CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

TAKING WHAT ONE IS OWED (DARK)



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HELPFUL TIP:

To understand why your character is driven toward a certain goal, get to know their positive and negative traits, as well as any significant emotional wounds that might be motivating them. Then you can explore the various kinds of conflict that could block them as they move toward their goal.
NOTES:
Some characters may believe the world owes them in some way, often due to a perceived injustice or suffering that they endured. When loyalty or dedication is unrewarded or there is a great inequity, a character may put aside duty, moral obligation, and the law to seek revenge or get what they feel they deserve.

FORMS THIS MIGHT TAKE:
Robbing a bank, casino, or other lucrative business
Taking the assets of someone who wronged the character
Trading insider information or services for wealth
Making money through illegal means (PROFITEERING)
Entering an establishment (a saloon, a house of prostitution, a store) and taking what one wants by force
Looting a family home or property in retaliation for past mistreatment
Breaking into someone's house
Snatching a child from a hospital
Abducting a companion, or even a family, after a grievous loss or other traumatic breaking point

HUMAN NEED DRIVING THE GOAL (INNER MOTIVATION):
There are five basic human needs that, when missing from a character's life, could motivate them to pursue this goal. The following needs are all possibilities, but only one of them should be the primary driver for any given character. For more information on the relationship between human needs and outer motivations, please see​ this ​Character Motivation tutorial.

Esteem and Recognition: Characters who feel they have been forgotten or mistreated struggle with self-worth. Taking something by force is a way for them to reclaim their own power, increasing their self-esteem.
Love and Belonging: A character with no loving relationships won't be limited by the same moral convictions surrounding loyalty and propriety, making it easier for them to pursue this goal.
Physiological Needs: If a character who is struggling to survive sees others who have more than they need to get by, it could cause a deep anger at the unfairness, pushing them to take what they feel they are entitled to.

HOW THE CHARACTER MAY PREPARE FOR THIS GOAL:
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POSSIBLE SACRIFICES OR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GOAL:
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ROADBLOCKS WHICH COULD PREVENT THIS GOAL FROM BEING ACHIEVED:
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TALENTS & SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THE CHARACTER ACHIEVE THIS GOAL:
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WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THIS GOAL ISN'T MET?
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