Ask them how they plan to build their characters around the theme of the campaign as well. Once you have a handle on the theme of the campaign, spread that information around. Suggest they run a session zero if they're not already planning one and don't build your character fully until you're in that session zero. Ask them what skills will be most relevant. If your DM hasn't told you about the adventure or campaign yet, ask them. This leads to ham-fisted attempts to draw the character into the story and into the adventuring group. They plan out a bunch of levels ahead of time and never consider whether the themes of that character fit well with the themes of the campaign. They get excited about a particular class or a race and class combination and run with it. Many players dive right into character creation without considering the story or the theme of the campaign. Just as DMs can review the characters first while preparing their D&D games, the players can digest the theme of the adventure and campaign before building their characters both in story and in mechanics.
Build your character around the theme of the adventure or campaign.Here's a quick summary and checklist to consider when building your character: Instead, I offer thoughts that might make the game more fun for you, for your DM, and for the rest of the group. You're not going to find optimal feats for any given build. This is, however, advice for player from the perspective of a dungeon master. Today I'm breaking away and offer some advice for players. Here at Sly Flourish I focus on advice for D&D dungeon masters. At least weird characters make combat more compelling, though.New to Sly Flourish? Start Here! Building a Great D&D Character Typically, the weirder a character gets the worse a character will get, at least as far as combat prowess is concerned. The last thing a player will want is to invest in a strange new character only for it to be reduced to a pile of ash during the first session. That isn't the worst thing, there are quite a few squishy characters in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, but it's certainly something to look out for. While some strange characters have solid AC scores and decent health, most will be unequipped for the horrors of war early on. RELATED: The Future Looks Bright for Dungeons & Dragons-Based Gamesĭepending on the type of character, it's probably best to stay close to support characters for the first few combat encounters. Luckily, there are also great magic items for every class. There will, inevitably, be some careful bending of the rules when it comes to weird characters. For instance, maybe that fancy broomstick has a spearhead on it, allowing it to be classified as a spear. For characters that will normally be using improvised weapons, be ready to try and convert that weapon into something that resembles a normal martial weapon. If the character's entire gimmick revolves around using a broom to battle their enemies, consider having it enchanted into a flying broomstick, which will allow the character a better opportunity to escape if things get a little overwhelming. Plan a list of gear that a character will need early on. Being able to mix and match is one of the best things about Dungeons and Dragons, and it can make it far easier to craft a character by doing so, both for the variety of abilities and the roleplaying elements that come along with it. It's also okay to multiclass, especially for strange characters.
If one doesn't exist, talk to the DM about trying to find a homebrewed D&D class, or potentially even making a custom one, for those with the knowledge to do so. Once the character has a few overarching details, try to relate that to the class that makes the most sense. That, and the Dungeon and Dragons memes that weird characters lead to. The single greatest aspect of Dungeons and Dragons is its freedom, the ability to craft anything with the only limitation being a player's imagination. With enough research and some approval from the Dungeon Master, pretty much any character is possible.
It may not be able to speak common, but it is possible. For those who want to play a weird creature from the Monster Manual, it's easily done. One of the best things about Dungeons and Dragons is that everything has stats.