Dungeons and Dragons characters often act as someone’s first-ever writing experience. Even if it’s not something people actively point to as an example of writing, the process of creating a character, complete with a unique backstory, personality and motivation, is very involved. Even a pre-generated avatar will end up forming new adventures alongside the player themselves.
This indie character study game is a wonderful extension of that.
Diptych by Meghan Cross is a character study game that utilizes artwork to expand upon their TTRPG characters. It’s meant to be played at art exhibits, museums or anywhere you find some beautiful pieces. While DnD classes are the mechanical backbone of a player character, the lore is the heart of what makes them memorable. Diptych does so with its hands-on prompt system.
The game begins by choosing the artwork and character you want to work on. Once done, count the number of letters in the artist’s name, then reduce it to a single digit. The resulting digit will then correlate to a prompt. Repeat this process with the artwork’s title. If it’s the same digit, feel free to choose any of the other prompts instead. It’s quite unique from your typical DnD character creator as it assumes your character is already a living, breathing being.
Here’s an example from using my character. Meet Haydee, a 10th-level Vengeance Paladin, who I have paired with Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabal. 14 letters in the artist’s name so that means 1+4 = 5. The resulting prompt was “What three verbs would your character use to describe Fallen Angel? What three adjectives?”
Haydee would say of Fallen Angel “fall, embolden and betray” then “bitter, beautiful, justified”. Fallen Angel has 11 letters, so 1+1 = 2, which asks “What aspect of Fallen Angel would draw your character to it?” Haydee would say “Though people see the angel as a betrayer, his expression shows so clearly he was the one who feels betrayed. They can either be falsely accused or completely insane. I am fascinated to know which.”
From this exercise, I became more in tune with Haydee’s essence. She’s driven by a justified vengeance. Her fury is a sharp implement, honed by immutable facts and driven by total lack of remorse, because why would she feel guilt doing the right thing? Diptych helped me put onto paper the traits I’ve always felt Haydee had, so I’d say it’s a roaring success.
You can try out Diptych yourself on itch.io here.
Want to compare notes on your DnD characters’ art tastes? The Wargamer Discord is a haven for lovers of the arts, minus the snobbery (except when I’m around).
Source: Wargamer
