[D&D5] Fun Background/Race/Class combos (or, “tell me about your character”

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The Butcher

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My first D&D character was a pretty straightforward Human Paladin with the Soldier background, complete with a “horrors of war” tragic background and Lawful Anal stuff. (I even talked down a bunch of bandits, to the Barbarian’s chagrin.)

When he died three sessions in, I went with a much more fun Chaotic Good Human Cleric of Thor, with the Tempest Domain, the Sailor (Pirate) Background and the Brawler Feat. A hard-drinking, barroom-brawling, stereotypically Viking holy man at the God of Thunder’s service.

For the Curse of Strahd game I’m going with a Human Rogue (Assassin) with a custom background — I was thinking Sage, but with Medicine and Nature instead of Arcana and History (pending DM approval). A demented physician and natural philosopher, a scholar of all things living and dead, with the expertise to help them along the transition (at least one way), and an axe to grind with a certain blood-drinking aristocrat.

(I was going to do an Inquisitive but people both at the game table and on the Internet warned me that CoS might not be the ideal adventure for an Inquisitive to shine. Besides, a scholarly Inquisitive is easy enough to conceptualize; a scholarly Assassin sounds more fun!)
 
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Last character I played in 5e was a multiclassed Paladin/Warlock-- Paladin of the Ancients and Great Old One Pact-- whose patron for both classes was a Far Realms deity of love, beauty, and extreme body modification. Some of his Invocations were actually Lords of Madness-style grafts.
 
I’ve not played D&D 5e; I’ve only run it a bit, and not enough to know the rules as well as I'd like. I’ve bought several of Goodman Games’ Fifth Edition Fantasy adventures, and I’m thinking of making a group of PCs and running them through, probably with the help of some randomizers, just for some solo gaming fun, and as a way of grokking the rules better. I have in mind a group of 4 PCs from the World of Greyhawk, definitely ones reflecting the setting’s roots in swords and sorcery with a bit of weirdness mixed it. Here’s what I’m thinking so far:

Female Rhenee bard (college of lore) w. entertainer background.
Male Suloise barbarian (path of the berserker) w. outlander background. Definitely not Fafhrd.
Male Oeridian rogue (arcane trickster) w. urchin background. Also definitely not the Grey Mouser.
Female Olman warlock (bargain with the Great Old One – Cthulhu, of course) w. hermit background.

That’s all I got so far.
 
I enjoyed playing a Human Warlock based on Blackadder (from the TV series) - but I called him Black Jack to be different. Basically, I just took the Noble background, and emphasised sneakiness and wretched plotting for social standing (which was sometimes incompetent, which amused the others in the group). When he hit third level, he took an Imp Familiar (Path of the Chain) called Baldric.....

I quite like playing Warlocks and Wizards, and I have another Gnome Wizard character who is an Alchemist (Transmuter with a Guild Background). He is based upon a stylised version of the real world Alchemist (and polymath generally), Paracelsus, although his full name is apparently Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. I quite liked that, so I kept it, but I changed his singular name to Alkacelsus after the headache tablets.

I'd quite like to do a long term Rogue character too, although I'm still thinking of an angle to make it interesting to me, and I've dabbled with a (Sage) Bard, Halfling Monk and a Dwarf Ranger. I could play a Fighter with the right spin. I tried playing a Cleric which was OK, although I was mildly surprised that I didn't really enjoy playing a shapeshifter Druid.
 
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Last time I played D&D as a player, it was not Basic but rather was a reasonably similar knockoff like Labyrinth Lord. All the rules appeared to be the same, though. We just wanted to dive in so the ref just had us pick one each from about 8 pregenerated characters, so essentially we just had to give them names, personalities, and goals. I was a prevaricating elf named Keebler on the make for gold with the goal of retiring young (for an elf) and letting minions brave dangers on my behalf. Ol' Keebler was pretty good with a bow and short sword, if I remember right. I think I cast all of two spells. What I remember most clearly is wondering at his amazing luck at avoiding being hit in combat until I realized someone had switched how armor class worked so that 7, for instance, was better than 3. Holy crap, no one seemed to notice until I realized Keebler should have been killed several times over. Charmed life indeed!
 
So, 5e characters that have made it past their first adventure. In no particular order, because daddy can't admit to having favorites.

  • An Elven Monk who comes from a nomadic and somewhat primitive animist tradition rather than the traditional monastic thing. His weapons are the tools of a hunter (spear and hatchet), and his chop-sockey action comes from what he has learned from the spirits of the wild beasts and places: the bear, leopard, and ram; the waterfall, savannah grass, and stone of the crag.
  • A human Bard (and sometimes forger), killed in battle at 3rd level and who returned from death to become a Warlock with an Infernal Pact. Much to his party's chagrin and great suspicion.
  • An Elven Tempest Cleric, who due to his unorthodox choice of religion is now the wayward black sheep of a minor noble family. With sword and shield and the divine breath of the sky he supports the just, and punishes the wicked.
 
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My current and so far only D&D character is a Tiefling Warlock, with a Fiend Patron who she calls 'grandfather' (he prefers she omit all the 'greats' that probably belong there). Pact of the Tome, so she's got a lot of cantrip and spell options. She started out as a criminal, made the pact when she and her little brother got caught (he's not very grateful for the save). I love the class and hope to return to it eventually.

Leaning Paladin or Barbarian next, though it's unlikely my group will return to D&D until at least mid next year.
 
I made a lot of stuff against type, and played many as PCs (and a few as NPCs), so... this topic could end up being more of an Opaopajr's Greatest Hits.

But I've also created some stuff on gian'-tit-pee (love u guys! :heart:) that might be worth sharing.

I'll start with a character I made while trying to illustrate how hard it is to make a shite PC in 5e. Basically I challenged myself to make a functional PC out of nadir stats -- the lowest you can go, straight 3s from 4d6 drop lowest -- and share the comedic results. It's literally a HealBot; my version is a well armored nun, but you can easily re-skin it into an actual robot.

Wimple, the Weenie
Lv 1. Regular Human Life Cleric Acolyte

STR 4, DEX 4, CON 4, INT 4, WIS 4, CHA 4
PB: +2. AC: 18. HD: 1d8. HP: 5

Saves: WIS -1, CHA -1
Skill: History -1, Insight -1, Persuasion -1, Religion -1.
Tools: --
Languages: Common plus 3x more.

Spell Prep: 1. Spell Atk: -1. Spell DC: 7.
Cantrip: Guidance, Resistance, Light.
Bonus Spells: 1st -- Bless, Cure Wounds.
Prepped: 1st -- Healing Word or Detect Magic depending on area threat.

Armor: Chain Mail AC 16. Shield +2.
Weapon: Mace, -1 atk, 1d6-3 b dmg.
Lt. Xbow, -1 atk, 1d8-3 p dmg.

Literally runs around like a bot granting Light, Bless, Guidance, Language translation, not good but there if absent Skills, and Healing and Resistance for combat as necessary. Hangs waaaay back and mostly Dodges and Hides (poorly) behind cover, which also protects Concentration too.

It's my goofy response to players who feel they *need* a HealBot. Here, have an actual HealBot NPC. :alien: It cannot possibly outshine you.:hehe::clown:
 
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