Chaos Theory

 When characters have things all planned out, things can get predictable. Predictable is bad. The best way to solve this problem is to introduce an element of randomness. These characters can throw a wrench into the best-laid plans of your heroes and villains, and still seem organic to the story. The Contrarian: This person doesn’t have their own opinions on anything, but merely takes the opposite position to everyone else, no matter how absurd. Often the hallmark of someone who confuses being an independent thinker or a non-conformist with doing precisely the opposite of what the ‘herd’ is doing. The Contrarian can be a nightmare in any situation that requires a unanimous vote or a united front.The George Murray: A subspecies of The Contrarian, this person is highly intelligent and competent, but also allergic to authority figures, and will start playing the part of The Contrarian deliberately to mess with whoever is giving them orders. The Leeroy Jenkins: Has no concept of planning, patience or delayed gratification, and will dive headlong into their task without regard for the ‘big picture’. The Special Snowflake: This person has no use for colouring inside the lines, which can make them an excellent lateral thinker. But if faced with a task that requires following procedure or cooperating with others, they will run into major trouble. The Dr. House: What the George Murray is to the Contrarian, this person is to the Special Snowflake. The Dr. House is extremely competent, and insists on doing things their way because it will work. Unfortunately, this means trampling over rules, social niceties, and other people’s wellbeing, with no compunction about the resulting collateral damage. The Drama Hurricane: This person’s life is a soap opera, and when the plot gets slow, they stir it up again by deliberately creating conflict. The Troll: Also a subspecies of Contrarian, the Troll purposely takes absurd or inflammatory positions in order to annoy everyone else for their own amusement, often without a thought to the seriousness of the situation. The Chicken Little: Panics at anything, and behaves as people in a panic are wont to do. The Ditz: A few sandwiches short of a picnic, this person has a tendency to screw things up out of general dimwittedness. The Absent-Minded Professor: Almost the opposite of the Leeroy Jenkins, this person sees the big picture, but has a difficult time grasping the more mundane details. Is likely to forget critical basics. The Father Dougal: Lives in their own special world, which rarely intersects with the reality shared by the rest of the characters. This can make it nearly impossible to ensure their cooperation with even the simplest plans. The Curious Cat aka the Elephant’s Child: Cannot comprehend that some questions might be best unasked or mysteries unsolved. Count on this character to try the forbidden ritual, explore the creepy basement, or ask the cringe-makingly awkward question in an important diplomatic meeting.  The Chameleon: This person changes their allegiance—and changes it enthusiastically—depending on their mood, their friends, or which way the wind is blowing that day. Not necessarily a traitor, but willing to trade in their supposedly sacred beliefs at the drop of a hat, which can make them impossible to predict.  The I in Team: This character looks out for one person—themselves. Previous loyalties, positions, and promises will all go out the window if it serves their needs. Especially dangerous if their agenda is private, and their actions are inexplicable to the characters around them. The Neurochemically Challenged: Clinical insanity and/or heavy substance use means this person’s behaviour and perceptions do not resemble that of the other characters. This means their behaviour is unpredictable and irrational.  The Loose Cannon: This person keeps away from Neurochemically Challenged status most of the time either by using appropriate medication or abstaining from the problem substance. Until they mess up their regimen, and unexpectedly revert to crazy. Bonus points if the other characters never knew about the problem.