From http://www.roleplayingtips.com/articles/character_questionnaire.asp. Reformatted to fit the style of this web site.
Use this list of questions to construct or add to your own characrer questionnaire. The questions cover different genres and types of details, so feel free to exclude or modify to suit your group.
Questions are divided into broad categories. And similar questions and bunched into groups within their category.
For brevity, I cut out most follow-up explanation type questions, such as “Why”, “how come”, and so on. Feel free to attach a “why” question after any item in the questionnaire to generate more details from your players.
Give a two or three word description of yourself. (Describe you's concept.)
Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, nom de plume?
What is your full birth name?
Where do you live?
What is your most obvious blessing or strength?
What is your most obvious flaw or weakness?
How old are you?
What is your gender?
What is your species/race?
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
What is your general body type, frame, bone structure, and poise?
What is your skin colour?
What is your hair colour?
Do you have any facial hair?
What is your eye colour?
How attractive are you?
What is your most distinguishing feature?
Do you have any scars, tattoos, or birthmarks?
What is your handedness (left/right)?
Do you resemble some currently known person?
What is your hand size/description?
Do you wear a uniform?
Do you wear makeup?
Do you wear glasses/contacts?
What sort of vocal tone do you have?
Do you get sick?
Where is your homeland?
Where is your home town?
Are your real reason for becoming an adventurer different from what you tell others?
Do you have any particularly high or low ability scores?
What about your race, growing up were you in the majority or a minority?
Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age, etc.)?
Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.
What was childhood like for you?
What stupid things did you do when you were younger?
Which toys from your childhood have you kept?
Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you?
What conflicts might arise from your past?
Are you who you claim to be?
Do you have any sort of criminal record?
How do you view the heroes/legends of your country?
Who were your parents?
How did you get along with their parents?
How would your parents describe you? Answer this in the voice of your mother, then in your father's.
Do you have any siblings?
What was your family life like?
List all current knowledge of family locations, spouses, children, birth dates, schooling and any important incidents that only you and they might remember.
Are any or all of your family still alive?
Draw out your family tree, including living and dead relatives.
Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular?
Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor?
Have you begun your own family?
Do you have any close friends?
Do you currently have a best friend whom you would protect with your reputation or your life?
Do you have any bitter enemies?
What valuable or important contacts do you have?
Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
List any past serious relationships that you have had, and give a brief overview of the relationship(s).
How do you think others generally perceive you?
If someone crossed your path, what would you do?
Who is your most trusted ally?
Who do you despise and why?
Name seven things you hate in others.
Is your image consistent?
For what would you die for?
For whom would you go to extremes for?
Who does you turn to when you're in trouble?
What is the worst thing someone has done to you?
What are your general reaction to an attractive member of the opposite sex who lets you know they are available?
How do you get along with others in the same field and/or work environment?
How can you be blackmailed, beaten, and tricked (by PCs or NPCs)?
Have you lost any loves?
Who would miss you, should you go missing?
Who might protect you?
Who might be convinced to sell you out?
How close are you to your friends?
Do you live with anyone (housemates, roommates, relatives, friends, near-strangers, family friend, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, lover)?
Are you a member of any special interest groups?
What is your current status with local law-enforcement?
Do you, or did you, have any role models? .liDo you have any heroes or idols, either contemporary or from legend?
When did you decide to become an adventurer?
Do you have any dreams or ambitions?
What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)?
Do you have any great rational or irrational fears or phobias? If so, what are the origins of or reasons behind them?
What are your attitudes regarding material wealth?
How do you generally treat others?
Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)?
Are you a humble soul or blusteringly proud?
Do you act differently than you feel (concealing your true thoughts)?
What habits would you find most annoying in friends?
Is there any race, creed, alignment, religion, class, profession, political viewpoint, or the like against which you is strongly prejudiced, and why?
How do others typically react to you?
What are your most annoying habits?
What is your favourite food?
What are your favourite colour(s)?
Do you have a favourite (or hated) song, type of music, or instrument?
If you have a favourite scent, what is it?
What is your favourite type of animal?
Do you have any allergies?
Is there anything that enrages you?
Is there anything which embarrasses you?
Do you enjoy “roughing it”, or do you prefer your creature comforts?
Do you believe in the gods or not?
Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special?
Do you belong to the orthodox church, or a fringe element thereof (and is the group accepted, frowned upon, or considered heretics)?
Is your church an accepted religion where you grew up or did it have to conduct its services in secret?
Can you kill?
What would you do if someone else attempted to (or successfully did) kill under their “wrong” circumstances, what would be your reaction?
What would you do if someone shot at (attacked) you?
What is the one task you would absolutely refuse to do?
What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?
How do you feel about government (rulers) in general?
Do you belong to an anti-government organization?
What form of government do you believe is the best (democracy, monarchy, anarchy, aristocratic rule, oligarchy, matriarchy) and why?
Have you ever been persecuted for their political stance?
Are you a member of any non-religious group, cause, order, or organization?
Do you have any unusual habits or dominant personality traits that are evident to others?
Do you have any unusual or nervous mannerisms, such as when talking, thinking, afraid, under stress, or when embarrassed?
Do you have an unusual gait or accent?
What is your favourite colour?
What place would you most like to visit?
What annoys you the most?
What (if any) are your favourite forms of art?
What is your most treasured possession?
What things could he/ she not live without?
Do you have a good luck charm?
If your life were to end in 24 hours, what 5 things would you do in those remaining hours?
Does you have a “Black-and-White” view of reality or can you see shades of grey?
Does you prefer to tear down or build up?
Are you deliberate or spontaneous?
Do you prefer the town or the country?
If made to decide, would you rather be deaf or blind? Why?
How do you feel about magic, myth, and the supernatural?
Do you remember your dreams?
Where and how were you educated?
Who trained you in your class or job?
What was your relationship with your teacher(s)/mentor(s)?
How did you happen across this teacher or mentor?
Was your mentor kind, stern, cruel, indifferent?
Is this person or institution still in existence?
Were you forced into your profession by parents or peers?
Did circumstances dictate your choice of profession?
Were you a prize student or did you just barely pass?
Look at your skills. How did you acquire them (especially the unusual ones)?
Have you ever done anything else for a living?
How do you function in combat (maneuvers, weaknesses)?
How would you best be defeated?
Have you ever received any awards or honours?
What have you done that was considered “outstanding” in your occupation by others in your field?
What are your long-term goals in work?
Describe any traumatic experiences in your present occupation that has affected you deeply in some way.
How do your relatives and friends view your present occupation?
Is there anything that you don't currently know how to do that you wish you could?
Are you envious of others who can do such things in a good-natured way or are they sullen and morose about it?
What is your normal daily routine?
What are your hobbies when they are not adventuring or training?
What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
What do you do for relaxation?
What things do they do for enjoyment?
What interests do you have?
How do you normally dress, when not in your adventuring gear?
Do you like to dress up or down to relax?
Do you have a look or style?
What do you normally wear in bed at home?
What do you normally wear in bed while adventuring?
Do you wear any identifiable jewelry?
Where do you normally put your weapons, magic items, or other valuables when you are sleeping?
What morning or evening routines do you normally have?
What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment?
What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Do you read the newspaper?
If so, which sections and how often?
What is his/ her routine?
What is your idea of a good evening's entertainment?
Travel: how do you get around locally?
What are your hangout places?
Do you go to a bar after work?
Do you play pool?
Do you go dancing?
Who goes with you?
What do you read?
What music do you like?
How do you exercise?
Where do you live?
What sorts of food do you eat?
Where do you vacation, and how often?
Do you have any pets?
Do you keep a calendar or address book?
Did you leave a Will?
What would you like to be remembered for after your death?
What kind of threat do you present to public?
If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body?
How much is a pint of mead?
As a player, if you could, what advice would you give you?
Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice…