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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ambrus" data-source="post: 4833218" data-attributes="member: 17691">I've been mulling over this notion for some time and am curious to offer it up here for discussion. So here it is:When conceiving of a new player character do you create the character you initially want or, because of the limitations imposed by the rules or the DM, do you end up actually playing something else? That is to say, do you settle for what you can get rather than what you actually want to play?As an example of what I'm talking about, let's consider two conceptual races that proved popular enough for inclusion as basic playable PC races in 4e; the dragonborn and the tiefling. I contend that the appeal of these two races are their mythic progenitors; mighty dragons and infernal demons. Since neither dragonborn nor tieflings (or creatures conceptually similar) figure much in popular culture, I figure that prospective players attracted to either are more likely to have been inspired by actual dragons and demons in films or books.So, if you thought that the Balrog in Lord of the Rings was awesome and it inspired you to want to play a big burning martially minded demon in a fantasy game, would you instead settle for a moderately sized tiefling fighter because it's the best you could hope for? Books such as Savage Species do in fact offer up the means to play both actual demonic and draconic PCs, but aren't as commonly used. Why?It's happened a few times to me as a DM that, after hearing a player speak of their prospective character and the inspiration behind it, that I propose an alternative that's actually closer to the source of their inspiration. Want to play a succubus-inspired tiefling enchantress? Why not simply play a succubus using the Savage Species monster class? Players are usually surprised that such a thing is possible, but are delighted by the possibility. Then again, after reviewing what playing a monster class actually entails, that player might decide to go ahead with their initial tiefling enchantress PC because the rules of the game make it preferable to playing an actual succubus. The result is much the same for those who wish to play a mighty wizard who rains down eldritch destruction across the landscape like a living storm. In light of their inspiration, why are people reduced to playing a 1st level wizard only able to cast magic missile twice a day?So what this all boils down to is how closely do the characters we end up playing reflect our initial inspiration and how much of them is shaped by the dictates of the game system and/or the DM's mandate? Do you merely settle for the PC that you end up with? Are you happy with this character creation process or do you often wish for more flexibility?</blockquote>

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