Special Snowflakes

So today I’m going to be talking about Special Snowflakes. It’s weird, but for some reason very few people actually acknowledge the existence of Special Snowflakes. They may understand what I mean when I bring it up, but that doesn’t mean they’ll care about it. But I care! But I’m also going to try and make an argument as to why they’re inherently destructive to roleplay.

What is a Special Snowflake anyway? It’s a character that, in the universe they exist in, would be noticeably out of the ordinary. Some people might say “Wow, you’re going to put someone down for that?” because people are so used to this. They read novels or fanfiction, play games or watch movies, and the story is completely focused on exactly that: people out of the ordinary. That type of thing is fine for all those mediums, but roleplay is something completely different. Let me break it down for you.


On the highest level there are Powers. Powers usually represent kings, emperors, celestial beings, and the true enemy. These are people or creatures that are usually the directing force of a story; they create the problem or need for a solution, and the hero must often overcome them to complete the story.

On the next level are Main Characters. They are not the most powerful things in existence, but they have the means to come close and perhaps overcome the Powers set above them. Novels, movies, games, and fanfictions are invariably delivered through the eyes of the Main Character. The Main Character may be weak at first, but the dramatic effect and consequently the “arc” that occurs is when the Main Character overcomes what’s in his way.

On the level below are Supporting Characters. These characters exist to interface with the Main Character without taking over that role. In the familiar example of Harry Potter, Harry represents the Main Character while Ron and Hermione are strong examples of supporting character. Supporting Characters are out of the ordinary, but not to the extent that the Main Character is. While Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger are certainly “above average” in their abilities and actions, they ultimately fall short of the Main Character.

Consequently, the books are not written about them. Supporting characters may also be antagonists that act less as the true enemy for the Main Character and more as a constant conflict for the Main Character. Antagonist Supporting Characters differ from Antagonizing Powers in that the Main Character is already superior to them, even if they are still harassed.

On the level below are Minor Characters. You see them in little side stories that affect the plot but usually don’t interact with the Main Character in meaningful ways. These characters are still out of the ordinary but still less than Supporting Characters.

On the final level are Background Characters. In a story these characters do not contribute to the path of the Main Character almost at all but are meant more to fill in gaps and add immersion to the story as a whole. After all, the Main Character wouldn’t be so fantastic if there wasn’t a very ordinary, background palette to compare them to. These characters may very well have interesting lives, but we’re never going to hear about them because that’s not what the story is about.

Okay, got it? This is a pretty general analysis and some things you might wonder the category they would go into. Sometimes characters even switch! A main Power in the first sequence of a story might very well be no more than a Minor Character by the end of the story. But where do we come in?

Well, usually, we start out as background characters with our ultimate goal being to become a Minor Character. Sorry, if you were hoping to just re-live a video game and be a Main Character forever you’re in the wrong spot. People will try this sometimes, and it will work better in smaller settings, but ultimately when you’re thinking of interacting more than 10 characters together, you have to keep it low. Even books that focus on hundreds of different characters usually only have 1-4 main characters total.

This is the fundamental concept of roleplay. We are not trying to change the world; we’re trying to be a part of it.

Why?

I’m so glad you asked! Because the question’s really hard to answer. Ultimately the answer is because it doesn’t work and it’s boring if everyone tries to play a Supporting or Main Character. It’s less of something that can be answered concretely and more of something that’s noticed over a long period of time.
It’s simply more satisfying to be roleplaying someone… real. There’s a reason why sites have to put power limits on what you can do, because if everyone could blow up the planet then it would be boring. There has to be a challenge. In terms of pre-created universes (Warcraft, Zelda, Pokemon, etc.) that “power cap” is already set at the level of the main characters, and it would be boring if everyone could reach that level. But I’m suggesting you take it down as far as possible, because less is more in this case.

You can absolutely have singular characters without the world bending itself around you because of your awesomeness. You can be unique without wielding the Master Sword or even without being able to take on 2 pretty-hard enemies at the same time, even though you’re a swordsman. This is counter-intuitive for a lot of people because they’re still stretching out for that Main Character feel that they’re never going to get with any sort of long-term satisfaction.

So I bring this all back to the Special Snowflakes. It’s boring if you’re the best swordsman around. It’s even boring if you’re better than MOST people. It’s not a science, but there’s a certain point when you cross the boundaries of the ordinary that things just start blending together. You want to be unique? Don’t be powerful, don’t be super smart, and don’t be super courageous, because there are already examples of those things in Main Characters and sadly many Roleplaying Characters. Using the blaringly obvious things that set a Main Character apart is a huge crutch to your roleplay, and it really just proves that you can’t think up a genuinely interesting person; instead you just gave him a huge gun, a heart of gold, and the power to save the planet and get all the women. SNORE.

Why not make a person with some depth? Cut out all the crap and shoot for something more real. Someone who’s been drafted into the military but can’t bring himself to kill people. Someone who got drafted into the military and became so calloused by it that his family can’t live with him when he finally comes home. There are millions of possibilities and nuance that are just waiting to be tapped into, but so many roleplayers just slide in with the rest and do the same thing over and over again.

Everyone has a story, even those background NPCs that exist just to sell you potions. Why is she in town? Why is she still doing this at that age? Does she have any family? Was she ever married? Answer these questions and then start to roleplay.

Now, I understand that roleplaying as an old man who sells books for the rest of his life will be boring as well. There does need to be a certain level of action for there to be a story, and this is fine, but people take this so much farther than they need to in order to create interesting writing. You should start as a background character and then set them on a quest that might result in some Minor Character actions.

Maybe that guy will discover a cure to save his town. Maybe he’ll become a part of something bigger that ultimately helps the world. There are places for things like that, but not at every level, and certainly not at the creation of your character. You want to do something interesting? Roleplay it. Make it hard. Make finally getting to that point an actual achievement, not just in the eyes of all those imaginary world NPCs that applaud it, but in your eyes. It’s a lot more fun.

Lots of people who RP also play games, so I’ll challenge you in this way. Why is it that games like Amnesia are so fun? You can’t fight, you just run away the whole time. There’s a great story, but the whole game is terrifying and exciting because you know you’re facing something impossibly stronger than you. Why are some of the greatest games not about becoming conqueror of the world, but just barely surviving in that world? Think about it. The next time you want to create a character that’s the Captain of the Guard and can control the elements to serve his immortal Emperor, make a stable-boy instead who wants to find his place in the world. It’s a lot more interesting to read about, but it’s also a lot more interesting to roleplay.