Hmm, interesting question/thread. Usually I strive for my characters to be unique and interesting rather than special. Special has the connotation that the character is better or matters more to the world in some way. Having unique and interesting as a goal keeps your flights of fancy bound within the transactional nature of RP.
For example, Jehanne suffers from palsy brought on by excessive exposure to aether. She has to regulate it through a balm and potion, and by checking her spell-casting. This condition is the major wall blocking her from becoming the sorceress she wants to be and most of her decisions and actions are informed by it. Does this make her special? Perhaps, being that there probably not a lot of examples of disability due to aether exposure, though I doubt she wouldn't be the only one. It does, I hope, make her unique and interesting to others, and gives a predictable aspect of her character for them to latch onto. Now this 'unique' aspect of her character in no way implies that she is overly important to world events. All it does is explain her motivations for participating in the world: Why join the arcanists guild? Perhaps their form of magic would be less stressful. Why join the alchemists guild? Find better medicines for her conditions. Why join a free company? Networking to find those who may have insight into growing as a magic user despite her limitations. And all of these give her better reason to seek out other PCs, and to react to them in certain ways. Her feelings toward other spellcasters may fluctuate between admiration, curiosity, and jealousy. She may even prefer the company of armsmen because they don't remind her of her limitations. And in turn her reactions will give other players something to react to.
So the goal shouldn't be 'special', perhaps the word should be banished because of all its unfortunate implications. Make your character unique so it is pleasing to you, and interesting so it is pleasing to others.
For example, Jehanne suffers from palsy brought on by excessive exposure to aether. She has to regulate it through a balm and potion, and by checking her spell-casting. This condition is the major wall blocking her from becoming the sorceress she wants to be and most of her decisions and actions are informed by it. Does this make her special? Perhaps, being that there probably not a lot of examples of disability due to aether exposure, though I doubt she wouldn't be the only one. It does, I hope, make her unique and interesting to others, and gives a predictable aspect of her character for them to latch onto. Now this 'unique' aspect of her character in no way implies that she is overly important to world events. All it does is explain her motivations for participating in the world: Why join the arcanists guild? Perhaps their form of magic would be less stressful. Why join the alchemists guild? Find better medicines for her conditions. Why join a free company? Networking to find those who may have insight into growing as a magic user despite her limitations. And all of these give her better reason to seek out other PCs, and to react to them in certain ways. Her feelings toward other spellcasters may fluctuate between admiration, curiosity, and jealousy. She may even prefer the company of armsmen because they don't remind her of her limitations. And in turn her reactions will give other players something to react to.
So the goal shouldn't be 'special', perhaps the word should be banished because of all its unfortunate implications. Make your character unique so it is pleasing to you, and interesting so it is pleasing to others.
