AgentSkillsCN

Character Architect

角色架构师

SKILL.md

Character Architect Skill

Purpose

Develop deep, psychologically coherent characters with distinct voices, trackable relationships, and image-generation-ready visual descriptions.

Trigger

LOGLINE_LOCK.md exists and is approved.

Inputs Required

  • •CREATIVE_BRIEF.md
  • •POWER_STACK.md
  • •LOGLINE_LOCK.md

Outputs Produced

  • •CHARACTER_SHEETS/{NAME}.md - Individual character profiles
  • •RELATIONSHIP_MAP.json - Machine-readable relationship matrix
  • •CAST_LIST.md - Summary of all characters

Process

Step 1: Identify Required Characters

From CREATIVE_BRIEF.md and LOGLINE_LOCK.md, identify:

Tier 1 - Must Have (Pilot):

  • •Protagonist
  • •Key relationship character (from brief)
  • •Primary antagonist or obstacle character

Tier 2 - Series Regulars:

  • •Supporting cast needed for series engine
  • •Additional relationship dynamics
  • •Typically 3-5 additional characters

Tier 3 - Recurring:

  • •Characters who appear in multiple episodes
  • •World-building characters
  • •Define as needed

Step 2: Build Protagonist First

Complete the full CHARACTER_SHEET template for the protagonist.

Critical Sections:

Psychology Deep Dive

  1. •Want: What they consciously pursue
  2. •Need: What they actually require (unconscious)
  3. •Lie: The false belief that blocks them
  4. •Wound: The origin event of the lie
  5. •Ghost: How the wound manifests daily
  6. •Virtue with Cost: Their strength that also causes problems

Relationship Wiring

  • •How they attach to others
  • •What triggers their defenses
  • •What they never talk about
  • •How they show (not say) love

Voice Profile

  • •Sentence structure patterns
  • •Vocabulary level and domains
  • •Metaphor sources
  • •Sarcasm/humor patterns
  • •What topics they avoid
  • •Speech patterns under stress

Step 3: Build Key Relationship Character

The character identified as "who they need most" in the brief.

Special Focus:

  • •Why they are uniquely suited to the protagonist
  • •What they provide that no one else can
  • •Their own want/need/lie (independent arc)
  • •The "bond mechanism" - what draws them together
  • •The "pressure mechanism" - what creates conflict

Step 4: Build Remaining Cast

For each additional character:

  1. •

    Role Check: What story function do they serve?

    • •Ally
    • •Antagonist
    • •Mentor
    • •Threshold Guardian
    • •Shapeshifter
    • •Trickster
    • •Herald
  2. •

    Differentiation Check: Are they distinct from existing characters in:

    • •Voice
    • •Visual appearance
    • •Worldview
    • •Relationship to protagonist
  3. •

    Arc Potential: What change is available to them over the season?

Step 5: Generate Relationship Map

Create RELATIONSHIP_MAP.json with:

For each character pair:

  • •Trust (-5 to +5): Belief in reliability/honesty
  • •Respect (-5 to +5): Admiration for competence/character
  • •Dependency (-5 to +5): Need for the other
  • •Intimacy (-5 to +5): Emotional closeness
  • •Moral Alignment (-5 to +5): Shared values

Plus:

  • •Bond Mechanism: What connects them
  • •Pressure Mechanism: What creates conflict
  • •Private Language: Unique terms/references
  • •Arc Direction: Where the relationship is heading

Step 6: Visual Description Optimization

For each character, ensure the visual description is:

Prompt-Ready:

  • •Specific physical features (not vague)
  • •Age-appropriate markers
  • •Distinctive silhouette elements
  • •Signature clothing/accessories
  • •Color associations

Consistency-Focused:

  • •Locked visual anchors (never change)
  • •Allowed variations (outfit changes, etc.)
  • •Negative prompts (what to avoid)

Step 7: Voice Differentiation Test

Read sample dialogue for each character. They should be distinguishable WITHOUT dialogue tags.

Test: Write the same line ("We need to talk about what happened.") in each character's voice.

If voices are too similar:

  • •Adjust sentence length patterns
  • •Change vocabulary domains
  • •Modify directness levels
  • •Add unique verbal tics

Step 8: Contradiction Check

Verify each character:

  • • Has at least one surprising trait (against type)
  • • Causes at least one problem in the pilot (not just reactive)
  • • Has one relationship they're actively failing
  • • Has a secret (even if never revealed)
  • • Wants something in every scene they're in

Quality Gate: Gate 2

Pass Criteria:

  • • Every major character has complete want/need/lie
  • • Every major character causes at least one pilot problem
  • • Every major character has one surprising competency
  • • Every major character has one failing relationship
  • • Visual descriptions are prompt-ready
  • • Voices are distinguishable in blind test

Fail Action:

  • •Identify specific gaps
  • •Return to relevant step
  • •Do not proceed to story-architect until passed

Character Sheet Sections

  1. •Identity: Name, age, role, archetype
  2. •Psychology: Want/need/lie/wound/virtue
  3. •Relationships: How they connect to others
  4. •Visual: Physical description, wardrobe, props
  5. •Voice: Speech patterns, vocabulary, quirks
  6. •Arc: Where they start, where they're going
  7. •Secrets: What they hide
  8. •Casting Notes: Actor comparisons (optional)

Common Pitfalls

Avoid:

  • •Characters who only react, never initiate
  • •Visual descriptions that are generic ("attractive woman")
  • •Voices that all sound like the writer
  • •Relationships without conflict potential
  • •Backstory that doesn't affect present behavior
  • •Perfect heroes or pure villains

Ensure:

  • •Every character believes they're the hero of their own story
  • •Antagonists have understandable (not sympathetic) logic
  • •Supporting characters have lives beyond the protagonist
  • •Physical descriptions include something memorable
  • •Voice profiles include what they WON'T say