Are YOU a Mary Sue? (the Warcraft Mary Sue Test)

So you’re creating a new character to join us in Azeroth. Wonderful! Welcome. Do mind the impending doom, and beware the living.

But wait. Did you say your name was Mary Sue? Or didn’t you know that was your name, dear? Hmm…

A Mary Sue is a roleplay character that isn’t really a character at all. She (or he, in which case it’s called a Gary Stu) is actually a form of wish fulfillment shrouded in epic gear. When you’re creating a character to roleplay, while it can be great fun to pretend to “be” someone you aren’t and never will be, there’s a fine line between being heroic in game and trotting out the stereotypes of very bad fiction. So we try to create characters that aren’t going to be boring or predictable or impossible to roleplay. In making characters to roleplay in World of Warcraft, we try for original beings that have their own thoughts, origins and ambitions. It’s not always easy to do.

In other parts of the fan fiction and roleplaying worlds there are “tests” you can put a character through to discover if (s)he is potentially a Mary Sue. These tests can be used for World of Warcraft characters, though they require adjustment. To help us out for our purposes, I’ve taken two of the best of these original tests (that is, the Original Mary Sue Litmus Test and the Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test, compared them to our framework, and created a test just for WoW Mary Sues. (Many, many thanks to these two tests for the concept and idea.)

Answer the questions for your characters if you dare!

Continue on to Agi’s WoW Mary Sue Test….

Add up the points for each “yes” answer:

CHARACTER NAME
1. Is your character’s name:
a. the same as or derived from your own name(s) or nickname(s)? – 10 points
b. a common word spelled in an unusual way? – 1 point
c. related to a weapon, a gemstone, blood, darkness, or death? – 1 point
d. gender-bending (a woman’s name for a man or vice versa)? – 1 point
e. a name your character gave him/herself “so (s)he will never forget” an important event? – 1 point
f. a noun or adjective not usually used for naming? – 1 point
g. a name you wish you had? – 1 point
h. that of a named lore character’s family (e.g., an orc surnamed Hellscream)? – 1 point
i. the name (actual or misspelled) of an actual character in Warcraft lore? (e.g., Sylvanas, Thrall, Illidan, Rhonin, Medivh, Tyrande, etc.) – 1 point
NOTE: World of Warcraft does not permit anyone to RP canon characters. If you’re even considering this, please revise your character concept.
j. a name derived from Warcraft canon characters (e.g., a troll named Nol’jin, a night elf named Kyrande)? – 1 point

2. Does your character have more than one name or go by a pseudonym? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if your character has (and uses) a title that is not an in-game mechanics title.

3. Have you ever considered naming a pet or a child this character’s name? – 1 point

CHARACTER PHYSICAL DETAILS
4. Is your character significantly older than others of his/her race? (more than half the lifespan of average characters of that race)? – 1 point

5. Is your character a hybrid or cross-breed of two or more races (including dragonkin, worgen, or half-anything)? – 3 points
a. ADD A POINT if the character is a cross-breed with a creature from other fictional universes (e.g., Saiyans, Vulcans); or anything “furry” (e.g., kitsune, catgirl, etc.).
b. ADD A POINT if the character is a vampire (and not a San’layn within the very limited lore description of same – anyone who is not male and blood elf counts).

6. Is your character immune to the limitations of his or her race (e.g., immortal orcs or humans, Sin’dorei without magic addiction, death knights that aren’t dead)? – 4 points
NOTE: DO NOT ADD POINTS if the character does not have the benefits of being part of a race and only has negative traits. (e.g., a Draenei that cannot use the Light; a Troll that cannot regenerate). ADD ONLY ONE POINT if the character will receive benefits at some point in the future.

7. Is your character between the ages of 12-21, or equivalent to a teen in a longer-lived race? – 1 point
a. ADD TWO POINTS if your character LOOKS like a teenager for no physical reason.
b. ADD TWO POINTS if your character LOOKS like a teenager because of a magical/scientific accident, or is trapped in the body of a teenager.
c. ADD ONE POINT if the character’s youthful looks are a major part of his or her RP.

8. Can you describe your character by saying: “[Name] was the youngest person ever to become [achievement]?” – 5 points

9. Is your character unusually sized (e.g., very short or tall, very tiny, huge) for his/her kind? – 1 point
a. ADD A POINT if this is a major plot point for him/her.

10. Is your character beautiful/handsome? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if one or more of your RP partners find your character highly attractive.
b. ADD ONE POINT if other characters are threatened by his/her attractiveness.
c. ADD ONE POINT if most of your character’s plot lines revolve around his/her attractiveness.

11. Does your character have unusual eyes (unnatural color, missing an eye, glowing eyes if not an elf, blindness, etc.)? – 3 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if this is a major point for him/her.

12. Does your character have a noticeable accent? – 1 point
NOTE: DO NOT ADD A POINT if your character has the natural accent Blizzard assigns to it such as those for Trolls, Dwarves and Draenei. Speech impediments such as a lisp or stutter, or accents that are not the one(s) you have in real life DO count.

13. Does your character have scars or other physical marks that are visible but not disfiguring? (e.g., tattoos, rune marks, birthmarks)? – 1 point
a. ADD A POINT if the mark(s) are a plot point for your character

14. Is your character deaf, mute or both? – 1 point
a. ADD THREE POINTS if your character will no longer be deaf and/or mute in the future.

15. Is your character physically disabled (e.g., walks with a cane, missing a limb)? – 2 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if your character will no longer be disabled in the future.

16. Does your character have the ability to shapeshift (without any lore mechanics reason such as being a druid to explain it)? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if (s)he can change into a wolf, bird of prey, big cat, or mythical creature.

CHARACTER PERSONAL HISTORY
17. Is your character the child, descendant or sibling of a lore figure? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if the lore figure is an Alliance or Horde leader (i.e., Tyrande, Velen, Varian, Magni, Bolvar, Mekkatorque, Fandral, Thrall, Vol’jin, Cairne, Sylvanas, Kael’thas, Lor’themar).
b. ADD ONE POINT if the figure is legendary in Warcraft lore (e.g., Illidan, Malfurion, Azshara, Dath’remar, Grom Hellscream, Doomhammer, Gul’dan, Arthas, Uther, Saurfang, Medivh, Rhonin, Vashj, Tirion, Zul’jin).
c. ADD ONE POINT if the figure is Dragon Aspect or other named dragon (e.g., Neltharion/Deathwing, Malygos, Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Onyxia, Nefarian).
d. ADD TWO POINTS if the figure is a Titan, Old God, or demon (e.g., Norgannon, Sargeras, Mannoroth, Hakkar, Yogg’saron).
e. ADD TWO POINTS if it is a lore figure not attested as having living family (e.g., Arthas, Kael’thas, Sylvanas, Thrall, Tyrande).
f. ADD TWO POINTS if it is a plot point for your character that the lore figure is unaware of his/her existence.

18. Is your character the child, descendant or sibling of another original character you have RPed in any other format (but not in World of Warcraft) (e.g., a character you created and write about, or have RPed in a tabletop game)? – 1 point

19. Was your character adopted, or did (s)he live with people who were not his/her parents as a child? – 1 point

20. Is your character a member/friend of a group unknown to Warcraft lore? (e.g., Bloodrock Trolls, swamp dwarves, the Pink Dragonflight, Crimson Elves) – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if it is a “new” dragonflight (i.e., not Red, Blue, Black, Green, Bronze, Infinite, Nether, Twilight or Chromatic).
b. ADD ONE POINT if your character is the sole surviving member of this group.
c. ADD ONE POINT if your character is not permitted to speak of this group’s existence.

21. Was/is your character:
a. abandoned by caregivers/parents? – 1 point
b. born or forced into slavery? – 1 point
c. born or raised in extreme poverty? – 1 point
d. the sole survivor of a calamity? – 1 point
e. physically abused? – 1 point
f. sexually abused? – 3 points
g. a member of a despised class or race? – 1 point
h. born illegitimately or illicitly? – 2 points
i. the parent of an illegitimate or illicit child? – 1 point
j. from another time, world or reality in the Warcraft universe? – 1 point
k. from another time, world or reality in another established fictional universe? – 1 point

22. Is your character guilty about some horrible thing (s)he did in the past? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if other characters convince him/her that it was not his/her fault.

23. Did your character have an unusual birth or infancy (e.g., abducted, left for dead, raised by murlocs)? – 1 point

24. Does your character have a twin, clone, or sibling of the same gender? – 2 points
a. ADD A POINT if you also roleplay this twin/clone/sibling.

25. If your character had an evil or painful past, do you believe that the events in his/her past excuse his/her current actions? – 1 point

26. Does your character sing and/or play a musical instrument? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if (s)he sings/plays very well.

27. Does your character do what you do for fun or profit (e.g., has your job or hobbies, or jobs/hobbies you are training to do)? – 1 point

28. Is your character royalty of any type? – 3 points
a. ADD THREE POINTS if your character does not know (s)he is royalty.

29. Does your character constantly make jokes or wisecracks? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if these jokes or wisecracks are patterned after another fictional character’s jokes or wisecracks.

30. Does everyone your character meet like him/her? – 1 point

SPECIAL POWERS
31. Does your character have unusual powers for his/her kind? – 1 point

32. Is your character banished from his/her kind’s “regular” places (e.g., a Night Elf forbidden to enter Darnassus, a Tauren banished from Thunder Bluff)? – 2 points

33. Does your character have access to places normally NOT open to his/her kind? (e.g., a non-druid who can enter the Emerald Dream, a troll who works for Stormwind, etc.) – 3 points

34. Does your character have telekinesis or telepathy? – 2 points
NOTE: Twins who can speak to each others’ minds count.

35. Does your character “know things” for no apparent in-game reason? – 2 points
a. ADD A POINT if your character routinely knows things evident in game mechanics that are only known by the player and not the character. NOTE: This is called metagaming and is not considered RP.

36. Can your character fly under his/her own power? – 1 point
a. ADD TWO POINTS if your character can fly under his/her own power without wings.

37. Can your character heal with a touch and/or a thought without having the ability game-mechanics-wise to do so (e.g., not being a druid, paladin, priest or Draenei)? – 1 point

38. Do animals instinctively like your character? – 3 points
a. SUBTRACT TWO POINTS if only insects or reptiles like your character. Butterflies, snakes and dragons do not count.

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS
39. Has or will your character have a love or sexual relationship with a Warcraft lore figure? – 2 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if this relationship resulted/will result in children.

40. Has or will your character have a love or sexual relationship with another character? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if you started this relationship because you like the character’s player.
b. ADD ONE POINT if the character(s) in question are not the same gender(s) of the player(s).
c. ADD ONE POINT if the characters(s) in question are not the same sexual orientation as the players (e.g., heterosexual men roleplaying female characters in a lesbian relationship).

41. Would you be friends with your character if you met in real life? – 1 point

42. Do you think everyone your character meets should automatically like him/her and want to be friends with him/her? – 1 point

43. If someone tells you (s)he doesn’t like your character, do you take it personally? – 1 point

44. Does your character have markedly more romance in his/her life than you do in yours? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if your character also has more romance in his/her life than other characters (s)he RPs with.

45. If another player called your character a Mary Sue or accused of you god-moding, would you assume it was because they are jealous? – 3 points

STORY ARCS AND PLOTS
46. Does your character’s story start at the same time as another major event in the Warcraft timeline (e.g., born on the day the Well of Eternity exploded, became a paladin the same day Arthas did, etc.)? – 2 points

47. When you RP with this character, does all the story revolve around your character’s point of view (i.e., is it always all about him/her)? – 1 point
NOTE: insisting that any storyline you are involved in is only about yourself is considered god-moding and is not RP.

48. Was your character introduced as a villain? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if your character eventually becomes a “good guy.”

49. Has or will your character make friends with an evil character and redeem him/her through that friendship? – 2 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if that evil character is an NPC.
b. ADD FOUR POINTS if that character returns to being evil, but is forever changed because of your character’s influence.

50. Was or will your character be transformed, magically or scientifically, into something other than his/her original form (becoming a death knight or Forsaken does not count)? – 5 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if your character is/will be happier in his/her new form.
b. ADD ONE POINT if others like/will like your character better in the new form.
c. ADD ONE POINT if you find yourself wishing you too could be transformed this way.

51. Has your character saved another character’s life (not as an ordinary event, but a major plot point)? – 3 points
a. ADD ONE POINT if it was done by magical or mystical means.
b. ADD TWO POINTS if it was through almost dying.
c. ADD THREE POINTS if your character dies saving the other character’s life.
d. ADD FOUR POINTS if your character dies AND is/was resurrected through other than game-mechanics means.

52. Do you or would you create and RP a child or children for this character? – 2 points

53. Does a major villain in Warcraft lore have a fixation or obsession with your character? – 1 point
a. ADD ONE POINT if that villain has spared your character’s life.
b. ADD ONE POINT if that villain spared your character’s life because (s)he is attracted to him/her.
c. ADD ONE POINT if the villain’s fixation is based on an issue with your character’s family, and not your character him/herself.

SCORING THE TEST: ARE YOU A MARY SUE?
0-20 This is a well-developed and original RP character. Congratulations!
20-30 Borderline. This character could become a Mary Sue if the roleplayer isn’t careful. Caution is advised.
30+ This character is likely to be considered a Mary Sue by other players. Consider some changes to make this character concept more original.