Character's Motivation
“…each character in the game is a creation of the player…”
On the other hand, a character’s motivation to act may be more immediate. The character’s family member might have been murdered and the character’s response is to avenge this person’s death! Or a person in the town has been kidnapped. One or more of the characters respond to a “call to action” by the town’s high-ranking official to save the individual that has been taken. What is the motivation for this action? Heroism? Money? Adventure? The choice is yours.
Still, each character in the game is a creation of the player (with some assistance from the game master). Maybe – just maybe – the player wants to transfer some of his or her own personality, needs, or wants onto their character. In a small way, this is permissible. The player gets to live vicariously through the adventures of the character. All good – if the player understands the clear (albeit, imaginary) line that separates reality from fantasy!