adapted by Lis
What's a Mary Sue?
The term 'Mary Sue' first appeared in fanfiction. Originally, it meant an original female character who is introduced to the plot and takes it over. Mary Sue is normally exceptionally beautiful, highly talented, very intelligent, has a dark, tragic past, and is universally loved by everyone who meets her.
+ Is the character astonishingly good at something that is not her/his profession? [1 point]
+ Does the character have any particular skill at which she/he is widely known to be the best or among the best? [6 points]
+ Does the character have any particular area of study/information/etc. in which she/he is widely known to be the most knowledgeable or among the most knowledgeable? [6 points]
+ Does the character hold your dream job? [3 points]
+ Is the character a female in any military position? [5 points]
+ Is your character a pirate, even though Corus is an inland city? [2 points]
+ Does your character have the Gift? [2 points]
(Add 1 point for every skill your character has:)
+ + Throwing fire
+ + Casting wards
+ + Healing small wounds
+ + Healing minor diseases
+ + Healing major diseases
+ + Controlling water
+ + Truth spells
+ + Invisibility
+ Does your character have the Sight? [2 points]
+ + Can your character use the Sight to see into the future, but your character was created after the publication of Trickster's Choice? [5 points]
+ Does your character have Wild Magic?
+ + Were they created before the ban on Wild Magic? [5 points]
+ +Is this on a new character you've created since 2003? [Wild Magic is banned in the club. Turn in your test and go back to read the rules]
+ Can your character fight? [2 points]
(add 1 point for every discipline)
+ + Archery
+ + Daggers
+ + Swords
+ + Hand-to-hand
+ + Shang fighting
+ + Tilting/Jousting
+ + Staff fighting
+ + Sling
+ + Battle magic
The Past
+ Did your character's significant other ever die tragically/cheat on him/her/walk out on him/her? [2 points]
+ Does the character have an angsty childhood, or an angsty past? [1 point]
+ + And does she/he whine about it more than once a month? [2 points]
+ Was the character an illegitimate birth? [1 point]
+ Was the character ever abducted? [1 point]
+ Was the character abandoned by her/his caregivers (both parents and only one parent counts. Being disowned counts for half points.)? [2 point]
+ Was the character born into slavery, or forced into slavery or prostitution? [1 point]
+ Was the character born/raised in extreme poverty? [1 point]
+ Did the character run away from home? [1 point]
+ +Because she was forced into an arranged marriage? [3 points]
+ + + Is the character a noble, but yet never expected to be forced into an arranged marriage? [5 points]
+ Was the character ever the sole survivor of a calamity? [2 point]
+ Did the character ever suffer physical abuse? [2 points]
+ Did the character ever suffer sexual abuse? [2 points]
+ + Were they raped? [1 point]
+ Does the character feel guilty about something terrible that happened in the past? [1 point]
+ + Even despite overwhelming evidence that it wasn't her/his fault? [2 points]
+ Is the character the last surviving member of a family/clan/etc.? [4 points]
+ Was the character banished from her/his family/clan/tribe/country/etc.? [2 points]
+ Does the character have amnesia? [4 points]
+ + But still retain a trinket of some kind from her/his past? [4 points]
Your Character and You
+ Do you take any negative feedback about the character as a personal affront? [4 points]
+ Do you think every other character who meets your character in the roleplay should like him/her? [4 points]
+ Do you get upset if nobody will start a conversation with your character? [4 points]
+ Do you think every other player in the roleplay should like him/her? [4 points]
Less than 15 points: Your character definitely doesn't have the regular Mary Sue cliches!
15-30 points: Well, they say that interesting people have a lot to them. While your character has some attributes that might be considered Mary Sueish, he or she probably wouldn't count as a Sue.
30-45 points: Most Steelsings characters fall in this zone- given, some of them might count as Sues. This is kind of the danger zone- if you're in doubt about your character, ask a mentor.
45-60 points: You might want to reconsider some parts of your character to see if they're all totally necessary, and make sure that their weaknesses are realistic and human. This is dangerously close to Sue territory, my friend.
More than 60 points: Your character is definitely a Sue. Make sure that they're realistic people with strengths and weaknesses that are believable. Definitely check in with the mentors, and consider completely re-writing your character.
The term 'Mary Sue' first appeared in fanfiction. Originally, it meant an original female character who is introduced to the plot and takes it over. Mary Sue is normally exceptionally beautiful, highly talented, very intelligent, has a dark, tragic past, and is universally loved by everyone who meets her.
Mary Sue became more and more recognised, even beyond fanfiction. Mary Sue (or Marty Stu, for male characters) now means an unrealistically perfect character. These characters in roleplays are annoying because they are the strongest mages, who can fix anything with magic, or the best fighters, who never lose a fight. Mary Sues often have beautiful singing voices or great music skills, and can wow everyone with her musical performances. She shows off a lot. Mary Sue takes a lot of forms.
Why do people play her? Because she's perfect! She's everyone's dream come true to play. It's no shame to have a Mary Sue- after all, Alanna and Daine both scored in the highest possible ranking for this test. The trouble is, Mary Sue is no fun for the people you play with. Her past is so tragic, everyone feels guilty for talking about how they slammed a door on their finger, because her life is so much worse. She's such a beautiful singer, all they can do is sit and stare adoringly. She's such a talented fighter, they can merely gape in awe at her skill. The trouble with this? It's boring for everyone else, and it never gives anyone else a chance to shine.
This test is if you suspect your character may be a Mary Sue. Lots of people around the site (especially mentors) are willing to help you build your character. This test is based off of Dr. Merlin's Mary Sue Litmus Test.
Please note that having a low score is not a guarantee that your character is not a Sue, or is just fine. Having a score in the negatives just means that your character isn't a stereotypical Sue.
Also note that the test is not necessarily a good indication of whether or not your character will be passed. This weeds out cliches, but it can't test the other things that are important. A character with a low score may still have consistencies in their profile, and the author may still have bad grammar. A character with a high score may be incredibly interesting and well-developed. You should by no means count on this tool to tell you whether or not you will be accepted into the roleplay.
The Test
The Name
- Is the character named after you? (Use your common sense here. If your character has a small part of your name added, it's not that big of a deal, so long as you're not blatantly naming them after you.) [20 points]
- Is the character's name a noun or adjective not normally used as a name? [3 points]
- Does the character's name contain unnecessary apostrophes or other punctuation when it's not common for his or her culture? (e.g. M'chelle, Gloria-Angelica, etc.) [4 points]
- Does your character have a name that you think is modern and un-medieval/fantasyish? (e.g. Tiffany, Devon, Dakota) [4 points]
- Because it's yours? [automatic name change]
- Does the character have a name you really, really like? [1 point]
- Does the character have a nickname or pseudonym that's not a shortened version of their proper name? [1 point]
- Is it a "dangerous" nickname (e.g. Death Dealer, Crimson Fury, etc.)? [3 points]
- Is the character's name foreign, even though the character isn't? [1 point]
- Is the character's name Yamani, even though they aren't? [5 points]
- Is the character's name canonically authentic (eg. A character of that name, or a different spelling of that name, exists in canon)? [minus 5 points]
- Is your character's name provably authentic as existing between 1200 and 1700 in the country that most closely corresponds to your character's home country? [minus 5 points]
Appearance
- Is the character a teenager or in her/his early twenties? [6 points]
- Is the character, or does the character appear, the age you consider ideal? [5 points]
- Do you consider the character highly attractive? [5 points]
- Does the character have an unusual eye color, or otherwise exceptional eyes? [2 points]
- And are these eyes a color that does not occur in nature? [3 points]
- And will they have something to do with your character's history or personality? [1 point]
- Is your character's odd eye colour due to their Gift? [minus 1 point]
- Does the character have eyes that somehow reflect hidden depths or experience or sorrow? [4 points]
- Does the character have an appearance unsuited to the time or place (e.g. perfect hair prior to the invention of salon products, a common woman wearing noble clothes/ballgowns even though it's forbidden, etc.)? [5 points]
- Is the description of your character's appearance longer than the description of their personality, strengths, and weaknesses put together? [2 points]
- Does the character have unusual or exceptional hair, or does her/his hair get a disproportionate amount of description? [2 points]
- Does the character dress in a manner you find particularly attractive, sexy, or cool? [1 point]
- Even though it's illogical for the character to dress this way (for monetary reasons, for instance, or because it interferes with her/his job)? [3 points]
- Is the character a female who wears breeches in public? [6 points]
- Is the character ever described as "thin enough to be anorexic," where this is intended as a compliment? [1 point]
- Is the character overweight? [minus 1 point]
- Is this character somehow disfigured and ISN'T beautiful because of it? [minus 2 points]
- Is your character unattractive? [minus 4 points]
- Does the character have a special birthmark or other marking? [4 points]
- Does the character have a scar or flaw that does not actually detract from her/his beauty (e.g. lips too full, white stripe in hair, missing one toe, etc.)? [2 points]
Character
- Does the character have a clone or identical twin? [7 points]
- Is the character related to royalty? [15 points]
- Is the character Yamani? [10 points]
- Is the character a noble? [4 points]
- But pretends to be a commoner? [7 points]
- Is the character rich, despite not being noble or having a job? [5 points]
- Is the character non-Tortallan? [3 points]
- Does the character consider her/his beauty/talent/skill/etc. a curse? [5 points]
- Is your character's personality just like yours? [4 points]
- Is your character's personality significantly different from yours? [minus 3 points]
- Is your character very happy or outgoing in social situations, and friendly to everyone? [4 points]
- Is the character unusually accomplished for her/his age/social class/etc.? [2 points]
- Is the character fluent in more than two languages? [1 point]
- Is the character a world traveller? [1 point]
- Does the character collect things you consider intellectual or cultured? [1 point]
- Does the character have a faithful pet or animal familiar? [1 point]
- That isn't a dog, cat, horse, or bird? [3 points]
- Is the character educated beyond basic reading, writing, and simple maths? (Ignore this question if your character is a scribe, monk, priest, etc.) [3 points]
- Is the character consistently irreverent or radical, without repercussions? [1 point]
- Does the character pick up difficult skills easily? [1 point]
- Does the character have an amazing singing voice? [3 points]
- Does the character play a musical instrument well? [1 point]
- Is it guitar? [2 point]
- Violin/fiddle? [1 point]
- Flute? [1 point]
- Piano? [3 point]
- Drums? [2 point]
- Lute? [1 point]
- Harp? [1 point]
- Pipes/panpipes/ocarina? [1 point]
- Does the character have an accent? [1 point]
- Is the character significantly mentally handicapped? (depression doesn't count) [minus 10 points]
- Is the character significantly physically handicapped? [minus 4 points]
- Does this character has a significant vice that she/he is dependant on, and that is or would be very hard to break (e.g. alcoholism, smoking, gambling, promiscuous sex, a potentially dangerous sexual fetish, drugs, etc.)? [minus 4 points]
+ Is the character astonishingly good at something that is not her/his profession? [1 point]
+ Does the character have any particular skill at which she/he is widely known to be the best or among the best? [6 points]
+ Does the character have any particular area of study/information/etc. in which she/he is widely known to be the most knowledgeable or among the most knowledgeable? [6 points]
+ Does the character hold your dream job? [3 points]
+ Is the character a female in any military position? [5 points]
+ Is your character a pirate, even though Corus is an inland city? [2 points]
+ Does your character have the Gift? [2 points]
(Add 1 point for every skill your character has:)
+ + Throwing fire
+ + Casting wards
+ + Healing small wounds
+ + Healing minor diseases
+ + Healing major diseases
+ + Controlling water
+ + Truth spells
+ + Invisibility
+ Does your character have the Sight? [2 points]
+ + Can your character use the Sight to see into the future, but your character was created after the publication of Trickster's Choice? [5 points]
+ Does your character have Wild Magic?
+ + Were they created before the ban on Wild Magic? [5 points]
+ +Is this on a new character you've created since 2003? [Wild Magic is banned in the club. Turn in your test and go back to read the rules]
+ Can your character fight? [2 points]
(add 1 point for every discipline)
+ + Archery
+ + Daggers
+ + Swords
+ + Hand-to-hand
+ + Shang fighting
+ + Tilting/Jousting
+ + Staff fighting
+ + Sling
+ + Battle magic
The Past
+ Did your character's significant other ever die tragically/cheat on him/her/walk out on him/her? [2 points]
+ Does the character have an angsty childhood, or an angsty past? [1 point]
+ + And does she/he whine about it more than once a month? [2 points]
+ Was the character an illegitimate birth? [1 point]
+ Was the character ever abducted? [1 point]
+ Was the character abandoned by her/his caregivers (both parents and only one parent counts. Being disowned counts for half points.)? [2 point]
+ Was the character born into slavery, or forced into slavery or prostitution? [1 point]
+ Was the character born/raised in extreme poverty? [1 point]
+ Did the character run away from home? [1 point]
+ +Because she was forced into an arranged marriage? [3 points]
+ + + Is the character a noble, but yet never expected to be forced into an arranged marriage? [5 points]
+ Was the character ever the sole survivor of a calamity? [2 point]
+ Did the character ever suffer physical abuse? [2 points]
+ Did the character ever suffer sexual abuse? [2 points]
+ + Were they raped? [1 point]
+ Does the character feel guilty about something terrible that happened in the past? [1 point]
+ + Even despite overwhelming evidence that it wasn't her/his fault? [2 points]
+ Is the character the last surviving member of a family/clan/etc.? [4 points]
+ Was the character banished from her/his family/clan/tribe/country/etc.? [2 points]
+ Does the character have amnesia? [4 points]
+ + But still retain a trinket of some kind from her/his past? [4 points]
Your Character and You
+ Do you take any negative feedback about the character as a personal affront? [4 points]
+ Do you think every other character who meets your character in the roleplay should like him/her? [4 points]
+ Do you get upset if nobody will start a conversation with your character? [4 points]
+ Do you think every other player in the roleplay should like him/her? [4 points]
Less than 15 points: Your character definitely doesn't have the regular Mary Sue cliches!
15-30 points: Well, they say that interesting people have a lot to them. While your character has some attributes that might be considered Mary Sueish, he or she probably wouldn't count as a Sue.
30-45 points: Most Steelsings characters fall in this zone- given, some of them might count as Sues. This is kind of the danger zone- if you're in doubt about your character, ask a mentor.
45-60 points: You might want to reconsider some parts of your character to see if they're all totally necessary, and make sure that their weaknesses are realistic and human. This is dangerously close to Sue territory, my friend.
More than 60 points: Your character is definitely a Sue. Make sure that they're realistic people with strengths and weaknesses that are believable. Definitely check in with the mentors, and consider completely re-writing your character.