Create a Personality Gimmick!

[Jotari]

Love em or hate em, characters with a single gimmick that makes up their personality are a part of the series, and while they've gotten more popular in recent years, they have been for a long time (Arden's slow and useless ha ha ha, how funny. He has no depth beyond that). And it's pretty understandable when you need to create 50+ playable characters game after game. So with that said, instead of wasting our breath complaining about character gimmicks, let's have some fun creating interesting or funny ones that you think can work well. Like here's one I just thought up as I'm writing this post, the provocative lesbian dancer. Most of her supports would focus on her outgoing and flirtatious personality with the male characters thinking they had a shot with her, only to realize it's not happening and why in the A support (but still satisfied to have found a friend). This would obviously not gel with a marriage/children support system...and I'm fine with that.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Jotari

[Dragoncat]

That lesbian dancer NEEDS to happen.

Hmmm, how about an animal lover who's constantly trying to save enemy mounts on the battlefield and having meltdowns when they can't?

[Interdimensional Observer]

This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but I did build an Awakening Say'ri child character largely around sorta one trait- their foreignness and their, semi-mistaken, embrace of it. Just want to post it.

Spoiler

For my hypothetical Say’ri child, assume male and assume Barbarian. His name can be… Kas’im. His gimmick, as you’ve stated before, is that he embraces his distinctive culture with love. However, he doesn’t actually have a full understanding of his native culture, owing to the chaos of the times in which he was raised. His mother attempted in her time alive to inculcate into him the proper culture and history and customs, but the urgency of the times kept him from receiving it in full. What he did receive was the rudiments, the basic stories and traditions, but devoid of their intricate details. Left without these, Kas’im improvised his own interpretations of everything. 

His Say’ri supports have his mother in the C criticizing him for everything wrong about what he believes and her being offended by his deviations. In the B, Kas’im explains why he knows what he knows to the Say’ri before him and how he was raised, Say’ri comes to understand this, but is still critical of her future son and future herself for failing him so. In the A, Kas’im apologizes to Say’ri, who then herself apologizes for how she behaved before, her son deserves the right to interpret things in his own way for his needs and considers him the pride of Chon’sin. Kas’im thanks his mother for this forgiveness and then recites some traditional and beautiful prose. Say’ri realizes right away it to be funerary verses. Ka’sim explains he memorized these to heart in his world, there were so many, too many, occasions to practice them. The worst was the day he had to do it for her. Say’ri notices Kas’im beginning to cry and goes to hug him. Kas’im then explains she was always busy leading their people into battle and keeping them together amid ruin, that is why they had so little time together, but he thinks she did it to protect him. Say’ri then finishes things saying of course that would be why she did.

Too typical or melodramatic? Would it be better without the hug and all thereafter?

Outside of his Say’ri support and Chon’sin pride, Kas’im’s personality would be built around his foreignness. He would consciously being from a distinct culture try to be different in some measure, as a way of avoiding assimilation into the non-Chon’sin pseudo-European (with minor Mongol and Egyptian influences) larger society. He would not however take this beyond what he believes to be the core principles of his Chon’sin ways, he will not break from them even if it means blending in. At least one support would address why he does not use a sword, like all the other Chon’sin people shown in Awakening, with the answer being that the sword never fit him despite all his attempts to learn it, and that he was drawn to accounts of fierce wielders of axes (or clubs) from Chon’sin history/myth.

Beyond foreignness, Kas’im would be generally a disciplined character. He might not be as stoic as his uncle nor practice the blade, but he would maintain the decor and manners proper to such a Chon’sin warrior. Like his mother, he is generally kind, but in line with his Barbarian class, he is capable of being ferocious and a bit combative, stubbornly willing to defend what he believes in, partly owing to being culturally different. 

 

[Jotari]

11 minutes ago, Dragoncat said:

That lesbian dancer NEEDS to happen.

Hmmm, how about an animal lover who's constantly trying to save enemy mounts on the battlefield and having meltdowns when they can't?

Haha. I can just imagine their support pool being nothing but mounted units and the character in question paying more attention to the mount than the rider (flashbacks to Ilia at the start of Twilight Princess).

[Dragoncat]

1 minute ago, Jotari said:

Haha. I can just imagine their support pool being nothing but mounted units and the character in question paying more attention to the mount than the rider (flashbacks to Ilia at the start of Twilight Princess).

YES. 

Maybe they'd also be a mounted unit themselves? Or can't for some reason, so they just enjoy all the steeds that aren't theirs.

[Jotari]

5 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but I did build an Awakening Say'ri child character largely around sorta one trait- their foreignness and their, semi-mistaken, embrace of it. Just want to post it.

  Hide contents

For my hypothetical Say’ri child, assume male and assume Barbarian. His name can be… Kas’im. His gimmick, as you’ve stated before, is that he embraces his distinctive culture with love. However, he doesn’t actually have a full understanding of his native culture, owing to the chaos of the times in which he was raised. His mother attempted in her time alive to inculcate into him the proper culture and history and customs, but the urgency of the times kept him from receiving it in full. What he did receive was the rudiments, the basic stories and traditions, but devoid of their intricate details. Left without these, Kas’im improvised his own interpretations of everything. 

His Say’ri supports have his mother in the C criticizing him for everything wrong about what he believes and her being offended by his deviations. In the B, Kas’im explains why he knows what he knows to the Say’ri before him and how he was raised, Say’ri comes to understand this, but is still critical of her future son and future herself for failing him so. In the A, Kas’im apologizes to Say’ri, who then herself apologizes for how she behaved before, her son deserves the right to interpret things in his own way for his needs and considers him the pride of Chon’sin. Kas’im thanks his mother for this forgiveness and then recites some traditional and beautiful prose. Say’ri realizes right away it to be funerary verses. Ka’sim explains he memorized these to heart in his world, there were so many, too many, occasions to practice them. The worst was the day he had to do it for her. Say’ri notices Kas’im beginning to cry and goes to hug him. Kas’im then explains she was always busy leading their people into battle and keeping them together amid ruin, that is why they had so little time together, but he thinks she did it to protect him. Say’ri then finishes things saying of course that would be why she did.

Too typical or melodramatic? Would it be better without the hug and all thereafter?

Outside of his Say’ri support and Chon’sin pride, Kas’im’s personality would be built around his foreignness. He would consciously being from a distinct culture try to be different in some measure, as a way of avoiding assimilation into the non-Chon’sin pseudo-European (with minor Mongol and Egyptian influences) larger society. He would not however take this beyond what he believes to be the core principles of his Chon’sin ways, he will not break from them even if it means blending in. At least one support would address why he does not use a sword, like all the other Chon’sin people shown in Awakening, with the answer being that the sword never fit him despite all his attempts to learn it, and that he was drawn to accounts of fierce wielders of axes (or clubs) from Chon’sin history/myth.

Beyond foreignness, Kas’im would be generally a disciplined character. He might not be as stoic as his uncle nor practice the blade, but he would maintain the decor and manners proper to such a Chon’sin warrior. Like his mother, he is generally kind, but in line with his Barbarian class, he is capable of being ferocious and a bit combative, stubbornly willing to defend what he believes in, partly owing to being culturally different. 

 

I can imagine him getting over excited about some kind of decoration or tool from his country that he completely misinterprets the usage of (like mistaking a fan for a table mat or something), with the support character trying to point out the ridiculous of the assumed use.

2 minutes ago, Dragoncat said:

YES. 

Maybe they'd also be a mounted unit themselves? Or can't for some reason, so they just enjoy all the steeds that aren't theirs.

I think I'd rather they weren't mounted and their enthusiasm comes primarily for that fact. Though you could get into Griffon Minerva territory if reclassing is a thing. One support could arise from actually rescuing an enemy mount, but then they feel like it's violating the horse (or pegasus or whatever's) rights by forcing it to fight against it's countrymen (countryhorses).

[Etrurian emperor]

I think a really good follow up to Arthur would be a super villain

Just an Arthur who isn't a super hero but a SUPER VILLAIN. He spends all supports loudly practicing his evil laugh or plotting schemes he thinks are the ultimate evil but in reality are just regular rule breaking or petty crimes, and when it gets more serious the villain proceeds to fail miserably. The rest of the army tolerates this behavior either because they assume he's just pretending or because they figured out he's mostly harmless because of his incompetence. 

[Re: The weirdo.]

A Wyvern lord who signed up for the cavalier division but because he was so much stronger than the rest of the recruits, they put him on a wyvern. 

Problem being, he's fucking terrified of them. Dragons that is. That would be hilarious.

[Dragoncat]

5 minutes ago, bad touch said:

A Wyvern lord who signed up for the cavalier division but because he was so much stronger than the rest of the recruits, they put him on a wyvern. 

Problem being, he's fucking terrified of them. Dragons that is. That would be hilarious.

Poor guy! Maybe he's scared of all wyverns and dragons except his mount, although he's still nervous with it?

[Jotari]

9 minutes ago, bad touch said:

A Wyvern lord who signed up for the cavalier division but because he was so much stronger than the rest of the recruits, they put him on a wyvern. 

Problem being, he's fucking terrified of them. Dragons that is. That would be hilarious.

Haha. This one could be my absolute favorite suggested so far. He needs to have a battle conversation with every wyvern or manakete boss in the game.

[Re: The weirdo.]

@Dragoncat

Nah. ALL wyverns or lizard like things. He got screwed because he's better than everyone else. He barely keeps himself together on the mount, meaning his animations in battle would be all shaky and terrified. Think mozu from fates.

he would have a low luck stat to show, for obvious gameplay-narrative integration. And a high strength, MASSIVE skill, decent speed, and high defense, like most wyverns, but a LITTLE more extreme.

[Re: The weirdo.]

@Jotari

1 minute ago, Jotari said:

Haha. This one could be my absolute favorite suggested so far. He needs to have a battle conversation with every wyvern or manakete boss in the game.

Yes thats a good idea and thanks for the compliment.

[Von Ithipathachai]

Dominatrix Berserkers when, IS?

[Guest Dreamyboi]

I thief that fails at stealing anything because he's cowardly and bad at stealth. He'll try and steal a girls diary during a support and then he'll get caught and HILARITY ENSUES and then they have a baby because Awakening did it.

[Dragoncat]

3 minutes ago, Dreamyboi said:

I thief that fails at stealing anything because he's cowardly and bad at stealth. He'll try and steal a girls diary during a support and then he'll get caught and HILARITY ENSUES and then they have a baby because Awakening did it.

Well apparently he succeeded in stealing a girl's heart at least? Lol.

[NinjaMonkey]

A female cleric who faints at the sight of blood (even her own).

[Light Strategist]

How about a squeamish Barbarian?

Just the sheer thought of blood makes him feel sick and he was constantly made to kill villagers and such by other Barbarians. In reality he'd be rather aggressive and hot-blooded but but the moment blood is mentioned he turns into a quivering mess.

1 minute ago, NinjaMonkey said:

A female cleric who faints at the sight of blood (even her own).

Not unlike this but less likely to faint. Thanks, NinjaMonkey!

[Shoblongoo]

How about a Berserker or a Warrior or a Hero who's an actual, bone-fide barbarian?

...as in not fit for civilized company.

...as in he is he only  joined your warband self-recruited to fortify himself on your meat and ale, ravage your maidenfolk, and harvest the blood and skulls of your enemies in the name of his primitive god.

...as in:

Edited April 10, 2018 by Shoblongoo

[Interdimensional Observer]

14 minutes ago, Shoblongoo said:

How about a Berserker or a Warrior or a Hero who's an actual, bone-fide barbarian?

Would unfortunately be too "not nice" to fit in with the heroes.

The closest we've ever come would be this snippet of Durban's personality:

Spoiler

Hector:
“All right! This is the throne. Athos Graybeard! I made it!”

Durban:
“…Let…”

Hector:
“What was…”

Durban:
“…Let me fight… Me… Let me fight…”

Hector:
“Wha-What are you supposed to be?”

Durban:
“My name is… Durban… I am called Armads…”

Hector:
“What is going on here?”

Durban:
“I am power. Power without peer. I am the dragonhunter. I am the fleshbiter, the bonecrusher, the skullbreaker, the doombringer.”

Hector:
“……”

Durban:
“I require no seals. I have no need of this idleness called peace. Power unused is power wasted. Better to lie spent in the grave than to sit in wait. I care not who… I would fight someone…”

Hector:
“This is one dangerous-looking fellow… Hey, Durban… I mean, Armads… Whatever. Doesn’t matter. Hey, you, lend me your strength!”

Durban:
“You desire strength? Then prepare yourself. Once you have gained such power… Your life will not end in a comfortable bed. You will die on the battlefield. In the savage garden of war’s bloody delights.”

Short of this, you have to settle with Peri and Makalov and Lifis and FE7 Karel. Characters who are also immoral, but not so raw in their immorality. You can recruit Karel, but you have to kill any bandit.

 

Another gimmick idea- a mystery amnesia boy with special powers who fawns over and is highly dependent on a strong but dull female lead.

Another, a ventriloquist- prefers talking to people via personas projected on objects and other things, rather than speak directly as themselves.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Interdimensional Observer

[Faellin]

A very shy armor knight. The reason they chose that class? So they can hide in the armor like a turtle when they are afraid. Think Olivia, but as an armor knight.

A thief who uses his sneaking skills to pull pranks and such on enemy forces. Stuff like placing silly notes on enemies armor. Another thing is after taking the useful contents from enemy chests, he refills it with all sorts of nonsense, all to make the enemy forces look stupid. Basically a huge troll.

[Hawkwing]

I'm actually half-serious about these, as I honestly wouldn't mind seeing these ideas in an actual Fire Emblem game, as long as they don't make up the majority of the cast and something more than their gimmick:

• A person who thinks they're in a fighting game, and thus focuses on making high combos rather than delivering high damage, and has a personal skill that references the Ultra Combos from the Killer Instinct series, being visually exciting and creative but statistically worthless. Bonus points if they have the fighter class, and have high skill and speed to boot.
• A thief who can't go a few steps without being spotted, and takes a more forceful approach to opening chests and doors. They'd be so bad at stealth that they're good at it. Essentially Anti-Kellam (and Mike from outsidexbox).
• A character that uses nothing but SWORDS, and is obsessed with stealing collecting as many as they can. They also have a personal spell list which, you guessed it, is all sword based. To balance them out, they'd have a lot of personal weapons that are essentially upscaled versions of the axe-reaver, superior sword, armor -slayer and killing edge, and their spell list would be legitimately useful (such as giving them a ranged attack, enhancing their stats/weapon, etc.) and unique.
• A character with a gimmick similar to the Forbidden Arms web-game, where the "protagonist" wields a forbidden sword that feeds on blood, and you need keep attacking your enemies, or else the sword will drain your own health. The character would be forced into every level, but with have special moves to compensate. This idea does make more since if you've played the game I'm talking about (Although if you're interested, I do warn you that the game is pretty bloody), and I think it could work for a single character in a Fire Emblem game.
• A healer and/or shapeshifter who is also a martial artist could be interesting.

[Interdimensional Observer]

On 4/10/2018 at 6:14 PM, Hawkwing said:

A healer and/or shapeshifter who is also a martial artist could be interesting.

Healer and Martial Artist? Video games do this sometimes.

Spoiler

 

It's called Monk. FE just doesn't like barefisted characters.

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armagon]

A character who only uses one specific spell and refuses to learn any other spell. Basically, this character would just be Megumin from Konosuba.

 

And now for the most meta suggestion: this character's personality gimmick is that he (or she) has split personality disorder and thus, has all of the personality gimmicks in the series. All of them. Every. Last. One. Only one gimmick is present at a time but it can change randomly.

[Hawkwing]

1 minute ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It's called Monk. FE just doesn't like barefisted characters.

I know, I just wanted to mention shapeshifters along with it (thank/blame Lugaru for that idea). It'd be cool if healers could wield staffs as a weapon, perhaps being able to attack more than twice and dealing a minimum of one hp damage with each hit, but they wouldn't have any might, so they still wouldn't be front line units.

I honestly wouldn't mind if we saw more hand-to-hand combat in the series, even if it's just cosmetic. If it was a mechanic,  the damage would be dealt solely on a characters strength stat, providing an interesting way to save on durability for extremely strong characters, but there would be very few moments to take advantage of it.

[Dragoncat]

A shapeshifter raised by the actual animal they shift into, so they're more used to their animal form or don't know of their human form until recruited. So a cat laguz raised by panthers/mountain lions or something for example. They only speak in animal noises and have to be taught to speak the language everyone else speaks, but even then they won't use it right. The cat laguz example would say "toms", "queens" and "kittens" or "cubs" instead of "men", "women" and "children". They could've been an unplanned pregnancy, from a mother who had no way of caring for them, so she left them in the woods and they managed to shift, and then the actual animals found them and took them in.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Dragoncat