What makes you want to stick with a character?

[Klorox]

What makes you come back to your character? What keeps you from growing bored with them?

It doesn't matter what group I'm with, or what character, it's been a very long time since I've felt in love with a character; really invested in their story and keeping it going.

I retweaked a character of mine, liked him better mechanically, but at my game last night, it was left off where he'd almost definitely die between sessions. I'm cool with that, but I don't like how I'm not bothered by it at all.

Rant over. I'd love to hear some tips on how y'all fall in love with your characters and stay there.

[Mikal]

To be honest... a good DM
In a game that captures my attention and allows me to actually grow the characters personality and ability, I get invested in the game. And the more I get invested in the game, the more I want to use the same character to continue their story as well as the story of the game.

[jas61292]

For me, it is not about the mechanics or even my own character's personal details or story that keep me interested in them. Rather, it is the interpersonal relationships that they have, especially with the other PCs. The characters that I have enjoyed playing the most are those that had strong bonds of some sort with one of the other PCs. I played character that came to view the other party members as family, and they were perhaps my favorite character I ever played. I had a character who literally was family with another party member (brothers), and the two of them had a blast together (until I got mind eaten by an intellect devour, leading to helping with a TPK). I played a character who was a adventuring party leader with one of the other characters having been with me for years prior to the start of the campaign, which let us develop fun tales of our past adventurers and tie them into the current situation, and that was super fun. And I once played a character who sort of treated one of the other party members like an older brother, even though said party member did not really like me that much in return, and the antics we got up to because of that once sided relationship were amazing.

On the other hand, the characters that I played that I really lost interest in were those that never really had anything special going on with other party members. Sure, I would often have super interesting character concepts, and would enjoy playing them a ton at first, but as time would go on, I would feel like they had not really developed as much, because any development they did have was so tied to NPCs, many of which would not end up being that important.

No matter how much I like a character at the start, D&D is ultimately a game of interaction with each other, and unless your characters mesh well with the rest of the every day cast, it is just not going to end up as interesting to me.

[Flitz]

I've only played a bit of 5e, but I'm definitely leaning game size and the other players involved. I've never played with a DM that I didn't at least see from their point of view, and I can think of a story and build I like for any race and class, but if the group is too big and the characters don't really get a chance to shine, I don't feel as committed - usually I'm in love with my character in the first session, but this past game we have 7 players, all of who want to do their own thing and show off, even the DM was getting frustrated that several of the players would stray from the story he was trying to tell to one up each other and get off track.

[90sMusic]

As with good works of fiction, the most endearing characters are the ones that have flaws.

Lots of folks use D&D as some kind of personal fulfillment vehicle and they want to live out their edgelord anime fantasies and want to be that douchey character that stands in the dust cloud when it clears and all that pointless drama.

The best characters, the most memorable characters, the ones you will be sad to stop playing will have little quirks or flaws that can make other players feel something. They can laugh, they can be sad, they can be excited, and so on.

One of my favorite characters is a Tabaxi thief. It is afraid of water and refuses to get wet, which has led to some funny and interesting interactions. It is a bit of a kleptomaniac, but doesn't steal things that are "valuable", but rather steals things that are shiny or look like objects that would be fun to play with for amusement. The character lied just about constantly to try to seem like they knew more than they actually did, which also led to a lot of funny player-player and player-DM interactions because I was often just making stuff up that was completely wrong and we all knew it, but it was fun.

In addition to the more humorous stuff, the character was also remembered because it occasionally tugged at the heartstrings. The reason it had so many issues was because it was so insecure and felt like no one would ever love it and it would always be alone. Everytime the party was packing up to leave, it would sheepishly ask if it could go with them, because for a very long time it never felt like it was really part of the group. The backstory was so sad too haha. When my character finally told the other characters, two of the players actually cried haha. Sad, sad stuff.

But yeah, don't treat your characters like a vehicle to play the game, treat them like living things. Give them a life before "the game". Give them goals and motivations and personalities. Make them feel alive.

You'll get attached and you'll look forward to playing it each week.

[NecroDancer]

Give the character a fun personality that you and everyone else enjoys.

[Shido]

Those are some really great replies, all of which have helped me stick with my characters, but for me...I just invest so much into a character's story, personality, background, etc. So when I join a party, my characters have always been popular for who they are more than what they can do, except for when they do awesome stuff because it is within their personality traits and charactaristics.

I only had one character die, and it really made me sad, but what made up for it was the fact that the DM gave me closure.

My advice is, think of the class at the very end. Just imagine what character you would like to play. Look at pinterest images to get inspired. Hopefully you'll find something that you'd love and stick with for a very long time ^ . ^

[Dappershire]

When I can feel it. If I can go to the table every week, and wear my character like a thick mask, then its keepable. I usually know by the second session, if im just not feeling a character. If I cant flesh him out in my own head.

A good character is when it no longer feels like a character, but like waking up as them.

[Mortis_Elrod]

Mostly depends on how often i play, start a new campaign/story, how long i will play the character.

More recently I've been playing alot of one shots, so i try to not get invested in the characters for that since I probably won't use them again. Though the last one i made was very fun, so fun and a cool character idea that I went ahead and had him drawn.

Not alot of 5e happening though so not really caring too much besides the one.

Super invested and want to my character in Shadowrun 5e to live and flourish. He's an Ursine Shapeshifter PhysAd focusing on unarmed damage. Very much volibear inspired (league of legends) and my team and DM are having a great time with a bear shadowrunning in Seattle.

[Sariel Vailo]

I usually like a character based on intresting character or cliche drow entertainer bladesinger with whip marks and mild ptsd.fun

Super samurai human yay....eh it wasnt fun

Monk have a lot of fun

[Lord Vukodlak]

For me it often comes down to the character himself his background, history plans, how they fit into the world and what I want to do with them in the future. In our group we rotate DM's(Campaigns). So no one's stuck running week to week. I'm currently inactive ad a DM so I'm playing three characters instead of two.


We have Nigel Reignheart the Wizard, aside from a rebellious phase in his youth he lived a quite life into his forties. That was when the wizard Medivar offered to hire him as his full time research assistant even offering to teach him real magic. Nigel turned him down, he then offered him twice his annual salary he got working in the Library. Nigel agreed.

Now Medivar was experimenting with some temporal reversal magic possibly related to life extension. That would never be said allowed as the Church forbids life extension through arcane means. Divine means are fine, if you extend your life through divine magic it means God (singular) wishes it. There was an accident Medivar aged a few thousand years in two to three seconds turning to dust. And Nigel is biologically currently twelve and getting younger by the day, his options to find help for his condition are limited as high level people are rare and anyone he turns to could turn him into the Inquisition, use him as a lab rat, or if they are from one the the Techa Nations that worship the elemental gods sacrifice him on a altar because they like Unique offerings.

I put a lot of work into his background I in fact typed a four page document on it and gave it to my DM which had doors open for several plot hooks to be used or ignored. Such as...
"As for William… he went down a darker path."
What is that path, don't know left that for the DM should he choose to you use it. Wrote in a childhood sweetheart he hadn't seen in twenty years leaving the door open for a surprise son/daughter to show up. Nigel meets his son and has to pretend to be his little half-brother.

As a character he's and adult trapped in a child's body. This isn't just a matter of being short and looking young. He struggles between acting in the calm rational manner of his adult experiences, and a impulsive child. This may be because of biological make up of a child's brain. Or he's acting out his midlife crisis.

Given the work that went in I'm quite attached and if he dies he'll certainly want to be raised.

Second we have the Assassin/Battlemaster Whisper.
A wood elf who was finished at the last minute as I didn't expect to start that campaign for another week. So I never wrote a backstory and hastily threw on some features such as enamored by drink and ale.
The campaign he's in has suffered an astonishingly high death rate in the early levels. He's the only survivor of the original party. So now his little drink quirk has real significance he's watched all his companions die.
When the party was forced to retreat to avoid a TPK from this cult, we had to leave a unconscious(but stable) PC behind. Party of four, two unconscious and one on his last legs. After exiting the dungeon Whisper downed some potions and went back to save his friend before they sacrificed him or something. So he developed his new trait "Leave no man behind" So he went back in to get his friend back even if he'd only be retrieving the body.(thankfully he was alive).
He would rather die himself then lose another friend now that our level his higher and the random encounters between towns aren't so much of a threat raising a fallen party member is a bit more practical. But given the fact he watched all his original party members die, if Whisper should fall in combat he'll find peace in the next life and stay there.

Lastly we have Alistair the Half-Elf Valor Bard.
This campaign had a few rules most annoying was don't bother with a backstory all creation would be handled in the 1st session. We arrive on this fantasy world in modern clothing with no memory of our past save our name. This kind of thing happens every six months and there's a guild that recruits and out right exploits these people to do adventuring things. As all of them are sponges who can pick up a PC class in a few weeks training.(few survive very long anyway) Its hard for me to make a character without a backstory to shape it, he's not even a part of this world so its difficult for me to have him grow attached to things. Nothing in the campaign has given me material to have him grow organically. His response to having no memory of his past, is to simply live in the moment... without a memory of home there’s no reason to want to go back. The only thing he has is resentment towards the guild he believes at best exploits these amnesia travelers and at worst may be outright responsible for them being there.

So I'm not attached to him at all, and if an opportunity presents its self for him to get killed without it looking like I intentionally got him killed... I'm gonna take it. Now that I know about the world, I have ideas for the kind of character I'd like to be in it even if he arrived with total amnesia.

One of my favorite characters of all time was my Lawful Evil Cleric Christof. He was man devout in his belief that the world was a place of chaos and suffering that only tyranny could bring order, security and peace to the world. To him "evil" wasn't bad. It simply meant that someone who did what was necessary to accomplish there goal. He did evil things because he felt they were necessary. Be that animating the dead, torture, murder selling people into slavery, etc etc.
But if doing something "good" was beneficial he'd do it. For example our guide to the lost temple is this simpleton suffering from severe brain damage due to a head injury in his teenage years, he was the only one in the village to ever brave the mountain pass so no one else could lead us up there. Christof wasn't comfortable following an idiot so he cast heal hoping that it would undo the damage, it did and the guy was so thankful he hugged him much to Christof's displeasure. Later the guys step-dad hugged him, again much to Christof's displeasure. He later invested in spiked armor and a fiend helm to make it clear to others don't touch me.

The campaign he was in featured the party trapped in this pocket dimension on this island. His goal was to return home to his wife and to his kids. Amassing more, spreading the influence of his church these were side-projects or a means to an end to the singular goal of returning home to his wife and children one of whom was born while he was trapped on this island.

[Asmotherion]

-Good Backstory
-Good Story
-Loads of Invested Downtime
-Starting at Low Level and going one to a higher level
-Heavy RP
-Good DMing

A faster level progression makes you un-attached to the character. You don't care that much if he lives or dies, 'cause you know you'll just re-roll in the next few sessions. It's just a character that you play in some world. You haven't really felt what he feels, attached to him, became impressed by the level-up!

When you've been Role-playing a character for 2 or 3 years and you're still Level 12-13 (due to scarce sessions and low XP rewards), and then that character dies, you can be sure this character will be missed.

[Hrugner]

The only things that seem to matter for me are.
- The DM made an effort to use the character's backstory for plot hooks.
- mechanically interesting. I get really bored if I just attack during combat and my out of combat interactions are locked into the mundane. Such as with a DM who likes "gritty realism" or most non caster/rogue classes.
- The character's choices are rewarded.
- A variety of relationships with other PCs and NPCs. Some hate, some fondness, some regretable decisions.

I've come to the table with well developed backstories and had them be ignored, and I've had characters with no backstory and a DM insistent that he needed more to work with. I much prefer the on the fly backstory that gets used than the well developed one that doesn't.

[Asmotherion]

The only things that seem to matter for me are.
- The DM made an effort to use the character's backstory for plot hooks.
- mechanically interesting. I get really bored if I just attack during combat and my out of combat interactions are locked into the mundane. Such as with a DM who likes "gritty realism" or most non caster/rogue classes.
- The character's choices are rewarded.
- A variety of relationships with other PCs and NPCs. Some hate, some fondness, some regretable decisions.

I've come to the table with well developed backstories and had them be ignored, and I've had characters with no backstory and a DM insistent that he needed more to work with. I much prefer the on the fly backstory that gets used than the well developed one that doesn't.

Gritty Realism does not necesseraly lock spellcasting out of combat. It also does not nesseseraly mean low-magic. It just means that things get more complicated, you don't automatically heal in a long rest at full HP, and your spellcasting has chances to backfire (for example, using firebolt in a forest has a high chance to set this Forest on Fire and then you have to run away from the fire wile fighting). An other example is that you don't automatically resolve anything; you got an arrow to the knee (pardon the skyrim referance)? You'll need someone with medicine proficiency to remove the arrow and then patch you up. Got Fire damage by a firebolt? Someone with medicine proficiency again needs to put something on the burn (perhaps some dayry product) to reduce it's damage, 'till you're able to regain HP.

This also makes magical healing (a somewhat downgraded mechanic in 5e) so much better, as is "automatically" takes care of this stuff.

We play in a Gritty Realism, yet High Magic Setting, and I can ensure you it's really great. I am a Wizard in that campain, and have found a lot of creative ways to use Cantrips and lower level spells, and generally making the most of Spellcasting Economy.

[Sir cryosin]

It about the time I spend in the spotlight. I've played through games were no one really got any stoplights. And it felt bland. Then there were times we're my character did something and got the spotlight for a bit. Some of my memorable characters are

1. Bulletproof Jimmy a pistol and shield gunslinger fighter. First is the party keep saying your not bulletproof. So in one fight he got shot a lot but was able to stay standing kill over half the enemy's proving he was bulletproof. Next he had a epic turn so we were ambushed in the middle of the night the Sorcerer took on guys to the right I took the guys to the left and the rogue help whoever need help. The Sorcerer went down I spent 2 rounds dashing to get to him. On my 3 round running I slide to him slamming my shield into the ground giving me and the Sorcerer 3/4 cover. I then pulled out a healer kit and got him back up (I had the healer feat).

2. Glen the kobold shadow Monk. He was liked by the party out of character but on character wasn't too liked. His was too talkative, hyper, crazy, and one lucky SOB. So volts just came out and the DM put a mysterious house in a bandit camp were prisoners went in but never came out. So the party get me to go in to check it out. It turns out to be the Adam's family house I talked to Gilmore then dropped into a pit that was a beholder lair. I casted pass with out trace and snaked my way through. Getting out the DM thought I would die the party thought I would die but I didn't.

3. My first 5e characters Cry a half elf shadow Monk / fae warlock. It was fun teleporting stunning and darkness devil sight BS.

[scalyfreak]

What makes you come back to your character? What keeps you from growing bored with them?

Lots of opportunities to roleplay the character. As long as I can keep doing that, and enjoy doing that, I will remain interested.

Because of this, I tend try to create roleplaying opportunities where I can. I tend to use the time spent waiting for the DM and other players to finish up stuff they are doing, for IC fluff conversations. It makes perfect sense that characters would try to get to know each other, if they know they're going to travel together for a long time and fight enemies together. If we're going to discuss tactics, marching order and who takes the first vs last watch at night anyway, why not do it IC?

[Hrugner]

Gritty Realism does not necesseraly lock spellcasting out of combat. It also does not nesseseraly mean low-magic. It just means that things get more complicated, you don't automatically heal in a long rest at full HP, and your spellcasting has chances to backfire (for example, using firebolt in a forest has a high chance to set this Forest on Fire and then you have to run away from the fire wile fighting). An other example is that you don't automatically resolve anything; you got an arrow to the knee (pardon the skyrim referance)? You'll need someone with medicine proficiency to remove the arrow and then patch you up. Got Fire damage by a firebolt? Someone with medicine proficiency again needs to put something on the burn (perhaps some dayry product) to reduce it's damage, 'till you're able to regain HP.

This also makes magical healing (a somewhat downgraded mechanic in 5e) so much better, as is "automatically" takes care of this stuff.

We play in a Gritty Realism, yet High Magic Setting, and I can ensure you it's really great. I am a Wizard in that campain, and have found a lot of creative ways to use Cantrips and lower level spells, and generally making the most of Spellcasting Economy.

I didn't say gritty realism had to be low magic, just that playing a no-magic character in a gritty realism game tends to make me bored by the character since they have too few options.

The problem with gritty realism is that you have fewer options as a mundane character since you are bounded by the mundane, where as in a less realistic game you can expect supernatural results from exceptional mundane characters. This sort of story telling pushes me as a player into playing supernatural characters in order to access strategy and tactics that are normally obtainable by a mundane character. I have no problem playing magical sorts in these games since they sidestep the problem since they are expected to achieve super natural results.

I'm not saying I need a warforged character who can cast goodberry in order to get attached to a gritty realism character, just that I need to avoid the four or five archetypes without magic.

[Sorlock Master]

...Depth...

[SmokingSkull]

You know you've made a character memorable when you have friends/players of past games still talking about things they did and said. I have one such character: Lo'Kag "the Slayer" Ogolakuno, Goliath Fighter. I've played him through a couple campaigns in different editions and is essentially my "Warrior" character. I've changed up his subclass and even MCed with him in a different game but it's the personality, quirks and flaws that keep me playing him. I'm also vetting a new character in another game I'm in: Dracus Germaine, Human Paladin of Oghma, think eccentric uncle who knows far too many dark secrets.

At the end of the day if the character you play inspires others, if they talk about things that character said/did, and the memories you make with them are all the more special than you know you have something amazing.

[Klorox]

I've often found that if I insert an accent, it helps me get into character. It also makes the character much more memorable to those around me.

Perhaps I'll explore doing that again soon. I work with people from different countries so I tend to pick up on accents pretty easily.

[Slipperychicken]

What makes you come back to your character? What keeps you from growing bored with them?

Having good stories unfold during gameplay.

I like stories. A character is just one component of a story. Without the other elements crucial to good stories, a character in a vacuum will not interest me.

[SociopathFriend]

What makes you come back to your character? What keeps you from growing bored with them?

As vague as it might be- I keep coming back if I'm having fun.

If it's mechanically fun:
A Support-Type character buffing and keeping key party members alive
A battle-loving Barbarian leaping into the fray and fighting everything and everyone that goes against him
The blasting Sorcerer ripping apart enemy lines with well-placed fireballs
The knowing Wizard always being aware of the battlefield and keeping everyone and everything exactly where and how he wants them
Or even the Paladin getting off massive amounts of damage and nuking evil-doers

So long as I feel like I'm "winning" when playing the game, I'll enjoy it and keep the character going so long as I can keep this mechanical value alive. At heart that's how I play though- it's me vs the game. I may have other people playing alongside me but the idea of achieving the goal and being the victor is what drives me.
It's not "winning" as in dominating every fight- but winning as in the game is seeking to prevent me from enjoying my role and I seek to do the opposite. It's hard to explain but essentially so long as I can get my intent done- even if I lose and am KO'd, I enjoy myself. One of my favorite Sorcerers (Demon-bloodline Pathfinder) was routinely killed and taken out- I still had a great deal of fun being a high-strength in-your-face-blasting-and-slashing monster.



However, I also enjoy playing certain characters because of how they roleplay and my enjoyment of their particular role:
Such as my current Barbarian, dude was bitten by a high-level squirrel Druid and went nuts. He now fervently believes in the Great Squirrel God and attempts to follow the tenants set down by him- which consist primarily of misunderstood (by the Barbarian) rules and orders to 'maintain balance'.
For example, whenever he refers to the Great Squirrel, he must 'balance' the sentence.
"He is my most favored ally- and my most worst foe."
Now granted, at least a part of the allure is that this is in Curse of Strahd, this moderately random insanity and the crippling depression the campaign has make odd bedfellows.


I also once played an extremely timid (yet rather effective) Deep Gnome Rogue I dubbed 'Cid'. While initially too fearful to do much- he gradually grew into his role of saving the world and helped lead the Blingdenstone forces against the incoming slime army. The journey from coward to hero was quite rewarding as time and time again he had to overcome his (earnestly earned) fears and fight. Eventually he created the Carrion Crawler cavalry forces and they went on to great glory in protecting the settlement.

Admittedly, this has been more rare than the mechanical value. Typically I make a mechanical concept and build a character around it rather than vice versa. I'm better at evolving the character as we play than making a backstory. Cid is a prime example of this- as was the Demon-bloodline Sorcerer. Cid grew into a hero and the sorcerer... grew into fearing his eventual perma-death and turned to lichdom to escape it as being slain repeatedly began to build a very genuine fear that he would perish and not return. (He also trapped a 12-year-old in a soul-gem but to be fair, the kid kept bragging about being a better sorcerer for 3 years).
But so long as the value of the character still appeals to me, I'll stick with them. Obviously I can't through death but other than that I'll ride that horse to the bitter end.

[Beelzebubba]

Combo of fun mechanics, having a character with enough depth and room for growth that I feel like I can use the crazy events around him/her to surprise myself and other players, and the ability to use their perspective to crack jokes.

It's hard to be an overly serious character unless I can use it to be a certain kind of 'unaware of himself' funny.

[furby076]

It starts with a character concept that has an immersive backstory. Mine are typically 10 pages long. My current and last DM both loved the stories. That gets me invested in the character. I also spend hours devising the build. That gives me another hook into the character. Then i spend time thinking of my characters personality, and spend the first few sessions revising the way he/she behaves.

Finally, it also needs a good DM to use some of the backstory and let the character grow. I had one who fell in love and got married. Was the story needed for the game...nope,but it made it better. I loved that character and was happy when the campaign ended, to write his post campaign life

[KorvinStarmast]

what makes me want to stick with a character is fun people at the table.

[GlenSmash!]

Having as much of my own personality in the character as possible. I will always get sick of playing a role that is far from my personality eventually.

But I will always enjoy imagining myself in these fantastic scenarios. Asking myself "what would I do?" and then doing that.

[Demonslayer666]

What makes you come back to your character? What keeps you from growing bored with them?

It doesn't matter what group I'm with, or what character, it's been a very long time since I've felt in love with a character; really invested in their story and keeping it going.

I retweaked a character of mine, liked him better mechanically, but at my game last night, it was left off where he'd almost definitely die between sessions. I'm cool with that, but I don't like how I'm not bothered by it at all.

Rant over. I'd love to hear some tips on how y'all fall in love with your characters and stay there.

Creating a good background story, developing motivations, and at least one quirky behavior (delusion, disorder, mania, or phobia).

[ZorroGames]

I stick with a character because I work the background and character design until it makes me want to play the game.

Having a good group helps as goes a good DM but the desire to play either starts right away and continues past Level 1 or it dies right out of the gate.

[Ergdorf the Fly]

Do fun stuff with the character! I remember before my latest session, part of me wanted to replace my human rouge, Ergdorf. Now though...Ergdorf has some "business" to sort out

[poolio]

I'd like to say it's all about story for and character motivation for me, but out of my
Three favorite characters, two of them were guys just made to be annoying mid/maxed or op build types, that i kinda learned to love from use who developed personality from playing them,

First was a battlemaster high elf ( +2 dex and a free wiz cantrip for mending arrows) who i made just to give our rogue a more reliable reaction sneak attack, and then i started going ranger for some utility spells and hunters mark, he eventually had better dpr and chance to hit then the aforementioned rogue, i had a +12 to hit by the time we retired those characters and i was hitting on rolls of 4 and better most of the time lol

Second is a Gnome eldritch knight, i thought a Gnome would be interesting to try (never played one before this guy) but after about three games i was kinda hinting to the dm that i wouldn't mind if i died, and was reincarnated as a half-orc, we were friends with a tribe of druids so i figured it was doable, but no such luck, but after a while I've grown to love this guy, he's becoming quite the mage slayer, he's gained resistance from pretty much all spells thanks to a couple magic items and gnomes natural resistance to magic, and he's gained a couple swords that are awesome, a sun sword (standard from the dmg as a request from myself as something to spend my share of sizeable loot) and a shadow blade (a creation of the dm that gave me the idea to try and get a sun sword)

So now he's a whirlwind of light and dark anti wizard fury lol