The Character Builder has a lot of options. Some of them are obvious. Others have effects that are not immediately visible but matter a lot once you start chatting. This guide covers what each setting does and how to make choices that result in a companion that feels coherent.

Start with personality, not appearance

Most users open the Builder and go straight to hair color. That is understandable, but personality traits have a larger effect on the quality of conversation than any visual setting. Decide first whether your character is introverted or extroverted, whether they communicate in short precise sentences or longer exploratory ones, and what topics they care about. The visual design should follow from that, not the other way around.

How personality traits affect dialogue

Each personality trait you select adjusts the character's language model weighting. A character tagged as 'analytical' will tend to ask clarifying questions and offer structured responses. One tagged as 'spontaneous' will introduce tangents and change subject more freely. You can select up to five traits. Selecting contradictory traits (for example, 'reserved' and 'high-energy') produces interesting results but can make the character feel inconsistent in longer sessions.

Choosing a voice type

As of April 2026, there are eight voice profiles available in the Builder. The profile you choose affects pitch, cadence, and breath pattern. Listen to the preview for each before committing. The voice is part of the character's identity and changing it later does not affect conversation history, but it does change how returning to old voice messages feels. Take the time to get it right at the start.

Writing a backstory that the character actually uses

The backstory field is not decorative. The memory system uses it as a baseline context layer. A backstory that includes specific details (a hometown, a formative event, a recurring habit) gives the character more to draw on in conversation. A generic backstory ('she grew up in a small town and loves adventure') produces generic conversation. Write it the way you would write a character in a short story: specific, a little contradictory, with at least one detail that is not immediately explained.

Testing and iterating

After you save a character, have a short conversation before committing to them long-term. The first ten messages reveal a lot about whether the personality settings are working. If the character feels flat, go back to the Builder and adjust one trait at a time rather than changing everything at once. The real-time preview updates appearance instantly, but personality changes take effect at the start of the next session.

The Builder is available on Premium and Ultimate plans. If you are on Free and want to try it, compare all three plans on the pricing page.