If given free reign with no exterior influence

[emanresu]

Interested in reading what you players would play -IF - you had free choice. Meaning, you didnt have to take into account other players pc's or campaign direction. So if you were to be joining a group and had no idea where the campaign was going nor who the other party members were to be, what would be your default build?

Secondly, to take the above and add gestault to the mix, how would this influence your build selection?

Thirdly, how alignment would influence your decision making - you were told its going to be an evil campaign, neutral or good?

and last but not least, would the starting level of campaign alter your decision, slightly to severe?

campaign was to start at 1st, 5th or 10th and cap at 20th



no warforged & no ToB

 

[the Jester]

I vastly prefer it when my players make world-appropriate pcs without regard to the rest of the party. Makes it more interesting. That's also usually my approach.

"Default build" whaaaat??? Half the joy of D&D is playing tons of different types of characters. I'd continue to make a different pc each time.

A few of my last few D&D pcs have been:

-A disgraced dwarf ranger/fighter (3.5e) who kept his beard shaved because of his shame;
-A young human noblewoman who ran away from an arranged marriage; she was a Dex-based fighter with a splash of rogue;
-An arrogant human mage from a sort of Byzantine Empire-like state;
-A half-elf bard named Sarcastro, whose performance skills (3.5e) included ethnic jokes, satire and the like;

etc.

 

[emanresu]

-A half-elf bard named Sarcastro, whose performance skills (3.5e) included ethnic jokes, satire and the like;

- part time job at the Ren Fair, where he performs with whistles and crowd antics

 

[kitcik]

Interested in reading what you players would play -IF - you had free choice. Meaning, you didnt have to take into account other players pc's or campaign direction. So if you were to be joining a group and had no idea where the campaign was going nor who the other party members were to be, what would be your default build?

I like melee characters despite their drawbacks. Probably a half-orc barbarian, although I am currently on a monk kick.

Secondly, to take the above and add gestault to the mix, how would this influence your build selection?

Since the title of the thread relates to free reign, I am going to ignore the below (ban on ToB). I have never played gestalt, but have always wanted to do one side wizard and the other warblade / factotum.

Thirdly, how alignment would influence your decision making - you were told its going to be an evil campaign, neutral or good?

Neutral or good would have no impact. I like evil clerics.

and last but not least, would the starting level of campaign alter your decision, slightly to severe?

campaign was to start at 1st, 5th or 10th and cap at 20th

no warforged & no ToB

Yes, if we started at 10th level I would try a race with LA > +1 since I have never done so. Drow? Pixie? Psionic Thri-Kreen? Not sure, would have to think about it.

 

[Jacob Marley]

Interested in reading what you players would play -IF - you had free choice. Meaning, you didnt have to take into account other players pc's or campaign direction. So if you were to be joining a group and had no idea where the campaign was going nor who the other party members were to be, what would be your default build?

It would really depend on my mood at that particular moment. I generally lean toward playing Halflings and Humans classed out as Bards, Clerics, Paladins, or Wizards.

Secondly, to take the above and add gestault to the mix, how would this influence your build selection?

I have never played a gestalt campaign before.

Thirdly, how alignment would influence your decision making - you were told its going to be an evil campaign, neutral or good?

It really depends on who the other players are. For obvious reasons, I would not play a Paladin in an evil campaign.

Aside: I greatly dislike when alignment is played out as a caricature (this often happens with LG and CN/E). I also think that the good versus evil meme is overdone. I generally find myself preferring games where the conflict falls along the Law/Chaos axis (or, more accurately, civilization versus the wilderness).

and last but not least, would the starting level of campaign alter your decision, slightly to severe?

campaign was to start at 1st, 5th or 10th and cap at 20th

Starting level would not have an effect on what race/class combination I'd choose. Though, I'd prefer the game to start at level 1 and progress from there.

 

[Duke Arioch]

I love unusual races. Elan, Synad, Neraph, Drow, Gloaming... Depending on party, I optimize or not. I played a gloaming warlock/rogue (non gestalt), Elan monk/bard (non gestalt), Neraph paladin of freedom, and I also played dragonwrought kobold loredrake sorcerer, illumian warlock/urpriest/eld disciple (glaivelock).
Power is all good and well, but if you outshine your party, you will soon be bored, and they will hate the game.

 

[Grogg of the North]

If I knew absolutely nothing of the campaign setting or direction or plot, I'd go with a bard. Bards are awesome.

If I knew the campaign was going to be good, I'd either keep with bard (again, they're awesome) and alter my feat selections or I'd go with Paladin/Annointed Knight. I got to play one for a one-off and I wouldn't mind playing one again.

Evil? Well, I'd probably go Necromancer. And depending on level, add Pale Master to the mix.

I've never played gestault so I can't answer that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've played most races & classes available, over the years. If I had a tendency, I'd say it was that I play a lot of PCs that mix martial skills with magical- usually arcane- power.

But considering one of my more recent PCs was a PHB Sorcerer who wears Scale mail and swings a Maul, the takeaway is that I will satisfy that tendency in all kinds of ways.

 

[Aeolius]

A spellstitched swarm-shifter dread necromancer emancipated spawn half-scrag sea kin lacedon with aboleth grafts.

(edit: If told it was going to be an evil campaign, I would decline.)

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

If I knew nothing about the others, I'd choose a class that granted me variety and survivability.

-Warlock
-Factotum
-Wizard
-Cleric
-Druid

-Chameleon
-Urpriest

-Changeling race.

if I don't know the alignment, I'd go neutral/neutral simply to keep PrC options open.