Motivation

Motivation is another integral part of defining what purpose your character has. Motivation is what your character wants. This serves a number of functions in the game. First off, it lets the GM in on what you, as a player, desire out of the game. If your character wants to become rich and make the world a better place, there are a number of ways the GM can go about challenging you with this. Or if his aims are narrower, such as wanting to recover your ancestral sword of his forefathers' time, the GM can look for a way to slip something into the plot. Secondly, it helps give you a reason for playing. There are no "winners" in role-playing games; winning is about having fun. But having a goal can't hurt. There is no list of suggestions for motivations, but here are some ideas.

Is your character running from something or someone? Does the character want to acquire something? For whom will he acquire it? Is the character protecting someone or something? Is he hiding someone or something? What about revenge? This is an old classic. Hate and Love are very strong concepts. Who or what does the character Love or Hate? If that is too strong, what about Like or Dislike? Does the character have an occupation? Is he happy? What changes would the character like to bring about? What impact would he like to have?