Choosing Weapons and Accessories for your OCs!

Have you ever wanted to give your OC a signature item or weapon, but you weren’t sure what to pick? Maybe to add some pizzazz to a pose, or just to have something the character is known for having? Well look no further… because today we’re talking about just that! 

What’s your OC’s background?

The first thing you can consider when choosing a weapon or item for your character is their background! How your OC grew up and where they came from can be a big help in deciding on what kinds of items or weapons they use! A character who grew up as a rich noble might have taken up fencing for fun and be better with a Sabre than other weapons, while a character who’s grown up in the woods might be more handy with an axe than other items!

You’ll want to take into consideration the character’s circumstances, and what’s available to them! It might not make as much sense for the common folk to have a laser gun or an expensive item than it would for a military official or government figure. The opposite is also true! Unless it’s part of their character or plays a part in the story, a rich OC likely wouldn’t be caught with something cheap.

Choosing an item or weapon based on a character’s background could also tell the audience that sees them what’s important to the character! Some characters are more sentimental, and might have something from a close relative. Items of great value to a character might show up more in a story! Maybe it’s a weapon passed down through generations, or just a memorable gift the character received at one point from their favorite family member! If you have a character that’s not at all sentimental, the OC then carrying a seemingly useless trinket could tell the audience that the trinket actually has a very great importance, since the character doesn’t usually keep any kinds of items that don’t have use.

Background can help set up important things about your OC, and weapons or items for them are no exception! The background of your character will tell the audience the why behind their weapons or tools of choice, and also explain why it’s important to them! It tells the audience the meaning, and will help the audience understand your OC’s choices better.

Here are some questions about your character’s background to get your creativity flowing:

• Where is my OC from?
• Are they rich, or do they have less money?
• Would they have a special gift from a family member?
• Would they have a family heirloom that’s been passed down to them?

Questions like the ones above will give you an idea as to what your character could have! Are they someone that lives in the forest? Maybe they have an axe or a large bag to carry things long distances. Maybe you have a rich knight OC. They could have a fancy sword, or an extravagant shield! What about a magic character? They could have a magic amulet that’s been passed down through their family.

A good example of using a character’s background for choosing a weapon for them would be Mal’s OC Somnum! Somnum uses sickles as weapons that show his past life on a farm.

Considering Personality!

Another thing you can consider when choosing weapons or accessories is the personality of your OC! Depending on the personality of your character, they might be more likely to have one object or weapon over another kind. They might choose some kind of tool that suits their personality better, and avoid tools that don’t! A more timid character might go for a more supportive weapon or item, while a more attention-seeking OC might prefer something big and flashy.

Personality can also help you decide whether your OC even uses a weapon or item to begin with! Not every character will use a weapon, and some might have other items or tools they use instead. A more pacifistic character might opt for useful tools instead of weapons, like potions or medical supplies, while a more ruthless OC might choose a more dangerous and powerful weapon to fight their battles. Some characters might prefer to be on the sidelines, while others could prefer being right in the center of the chaos, and that will determine what kinds of objects they use! It all comes down to the kind of person your OC is!

Personality can help you decide what kind of weapon type your OC uses as well, if they do happen to use a weapon! A more quiet character might opt for hiding in the trees with a bow and arrow, while a more wild OC might opt for a giant blade. A more reckless character might use something with more risk, like explosives, while a more calculated character might strategically use poison to win their battles. It all depends on the character’s preferences and their personal skills!

Just like with character backgrounds, personality can play a big part into the items your character uses! The weapons or accessories your OC uses can tell the audience something important about your character’s personality, without you having to tell them directly! Your audience can guess details about a character’s personality by the preferences of the character, and you can use that to your advantage! You can also use personality, and give your OC something opposite that to purposely confuse your audience! Here are some ideas to help you brainstorm:

• A shy character that carries invisibility potions to use
• A more eccentric character that carries their favorite instrument
• A calculated and strategic character that uses traps 
• A more wild character that uses a rocket launcher

Taking personality into consideration when picking out your character’s weapon or accessory of choice can be a great way to come up with ideas! Is your character a quiet introvert? Perhaps they stick to their books and educate their group instead of fighting. What about a more aggressive character? Maybe they use a large spear to fight. Do you have a more caring character? They could use healing potions! A more spontaneous character might use a combination of tools and weapons to succeed. 

A good example of utilizing personality for the tools a character uses would be Divu’s OC The Merchant! The Merchant carries around useful items that help her seem more kind…but is she really?

What’s your OC’s role?

One more thing you can consider when picking weapons or accessories is the job or role your OC has in the story! Different types of characters will use different items that would help them with whatever their job is. It might seem a little strange if a knight were to use a fishing rod to fight, or if a cartographer carried around a giant sword twice their size! Of course, you could always do something like this for comedic effect, but it might seem odd otherwise!

Different jobs use different tools to get things done! Lots of jobs have to have certain items that are used, or the job wouldn’t be possible otherwise. An experienced archer would most likely have a bow they use, and a delivery person might have a satchel filled with letters that they carry around. If your OC has a certain job, you can use that to help decide the items they carry! 

The same goes for roles too! A group of characters might consist of a navigator, a medic, and a fighter. All of those characters would probably have different items they carry around! It’d be odd for the fighter to carry around a map, while the navigator has medical tools, and the medic carrying a sword! It’d probably make more sense for the medic to have a medkit, a navigator to have a compass, and the fighter to have a blade!

If you’re unsure what things different jobs might use, you can always do some extra research to help you out! Or, you can look at the world around you. What kind of jobs would you find in your area, and what kinds of items or tools do they use? Are there items they use that are crucial to the job, and would the job be impossible without such items?

Using the role of your character to choose accessories or weapons can really help you decide what will fit best for them! Taking the time to choose something that fits their job can really add to your story and to your OC! If you’re going for something more comedic, or want to demonstrate a character’s more goofy personality, you could give them something that doesn’t suit their job to show that! Here are some ideas that could help you think of different items for different jobs:

• An explorer that has a map and compass
• A messenger that has a satchel or bag
• A knight that has a sword and shield
• A wizard that has a staff and potions
• A doctor that has medical tools and medicine
• A journalist that has a notebook and pen 

The job or role your character has will play an important part in what they have! Do you have a pirate character? Maybe they have a gun and a sword! What about a business person? Perhaps they carry a briefcase with all their important paperwork! What about a chef character? They could have a spatula or whisk! A forager could carry around a basket and bag to collect berries and plants!

A good example of using the job of a character for the object they carry would be Wasp’s OC The Geometry Wizard! The Geometry Wizard holds a staff, a perfect accessory for a wizard character!

Choosing an accessory or weapon for your character to have might seem difficult at first, but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of ways to go about it, and plenty of things to choose from! Using background, personality, and role can all help you decide, but those aren’t the only options either! Looking at the real world or doing some research on jobs and tools can also help you out! And as usual, remember to have fun with it, and choose what you want for your character!