[3.5] The most interesting (level 1) PC in the world

[Crasical]

Hiya. My bi-weekly group has finally shifted back into a DnD mood, and this time, I'm going to be a player rather than a DM.

• I know very little about the DM's style or opinions on optimisation. He played an Elven Wizard in our last DnD game, that is all I know.
• He's promised the campaign will be epic in scope. World-Saving stuff.
• I'm pretty sure we're going to start at 1st level.
• The party will be large, between 4-7 people depending on who all shows up.

So, the problem is that I'm decidedly mediocre at roleplaying, and compensate by being.. well, weird. I can't wring much interesting behavior out of a Dwarven Fighter, to be honest. So I create characters with odd abilities.

I'm currently considering running a cat hengeyokai + Wiz or Sorc as a Cat Sidhe, a Yakuza-mage with the Tattoo Spellbook and Precocious Apprentice to pick up Magic tattoo at 1st level, or a human fighter dual-weilding bastard swords.

So, I want to know. What's the most interesting 1st level character you've ever seen or played?

[Halae]

Here'sa god one that you might actually be able to do well, and it's semi-normal enough that the other players probably won't feel your playing weird for the sake of weird.

See, his name was Harnel Nor, where I got my username from. He was a sword and board fighter. He had trollblooded as one os his initial feats.

Regen 1 may not sound like much, but it creates vast differences in the way different player characters interact because you have such a different physiology than them. whereas one player might freak out over the loss of a hand, you'll grow it back in anywhere between 3-18 days, and unless fire or acid is involved spending about 5 minutes after any battle will have you up to full health again, meaning your character won't be afraid of any fighting. The fatigue while your in sunlight kills uberchargers because you can't run while fatigued, and so the feat balances itself pretty nicely there, and it'll let your character argue about travelling during the day. That, and the rapid regeneration feat speed up your regen even more. It's pretty awesome.

I have to say, Harnel was my favorite character in a vastly long time

[Lhurgyof]

Not the most interest, but one of the most funny, the "torchbearer".

Mr. Bumblebux, Umberhulk accountant.

Ankle biter, gnomish cleric daredeveil.

A bard with perform: spoons.

[Serpentine]

Super-compressed version of my roleplay cheat sheet (cuz I should be studying): fears, fetishes, vices, virtues, long-term goals, short-term goals, hobbies.

My own interesting characters? Hrm. I haven't actually started many games from level one... In fact, I think the only ones I have are a mute female Rogue, daughter of an upper middle-class "madam"; and Shea, dim likeable half-orc Rogue who has a well-developed sense of self-preservation and likes kittehs.

[Dr.Epic]

So, I want to know. What's the most interesting 1st level character you've ever seen or played?

Well, I once played a zealous halfling monk who was on a crusade to wipe out all evil and outsiders from the lower planes which was mostly shouting at people in a bar that alcohol was evil.

This one I never played, but hope to someday: a half-orc cleric of Yondalla who thinks he's a green-skinned, giant, chosen halfling.

[Gavinfoxx]

Are you interested in finding unique, varied, and thematic mechanical abilities that help lead you to ideas of the possible character personality and motivation?

Some of us are better at mechanical things... for example, in your first thing, D&D absolutely, positively, does NOT, at first level, mechanically support "Dual Wielding Bastard Swords". It just isn't worth it. The game gives you massive penalties for doing this that makes you do less damage, on average, than if you, sayyy, simply wielded a CLUB in two hands with a decent strength...

How about this. There are lots of us that specialize in mechanics -- why don't you tell us what, ultimately, you want the character to be GOOD AT, and some of us can help you get both the theme, characterization, AND the abilities of the character all at once? These should all build off of each other...

[Dr.Epic]

Play a dwarf that uses a weapon other than a hammer or axe. Nobody does that.

[Shyftir]

Hmm... I just created a level 1 Earth Shujenga. His name is Zandros (of Geopolis) he is 55 years old and has lived the last 34 years in a castle. So far this only sounds mildly interesting.

he's an anthropomorphic dragon but has no draconic powers outside of starting campfires by breathing heavy. He lives in that castle because at 21 he was called to live there by its king because he was "the best."

Basically the whole party made their characters and then were told the part about them living in the castle and being dragons. Needless to say it's gonna be a weird campaign.

[Serpentine]

Play a dwarf that uses a weapon other than a hammer or axe. Nobody does that.

Heeeey. I like my axe-wielding dwarf
Does it help that she's a Knight from the super-traditional (aka "stereotype") tribe of dwarves, but was exiled for breaking quarantine and fraternising with elves (also super-traditional aka stereotype tribe - there's others), and as a result her coat of arms on her Weapon of Legacy shield (straight from the book) has a big orange tombstone on it - the heraldric symbol for "traitor", and she is a recovering alcoholic after excessive drink caused her to hurt people close to her in her post-exile depression, and is really just adventuring to kill time until her exile runs out and she can go home?

[Crasical]

Are you interested in finding unique, varied, and thematic mechanical abilities that help lead you to ideas of the possible character personality and motivation?

Yes

Some of us are better at mechanical things... for example, in your first thing, D&D absolutely, positively, does NOT, at first level, mechanically support "Dual Wielding Bastard Swords". It just isn't worth it. The game gives you massive penalties for doing this that makes you do less damage, on average, than if you, sayyy, simply wielded a CLUB in two hands with a decent strength...

It does. Human Fighter 1 gets Level 1 feat, Human Bonus Feat, and Fighter feat.
This is enough to pick up TWF, Oversized TWF, and EWP: Bastard Sword.
It counts as a 1-handed and Light weapon, so you only take -2/-2.

Yeah, doing a d10 with either hand isn't as efficient as using a greatclub with power attack, and uses more feats to do it.

But it's not impossible. And bashing someone with a 2x4 isn't unique, varied, or thematic.

[Hirax]

Lesser gray dwarf druid

[Krazddndfreek]

Heeeey. I like my axe-wielding dwarf
Does it help that she's a Knight from the super-traditional (aka "stereotype") tribe of dwarves, but was exiled for breaking quarantine and fraternising with elves (also super-traditional aka stereotype tribe - there's others), and as a result her coat of arms on her Weapon of Legacy shield (straight from the book) has a big orange tombstone on it - the heraldric symbol for "traitor", and she is a recovering alcoholic after excessive drink caused her to hurt people close to her in her post-exile depression, and is really just adventuring to kill time until her exile runs out and she can go home?

Ahh this reminds me of my friend's 4e dwarf ranger: Baldwin Nobeard. Baldwin is basically a hairless dwarf that uses a bow, wears lots of fur, and lives with elves. He's hairless because a "demon barber" shaved all of his hair off, and cursed him to live hairlessly for the rest of his life. Which is why he was forced to stoically accept the name "Nobeard" and not shame his clan's unknown name. He adventures to wreak vengeance on the demon barber and to regain his lost hair and honor.

[Project_Mayhem]

Yes


It does. Human Fighter 1 gets Level 1 feat, Human Bonus Feat, and Fighter feat.
This is enough to pick up TWF, Oversized TWF, and EWP: Bastard Sword.
It counts as a 1-handed and Light weapon, so you only take -2/-2.

Yeah, doing a d10 with either hand isn't as efficient as using a greatclub with power attack, and uses more feats to do it.

But it's not impossible. And bashing someone with a 2x4 isn't unique, varied, or thematic.

Is bashing someone with two swords really unique varied and/or thematic though?

[Kami2awa]

Play a dwarf that uses a weapon other than a hammer or axe. Nobody does that.

I've always wanted to play a dwarf wizard, an ancient master of arcane law (or at level 1, maybe an apprentice to the same).

[Serpentine]

A dwarf wizard, an ancient master of arcane law... whose staff happens to look remarkably like a long-handled warhammer

[Gavinfoxx]

Yes


It does. Human Fighter 1 gets Level 1 feat, Human Bonus Feat, and Fighter feat.
This is enough to pick up TWF, Oversized TWF, and EWP: Bastard Sword.
It counts as a 1-handed and Light weapon, so you only take -2/-2.

Yeah, doing a d10 with either hand isn't as efficient as using a greatclub with power attack, and uses more feats to do it.

But it's not impossible. And bashing someone with a 2x4 isn't unique, varied, or thematic.

Well... okay... how about this...

is "excelling in melee fighting" something that you want your character to do? Is that the main thing you want your character to do? Is the theme "Excelling in melee fighting using an obscure and unique style, including a rare fighting style with interesting, novel weapons" what you want your character to do?

[Drakevarg]

Hm... I think my half-elf, half-dwarf Fighter with a talking, bending, extening katana/naginata was first level. He wasn't terribly interesting, but the dynamic he had with his weapon was. I REALLY hated that naginata. Totally stuck up.

On the other hand, that was the campaign where my teammate, a 1st level dwarf fighter, had the balls to actually charge THE TARRASQUE. And somehow, he lived. (A pair of epic-level NPCs that were hunting down the Tarrasque at the time anyway showed up.)

I remember, when we first saw the Tarrasque, we were up on a cliff. The DM was using pennies for miniatures. Then he placed something the size of a shoe box on the table and said "this is how big it is." Taking into account the fact that we were still up on the cliff, and it was curled up like a cat, sleeping.

I think my problem is that while I've had plenty of interesting Level 1 character ideas, they've never lasted long enough to go anywhere.

[Arbane]

Amusing idea I had that I haven't had a chance to play yet: Elf Barbarian.

"It's not a 'berserk rage'. I enter a profound meditative state that allows me to act without emotional distractions."

"You ripped that orc's arm off and beat him to death with it while screaming like a banshee having a baby!"

"That was the tactically optimal action at that point."

[OMG PONIES]

Amusing idea I had that I haven't had a chance to play yet: Elf Barbarian.

"It's not a 'berserk rage'. I enter a profound meditative state that allows me to act without emotional distractions."

"You ripped that orc's arm off and beat him to death with it while screaming like a banshee having a baby!"

"That was the tactically optimal action at that point."

Fantastic. How do I sig something, and may I sig this?

[Tyndmyr]

Casanundra, dwarf, and the world's second best lover.

Don't just subvert the steriotype, take a wild left turn long before you ever get there. Playing an elf that prefers the city over the forest is aright, but playing an elf who secretly wishes he was a gnome, and spends his days tinkering with mad creations in his workshop is far, far better.

[FelixG]

Squicky the kobold paladin! With his trusty riding dog Fluffelbut!

Gotta love mounted combat in dungeons :D

[Serpentine]

Casanundra, dwarf, and the world's second best lover.

Maybe someday I'll try playing the author of the popular libris eros Bilbo's Biggun...

[Ranger Mattos]

a human fighter dual-weilding bastard swords.

You can dual-wield small spiked chains for an additional -2 penalty to hit. Much cooler.

[Last Laugh]

I think that a Bard using a Kusari-Gama (dmg 145) (light, one handed, slashing, 1d6/x2, reach, exotic, can attack adjacent) would be awesome, use Snowflake Wardance(Frostburn) and Slippers of battledancing (MiC?) (once you find some) For extra goodness use silverbrow hooman and pick up dragonfire inspiration(RotD)/lingering song(Cadv) (adds d6 fire damage, lasts a minute after singing (so you can use it for +x attack/ +xd6 damage)

You can also improve casting (Glee) using awesomesauce such as versatile caster(Trade 2 level 1 spells for 1 level 2, 2 level 2 for 1 level 3, etc) Metamagic Song(RoS)

Hooman Bard 1:
Feats: EWP (Kusari-gama)
Snowflake wardance (1/day at level 1 is kinda meh)

I think it'd be kinda fun

[TheCIASentMe]

I'm currently playing a Warforged Factotum who uses a net, trident and casts fist of stone (maybe not at level 1? Anyone remember when Factotums get their first level 1 spell?). It isn't the most powerful build but the net being a touch attack means I don't really care about the penalty for not being proficient. If something is netted then I can usually wade in with trident/slam/slam.

Which brings me to a question: Does anyone know how making the net masterwork or magical would affect things? The net has a dc 20 escape artist and 25 strength checks to get out and I can't find any rules on how or if they would improve with the enhancement bonus on the weapon.

[Diarmuid]

Hiya. My bi-weekly group has finally shifted back into a DnD mood, and this time, I'm going to be a player rather than a DM.

• I know very little about the DM's style or opinions on optimisation. He played an Elven Wizard in our last DnD game, that is all I know.
• He's promised the campaign will be epic in scope. World-Saving stuff.
• I'm pretty sure we're going to start at 1st level.
• The party will be large, between 4-7 people depending on who all shows up.

So, the problem is that I'm decidedly mediocre at roleplaying, and compensate by being.. well, weird. I can't wring much interesting behavior out of a Dwarven Fighter, to be honest. So I create characters with odd abilities.

I'm currently considering running a cat hengeyokai + Wiz or Sorc as a Cat Sidhe, a Yakuza-mage with the Tattoo Spellbook and Precocious Apprentice to pick up Magic tattoo at 1st level, or a human fighter dual-weilding bastard swords.

So, I want to know. What's the most interesting 1st level character you've ever seen or played?

Bolding is mine for emphasis. So you normally DM, but you're bad at roleplaying...this seems...counterintuitive.

Wacky mechanics do not make a character interesting. There's nothing saying you couldnt make a dwarven fighter interesting. There's nothing at all different between that and a human fighter wielding bastard swords other than the choices you make for the character.

[Master_Rahl22]

The most interesting character I've seen recently was a female Gnome who was incredibly scarred, and pretended to be male. It was for a PbP game so it was probably easier to manage than IRL, but the player even made sure to use gender neutral pronouns or avoid them altogether when describing the character's actions until the time came to reveal her true gender. She was hiding it due to some very painful and disturbing experiences in her backstory that made her unable to consider herself a woman anymore, so it was just easier if nobody else condered her one either. Oh, and the character was a Scout, but that really wasn't important to the RPing.

An interesting character IMO comes from the backstory and personality you give them, not their class or abilities. That said, you can come up with some strange/exotic/wacky abilities and then base your character's story and personality around that, but they're not required.

[The Glyphstone]

Dwarven bard with Perform (Drums) and Lightning Maces? Keep your rhythm going on the drums or your enemy's skulls/kneecaps, it's all the same to you.

[Crasical]

Bolding is mine for emphasis. So you normally DM, but you're bad at roleplaying...this seems...counterintuitive.

Playing NPCs and PCs is different to me in my mind. The players went looking for food, so they found a food-stall with a chicken-invested commoner who deeply hated the 'feathery little bastards' that flocked around him against his will and went manic and gleeful for about six seconds before and after he got to kill one to serve his customers.

He was interesting and fun character as an NPC, but he's pretty much a one-note joke character. I don't have the skill to give a character depth long-term.

Wacky mechanics do not make a character interesting. There's nothing saying you couldnt make a dwarven fighter interesting. There's nothing at all different between that and a human fighter wielding bastard swords other than the choices you make for the character.

It's easier for me to work backwards from a unique spellcasting/fighting/performing style towards the rest of a personality, WHY would a person cast or fight or act this way?
No, there's nothing that says I can't make a dorf fighter interesting. But I have a hard time doing it.

Yes, you may be correct that this means my characters are uninteresting and gimicky, but it's the only way I can make it work right now.

[Gavinfoxx]

What about my question? Is your idea basically, "use an interesting and gimmicky melee combat style, along with being good at melee, to help you get ideas for how to roleplay this character."?