The "non cliche" DnD thread

[baradtgnome]

An effiminate and rather flamboyant bugbear.

OK, I'd vote for Bruce. I still can't figure out how he adventures in high heels.

 

[Geoff Watson]

A Barbarian with the highest Intelligence and Charisma in the group.

Geoff.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

hey and hows this for a brainwave - a good drow ranger!

One of my favorite characters:

A Chaotic Good outcast from the Underdark, a twin-scimitar wielding Ranger... Drider.

See, this is what really happens when you make Lolth angry.

 

[Lu Wei Fong]

The trick to doing non-cliches is to make them different, but not simply complete opposites of the norm. The campaign I run has several of what I hope are unique but not obsene tidbits here and there. Here's a few.
The PC's have a rival adventuring party that consists of a Human (F) Fighter who's *gasp* not wearing a chainmail bikini! A Dwarf (M) Barbarian, a Half-Orc (M) Bard, and a High-Elf (F) Rogue. Except there's really two of the Rogues. They're identical twins who dress exactly alike. One of them is always with the party while the other alwways remains hidden and out of sight (they alternate for this role). In combat the one in sight will always run off making some arcane looking gesture to herself and disappear around some corner. Then the other one (hidden behind the party) steps into view and flanks/sneak attacks one of the players. Then she does the same thing and the origional twin re-appears, flanking/sneak attacking. To this day the PCs still think it's just one Elf and that she must be some sort of Wizard/Rogue or has some powerful teleprotation magic item
War is usually a part of every mid to high end game and mine will be no exception when the partygets there. Part of the war is going to be typical: It's a war against civilised lands. You know, typical apocolyptic conflict type thing. However, instead of just the usual suspects being on the offensive (goblinoids, Drow, Demons, etc...) The High-Elves and Gnomes have joined forces with these powers. The Gnomes because they're sick of being stepped on (figuratively) by the other races and kind of snap. The High-Elves are convinced by a combination of a repulsion at how much the Humans war amongst themselves, and by some very persuasive Man-Hunters (a prestige class in the Quintessential Elf). The Elve's actians should especially hit home because most of my PCs are elves
Oh well, there's tons of other things I could mention, but I won't bore you all any further.

 

[Belgarath]

been there, done that

I have actually had a cleric like that. His god required a sacrifice of gold, so he said that one share of gold will go directly to his god or he would not even go with them. He also would refuse to heal others that did not follow his creed or at least something similiar.

 

[Impeesa]

I've played a middle-aged half-orc bard of the kindly telling-stories-to-children-in-front-of-the-fire variety. He was inspired by one of the random character portraits on the WotC page.

--Impeesa--

 

[Silver Moon]

OK, I'd vote for Bruce. I still can't figure out how he adventures in high heels.

Thanks Barad...he's actually not the only one. Vincenzo, our 6'2" 300 lb. balding cleric with ten kids also wears high heels on adventure. His "Boots of Levitation" got burned up in a fireball and these "Shoes of Levitation" were the only replacement pair he could find. He actually uses them as a weapon, levitating above the enemy and then dropping on them, shoe-point first.

Another non-cliche NPC whose been around the years is Melvin the Kobold, who is a five-star chef. He worked as a dishwasher in the fanciest restaurant on the continent and learned how to cook from the chef who worked there. Once the party sampled his meals they hired him (one of Kris's modules).

 

[sfgiants]

Well, Viehl I have actually played one of your ideas that you would like to see: the devoted to his ideals cleric. My cleric was a fighter/cleric who would only use curative magic if it was an emergency, or if the character followed the same beliefs etc. His most common saying in response to the proverbial "he's a cleric. Can you heal me?" was "you should rest." Didn't go over well. After one profanity laden tirade I stopped playing the character.

 

[ConnorSB]

Another non-cliche NPC whose been around the years is Melvin the Kobold, who is a five-star chef. He worked as a dishwasher in the fanciest restaurant on the continent and learned how to cook from the chef who worked there. Once the party sampled his meals they hired him (one of Kris's modules).

Whoa... we must be on the same wavelength. One of my recent NPCs was a kobold chef, trained in Orc-ruled France. So not only can he make good meals, he's got a musket in the kitchen in case he has to beat down intruders. Which he does, a lot.

 

[Viehl]

Well, Viehl I have actually played one of your ideas that you would like to see: the devoted to his ideals cleric. My cleric was a fighter/cleric who would only use curative magic if it was an emergency, or if the character followed the same beliefs etc. His most common saying in response to the proverbial "he's a cleric. Can you heal me?" was "you should rest." Didn't go over well. After one profanity laden tirade I stopped playing the character.

This is what I mean.

What fun is there to play a non-cliché character if the rest of the party disagree with the whole idea?

A truly Good cleric (IMHO, at least) would sooner heal an injured orc than a fellow party member who indulged in questionable behavior. I know that's not what the books say, and that most gaming groups would swear violently at a player like that, but that's how I do it.