Do people in your games actually use "builds"

[Gilladian]

OTOH, I got into the hobby in 1977, and somewhere around 85% of my D&D PCs are some kind of "multiclassed"...across all editions.

Yeah, I started playing in 76... my all-time favorite multiclass was my 1e bard - Theyson got to about 7th level AS a bard, which was pretty tricky way back then...

Since then, I tend to play rogues, bards or clerics myself. My husband almost ALWAYS plays a wizard (right now he's the wizard and cleric), and he hates multiclassing. He says it is worthless. He did take an archer prestige class once, but didn't care for it, much. Oh, well...

 

[Bagpuss]

I've know of at least two players at my gaming table that will check the optimisation boards and either use builds from those complete or take inspiration from them and plan out their characters.

I myself often plan the first five levels or so, but more to get a feel for where I want to go with the character rather than, make a specific build. It often doesn't survive contact with the campaign however, as if you find you are facing say a lot of undead you might incorporate feats/powers that are more effective against them, or maybe you find a synergy with another player's character at the table and work on combos with them, etc.

 

[Zourin]

I often come up with archetypes and flesh them out in advance when it comes to limited-choice features such as 3e/Pathfinder feats.

When I'm not running adventures myself, I'm usually running under DM's that aren't aware that we're aware that the encounters they run aren't even in the same ballpark as our party. The players then start to spend excessive amounts of time optimizing (because nobody likes Dead status) and the DM thinks they're doing a good job and tries to 1-up themselves on the next fight.

 

[Mark CMG]

Much in the same way that I feel "Story" is the by-product of gaming, not something the DM/GM can set from the beginning, I use builds organically. That is to say that my characters have a simple background, geared toward the setting with some nod to stats and class (if appropriate to the game), and the initial character build is constructed to emulate and enhance those elements with an eye toward being good at what it is the character can likely do, taking into consideration the theme and genre of the game and setting.

(I'm not a fan of self-sabotaging characters for the sake of making the game oddly interesting for yourself while simultaneously being a pain in the ass for the other players. I recall one player who wished the others to scoot him around in a wheelbarrow because he said his 3 STR and 5 CON made it impossible for him to be fully independent in our gritty Medieval Fantasy setting. He also wished to be a fighter, but a genius strategist and tactician with his 16 INT, who barked orders to the other characters in every combat. That lasted about three hours of game time before they dumped him in a nearby ditch and sold the wheelbarrow!)

Anyway, I do plan for the character by way of having goals and ambitions and tend to build the character onward based on a combination of those and whatever happens in-game, nature and nurture in fair proportions. There's no doubt that in retrspect one would look at my characters and see a definite build, often seemingly optimized or close to it, but the character is never mapped from the beginning of the game with a full build in mind from a metagame perspective.