Looking for ideas for a new character

[Yagyujubei]

Ok so in my main groups session last night my party was stuck in an un-winnable situation where a TPK was almost assured(surrounded by like 40 hobgoblins and a Xorn). My mobility monk was in a position where I could get away if I wanted, but I brought up the idea of trying to split the enemy group instead by getting some to chase after me, and to that the DM said I could save the party if I sacrificed my self to do so.

I opted to do that since our world has resurrection available but I have to play a different character for the next handful of sessions until he thinks of a cool way to work me back into the game.

I rolled 16,15,14,13,11,10 and I have to be a dwarf because my party is currently in the "Deep roads" in the underdark making for the last underground dwarven city.

anyway, my group has a fighter, a cleric, a ranger, and a thief. I was considering bard since I'm a fan of the class but the stat array with a dwarf really lends itself to something like a paladin. any other cool non standard ideas people can think of?

[Regulas]

Well given that this is just a temp character, I would suggest just making anything outlandish or unusual (at least compared to what you might normally play). Try some weird thing you normally wouldn't consider, since it seems less worth while to optimize a character you will only use for a few sessions.

Side note since your party has no full casters other then the cleric I would highly consider an arcane caster of some type.

[Yagyujubei]

honestly right now the front runner is a STR valor bard that dual wields dwarven battleaxes. Im also considering an Abjuration melee mage

[Perseus]

Mountain Dwarf Warlock (Tome Pact, Fiend Pact)

Background: Criminal (good guy ex criminal?)

Str: 12
Dex: 15
Con: 16
Int: 11
Wis: 13
Cha: 16

Your party has their bases covered so Bard would work great... But you could also bring some firepower to the table.

You aren't very squishy and you can jump around decently enough. You can carry your own stuff and not overload the fighter...

You also can blow stuff up quite well.

Really I would say you could exchange Tome for Chain pact, a familiar to help the rogue scout could be awesome.

With criminal you can help the rogue out a bit with lying (you might be better at this than him) and with stealthing around.

[Felvion]

Mountain Dwarf Warlock

Exactly what i had in mind.

[unwise]

I would consider staying away from Cha based classes, or at least a face character. Being the new guy, you are unlikely to be speaking for the party or even have an in depth knowledge about the goings on that they want to influence. I would also be reluctant to have NPCs get to know you, then nick off soon afterwards, leave the social interactions for permenant characters.

My personal favourite dwarf is a deep dwarf guy from a very traditional family that prides itself on never going above ground. He however is a Sun cleric who wants to bring his people out of their holes into the glorious sunlight. The dwarves think he is insane and an embarassment to the clan, his own clan want to quietly do away with him before his crazy ideas bring them shame.

What about a Warhammer style Slayer? You could go Barbarian or Avenging Paladin with a feat/level to get him unarmored defence of some sort.

[Bellberith]

To be honest, i almost always start my concept with a picture. Here are a few that might get your imagination going.

Concept Art (http://imgur.com/zB88EBV,iFQnoSF,9OBlWCH,GWo3Ml8,CvgRqcp,FCFkZPI#0)

Pick one that looks awesome to you (or find some others), then envision that character roleplaying and doing battle. Finally you then figure out how to best personify that character on paper through classes/abilities/personality.

That method never fails to make characters that you will enjoy. Which is the most important thing.

(That first picture is a Fighter 5 / Sorcerer 15 named Dante that i am currently using in a campaign. He is fun to play :smallsmile: )

[Jacque]

I am currently playing a gnome paladin with the Folk Hero background. His Oath of the Ancients paladinhood doesn't come from training and dedication but from being chosen. This has made his home village think, that he should journey out into the world and do good since he's obviously destined by some higher power. Unfortunately, my gnome never wanted to leave home but also didn't want to dissapoint family and friends so he buckled under the pressure and is now out in the big dangerous world, afraid to return home until he has performed great deeds.

I play him as a low confidence, unexperienced, and aching for returning home gnome, who tries to keep up appearances but inside despairs at the daunting task of doing good and great deeds in a world where much larger and stronger races struggle to survive. Something like Samwise from Lord of the Rings.

A wonderful character!

[eastmabl]

Disney princess.

I'm stealing it from Dungeon World... But do it. Doooooooooo it.

[SliceandDiceKid]

Dwarven Druid. You strongly favor moles and various digging creatures.

15/14/18/11/16/10

Ask the DM to introduce you to the party while you are wild shaped. Like you dig directly under them (looking for gems, so your family will finally approve of your lifestyle), caving in the path they're walking on.

You are fairly clumsy (in your original form) and not too bright, but kind and eager to apologize, even if you've done nothing wrong. Go hermit and the Druidic lifestyle is the secret power you discovered in your time alone. Your parents were ashamed and disowned you for not having any facial hair.

[Maxilian]

Well given that this is just a temp character, I would suggest just making anything outlandish or unusual (at least compared to what you might normally play). Try some weird thing you normally wouldn't consider, since it seems less worth while to optimize a character you will only use for a few sessions.

Side note since your party has no full casters other then the cleric I would highly consider an arcane caster of some type.

I don't agree, IMHO you should make all characters interesting enought to make it fun to play, treat every character as if it were your main character but always have in mind that an unique character can also be an effective and usefull character (I mean... think about it in a way that if anything happen you could always come back to these character and still enjoy the game)

Note: I normally like to go into Pinterest and check for images based on the race i want (or the class, depending what i have in mind) and take ideas out of it to make an interesting character for me to play

[mister__joshua]

As it's a temporary character, I'd go with something that has a place in the adventure you're doing. Not a party role, but a place in the story. Why is this dwarf down there? What's he doing?

I'd go for Dwarf Crossbow Ranger. He's an explorer, has the same goal as the party. Yes, there's already a ranger but yours won't be there for long.

[Yagyujubei]

I guess I should specify, once my original character is brought back this new character will live on in the world as an NPC. He is a member of a group of clanless dwarven warriors called the skull warriors that fight to protect the last bastion of dwarven society in the deep roads. When I'm done he'll live on as a battalion commander of sorts for this group.

[Perseus]

I guess I should specify, once my original character is brought back this new character will live on in the world as an NPC. He is a member of a group of clanless dwarven warriors called the skull warriors that fight to protect the last bastion of dwarven society in the deep roads. When I'm done he'll live on as a battalion commander of sorts for this group.

Yeah, Dwarven Warlock would be perfect. With the Cha based class he will be ripe and ready to lead.

Give him a background with Persuasion. Noble might have it on their list... Or guild artisan... Your character may have turned from their ancestor's way but he still remember his training.

Skull Warrior Ex-(background) Dwarven Fiendish Warlock sounds very badass... Not sure why but I feel like his name should be Mad Max or something...

[Yagyujubei]

yeah I'm thinking the warlock might be pretty rad actually as a bladelock with the fiend pact. I don't want him to have gotten his power from the demon/devil though. I'm thinking of saying that he sought out the primordial forces of fire, but I don't know enough about DnD lore...

would a primordial be powerful enough to grant these powers like a greater devil would? do primordials even have names, or is there a particularly powerful fire entity that isn't inherently super evil?

[Perseus]

yeah I'm thinking the warlock might be pretty rad actually as a bladelock with the fiend pact. I don't want him to have gotten his power from the demon/devil though. I'm thinking of saying that he sought out the primordial forces of fire, but I don't know enough about DnD lore...

would a primordial be powerful enough to grant these powers like a greater devil would? do primordials even have names, or is there a particularly powerful fire entity that isn't inherently super evil?

Doesn't really matter one way or the other as long as the DM allows it.

You could say that the power comes from Pelor because he wanted an agent that legally works outside of the way Paladins and Clerics do....

D&D Lore only matters as much as the DM really wants it too, I know way to many DMs who just use random stuff from real world history.

Perhaps Ares is a vestige that wants his godship back and has given powers to warlocks to help him get out of the void?

You already have a ton of physical strikers, you should focus on some magic... Your group seems to be lacking magic which is what makes the Tome Lock a good choice, you can grab Shillelagh and go to town from time to time.