D&D General First D&D Character?

[Doc_Klueless]

So, I want to know your first memorable D&D character, not necessarily the actual first one you ever made. What were their mechanics, and their story? Why did they adventure? Why do you remember them?

For bonus points, how would you build them today if you were going to play them again as a low level fresh adventurer?

I’ll put mine in a reply, keep the OP concise.

My first D&D Character was a Moldvay Basic D&D Human Fighter. Stats 3d6 rolled in order. My charisma was the lowest score, like an 8 or something, but his strength was a 17? Whatever score it was that gave you a 10% boost to Experience. I named him Darkon after my favorite Super Joe Action Figure. Even modeled his looks after the figure with the backstory that he'd been dropped in acid or something which was yoinked from the movie Heavy Metal. He actually survived and was converted to 1e and made it to 18th level there. Darkon: Half Man, Half Monster

While all of this seems... er... less than imaginative, I guess. We didn't take D&D seriously at all. My friend, who DM'ed and taught me D&D, had his characters in my game named ELO, Electrode and Diode.

Good times. Good times.

 

[Ath'kethin]

So, I want to know your first memorable D&D character, not necessarily the actual first one you ever made. What were their mechanics, and their story? Why did they adventure? Why do you remember them?

For bonus points, how would you build them today if you were going to play them again as a low level fresh adventurer?

I’ll put mine in a reply, keep the OP concise.

My first really memorable D&D character was a thri-kreen psionicist/ranger in a Dark Sun campaign ca. 1994. The character's name was an unpronounceable string of letters with apostrophes, because that seemed to make sense based on what I read of the species in the books, and he was very fond of elf flesh - luckily, there were no elves in the party, though I used to pretend there once had been but my character ate them while feeling peckish. The party DID include a half-elf, and I sued to reassure him that I wasn't interested in eating him because only half of him would be good and it wouldn't be worth the bother.

That character was nicknamed "the Cuisinart" because he just minced the enemies we ran into (as a player, there are few things more satisfying than "did you hit?" "yes" "ok, it's dead; don't bother to roll cause your minimum damage is more than their hit points"), but my favorite way to open any combat was the pick up the halfling fighter and throw him at the enemy. I don't recall that tactic ever working out well, but it was a blast to try every time.

If I was to try and recreate the character now I'd just weep quietly, because mutliclassing in 5e (really, in the entire WotC era of D&D) sucks and thri-kreen don't even look like thri-kreen anymore anyway and every version of psionics since 2e has also sucked.

Maybe I'm just old.

 

[Thunder Brother]

I only started playing DnD in 2018. My first character was a V. Human Oath of Vengeance Paladin named Alberic von Talheim. My vision of him was a wandering do-gooder with a less-than-merciful sense of justice, very much inspired by my interest in Warhammer Fantasy. Our first-time DM for the campaign allowed us to roll 1d20 six times for stats, and by sheer luck I ended up with an 18 in three stats at 1st level.

The campaign fizzled out eventually after far too many sessions spent wandering aimlessly, trying to "find the plot". Not the best introduction to DnD all things considered.

Edit: my stat roll was 18, 18, 18, 17, 15, 13. Absolutely crazy in hindsight.

 

[Delazar]

My first ever was Karnak, a Fighter from the D&D Red Box. So yeah, human. Back in the days, all I could draw were skulls, so I decided my fighter would wear a cracked ogre skull as an helmet. He died at level 4, killed by a crystal statue.

 

[Shiroiken]

My first actual character was a 1E paladin. I don't think I actually rolled the 17 cha, but thing the DM might have fudged it for me. I had a mediocre career until level 4, where my brother (who wanted me out of the game) challenged me to a duel. He was an illusionist, and I was completely unaware of what illusions were and how they worked. This led to the death of my character, when he fell unconscious believing himself slain, and my brother walked up and slit my throat. Rather than get me out of the game, I became fascinated with the magic system and made a magic-user.

My first significantly memorable character was Laurianna, a 1E Half-Elf Druid/Thief. Originally a man named Mad Dog, he was hit by a curse that changed his sex (high school game, and the DM wanted to embarrass me). At first I tried to find a way to reverse it, spending a lot of gold in the process, but eventually accepted my fate and I leaned into it as a player. While her career as a Druids was limited, she became an excellent thief, even stealing a prized magic item two players coveted (each paying me more and more to steal it back for them). Eventually she married one of the PCs, and helped the party defeat a time traveling mage before he rewrote reality, becoming a demigod under Ehlonna in the process.

 

[Laurefindel]

My first character was Tam Lin, an elf fighter (because I didn’t roll well enough to make a ranger) with a magic sword that could cast flaming sphere. (I think the DM took pity on my low stats).

He was memorable insofar as while he wasn’t my first character ever, he was my first (A)D&D character, and my first true campaign experience and sense of character continuity.

I think I would still make him an elf STR sword&shied fighter, investing in feats more than ASI to stay with the “average guy” feel that the character had.

having more attacks per round than other members of his party (a thief and a mage, all elves) was his thing, so I’d probably stay single class fighter

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

If you count video games, it would be Balder, dwarf rogue (bounty hunter kit) with a crossbow for my first successful playthrough of BG 1-2. As a young kid, I absolutely adored the concept of a non-fighter, not-so-noble dwarf as presented in Dark Alliance 2 (my initiation of D&D) by Borador Goldhand.

My first real tabletop character was Lucian in 4e, half-elf ardent, then bard, then artificer, then shaman. My group complained that I kept asking the DM to switch class. I argued that trying to play the only healer of a group of 11(!) players who played recklessly because they did not understand the rules. Added to the fact that the Dm had us playing through this novel of his he had written a few years before, so we were kind of forced to play a specific archetype he had in mind (in my case, the good-hearted humble healer) and our actions and ending(!) were mostly already decided. I tried to die a bunch of time and it was never allowed

In the end, after much arguing that having to spend my turn healing a bunch of morons after waiting nearly an hour since my previous turn was dull, I was allowed to die and re-roll a new character. Rask was an half-orc brutal rogue, a slavemaster's bodyguard. But I was not allowed to have magic items since it was a new character and I did not need them because I knew how to build a good PC and not the others. Rask was a pure beast in battle...but by then, the game changed to be more geo-political (the DM was in his big GoT phase), so we were doing mass battle (where the only action we were allowed was to make a single attack roll to represent our troops attacks durin a battle), then spend time on a Risk-like map trying to gain resources to spend to win a civil war. So yeah, I was not allowed to interact with the various local lord because I was not trained in diplomacy and other social skills. I remember a phase were I only had 1 turn in about 4-5 games (6 hours each). Pretty fun.

So yeah, I would not play those last 2 in 5e

But, Balder would be a hill-dwarf deep stalker in 5e. If only we had rules to craft traps in 5e....

 

[Gilladian]

My firstmemorable character was Gilladian. He was a dwarf fighter, in Basic D&D, later converted to 1st and/or 2e. He had a 6 int and a 3 wis. He very quickly lost one hand to a scything blade trap, and had it replaced with a hook. He has been an NPC in many of my campaigns; he’s loyal to a fault, gullible as heck, and generous to a fault. The giant bag of holding filled to the brim with a dragon hoard, and the ring of regeneration he doesn’t know he has are helpful! Oh,and he had a broom of flying, and a mule named “Go Bang” trained to kick down dungeon doors.

He would be a simple folk-hero champion with Great Weapon Mastery in 5e.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I don't sit on the player's side that often until recently. I'd have to say my first memorable character was Kalli Bloodbane. A human necromancer witch kit I used for our group's 2E Saltmarsh campaign. If I were to redo her in 5E, she'd be a Warlock pact of the Tome with Great Old One patron, with a Hermit background.

Nice! That would be a very witchy build, yeah.

My first PC was a Dwarf Fighter back in what is now known as OD&D.

As for, I have had many memorable PCs, almost all there AD&D-2e made.
The one that stands out is:

For me, in-person RPG, my favorite had to be when our DM at the time wanted us to create any PC from any Realm/setting, and to keep the specifics from all the other players.

The group of players wanted a campaign with more suspense, more treachery, more espionage.

So I created my PC to be a Lawful Evil Illrigger of Orcus.

The setting the DM had planned was in Greyhawk, and each player was given a different (yet similar) experience in how we all got to Greyhawk. We had our own backgrounds and objectives, etc.

To the group, I was a Paladin not of St.Cuthbert, but a Paladin none the less. One that never showed one’s (un)holy symbol, nor mentioned whom they worshipped to the group.

And yet I became the mentor to an actual Knight of St.Cuthbert.

As the player had never RP’d a Knight before, in-game getting mentored by another Holy-Warrior was a natural fit.

To be able to role play in what was a mostly “GOOD” group of PCs, and yet being the most “EVIL” among them, and them never knowing it. My “goals” were parallel and complemented the groups, up until near the end.

My PC personally saved the Knight on numerous occasions, and the group as well.

Part of my background was that Iuz had asked for some aid/advice was Orcus, and I was sent.

Iuz and St.Cuthbert were at war with each other, and once our group got together, we were sent to investigate increased raids by Orcs and Goblins from territories in league with Iuz, and to report back ASAP.

During one of our encounters, we had found the leader of these raids, a high-priestess of Iuz. Well, while the other PCs were fighting for their lives, I along with the Knight went for the leader. We were able to get close enough to her that we were able to speak to each other above the noise of the fighting. With me being in front to the Knight (being more senior). And without the Knight noticing what I was doing, I was able to show my (un)holy symbol to her before hiding it away once more. She looked from me to the knight of St.Cuthbert. Shock and amazement.

The knight moved forward, sword in hand, ready to end the life of the high-priestess.

My PC turned to the knight saying “Are you going to attack and kill an unarmed woman? Are you not going to ask for her to surrender into your care? Is that the type of knight you want to be known as? A butcher of defenseless ladies?”

The expression on the high priestess changed after that. She was now a pawn in an even bigger game. A game she was not ready to be a player in.

I then stated out loud “Will you surrender into (I pointed to the Knight) his custody!”

The player of the Knight was shocked I had made this declaration. I was role playing my character after all, and that my Paladin would offer this to the Knight was taken by the PC as a show of respect and part of his training/responsibilities, then the Knight too proclaimed, “Lady, will you surrender into my custody. I will protect you till I can deliver you to my superiors.”

When the knight ask her to surrender herself into his care and the knight swore to protect the high priestess with his life, until he could deliver her to be tried by his elders did she say yes.

The players and their PCs rejoiced and congratulated the Knight. I think the player was a little embarrassed at first, but was enjoying being a Knight now.

While on our way back to the capital, our group was ambushed and the Knight wanted to go after the strongest creature/leader attaching us, as a Knight should do. My Paladin told the Knight his first responsibility was to protect and guard the captive under his custody. The other PCs were once again fighting all over the place, and my Paladin moved to help the group by going after the leader, leaving the Knight to protect the high-priestess.

My leaving gave the ambushers enough time to try and rescue the high-priestess. My Paladin came back in-time to witness the fall of the Knight, and was able to dispatch the rest. My Paladin then faced the high-priestess. I came right up to her, and in a low voice only she could hear, “I am full filling my vow.” I cut her lose. “Next time, organize your troupes from the shadows. Let them think it is some random raiding. Have one clan raid, report their success, and have then next clan to do better than the previous one. Controlling the clans by working on their egos and dislike of one another, instead of trying to make them into one big army, until the very end. Let them think it is just the random raid and not you preparing for a big war/invasion.”

And with that, my Paladin turned to help the rest of the group finish the ambushers. As she was not my prisoner, as I had planned, I had no reason to keep her.

She quickly disappeared while the group finished the last of the ambushers.

The group wanted to go after her, but I stated, “We had got what we came for, no? We stopped the raids. And looking at all of us, are we in any shape to pursue? Besides, are we not told to report as soon as possible what we found?”

The group could not argue with that.

As one whom my PC was mentoring, my Paladin had decided to return the body of the fallen Knight.

When word spread that the raids were over, and the high-priestess was defeated, the country rejoiced.

Then word that a Knight of St.Cuthbert had died and was being returned home by a fellow holy-warrior, a Paladin the Knight was a friend to. The streets of the capital was lined up to see the sight.

When we came to the temple of St.Cuthbert, the clerics were all there. My Paladin stated, “I have returned the valiant body of your fallen Knight.”

They retrieved the body of their fallen Knight, and moved towards the entrance of the temple. My Paladin just stood there. The other players wonder what I was doing. The main cleric then asked my PC, “Sir, thanks for bringing back our Knight. Do come and…”

My Paladin put his hand up. “As we have come straight from the field, with Goblin and Orc blood and our sweat all over us, I will not offended your diety, nor you and your followers with their stench.”

The players thought this was just another one of my great Paladin role playing. Which was true, it also hid the truth.

And it was the other players who suggested to the main cleric (and the DM) to “make my Paladin an official friend of the order of St.Cuthbert with all the honours and privileges.”

The main cleric then took me to the side of the temple, to where the clerics live and eat and sleep. Here I was given a room to clean up and where I could come and go as I pleased.

The other players were all high fiving each other. They did not think they would get all this accomplished in the game.

But then they being mislead.

The player who had played the Knight, after the session was over, never thought playing a knight could be so fun, and challenging at the same time.

He asked if he could look at my character sheet. I looked at the DM, as in this group character sheets were off-limits to other players.

I said I have no problem with it, so long as nothing within is revealed to the other players.

So the DM said yes.

That player got to reading not only my stats, but all of my character’s history, background, motivations, allegiance too, etc.

The player was in shock.

My character was the anti-character they were all looking for. The treachery and espionage they expected to come from a NPC, not from a fellow PC.

I, along with the DM, had fooled everyone.

If my PC had stepped foot into the temple of St.Cuthbert, all the wards would go off. The evil on my (un)holy symbol, the fact my allegiance was in direct opposite to theirs, etc. would all come out.

And the players gave my Lawful Evil Illrigger full assess to the heart of the country, unlimited assess to the secret places to the temple.

When the true war came, my Paladin was there to show the high-priestess where to go.

You might ask, would not a Knight be able to detect the presence of evil? If they have no reason to, and my PC never gave them any reason to doubt my PC, they cannot and would not need to do so. Same went with the clerics. Give them no reason to think you are evil, and they will not treat you as such.

Of course, my PC did alot more doing this campaign, both with the Knight and afterwards, but this gives you the idea.

It was so much fun, and so memorable.

That is pretty wild! Great example of playing evil in a way that isn’t disruptive.

As for the OP's bonus-point question: given how badly Rangers have been butchered as the editions have gone by I'm not sure I could build a true heavy Ranger in the current game.

Ranger with levels of fighter should do it pretty well. Or even Barbarian/Fighter.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

My first D&D Character was a Moldvay Basic D&D Human Fighter. Stats 3d6 rolled in order. My charisma was the lowest score, like an 8 or something, but his strength was a 17? Whatever score it was that gave you a 10% boost to Experience. I named him Darkon after my favorite Super Joe Action Figure. Even modeled his looks after the figure with the backstory that he'd been dropped in acid or something which was yoinked from the movie Heavy Metal. He actually survived and was converted to 1e and made it to 18th level there. Darkon: Half Man, Half Monster

While all of this seems... er... less than imaginative, I guess. We didn't take D&D seriously at all. My friend, who DM'ed and taught me D&D, had his characters in my game named ELO, Electrode and Diode.

Good times. Good times.

LOL yeah my buddy once named some Star Wars NPCs Wis, Dex, and Cha.

My first really memorable D&D character was a thri-kreen psionicist/ranger in a Dark Sun campaign ca. 1994. The character's name was an unpronounceable string of letters with apostrophes, because that seemed to make sense based on what I read of the species in the books, and he was very fond of elf flesh - luckily, there were no elves in the party, though I used to pretend there once had been but my character ate them while feeling peckish. The party DID include a half-elf, and I sued to reassure him that I wasn't interested in eating him because only half of him would be good and it wouldn't be worth the bother.

That character was nicknamed "the Cuisinart" because he just minced the enemies we ran into (as a player, there are few things more satisfying than "did you hit?" "yes" "ok, it's dead; don't bother to roll cause your minimum damage is more than their hit points"), but my favorite way to open any combat was the pick up the halfling fighter and throw him at the enemy. I don't recall that tactic ever working out well, but it was a blast to try every time.

If I was to try and recreate the character now I'd just weep quietly, because mutliclassing in 5e (really, in the entire WotC era of D&D) sucks and thri-kreen don't even look like thri-kreen anymore anyway and every version of psionics since 2e has also sucked.

Maybe I'm just old.

I’d say with a good DM you could just say thrikeen look like they used to, but yeah psionics and MC has tended to suck.

I only started playing DnD in 2018. My first character was a V. Human Oath of Vengeance Paladin named Alberic von Talheim. My vision of him was a wandering do-gooder with a less-than-merciful sense of justice, very much inspired by my interest in Warhammer Fantasy. Our first-time DM for the campaign allowed us to roll 1d20 six times for stats, and by sheer luck I ended up with an 18 in three stats at 1st level.

The campaign fizzled out eventually after far too many sessions spent wandering aimlessly, trying to "find the plot". Not the best introduction to DnD all things considered.

Edit: my stat roll was 18, 18, 18, 17, 15, 13. Absolutely crazy in hindsight.

Oof! I hope the subsequent D&D games have been better!

My first actual character was a 1E paladin. I don't think I actually rolled the 17 cha, but thing the DM might have fudged it for me. I had a mediocre career until level 4, where my brother (who wanted me out of the game) challenged me to a duel. He was an illusionist, and I was completely unaware of what illusions were and how they worked. This led to the death of my character, when he fell unconscious believing himself slain, and my brother walked up and slit my throat. Rather than get me out of the game, I became fascinated with the magic system and made a magic-user.

My first significantly memorable character was Laurianna, a 1E Half-Elf Druid/Thief. Originally a man named Mad Dog, he was hit by a curse that changed his sex (high school game, and the DM wanted to embarrass me). At first I tried to find a way to reverse it, spending a lot of gold in the process, but eventually accepted my fate and I leaned into it as a player. While her career as a Druids was limited, she became an excellent thief, even stealing a prized magic item two players coveted (each paying me more and more to steal it back for them). Eventually she married one of the PCs, and helped the party defeat a time traveling mage before he rewrote reality, becoming a demigod under Ehlonna in the process.

Yikes! Sometimes it amazes me how many people stuck with D&D with all the player or DM jerkery some groups put up with!

Rolling with big character changes is definitely a fun part of the game, though.