How do you make your characters?

[Chrono22]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

[Eloel]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

1- A concept mostly. My newest character is a gestalt Master of Flies//Warlock with the feat that allows you to counterspell as an immediate action and Natural Spell. Swarm Shape, hump the enemy, while shutting down their only hope with counter-dispels. This was inspired by the many games where you can 'shut down' your opponent. He's helpless against your character.

2- My characters mostly have a defined-tactic that can be used if I'm not there for the day. Creativity has it's place, but there are a few defined tactics that work better than others for every character.

3- Premature campaign ending

[/POST]

[mikej]

1. Anime. I'm horrible at coming up with character names soo I'll use one from a fav anime series. I tend to use bits of the inspiration character and add certain extra things ( like flaws and backstory that matchs an LoTR style fantasy game ) that match the campaign it's in. I like to let things flow naturally other than have a fully written out story. Adventuring is surposed to shape an individual's world view etc etc. I dislike the tavern start and the cliche "orphan" backstory.

2. A chance to show off. I tend to be a little bit more a powergamer than role-player. I like strong characters and simply put it's a world were a lot things want to kill you. Soo I'll use that to explain a lot of things.

3. Premature campaign ending.

[Temet Nosce]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

The last two.

To be more specific... I'll read up on various classes, feats, etc until something strikes me with an idea (I.E. the character I just made was born from various feats which increased CL/DC for fire spells, and the image of someone scared of the cold world, who thinks burning everything would be a kindness). It's not one or the other, I match the two.


2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

A lot. To continue my last example, I spent days reading through 30+ books just looking for various inspirations. Then I spent more time writing out possible backstories, erasing them, reading up on related issues... I examined possible tactics, considered enemies and allies, made sure to buy items on the possibility of unique character tactics...

As for your questions (I don't really see the point of them but...) yes, yes, and yes.


3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending

Because the campaign is over. I don't even remember the last time I had a character death (it's been years) and I've never really lost interest in a character at any point... I suspect it's because of the amount of work I put into them.


I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

Eh, you might want to work out precisely what you want to know. A lot of these questions were extremely specific (and not particularly informative).

Anyways, brief summary....

Step 1.) I'm invited to a campaign, I spend time talking to the DM and other players (if they're available... only one was talking in the campaign I'm soon to start) and consider possible ideas which will fit with the party.

Step 2.) I start considering options which fit with the above, I read up on various class, feat, spell, etc combinations until I locate one which appeals to me on a visceral level.

Step 3.) Talk about it more with people to help draw out the details and make sure the idea will work.

Step 4.) Spend dozens of hours (at least) combing through books for relevant mechanics and considering how they'll impact both play and the concept.

Step 5.) Work out a general history for the character starting at birth (even if I never record all of it) and consider how each mechanic was obtained. Note down possible roleplaying quirks for the character (singing, drug addiction, masochism, etc) and their effects on mechanics.

Step 6.) Record actual background for others consumption. Touch on any major events as well as anything which might have contributed to the characters philosophies, motivations, and attitude.

Step 7.) Work out various other aspects of the background (possible enemies, allies, likely responses, fears, etc).

Step 8.) Determine at least one (likely more) major reasons for the character to be involved with the party, work out any likely interactions the character will have with the party and probable responses.

Step 9.) Review, talk to everyone else about it, ask for opinions and critique. Fix anything which comes up during this.

Step 10.) Sent DM completed sheet.

[Myou]

1. I normally get inspiration just from a concept - powerful mage, guy who punches really hard, realy basic stuff like that.

2. 99% escapism. 1% yaoi rp.

3. Hopefully through natural campaign ending.

I basically play myself as I want to be - powerful, kind, attractive, intelligent, fit (well, fitter), etc.

[RagnaroksChosen]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

Alot of different places. From all the listed above to Co workers, people i meet, events that have happend. Talking with friends.. being on these forums.



2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?
I ususaly think of how i want to play it. though it ususaly changes when i hit the table.



3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?
Death, campaign folds or i loose interest.



I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

It can! Are you just curious or are there hidden motives.

[Vizzerdrix]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

Normally, I'll just want to play a class with a twist (a Druid who prefers insects, a wizard that wants to be a doctor, a warlock that is very small, etc). This gives me my character concept.


2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

When I make a character, I plan out each level. What spells, classes and feats I will take and when I'll take them. I do this at least to tenth level so the DM can see where I'm planning on taking my character. I tend to optimize towards my concept, not towards what is most powerful.


3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

S.C.D.S is the the #1 reason I stop playing a character (Sudden Campaign Death Syndrome)

#2 Is if it is too powerful, then I will shelf it as soon as I can.

#3 Is if it isn't any fun to play.

A character death has never been a reason for me to stop playing a character. Indeed, who says the afterlife isn't it's own adventure :smallsmile:

[Korivan]

1. When I make a character, I try to play something I havn't played before. I like variety, love experimenting with different classes.

2. Typically, all but a few of my characters are built for intelligence. Even alot of my lowley meleers too. I like to be able to try and outthink my enemies. So I guess "outlet for creative ideas" fits.

3. Premature campaign ending. I have a whole stack of character sheets from 2nd-3rd editions with characters level 1-10.

[valadil]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

Movie and book characters help. I don't try to rip them off wholesale - I'd rather take an aspect of an interesting character and try to integrate that elsewhere. I also try to retain some aspect of myself. The goal is to have a character at arm's length away from me. Closer than that and I'm not really roleplaying. Farther away and I can't relate to the character anymore. I'm also liable to play the exact opposite of what I want to play, just to stretch out from time to time.

Lately I've been a little more meta about my character creation. A couple years ago I realized that I almost always method act my characters. I try to get in their mindset and feel what they feel, saturating myself with character until it emerges outwardly. I saw other players doing the exact opposite. They'd play up all the superfical quirks and qualities, marinading themselves in sweet, juicy character until it permeated their core. I don't think one method is any better than the other, but I've been playing characters who use the outside in style, just because it's something I'm not used to doing. As a player I find it a little more boring. As a GM it's helpful because it lets me play NPCs better. 99% of NPCs don't need depth. They need hats. You put on your happy/grumpy/fat/racist hat and run with it. I still haven't gotten this down 100%, but I'm still practicing.

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

It's always a creative outlet. Some characters are more mechanical than others. Some exist to entertain my friends. But they always let me release some of my creativity.

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

Lately it's been campaigns coming to a close. Before that it was campaigns ending prematurely. These days I mostly play with the same group of people, all of whom take turns GMing. Someone will run a game for 10-20 sessions, conclude, and pass the GM seat to the next player. I don't think I've seen a single game wither and die in this group.

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

Yup. I see a lot about how important it is that GMs realize their players expectations. It is just as important for the players to be aware of their own expectations as well. I know a few too many warm bodies who show up to the game and don't even know why they bother.

[Chineselegolas]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?
Mostly a mechanical concept. Spot something cool and build a character around that, trying to keep the character viable. Like an intellectual focused Gangrel


2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?
Bit of this, bit of that.


3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?
Character death mostly for RL games. I grow attached to them and stick to my character through thick and thin until they get into a corner, then try and make it an epic end
Premature campaign ending for the PbP. Or failure to start

[Chrono22]

It can! Are you just curious or are there hidden motives.
The biggest hurdles that must be overcome to play a cooperative RPG are being able to effectively communicate your expectations about play/your character/the game/the story and to compromise those expectations by sharing the game with others.

I already know people have a mix of each of the motivations I proposed: I'm trying to determine if there is any consistent grouping of particular mixtures. Psychoanalyzing play styles will be easier if I can differentiate groups.

It's also becoming painfully apparent to me now that the biggest cause of a failed campaign is S.C.D.S. What causes S.C.D.S.? Probably a culmination of many factors. A lack of punctuality. Repetitive scenarios/challenges. Unimaginative players/DMs. "Free play" plot irresolution, and N.E.S. syndrome.

[Mathius]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

1. I usually get inspiration for my characters from all forms of media. Sometimes, though I will just get a character idea off the top of my head.

2. I generally build my characters to stand alone. As a player I have having to rely on the rest of the party. That is why I generally build the combat types and support them through purchase of items and potions to keep them alive. In a party I am generally the tank. I would have to say that my characters are mostly for Fantastic Escapism.

3. The number one reason I stop playing characters is because my DM's just . . . stop DMing. I have hundreds of characters that just sit in a binder collecting dust because my DM's just wander away from the DMing thing. The second reason I stop playing characters is because they get too powerful to effectively challenge (this mostly comes from DMs with very little experience handing out XP like its going out of style then whining that the characters are too powerful).

[Kylarra]

1. Usually a concept of sorts that I'm trying to make work in the system.

2. I usually try to build self-sufficient characters that can do a few things really well. in D&D 3.x, it's easy, I just write "druid" on my character sheet and proceed to optimize/deoptimize to the rest of the party's level. Other things require more tweaking.

3. Premature campaign ending.

[Rhiannon87]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

1. Prestige classes. I'll start off by looking at PrCs, seeing what interests me, and then figuring out what kind of person would go into that class.

For example, my favorite character, a rogue/fighter/spymaster, was created when I was trying to figure out a character for a new game. I had a character idea that I'd barely played once in the past-- a fighter with a day job as a bartender. I was flipping through a book, found the Spymaster prestige class, and decided to combine the two ideas: fighter/spy whose cover is the bar she owns! I built up a backstory, that has since grown exponentially, and set her off running. She's now nobility in Neverwinter. :D


2. I tend to look at D&D a little bit like a TV show that I "act in" every week. I want to bring in an interesting character who will interact with others in a fun and compelling way, someone who will fill a needed role within the group, someone who will add to the story. It's primarily about the story, for me.

The character I made for the above example ended up driving the plot for a while, thanks to an extensive backstory and a DM who enjoys political intrigue (as well as players who invest that much time/energy in said backstory). She's off the hook for that now, thankfully, and it's another character whose actions are going to be driving the adventure for the foreseeable future.

3. I've never stopped playing a character due to death. My group heavily emphasizes roleplay, and when you invest that much time in a character, it's really painful to just let them die off and try to roll up a new person. I have stopped due to boredom, once; my gnome druid was fun, but ultimately I swapped her out for a paladin (only lawful person in a group of primarily chaotic alignments, fun!) because she was a loner and never had strong relationships with anyone in the group. The paladin came charging in and had strong relationships from the start, simply by virtue of being a paladin in a group with a CG cleric and a holy liberator (among others).

Campaigns ending abruptly is the other reason I've stopped playing characters. That's always one of the worst ways to lose a character, because it's hard to give them some kind of resolution... unless continuity has been forced between two games and your DM has kindly decided to bring in his old character and your old character as NPCs, so that you can at least write stories in which your old character is still around. :D

tl;dr: it's about story and character interactions, with those two elements having about equal weight.

[woodenbandman]

I take a stupid joke and then I beat people over the head with in and insist that it is totally serious while laughing hysterically on the inside.

See: Warforged Beguiler, Buomman Bard, girl with +40 to jump checks, Halfling Barbarian Priest of Thor.

[Yukitsu]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

Usually start with an archetype, then I move to specific inspiration (current: Alma Wade, Yuki Nagato, Rachel Alucard) and from their, I add my own tone and personality to it, letting my imagination take over.


2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

A test of the limits of the game, seeing how well it can portray a character that I can imagine.


3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

Usually, it's campaign ending.

[Curmudgeon]

I generally make them to suit a particular scenario (for Con games), a party niche need (like healing), or just to play the types of characters I enjoy.

Examples:

A Con game where there was no magic. Basically everything happened inside what amounted to a huge Antimagic Field. This ended up being a fun challenge for an 18th level character. I went with Monk 1/Cloistered Cleric 1/Rogue 15/+1 LA template. The Cloistered Cleric level was to get domain powers and Knowledge skills, to power Knowledge Devotion. With Skill Mastery and Savvy Rogue to "take 12" on all these checks, Knowledge Devotion gave a guaranteed +5 to hit and damage versus everything. Add in Ascetic Rogue for unarmed damage, and Snap Kick for extra attacks, and my character ended up being the combat powerhouse of the group.

Party need: a healer who could kick butt. I went with a Favored Soul worshiping Kossuth, FR god of fire. Kossuth's favored weapon is the spiked chain, which gave me "free" Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Weapon Focus (spiked chain), and Weapon Specialization (spiked chain).

[rezplz]

While a lot of other people like to make optimized characters, I'm just fine with looking at the few classes I know, and thinking "Hey, X would be really cool" so I go ahead and do it. Don't really care if it's unoptimized, I always go with rule of cool.

All of my characters are original concepts. I never -purposely- base a character of mine off of some existing characters. Sure, sometimes there will be similarities, but it's purely coincidental.

Sometimes people don't like me because they expect me to fill some 'important' role, but instead I just play what seems cool and interesting to me. For example, in a low-level campaign of my friend's I've decided to play a commoner. :)


My characters tend to die a lot, so I usually run a character until he dies, and then move on to a new one. I've been known to lose interest and switch characters, though.

[jiriku]

1.) My characters are usually inspired by reading background fiction for an established campaign setting, or by books I've read/movies i've watched/campaign color described by the DM in homebrew settings.

2.) Character design can take me weeks. I sometimes write short stories describing character history, or sketch the character's portrait. I'll spend hours and hours poring over sourcebooks powergaming the character design - a well-constructed character design is as beautiful and aesthetic to me as an imaginately constructed building is to an architect.

3.) Character death. My characters are usually audacious risk-takers, and acting like a hero often puts you in the dead-book. Resurrection is generally not available in many games I play in, and even if it is, I always have more characters in my head who want their story told.

[MickJay]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

I want to know- since character creation is a very personal activity, it can tell you alot about what motivations and expectations players/DMs have about play.

General or specific examples would both be good.:smallsmile:

1. Varies a lot, sometimes I start with "something" resembling my characteristics and improvise, it may be an emulation of a historical or fictional figure, sometimes I want to play around with mechanics. One character was a pure improvisation, make-as-you-go (through the sheet), but it's difficult for me to create a convincing personality there, and I initially had problems with guessing the character's motivations for even being around the rest of the PCs (that part we were to work out by ourselves).

2. Outlet for creativity first, a bit of escapism (very little), chance to show off - it happens, though I think it should be avoided (nevertheless, I'm sometimes tempted to do it). I do have some fun with using my PCs to express controversial (or plain crazy) ideas and observe the reactions (or start discussions) with other players.

3. Premature campaign end. I had a few good GMs over the years, but for various reasons only one (short) campaign went right to the end. It was mostly low-intensity roleplaying, every other week or less often, so various circumstances had higher chance of disrupting the game.

[Shademan]

I start with a concept, then I decide on armour, weapon and appearance. then I draw the character.
flesh out flesh out aaaand PLAY

[AslanCross]

1. Where do you get your inspiration? A movie character? A mechanical concept? A story/plot concept?

All of the above. The concept usually comes from an existing character or archetype that I fuse together with character options I come across.


2. When you make your character, what kind of thought do you put into how you'll use it? Is it an outlet for creative ideas? A chance to show off? Fantastic escapism?

2. Boredom relief, thought exercises (checking papers gets extremely dull) and a little of escapism.


3. What's the number 1 reason you stop playing your character? Death? Loss of interest? Premature campaign ending?

3. Premature campaign ending. I've only really played as three characters anyway (two of these in one campaign). Most of the time I'm the DM, as I have the books and other resources.