Do people in your games actually use "builds"

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I usually have an idea what a character is "about" in terms of mechanics and try to stick to that. But reality can get i nthe way - campaign and party-specific circumstances can alter the build and lead to a more "organic" character.

I think it is a challenge for a game to find a way to allow people to create characters that reasonably do what you envision you them doing when coming up with him, and still letting these characters grow organically afterwards.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

I don't generally plan out exactly which options I take at which levels. (With the exception of 3e where PrCs pretty much demand precise planning.)

But I always have an idea of the kind of options I'll take as I level up, and I avoid gimp choices, even if character growth seems to suggest gimp options. For example if playing a 3e character, I won't blow skill points on a cross-class skill just because my character gets chummy with an unusually skilled NPC, or just because the party seems to need a different skill covered.

Out of all the players I've known, most seem to do some kind of character planning. Although only one was the CharOp kind of power gamer.

 

[Sunseeker]

Do you let (or use) builds in your games for character building? Or, do you let your character grow and evolve naturally deciding what you want when you level, based on the things that your character does? I always see build topics, while this is fine, i find it severely breaks immersion when your character is a simply bag of numbers that makes a person efficient at something with no regards to roleplay.

Attempting to not metagame is the height of metagaming.

Sometimes I "build" characters with a theme in mind, even if that theme is less effective in the context of the campaign or incredibly effective in one area(combat/exploration/social) and none of the others.

Some folks like stat-monsters. I don't believe that being a stat-monster is what makes them bland. I believe it is the players failing to add fluff and flavor to them. Statistically, a high-dex, high-str, high-con fighter is a great build, but saying that he is also Jason the Proud, Captain of the Guard of Rock Ridge, slayer of the mighty wright Headless Lamar makes him into a creative character, even though he is also a stat-monster.

I recently ran a campaign where everyone picked a race, then rolled 3d6 for your stats applying them as rolled down the column, and then picked their class. I actually let them roll 3d6 for stats twice to represent 2 paths in life your character could have taken . If you havent done this, I highly recommend it. I find the game is much much more enjoyable when people have weaknesses that help encourage roleplaying.

I once played a game where we picked our class basically by our dice rolls. It really wasn't very much fun. I didn't end up playing a class I enjoyed(I think I ended up as a Wizard), my character as defined by my stats wasn't any more creative when my stats defined my class than when I let my class define my stats.

Also , i have heard the argument that some people simply wish to roleplay characters that excel at anything, and it's dumb to think that a character needs to be hindered to roleplay efficiently. While I respect the person's decision on what they want to play, I disagree that a person can roleplay well when they have little to no drawbacks. This argument is absurd due to the fact that a good character must have hinderances, or else they become a very 2 dimensional character.

Probability is a fickle minstress. I've seen folks roll 4 sets of 18's and two 16's and then reroll their lowest into a 17. I've seen folks purposely kill their character because their five 8's and one 12 made them absolutely useless.

I've come to the conclusion that it is simply best if I let my players play what they enjoy, rather then let some random number generation determine it for them.

If folks want to be concepts, stat-monsters, power-gamers, role-players, I don't care, that's their choice. I'm here as DM to make the game fun for everyone, not satisfy my dictatorial desires.

 

[Evenglare]

I'm here as DM to make the game fun for everyone, not satisfy my dictatorial desires.

I'm glad that me and my group are of one mind lol. It'd be impossible for me as a DM to run a gamut of players. I come from the mind that you are given a certain lot in life, and you must make the best of it , given what you have. Although we are very old school in that respect. I do run power games and they tend to be bland, everyone tends to roll the same character on a game by game basis , we have established persona's and wouldnt think of playing anyone else. In my opinion it's much much more exhilarating to see the 8 str pull out a crit and drop a monster than it would be a party where no one has a str below 10... /shrug it's the power of roleplaying games that gives the right to each group of their play style.

 

[Drowbane]

...I don't consider that a Build, however, as that is a fully defined leveling path for the PC's entire lifecycle.

By this definition, I have never planned out a "build". I usually don't plot out much past level 11... maybe up to 15.

 

[Sunseeker]

I'm glad that me and my group are of one mind lol. It'd be impossible for me as a DM to run a gamut of players. I come from the mind that you are given a certain lot in life, and you must make the best of it , given what you have. Although we are very old school in that respect. I do run power games and they tend to be bland, everyone tends to roll the same character on a game by game basis , we have established persona's and wouldnt think of playing anyone else. In my opinion it's much much more exhilarating to see the 8 str pull out a crit and drop a monster than it would be a party where no one has a str below 10... /shrug it's the power of roleplaying games that gives the right to each group of their play style.

I said I allow my players to play what they want, but that doesn't mean they're power-gamers. Though I know I've got at least one in my group, most of the folks here are playing concept characters, all of which are fairly low-powered.

My group on the whole, enjoys being creative, for some folks that's number crunching, for others, that's creating a "hispanic" tiefling bard.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Based on anyone in particular? Like the "Hispanic causing a panic?" (Kid Frost), Ruben Blades, Max Cavalrra, or Carlos Santana? Or...

 

[Dioltach]

The most I've seen of 'builds' is someone saying, "I want to try that PrC next level, so I'll take this feat now." For the rest, my groups tend to just choose classes, skills and feats based on what they think will be cool at the time, or what they think would offer them an advantage. We tend to play RPGs as adventure games rather than as improvised drama/psychological exploration sessions, so yes, we choose mechanics that will help us overcome obstacles rather than ones that createn unusual character concepts.

 

[Umbran]

There's not a whole lot of effective character-build pre-planning one could do for my Deadlands game.

I'm playing a Star Wars SE game, and one of the players is definitely following a build. Interestingly, she's the one who takes longest to level up - you'd figure if she knew teh build, she'd have it worked out in advance, but no, she has to work over her character sheet and discuss matters for an hour before the session begins at level-up time.

Two of the others in the game have strongly considered general directions they're going in. The last two of us are just choosing as seems appropriate at the time.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I feel your pain, U, but I'd probably be just as guilty.

I have my "build" for a Dwarven Starlock/Psion (MC) planned out to the end of Paragon...ish. Even though I know the destination, I can see dozens of paths to get there, so each leveling that offers me meaningful options takes me time.

For example, we haven't been able to game for a month since last session due to RW issues. Even though I have a plan for this PC, I've yet to decide which of four feats to choose. If pressed, I could pick one in seconds, then (for the DM's convenience) load it to his database...but I haven't.

And I probably won't until the not before the next session, whenever that will be.