The Game Character
Mary-Sue Litmus Test
There is a ton of “Is Your Fanfiction Character A Mary-Sue?” tests. Some of them are rather good and well-thought, and catch the Mary-Sues right where they bite. Of course, Playing Characters for an RPG and a Fanfiction Characters have several rather important differences– many “Mary Sue”istic traits can be gained during gameplay and due to the sole intervention of the GM (like, for instance, my character for L5R, Daidoji Yukiko, who made a ton of Mary Sues tests scream in fear, because she had won combat tournaments and kick serious butt – but not because if my own decision, rather by the will of the dice). Hence, that is why we focus mostly in the background/concept story of the character, seeing that the players have very little saying in what the GM throws at them after the game starts.
You all know the drill: add the points for every “Yes” you give as an answer to the questions, then add up your points, and check them against the numbers at the bottom of the page. Do try to be honest, or it probably won't do you much good.
Plus, keep in mind that no test can take every contingency into account, and I can't assure that that every character who scores high on this test is a Mary-Sue, or that every character who scores low isn't – remember that traits that were pre-determined by the GM at character build don’t count for your score, seeing that it wasn’t really your choice to give the character such traits. More importantly, having a high score doesn’t mean that the character is necessarily a bad character – Gandalf, the Grey from the Lord of the Rings scored a whopping 74 points, and he is one of the more beloved characters of Fantasy settings – he it only means that he has a ton of romanticized traits, to which Mary-Sue authors often resort to in an effort to try and make their characters more interesting..
I am always willing to hear suggestions and addendums to the test, so help me improve it with your feedback.
This test is an adaptation of “The Original Character Mary-Sue Litmus Test” by Falstaff and Grayswandir. You can find the original here
The Name of the Game
+ Is the character named after you (this includes your first, middle, and last names, and any nicknames or online names you use – of course, if you use your character name as screen name, it does not count)? [20 points]
+ Is the character's name an unusual spelling of a more common word or name? [3 points]
+ Is the character's name a noun or adjective not normally used as a name (Raven, Desire, etc)? [2 points]
[Subtract 2 points if the character is called something like “Pippin Galadriel Moonshine” and his/her name gets him/her regularly into trouble. Subtract 3 points instead if this is a Vampire/Noir/Gothic-themed campaign. Add 3 points instead if your character is a Malkavian. Subtract 5 points instead if your character is a manly Brujah or member of a belligerent clan/Association/Tradition]
+ Does the character's name contain unnecessary hyphens, apostrophes, or other punctuation? (e.g. M'chelle, Gloria-Angelica, etc.) [4 points]
+ Does the character have more than one first, middle, or last name, without reason? [3 points]
+ Does the character have a name you really, really like (ignore this in settings, like feudal Japan, where people actually chose their new names after their rituals of adulthood)? [1 point]
+ Does it have a “Secondary Title” (ex. Raven, the King of Shadows)? [5 points]
+ Does the character's name describe her/his personality? (ex. Tristan means sad, Darcy means dark, Chastity means chastity, etc.) [1 points]
+ Is the character's name just generally unusual in relation to the time or place where she/he lives or grew up? [1 point]
+ Does the character have a nickname or pseudonym? [1 point]
+ Is it a "dangerous" nickname (e.g. Death Dealer, Crimson Fury, etc.)? [3 points]
+ Is the character's name foreign, even though the character isn't? [1 point]
+ Is it an Asian name (or a gaijin name, if you’re playing Legend of the Five Rings, or another Japan-inspired game)? [2 points]
+ Does the character have a name or nickname that corresponds to a mythological/literary/historical/or cannon character from this or other setting/fandom etc. (e.g. Venus, Faustus, Bonaparte, Merlin, Galadriel, etc.)? [1 point]
The Looks
+ Does the character appear to be much younger than she/he really is? [3 points. 1 point instead if he/she is immortal in a game of normally immortal and unaging creatures (ex. Vampire, Immortal). 5 points instead if character is immortal in a game where normally PCs are not immortal (ex. Werewolf, Mage, L5R, Spycraft)]
+ Is the character highly attractive? [3 points]
[Add only 1 point if the character has to work really hard to maintain her/his physical beauty. Add 4 points instead if your character is a Tzimisce/has fleshcrafting/ appearance altering abilities and uses his powers to increase his good looks permanently during game play.]
+ Is your character built with maximal impact (special powers, abilities, and/or Merits) for seducing other PCs and NPCs? [1 point]
+ Does your character solve most of his/her problems by seducing people? [1 point]
+ Is your favorite RP time the one you spend seducing someone? [3 point]
+ Does the character have an unusual eye color, or otherwise exceptional eyes? [3 points]
+ And are these eyes a color that does not occur in nature? [1 point]
+ And do they have something to do with your character’s background story/strange powers/ goals in life? [2 points]
+ Does the character have eyes that somehow reflect hidden depths or experience or sorrow? [2 points]
+ Does the character have an appearance unsuited to the time or place (e.g. perfect hair prior to the invention of shampoo, a woman wearing pants in 1805, shaven armpits/pubis during the middle age. etc.)? [3 points]
+ Does the character get a disproportionate amount of physical description compared to the rest of the character background story? [2 points]
+ Does the character have unusual hair color or exceptional hair, or does her/his hair get a disproportionate amount of description compared to the rest of the background? [3 points]
+ Is the character a fashion plate (this applies to any style of dress, from preppie to Goth to Western to Elvish, and so on)? [2 points]
+ Is the character ever described as “petite”? [2 points if character is female. Subtract 2 points if character is male]
+ Does the character dress in a manner you find particularly attractive, sexy, or cool? [1 point]
+ Even though it's illogical for the character to dress this way (for monetary reasons, for instance, or because it interferes with her/his job)? [3 points]
+ Is the character ever described as "thin enough to be anorexic," where this is intended as a compliment? [1 point]
[Subtract 1 point if the character is over 20 and looks like it. Subtract 3 points if he appears much older than she/he really is (ex. a 25-year old, looking late 30s. If character is a teenager and instead looks old enough to pass for a grown woman/man add 2 points instead)]
[Subtract 3 points if the character is overweight. "Buxom" does not count.]
[Add 1 point if character breast size is included in the description. Subtract 2 points if breast-size is mentioned to inform that the character is a flat-chested girl. Add 2 points instead if character has a D cup breast size. Add 3 points instead if character has a double D-cup and no health problems for it. Subtract 5 points instead if D-Cup character is male. Subtract 10 points instead if double D-Cup character is male]
The Character
+ Does the character have a clone or identical twin? [7 points]
[Add only 1 point if there are a large number of clones in your story, and your character is neither the original nor above average in prowess. Add only 3 if twin/clone is played by another player.]
+ Is your character gay? [1 point. Subtract 1 point instead if character is playing in a setting where being gay could make the character be hunted down/despised/burnt at the stake/arrested.]
+ Is your character promiscuous? [1 point]
+ Is your character bisexual? [2 points]
[Subtract 1 point if your character finds recreational sex a waste of time.]
+ Is the character related to royalty or nobility? [2 points, unless character is from a game where setting wise you have to start as nobility (ex., Legend of the Five Rings, where the rule is to play a samurai) or the GM determines it for you.]
+ Is the character rich or well-to-do? [1 point. Add 2 points instead if character doesn’t work]
+ Is the character heir to a large fortune? [1 points]
+ The sole heir? [1 points]
+ Is the character a minority, a woman, or a member of a lower caste, who succeeds or makes a contribution/do things normally not allowed to said type of person, in spite of her/his social disadvantage? [3 points]
+ Does the character consider her/his beauty/talent/skill/etc. a curse? [3 points]
+ Has the character traveled extensively? [1 point]
+ Does the character collect things you consider intellectual or cultured? [1 point]
+ Is the character educated despite living in a time or place where education is not widespread? [2 points]
[Add another 2 points if the character is not a scribe, monk, priest, scholar, etc.]
+ Is the character consistently irreverent or radical, without repercussions? [1 point]
+ Does the character have an amazing singing voice? [1 point]
+ Does the character use a katana or any other Asian weapon in a fantasy/medieval setting (or use a gaijin weapon (yes, rifles and gunpowder count) if in an “Asian/Japanese”-themed setting) [1 point]
+ Does the character use a katana or any other Asian weapon in a modern day/futuristic setting? [3 points]
+ Does the character have an accent relative to her/his country of residence? [1 point]
[Subtract 1 point instead if you actually make a good impersonation of said accent while talking as your character.]
+ Does the character begin the game with a special birthmark or other marking (unless such is normal in the setting, for ex. tattoos for the samurai of the Dragon clan, in Legend of the Five Rings RPG, etc.)? [4 points]
[Subtract 1 point for each of the following that applies to the character when game begins:
She/he is in a committed relationship and wants to keep it that way.
She/he has a child or children and wants to keep it that way.
She/he has very little or no empathy for other people and is not concerned to change it.
She/he is selfishly manipulative or sadistic (e.g. threatens self-harm, lies, blackmails, etc. in order to get her/his way) in a setting where such behavior is frowned upon, and most people are aware of said tendencies.]
+ Does the character have a faithful pet or animal familiar? [1 point]
+ That isn't a dog, cat, horse, or bird? [3 points]
The Background Story
+ Has a “Powerful NPC” (ex. King, Primogen, Legolas, the President of the U.S.) heard of the character? [2 points]
+ Do they lust for/like/respect/fear her/him? [3 points]
[Subtract 1 point if character begins with a “Powerful NPC” disliking him. Subtract 3 points instead if said “Powerful NPC” is one of the “good guys” and the PC group is good oriented (ex. Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings, Dritz’Dro Urden in Forgotten Realms, Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter)]
+ Does the character begin the game with a rival? [2 points. Add only 1 point instead is rival is another PC]
+ Is your character a member of The Resistance, The Rebellion or a band of freedom fighters? [1 point]
+ Is your character the leader or a lieutenant of The Resistance, The Rebellion or a band of freedom fighters? [2 points]
+ Was the character ever framed for a crime she/he did not commit? [2 points]
[Subtract 1 point if your character ever willfully committed rape or murder or other serious crime.]
[Subtract 2 points if the character ever went to prison for a crime (whether he’s guilty or not) and suffers the social stigma for it.]
+ Does the character fall in love with, or have/tries to have sex with, a Powerful NPC you would like to fall in love with or have sex with? [3 points]
+ Does the character effect a major change in her/his love interest to make said love interest a more appropriate partner? [3 points]
+ Was the character ever the sole survivor of a calamity (woe me, my village was razed and I only escaped because my mother hide me in the oven)? [2 points]
+ Was the character ever estranged from her/his family/tribe/country/etc.? [1 points]
+ Was the character ever forcibly banished from her/his family/tribe/country/etc.? [3 points]
+ Does the character have amnesia? [2 points]
+ And does she/he still retain a trinket of some kind from her/his past? [1 points]
[Subtract 1 point if the amnesia was chosen to give the GM the chance to screw the character by revealing dirty things of his past that come back to haunt him.]
+ Is the character the last surviving member of a family/clan/race/species/etc.? [2 points]
+ Does the character have an angsty childhood, or an angsty past? [1 point]
+ And does she/he angst about it during IC time? (Angsting does not necessarily include simply relating events to an interested third party.) [2 points]
+ Was the character an illegitimate birth? [1 point]
+ Was the character ever abducted/kidnapped? [1 point]
+ Was the character abandoned by her/his caregivers? [2 point]
+ Was the character born into slavery, or forced into slavery or prostitution? [1 point]
+ Was the character born/raised in extreme poverty? [1 point]
+ Did the character run away from home? [1 point]
+ Did the character ever suffer physical or emotional abuse? [2 points]
+ Did the character ever suffer sexual abuse? [2 points]
[Add another point if it was rape.]
[Add another point if it was incest.]
+ Does the character feel guilty about something terrible that happened in the past? [1 point]
+ Even despite overwhelming evidence that it wasn't her/his fault? [2 points]
[Subtract 3 points the character has ever fairly lost in any kind of duel, fight, or competition against someone of equal or lesser ability, and the winner was not the character's rival.]
[Subtract 2 points if the character freely, willingly, and knowingly worked for the villain/evil regime and the rest of the world is aware of it.]
[Add 1 point if character is infiltrated in the PC group who are not aware of his true identity. Add 2 points instead if character is infiltrated by orders of the main villain.]
Character in the System
+ Is the character starting with above average intelligence/strength/charisma, etc? [1 point for every thing he is above human average]
+ And is she/he in the peak of human perfection? [2 points for every thing he is in the peak of human perfection]
+ Is he BEYOND human perfection? [3 points for every thing he is beyond human perfection. Only 1 point if GM is making the campaign to be “high-level” (ex. Heroic Level for D&D, Elders game for VTM, etc.)]
+ Is the character unusually accomplished for her/his age/species/etc.? [2 points]
+ Is the character fluent in more than two languages? [1 point]
+ More than four languages? [2 points]
+ Does the character play a musical instrument well? [1 point]
+ Is it guitar? [1 point]
+ Bass? [1 point]
+ Violin? [1 point]
+ Flute? [1 point]
+ Piano? [1 point]
+ Harp? [2 points]
[Subtract 1 point if he plays either tuba, ukulele, xylophone or another “uncool” instrument]
+ Does the character have a physical handicap that does not hinder her/him significantly? [6 points]
[Subtract 4 points if the character is significantly physically handicapped.]
[Subtract 10 points if the character is significantly mentally handicapped. Subtract 0 points if he is a Malkavian/other member of a naturally-inclined-to-madness group.]
+ Do animals or children instinctively like the character? [3 points]
[Subtract 1 point if the character is a smoker and not of an immortal race/immune to tobacco effects.]
[Subtract 3 points if the has a dependency or addiction that is or would be very hard to break (e.g. alcoholism, drugs, gambling, sex addiction, a potentially dangerous sexual fetish, etc.)]
[Subtract 2 points if the character has a significant personality flaw (e.g. she/he is a spoiled brat, is horribly judgmental or biased, is irrationally violent, is naive and easily manipulated, etc.)]
+ Does the character have a physical "flaw" that does not actually detract from her/his beauty (e.g. lips too full, white strip in hair, missing one toe, etc.)? [2 points]
+ Does the character have wings (this counts even if she/he is an angel, only has wings sometimes, can't fly, etc. – unless all PCs ARE supposed to have wings) [10 points]
+ Is the character astonishingly good at something that is not her/his profession? [1 point]
+ Does the character have any particular skill/knowledge at which she/he the best or among the best? [2 points for each skill/knowledge]
+ And is she/he widely knows for this skill/knowledge? [2 points for each skill/knowledge]
[If your character exists in an otherwise normal universe, add 2 points to her/his score for *each* of the following abilities that your character possesses (with or without the aid of charms, spells, etc.). If, however, possession of these abilities is considered normal in your character's universe, and many characters have it, add only one point each.]
+ Teleportation
+ Telepathy
+ Telekinesis
+ Pyrokinesis
+ Prophecy
+ Healing
+ Animal communication
+ Empathy
+ Shapeshifting abilities
+ Invisibility
+ Invulnerability
+ Flight
+ The ability to pass through matter
+ General magic or sorcery
+ Time travel
+ Transdimensional travel or communication
+ Photographic memory
+ The ability to see auras
+ Summoning
+ Power of seduction
+ The ability to shrug off minor wounds
+ The ability to kill people with her/his bare hands
+ Super strength or speed
+ Skill in martial arts or hand-to-hand combat
+ Sharp-shooting
+ Sleight of hand
+ Computer hacking
Work and Play
+ Is the character the sole or last practitioner of a particular form of martial art or magic? [3 points]
+ Was the character once one of only two practitioners of a particular martial art or magic, in a master/student relationship and the other practitioner die/goes missing during the course of the character’s background story, leaving the character to be the last practitioner of said martial art or magic? [3 points]
+ Does the character hold your job? [2 points]
+ Does the character hold your dream job? [3 points]
+ Is the character a female in a role not suited for women in the place/time period (e.g. a female cop before 1900, a female soldier in the US army before 1970, etc.)? [5 points]
+ Is the character a male in a role not suited for men in the place/time period (e.g. a male geisha, a coy young seamstress boy, etc.)? [5 points]
+ Is the character a female who dresses as a male to be able of doing what other women in that time and age can’t (ex. Women who dress as men to be able of entering joust tournaments, etc)? [3 points]
+ Is the character a secret agent (outside an Espionage game setting)? [1 point]
+ A double agent? [2 points, 1 point if playing in an Espionage setting]
+ And wears high heels or leather as part of everyday clothing? [3 points, 5 points if playing in an Espionage setting]
Is the character, or was she/he ever... (add points for all that apply)
+ A model? [1 point]
+ A rock star/performer? [2 points]
+ A stage actress/actor? [1 point]
+ A film actress/actor? [2 points]
+ A dancer? [2 points]
+ A cop? [1 point]
+ A ninja? [2 point]
+ A pirate? [2 point]
+ An alchemists? [1 point]
+ A bounty hunter? [2 points]
+ A mercenary? [1 point]
+ An assassin? [1 point]
+ A thief or pickpocket? [2 points]
+ An outlaw or member of organized crime? [2 points]
+ A diviner? [1 point]
+ A hero? [2 points]
+ A starving artist? [2 points]
+ A freelance writer? [1 point]
+ A freelance reporter? [1 point]
+ An explorer? [2 points]
+ A pro-athlete? [1 point]
+ A gymnast? [1 point]
+ A rapper? [1 point]
+ Does the character share more than one of your hobbies or interests? [1 point]
+ And is she/he better at these hobbies or more knowledgeable about these interests than you are? [2 points]
+ Does the character excel in a field you wish you excelled in? [1 point]
+ Does the character have the same taste in music as you have? [1 point]
+ In books? [1 point]
+ In movies? [1 point]
[Add another 5 points if you said yes to all three.]
+ Does the character have what you consider better or more refined taste than you have in music? [1 point]
+ In books? [1 point]
+ In movies? [1 point]
+ Does the character have the same religious or spiritual beliefs as you? [2 points]
[Subtract 3 points if her/his beliefs are radically different from yours and you have to do research in order to be able of RPing said beliefs correctly.]
Immortals, Gods, Fay, etc.
(This section only applies if your character is immortal, or of a species other than human.)
+ Is the character a vampire (and not in a game of vampires, like Vampire, the Masquerade or Vampire: Requiem)? [3 points]
+ Is the character an immortal (and not in a game where all of the PCs are immortal – like Vampire: the Masquerade)? [3 points]
+ Is the character an elf? [2 points, 3 points if in Lord of the Rings RPG, and 10 points if in a non-fantasy setting]
+ Is the character a shinigami? [5 points]
+ Is the character an angel, demon, fallen angel or the spawn of any of them (and this is not a game about angels and demons, like Engel, In Nomine, etc)? [10 points]
+ Is the character old, even by the standards of her/his race? [3 points]
+ Was the character present at more than one earthly historical event? [5 points]
+ Because she/he instigated it? [3 points]
+ Was the character ever the inspiration for classical art, poetry, etc. (e.g. she was the Mona Lisa, or Shakespeare wrote a sonnet for her)? [8 points]
+ Is the character a crossbreed of species (e.g. half-vampire, half-demon, etc.)? [2 point]
[Subtract 3 points if one of these species is goblin, slime monster, etc.]
+ And she/he has the benefits of both species? [3 points]
+ And the drawbacks of neither? [5 points]
[Subtract 3 points if the character has no benefits from either species, and subtract 2 points if he has the drawbacks one of them or subtract 5 if has the drawbacks of both]
+ Does the character angst about being immortal? [2 points]
+ Does the character angst about being a vampire? [3 points]
+ Does the character have a NPC close friend/ally/family member/love interest who is from another race? [4 points, or 2 points in settings where mixed-race parties are common (such as D&D)]
Me, My Character and I
+ Do you draw the character, or ask other people to draw her/him for you, more often than any of your other characters? [2 points]
+ Does the character have a major quirk or habit in common with you (e.g. drinks the same brand of soda as you, talks to pets the same way you do, etc.)? [2 points]
+ Did you base the character on your favorite previously existing character or person? [4 points. Add another 2 points if you only made some cosmetic changes to differentiate them (different name, hair color, parents, etc). Add another 2 points if you keep the same name.]
+ Is the character someone you would want to be friends with, assuming she/he would be receptive to friendship with you? [1 point]
+ Is the character someone you would like to fall in love with or have sex with? [3 points]
+ Would you be very surprised if someone did not like the character? [1 points]
+ Do you take any negative feedback about the character as a personal affront? [4 points]
+ Is the character a mouthpiece for your own beliefs or views? [3 points]
+ Do you have a character journal for her/him? [4 points]
+ Do you ever wish you could be like the character? [4 points]
Finished? All right, tally up your points. Here are the scores:
0-10 points: The Anti-Sue. Your character is the very antithesis of a Mary-Sue. Why are you even taking this test?
11-20 points: The Non-Sue. Your character is a well-developed, balanced character, and is almost certainly not a Mary Sue. Congratulations!
21-35 points: Borderline-Sue. Your character is cutting it close, and you may want to work on the details a bit, but you're well on your way to having a lovely original character. Good work.
36-55 points: Mary-Sue. Your character needs some work in order to be believable. But despair not; you should still be able to salvage her with a little effort. Don't give up.
56-70 points: Über-Sue. You've got one hell of a Mary-Sue on your hands here, and it's not going to be easy to set things right. But do your best. There may be hope for you yet.
71 points or more: Irredeemable-Sue. You're going to have to start over, my friend. I know you want to keep playing with it, but no. It’s wrong and it makes kittens die.