I've previously asked to see your fat characters, and there's an official post seeking your queer/LGBTQ+ characters. Now, I'd like to see some of your characters who deal with real-life physical illnesses and disabilities. I'd especially like to see ones that don't already make appearances and/or aren't used as some balance excuse for something that is, or almost is, functionally a superpower - like all those blind characters who get to replace regular vision with full echolocation-style super-hearing or future sight. (You can post your blind characters, though.)
I'm expecting a heavy focus on human characters, but other beings are fine so long the thing still counts at a disability/illness for them. For example, if you have a character of a race that just doesn't have sight for some reason as a whole, I'm sure you're character is still awesome, but this topic isn't the place for them.
For this topic, please don't include mental illness or disabilities.
Some examples from my own characters:
Alabastra
Raven
Asher
Ash has acquired injuries through work accidents, including:
Chaser
SarĂ
I'm expecting a heavy focus on human characters, but other beings are fine so long the thing still counts at a disability/illness for them. For example, if you have a character of a race that just doesn't have sight for some reason as a whole, I'm sure you're character is still awesome, but this topic isn't the place for them.
For this topic, please don't include mental illness or disabilities.
Some examples from my own characters:
Alabastra
- Most obviously, she has albinism. Besides making her exceptionally pale, her skin really does burn very easily, forcing her to usually keep well-covered, and her eyes have difficulty with bright (especially sudden) light.
- Although it's not on her profile (I keep hesitating), I've been figuring that Alba also has Marfan Syndrome, albeit a less intense case than you'll see in defining examples if you look it up. (Marfan Syndrome is thought to be what made Abraham Lincoln so tall and lanky; it also causes problems in the eyes, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and rib cage shape.)
- Not really an illness or disability, but she's left-handed!
Raven
- Besides numerous scars from a life as a slave, Raven is mute.
Asher
Ash has acquired injuries through work accidents, including:
- Lost the ability to fully extend his right arm.
- Suffers weird nerve tingles that can make it difficult to feel things or can become painful, and has generally lost some of the sensation in his fingertips.
- Eyes are slow to react to light changes.
- The loss of 3 toes probably messes with his balance a little (but probably not something that would count as a disability).
Chaser
- The way one RP managed to develop, it was revealed that Chaser does not have child-bearing hips. A c-section was required. Not a standard disability that would affect daily life, but one that certainly mattered when it came up.
SarĂ
- Blind in right eye (injury), so she doesn't have actual depth perception.
Wanda here's a diabetic. I have fun including that into her everyday life situations and having it affect her in real ways, though it's been a hot minute since she was last involved in a roleplay. This thread reminded me I should dust her off and get her back into the saddle!
Do you ever get people whose main goal seems to be curing your characters of their ailments? I had to put up a rule specifically including I don't want her cured because it's almost always the first thing people suggest for plots. It's frustrating and one of the reasons I haven't played her as much.
Do you ever get people whose main goal seems to be curing your characters of their ailments? I had to put up a rule specifically including I don't want her cured because it's almost always the first thing people suggest for plots. It's frustrating and one of the reasons I haven't played her as much.
Interesting topic, Zelphyr!
Elmer, a 19th century prospector, badly injured his leg when he was a younger man. This has left him with a heavy, permanent limp. Running is out of the question. Even getting on and off his horse can be problematic. Once he's in the saddle he can get around fairly normally.
I haven't had much RP luck with this character. Though I think that's likely because of his age rather than the limp.
Elmer, a 19th century prospector, badly injured his leg when he was a younger man. This has left him with a heavy, permanent limp. Running is out of the question. Even getting on and off his horse can be problematic. Once he's in the saddle he can get around fairly normally.
I haven't had much RP luck with this character. Though I think that's likely because of his age rather than the limp.
This character (so far) is missing his left pinky finger that was removed very suddenly. 
I only have six fingers left. đŸ˜¡
An interesting topic! I will be the first person to admit that I sort of cop out of physical disability by always rping in what are essentially AU's, only transferring over my characters personality and general description from rp to rp. I do have AU versions of a couple of my characters that have physical disabilities though.
Cadence has a version that lost her left leg and her left pinky finger in the accident/attack that killed her mother. Depending on the setting for her rp, she usually has a leg prosthetic of some kind, though those are definitely not completely analogous to a perfect new leg and I try to play it as such. Edit: I just realized that Cadence also has really poor eyesight which requires glasses. That actually transfers across AU's.
Madam Vanya has a version where the attack that damaged her face and forced her to move from taking clients to managing clients for others also left her blind. In that case the cane she carries becomes much more necessary an addition to her character though she never lets others see her as weak for it.
So far the only character I have that has a physical disability that travels with her across AU's no matter what is Amaranthine who has a speech impediment that I actually try to write out to the best of my ability. I've actually told my writing partners before that if you can't understand what I wrote, your character probably can't understand what she just said. Go ahead and roll with that.
Edit: Oh oh! I almost forgot Mao Ling! It doesn't say it on her character page, but she has arthritis! Also just generally old, which isn't a physical disability in and of itself but does come with numerous physical pit falls.
Cadence has a version that lost her left leg and her left pinky finger in the accident/attack that killed her mother. Depending on the setting for her rp, she usually has a leg prosthetic of some kind, though those are definitely not completely analogous to a perfect new leg and I try to play it as such. Edit: I just realized that Cadence also has really poor eyesight which requires glasses. That actually transfers across AU's.
Madam Vanya has a version where the attack that damaged her face and forced her to move from taking clients to managing clients for others also left her blind. In that case the cane she carries becomes much more necessary an addition to her character though she never lets others see her as weak for it.
So far the only character I have that has a physical disability that travels with her across AU's no matter what is Amaranthine who has a speech impediment that I actually try to write out to the best of my ability. I've actually told my writing partners before that if you can't understand what I wrote, your character probably can't understand what she just said. Go ahead and roll with that.
Edit: Oh oh! I almost forgot Mao Ling! It doesn't say it on her character page, but she has arthritis! Also just generally old, which isn't a physical disability in and of itself but does come with numerous physical pit falls.
Noah is Mute and only speaks through writing or ASL!
He is a heavy introspective and reaction based character. Oddly he, like many with disabilities is often ignored in group roleplays.
He is a heavy introspective and reaction based character. Oddly he, like many with disabilities is often ignored in group roleplays.
Kaetil lost his right eye in the bare knuckle boxing rings before he was turned into a vampire. He has low depth perception and a blindspot. It adds an interesting element to his RP as its not just there for the aesthetics of 'looking cool'.
Oh this is awesome!
Keith and Brandee, siblings:
Both have permanent chronic pain caused by injuries in a car accident that affects their daily lives.
Moon-bak:
Moon struggles with focal seizures. They are technically triggered by stress and anxiety, but are still seizures.
Sylvie:
Sylvie has tourette syndrome that ranges from a slight bother to keeping her from doing much of anything on bad days.
I am uncertain if this is considered in the same aspect as mental illness?? So apologies if so.
Joon:
Joon was born with Spina Bifida and cannot walk well so he uses a wheel chair most of the time.
Keith and Brandee, siblings:
Both have permanent chronic pain caused by injuries in a car accident that affects their daily lives.
Moon-bak:
Moon struggles with focal seizures. They are technically triggered by stress and anxiety, but are still seizures.
Sylvie:
Sylvie has tourette syndrome that ranges from a slight bother to keeping her from doing much of anything on bad days.
I am uncertain if this is considered in the same aspect as mental illness?? So apologies if so.
Joon:
Joon was born with Spina Bifida and cannot walk well so he uses a wheel chair most of the time.
-cracks knuckles-
This is an interesting topic!
My main active character who has permanent injury & disability would be Draconus.
He suffers physically from:
-a permanent limp from a broken right leg
-muscle weakness and burn scarring in the right hand and forearm
-scarring and muscle weakness from two separate floggings
-missing right index finger
-a lesser slew of battle injuries, mostly marked by physical scarring
In order to keep his injuries in RP, I cooked up an allergen to healing spells/potions, but that’s not IRL.
On a lesser note I have Johann, who occasionally suffers through residual pain from having his throat torn by a vampire, and his left shoulder from dislocation & being dragged by the arm before it could be properly tended to.
This is an interesting topic!
My main active character who has permanent injury & disability would be Draconus.
He suffers physically from:
-a permanent limp from a broken right leg
-muscle weakness and burn scarring in the right hand and forearm
-scarring and muscle weakness from two separate floggings
-missing right index finger
-a lesser slew of battle injuries, mostly marked by physical scarring
In order to keep his injuries in RP, I cooked up an allergen to healing spells/potions, but that’s not IRL.
On a lesser note I have Johann, who occasionally suffers through residual pain from having his throat torn by a vampire, and his left shoulder from dislocation & being dragged by the arm before it could be properly tended to.
Gryta is missing a part of one of her legs. She is a currently confined to a wheelchair, but eventually I plan on getting some prosthetics built so that she can both walk and perhaps dance. Given that she is a low-tech fantasy character, I imagine they'll be carved of wood and won't move much, but we'll see how the RP happens.
Steve had his right ankle shattered by an exploding vehicle that hit an IED in Afghanistan when he was in the army. At the same time he was shot in the bottom of the foot where he fell in the street. After several surgeries at the U.S. Army medical center in Rammstein Germany, they were able to screw together his ankle but his right leg is a bit shorter then his left, and he also lost the two smallest toes and part of his right foot to the gunshot. He has a cane now he uses and his step has a tilting limp to it now.
Rebecca here had a serious bout with alcohol and drug addiction and is currently on the wagon after an extended inpatient stay in rehabilitation. Current rp has her trying to tour and is constantly tempted to return to her old ways. A good representation of the constant struggles of addiction which is both a mental and physical illness.
Oooo! This is an awesome topic!
I haven't played with them much (and they need some updating at the moment), but I have a deaf princess (Eris) and blind prince (Arthur) who are betrothed to each other located under this profile! They communicate by Eris signing into Arthur's hands and Arthur just signing to Eris in general.
I also have a character in the work who's missing a leg, though dunno when I'll get to her since, uh, my characters to make and update list is loooooooonnnng (thanks school and procrastination)
Other than that, I don't think I have any other characters with physical illnesses or disabilities. I just don't wanna overstep and mess up making one
I haven't played with them much (and they need some updating at the moment), but I have a deaf princess (Eris) and blind prince (Arthur) who are betrothed to each other located under this profile! They communicate by Eris signing into Arthur's hands and Arthur just signing to Eris in general.
I also have a character in the work who's missing a leg, though dunno when I'll get to her since, uh, my characters to make and update list is loooooooonnnng (thanks school and procrastination)
Other than that, I don't think I have any other characters with physical illnesses or disabilities. I just don't wanna overstep and mess up making one
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