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onthetown
2011-04-29, 05:44 PM
I've been going through a rough patch lately and I notice that, in a campaign where I play many different characters, I just seem to gravitate toward one when I'm stressed or upset. Some of my friends have agreed that they have their "stress characters" as well, characters they can rely upon to give them a good distraction or to make life a bit more enjoyable while they're having a hard time of it. Any writer attached to their characters will tell you that they aren't just descriptions on a piece of paper; they're very much alive in their own world, imaginary as it is, and have minds of their own.

Anybody here have one or two (or more) of these? Mine is my LE Wizard of High Sorcery who I mention far too much, but she really is worth mentioning. Best character I've ever had, and good to get me out of a rut and feeling a little more creative. Though I have a feeling she doesn't quite like me as much as I like her, given how much we torment her on a day-to-day basis... heheheh...

dsmiles
2011-04-29, 05:59 PM
My "stress character"?

A TN CHA-based Rogue (Merchant Prince). The best party face I ever played. I already gravitate towards the role of the face, but stress makes this particular character come out in me even more.

Otacon17
2011-04-29, 06:05 PM
My character in Werewolf: The Apocalypse always cheers me up.

He's a Bone Gnawer named Crunchy. Fun to play, because he's a dirty, crazy old homeless guy. Currently, he's absolutely convinced that he needs to find Spider-Man, so that he can hatch an egg. It... kind of makes sense in context. Good times.

Analytica
2011-04-29, 07:20 PM
Most of my characters are like this, really, which maybe says something about the stress of my life in general, with OCD and grad school as the primary factors... :smallredface:

The soon-to-awaken lesbian werewolf stockbroker with a hypercompetitive perfectionist lifestyle, anger management problems and a tendency to resort to excessive force certainly qualifies. As do the various necromancers and Lina Inverse spellcaster clones. :smallsmile:

EDIT: The central part is that they all can reduce complex decision-making where every alternative is costly to clear-cut situations where the only thing you need to do is work hard enough or be ruthless enough.

Dimers
2011-04-29, 10:15 PM
I don't have a stress character, but I have a good-times character instead. When I'm not acutely depressed I like to run a giving and compassionate Hot Bi Babe as a spellcaster or face or both. Sometimes that's a little hard to fit into the gameworld (Shadowrun, new World Of Darkness), but that just makes my in-game successes that much better. :smallsmile:

Aurenthal
2011-04-30, 01:46 AM
Mine is a Fighter/Dwarven Defender
he is truly great...

Vknight
2011-04-30, 08:42 AM
Lucia the Seeker. Her documented case of insanity is a really good reliever of stress for D&D

Carl the big guy that smashes things and well thats it

lerg2
2011-05-01, 07:23 PM
Imladris, the Ranger/Ninja/Rogue/Assassin from Ebberon, His entire house was destroyed by Thurrani and he's responsible for the death of Starrin d'Cannith........ He's my favorite.
On an unrelated topic, I found an awesome race no-one suspects of being rigged. Sure, it's lvl adjust...7?...9?.. it's still awesome. Mark of justice 1/week, Charm person at will as 8th lvl caster? Rigged!

rayne_dragon
2011-05-02, 12:46 AM
I don't know if he's a stress character, but my neutral, bordering on evil, elven spellcaster is one I like to fall back on a fair bit. He's gone through a number of incarnations, but he's rather fun to play because he's usually quite capable of being highly destructive when he needs to be.

Poil
2011-05-02, 05:34 AM
I take it that it doesn't count that most of my characters have given me a lot of stress? :smalltongue:

Kol Korran
2011-05-02, 07:26 AM
one of my players is a very calm, nice to people, calculated and hospitable lawyer in real life. in the game he always creates the most problematic and often sadistic character he can (that can work with the party. he has been nicknamed "Belkar" for a good reason) i think it's a sort of a very cheap stress reliever/ psychotherapy. he is happier after each session, so i guess it's good.

lately he has shifted to a more mentally disturbed but not bordering on needless violence character. i wonder at the change. :smallwink:

MlleRouge
2011-05-03, 01:42 AM
LE cleric of Hextor...My favorite character ever and a wonderful stress character. He think he's a heavy-handed hero, not a mini-dictator :smallbiggrin:

Playing him is very enjoyable and relaxing because he's a mixture of honest and spirited, but also extremely emotional. He lets it all out far better than I can IRL.

randomhero00
2011-05-03, 11:18 AM
I like playing the "ultimate" assassin characters (it makes me feel in control). Some mixture of swordsage and roleplay always helps with this. In other words my stress character is more of concept since I could probably do the same thing with rogue/wizard or some such.

Pisha
2011-05-03, 06:47 PM
As I'm sure has become obvious in my posts... my "go-to" character is a female CG/CN rogue, usually human, elven, or half-elven, with loner tendencies but (incongruously, I know) high social skills. I don't know what about her I find soothing, but I've played her with only minor variations at least twice, and more than that with major variations (but keeping a similar "flavor.")

However, for straight-up stress relief, a good old-fashioned half-orc barbarian is always fun :smallbiggrin: