Forums » RP Discussion » What is your OC’s biggest red flag?

I like learning about characters, and flaws are, in my opinion, the biggest part in making them interesting. I’ll start with some of my OC’s red flags.

Diran: His biggest red flag is that he has rotten luck when it comes with women. Not attracting the wrong kind, but trouble just seems to find him and find a way to get between him and anyone he’s interested in. You’re basically gambling if you try your hand at his game.

Rosalina: Trouble follows her as well, but she tends to deal with it the moment it pops up. Because of this, she’s rather quick in wanting to solve problems, not stopping to think about the best solution. This expands into other tasks, her knowing well that she needs to, but her impatience gets the best of her.

Lucifer: Lack of table manners. He’ll apologize, but he’ll never change. He loves himself just the way he is.

Mm, well I only have one Public OC on my profile right now. But...

Keith: His biggest red flag has to be that he holds grudges... and since he's not the most sane person anymore, that can lead to not so good things happening. He just lost his boyfriend of 2 and 1/2 years due to his accident, but recently found out his ex is already seeing other people.... That's probably not going to end well....


I would do my others, but I don't particularly want to out myself as their writer lol

My most contentious dramamonger character is supposed to have a bad temper and a violent disposition, but i am so bad at writing those in so the red flags are just ... swears some and kicks objects (bruising his own toe).

some side characters have more obvious flags like outright kidney theft or violent instigation but those are more like what happens after the flags should be noticed?

one villain was corporate stooge so their red flag was easily just their job title lol i am biased in my writing against capitalists

Imir: Can and will dedicate himself to others to an extent where it actually hurts their relationship because he loses sense of himself. He goes 100% all in once he is emotionally invested and will cling to you like a koala. If he isn't useful be believes that he can't be loved.

Lance: Speaks really eloquently and is a charmer but lies and decieves like it's second nature. The fact he barely has any friends or close relatives should tell you he isn't someone to be trusted. He will use charm to gain your trust and cut you off from your loved ones in a slow and steady process of isolating you.

Lazarus: Extremely reckless, thinks he is invincible and will put himself in dangerous situations fully expecting that he'll be fine. Easy and quick to trust.

Reymond: Horrible anger issues. 0 to 100 with the snap of a finger. Is really petty and childish. Does not tolerate sass but can dish it.

I'll do some of my characters since this sounds fun.

Glaceia: Mentally and physically five year old ghost who is sweet as can be...but has easily lethal cryokinetic powers linked to her emotional state and has a massive phobia of fire for an easy trigger.

Kariah Retsyuah: Literally a Goddess. Nuff said. Hasn't seem rp in a while since I tend to be very picky about what I throw a literal god into.

Kelmera: A hybrid that it a literal man-eater due to dietary requirements. She's not happy about this, but biology is biology.

Rashinnu: More like what about her isn't a red flag? Massively traumatized genocidal vampire phoenix with immortality and plenty of once again literal firepower.

Ravona: Has stunted emotions to her species. She can still feel them, but it takes significantly more stimulus.

Sorea: As long as you can get past her being a 50 foot long immortal dragon, she's pretty flagless otherwise. Has worries about outliving everyone she will ever care about and being used for being a dragon though.

Valeana: Mutant vampire with massive men issues due to being failed utterly by the two men who were supposed to gave a damn about her. Angry and bitter with no pity for her human victims.

Well, I hope your favorite color is red, because my cast is a whole damn color guard troop. Why? Well, they are either some kind of monster or entity of eldritch conception for starters, and a good handful of them have engaged in criminal activities. So in short: you're likely to either get dragged into the woods for god knows what reason (but he isn't going to help you), or get robbed point blank. They do vary a lot when it comes to social red flags, but it's usually tame things like having a chewed gum collection or enjoying the taste of orange juice after brushing their teeth.

I have three in particular that are borderline awful though when it comes to the whole red flag thing- like, they have a whole choreographed song and dance routine to go with their flag waving:

(all my OC's are anonymous, but if we've written or if you've hung around the game forum enough you can probably identify them.)

Marty: I don't want to say being objectively dumb is a red flag, but in Martyr's case it is. While she does have her moments of brilliance, she is mostly like a blind squirrel looking for an acorn in the middle of a snowstorm. Is it a choice? Who knows. Maybe it is, since it aids as an excuse for reckless behavior. Other than Marty being a lesser demon (a pretty clear red flag to start) she is also a cannon. She puts the dare in daredevil, and she revels in it. If something isn't moving, going wrong, or blowing up, then she is usually dissatisfied. Chaotic stupid is the game she plays, and she plays it well. She also likes to try to befriend the local dangerous wildlife which obviously causes problems without the need for explanation. But despite her flaws she's actually a very reliable person and friend... Though she'd totally sell you out for a jelly doughnut if tempted.

Xail: Most seem to pick up immediately that she's some kind of trouble, but they can't usually pinpoint what due to her being incredibly unpredictable. Like, you know you're going to lose something if you hang out with her, but you don't know exactly what that will be. She's always watching her surroundings, exits especially; and interacting with her is a balancing act of maintaining her interest in you, without coming off as overbearing or clingy and chasing her off. She's also awful in terms of commitment, and has an aversion to defining her relationships. She's the embodiment of "here for a fun time, not a long time". She's the kind of lady who will take you for a ride and then won't answer your calls for six months, and then spontaneously pops up again out of the blue. No warning, no explanation, nothing, nada. She's also a compulsive kleptomaniac and has the collecting habits of a crow. Is it shiny? It's hers now. Is it tiny? She'll take that too. Got neat little bones laying around? Don't mind if I do. Lost your car keys? ...She probably has them and you need to get them back asap because she'll be taking your car soon too. If she likes you she'll steal from you, but if she really likes you she'll bring you things she's found/stolen and leave them around for you to see. She also turns into a big cat thing on new moons, which I'd say is kind of a red flag. Anyways the list goes on with her, I'd be here all day if I listed every little thing.

Gigi: I mean where to start? She's full of herself, doesn't let go of things, committed murder once, and is perpetually stuck in the past. She often thinks she's above it all, and as a result comes off as a huge snob. But with all that said, she can be incredibly charismatic and she knows it. She's a huge manipulator and if she doesn't get what she wants her temper can flare. But due to being so stuck in her own head she doesn't filter herself after reaching her scorching point until the worst has already been seen, and the damage done. She is also an avid fan of showtunes. Yes, she was the girl that always had to be the lead. Gigi shoots big, but maybe a little too big for what she is capable of and deserves.

((I've literally been eyeing this thread up for a month now 👀 I'm gonna use my three main lil guys because I'm loving writing again, but they're always my top favs lol. Also they're Hella dysfunctional and so I'm so excited that this post exists haha))

Jack: He tends to try for the rose-tinted glasses vibe, but Jack has his fair share of red flags despite his saccharine persona.

- He comes on far too strong at most times. He will jump into people's conversations (didn't his mother ever teach him not to eavesdrop??), invade their personal space without asking and be overly familiar almost immediately. It can come off as creepy. He's got a tendency to follow people like a lost puppy and always want to be involved; he's not good with boundaries, which leads me to my next point...

- He's pushy. Jack gets too involved in things that aren't his business, including why you're not telling him how you feel, because he knows how you feel and he can't understand why you're hiding it from him. He'll ask you why you don't trust him, even if the issue isn't a matter of trust in the first place - it's usually a matter of privacy, instead. You'll think he's dropped a subject, until he brings it up randomly in the middle of a family dinner where you have to give him an answer. He's really a devious little thing when he wants to be.

- He's also incredibly jealous. He will pout if you hang out with other people, and go quiet on you before bursting into either tears or a tirade. It's bred from insecurity, but it doesn't change the fact that he's possessive with those that he considers his people - even if the other person doesn't feel the same. The sort of person who quadruple-texts if you're out with someone, just because he feels left out. The poor thing does have abandonment issues, but it leads to him clinging to people suffocatingly tightly, afraid to let them out of his influence in case they leave.

--

Sab: My guy is a walking myriad of red flags. Here are just a few...

- He's got an addictive personality. This one is probably the most obvious one, and he can turn downright nasty if denied his vice of choice. Often, he will be single-minded to the point that friends and family come second. This also makes him horrifically flaky when it comes to any sort of obligation.

- He's reckless. This does include his hedonistic and thrill-seeking tendencies, but also his proclivity to burn bridges seemingly at random. One little thing will push him to the point of feeling like he's tied down, and he'll cut and run without a word. It's not without shame on his end, but that's no comfort when he goes from by your side to no contact overnight. The worst thing is, you'll likely never find out if it was your fault - he'll feel too guilty to ever speak to you again. He also really struggles to hold down a long term job.

- He's lustful. It has to be said, Sab's not a stand-up guy. He'll make lecherous comments and has no qualms about going for someone who's taken. Even more so, he struggles with long-term commitment as he gets restless and often can't help himself when it comes to temptation. He has a lot of work to do before he's ready for a real relationship.

And this is barely mentioning the false hyperactivity, the belligerence, the seeming inability to care about anything or take things seriously, the playing drums at 2am and walking around shirtless and drunk in front of strangers, the fact that if he's comfortable with you he'll constantly make fun of you... the list goes on.

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Sol: I'm very much enjoying writing him again. Only personal things for now, but any development is good development! So, in terms of red flags...

- He's cold. Though it's debatable how genuine it is, his ability to seemingly switch off all his emotions is jarring to say the least. He will often approach things from a logical standpoint, becoming uncomfortable and aggravated once heightened emotions come into play. He really can't deal with tears, and would much rather just walk off. This on its own wouldn't be a red flag - except that he sees emotions as weakness, and himself defaults to anger rather than displaying anything that he deems too vulnerable to show. He doesn't really do empathy, and can go from on your side to against you within seconds.

- Needless to say, he's dominating. In any situation, he wants to be in control. If he isn't, he feels insecure and will absolutely throw snarky comments. His ego is particularly fragile when it comes to failure, and although he will take it at the time without comment, he'll then work himself to the bone to improve because he has to be the best. If he's not better than you, he's not doing it right.

- He's a know-it-all. He always has to be right. He will argue against his own point if you decide you agree with him. Everything has to be a debate, or armchair psychology, or just a plain argument if you get sick enough of it. It's a very rare occasion that you'll get an apology out of him, nevermind an admittance of him being in the wrong.

Time to read my characters for filth! >8]

Krepta would rather solve everyone else's problems than face her own. She self destructs on any relationship that gets too close to her, and then sits like a gargoyle on a cliff somewhere contemplating what a monster she is, when the real trouble is that she's so damn human.

Also she sometimes eats garbage.

Batman only falls in love with emotionally unavailable women who want to beat him up. He tip-toes around or ices out the relationships that are actually good for him. Luckily for him, most of them are as stubborn as he is.

Hellboy's hygiene is questionable at best. He's a crazy cat lady in a monster hunter's body. He cleans up nice for Liz. The rest of the team really, really likes it when Liz is around.

The Doctor has no sense of healthy personal boundaries. Also he argues frequently with the box he lives in and refuses to stop and ask for directions.

Ven's house is an extension of his consciousness. All of it. Including the land he grows vegetables on that he proceeds to cook for his guests. If you try to confront him about this he says he doesn't see anything wrong with it and then the stag carving on end table in the bedroom winks at you later. He also stares at people and then practices their body language in the mirror later in order to seem more human.

My favorite characters are kids, so that's already a red flag for a lot of people. (Especially the grumpy stoic characters who'd rather have peace and order.)

Individually:

Jade is a wild child who was raised by literal animals, has no concept of law or human custom, and only learned speech and some alchemy because of the old man who raised her until passing away when she was 3. (As well as the occasional dragon or sprite passing by who didn't mind communing with a human that understood nature better than most.)

Lyra is a temperamental kid with serious trust issues and who's learned to steal to survive. On top of having volatile storm magic she can't control very well, she's just kind of a lot to deal with. (She isn't malicious, but she's incredibly pensive and more prone to run from authority figures than deal with consequences.)

I think my other characters are generally fine. One's just a postman doing his best, and the other's a traveling bard who keeps the secret of his kind.

Maria: She has no concept of the value of life because of how old she is (~600 years old). She manipulates people constantly and has gotten really good at it. Her succubus powers make her the queen of successfully gaslighting people. ( I literally wrote her to be a diagnosed narcissist so she’s the worst one).
Aspin: He will always defer to his wife, even if he disagrees with her. ( His wife is Maria).
Orion: He refuses to open up about his past to anyone. He will also shut people off if he is doing poorly, even when they ask to help.

Oh my gosh. It's always Blind Optimism.

Rose 🌷: Her biggest red flag would be her insecurity, she doesn’t have the highest self esteem and sometimes thinks less of herself. The reason why I think it’s a major red flag when it comes to friendships or relationships is because it doesn’t only affect her alone. She also doesn’t want to burden anyone else with her issues, and somewhat doesn’t believe that anyone would actually be willing to stick around and help her gain confidence, probably because of her low self esteem, she doesn’t feel worthy

As for Lilliath her biggest red flag is that she will cry and cry and throw the biggest tantrums when she doesn't get her way, and doesn't stop even when there's consequences too it.

Avi is friendly, supportive, and outwardly cheerful enough that the self worth issues are practically palpable. A lot of the outward presentation is genuine, but it definitely also gets used as a mask for anxieties.

Her Eminence the Lady Cryu-Dzien is A) a powerful deity, B) heavily involved in her people's government, and C) the kind of person who treats almost all interactions as transactional in some way. If you ask her for a favor and she agrees, she will demand of you repayment which she deems appropriate. She's overall very fair about this, if she ensures that the soul of one of your lost family members makes it to their final judgement despite not being able to pay the ferryman, she'll probably have you run a simple courier job in return because she sees that as equivalent effort. Still, anything she does outside of her direct duties as a goddess of ice, death, wealth, and fleets is handled with a complex balance of favors, and you'll just have to trust that she's playing fair.

Sox was born into money and, while she was also born to parents who value using that money for the public good, she also expects to be able to use it to solve most of her problems in one way or the other. For better or worse, between splashing it around, flexing the influence it brings, and buying stuff which might be useful, it usually works well enough to reinforce that view. It also means that her experience with some worldly practicalities is.... questionable. Still, one of the least red-flaggy ones on the list.

Pliumii is the equivalent of the internet being strapped to a person to give it sentience, and then given the authority and ability to enforce the equivalent of international law with drones and automated starships. She also knows almost everything about everyone, even if she isn't allowed to remember it on a personal level, and is creepily good at recognizing patterns in a way that makes it feel like she's reading your mind even when she... probably isn't. She might be simulating it, though.

Tsi'ka-ul follows the laws and customs of her people, no matter where she is, who you are, or what you are comfortable with. As long as she is there and doing something important, she will do her damnedest to make you yield to the authority of the Tsk-tak'clk Hives so that she can get her job done. If she is told to defer to local laws or to specific people, she will, and the Hives are benevolent and sticklers for rules set out by treaties and inter-cultural agreements, but that does not mean that they are nice.

Victi's is her nearly full-on blue/orange morality. An outside observer might call her amoral or a sociopath, possibly even psychopathic, but she does feel genuine remorse and empathy, and has a very strong morality. It's just that it's the morality of an affectionate yet aloof ambush predator. With a stockpile of explosives. And magic. She would ask you if that guy is bothering you and, when you say yes, either she'd cast a spell to increase the friction coefficients of his skin and clothes enough that he sticks to everything, sealing his mouth shut and leading to him gradually contorting as he panics from not being able to move freely as a result, or she'd off him where he stands with a sword swing, thermal ray spell, or mana-dart to the skull, and walk away like the corpse isn't a problem.

Liqui is a perpetually bored trickster-goddess who really enjoys the "life and fertility" part of her domains. Ironic, for a dragoness who doesn't have any horns... That probably covers it pretty well.

Ziktia's biggest red flag used to be some other colour until it started bleeding, juice squeezed from the fruits of her work by her Master. Tasty fruits, flowers turned sweet and bulbous, crimson sheen of their nascent flesh calling out from the nectar. She can't wait to feel it roll across her tongue, and would be happy to let you take a bite...