What is an OC? Original characters in roleplay
Updated
OC means original character: someone you invented rather than took from a book, show or game. In roleplay an OC can be the character you play instead of yourself, or a character you build for the AI to play. Tags like "OC x canon" pair an invented character with an existing one. On UnsavedAI you can play an OC through About you, or build one for the AI at /chat/custom.
Try it now, free, no account neededStart a story with Captain Mireya BlackShe captured you. Now she wants to recruit you.OC and the words around it
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OC | Original character, invented by you |
| Canon character | One who comes from an existing story |
| OC x canon | Your character paired with an existing one |
| OC x OC | Two invented characters together |
| OOC | Out of character, a different thing entirely |
The last row trips people up: OC is a character, while OOC is a note to your partner outside the story. What OOC means explains that one.
Playing your OC against an AI character
An OC needs a short sheet the AI can read every reply, the same way a character card works for the other side. Keep it to what another character would notice or need. An example for a sea story:
Wren Callow, 29, she/her. Ship's cartographer who forges maps for money. Weathered hands, ink-stained cuffs, a laugh too loud for a stowaway. Wants enough coin to buy back her mother's boat. Flaw: lies first, thinks later. Owes money to half the harbour.
Drop Wren into the scene with Captain Mireya Black, who captured you and now wants to recruit you, and the forger's skills and the debts both have somewhere to go. On UnsavedAI, paste a sheet like that into About you (⋯ menu). Persona tips has more on trimming it.
Building an OC for the AI to play
The other use is creating a character for the model to voice. That is a character card: who they are, how they speak, the scenario, a greeting and a few example lines. At /chat/custom you can write one from scratch or import an existing card as PNG or JSON, then export it as a Character Card V2 file for SillyTavern or as text for JanitorAI. If you want others to meet your OC, creators can publish characters for everyone. How to write a character card walks through each field.
What makes an OC fun to play
- A want the story can push on: money, revenge, a person, a way home.
- A flaw that causes trouble: pride, a temper, a habit of lying.
- A contradiction: the gentle giant, the cheerful mercenary.
- Limits. A character who can do anything leaves nothing to fear, which is the slide into godmodding.
- One thing they hide, revealed in play rather than written in the sheet.
Worlds with room for newcomers make good first homes for an OC: Tamsin Rook charts islands that drift, and the Narrator will build any setting around whoever you bring.
Adults only, and whose OC it is
UnsavedAI is an 18+ site, so every OC, whether you play it or the AI does, is an adult. Stating the age in the sheet removes any doubt. And an OC belongs to the person who made it: artists often mark theirs "do not steal", and the same respect applies to cards. Bring your own characters, or ones whose creators are happy to share them.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an OC and a persona?
A persona is the description field an app sends about you. An OC is an invented character, and you can put one into that field. You can also fill a persona with yourself.
What does "OC, do not steal" mean?
It asks others not to copy or reuse that character. Don't import or publish someone's OC without their permission.
Can my OC live in a fan setting?
In your own story, people do this all the time. Keep the character itself original and adult, and leave other people's characters to their creators.
