Dunno if you guys have heard of this one (I'm sure some of you have), I got introduced to it a few months back and now I always use it as a measuring stick for the characters I create and the future ones I have in mind. It really helps to ensure they're balanced and easier to integrate into the existing stories, and highlighting areas where they might be over the top.
Thanks for posting this. It came up here a couple of years ago, and it's something that should probably be revisited from time to time -- although I see essentially no Mary Sue tendencies in any characters currently active. Quite the contrary, all of the current crowd strike me as entirely sensibly put together, even if they do have ... unusual stories to tell. Long may it continue!
I score Sister Rose a 14 or 15 on this scale, Layla a 12. Keyes isn't really a "player character," having just popped into the Southern Continent to try to help move things along there (speaking of which, more new players would be excellent, as usual), and I haven't worked up any backstory on him to be able to answer some of these. Grope would score rather higher, simply by being a troll. I'd still love to get him back into the picture somehow.
Others?
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
Incidentally, not in Errant Road but in the fanfic I'm writing, Lorrin Elle scores 15, and almost all of that results from the connection with Sarine, which after all is the whole point of the fanfic. Maybe I should Sue him up a little -- how is Sarine ever going to be attracted to such a milquetoast?
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
Argus scored a 9. Part of that was that I didn't really think to give him a really 'Tsuirakuan-sounding' name. (sweatdrop)
Oh well. Maybe Cleiviein falls into the same category as the Mcsweeny family of the Agatean Empire. Anyone who gets that reference has my instant respect.
Porcelain Fish wrote:Either I goofed on the test or Maduin really needs some tuning. I came up with a score of 21. Is he really that bad? And be honest.
...I never thought he was that bad. I always liked Maduin.
Porcelain Fish wrote:Either I goofed on the test or Maduin really needs some tuning. I came up with a score of 21. Is he really that bad? And be honest.
21 isn't a bad score on the Mary Sue test, not at all. From the way the thing is written, 17-21 is kind of the "desirable" range -- no outrageous breaches of plausibility, but enough color to be interesting. I don't see any changes as necessary. It does say "keep an eye out to make sure he doesn't wander off into real Mary Sue range," but you're OK on that count.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.