Character Creation
Welcome to RoS’ character creation guide! This page goes over all of RoS’ rules and requirements for new characters. If you have any questions that are not addressed by the information on this page, please make use of the #questions channel in our discord server to get any clarification.
Everyone in RoS begins with three character slots; you may earn more from the Bits Store later on if you run out, but these may be used to make a basic character (one without any items from the store applied to them) without anything extra needing to be done.
Please note that at this moment, we are only taking Collector’s Mode character applications. You will be able to transfer them to Story Mode later, but that’s still being constructed. (If you don’t know what either Story Mode or Collector’s Mode is, don’t worry about it for now!)
Everyone in RoS begins with three character slots; you may earn more from the Bits Store later on if you run out, but these may be used to make a basic character (one without any items from the store applied to them) without anything extra needing to be done.
Please note that at this moment, we are only taking Collector’s Mode character applications. You will be able to transfer them to Story Mode later, but that’s still being constructed. (If you don’t know what either Story Mode or Collector’s Mode is, don’t worry about it for now!)
- RoS is rated roughly PG-13 with some darker themes. Character artwork and bios should match that rating, and not contain NSFW imagery.
- If dealing with potentially upsetting subjects, you should provide a content warning in the applicable sections.
- Once characters are approved, they are uploaded to the RoS masterlist account. If you do not want that to happen, you will be unable to participate in the group.
- All images and text used should be your own or used with permission/proper credits. Plagiarism is strictly against group rules.
- You may use bases - be they the official ones or ones you’ve purchased for yourself - as long as their creator allows for them to be re-uploaded!
- Realm of Serpents is a “closed setting” and its dragons and familiars are “closed species”. To make one, you must complete the character creation process. You cannot copy a familiar or RoS dragon design for personal use without getting them approved.
- You may transfer RoS characters (that you own) into non-RoS settings, just make sure that you aren’t copying any elements of RoS’ story/lore that are unique to its setting! (And that, if they are a dragon or familiar, you make their design distinct from the RoS species.)
This section goes over common questions/areas of confusion regarding character creation.
How many characters can I make?
As many as you want! Everyone receives three Collector’s and one Story Mode slot when they join RoS, but if you run out you can purchase more slots from the Bits Store.
What is the current year?
The year in RoS’ setting is currently 507 After Elder Drakes (A.E.D.). Time moves at the same rate as irl in-universe, so in 2025 it’ll be 508, in 2026 it’ll 509, etc.
What can I name my character?
Unless there’s a reasonable justification for otherwise, your characters’ name should be based on the culture they were raised in/the culture of whoever named them. (See the Culture pages for that information).
If you’d like to name your character something that doesn’t match that, you can, you’ll just need to come up with some reasoning why they might’ve been given a different sort of name.
If you’re looking for names from real human languages, we recommend using Behind the Name!
If you’d like to name your character something that doesn’t match that, you can, you’ll just need to come up with some reasoning why they might’ve been given a different sort of name.
If you’re looking for names from real human languages, we recommend using Behind the Name!
Can I leave my character’s gender/sexuality as unsure/questioning?
As long as it’s clear what your character’s pronouns are, you don’t have to write anything solid for gender/sexuality if you don’t want to.
Can I Update/Retire/Transfer a character?
You can, yes! See the character updates page for a guide on how to do that.
Can I make an NPC rather than a full character?
You can, yes! See the NPC creation page for how to do that.
Can I make up background locations for my character’s history?
You’re welcome to make up minor locations (small towns that aren’t specifically mentioned on the maps, forests, etc) for your character’s backstory, as long as you’re not creating anything world-altering, like new capitals or entire new countries/continents.
Can my character be related to/have a relationship with an NPC?
Sometimes, yes! If you want to make a family member of a major NPC the rule is to ask - some of them canonically have no family and some of them have had family trees figured out that people can steal characters from.
As for relationships; platonic ones, go ham as long as you’re not making the NPC do anything super out of character! As for romantic relationships with an NPC… that’s also something you’ll have to ask about. :) (Sometimes the answer will be yes, sometimes no, it really just depends on what our plans for the character in question are!)
As for relationships; platonic ones, go ham as long as you’re not making the NPC do anything super out of character! As for romantic relationships with an NPC… that’s also something you’ll have to ask about. :) (Sometimes the answer will be yes, sometimes no, it really just depends on what our plans for the character in question are!)
Can my character go to [insert location that will kill you here]?
Locations such as the Shimmering Wastes, Frozen Gates, and Ilzau Forest are extremely dangerous. Your character can briefly visit these regions, but there should be consequences for that choice addressed in their history - surviving that trip should not be easy for them.
Help! I have no ideas for characters.
I Have Another Question!
Please make sure to join our discord server and drop it into the #questions channel!
Characters submitted in RoS require, at minimum, a visual reference and a filled-out bio template. Keep reading this section for more information on the specific requirements for each!
The general requirements for RoS characters are as follows:
- Characters require a visual reference and a filled-out bio template (see headings below for specific requirements).
- Make sure that you don't have anything included in your character's information that is directly contrary to RoS’ lore!
- For example; mentioning the presence of cars outside of Ironbrook, or the existence of magical people capable of shapeshifting.
- To avoid this, read over their dragon species/human nation’s lore carefully. If you have any questions, please make use of the channel in our discord server; our admins are always happy to talk about lore and discuss your ideas with you!
- Make sure that you have any items from the RoS Store that you need already purchased or awaiting confirmation.
- A character may have a limited number of the following items applied to them:
- TWO slots marked with a ☠.
- FIVE non-aesthetic slots marked with a ☘ or ☃. (All non-aesthetic slots are marked with a ❖)
- A character may have a limited number of the following items applied to them:
- Once your character has been approved, it will be uploaded to the Lady-of-the-Spire account for safekeeping.
- Make sure your character isn’t all-powerful! It’s fine for them to have special abilities, like those you can purchase from the Store, or have skills, but keep them to things that are a) consistent to RoS’ lore and b) try to leave them with room to grow.
- The current year is 507 A.E.D (After Elder Drakes).
Characters in RoS are required to have a visual reference. This must be, at minimum, a coloured, fullbody image of them. It can be fully lined/rendered, but you can also just submit a (clean) sketch, as long as the image is readable.
This image can be drawn traditionally or digitally. You may also use a base, so long as their creator allows them to be re-uploaded onto other DA accounts. (See official bases here). If you’re working traditionally, be sure to scan or take a decent photo of your work, please.
Other guidelines are as follows:
Character art examples: see examples of approved characters & their artwork here!
This image can be drawn traditionally or digitally. You may also use a base, so long as their creator allows them to be re-uploaded onto other DA accounts. (See official bases here). If you’re working traditionally, be sure to scan or take a decent photo of your work, please.
Other guidelines are as follows:
- Please include their image as a sta.sh file or image attachment so that we can download it.
- Other image hosts are fine as long as we can safely download it.
- Do not embed the image into google docs - we cannot download it from there and you will need to send us another copy of the file!
- You may commission reference art from other artists, but please get their permission for it to be uploaded here.
- RoS does not have a system of genetics and markings like some other ARPGs, but please make sure that your character follows the basic descriptions outlined on their human culture/dragon species’ appearance page.
Character art examples: see examples of approved characters & their artwork here!
We require characters have a written biography accompanying their artwork when submitting them for approval. See the list below for information on what’s required for that.
- See a breakdown of the template here!
- The completed bio template should be hosted in google docs.
- Characters should have at least three each positive, neutral and negative character traits. You may format this however you like as long as the traits are clear.
- If you need help coming up with them, we have a personality trait generator here!
- There is no minimum/maximum length requirement, feel free to write as much or as little as you want!
- You should make sure to cover major benchmarks in the character’s life: if they have a familiar, where/when did they meet? If they’re a hybrid, how did their parents meet and how did that blend of cultures impact their life? Etc.
- An important note: please do not alter the bio template’s formatting! It is styled in a manner that makes it (relatively) easy to copy over to DA when we upload your character to the masterlist. We cannot copy over tables, coloured text, and images, so please do not include these.
- If you would like to create custom formatted sections of a character's bio, please set them up like this (history/relationships in separate docs) so we can link to external google docs pages instead of copying text over.
- We also recommend doing the above if you’ve written a character history exceeding 4-5k words in length. If a history is too long to be copied over within a decent amount of time, an admin may link it into your character’s bio for you.
- You may also add/remove sections in the “EXTRAS” category of their bio.
Completed bio examples:
Once you’re finished with making your character, all that’s left to do is to submit them for review by the admin team to ensure that they fit in with RoS’ lore and that everything was done right!
Before submitting them, we recommend making one final check that:
Once you’re ready to go, please submit the following form to the #character-approval channel for review:
Before submitting them, we recommend making one final check that:
- No sections have been left blank (outside of EXTRAS).
- The math on your character’s Date of Birth is correct.
- That the link sharing settings on their google doc is set to “Anyone with the link can view”.
- That they have three each of positive, neutral and negative character traits (for a total of at least nine traits).
- You have all needed store items for the character.
- Your character art hasn’t been shrunk/eaten by DeviantArt’s very functional sta.sh system/wherever you’re hosting the file.
Once you’re ready to go, please submit the following form to the #character-approval channel for review:
**Character type**: PC
**Character name**:
**Species**:
**Link to art**:
**Link to bio**:
**Relevant store items**: (list anything you've bought that the character's using. Please either have the item IN your inventory or a purchase request for it submitted)
After you’ve submitted a character for approval, an admin will look over their design and bio to make sure that everything works with RoS’ rules and lore. This could take anywhere between a day to over a week - we’ve all got other commitments so the wait varies depending on that, but we’ll get to it as quickly as possible!
If you get asked to make edits, don’t stress! We’ll create a thread to discuss what might need changing - if you need any clarification, use that. All you need to do after that is make edits and ping the admin who critiqued your design. You do not need to re-submit them to the approval que!