What do you try and achieve with your character?

[avin]

My characters tend to go against type in interesting and different ways. But rarely mechancially like you have.

Neither of the kinds you list, specifically.

I build a character to explore themes I haven't touched on, to generate interesting interactions with other PCs and NPCs, and to fill "holes" in the party's skill profiles, among other things.

Just being "in-type" or "against-type" is not a design goal for me.

Same here. My characters are always uncommon, different from the usual clichés (legolas, aragorn, etc) and always different each other.

Some are chaotic, some are lawful, some are neutral.

Some like to gamble and women, some live to duty.

 

[kitsune9]

Personality wise, I try to do a little outside the box for me. For example, I had a rogue who was actually in his 50's (age penalty and everything), but he did a "normal" job for years prospecting, making money, losing money, but had to switch over becoming a rogue as a way to try out his new skills and for some reason, he could make magic items work for him (use of UMD). At low-levels he would be a very weak rogue in terms of any kind of combat, but his skill usage and UMD was through the roof.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I'm trying to be creative, but I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Engilbrand]

I usually like to choose something mechanically appealing and then create from that point. I also make sure that my characters are mechanically effective.
I don't agree with the idea of the Barbarian Archer. I think that's doing something wrong with the system. I actually become annoyed with stuff like that. Not because they're "edgy", but because they're purposely annoying. If your character is an archer, then play an archer. Don't choose a class that's going to purposely be worthless for what your concept is.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Neither.

But since I figured your depiction of tried and true was skewed so as to cause a majority of people to choose "outside the box" (which just sounds cool, doesn't it?), I decided to vote outside the box and chose tried and true.

 

[maddman75]

Thinking about my most recent characters, I would have to say outside the box. But like others, I don't intend it mechanically. My real goal is to make a character that is fun to roleplay, then figure out a way to express him in the game.

In my oWoD game, my vampire is a southern rocker in a cover band, playing Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers tunes in bars in Memphis (and currently on tour opening for Marilyn Manson as the GM tries out all his 'by night' books). When I made him I'd suggested Brujah, but the GM talked me into Toreador. For the non-vampy, the Brujah are the rebellious biker thug types, while Toreador are typically artsy hipsters. But a musician fits with Toreador, he just is uneducated, has a short fuse, and pretty much hates everyone in his clan.

In Slipstream, my inspiration was Zap Brannigan. I'm all commandery, and have Edges that let me lead troops effectively. But at the same time he's Clueless and Arrogant, often suggesting foolish plans and insulting those around him, like referring to the rest of the PCs as 'my loyal yet dim-witted crew'.

Both are a lot of fun to role-play, and that's all I really care about.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

Mechanically sound cliched boy scouts.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I play what my inner Muse tells me to play.

<snip>sometimes I'm the private dick who became a vampire, went crazy, and now thinks he's a superhero.

In my oWoD game, my vampire is a southern rocker in a cover band, playing Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers tunes in bars in Memphis (and currently on tour opening for Marilyn Manson as the GM tries out all his 'by night' books). When I made him I'd suggested Brujah, but the GM talked me into Toreador. For the non-vampy, the Brujah are the rebellious biker thug types, while Toreador are typically artsy hipsters. But a musician fits with Toreador, he just is uneducated, has a short fuse, and pretty much hates everyone in his clan.

Major Mosquito- that vampire I mentioned?- was part of a playtest for GURPS: Vampire, and was a total blast...and something of an eye-opener to the other players. When he was "embraced" while investigating a disappearance, he awoke to find himself incredibly strong, inhumanly fast, and impossibly tough. That, coupled with his utter denial of the events of the night he became Undead combined to make him think he was a superhero. Technically, his clan was Brujah, but his insanity made other vampires assume he was Malkavian. Equipped with his body armor (some part of him still urged caution) and a mix of gear ranging from a Mach 1 Mustang to a mountain bike (with cards in the spokes for that buzzing sound) and a "crime straw," he filled 2 roles in the campaign: Batman/Tick fusion crimefighter and anti-vampire enforcer/bodyguard.

The latter role was the most fun, in a sense. MM was a bit of an unguided missile, and he was simply too strong, powerful (and well armored) for most other Vampires to overcome. Convince him that 1 vampire or another was a "criminal" and it was on. Convince him that you were his ally in the fight against crime and you had the proverbial tank to hide behind.

 

[blargney the second]

I start pragmatic then get progressively more whimsical. I fill a role that I perceive as essential to the party's success, and I make sure that I'll do it well. Then I start adding traits that I think would be fun to play.
-blarg

 

[Starbuck_II]

Both kinds.

I voted outside box because I'm not into what others think a Wizard should be (non-melee).

Every cleric I make is a melee juggernaught. Every rogue is a twfing type though.
Currently playing a melee Warlock (well Binder/Swordsage levels too).