Iconic characters and you

[Lord Xtheth]

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day, and it came to my realization that when I get a chance to actualy play the game as opposed to DM, I end up making my own iconic D&D characters.
I started the game a little later than some of the people here, in AD&D 2nd Edition. Back then my first character was a Centaur Fighter. He went on to become a very influential character in the gaming world and starred in many, many NPC cameos.
When 3.0 came out, I didn't realy get a chance to play that much, but when 3.5 came I managed to have enough time to both DM and Play a little. My Iconic character for 3.5 was a Dwarf Monk/Drunken master who to this day remains far too broken and basically can't lose a fight. In his currant NPC cameo he's an old grizzled bar owner who the PCs enjoy interacting with.

Now 4E is out, and I've basically been thrust into permanent DM position with my playing group. However IF and when DDI comes out, I would love to build another character that has the sort of "Iconic" feel to it. The kind of character you always want somewhere as opposed throwing the sheet into a "Character graveyard".

Obviously my characters have way more story than the couple paragraphs I wrote, but thats all I think they need for now.

Has anyone else made their own Iconic characters? How often do they show up? Do you use your iconics ever to "bail your PCs out" of bad situations? What other Iconic character stories can you tell?

 

[stonegod]

So, you want me to talk about my characters, eh?

1E was Monty Haulism for our group. "Arysh of the 1000 Magics" was an elven fighter/mage with oodles of items, one for every occasion.

2E was less so. Most memorable was my haughty high elf diviner that refused to talk to those he found "inferior." I spent 6 months RL writing out whatever I wanted to say. He became a big muckity-muck NPC who folks would try to go to for insight.

3E has my dwarven monk as well. Long storied history of escape from barbarism. Had to deal with fractions within his order, a spreading plague of chaos, and his uncanny ability to destabilize any geopolitical situation. Called an elf a "surface drow" once; she remained a villain for the rest of the campaign. Now is the leader of the school---where no one can find it.

Lot of other iconic 3E character, many of them here (and adapted to/from RL). Col, my mad pirate wizard summoner is still a blast to play in my RL Savage Tide game (and will be popping up in any campaigns I run for color). Tondrek, my idiot-savant artificer that makes his own friends gets trotted out every few years: I think I have 6 or more version of him.

Nothing 4E yet. I have this idea for a dragonborn paladin of the Raven Queen named Her Righteous Talon of Immaculate Fate...

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I think my own iconic character was Silas Wyrmslayer, a human Paladin of Lathander from 2e with the Dragonslayer kit and some shocking pink armour. I played him for several years and had a great time. Maybe he'll show up in my 4e game.

 

[stonegod]

I think my own iconic character was Silas Wyrmslayer, a human Paladin of Lathander from 2e with the Dragonslayer kit and some shocking pink armour. I played him for several years and had a great time. Maybe he'll show up in my 4e game.

That, for some reason, reminds me of my openly homosexual dwarven paladin of Mordin that was in same game as the monk. His battle cries were something else... but he was essential for stopping the chaos plague. Good times.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Has anyone else made their own Iconic characters? How often do they show up? Do you use your iconics ever to "bail your PCs out" of bad situations? What other Iconic character stories can you tell?

No, but I've used retired PCs from the players in a similar fashion. I certainly have recurring NPCs, but I wouldn't call them "iconics". As for "bailing people out", no, never, and I'd be somewhat outraged if a DM did that, even if it saved my character's life, unless the party had in some way "called for help" (in the latter case it'd actually be cool). I've seen one too many DMs who thought their character was "totally cool" and liked to use them to intervene in adventures unexpectedly.

I think the closest I can think of is when one of our parties experienced stupidity-caused TPK, I had a semi-retired wizard PC, who by then had his own tower, a number of his own spells and was fairly high-level, come and steal their bodies and put Nulathoe's Ninemen (a long-term preserving spell) on them, and stored them in his basement, in case we decided we needed any of them back. This had been kind of pre-arranged, though.

 

[stonegod]

As for "bailing people out", no, never, and I'd be somewhat outraged if a DM did that, even if it saved my character's life, unless the party had in some way "called for help" (in the latter case it'd actually be cool).

Yeah, too much of the Mary Sue requires a reminder of who's supposed to be the heros.

Though I am looking forward the cameo of my dwarven monk in my wife's game. I think I finally get to have revenge on that splinter monkish order....

 

[Obryn]

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day, and it came to my realization that when I get a chance to actualy play the game as opposed to DM, I end up making my own iconic D&D characters.

I have noticed that you have a very high opinion of yourself. This apparently extends to your characters, too.

-O

 

[wingsandsword]

Use old PC's as a stable of NPC's to pull out if I need a fully-fleshed out character? Yeah, I've done that a lot as a DM. I've taken a lot of old 1e/2e PC's and updated them to 3.5, I like having a library of fleshed out characters I already have a good grasp on with regardst to personality and can use if the PC's want to find a merchant, or mercenary, or spellcaster ect.

I know not to use them to overshadow PC's, so I try to limit them to one appearance in a campaign (or at least plot arc) as a plot hook or a source of information, and strongly limit them accompanying PC's.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Veran Windsaber
Neutral Good Elf Wizard 3/Cleric (Knowledge, Magic) 3/Mystic Theurge 9/Loremaster 2
If the PC's need a good all-purpose spellcaster to hire some services (especially from the Church of Mystra in Forgotten Realms), for item creation, or for an expert on planar affairs, I can always pull him out.

Eandra Moonsilver
Lawful Good Half-Elf Cleric (Healing, Good) 14
If the PC's need healing or resurrection, this Cleric of Ilmater (another FR character) is always available. She's been all around the world and the planes, and is pretty friendly and dependable. Unlike many clerics in my D&D games, she actually looks like the stereotype and wears full plate and carries a mace (although her mace is a minor artifact).

Peritus Fiducia
Lawful Neutral Wizard (Transmuter) 5/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster 5
If the PC's want to buy potions (arcane ones at least) or alchemy, this master alchemist will have almost anything they could want to buy. He's brusque but very skilled, and drives a hard bargain.

Cirin Icerider
Lawful Good Elf Wizard 1/Cleric (Knowledge, Travel) 6/Loremaster 9
He could pop up almost anywhere, this senior cleric of Oghma travels the world making maps and gathering knowledge. He's got decades of stories to tell, and loves to tell tall (but true) tales around the fire. If I need to drop some random fact or obscure but important bit of lore to the PC's, an encounter with him can be a fine reason.

Aziz al-Muluki
Chaotic Good Rogue 2/Fighter 1
Aziz is a sailor who has seen much of the world, and while he's handy in a fight, he also speaks almost a dozen languages and is as talented a performer as he is a combatant.

Mira Silverheart
Lawful Good Aasimar Paladin 5/Platinum Knight 3
She's a Paladin of Bahamut, a sworn foe of evil dragons (especially Deep Dragons), and knows more about fighting in the Underdark than probably any Aasimar alive. PC's may encounter her if they go snooping around the underdark, and her ongoing hunts make for great plot hooks.