Choosing the Right Character

Hello, and welcome to a guest post. I'm not the guest poster that you were told about a few posts ago, I'm the guest poster that was supposed to be guest posting from the beginning and didn't. Sorry.

Some brief background before we get into the actual post. I have played RPGs on video game consoles for as long as I can remember, but I am relatively new to tabletop gaming. I played 2nd edition once when I was a sophomore in high school and spent 2 hours making a character and waiting for the game to start and then was killed by an ooze slime 10 minutes into combat. In game time, it would have taken roughly 18 seconds between me pulling out my sword and me being below -10. I did not play again for a while. Actually until I was a sophomore in college, when I started playing 3.0 and then 3.5 after that. However, I am a big fan of tabletop gaming because of the role playing and the storytelling that it allows to take place. For the most part those are the topics that I will be limiting most of my posts to.

This is my first post, and it isn't going to blow the lid off of gaming, but it is a nice place to start to set up future posts.

When playing D&D, choosing your character is your first step and can be very the most difficult. A bad character can mean that you spend weeks or months not having fun playing a game, which I would argue defeats the purpose of playing a game. Choosing a good character can heighten the experience for yourself and others. However, I'm going to stop right here at tell you that determining if a character is good or bad has less to do with the character's mechanic than you would think. Instead you should look at a number of factors. The variables that affect the decision on what player to play can be overwhelming, but I will attempt to provide some of the factors that you can consider to maximize your chances of finding a character that will work for you.

• Personal Play Style: This is probably the most obvious variable. If you prefer to not keep track of things spells or abilities then chances are you will want to play a more martial class that does not have as much book keeping. If you like to shine in specific moments at the table then a skill based character can provide you with situations where you can save the party time or resources with a successful check, or in the case of the rouge can save a party member by disabling a trap. These are things that you should consider when choosing a character that is right for you. If you like to be the most powerful person at the table, you're probably wanting to use some magic. You may start out weak, but it will work out eventually.

• Party Play Style: This topic has been covered before, but it should be repeated. RPGs are collaborative affairs, which means that if you want to get the most out of it you should consider the people you are playing with. If your party likes to kill things or collect loot, playing a character that is designed to bluff and talk his way out of a fight may become extremely frustrating to you and the party that will want you to be having fun with them or may just view your character as dead weight. While it isn't always necessary to have a character that fits into the regular 4 party, it is a good idea to make sure that you are trying to have a similar experience to those you are playing with. It is also important to know your party's play style if you want to play a flawed character, will they be supportive of the problems that can arise from such a situation or simply annoyed that their job has gotten harder.

• How Long is the Game Going to be Run: This is an important variable that many players overlook. If you know that you are only going to be player the character for a few sessions, you can feel more freedom to try out strange mechanics or play characters that would be more difficult to play over a long stretch of time. Conversely, a game that is going to take you from level one to twenty requires more planning in order to end up with a character that is viable at early levels as well as higher levels. Something to remember is that a game that is supposed to take you from level 1 to 20 will most likely take you a very long time to complete, which means that it is likely that the group will come to an end before the game does, so I would recommend having the basis for your character to be done before level twelve. That way you maximize your chances of having a character that is fun to play for the game.

• Is There a Story You Want to Tell: This variable is the one that I come back to most often when I make a character. D&D and all RPGs are always about a story, at its most basic a character's story is about growing stronger through adventuring. However, there are plenty of other stories to be told, which is why I am a fan of prestige classes. They offer flavor, which allows you to create a plot point for your character, the point in time when they chose a specific path. Working with your GM in to let him know the story you want to tell is very important, and can more than likely help the GM plan the story that he wants to tell as well. However it is important to remember that RPGs are collaborative games, so don't be surprised if your GM has some insights into how such a story would fit into the overarching story and would prefer to keep them a surprise. Such additions and collaboration can make the game more fun when it comes time for your character to experience a plot point. In another installment I will delve more into creating a story for your character.