Novelists
Keeping a cast of twenty straight across a draft, and spotting the character who quietly stopped mattering in act two.
Free · No sign-up
Free Character Relationship Chart Maker Characters. Lines. Meaning.
A character relationship chart maker for casts too big to hold in your head. Free, no sign-up, and everything you draw stays yours.
Edit free and download a watermarked PNG. Need a clean copy? Export one chart for $8 once, or choose a plan.
OC relationship chartStart with friends, rivals, mentors, and secrets.Edit this template →
Character webConnect a central character to the rest of the cast.Edit this template →
Story mapThe Lantern House
MutualOne-wayBroken
01What a character
What a character
relationship chart is
A character relationship chart is a diagram of the people in a story and the connections between them. Each character is a node. Each connection is a line, labelled with what that connection is: rivals, siblings, ex-partners, the one who knows the secret.
It answers questions a character list can't. Who is isolated? Which two characters have never shared a scene, and should they? Is your antagonist connected to anyone besides the protagonist? A list tells you who exists. A chart tells you how the story holds together.
It goes by other names depending on who's drawing it — relationship map, character web, ship chart, character connection diagram. They're the same thing.
02Who ends up
Who ends up
drawing one
Fanfic & OC
Placing original characters into an existing cast, or showing readers how a large AU fits together.
TTRPG groups
Tracking NPC factions, debts, and grudges across a campaign, where the web changes every session.
03How to build one
How to build one
that's actually useful
Start with who causes things
Not everyone belongs on the chart. Begin with the handful whose choices move the plot. Background characters can be added later, or left off entirely.
Draw only the lines that carry weight
If every character is linked to every other character, the chart tells you nothing. A line should mean something happened, or something will.
Label each line with a verb
"Friends" is static. "Covered for her" or "wants his job" points somewhere. Verbs make it obvious which relationships still have tension left in them.
Look for the shape
Step back. Clusters that never touch mean two stories running in parallel. A character with one thin line is a character you can cut. That's the payoff.
04What you
What you
get
characterchart is a browser tool for making these charts without fighting the software. It's open now — no sign-up, nothing to install.
No account to start
Open the page and start placing characters. Sign in later only if you want to save across devices.
Your chart is yours
Use what you make commercially. No non-commercial licence attached to your own work.
Export that works
Download a free 2× PNG with a watermark. For a clean 4× PNG, SVG, PDF, or print output, choose $8 once for one chart or a subscription.
05Start with a
Start with a
template
Skip the blank canvas. Each starter below uses real characters and relationship lines you can rename, rearrange, and make your own.
Novel Character Map
Turn cast notes into needs, lies, pressure, and hidden truths.
Open template →Mystery Suspect Board
Connect clues, suspects, motives, witnesses, and alibi conflicts.
Open template →Fantasy Faction Map
See alliances, trade, feuds, claims, and secret pacts at once.
Open template →OC Relationship Chart
A flexible web for original characters, secrets, rivals, and mentors.
Open template →Character Web
Put a central figure in context with allies, family, and enemies.
Open template →Love Triangle
Make competing feelings and difficult choices visible.
Open template →TTRPG NPC Map
Track factions, debts, rumors, and the next useful conversation.
Open template →Ship Chart
Map crushes, exes, jealousy, and romantic tension.
Open template →06Guides and
Guides and
examples
Start from the way you actually work: outlining a novel, building a world, preparing a tabletop campaign, or studying a finished chart.
For novelists
Turn a large cast into a relationship map that helps with scenes, subplots, and revision.
Read the writer guide →For worldbuilders
Map factions, families, loyalties, and conflicts without flattening them into a family tree.
Read the worldbuilding guide →For game masters
Keep NPC motives, debts, clues, and faction pressure visible between sessions.
Read the GM guide →Finished examples
See three original relationship maps and what each layout makes easier to understand.
Browse examples →07
Questions
Do I need an account?
No account is needed to build a chart or download a free watermarked PNG. Sign in to save across devices, create a share link, or buy paid exports.
Can I remove the watermark without a subscription?
Yes. Single-chart export costs $8 once and includes 4× PNG without a watermark, SVG, PDF, and print output for one saved chart. You can edit and re-export that same chart. Compare the export and subscription options.
Can I use my charts commercially?
Yes. Charts you make are yours, including for published work, client projects, and monetised content. There's no non-commercial restriction on your own output.
Is this the same as a genogram or a sociogram?
They're related. A genogram is a family tree with medical and relational notation, used clinically. A sociogram maps social ties in a real group, usually in research or classrooms. A character relationship chart borrows the same node-and-line idea and applies it to fiction, with no fixed notation to learn.
Can I share a chart with someone?
Yes. Sign in, then use Share to get a link. Anyone with the link can view the chart, but not edit it. You can stop sharing at any time.