Okay, there are characters and then there are characters that we remember (for good or ill) for years and years, long after they have been retired.  These are the characters that are talked about by the gaming group or to anyone who will listen even when the conversation has nothing to do with Dungeons and Dragons.

One way to make a character memorable is to give that character a trait - a player playable trait - that sparks an emotional, physical, or mental reaction of some sort in the other players.  In many ways this can require a bit of meta-gaming, but in other ways it is just really thinking through who the character is and what he or she is about.

An easy trick to developing this kind of trait is using a tick.  Something that happens at regular intervals.  Some examples would be a catch phrase such as a barbarian’s battle cry, which is used at the start of every combat, or the character always referring to himself in third person.

Often during the character creation process we think in visual terms, i.e. the style of armor or the color of the character’s hair.  Unfortunately these things are relatively intangible.  The picture of that character is different in the head of each individual sitting at the table.  The shade of red in your heroine’s hair is going to be different for everyone.  The things that you as a player do, however, are going to be witnessed by all and will bring a much more tangible expression of your character that everyone can relate to.

I cannot over-emphasize that these need to be verbal or physical actions.  The other players need to hear or see what you do.

Now, be cautious in that you do not choose something that is very difficult to maintain.  A goofy accent, for example, works pretty good for about half an hour or so but then tends to become forgotten.  By the second session you don’t even bother trying.  Likewise complex or time consuming rituals will simply be annoying.

Which brings us to the final point of the day which is that these kinds of ticks will probably annoy someone?  You can overdo it, and you probably should – just once.  Overdoing it once will implant it into the memories of everyone at the table.  Overdoing it twice and you will most likely be asked to stop.  Throwing in the occasional reminder will play to the character without driving everyone nuts.  The whole idea is to make the character come alive with those little details that make all of us real.

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So it doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen.  You get tired of playing the character that you are playing.  This could be a result of some mistake you made during your build that you didn’t anticipate, or a bad fit for the party or a maybe you just fell out of love with dwarves.

Whatever the reason, you may find that your enjoyment of the game is significantly diminished.  My first rule of playing any game is to have fun, and especially when I sit down for D&D, so if this is causing your game to be un-fun then it needs fixing right away.

You have several options here.  First, though you may want to really think about what is causing you to wish to play something else.  Odds are good that when you know the reason you can find the solution easier.  Now, talk with the DM.  This may sound a bit difficult to some players, but the truth is you just have to do it.  The DM will most likely be able to help you find a solution that won’t hurt the group.

They may suggest quietly retiring the character.  The character may just buy a tavern and settle down or may get married and start popping out kids.  Retirement is a good option because it allows the character to come back later in a new adventure if things change.

The DM may allow you to simply rework your character into what you want.  If the changes are relatively minor this can be the best option.  If all you want to do is swap out a feat (and you don’t want to wait a level for retraining) then your DM might just allow you to do it.  It doesn’t hurt to ask.  However don’t make a habit of this.  I know that I cut some slack to newbies, but if you’ve been through more than a session or two with me I expect that you understand the rules and the consequences of your decisions.  A lot of DM’s are like this.  They don’t want to have to spend time memorizing everything on your character sheet and doling out character building advice to all the players when they could be spending that time preparing new encounters.

Finally, you may be asked to play the character out.  Now, if you are a subversive sort of person this may be your opportunity to go really wild, taking total risks and behaving in a totally suicidal manner.  Open every door.  Charge into every battle.  Take on every trap.  Eschew aid from the party cleric.  In short, do what it takes to get killed.  The change of pace alone may renew your love for your character

Whatever you do, have fun with it!

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Do you remember your first character?  How about your first adventure?  Who did you play with?

My first character was a magic-user.  I played under basic Dungeons and Dragons rules (the red box).  My brother was DM.  My Dad wanted to know what we were up to so he chipped in and played a thief.

A 1st level magic user and a 1st level thief under the basic rules wasn’t much.  We crawled through some dungeon that my brother drew up.  We missed the secret door (of course) and triggered the trap.  I think we had a total of about 4 HP between us so needless to say we didn’t last very long.

But I fell in love with the game.  I fell in love with magic users and went on to play several more later.

What about you?  What was your first character?  Your first adventure?  What hooked you?

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Characters die in Dungeons and Dragons.  It is basically a given.  It will happen.  There is no point crying about it, whining about it, or pretending that it won’t happen or that it didn’t happen.  It has happened, will happen, and it will happen to you or to someone you know.

Unfortunately there are some times when character death actually is a very bad thing.  Some of this has to do with the game and some of it is part of the metagame.

-    When it cripples the party.  If a character’s death cripples the party to point that they can no longer function this can be a bad thing – usually because it leads to Party Wipe.  There is a fine line between making things more challenging and crippling them to the point it is no longer fun.
-    When it causes Party Wipe.  If one character’s death leads to the loss of the party then it is a bad thing.
-    When it is unfun for everyone.  Most times players handle character death without too much trouble – especially if they play in my group for very long.  We all like a challenge and accept that sometimes (no matter who is DM’ing) that the dice will roll poorly and things won’t go well and somebody will do something stupid and somebody is going to die.  But if the character death is unfun then it should be avoided.
-    When it has metagame ramifications.  If somebody’s character dies simply because they pissed off the DM’s girlfriend’s dog then more than likely there will be more unfun group dynamics to follow.  This is a situation to avoid.

Character death should be a normal part of a well balanced but challenging adventure with natural consequences for poor choices.  Otherwise it probably is just mean and not very fun.

And what is the game without fun?

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My Steps For making a Dungeons and Dragons character:

Ok so most, if not all, of you reading this have made dozens if not hundreds of DnD characters.  But I thought I would outline my process for making a new Dungeons and Dragons character.

These steps apply pretty much to any version of DnD, and I’ve been playing since 1982.

Fist I start with the concept.  No matter what character I am going to play or which version of DnD I am going to play in, I start with the concept.  What is this character going to do?  What is his or her purpose.  Don’t confuse this with background.  Background involves many more details.  This is concept.  Am I making a sneaky type, a nature-loving type, a magic user, a street brawler, or something more concrete like air magic specialist or dagger throwing street comedian.

I usually then pick a name.  I like to brainstorm names.  I like to pick names that appeal to me, and I try to keep them relatively generic as to race.  Though usually the concept gives me some inclination as to the race I want to play.

Which brings me to race.  I pick my race based around the concept.  And usually I do one of two things – either I choose a race I haven’t played in a while or I pick a race that isn’t optimized for that concept.  Why?  Because I enjoy the challenge of taking races on a new spin.

I may spend a lot of time making this decision.  I usually re-read a lot of source material on the subject.  At heart I’m an optimizing fool, so when it comes to choosing a race I find a balance between concept and functionality.  I like to find that one race that fits the concept and can be optimized in a strange new way so that it works and is interesting to play.   No I haven’t played a dwarf fighter in a very long time.

Ok, so now I have a concept, a race, and a name.  Here is where I get my hands dirty.  I pick a class.  This isn’t as simple as just picking any old class to play.  No this means poring over the PHB and other source material for hours until I find the perfect mesh of optimization and concept.  I should mention that by now I usually have some ideas of background hooks in mind but those are still flexible.

I build out two or three characters to at least level 15, switching out different classes and trying multi-class builds.  This is really the process I enjoy the most.  The goal is not necessarily to have the most powerful character in the party, but rather to have a character that is surprisingly powerful within his or her niche, i.e. being sneaky or throwing daggers while being funny.  This is why the concept is so important.  It drives not only the crunch but also the fluff.  How I am going to play this character, the things I will actually say and do at the table.

The reason I go through all this trouble at this point is the be sure that the concept is playable.  An air magic specialist may sound cool, but it may not be effective for the party if the only time the character is useful is to help fly to a new location or levitate something.  If during combat and most skill challenges all I have to say it “pass” then the character won’t be fun for me or the rest of the party.

On the other hand the reason I push to find a concept is to also clearly define the things the character won’t do.  If it isn’t a melee fighter then I can ignore the feats and abilities that focus on melee fighting.

After looking though the various builds I finally pick a class.

So now I have a race, a name, and a class.  Due to my test builds I probably also have a set of ability scores, powers, feats, and equipment already done as well.

So, it may appear that I am done.  Wrong!  Now I get to do the other fun part.  I write the background.  I know how I am going to spend most of my time at the table during the game – the things I will do and the thing I won’t do.  But I still don’t know this character.  I still understand it.  So I begin the background.

Typically I start with the name, and I go through family relationships.  If I don’t have a lot of information about the campaign, then I make up a town to go with the character, organizations he or she is affiliated with or opposed to.  I try to be as specific as possible when doing this, using specific names of individual NPC’s that the DM can choose to use or ignore.

Often I will make stat blocks for these NPC’s (if they are allies) or make suggestions as to level – anything to save the DM time and effort.  Very often during this process I will ask the DM for specific information that the character should know and then incorporate it into his or her background.

At the end of the process I usually have a character sheet and 3-5 pages of useful information that I can bring to the table.  I already know where I am going and what I am doing during the first few sessions.

And then what happens?  The idiot across the table kicks in the door, tripping the trap that kills us all in the first 5 minutes!

And then I play the drunk dwarf fighter I whip up in 5 minutes.

Until next time – have fun!

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Have you ever had a hard time “getting into charcter?”  You’ve thumbed through the Player’s Handbook for a couple of hours already and have nothing to show for it?  Or worse, you have a character build and optimized, but you just don’t “feel it” when you play that character.

First let’s back away for just a moment.  Remember that role-playing is about making a fantasy, even if it isn’at a medieval fantasy setting.  As a kid did you ever pretend to be superman.  Of course you did (ok, pick the heroe of your choice).  That is probably why you got into RPG’s in the first place, and its probably why you’ve stayed with it.

So start with the fantasy.  Put the rule book away and grab a notebook and a pencil.  Yes, I said pencil.  You’ll want to erase things and make changes as you go.  Now start.  You can start with a name, like Firzna the Belligerant, or a race, or maybe even just a concept like “warrior princess.”

Then brainstorm ideas about the character.  Is it a he or a she?  Tall?  Thin?  Fat?  Blonde? Grey eyes?  Just throw out random thoughts until you get some that you like.  Then think about what motivates the character?  Does she hate troglodytes?  Why?  Was her village rampaged by them or did his father tell him stories about the old days when the trogs used to steal children?

Move onto why the character is adventuring.  Is she out to avenge wrongs or just looking for a good time?  The motives will guide you into more specifics about how he goes about it.  A sneaky thief, for example probably won’t stroll around in full plate, but an experience veteran in the local town militia certainly will try to get the best armor possible.

By now you should have a pretty good idea of what your character is all about.

If you don’t, then try and draw a sketch of your character.  Don’t worry, you’re not going to be sharing it with anyone, just start drawing and see what you come up with.  Notice what you include and what you don’t.  The gear you choose will tell you a lot about what you are going to play.  If you really don’t like to draw, then get online and start looking at some fantasy artwork.  Find a piece of art that matches your concept, or at least gets close and an idea will form in your head.  Then go and get your notebook and start writing.

Now that you know exactly what you want to play, and how, go back to the rule book and find the race/class that matches your concept.  Yes it is possible that you won’t have a completely optimized character, but you will find something that works.  Don’t get caught up in the notion that a class name like wizard means that you have to be a stuffy old bookworm.  “Wizard” really only means a character that has access to the class abilities, skills, and powers of that class.  If your character concept is one of a warlock that uses wizard style spells, then call yourself a warlock (just write wizard) on your character sheet.

Find the powers that best suit your character concept.  Ask your DM if you can rename some of them.  You don’t have to change anything else about them, just call them something else.  Your Magic Missile can become a “Doom Bolt” or similar.  Do the same with skills and feats.  Pick the ones that let the flavor you have already picked shine through.

If you are in the unfortunate place of already having a character, then I suggest you do the same things already outlined, only you may not have all the customization options open anymore.  If this is the case, then either ask your DM what you can retool, or else focus on the aspects of your character you do enjoy.  I find that getting an image of the character is very helpful here.  Most of us have played computer RPG’s where we couldn’t customize things just the way we wanted, but having the graphic in front of me helped a lot to get into the game.  You can use the same trick with a tabletop with either a picture or a mini.

Hope these ideas help, and enjoy your character!

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Upsetting the DM is a pretty common fear. After all the Dungeon Master can pretty well screw you over anytime she wants to.  If you want to survive to level five, or higher, making her life easier is just a good idea. Here are seven things you can do as a player to make her life much simpler, and every aggravation off her shoulders is one less excuse to give you grief.

1. Do all your character preparation work ahead of game time. Some dungeon masters require character creation and leveling up to happen at the table, many don’t. Even if your DM wants to see you do the work, you can still make all your leveling and creation decisions off-line. Just bring a short list of all your choices and let your DM look them over. If your DM is okay with it you can even e-mail your character sheet ahead of time.
2. Stay focused during the game. If the DM catches your attention wandering, don’t be surprised if she reels you in by sending a few extra attacks your direction. There will be distractions at many game tables, but if you show up with a laptop or are constantly looking at your blackberry or answering the cell phone, the DM may take some action.
3. Don’t roll your dice if you don’t have to. Anytime dice roll at the table, heads will naturally turn to follow the sound. Even worse, when you’re just playing with the dice the odds that they will roll onto the floor increase. If you’re picking your dice up off the floor I guarantee the DM (and probably the other players) will be a least a little annoyed.
4. Pay attention to actions of other players. It is easy to get distracted when it isn’t your turn, but very often the actions that other players take will have a direct effect on what you will do. If you have to spend a full minute every time your initiative comes up reviewing the table, you can bet the DM will notice, and not in a good way.
5. Bring snacks. At the very least, chip in your full share if you agree to go in on pizza. Thank your DM for her hard work and you’ll may catch a few breaks when you need them.
6. Don’t argue the rules. Even when you’re right, if you argue with the DM during the game you’re wasting your breath. Even worse, you’re wasting the valuable time of the other players. Drop the DM an email after the game. Cite the rules correction, and be polite about it.
7. Learn the house rules and follow them. If your DM has special rules, pay attention to them. If you have a particular objection to any of them, then discuss them away from the game and find out why. Understand that most Dungeon Masters aren’t terribly flexible with a rule if they’ve taken the time to write it down. And if a group has been together for a long time things don’t change very quickly.

Remember that the Dungeon Master has probably put more time into the campaign than you have. Odds are good that they deal with the game both before and after the session, and a lot of that prep time is fairly repetitive and uninteresting. Reward that time with a little respect and preparation of your own and you will find the game runs smoother all around.

Of course the most important thing is having fun. You are there to have fun and so is everyone else in the group, including the DM. The more everyone can do to increase the fun, the better off everyone will be.

Enjoy your Dungeons and Dragons session!

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So you’ve put a lot of thought into your dnd character, optimized it, consulted with the experts and your ready for anything.  Or so you think.  Even the best balanced campaign can offer challenges to survival, especially at lower levels and especially when a group is adjusting to new roles.

Here are a few tips for survival.

• Avoid combat. Exercise your diplomatic skills where possible. You don’t necessarily have to kick in every door, and often that door kick will lead to a trap or other dangerous situation.
• Go slowly. Take the time you need to search for traps and other tricks. It is easy to get caught early on when you lack the powers and defensive capabilities.
• Work with your party. No single character can do it all. A defender cannot rival a striker’s damage dealing ability. A striker will not have the staying power of a defender. If you stray away from your party or try to take over another character’s role, you may find yourself in trouble too deep to handle.
• Search everything. You can’t afford to miss a treasure early on. You’ll need all that cash to buy better equipment as quickly as possible. Don’t skip it.
• Make contacts in town. Find out who is paying and who is not. Where are the stores that have the good stuff? Charging into the dungeon will lead you to treasure, but you’ll probably pass up a lot of help and opportunities if you don’t take the time to find out who the key NPC’s really are. Many times you can even get some cash in town without risking your neck.
• Fight smart. If you are going into combat, make a plan. Talk with your party members and listen to what the others have to say. A careful plan can often see a party through without anyone taking damage.
• Buy the best. You may not have much cash, but spend it on the best you can afford.

Character is dnd die often. Sooner or later, if you keep playing it will happen to you. If you want to avoid it, play smart to maximize your survivability.

Have fun, and keep playing!

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Character Optimization (CO) is the practice of building the best possible character for dnd or another rpg. The question is what a player means by “best”. For most optimizers (min/maxers, munchkins, power-gamers), this means a character with the best mathematical chance of performing an effective action in the game, usually an attack.

Everyone who has read the Player’s Handbook knows to add strength to their melee fighter. Not everyone sees the synergy of multi-classing their ranger with a rogue to increase their damage potential.

Spend a little time in the forums at Enworld or Wizards of the Coast, and you will see just how far many players will go.

The question of the day is why and how far should a player go when optimizing their character.

Whenever I speak with players about why they do various things, it always comes down to increasing their potential for having fun. A character optimized to be effective in combat will generally die much less often in combat, and character death is not fun (usually). However, if they play with me, they will soon discover that there are many ways of effectively ending a character’s life/career outside of combat.

I am then not surprised to find the players optimizing against or in reaction to whatever their last horrible situation was. As an example, I was DMing for a party that had no rogue. They had wonderful healing ability, and could dish out damage left and right. They walked through most combats easily. Every time they found a trap the party had a serious challenge to deal with. Eventually they found a trap that killed a party member and hamstrung the party. Next session, the player whose character died showed up with a rogue – optimized against traps. The party did much better.

The moral of the story is that as a player when you build your character you should think of it in terms, not only of your character concept, but also in terms of survivability.

I love to build backgrounds for my characters in dnd. I will spend up to forty hours building a single character (yes, overkill, I know). I consider where the character came from, who their parents are, their likes, dislikes, favorite phrases etc. And then I go and optimize feats, skills, powers, and everything I can think of to keep that character alive – all within the concept of who that character is and what they want to do. Because spending a week’s worth of work to build a character only to have it die in the first session is very, very unfun.

I don’t recommend that you obsess as much as I do. That’s just insanity. However, I do recommend striking a balance between theme and mechanics. If you wish to play a Dwarf wizard with a penchant for drink and an eye for Halfling women that is fine. Just remember to make him a useful wizard, and give some thought to what will happen when the party eventually leaves the tavern.

The other side of the optimization coin, is when it goes too far. Many players would suggest that there is no such thing. Respectfully I disagree. All things can go too far. When you find yourself debating energetically and emphatically with your Dungeon Master or with other players, take a step back. You may have crossed the line into the realm of unfun. If your build is making life unfun for the Dungeon Master, you can bet that he or she will make life unfun for you, either they will target you unfairly or they will stop running the game for you.

If other players complain, I suggest you listen. They are not whining at you. They are warning you, and often not so subtly, that you have crossed into unfun territory and that your actions are not welcome. If those players are your friends, then you owe them the respect of listening and working with them to restore fun to the game.

Build the best character you can, and have fun with it!

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Last time we talked about the specific difficulties that newer players may have when deciding what kind of character to play. Today we’ll address the same concern with a more experienced player who may be feeling a bit burned out.

So you think you’ve played everything under the sun. Well, I’m sure you have. What’s more, you’ve played with people who have played everything you weren’t interested in trying out yourself. When we play with a group we experience pieces of each character in the party, almost as if we were playing those characters ourselves.

So what do you do?

Option one: Play the stand-by character. Go back to the tried and true. Your old favorite. Re-create the first character you ever played.

Option two: Ask your DM or party what they need. A lot of times other members of your group will have decided what they want to play and they just need something to round the party out. This will at least give you an idea of where to start.

Option three: Play a random character. Use any random number generator to choose a race and class.

If none of these ideas work, then look around for inspiration.

• Scan the internet. Plenty of D&D sites and forums out there.
• Look at your fantasy books (you know you have them).
• Watch an action movie.
• Look at some old TV. shows.

If all else fails, drop me an email and I’ll tell you what to play

As always, remember its about the fun!

Click here for part 1

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