Are your players allowed to play 'special' characters?
- Thread starter Decamber
- Start date
Terwox
First Post
XCorvis said:Can anyone beat that?
Hmmm. Probably not, but, one game...
Tauric Kobold/Nightmare Ranger, wields a flaming burst spike chain.
Half Gold Dragon Kobold Barbarian with a flaming burst Bastard sword. (He's enlarged.)
That's the party. Oh, and yeah, they're neutral and chaotic evil, respectively. And, oddly enough, they're the most heroic characters out of any games I've run.
Another games has an awakened Dire Badger Sorceror who has his son as his familiar, the dhampir fighter, the crippled old man psion, and the "normal" elf druid of the deity of altered states, and the human spellsword. But, the human spellsword is insane. So there you go.
Let's see. Have a game with an Aasimar paladin, a tiefling rogue, and a human sorceror. (Good, evil, and neutral descent. I like it.)
Hmm. I suppose the characters in my spycraft game are relatively "vanilla" -- for now.
I dunno. I like vanilla games quite a bit, but, I let my players play what they want to try.
Had a game that never happened with a drow psy-war, a descendant of a bone dragon and a hill giant (yep,) a svirfneblin cleric, a dhampir monk, and the "vanilla" half-orc barbarian/transmuter.
I dunno. My characters I play are relatively vanilla -- well, I guess the gnome druid is a tinker gnome (that doesn't tinker.) Had a seelie boggan that wasn't terribly strange at all, especially as far as fey go. Had the half-elf sorceror in a world where sorcerors were rare, but... I dunno. I like vanilla characters. It could somewhat be argued that by playing a character with a gimmick, you get more attached to the gimmick than the character. I haven't played a character like that, so I'm not really sure. But, it does seem that if a character has a gimmick -- weirdness -- it tends to get played up. And what's wrong w/ that? Not much really, still fun -- but it could be a block from getting into character. Then again, it could help a lot -- having a gimmick to turn to when wondering about what your character would do. Could help develop a character's personality, but it could possibly hinder it. I dunno. I like playing my "vanilla" characters. But I'd enjoy a wacky one too.
Moe Ronalds
First Post
If they can rationalize it and make up a decent story, sure.
kiznit
Explorer
As a DM, I would say u-u-uusually no, because I think there's plenty of diversity and character exploration to be had in the main races and classes, not to mention cross-classing and prestiges.
However, rule of thumb for me tends to be:
1. Funky made-up class or monster race or whatever deviation in pursuit of over-powered PC with excessive fighting abilities, Definitely Not.
2. Funky monster race and wacky ideas for character in pursuit of role-playing, funny character concept, and entertaining game-play, Yeah Probably.
I'm never quite clear on why people try to bend the rules for power reasons - it gets too into the psychology of the game as a fantasy substitute for personal shortcomings. The rules are there for a reason, and there's a lot of fun to be had playing within their confines.
But after all, don't listen to me, it's your game.
However, rule of thumb for me tends to be:
1. Funky made-up class or monster race or whatever deviation in pursuit of over-powered PC with excessive fighting abilities, Definitely Not.
2. Funky monster race and wacky ideas for character in pursuit of role-playing, funny character concept, and entertaining game-play, Yeah Probably.
I'm never quite clear on why people try to bend the rules for power reasons - it gets too into the psychology of the game as a fantasy substitute for personal shortcomings. The rules are there for a reason, and there's a lot of fun to be had playing within their confines.
But after all, don't listen to me, it's your game.
s/LaSH
First Post
As a DM, I have a bunch of PCs who were more or less vanilla. Except the mage, I guess; she's sort of a triton, using a modified elf race instead of an ECL.
The vanilla human fighter was pretty 'cool'; he carried a scythe under his cloak and had a habit of being dark and spooky. Like Magus from Chrono Trigger, but without the ability to open up black holes and rend the Universe itself asunder.
But once I was finished with them, they were all completely different and definitely fitted into the 'cool' camp. Sadly, I can't tell you exactly what I did to them, but it's cause for a great deal of angst. Read my comic and you'll find out one day.
(I hate this whole secrecy thing, but I'm running a competition where people try to guess plot twists and don't want to ruin anything.)
The vanilla human fighter was pretty 'cool'; he carried a scythe under his cloak and had a habit of being dark and spooky. Like Magus from Chrono Trigger, but without the ability to open up black holes and rend the Universe itself asunder.
But once I was finished with them, they were all completely different and definitely fitted into the 'cool' camp. Sadly, I can't tell you exactly what I did to them, but it's cause for a great deal of angst. Read my comic and you'll find out one day.
(I hate this whole secrecy thing, but I'm running a competition where people try to guess plot twists and don't want to ruin anything.)
Most Certainly!
I love 'Cool' characters, as long as it's not ridiculous. I have had a Half-dragon/elf Monk in my parter, and his sister, the Half-dragon/elf Rogue6/Sor1 who's an awesome addition to the party. Not to mention the party tank, My NPC, a Natural Werewolf Ranger3/Ftr4.
I once had a Half-orc Paladin in the party. He was... Interesting.
As long as it makes sense (Not overpowering), then hell yeah! I've had bad experienced (Played in a game where the DM allowed a Half-dragon/Werebear human barbarian/Frenzied berzerker. When his Strenght hit 52 with all his abilities, the rest of the party was obsolete).
As for ME, I've played a Kobold wizard before (Then the campaign sunk). I have several ideas for characters; A Drow wizard on the run from his House, posing as a blind sun elf, Or a Drow Blind Master (Monk PrC from the Quint Monk). Or a Kobold *Anything*, Paladin, Bard, whatever I can get with a Kobold. Kobolds rule.
Or any furry race I could get away with.
In a different game system, I'm currently playing a geneticly altered Bounty Hunter, with a Demonblooded mage (Ala Desperado) and a Ghost hacker in the party. But these races are actually allowable in the system, since it's balanced to allow them.
I love 'Cool' characters, as long as it's not ridiculous. I have had a Half-dragon/elf Monk in my parter, and his sister, the Half-dragon/elf Rogue6/Sor1 who's an awesome addition to the party. Not to mention the party tank, My NPC, a Natural Werewolf Ranger3/Ftr4.
I once had a Half-orc Paladin in the party. He was... Interesting.
As long as it makes sense (Not overpowering), then hell yeah! I've had bad experienced (Played in a game where the DM allowed a Half-dragon/Werebear human barbarian/Frenzied berzerker. When his Strenght hit 52 with all his abilities, the rest of the party was obsolete).
As for ME, I've played a Kobold wizard before (Then the campaign sunk
). I have several ideas for characters; A Drow wizard on the run from his House, posing as a blind sun elf, Or a Drow Blind Master (Monk PrC from the Quint Monk). Or a Kobold *Anything*, Paladin, Bard, whatever I can get with a Kobold. Kobolds rule. Or any furry race I could get away with.
In a different game system, I'm currently playing a geneticly altered Bounty Hunter, with a Demonblooded mage (Ala Desperado) and a Ghost hacker in the party. But these races are actually allowable in the system, since it's balanced to allow them.
Last edited:
Ruined
Explorer
Decamber said:
Ack! Did you by chance ever run across my old Planescape campaign? One of the players had a minotaur Ftr6/Brd1 who not only fought with great strength, but he was no slouch with a harp. Quinn Blackhorne, a fairly unpredictable Xaositect. He never went for the raw magic route, though. Thankfully.
Anyways, in the current Scarred Lands game, the characters are fairly run-of-the-mill. They have some life experience, instead of starting out as base farmhands, but they're not truly 'special'. Not yet.
Planescape was a different beast though, where I have allowed Drow rogues, Rogue modron wizards, and Githzerai Psion/Monks. That setting begs for it.
MeepoTheMighty
First Post
It depends on the campaign and the player. I've ran low-magic campaigns where even elves were looked at as freaks of nature, and I've ran campaigns with a more ecclectic blend. I like variety. If I think the campaign and more importantly the player can handle such a character realistically, then I'm all for it.
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