Big Flaw Book

Overview[]

What is a flaw?[]

A flaw is anything that prevents a character from reaching their goal. Flaws are often confused with non-positive personality traits, but those are not the same thing. Generally, a flaw has to be pretty specific and accomplish at least one of these three things:

Prevent the character from forming the bonds (friendship, romantic, or otherwise) they need in order to achieve their goal
Give the antagonist (if there even is one) a way to hinder the character from accomplishing their goal
Distracts the character from their goal

In addition to that, it has to be specific enough to create problems through the character throughout the story. You can't just touch on it once and then be like "Okay, flaw established." The flaw has to come back. And no, you can't give your character multiple one-time flaws. That makes the character inconsistent and borders on a Sue.

How do I write a good flaw?[]

The best flaws are the ones that are wrapped up in the character's positive traits. A good example would be Percy Jackson. Some good things about Percy:

He takes care of his friends
He's willing to make a sacrifice to save the world
He's protective of the people he cares about

These three things combine to create Percy's flaw: he has to be the one to sacrifice himself. He has to save everyone. And this, like all good flaws, is apparent in his character from the very beginning, when he realizes he can't save his mom from Hades like he really wants to.

It is hard to write a flaw like this. Rick Riordan is a master, and most of us are amateur -- albeit practiced -- writers. But this is a good roadmap for picking fitting flaws for characters. If your character is particularly skilled at something, they may do well with a capacity flaw. If your character is very protective of someone, they may fit with one of the anger flaws.

Did I write a good flaw?[]

To answer that, ask yourself these questions:

Is it a single word?

A good flaw has to be specific. If it's one word(or a word modified by "not"), that's a nonpositive character trait. And that's not a bad thing -- you're narrowing down to your more specific flaw. Just don't stop there! Keep going, you're on the right track.

Does it have to do with trust?

You have to be really careful with trust flaws. Any moderately intelligent character doesn't automatically trust everyone they meet; if you're writing an adventure or mystery story, it's a safe bet that almost none of the characters trust each other. Being distrustful of strangers is the norm, not a flaw. A trust flaw has to go an extra step from there -- move away from common sense and into something that will actually get your character in trouble.

Is it a flaw, or is it a condition?

Conditions do not, under any circumstances, qualify as flaws. A flaw is something wrong with a character, something that they have to overcome and fight against to succeed. A condition is something a character cannot (and should not) get rid of or "overcome," such as a physical disability, a disorder, neurodiversity, et cetera. A flaw can relate to a condition -- for example, a sociopathic character might have an impulse or capability flaw related to their disorder -- but the condition itself is not a flaw.

Trauma and phobias also are not flaws, but fears are. For reference, a trauma is a past event that created a negative reaction to triggers, including flashbacks or panic attacks; a phobia is an irrational and unfounded physiological response to a certain stimulus, such as being enclosed or high up; and a fear is something that scares your character, like dying, falling from a great height, or clowns with axes. Fears can be overcome. Traumas and phobias are things the character's active mind cannot control.

If you don't know, ask "Could the character choose not to do this thing?" or "Is it something the character's conscious mind can control?" If yes, it's a flaw. If no, it's a condition. It is fully okay for your character to have a condition -- in fact, that sort of diversity and acceptance can help you write a great story. But never treat a condition as a flaw. (If you don't know whether something is a condition or a flaw, just ask.)

Is it actually relevant to the storyline?

A flaw has to be something that will actually get your character in trouble in the story. If the character is argumentative and grudge-holding but they're traveling alone and don't interact with many people, that's not going to come up. On the other hand, if this same character overlooks obvious solutions in favor of complex ones, they will really struggle.

Is it the only flaw the character has?

Unless the flaw you're using is really freaking huge or really freaking multifaceted, one flaw is not enough. Most characters have one big fatal flaw and a few smaller flaws that add to the problems created by the fatal flaw. Make sure your flaws go together, though; a character can't be blind to their own shortcomings and hard on themselves.

What flaw should I use?[]

This is something you have to determine for yourself, using your character's personality traits. However, here's some help if you're really stuck:

If your character is a loner, an antihero, or just not a good person, you might want to use an ego, desire, or impulse flaw,

If your story world is inherently flawed, especially if you have a dystopian theme going on, you might like a belief flaw.

If your character has a tragic sob backstory and not many other developing events, you could try a trust or anger flaw.

If there's a competition that's central to your story world, regardless of whether the contenders are loners or on a team, you could look at a capability flaw.

These aren't the only reasons your character could have that type of flaw, and you might go in a completely different direction even if you do fall into one of these categories. These are just suggestions for help if you're really stuck.

The List o' Flaws[]

Credit: D&D 5e Player's Handbook

Ego flaws:[]

I judge others too harshly, and myself even more severely
I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others
I can’t resist swindling/tricking/outsmarting people who are more powerful than me
I’ll do anything to win fame/renown/notoriety
I’m convinced of my importance and blind to my own shortcomings and to the risk of failure
I secretly believe that the world would be better if I were an all-powerful tyrant ruling over [wherever]
I’m horribly jealous of anyone who is even a little bit better than me
I secretly believe everyone is beneath me
The world revolves around me. How could it not?
I’ll run to save my own skin if the going gets tough
I’d rather eat my hat than admit that I was wrong
I’m a terrible liar, but I don’t know that.

Belief flaws:[]

I blindly trust others who profess to believe the same things I do
I am inflexible in my thinking
I’m incredibly dogmatic -- my beliefs are fixed and concrete and will not change without some serious emotional overhaul
I’m incredibly pragmatic -- the ends justify the means in every situation
I’m slow to trust anyone who is a different race/gender/ability/group/etc.
I’ll follow orders, even if I think they’re wrong
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery

Trust flaws:[]

I put too much trust in those in charge
I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them
I have trouble trusting my allies even when they’ve proven themselves over and over again
I’m quick to assume someone is trying to take advantage of me
I like keeping secrets and never share
I will never trust anyone other than myself with anything truly important

Desire flaws:[]

Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it, to the detriment of everything else in my life
When I see something I want, I can’t think of anything but how to get it
If it comes down to what I want or my friends, I’m picking what I want.
I’m never satisfied with what I have -- I always want more
I don’t see it as stealing if I need it more than the person I’m stealing from

Capability flaws:[]

I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony
I’d risk anything to learn something new
Violence is my answer to almost any challenge
Don’t expect me to save those who can’t save themselves. Survival of the fittest is nature’s law.
I am easily distracted by the promise of information
I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complex ones
Once someone challenges me or questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation
I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven fighter/physically able/less intelligent than I am/not good at the skills I am good at
People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve

Impulse flaws:[]

If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it.
I have no sense of limitation or “going too far”
I have trouble hiding my true feelings; my sharp tongue often lands me in trouble
Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends
There’s no room for caution in my life -- I live to the fullest
I speak without thinking and end up insulting others
I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else’s
Once someone challenges me or questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation

Anger flaws:[]

I hear veiled threats and insults in every word addressed to me, and I’m quick to anger.
I remember every insult I’ve ever received and hold grudges against others for even the smallest of wrongs
My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning
I’d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair

Some Parting Words[]

If you made it to the bottom, wow, I honestly was not expecting anyone to read this far! Feel free to comment with any questions or suggest flaws I might have missed, and thanks for reading this! I enjoyed making it and I'm glad you found it and even more glad if you used it and found it helpful. I don't think anyone will do this, but if you want to share this with someone, go right ahead.

Also Some Disclaimers[]

The list of flaws is, again, not something I came up with -- it is from the 5th edition of the Player's Handbook, specifically p. 125-143 (gotta cite those sources!)

I am neither a professional writer nor a qualified writing teacher. This is a collection of things I have learned from writing classes, reading way more than a normal person should, and casually observing the forms for several RPs. Take what I say with a grain of salt -- I am not an all-knowing Queen of Writing Flaws

These are not the only flaws or even most of the flaws, and these are certainly not hard-and-fast flaws. You can combine or modify them any way you want in your characters. I'm just supplying some ideas.