixote lives in an imaginary world of his creation. At first we believe he needs to be stopped, but Don Quixote fights on. Through his perseverance, he conquers the realist's dreary outlook within ourselves by bringing insight and adventure to our ordinary lives. There is beauty and intrigue in their imperfections.

So, I have taken away the godly stats for my characters. I've weakened my future protagonist further by removing one of his arms. My character will struggle with inner demons in trying to accept himself for who he is. I have made my character flawed, human. Should my character overcome the obstacles set before him, he shall be remembered for his characteristics that set him apart.

You may scoff at my playing of "Dungeons and Dragons" but I blame your imagination. I challenge you guys to come up with an original backstory for a character of your creation. What would be his defining characteristics? One eye missing? Part of his body deformed by a experiment gone wrong? What is his motivation for adventuring? Write your ideas in the comment section. It's a real challenge especially when it seems all of the ideas have already been taken. I challenge you guys to see giants where windmills stand.