When building a new PC...

[Allandaros]

I often wind up playing similar characters, so I put down B, because I'm trying to force myself to play other archetypes, and the easiest way to do that is to say "I guess I'm gonna be a mage."

 

[Nifft]

All B, All The Time!

Game mechanics sing to me in their sweet probabilistic voices.
I see a cool mechanic and I seek ways to make a character who lives in the world that such a mechanic would imply.

This is part of why I like ToB:Bo9S so much. The world implied by those mechanics (one in which ninjas jump down on you shouting "DEATH FROM ABOVE!") is such a cool world.

Cheers, -- N

 

[sjmiller]

I start by <gasp> rolling my attributes and seeing what I get. Based on that I then start deciding race, class, etc. If the DM gives details about the world we're playing in I might use that to help influence my decisions. Regardless, the first step in making a character is rolling the attributes.

 

[Brimshack]

It's pretty much an even split for me. Sometimes, a tactical option using this and that part of the rules occurs to me and I just put it together. Thing is those tactical options are rarely as nasty as a simple fighter or a nice blasty spell caster. I do them anyway. Other times a personality occurs to me and then I look for the rules which best represent it.

 

[Stormborn]

Almost always A, with rare instances of B. I dont usually have troubel finding the mechanics to fit because we tend to make adjustments and use variants from Dragon and other sources as needed. Right now I am playing a Battle Sorcerer from Unearthed Arcana, for example, who took Precocious Apprentice for a 2nd level spell and a Reserve Feat to be a gun fighter type sorcerer.

 

[IcyCool]

It depends, if it's standard D&D that I'm playing, then it's usually, but not always, option B (sadly). In just about any other system, it's option A.

 

[Lanefan]

It actually depends on when I'm making the character. Sometimes character ideas just come to me, and I file them for later. Usually, though, when I'm actually preparing for a game I try to pick something that fills a niche the party needs, and if I don't already have a concept that fits it I'll make a character from the class up.

This pretty much sums me up as well, though I'll add the caveat that sometimes I just have to go where the dice take me regardless of what I might have originally had in mind.

Lanefan