Your favorite reverse-cliche character type (or other game element)?

[Huw]

Two words: gay dwarf.

Two more words: Transvestite Elf.

I've watched way too much anime

 

[Zweihänder]

Two more words: Transvestite Elf.

I've watched way too much anime

Two further words: Straight Gnome. Think about it.

 

[sckeener]

I love half-orc sorcerers. I can't tell you why, I just do. Just the picture of the tusked humanoid, in a flowing cloak of charisma, leaning on his magical staff, it really works for me.

I think ya just sold me on Gandalf the venerable Half-Orc Sorcerer leaning on his magical staff.

Some of mine would be clerics that worship good gods but whose religion excludes certain races or people or as dirty...and therefore can not be cured, healed, raised, etc.

 

[Henry]

Some unusual archetypes I've considered:

A reluctant paladin: Someone who WANTS to be a self-centered hedonist, but every time they're faced with a moral dilemma.... just can't help but go out and do the right thing. Prostitutes offer themselves, and he's willing... but his guilt keeps him from following up on it. He doesn't want to help the poor beggar being beaten in the street... but for reasons he can't understand, he's the sucker who throws himself into the fight. He constantly complains about what a sucker he is. He doesn't even know why he's got powers... he just woke up with them one day.

The Barbarian Wizard: It's a wizard who's above-average in strength, slightly above average in intelligence, but when someone insults his magic skills, he freaks out, hulks out, and beats them near death with his staff. "Sucky mage?! SUCKY MAGE!?!?! AAAGH! SUCK ON THIS! *WHAM*WHAM*WHAM*WHAM*WHAM!

The Bacchanalian Priest: Watching Michale McShane's depiction of Friar Tuck in the Robin Hood movie makes me occasionally want to play a priest who cares for his flock, but is more apt to "preach nature's bounty of beer" than to preach platitudes. He might even be better as a druid.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

Two words: gay dwarf.

Dude, I actually experienced this one when I was in high school. We were playing Temple of Elemental Evil (2nd Ed AD&D). It was . . . sad, really. Looking back on the adolescent joking . . . I'm pretty sure the player was trying to "come out of the closet," but we were clueless dorks that harassed him endlessly about the character.

 

[Xilo]

A barbarian/wizard. I've always wanted to play a barbarian who was driven out of his home due to his love of books.

 

[sniffles]

I like the erudite fighter anti-stereotype, too.

Some other anti-stereotypes I'd like to see or try:

Whimsical, flighty dwarf.
Barbaric elf.
Sober, conservative gnome.
Vicious, bloodthirsty halfling.

 

[Kurashu]

Two words: gay dwarf.

I once had a player play a effeminate dwarf, he'd make strange suggestions to the goliath barbarian (worst barbarian ever, but that's a different story). He even kissed the big oaf once. It was a great way to demean the goliath, except his player was a little deft (same guy is now playing a rogue/warlock with no ranks in UMD and sold his wand of magic missle @_@).

 

[Dracorat]

Warforged Cleric

 

[ephemeron]

In the 2e days, I once played a halfling bard inspired by Porthos of the Three Musketeers. With 3e halflings, though, a womanizing swashbuckler isn't so big a deal anymore.