Hey
I don't know how liberal your DM is but I think that the best way for me is to just come up with stats first.
(BTW) I let my guys in my game roll using what ever method they want to include not rolling as long as they are reasonable. I think that people with this option might actually be harder on themselves than the dice because of the fear of the "munchkinism" brand. I've yet to have anything unreasonable come to the table.
Anyway, I was just kidding, with the sats thing....
For personality I like to have an angle, like never using a ranged weapon for a fighter I had once. It was an honor thing, up close and personal only, please. Just to continue about that character my DM being a liberal one decided it'd be ok if I played a 1/2 Orc Genasi treating the race as a template on a 1/2 Orc frame. So basically I had the +/- 'es of a Air genasi but I looked like a 1/2 Orc. A blue one at that. (I just thought the idea was clever no real munchkism since I got saddled with the +1 ECL and it was prety ballanced)
I make my personality more by weaknesses than strengths. This guys was a 7 wisdom. So I read about wisdom and decide that he'll be decisive but unfocused. I take fighter for a couple of levels, and seein the rangers two handed thing I go for that, a couple of levels later I find wizardry facinating, a few levels later, its spell sword. Anyway you get the idea he's just trying all kinds of things. In combat too he soon abandons his own vow after getting keft out of the ranged battles and picks up the bow. He struggles with lack of focus for the duration of the game, taking a cohort and soon wanting her dead and gone. He can't seen to find fulfilment. Anyway, I think that the best ideas for characters come from their negatives since our personal demons are the things that tend to effect our character more than out strengths.
Perhaps you could start there....
Also, after 15 years at Fort Bragg, isn't Lenoir close? Its been a while since we left but it sounds familiiar. Anyway, have fun.
