Quote from: Oscar WildeIt is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.

I usually need to already have a face and overall look in mind for an NPC before I can really write their personal details. As a result, I'm constantly looking for suitable 'portraits' to inspire me. They don't even need to be something I can show the players; in fact, I almost never share the portraits.

My current favorite source is the character portraits from the venerable Fire Emblem series of video games:

Spoiler

Mmm, taste that mid-90s anime goodness. Here's another:

Spoiler

The newer games also have some great stuff if you're comfortable with the more OTT design philosophy.

Do any of you have similar quirks in how you put NPCs together?

Do you have any good sources of NPC portraits you wouldn't mind sharing? (They don't have to be anime if you think that's cancer)

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;958160I usually need to already have a face and overall look in mind for an NPC before I can really write their personal details.

I'm the opposite - a personality suggests itself first, then trappings, and last physical appearance.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;958160I usually need to already have a face and overall look in mind for an NPC before I can really write their personal details. As a result, I'm constantly looking for suitable 'portraits' to inspire me. They don't even need to be something I can show the players; in fact, I almost never share the portraits.

My current favorite source is the character portraits from the venerable Fire Emblem series of video games:

Spoiler

Mmm, taste that mid-90s anime goodness. Here's another:

Spoiler

The newer games also have some great stuff if you're comfortable with the more OTT design philosophy.

Do any of you have similar quirks in how you put NPCs together?

Do you have any good sources of NPC portraits you wouldn't mind sharing? (They don't have to be anime if you think that's cancer)

The pictures aren't showing for me.

Now wait a second, what is going on here? Those portraits... they are all of the same character just with different hair styles!

Shoot me if one of my character backgrounds describes an anime cartoon head.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;958165... and last physical appearance.

I would imagine in your case you sometimes draw inspiration for your physical descriptions from literary sources and classic illustrations, right?

Quote from: NexusThe pictures aren't showing for me.

Hmm, just checked them on two different work computers and they're showing for me...

Quote from: Soylent GreenNow wait a second, what is going on here? Those portraits... they are all of the same character just with different hair styles!

Well hey, you're totally overlooking their mutant eyes, freakish jawlines and weird tastes in collars and shoulderpads!

Quote from: Shawn DriscollShoot me if one of my character backgrounds describes an anime cartoon head.

Will do, champ. [Points finger like a gun and makes a little 'pow' noise.]

In the meantime, have any suggestions for alternative NPC portrait sources?

I usually have an idea of what the NPC is like personality-wise and then envision the face and body that should go with it, kind of like casting a movie or TV show. But usually I don't use real people at all and just sketch as well as I can if I need to show anything to players.

John Rhys-Davies has been how I pictured a gluttonous, greedy, craven merchant in several Traveller and Fantasy Trip campaigns. Not sure why I pick on him but that's where my mind goes.

Once I did the reverse where I came across an old photo of young John Travolta (circa Saturday Night Fever) and thought, "This guy would make a good fast-talking smuggler" and made the NPC to suit the image.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;958181I would imagine in your case you sometimes draw inspiration for your physical descriptions from literary sources and classic illustrations, right?

Sure, but modern ccg art and old pulp covers are just as good. I'm matching a picture to an image in my head, rather than the other way 'round, so the source could be anything that fits my mind's eye.

I've been using Obsidian Portal to host a number of my campaigns recently, and I've gotten a bit addicted to finding character images for all of the various NPCs that the PCs encounter. Here's an example, for my ongoing Shadows of Esteren Campaign:

http://shadowsofesteren.obsidianportal.com/characters

For my online text-chat gaming I often generate NPCs image-first, and I google a photo for almost every NPC. Not really with tabletop though.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;958181Hmm, just checked them on two different work computers and they're showing for me...

And they're working for me now.... huh. Must have been a hiccup somewhere. :confused:

Oh well, alls well, as they say.

I like to use images to flesh out characters but I usually have the idea first though drawings and other art has definitely inspired me to create characters based around them. In online gaming in particular, a picture can carry allot of weight and convey important information quickly...as if it was worth...um, allot of words or something.

Quote from: Black Vulmeamodern ccg art

What did you think of the 7th Sea CCG's art? I found some of the pieces quite inspiring.

Quote from: Nexus;958292I like to use images to flesh out characters but I usually have the idea first though drawings and other art has definitely inspired me to create characters based around them. In online gaming in particular, a picture can carry allot of weight and convey important information quickly...as if it was worth...um, allot of words or something.

I'm hesitant to actually show NPC portraits to players, as I feel my groups would mostly be distracted by trying to figure out their source. I mainly use them as a personal mnemonic - once I see a portrait I used to generate an NPC, I remember all the details I wrote for them.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;958368What did you think of the 7th Sea CCG's art?

I like some of April Lee's work, but I wasn't able to use much of it for my campaign - 7th Sea looks more like the English Restoration, about fifty years later than my Flashing Blades campaign, so the styles were wrong for the period in which we were playing.

I got a crapload of useful stuff from Pirates of the Spanish Main, however, including my avatar right over there.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;958374I like some of April Lee's work, but I wasn't able to use much of it for my campaign - 7th Sea looks more like the English Restoration, about fifty years later than my Flashing Blades campaign, so the styles were wrong for the period in which we were playing.

I got a crapload of useful stuff from Pirates of the Spanish Main, however, including my avatar right over there.

Do you use any if those little origami ships they made (or maybe still make)? I have about a dozen waiting for a pirate-type game.