Short answer: Name the race and give it the two or three features that make it read at a glance (pointed ears, tusks, curled horns and a tail), then add age, build, an outfit with one prop, a setting with its light, and an art style. "A 34-year-old elf woman, athletic build, platinum blonde hair in intricate braids, a hooded forest-green cloak over leather armour, a longbow on her back, in a misty pine forest at sunrise, classical oil painting" gives you a ranger; "an elf" gives you a stock photo with ears.
Most fantasy prompts fail the same way: they name a race and stop. The model fills the gaps with the most average picture it knows, so every elf looks alike and every orc is a green wrestler. The fix is the same as for any character: describe a person, then add what makes them not human.
What goes in a fantasy character prompt?
Eight short parts, in roughly this order:
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Art style and shot | "A classical oil painting, cowboy shot from mid-thigh up" |
| Who | "A 55-year-old orc man, muscular build" |
| What makes the race | "grey-green orcish skin, tusks capped in gold" |
| Hair, eyes, marks | "jet black hair in intricate braids, amber eyes, war paint across the eyes" |
| Outfit and one prop | "heavy wolf-fur mantle over scarred iron armour" |
| Expression | "a serious, determined look" |
| Setting, time and light | "a windswept snowfield, soft overcast daylight, dramatic rim lighting" |
| Mood and format | "epic and heroic, aspect ratio 1:1" |
End with a line that keeps it original: "no celebrity or real person, no existing film, game or cartoon character, no logo or text." Without it, a famous game or film character can creep in.
Four tested prompts
Each of these is a ready-made character in Character Prompt Builder; the picture under each is what the prompt made.
Elf Ranger, as an oil painting:
A classical oil painting, cowboy shot from mid-thigh up. A 34-year-old elf woman, athletic build. They have fair skin, platinum blonde hair in intricate braids, emerald green eyes, faint silver tattoos along one cheek. Wearing a hooded forest-green cloak over fitted leather armour, a longbow on her back, with a small sporty crossbody bag, in worn leather boots. Their face carries a serious, determined look. In a misty pine forest, at early sunrise, lit by strong backlighting with lens flare. The overall mood is mysterious and enigmatic. Aspect ratio: 1:1.
Keep it original: no celebrity or real person, no existing film, game or cartoon character, no logo or text.Orc Warchief, as a 3D render:
A polished 3D character render, cowboy shot from mid-thigh up. A 55-year-old orc man, muscular build. They have grey-green orcish skin, jet black hair in intricate braids, amber eyes, a full well-groomed beard, tusks capped in gold, war paint across the eyes. Wearing heavy wolf-fur mantle over scarred iron armour, in worn leather boots. Their face carries a serious, determined look. In a windswept snowfield, under soft overcast daylight, lit by dramatic rim lighting. The overall mood is epic and heroic. High dynamic range and 8K ultra-detailed. Aspect ratio: 1:1.
Keep it original: no celebrity or real person, no existing film, game or cartoon character, no logo or text.Tiefling Sorcerer, illustrated:
An anime-style illustration, cowboy shot from mid-thigh up. A 22-year-old tiefling woman, slim build. They have deep red infernal skin, jet black hair in long waves, amber eyes, curled black horns and a thin tail. Wearing a high-collared indigo robe with silver embroidery, violet fire curling in one palm, in worn leather boots. Their face carries a subtle confident smirk. In a luxurious glass-walled library, at night, lit by warm candlelight. The overall mood is mysterious and enigmatic. Aspect ratio: 1:1.
Keep it original: no celebrity or real person, no existing film, game or cartoon character, no logo or text.Pixel Elf Mage, as a game sprite:
A crisp pixel-art sprite, full body shot. A 68-year-old elf man, slim build. They have fair skin, silver grey hair in long waves, ocean blue eyes, a full well-groomed beard. Wearing starry blue robes and a gnarled staff with a glowing crystal, in worn leather boots. Their face carries a serious, determined look. In a wizard's tower, on its roof under the stars. The overall mood is mysterious and enigmatic. Aspect ratio: 1:1.
Keep it original: no celebrity or real person, no existing film, game or cartoon character, no logo or text.Which features make each race read right?
Two or three features per race are enough; more starts to crowd the face.
| Race | Features to name |
|---|---|
| Elf | Pointed ears, a slender build, fine features; braids or long straight hair |
| Dark elf | Dusk-blue or grey skin, white hair, pointed ears |
| Dwarf | A stocky build, a braided beard or braids, soot or a forge apron |
| Halfling | Small and round-faced, bare or furry feet, a homely outfit |
| Orc | Grey-green skin, tusks, a heavy brow and build |
| Tiefling | Red or purple skin, curled horns, a thin tail |
| Dragonborn | Scales in one metal colour (bronze, silver), a snout, no hair |
| Fae | Insect wings (dragonfly, moth), a tiny scale against flowers |
| Vampire | Pale skin, red eyes or a hint of fangs, candlelight |
| Celestial | Feathered or light wings, a soft glow, clouds or sky |
For a race the list does not cover (a gnome, a satyr, a naga), describe it the same way: one body feature, one colour, one prop.
How do you change the style without losing the character?
Swap the first sentence only. "A classical oil painting" becomes "A stop-motion claymation still", "A flat vector poster" or "A crisp pixel-art sprite", and everything after it stays the same. That is how the four prompts above were made: one structure, four styles. The same character in different art styles goes further, with what to keep fixed when the style changes.
To use the same character again and again (a game party, a comic, a book cover series), make a turnaround sheet first and attach it to every later prompt. AI character sheet prompts: turnaround and expressions has the sheet prompts, and Keep an AI character consistent across images and video shows how to reuse it.
Where can you check this?
- Google AI for Developers: image generation with Gemini (be specific about style, subject and medium)
Can you build a fantasy character without writing the prompt?
Character Prompt Builder asks a few questions (kind, race, age, build, features, outfit, setting, light, art style) and writes the prompt for you, for stills and for video, plus an identity block that keeps the character the same in later prompts. It has 99 ready-made characters across 7 kinds, 16 of them fantasy, and 19 art styles to switch between.
