Character Creation (or "Smiley Face") Spread

[Mr. Sluagh]

This is tarot spread that I've designed for randomly creating characters for use in roleplaying games and possibly other forms of storytelling as well.

2................3
.........1.........
...4..5..6..7...

1: Concept. The character's basic position in the story and in her own fictitious existence.
2: Impulse. The character's wants, needs, instincts, dementias, etc..
3: Ideal. The character's beliefs, goals, hopes, fears, morals, etc..
4: The Past. How the character's saga began.
5: The Interim. What went on between the Past and the Present. How the character got where he is now.
6: The Present. The character's current lot in life.
7: The Future. What is likely to happen to the character in the future.

Thoughts??

[SherryZoned]

I really like this spread..it covers everything and if you want to delve deeper you can by adding on..Great job!

[Celtic_Dragon]

Now are you talking character only? or are you including the environment and other ppl are included in the past/present/future as well? You said other forms of storytelling as well so I imeditely thought of story writing. And a good story has everything life has, history of the character as well as history of the other characters, how would you add to the spread for relationships towards other characters?

[lovely_bones]

Cool spread. And it's origional Don't think I spelt that right

[Metafizzypop]

This spread could be used for yourself or other real people, not just to invent fictitious ones.

[GypsyNixie]

I loved this! When I found it, I tried in a character I already created. I just wanted to see if it would work. As it turns out, its completely dead on. I loved it. I tried it on a different character for the same story and it helped me think of something that would develop her character. Excellent

[Legion]

It's good. Useful in every sense. Helped me with some writing. Though, I encountered a problem. In the first position, how to read something like... Ten of wands, or Ace of pentacles, or The World?
Also, any interesting suggestions on how to build a plot on Two of Pentacles as Present, and The Empress, as the future?

[Rostiphan]

Originally Posted by Legion

It's good. Useful in every sense. Helped me with some writing. Though, I encountered a problem. In the first position, how to read something like... Ten of wands, or Ace of pentacles, or The World?

Depends on the sort of setting you're working with, I suppose. Perhaps 10 of Wands is a novelist whose current creative ambitions are overshadowed by a best-seller they wrote some years back. The Ace of Pentacles might be a young entrepreneur - perhaps the practical and wise half of a partnership with someone of the Wands variety?

The World is perhaps a touch more complicated, but maybe something of the Yoda archetype - wise teacher who appears to possess all knowledge?

[Yineth]

Originally Posted by Legion

Also, any interesting suggestions on how to build a plot on Two of Pentacles as Present, and The Empress, as the future?

Just my random musing on the subject:

2 of Pentacles and Empress: Immediate thought that comes to mind is how the Pents/Coins are earth-related and the Empress is a representative of nature, birth, creation, etc. 2 different earth-groups coming together to form something new, or nurture into a new beginning. Two powers that must balance each other?

[QabbalisticCabbage]

this is very interesting and something i am eager to try since i have been taking too long to come up with extra chaacters for my graphic novel, as well as bulking out the character profiles for a few already made ones.

just now i am thinking that i might pull more than one card for the Impulse and Ideals sections, maybe 2 or 3, to give a broader overview of what each thing might include as they are quite ambiguous as they currently stand.

I shall post back here and let you know how it goes!