Your combat position

[alaric]

I play a non-combat oriented Telepath, who has so far managed to not attempt to do physical harm to someone in melee combat yet (one bull rush, a couple of disarm attempts, but that's it). Low HP, horrible AC, no real defensive psionic abilties, I play him very carefully, generally trying to look unaggressive, duck behind some cover and try to use his powers to distract and bother people and make sure he his displays are small enough not to be noticed. He has inflict pain if he needs to do some damage, but generally tries to just keep the fighters fighting and standing in the rear.

 

[Wombat]

Behind the GM screen, playing the monsters

 

[Driddle]

Interesting results so far. It looks as though most players want to be able to look the bad guy in the eyes as he dies, rather than snipe from safety. I expected more ranged combat responses. (The high number of sneaky responses doesn't suprise me, though.)

 

[Dark Jezter]

Left center field.

 

[Grodd JoJoJo]

Depends on the character. My present ongoing character is a half-drow fighter/necromancer, but his general position at first was up-front, since his spells weren't always effective in our encounters. After we started fighting chiefly undead for a while, he was able to hang back more. After a few more feats and skills, he turned into the party's third best swordman, so he's been up front again. It can go either way for some characters, depending on development.

 

[The Sigil]

Eye in the Sky...

This may sound a little strange, but usually in combat, I play kind of the "eye in the sky" - I'm usually out of the combat entirely, playing "field general" and directing the other characters in tactics; where to go, what to watch for, etc. I may put in a "Front Line" appearance or give ranged/magical support where necessary to help us win, but most often my character is well removed from the action and giving tactical advice to his companions.

It may be a very weird choice, but in general, the groups I am with have found that they tend to be much better able to survive with me as an "eye in the sky" giving them orders that may not make sense individually, given their position, but help the tide of the overall battle, as seen by one not actually mixed up in the action. It usually only takes a couple of gaming sessions before a group trusts my intuition (in D&D I usually play high-Int, high-Wis spellcasters with access to communications spells and/or the odd long-range blast spell; in high-tech stuff, I'm the dude barking orders in the radio).

Can't describe it quickly any better than that, but I've found that having a field general/tactical commander who DOESN'T take part in the fighting on a personal basis very often tends to drastically enhance a group's survivability.

--The Sigil

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

It really depends upon the character. I prefer spellslingers, so in the back lobbing from a far.

But, with my current character, I'm a Paladin who happens to be the party's only healer (keeper of the cure sticks). So, I whap or I keep the better fighters from dieing;it depends upon the situation. Lately, it has been more of the later then the former.

 

[treasureivo]

I'm generally holed up behind a mystically protected piece of cardboard bearing the likenesses of WotC's iconic characters.

 

[Augurian]

Most of my characters prefer to stand at a distance and pepper the enemy with arrows untill they decide to get close and personal. Most of my character use others as protection as they are usually casters.
Although I'm gonna try a fighter in the latest campaign I'm starting I'll prolly have to get used to standing in the front line...

 

[Liolel]

My current characters position is up front fighting it out sword and shield. This has not jeopardized my character life yet although the character is fairly new.