D&D 5E Do you ever create a PC off a mini?

[Henry]

I don't, but I need to start, so I'll one day have a mini that matches my character...

 

[Jester David]

Yes and no.

Most of the time I create the character concept first. The class and race and such.
But one DM of mine wanted to limit minis to Ral Partha sized minis (25mm rather than the 28mm of Reaper) so he could use his collection of miniatures. So I grabbed a mini I had that I liked and based the character around that.

 

[Saplatt]

My fave!



Third stage of Ral Partha's 3-stage anti-paladin! Got him all the way to level 13 before karma caught up with him.

 

[Sunseeker]

I don't think I've ever made a character to match a mini, but some minis are certainly more creative than others and do evoke creativity when making characters. Usually a mini will provide a central idea for a character, a type of magic, an attitude, an appearance, etc...

 

[Fralex]

Not PCs, but the huge variety of interesting characters in the printout miniatures from the Order of the Stick kickstarter has inspired me to create NPCs. Like, there's this one goblin miniature where the goblin is wearing a mask with goggles and holding a bomb, called "Bat-Bomber." And next to it is a giant bat that can be used as a mount. How could I NOT make a crazy bat-riding goblin that throws explosives?

 

[Blue]

We don't use minis, but I do the same with artwork found around the internet. When I have a rough idea for a character, I often check Google image search, DeviantArt, etc. for art that would fit my idea and then build the rest of the character (appearance, weapons, and armor) based on that.

During the Next playtest I google imaged for a female barbarian and found one with the most haunted eyes. She was BROKEN. A whole tragic backstory came from that picture.

I'm a visual person, I often get inspired by these. I often hunt for pictures for NPCs when DMing because it will give me quirks and insights into running them.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

During the Next playtest I google imaged for a female barbarian and found one with the most haunted eyes. She was BROKEN. A whole tragic backstory came from that picture.

I'm a visual person, I often get inspired by these. I often hunt for pictures for NPCs when DMing because it will give me quirks and insights into running them.

Yeah, I use pics for my NPCs too. I am not very good at describing appearances verbally, so it is a lot easier for me to show how a NPC looks, rather than explaining it.

 

[transtemporal]

Heh, those minis look very familiar.

I created one of my first characters from that eras Ral Partha miniatures. He was a barbarian looking guy with a big crossbow. I called the crossbow "Old Faithful" because I missed waaay more than I hit with it in a year of playing.

 

[jayoungr]

I do it all the time. Minis are a great source of inspiration. My first character based on a mini was one I would never have thought up on my own: a dwarf Spelljammer space pirate with an enchanted blunderbuss.

 

[Vael]

Sometimes. I go back and forth. Have an idea, pick a mini, alter idea to better suit the mini.

That said, I really want to play this PC.