Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so often in fiction. This thesaurus will help you find the perfect quality or two that will show readers your character’s uniqueness while also acting as an asset when it comes to goal achievement.
When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic). Don’t be afraid to be creative and make sure the skill or talent is something that works with the scope of the story.
Regeneration
Description: the ability to restore one’s physical condition to an optimal state, healing wounds and bodily damage at a cellular level.
Beneficial Strengths or Abilities: to achieve this ability, one would require an evolved level of mental control so that the healing progress could be triggered at will. Superior genes and intelligence would both be needed to direct the allocation of energy, ensuring…
Character Traits Suited for this Skill or Talent: focus, intelligence, determination, adaptability, gluttony, conservative, self-controlled
Required Resources and Training: While a large part of regeneration would have to be genetically imparted (unless it came about through taking a drug or some kind of nano technology), a great deal of concentration and study would be required to learn how to harness and focus healing, especially during times of high stress. Meditation and having a…
Scenarios Where this Skill Might be Useful:
- in battle, warriors could fight longer and harder, and not be slowed by injuries
- people with this skill could fight off infections and disease, even if there was no known cure
- those with this skill could work in hazardous environments that could kill a person normally (radiation leaks, sub zero temperatures, etc.)…
TIP: Choose a talent or skill that makes your character memorable and helps them achieve their goals.
If this is something you’d like to learn more about, you might find these resources helpful. You can also see the full collection of talent and skill entries in their entirety at One Stop For Writers, where all our thesauruses are cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a free sampling of the Talent and Skill Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!
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The character with this trait would be an extreme risk taker. They would not be apprehensible about anything that a normal person would consider potentially harmful or deadly.
The concept could be taken to the extreme. For example, if the character is in a predicament where the only escape is to sever their own limb, they would do it. It could also be used as misdirection. By making it look like they killed themselves, they could avert another form of danger.
Regeneration is more than just the ability to heal, it is a step toward immortality, and is a tool that the character can use for their benefit.
There are many different applications, I agree! And consider too that maybe the character isn’t a risk taker. It could be he is risk adverse, and wants nothing more than to be left alone, but people want to thrust him into danger because of his abilities. That would make for some great push-and-pull. 🙂
One aspect of any super power like this that tends to really drive stories is the drawback or limitation. Often the conflict about maintaining or the threat of losing a power is the motivation behind a good story.
Exactly. Any talent like this must have a cost. Regeneration can do wonderful things, but how depleting too. If energy to replenish is not readily available, would the character risk himself? I guess that depends on the stakes. 🙂
The first character that came to mind was the Terminator—remember the one made out of liquid metal? Definitely a useful trait in fantasy!
Yes! Or Wolverine. I would love to see a character who isn’t a super hero, but just by luck or skill, learns this talent!
Another good skill to have!!
I would love to have it. Can you say “no more wrinkles?” LOL