Character Writing 101: Building a Character From Scratch! | Narrative Academy

[@TheStarfishface]

Hope you all enjoy my new little guys! I had a lot of fun with this one- I might do more like it in the future, if folks are interested? I like making new characters!! Also yes I got Latin and German confused, y'all can stop leaving comments about it 😅 And if you want more writing and storytelling advice, check out my book!

[@ianricardogiese4605]

As a character builder enjoyer myself, this video was very fun and enjoyable to watch. Really hope to see a sequel of it, tackling other elements on designing stories, especially one composed of different protagonist, maybe world building and character development. Really loved how they all turned out. NYXs design is so cool, really showing that chaotic and rebellious aura of his. Talos is such an interesting approach to a Druid, a really outside the box character when it comes to a dwarf and a Druid. And Asher is honestly my favorite out the trio, the color palette is so good, plus he reminds me a LOT of Mumbo Jumbo, he does feel like he has the same energy as him, quirky sometimes chaotic inventor.

[@AzariahMarinaStarcaster]

I honestly hope you do more videos of this nature in the future! Watching artists turn randomly generated prompts into characters is really fun!

[@נוהברנדל]

Can we get a link to the charts you used to randomize the characters? It seems really fun

[@Fire_Fox_Gaming]

The gnome looked like Coran from Voltron before you colored him 😂

[@thereaper8878]

this video has been helpful ive been wanting to make a sorta webtoon/story about a character who function as a sorta Anti-Villain using a concept very little people even use or know about the main idea is a group of people all made deals with a devil to gain powers to kill all of the worlds sinners the mains enemies would be holly beings like angels and such but also the normal worlds criminals i have the concept i just never knew what the main characters should be there names back story motivations for it all this has helped a little tho

[@bleachbleachBLEACHER]

In the simplest terms - character creation is just a long process of asking yourself questions over and over again until you like the answers.

[@potatofromjupiterrr]

thats true

[@Trazor_]

real

[@skylernaegaming124]

True

[@montserratmarroquin400]

So true I am constantly changing things about my ocs Especially if it involves them having more angst

[@JoyfulObserver-y8h]

Facts!!! And it takes time sometime like a week or more if you are thinking on the side with other things

[@flabelle44]

Maybe Nyx's family starts trying to track him down under the guise of bringing their sweet boy home but reality its because they're afraid that he'll out the secret of his parents scandal

[@bella_daze3092]

I LOVE THAT❤❤❤❤

[@lavndvrrart]

@@flabelle44 maybe they’re using a certain magical creature that they bought from poachers to track nyx down

[@flabelle44]

@@lavndvrrart that would be cool

[@flabelle44]

@@lavndvrrart Nyx's family could also be a point of conflict between him and Asher because Asher is trying to get Nyx's family to sponser his invention but Nyx is trying to convince him otherwise.

[@x2bounty]

@@flabelle44 You know something that might be interesting? What if the fight that Talos and Nyx had wasn't resolved? And then this happens as a storybeat, coming in to make it SEEM like Talos had a point, but ultimately prove Nyx's point when it turns out to be a sham, and perhaps Talos could stand up for Nyx, which is something Nyx had always secretly wanted someone to do

[@Ace_of_Storm]

9:19 "so now we've given him some kind of important connection in his life... let's tear it away" -every angsty artist ever

[@lavndvrrart]

@@Ace_of_Storm if you don’t do that, do you really have an oc?

[@Ace_of_Storm]

@@lavndvrrart fair point

[@alexarose832]

@@lavndvrrart no trauma, no Oc.

[@babooblaster8763]

@@alexarose832Fr lol😂

[@labbit35]

I swear to god I feel like 90% of OCs have some sort of sad backstory or sum shit

[@greenhydra10]

Maybe Nyx's former "family" was responsible for Talis's animal buddy going missing in some way? And I can only imagine they would have had SOME dealings with Asher in some way or another.

[@marbelezju]

the nobles asher worked for boasted about his inventions to other rich families, including nyx's. nyx admired these inventions from afar, and wished he could get his hands on one, which lead to nyx deeply admiring asher's work and was always enamored by all new inventions asher produced. talis didn't ever feel the need to use these inventions considering he was fine without much in the first place, which led to asher trying to invent something talis would like and use. wowie, i never thought i could come up with something like that

[@Im-extra-ordinary]

@@greenhydra10 going off of this, maybe the dealings Asher had with Nyx’s family had actually helped them kidnap Talis’s buddy, basically meaning that Asher had unknowingly helped them steal something very dear to Talis, and after finding out about it, he feels guilty, even if he did it unknowingly which is why Asher is set on helping Talis get his buddy back, as well as making inventions to help everyone! Maybe Nyx at first only wanted to help to spite his “family” and get back at them one last time, but during the journey mostly ends up doing it because he genuinely cares!

[@S4ph_Wuz_H3r3]

@bread-dq3jh BFDI FAN SPOTTED!!!

[@ThatGirlWhoDraws1]

@@S4ph_Wuz_H3r3 IM A BFDI FAN(ny) 2

[@MattLourence]

@@Im-extra-ordinary I LOVE THESE IDEAS SM

[@Okeana_Aster]

Star : "Wild Magic" Me : *sweats in Fool's Gold*

[@dawnvee3796]

Fool's gold traumatized me too lol! Freaked out when our barbarian picked a wild magic option when she leveled up!

[@Okeana_Aster]

@@dawnvee3796 I can get that. Also lucky you, you get to be in a campaign. I wish I could be in one but can't find a DM anywhere.

[@_TotallyNotReal]

Adore the og, love sands. That series (??) shaped my identity... Also that statement is so right, poor monkey boy

[@Okeana_Aster]

@@_TotallyNotReal Yeah Sands is pretty great. I honestly admire how Dingo manages to constantly stay in character with Rooster. I know I couldn't with a character like him.

[@xpearl_heartx]

The second she said “sorcerer” and “subclass” I was waiting and *praying* for wild magic to be mentioned

[@Koispeck]

Nyx is my new son. Thank you Star for creating him.

[@changingpeopleslivesmoon2993]

Ayo it's you

[@NeomaButterfly]

NO HE’S MINE, I’M ADAPTING HIM

[@bella_daze3092]

WE CAN ALL ADOPT HIM

[@NeomaButterfly]

@@bella_daze3092 YESSSS, HE WILL HAVE 132K PARENTS

[@PorpleTortel]

@@NeomaButterflyCAN I HAVE HIM ON WEDNESDAYS

[@flomstuff-kk7fn]

"Now he has a personal connection. Lets tear it away" It really do be like that

[@acloneofmyself]

ngl i love the the idea of tallis teaching nyx to fish, like a good ol’ dad and son bonding day and that nyx acts like he hates it but secretly enjoys it and maybe he confesses a few things too because he feels so comfortable in that situation? not really a story plot but just a cute lil fluff idea, could all be happening while asher is like at a meeting pitching something

[@bella_daze3092]

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS

[@acloneofmyself]

@@bella_daze3092 could probably also add tallis saying to nyx before they go that its a “father and son bonding session” and nyx bluntly telling him that he’s not his dad, but by the end nyx is just confessing stuff to tallis who’s really understanding and stuff and offering advice and as a result, nyx just tells him “thanks, dad”

[@superdiruiz1086]

Extremely heartfelt moment. Panning shot. “AND THAT’S HOW I BELIEVE WE CAN USE PIGEONS TO COMBAT EVIL!”

[@S4ph_Wuz_H3r3]

@acloneofmyself II FAN SPOTTED!!!

[@acloneofmyself]

@@S4ph_Wuz_H3r3 omg hey hello fellow fan :333

[@Blub_Shaped_Kitsune]

I have a silly idea. Maybe Asher tried to make his proposition of being an inventor to Nyx’s family but got rejected and went to another family. Then when Nyx scurried away and was off on his own, Asher remembered him. That could be why he went out of his way to comfort the poor kid and raise him in a sense (other than needing someone taller than himself) since he kinda knew them when he tired to pitch his inventions. Perhaps he stayed at Nyx’s house on a ‘trial’ to see what he could make but in the end, nothing caught the nobles eye and he was cast aside, just like everyone else who didn’t please them.

[@Jr837_]

aww i could se Nyx offering to be Asher's apprentice or bodyguard for work

[@ChenayaDeSilva]

Nope it's not silly it's mastermind

[@Znerpznarpy]

This is genius

[@VoidedAura_xX]

"Now he has a personal connection. Lets tear it away" Only the realest Oc creators give their most loved Ocs trauma

[@JarenJohnson-rb4dt]

I agree

[@bananna5468]

100% agree

[@shatp1114]

That's just how it goes

[@p-anims]

1000% agree. as a bad animator, my yet to show up character has a terrible father and a murdered mother

[@crushstuff6097]

Imagine talis’ old friend from the island appears again in a rare animals sale from poachers and a cool heist happens, talis wanting to break it out, nyx going with talis fighting everyone, while Asher tried to talk the saler into selling it to him for a low price not wanting to cause a scene (also serving distraction).

[@benblueblade4143]

Honestly perhaps a point of conflict if the old friend is a more common creature: Have it be sold for a price that the party can actually easily afford without issue. Asher wants to just pay the price and be done with it, either because he doesn't want to cause a scene or out of fear the poachers may be just a bit too much for him and his found family. Talis on the other doesn't want to just let them walk away so easily and refuses to endorse this sort of market at all. (And Nyx is just waiting in the background wondering when they can start punching)

[@FayeBiggs.15]

@@benblueblade4143 my mind immediately thought of a Lemur

[@lapiscarrot]

I may be going crazy, but character 3 (the gnome) really reminds me of Professor Heimerdinger from Arcane

[@RareGacha_YT]

he really does :0

[@smassy5384]

SAME

[@ianricardogiese4605]

Yeah, I can see him. Before the colors I was seeing Mumbo Jumbo.

[@changingpeopleslivesmoon2993]

Yeah i can see it

[@GretchenCooper]

@@ianricardogiese4605 Same

[@KarahKat]

me: pauses video, scurries to my closet to grab paper and pen to write down tips from the video and to make a character of my own using the charts. loved the video, it was exactly what I needed to help me write the characters for the current story :)

[@Mercure250]

Linguistic correction: "nix" in Latin means "snow". The word "nix" that means "nothing" is a colloquial variant of German "nichts". As for "nyx", it's actually Greek. The words for "nothing" and "night" in Latin would be "nihilum" and "nox" respectively. Still clever wordplay, though. In fact, the true etymology works maybe even better. I don't know how languages work in DnD, but if we can say that the family in question is a German-speaking one, then, since "nix" is colloquial, that means the family just gave that child a name that not only means "nothing", but is also less formal, adding to how little they think of him. Then, by changing it to Nyx, he not only chooses a better meaning, but also a more ancient and prestigious language.

[@lauressia1.583]

@@Mercure250 thank you!! my immediate thought was “that is not latin where did you get that from”, especially since nix being german-colloquial and also meaning snow is a running gag in my friend group (who all took latin in school) and i specifically have a character whose name is nyx. nice to see someone else who noticed this haha

[@medli20]

Talus has such surfer dad energy and I am here for it! All three of them are incredibly charming and easy to be enamored with, but I think he's my favorite of the trio. I want to kick back and have some fish tacos with him-- he seems like he'd have all sorts of wild stories to tell lol. And thank you so much again for the shout-out at the end; it's made my ENTIRE week and I just have the biggest, goofiest grin plastered on my face rn you have no idea 😄💖

[@LaviniaConklin-il4nf]

YES, PLEASE make a follow up! I've been struggling to write characters, and even once I have them making their story is quite difficult. (I also maybe just fell in love with these three)

[@laureldreams4108]

I don't know if you like minecraft youtoubers but for some reason this three give strong Scar, Grian, Mumbo vibes, maybe its just the designs that reminds me of them idk. I loved them, they seem pretty interesting, I wonder what the plot of their overall story is!

[@TheStarfishface]

I don’t know what minecraft is

[@I_love_dr_stone]

block game ​@@TheStarfishface

[@bluesillybeard]

LOL I totally see the connection there!

[@Boo-wildering]

Oh my gosh yes!!!

[@OliverParker-r4d]

I love Asher Pennybrook's design! He looks like he'd be an eccentric noble!🧐 He looks like you'd meet him at a fancy event, and in the end, he'll have somehow convinced you to sign up as his latest test subject for his experiment of sending humans to one of Jupiter's moons! 🛸🌛

[@Zaxlfang]

32:50 You are correct! I has ideas =D I imagine Nyx would be the only real fighter in this party since Tallis just doesn't seem like the fighting type and Asher's magic is too unreliable since it's so random, so it would make sense to try and balance Nyx in some way so that the other two can't just always rely on him and his crazy fighting skills whenever they get into conflict. Nyx being grossed out by fish in that drawing could go hand in hand with making him not know how to swim or being afraid of the ocean or something like that. It would be a humorous yet effective way to balance him, especially if they are having to sail the seas to find Tallis's animal friend. And knowing Nyx he'd try to tough it out and keep it a secret even if he's having a mini panic attack on a boat or something which could lead to so many great bonding moments when Tallis and Asher find out or try to help him (Which could be especially tense if they find out because they realize he's drowning and they need to save him) and that just fits the found family vibes so well. If Nyx's nobel family is the one responsible for Tallis's sea buddy going missing that could make for a great reveal later in the story. And if the nobel family that Asher worked for just so happened to be Nyx's nobel family then that plot line could be what connects all three characters and could lead to some interesting plot points of Asher knowing Nyx from when he was very very little, and then they meet again and Nyx has like 1 or 2 memories of Asher like he was some distant uncle he never really knew which would just be really funny "Hello Nix my old friend! My how you've grown, last I saw you were hardly up to my chin!" "It's 'Nyx'... and who are you?" But would also help them bond a bit more since Asher remembers Nyx as a young child and I imagine would have been much kinder to Nyx than his own family was even back then. I can imagine Asher always pulling random trinkets out of his (Seemingly bottomless) pockets any and EVERY time the cast encounters a problem, and then they try to use it and it just flat out explodes on them. Very quickly Tallis and Nyx learn not to trust anything Asher invents. It makes sense since he uses wild magic which is unpredictable and luck-based, and could also serve as a chekhov's gun where one of his inventions actually works for once and saves the day somehow. Great video btw! Making characters is always difficult, although for me it's usually the storyline that starts causing actual problems, so I'm looking forward to that follow up video =D

[@maledictionwolf]

There's a book called Fantasy Art Genesis that has a ton of roll tables for random creature generation, plus action and emotion tables. Plus a lot of instructional stuff on drawing animals, plants and minerals. I love that book. While it's mainly based on creature and item generation, it can also be used for weird character generation and worldbuilding, and I think you'd have a lot of fun with it.

[@PressPlaytoJayson]

As a currently on-and-off storyteller, this series can actually help me with the constant imposter syndrome and push me to keep trying. Here's to more of these, this was a great video.

[@dandelionbush6176]

You should keep trying, especially if it gives you joy, keep up the work!!

[@lorrainyvieira8053]

Please make a story for those three, i simply LOVED Nyx, and i need to see him on some adventures

[@konata4567]

I've been suffering an art/writer's block since early 2022. This video has reinvigorated me to get back into developing my own characters. You made the process look so fun and simple that I get excited to work on them. That hasn't happened in such a long time! This video is so important, thank you for making it

[@cussundriakneal9904]

This honestly feels like a wonderful basic breakdown of 'how to build a *D&D* character' , 'D&D classes races basic' , while also being a 'How to Advance Character Creation that breaks character sterotypes' I'm going to be sending this to my new players as a gentle guideline on how D&D characters work, and how you can game plan for them! Thank you so much, these three are so wonderful and already so full of life and charm. I really admire your creativity. ❤

[@Duck1sQuack]

That “let’s tear it away” at. 9:23 sounded personal Edit: 10 likes? That’s honestly a lot for me lmao

[@os5403]

I have a stuffed dragon toy named Nyx. I found him at a bookstore when I was a kid, and when I asked my mom if I could get him, my mom said “Nope! Nada! Nyx on that!” And so I just said “Thats what I’ll call it! Nyx!” Long story short we got Nyx, and he still resides on my bed, & is my fearsome + adorable protector against the darkness that comes with night.

[@xaitheloser]

YESSS TALES OF ALDERWOOD MENTION!!! I love that webcomic, I'm so glad you enjoy it too!!!!!!!!!! Also, this video was very educational! I feel like I learned so much, and I'm so excited to make some blorbos of my own!!!

[@ech0fox122]

I’d be interested in a storyline building video!! Also for the challenge idea the party could face could be that Nyx’s family were the cause of the little creature Taliss befriended. Maybe the creature was kept as a pet or showpiece or killed by Nyx’s family. This leads to Taliss going into a revenge streak, wanting to hurt the family who stole and mistreated his beloved friend. This leads to Nyx having to be the voice of mercy, but not forgiveness. Switching up the roles of the two. Very random idea but I hope everyone who reads it can enjoy it!

[@Rosewülf_Animations]

I was watching the gnome speedpaint and oh my god it's Mumbo Jumbo himself

[@Emberheartsarts]

I had a little thought. What if Asher accidentally makes a deal with Nyxs noble family and it makes it so that he can't go back on the deal. Talon and Nyx have to save Asher from this deal causing a lot of trama and issues or something like that. Just an idea. I think these guys are wonderful and I love your art keep up the amazing work.

[@kasaiqueen3794]

thats so clever!! it could also be interesting to have Asher willingly make a deal with Nyx's family, which causes a huge fight between Nyx ans Asher and a rift in the party. the tension from that could be really cool, and a great character development moment for Asher especially

[@PeriluneStar]

I literally love all three of them, please somebody make a comic or story about them JSKDLD-

[@lavndvrrart]

@@PeriluneStar i have too many projects going on rn but THE PARACITES IN ME WANT TO

[@GlowingAmberRaiinYTT]

I'M ON IT

[@lavndvrrart]

@@GlowingAmberRaiinYTT tell me when it’s out!!!

[@PeriluneStar]

@@GlowingAmberRaiinYTT YESSS PLEASE TELL ME WHEN YOU FINISH

[@Junipershroom]

I love being gifted a member 😊 Was anyone else in the stream where she drew the party dinamics?

[@mewmewkitten]

It's so awesome also yess

[@SpiritWillow]

Same

[@discordiacreates6669]

I got into that stream at about the halfway point and missed the context for the characters but it was fun anyway. Also, wish I knew who decided my day should start with a gifted membership for such a great channel, no chance to thank them smh 💙

[@catlovesdonuts7456]

as someone who loves to make characters and worlds but struggles with fleshing out story lines FOR said characters and worlds, I am BEGGING you to make that part two. (and also i love this party of little guys and would love to see more of them.)

[@deadberrry]

the lineart of the gnome sorcerer is so funny because it looks like mumbo jumbo in the wild life series. all the designs are stellar btw

[@AbeeBzzz]

15:00 - as I realized what you were going for, along with the subtle music, I got chills 😨😨😨

[@SirCasticComics]

Incredible advice as always!! One of my favorite things about being an artist is how eager everyone is to share their knowledge and insight, thank you so much for doing that! You’ve been a big inspiration to me in helping me to start actually posting my webcomic and promoting it here in KZbin, which has been so so so encouraging and empowering! It’s helping make a lifelong dream of mine come true. Thank you for sharing everything you do!! Hopefully I can give back to the art and webcomics communities just as much as they’ve given me.

[@bright_and_breezy-n2e]

Okay, so before watching the video, seeing the prompts had me flooded with an idea I wanted to share. Had to get it out of my system yk? It starts with the Halfling Gnome, who lives in a quiet village with his mother and father. Only, the wanderlust she inherited from her father calls her to wander the dangerous world, which her parents don't let her. Her father seems to be content with with the everyday people of her village and assumes he was just lucky enough to have gotten it out of his system by the time he met mom. She paints as a way to immerse herself into her imagination, letting her mind wander at the very least. One day, a lord and his family travel through and take note of her Artistic ability, and offers the sponsor her if she comes with them. Her parents agree and so does she under the idea that this is her chance to explore, so she can get it out of her system liker her dad. Once there she spends her time frolicking and exploring and using that as inspiration for her art, which the family sell. Then, one day, a Tiefling, our tiefling, shows up. They're mad and hysterically trying to convince their family to denounce their evil business practices. In the commotion it's revealed that the father is a tiefling as well, and this, combined with a call to adventure, convinces the Gnome into running away with the the Tiefling form earlier. On a cavern headed to the city, they explain that they joined a monastery in the mountains to learn to overcome their darker impulses as a tiefling, but he couldn't get used to the modest living conditions which caused the elder to kick him out. However, after burning the bridge with his family, he's now drifting along in search of finishing finding inner strength along the way. Eventually running into danger along the route, combat ensues, the tingling of the wonderlust manifest in sorcerer powers, that the Gnome uses to help the tiefling. At the city, they run into the dwarf who, in the form of a rat, steals their coin. This causes the tiefling to chase him because he broke the law and hates criminals, and the Gnome to follow suit because she needs money for art supplies as well as because she's enjoying running throughout the city like a mini adventure. The dwarf then runs into a bigger thug and his friends, and the 3 work together to get back the money. The tiefling, ever striving to be a virtuous person, gives agrees to split the gold with him (It pains them inside), and the Gnome does too since she can earn more with her paintings. The Dwarf, seeing these guys as suckers, decides to stick with them and protect them from the other thugs while he leeches off their talents. Then, they go on quest everyday to make money, the Gnome insisting to only sell her painting as a last resort since, she wants to go exploring anyway, and they're her paintings. The Drawf and Tiefling agree and shenanigans ensue. The tieflings growth in the beginning stems from self hatred, and a belief that he's responsible for making up for his conniving family, because of this, he's extremely prone to seeing things black and white as a coping mechanism to avoid the nuance of his feelings. The Gnome increasingly struggles with the fact that her curiosity doesn't seem like an itch that can be scratched, and starts to feel guilty about maybe never being able to settle down and returning to her parents, like she knows they want her to. The Dwarf believes more in nurture than nature, and that money is the ultimate nurturer. He's money hungry, seeing coin as freedom, and attaches his potential as a person to it. He's one with the nature of the city, and as a result, can only turn into things like strays and rats and the occasional sewer crocodile in the beginning. The Gnome uses charcoal as her medium for her art. The Tieflings monastery's main color is red. The dwarf's favorite thing to steal is blue jewelry because it reminds him of the open sky.

[@aiimen3339]

Wait this is so cool

[@bright_and_breezy-n2e]

@aiimen3339 thank you, I'm turning it into book now. I loved it so much. Hopefully a comic too

[@MossNick22]

20:46 As soon as I saw his face, my brain immediately said, "mumbo jumbo?.... Mumbo Jumbo!" If you don't know, they are from this series called 'the hermitcraft, ' and this guy is a Redstone genuine. I would recommend watching people

[@shatp1114]

Dang... I was thinking of Professor Heimedinger from Arcane

[@JarenJohnson-rb4dt]

@TheStarfishface, I like to make stories that take things from stuff I like, Star Wars, Zelda, Batman, Sonic, Etc, and mash them up into one big universe but I can never get my characters right, this video really helped me, and showed me new ways of making more fleshed out characters so thanks, I look forward to watching more of your content :)

[@discordiacreates6669]

I always love breakdown/explanation videos, as someone who can be a bit... Dense, with instructions, I always appreciate such thorough explanations and seeing the drawing process in the background is a nice added treat for visuals to go along with the explanation. Also nice to finally get the backstory for the fisherman guy because I missed that part of the stream and he looked like a nice character. Tbh, my way of designing characters is... Chaotic at best lmao, tend to be the type to come up with the character role or setting then fill in the character based on vibes second, though I've tried a bit of randomization before or making characters based on a specific goal, like never actually having a vampire character even once but having at least one werewolf so I tried that at one point just to check that off the list. I have a problem with sometimes designing characters with no real story or goal though and I honestly hardly ever know what I can or want to do with them so they tend to eventually get tossed out for lack of reason to keep them (I had over 20 OCs once, yes, I'm one of those people) but some I just... Really like. Would love to hear any suggestions for what to do with such characters, aside from a couple, because character design is pretty fun and I think I'm already decent with all of these tips, but not so much putting any character to use and most I haven't even attempted to draw lol. Good video though, watching this while a bit tired, might rewatch later in case I missed or forget something

[@c-o-b-o-2010]

This is a video I love to see. I am always trying to be to make my characters better visually and personally so that the story can be more interesting to read and more emotional for the potential audience to get invested in.

[@sugareimon]

Maybe their stories tie together! Nyx’s family might have an interest in magic technology, so they hired Ash- maybe their new inventor works with the body parts of exotic magical creatures, or the creatures themselves, and that’s where Tal’s friend went. This would lead to an easy cast of villains and interesting interactions and drama! Maybe Ash has some guilt for what he contributed to, and Nyx gets to interact spitefully with his former family, and Tal can find actual anger within himself at Nyx’s family, etc etc!

[@ihavenohotcocoa6101]

honestly I'd love to see these three become the mascots of the Narrative Academy in a way! Like showing how to build a narrative through these three.

[@Jinx_yippyyepp]

WE JUST WATCHED THIS IN CLASS NOW IM OBSESSED WITH YOUR STUFF, YOU NEVER STOPED TALKING ABOUT THINGS I LOVE AHHHHH!!!!

[@SnowFox-gv2rn]

Thanks for making this video!! I’ve been struggling with my character writing for a while, and this is just what I needed!

[@annoyingmosquito8372]

Why does the gnome look like mumbo jumbo i can't 😭

[@AaliyahKelsey]

@@annoyingmosquito8372 I was thinking the same thing 😭

[@OhCramity]

Woah this is so cool!!! I just finished the vid and i absolutely love it! I'm already in love with these characters! would it be ok If i were to post fanart of these characters? with credit to you of course

[@TheStarfishface]

Yeah sure! Just tag me if you post them on socials so I can share :>

[@randoontheinternet8007]

Thinking about Nyx trying on a fake beard to fit in Also tallis drinking and being a giggly drunk Also asher doing street performances and either Nyx or tallis thinking its super corny I like these lil guys and love dwares and was so excited to see him

[@RainGames2024-st]

“Ok, so now he has a big connection in his life, now let’s rip it away >:]” most relatable character building sentence EVER

[@BooThyGhost]

I am in love with these characters! A follow up video would be amazing! I'm invested in these three goobers and would love to see how you'd flesh out this found family.

[@Kaynil]

Pretty insightful video. You make the designing feel easy so it is great hearing how you get inspiration and references to build the characters and weave things together. I have a lot of stories that have joined me since I was a kid and I want to write them out and really fresh out and polish it into a proper interesting story. Also I highly highly recommend star's books. Honestly a big source of encouragement and a guide when the whole thing can feel so overwhelming.

[@clipsocat5296]

I've been struggling with some of these things for YEARS!!!!!! This has helped MORE than ANY video I've come across

[@SparkBoltfire]

I got a pretty interesting mix that I like a lot. Species - Animal Hybrid (cat) Gender - My Choice Class - Rouge I didn't do the background as I wanted to make my own Main Color - Yellow They tie in nice in my opinion

[@AzariahMarinaStarcaster]

​@@SparkBoltfire The combo I got was: Species: Dog/Wolf Hybrid (technically, I originally got human, but I decided I was allowed a re-roll if I got human) Gender: Nonbinary Class: Fighter Background: Acolyte Main Color: Yellow I couldn't figure out how to connect all of these things together until I rediscovered the Rune Knight subclass, which utilizes runes created by the giants. That prompted me to look into the giant pantheon only to discover "The Smiling God" Stronmaus, the neutral good giant deity of the sun, sky, sea, and weather. I'm still working out how and why this character ended up at a temple that worshipped the giant pantheon, but Stronmaus provided nearly everything else I needed, including a reason to have yellow be a prominent part of the character's color scheme and a template for the kind of personality this character has, which is extremely joyful and potentially kinda overzealous in that regard. I considered that he might even have some of Stronmaus's physical characteristics, mainly the wavy, auburn hair cloud giants generally depict him with.

[@Vileplume87]

Unrelated-ish but after binging EVERY tutorial on ur channel, I finally bought the e book of How to Webcomic and I LOVE it! I'm already have about 15 pages of my webcomic done and can't wait to do more! Thank you so much!!

[@yourlocaldisappointment]

Watching you draw lineart is so fun 😭💗 everything is so clean

[@dangangalaxy9759]

This video came at the perfect time. I recently started a DnD campaign with some friends but I’ve been having trouble figuring out how to solidify a personality for my character and how to improv as him and interact with other characters when we play because of that. I was literally thinking of asking a friend for advice on it after our session this weekend and then this video popped up in my recommendeds lol. This has all been super helpful!

[@ShrillyGlitch]

I have a idea for Nyx! Since he's actively trying to prove himself (potentially whenever he can) it could accidently cause unwanted conflict within the group and with other people or creatures

[@GhostCracker0]

Tbh my fav is Asher I love him sm. I just imagine him being a tiny kind of clueless guy who pops up insistently asking to shake your hand and pitching an idea.

[@sonlove1737]

Omg I love them. I want to know everything about them. I moment that would be fun is Nyx's new dad's meeting his first family and truly Realize how much they care about him.

[@notseiseno7570]

This has instantly made me realize what I was missing and what I needed to change to actually make my characters and omg it’s like they were plastered in my head once I figured it out. I’m much better at writing than I am drawing right now but honestly this has been the most helpful video I’ve watched in a very long time!!

[@madelinesardinha1707]

12:28 hay, pissst, you know Tieflings can be like mushroom themed thing bc they can be dependents of an underdark thing, maybe (I'm pretty sure at least, tell me if I'm wrong 😅)

[@ryanbrady6252]

@@madelinesardinha1707 ive never heard that before but tbh that sounds rad af

[@CynicalChaos-07]

I Love All Of The Character's, They're SOOOO KOOOOOOL, And THEY WORK SOOO WELL TOGETHER, I need some kind of story with all of these characters.

[@spaceystation]

i'm at 1:30 (timestamp) and my adhd is going to be suffering but i am determined to watch this video for gacha character purposes, and just for my novel writing in general

[@BATztheBat]

Me too pookie

[@bonnie-cb1jb]

i wanted help with a character ive been working on reviving, but now im extremely hooked on yours and need a whole tv show 😭

[@RDrawzDragonz]

Idea for their story; After nyx ran away from home his family sends out guards to drag him back, they say this is to protect him but it is really to protect their secret. Nyx wants to travel across the sea in order to get out of that country, when running from the guards a chill dwarven guy helps him escape… using his knowledge of the streets… Nyx asks him about boats, He says he’ll be travlining to an island in a few days ((not yet knowing what happened to his friend… it turns out that nyx’s family were the ones who poaches them btw…)) . He just needs to repair his boat… the two go to an inventor, He helps them; however, before they came to him the guards did… they offered him a lot of money in order for the capture of Nyx. But he sees potential for inspiration in their journey… so he helps them, whilst still having the intention to Capture nyx at the end of their journey (for now)….

[@OfficialOppositeWallyVr]

I was listening to this while practicing my anatomy and i absolutely loved it! Id love to see these three more fleshed out as characters, they're all very cute in their own dopey ways and its so awesome, i loved everything about this idea

[@goldenfeather3687]

I love this!! I love the dynamic you described for them, and it’s given me some silly ideas hehe.

[@ryuvki7165]

this actually really helped me get inspiration and see characters more as a whole than just a bunch of things on a list because for me it can be hard to bring them together, I really loved your ideas Star and I hope that you will make a video on how to make storylines in the future!!

[@missicequeen2963]

Omg I remember reading castoff and then I realized that was you

[@Quizzicalotl]

This was very helpful in helping solidify some characters in a story I'm crafting. And I would love to watch a follow-up video where we get to see your three guys off on an adventure!

[@loucievaconsin2698]

20:52 why does that he like mumbo though... ;D

[@itzevelynn]

I'm so glad someone else thought the same thing

[@thanospookie69]

@@loucievaconsin2698 even the story is mumbo-coded 😭

[@KadinD-i8p]

I needed a video like this for a character idea for a series I’m gonna enjoy

[@SprinkledCactus]

This is exactly what I needed! Thanks Star :>

[@Rose_artsy]

Dude, such a cool video! Thanks to this I got to flesh out my characters some more and now I'm more than happy with them! thanks a lot.

[@Fluffybombb]

One time I had a Goliath monk. 1d4+5 twice as a bonus action at level 2 was really funny.

[@becktacular]

I love the background stories for these characters! So well done :D (Also, your art style is killer)

[@Megamanlanprime]

I love videos like these! Please do make more! Although a question I have is how do you design a character to fit into your story that you’re already writing? (Like if your story is starting to go in a new direction and you need to develop a new major or minor character that you didn’t think you’d originally need but now do need someone for a new role in the story.)

[@TheStarfishface]

Basically just do the same thing but take your own worldbuilding and story into account!

[@Megamanlanprime]

@@TheStarfishface does it help if you know the role they need to have in the story for you or can that become annoying at times when you realize you developed a character that unintentionally got away from the original role you had for them in the story?

[@artisticdawn4925]

Yes, please do more with these characters and a storyline writing video. I am an artist and I'm trying to make a webcomic, but I keep running into storyline ideas that, while I have a basic idea, I have trouble getting from a to b.

[@cosmonaut2684]

Maybe the city where the dwarf was an urchin from is a dwarven stronghold located right next to the sea with a cave gives the city direct acces to it and its where they park their botes. Im imagining some cool "under the sea" type of vibes.

[@idA_foof]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEE do a video on storylines! I thought your ideas and process were absolutely brilliant, and I’d have no doubt you’d bring the same magic to crafting a coherent plot line (simply because I struggle with that part 😅). You’re definitely a star, thanks so much for the video!

[@DNOTSoGoodArtist]

I love your art style. Might as well consider making one for myself in the future.

[@PeachyMcPeachface]

I was surprised to hear that I had a similar character writing style for making D&D characters, I didn't think to use those skills to develop characters for stories. I learned a ton, awesome video! Also Tales from Alderwood is an amazing webcomic, I can't recommend it enough!

[@kartumn]

16:09 THE WAY I WAS SO CAUGHT OF GUARD BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT REASON WHY MY DND CHARACTER IS CALLED NIX. Though he's not a tiefling he's a Tabaxi but the name was also a cruel name given to him by others (though rather a nickname that eventually became his)

[@AndyCandy-s9i]

I HAD to subscribe after watching this video. The characters amazing, and their dynamics are sooooo CUUUTE!!! I LOVE THEM !!! Thank you for this video, it has given me ideas for my characters.

[@AzariahMarinaStarcaster]

I immediately got butler vibes from Asher's suit, so that might remind Nyx of his family and be another layer to why he doesn't initially like him that much. It could also have the opposite effect and subconsciously make him feel more at ease, or maybe it's a mix of both and Nyx just spends a long time extremely conflicted on how he feels.

[@funent9611]

I’m trying to make characters for my novel using the DND template. This visual really helps me. Thanks star. I also usually create my own custom background, but then I go back and find a background that could fit into it or edit the backstory so that it becomes apart of the official dnd one.

[@zidarose]

Do love using the pre-existing backgrounds (also rolling my dice because I am a dice goblin)

[@lunaduhgon]

I often struggle so much with writing storylines.. a follow up would be very helpful! I absolutely adore the characters 🫶

[@Mithical_C]

I would LOVE to read a story like this one!!

[@chickennuggetpaw]

I love writing little guys! My favorite to write are villains- maybe you could make a video about creating villain characters specifically?

[@SuperKitten176]

Bard is best class I love bards they’re so silly and fun and I get to play a silly little tune and blow someone up :D and Tiefling is best species because silly demons are fun and also color

[@julisantillan6379]

I fell in love with Asher!!! His relationship with Talis intrigued me also. The three party members are so different, it could make a fire story 🔥

[@Starlightdreamer112]

Plot twist the Nobles that Asher used to work for Is Nyx's family

[@AmethystSky0]

omg I love them. happy found family!!! so much drama potential!!! like what if Nyx gets hurts in a fight and Asher and Talis(is that how you spell it?) have to protect him

[@isitreiningtoday]

i really like the nyx you cooked hed be a good protagonist

[@Rae_theshroomie]

18:52 I loved when you described him as chaotic and then changed the spelling of his name to Nyx because it reminded me of the Greek goddess Nyx the goddess of darkness and chaos and I see her in him now and I can’t get it out my head! I love all these characters 🥰

[@CatComixzStudios]

After all these years, I can't believe I NEVER considered the concept of a sea-based druid. It seems so obvious in hindsight! A guardian of nature, but for the ocean. Brilliant. Loved the others as well. PLEASE do a followup for making a storyline with them. Not only does that sound fun, it legit seems like a clever teaching tool using things you've already established.

[@ra1nb0wRePt1L3]

These characters are AMAZING I hope we get to see more of them! Great job 💖

[@RatLady-mv3lx]

8:54 Okay okay hear me out... *baby griffin*

[@ChenayaDeSilva]

@@RatLady-mv3lx omg yasss