How do you create your character?

[Decamber]

Greets!

As the subject implies, I'm curious on how you usually create your character. Which method do you most often use? Here's some possible options:

• Start having a small idea in the head (like race, class or some idea of the personality), then create the character technically finishing it.
  
• Start having the full character concept in mind, doing the meta-stuff afterwards. (This includes starting by writing a document describing the character's personality/background. Please specify)
  
• Start without any ideas, using a character generator/the D&D books/Internet/any magazines/etc to awaken them.

Myself, I most of the time start by opening Microsoft Word (the one and only word processing application for brainstorming, in my opinion!) and writes down personality, background etc, without thinking too much; then I sometimes rewrites it, if it gets to weird. Oh, and I have to start with a fancy name (such as... let's see: Suttnik) - else it won't work!

Well, that was me. Please take your time to reply, and don't forget to elaborate!

Thank you!

 

[NiTessine]

Usually, I have a fully-fledged character concept ready whenever I need to make a character... My little notebook of doodles and scrawlings has several very interesting character ideas I've thought up, and have yet to play. They are generally complete with feats, equipment, and basic skill point distribution. What can I say? Swedish classes are boring.

Then, when the time comes, I just take the character sheet, create the stats by whatever method the DM in his unlimited wisdom has commanded, and make him/her/it/zog into a flawless new character, who will most likely die by third session.

Currently, I'm ajust waiting for a friend to start up his Oriental Adventures campaign. I'm playing a pacifistic shugenja.

 

[Decamber]

What can I say? Swedish classes are boring.

What can I say as a Swede? I totally agree!

 

[Painfully]

I've gone at it all the ways you've mentioned above.

But, the way I like best is to sort of come with it all at once as a general concept. It's easy to change races or classes in an instant, while the character concept is still being put together. If I feel like I have too many ideas in my head, I'll write down all the different ideas, and flesh out the background a little on seperate 3x5" cards. I add notes on each character, what makes them different, their motivations, how they got that way, who their most important people are, any enemies they have, and their attitudes towards money, women, god, and the other races in general.

Frankly, I've got a whole pile of NPCs or PCs waiting in the wings to come out and strut their stuff. And I'm still coming up with more!

 

[333 Dave]

I try to come up with a concept first, but the way we play makes it really hard. We have three people, all DM off an on, and we all have different worlds with different races and even classes. So its really hard to come up with a concept while not knowing who is going to DM next. Of course, when we do decide who's DMing, its by a random die roll....
I've determined my problem:
I'm Lawfull, the others are Chaotic.

 

[DM with a vengence]

I get a concept, which can be either Roleplay (A War-Cleric that makes bad jokes before smiting his enemies) or Rollplay (A halfling Ftr/Rog specializing in throwing axes).

Then I think of a name, roll for stats and do the numbers for the character. After that I get a quote or two, and then write about a page of background.

 

[DarkJester]

I make up characters from a min-max angle...... I hate doing it, but our dm makes the encounters very hard,its hard not to. I find myself having to inorder to even keep up with the rest of the group,as the DM says its not fair to do group experience (why should they get exp for something he did?) I have pointed out the flaws in this several times... but he doesnt listen.. O well...

So I go about making the most powerful character I can imagine at the moment, I've been playing since 3 edition came out,and its not that hard for me. I usually end up being the strongest,and doing the least. Its more fun for me when I have a secure spot in the group.

Regardless,I always write a detailed history,and personallity.
It bites though... I find myself changing my character to fit my "class"... if you can understand what I mean.

 

[Vhane]

Usually characters come first as an idea, something I'd like to try out or build. Then I work out the mechanics, and a backstory to fit, I'm very good at reverse engineering a character. I used to try and plan the personality ahead of time but after many years of playing and having the personality altered by champaign events by level 2 or 3, I've taken to keeping this aspect of my PCs very open.

 

[Ferret]

Sparks of insperation, I create my characters as though I am going to make a story out of them; which I fequently do!

 

[Pigeon]

I start by thinking very carefully about what kind of character I want to play - what will fit in well with the other characters in the group, which class haven't I had a go at yet, hat kind of philosophy do I want to bring to the game.

I think about this for about two weeks, mulling things over in my mind and slowly defining and adjusting aconcept utill I find something I'm happy with.

Then I sit down with my GM and a fresh character sheet and a urge suddenly comes over me to ditch all that and become a half orc Barbarian Cleric, or a Human bard with an obsession with defying authority.

I don't know why I always change my mind at the last moment despite weeks of careful consideration, but I invariably do. It happens when I go out for meals too, the waiter saying "and for you sir" allways makes me blurt out something compleatly different to that which I had decided on.

Ah well such is life!