Excited to Die: Do you keep backup characters?

[Mark CMG]

I like to have, and like my players to have, backup characters available, if only to make sure that people get to play during a particular game night/day. I was never fond of dying then spending time building a new character while others are having all the fun playing.

 

[MonsterMash]

In the main D&D campaign I'm playing in we have a fate point system meaning character death is pretty rare. This doesn't stop me coming up with ideas though, and I usually know what the next character I'd like to play is.

As I gm as well as play lots of those concepts end up as fully statted NPCs - who of course the players never meet.... :\

 

[Blaque]

I often have atleast a couple backups for my characters, in case the current character dies horribly (almost happened last game session, damn disintigrating traps), or if I find the character just is not pulling their weight and not that enjoyable, depending ont he DM.

It also is a thing where I like to draw my characters. And well, eventually, I want to draw soemthing else, get into going into the character's background and thinking "That's be a cool character" and all that jazz.

Right now, I have the following backups:

Game 1
- Current Character: Druid avener hunter killer sort of loony.
- Backup One: Kobold artificer with hommunculli managery, magic shop, and followers.
- Backup Two: Dread necromancer with warmage bodyguard, and horde of undead minions.

Game 2
- Current Character: Kalashtar psychic warrior ass-kicker. I'm not too worried of him dying though. Still, just in case...
- Backup One: Half-daelkyr ranger/impure prince, for ickiness

But yeah. Half of the time its just so I can draw something neat, admitedly. Still fun to do

In games other hten D&D, it also helps if you end up having to run a game. A few of my backup PCs in Exalted games have found their way as NPCs in games I've run.

Ummm, and stuff

 

[Tatsukun]

Right now, I’m playing a Paladin and I have always had trouble role-playing a selfless PC who is willing to die for the cause of good. I know he’s not afraid of death, but I don’t want to have to stop playing him.

But, I recently re-read the Psi Handbook, and now I’m excited about making a Psychic Warrior. Right now, I could play either my current guy, or my new backup PsyWar happily.

Long story short, if you want to be able to role-play a fearless, selfless PC well, you should have a good backup PC.

-Tatsu