1. #1

    Funny/Interesting D&D character design ideas.

    My group of friends plan to play D&D over the spring break, and I cant seem to think of a backstory or character. I thought paladin mailman or Detective Jailkeeper who accidently let all his prisoners free.

    What can you guys suggest?

  2. #2
    Bloodsail Admiral Omertocracy's Avatar
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    Waaaaaay back, I played a Monk who had been cursed by some god or another and essentially had two personalities, one Lawful Good, one Lawful Evil, and the DM would roll a Will save every scene (and at the beginning and end of any combat) to see if I switched between the two, then told me and no one else what the result was. It made for interesting times. Until the Wizard got pissed and put me in stasis in the center of the planet.

    Also had a L-G Paladin who followed Nerull and used an empowered scythe as a holy weapon. Because death was trying to get a new face.

    ... Yeah our DMs really didn't care about our backstories as long as they weren't literally "I dunno, it just sounded awesome."
    Last edited by Omertocracy; 2013-02-19 at 05:34 AM.

  3. #3
    Pit Lord Alski's Avatar
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    I would suggest against playing a paladin. Their code rarely lets them fit in well with an adventuring group.

    Quote Originally Posted by Omertocracy View Post
    Also had a L-G Paladin who followed Nerull and used an empowered scythe as a holy weapon. Because death was trying to get a new face.
    A LG paladin following Nerull wouldn't be a paladin anymore :P
    Last edited by Alski; 2013-02-19 at 05:43 AM.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Alski View Post
    I would suggest against playing a paladin. Their code rarely lets them fit in well with an adventuring group.
    All really up to the DM, from my experience. My current DM has it so that the paladin can be either lawful good, or in his deity's moral compass.
    I'm currently playing a Paladin to Pelor, so he can either be Lawful Good, Neutral Good, and possibly one other, I'm not quite certain on his alignment in 3.5e
    I made him Neutral Good, and he's fit in rather well so far with our party.
    But once again, depends on the DM, house rules, YMMV, etc.

    ---------- Post added 2013-02-19 at 12:44 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Alski View Post
    A LG paladin following Nerull wouldn't be a paladin anymore :P
    Blackguards for dayz.


  5. #5
    Old God endersblade's Avatar
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    I and a couple of people, eons ago it seems, came up with a valid concept (during 2.0 rules) for a Dragoon class, straight out of Final Fantasy. Had the jumps and everything. Ran it through a few campaigns, had a blast with it. We've since lost all documents pertaining to it, but it seems other people have had the same idea and have adapted it to the new 3.5 rules (Who knows, maybe they based it on our design lol).

    I also ran a pally once who questioned the whole 'system'. None of it made any sense, and he felt that the gods didn't really like the way things were going anyway. He played a neutral-evil sort, basically questioning how things worked. It was actually pretty fun lol, the DM constantly made me to checks and things to see if the gods would get pissed off at how I viewed my motives and decisions. Sometimes I'd be able to get away with things a pally normally couldn't, and sometimes I'd be punished for things a pally should normally do. It was just really querky, and in the end we agreed that while it was fun, we definitely shouldn't do that again lol.

    In another campaign, I played a beastmaster sort with...get this...a baby tarrasque as a pet lol. I had to CONSTANTLY make rolls in battle to make sure the thing obeyed my commands and attacked the enemy. More than once it turned on our party and almost killed someone before I could finally get it under control. We ran this character in several campaigns getting him up to 15 or 16th level. At that point, I rarely failed the rolls, and basically had an invincible killing machine as a pet lol.

    In that same playgroup, we had a mage who had split personalities. Like, to the point where he'd get into an actual SPELL FIGHT with himself lol. Sometimes, in the middle of battle, he'd magic missile himself (I'm still not even sure how that's possible lol), or he'd get into an argument and miss a few rounds of fighting. And apparently his OTHER personality was evil; sometimes, if he got really low rolls, his other personality would start casting on the party. Really made things interesting!
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  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by endersblade View Post
    Snip-Snap-Snippity-Snip-Snap-Snip
    Dragoon always interested me, so good on you guys for homebrewing a class up.

    Paladin idea sounds like it was a fun ride, I'm just imagining you giving healing to some random NPC that just got beat in a tavern-brawl and some deity saying, "I thought we were past this..." boop, there goes 10 hitpoints worth of Lay on Hands.

    Baby tarrasque. Color me horrified. I'm sure that had everyone on edge when they looked down and see you rolled a 4 to control it.

    Yeah, the last time my group got into PvP. My Gravity Warrior and a few other members of the party got mind-controlled by Illithids and started duking it out with the non-controlled. Lucky me, I got to fight the Monk (3.5e. Monk. 3.5e. MONK. GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER.) and he hit me with two decisive strikes. That, along with his modifiers and enchanted handwraps, knocked my guy out cold with 94 damage, 31 overkill.
    So now my DM, the Monk, realizes maybe more than one Decisive strike per round... isn't fair?


  7. #7
    Bloodsail Admiral Omertocracy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alski View Post
    A LG paladin following Nerull wouldn't be a paladin anymore :P
    As long as he is both LG and follows his deity's rules, he is a Paladin. And if Nerull is personally watching to clear any rule issues up by bending his rules to gain more worshippers, then LE Deathadins for dayz...

  8. #8
    I don't want to start an edition war but I find it hard to give advice without knowing what edition you're playing.

  9. #9
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    I'm preparing a D&D campaign for my brother and a friend of his, and I've put some thought into my character (I'm intending to be a lenient GM, as well as a player). We started by each individually doing the introductory session from the quick start box, the one with the merchant that's attacked by goblins.

    Basically, my character is a Rogue. A few weeks before the campaign starts, my grandmother died and left me a mysterious small puzzle box. she stated that it was the reason my grandfather turned mad. The puzzlebox has left me stumped and I've left my home village to find someone who could help me with the box.

    Now, the gimmick of the box is that as long as I haven't managed to open it, Every time I fail a D20 check non-critically, I need to roll a D10. If I roll a 1 on that check, the failure is upgraded to critical failure. So basically, when something goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong 10% of the time. I haven't quite yet figured out what will happen when I finally open the box, but I'm intending it to be something dramatic.

  10. #10
    Merely a Setback breadisfunny's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Babzu View Post
    My group of friends plan to play D&D over the spring break, and I cant seem to think of a backstory or character. I thought paladin mailman or Detective Jailkeeper who accidently let all his prisoners free.

    What can you guys suggest?
    what edition are you playing? do you prefer physical combat type roles or more magic oriented? also not sure what you mean by detective jailkeeper (unless your using a homebrew class) as im not aware of any detective classes in d&d lore. if you dont want to spend much time creating a backstory and just want to kill things you could just go with a fighter/barbarian type class since they dont usually require a lot of background. it depends on the dm really. there isnt enough information here for me to be able to say for certain what would be a good fit. also what alignment is your party going to be? this is important if your playing 3.5 or earlier. as some alignment dont mesh well or arent allowed with certain classes/groups/races.
    r.i.p. alleria. 1997-2017. blizzard ruined alleria forever. blizz assassinated alleria's character and appearance.
    i will never forgive you for this blizzard.

  11. #11
    I once played a Chaotic Neutral demon possessed Elven Warlock that was about as bat shit crazy as the Joker.

    One time, the inn where my character was staying got attacked by zombies. In a rare moment of clarity for him he picked up the table in his room and rolled it down the stairs, blocking off the zombies allowing them to be safely killed. After the fight I improved the following lines.

    "You thought I didn't know, but I did! You thought you could take my room key didn't you you bastards! But I was ready, I HAD A TABLE!" We had to stop the game for about 15 minutes so everyone could finish laughing. I don't know if it sounds funny typing it out, it's probably one of those things where you had to be there in the heat of the moment to really appreciate it.

  12. #12
    Epic! Gemini Sunrise's Avatar
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    Play a rogue and go full skill monkey with it. Eventually get to the point where you are effectively invisible (Move Silently/Hide checks so high that no one can detect you), and can reverse pickpocket Blast Discs into people's packs.

    ---------- Post added 2013-02-19 at 04:08 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by breadisfunny View Post
    what edition are you playing? do you prefer physical combat type roles or more magic oriented? also not sure what you mean by detective jailkeeper (unless your using a homebrew class) as im not aware of any detective classes in d&d lore. if you dont want to spend much time creating a backstory and just want to kill things you could just go with a fighter/barbarian type class since they dont usually require a lot of background. it depends on the dm really. there isnt enough information here for me to be able to say for certain what would be a good fit. also what alignment is your party going to be? this is important if your playing 3.5 or earlier. as some alignment dont mesh well or arent allowed with certain classes/groups/races.
    Justicar would be a detective class. As would a Bloodhound.

  13. #13
    I once played a wizard in a 3.5e campaign that had severe phobia of the dark. As in, he would freeze up terrified in dark spaces. He specialized in spells that produced light (fire, electricity, light, and prismatic), and added a few new prismatic spells to boost that kind of spell type as it was very lacking. It was pretty fun, actually.

  14. #14
    I like your idea for the dragoon. Wish we could get something like that going on here.

  15. #15
    Titan Kalyyn's Avatar
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    Here's my go-to character for D&D, or any roleplaying game. Wall of text incoming.

    Name: Tiberius Stormsong

    Age: 27

    Species: Human

    Appearance: Tiberius gives an appearance that could initially be mistaken as muscular, but closer inspection reveals that he’s honestly just big, and not in the best shape. At 6’1”, he is taller than most, but by no means a giant. Tiberius prides himself on his shoulder-length black hair and goatee, both of which he keeps in immaculate condition and frequently obsesses over. He is typically seen wearing light plate armor, not because he particularly needs it, but because he simply doesn’t own any decent clothes at this point.

    Personality: Tiberius is generally a nice guy. He’s an obnoxious drunk and has a crippling opium addiction, but past that he’s not terrible to be around. While he can be overly sociable around just about anyone, he tends to become timid at the first sign of action. Tiberius will pursue something he truly wants past the point of insanity, but has a habit of half-assing anything else. In a team setting, he typically considers himself to be more of a “brains guy”, preferring to create plans than to actually carry them out. Unfortunately, his plans usually range anywhere from ill-conceived to downright terrible. He fancies himself to be deep and artistic, and while that may even be true, he’s terrible at expressing it. Not for lack of trying, mind you, but he makes a fool of himself more often than not. The simplest reason for this is that he is not very good at dancing. Typically, his "dances" will look, to the casual observer, more like awkward spinning than any real sort of art.
    Tiberius is not a fighter by nature. He's more fond of talking his way out of danger than killing. That's not to say he has anything against a good slaughter, mind you; it's just a lot of effort, and Tiberius realizes that he'd be on the losing end more in most circumstances.

    Background: Tiberius was born in a frontier town in the northern reaches of the Holy Roman Empire, during the reign of the glorious emperor Charlemagne. Tiberius’s father was the captain of the town militia, and dreamed that his son would one day take on his duties as defender of the people. Unfortunately, Tiberius had different plans. Early on he knew that, beyond anything else, he wanted to be an interpretive dancer. Despite his father’s best efforts to make the boy a soldier, Tiberius applied to the Frankfurt Bard’s College as soon as he was old enough. This is when he found out that his father had been right about one thing: Tiberius was, in fact, a terrible dancer. When the college rejected him, it left a void in his soul. He then set about filling this void with alcohol and opium, the latter of which he became severely addicted to.

    Tiberius quickly discovered that opium was an expensive habit, and reluctantly agreed to sign on under his father’s command in the local militia. He was 16 years old at the time. During his service, he learned basic combat skills, swordplay, and some general strategy and tactics. He made money on the side half-finishing odd-jobs around the town, and accepting literally any bribe that was offered to him (so long as it didn’t require too much work). Tiberius was almost caught several times doing this, but his status as the captain's son discouraged any investigation against him. He never gave up on his dream though, and he practiced dancing alone in his room every night (but only on the rare occasions when he wasn’t blacked out at the local tavern). This was the cause of much disagreement with his father over the years, as the captain wanted Tiberius to focus that energy in to his swordsmanship. Or, if nothing else, to stop drinking himself into a coma so often.

    At age 24, Tiberius met a beautiful young woman at the town market one day. Despite his countless flaws, she inexplicably fell in love with him. Shortly after, she informed Tiberius that she believed herself to be pregnant. For reasons completely unrelated to this, Tiberius then decided that to become a man, he needed to make a journey alone to see the four corners of the empire, not knowing if or when he would ever return. His father respected his decision, and gave him his best sword and horse for the journey.

    Tiberius lost the horse less than a week later. Among other things, Tiberius is terrible at tying knots.

    Continuing the journey on foot, Tiberius chose his first destination to be the capital city of Frankfurt. However, due to some poor directions from a mean-spirited farmer, he soon found himself in the land of Denmark. The Danes, not known for their hospitality or fondness of Germans, took Tiberius prisoner and sentenced him to public beheading. By chance, however, a guard found Tiberius' fiddle while searching his belongings, and showed it to the village Jarl. The Jarl assumed Tiberius to be a bard, and gave him a chance to live. If Tiberius could entertain the Jarl for the evening, his life would be spared. He played his best for the Jarl, and danced only slightly out of time with his reel. The Jarl found the song to be mediocre and the dance to be horrendous, but something about the desperate display touched his frigid heart. He declared that Tiberius would stay as a guest in the Jarl's court until he could perform the viking song of winter, along with the accompanying dance.

    The song of winter is a fairly simple song, and the dance consists primarily of rhythmic foot-tapping. Despite this, Tiberius took a full three weeks to learn it. This was not helped by the abundance of face-smashingly strong alcohol available within the village. Compounding the issue even further, Tiberius discovered that the opium trade has not found it's way this far north yet, and he suffered wracking withdrawals throughout his stay. But against all odds, Tiberius learned the song, and performed for the Jarl at a great feast. The Jarl found the song and dance to be adequate, and granted Tiberius his freedom.

    Once out of Denmark, Tiberius made a note on his map to never return to the frozen hellhole again. He continued his journey south to Hamburg, where he encountered a band of traveling minstrels. After more or less begging to join them, the troupe accepted him into their ranks and set forth for Dresden. There he ruined many a performance with his lack of talent and his general aversion to hard work. Deciding that Tiberius had no place among the minstrels, they robbed him in the night and headed toward their next destination, leaving Tiberius in a ditch on the side of the road, drunk and penniless.

    Tiberius saw this as a wake-up call, and vowed that he would regain his wealth and continue his journey. He swore that from then on, he would be a hard, honest worker. Unfortunately, this vow lasted all of a day before he realized that he really just did not have it in him. And so for the next three years he lived in a room at the tavern, doing odd jobs around the city to pay for rent and booze. Being too lazy to work, and too honest to steal, it seemed that Tiberius would spend the rest of his days living in that room above the tavern. But he was content. He didn't have a child to raise, and drinks were always just a walk down the stairs away.

    Strengths:Tiberius is a good listener, so long as he’s sober. He’s also decent with a sword. Not great, mind you, but he knows which end is for stabbing. He can even cook to a certain extent. Most importantly, Tiberius Stormsong is lucky. Usually. He’s rubbish at gambling. He can also play the fiddle reasonably, but that’s rarely gotten him anything past a free drink or two.

    Weaknesses: Burning, crushing, impalement, you name it. Tiberius Stormsong is, by most descriptions, an average human. The remaining descriptions would call him a below-average human. He gets confused easily. He has a tendency to wake up in random places with an earth-shattering hangover, not remembering how he got there. He’s terrified of anything with more than four legs and open water. He doesn’t understand numbers with more than three digits. In short, he is a failure in more ways than could ever be listed.

    World: Early 9th century Europe

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