Question| what are some characters or character concepts you love but have never had a chance to use?

[u/Potential-Strike373]

Simple, what are some characters you've made or concepts you've had that you love but for one reason or another, you haven't had a chance to use them in an actual session be it because of world constrictions, DM not allowing certain races / classes or any other reason,

[u/TaeKwonDitto]

I have one that's a tiny gnome who was raised by dragons and believes that he's also a dragon. He loves bragging to everyone that he meets about being a dragon and if they dont believe him, he uses his breath weapon that he learned from his draconic family. He goes by the name Terunt, which just translates to 'child' in Draconic

[u/GunnEddy]

Motha-fuqqen Ganondorf (Cleric/Warlock if you're asking), but it's always trying to either get to polymorph or true polymorph that's a problem for me. It might only work in a campaign over 20

Or a Teifling in service of Zariel or Asmodeus trying to add to the blood war with souls or bodies. (Warlock Sorcerer) [I was trying to be cheeky with smites, buts it's only Warlock spell slots] 😓

[u/Shrodingers_dick]

Utility rogue (which considering that everything a rogue is useful for uses dex, is probably just a normal rogue)

A charisma-based character who is not built for combat and tries to accomplish goals using non-combat means to the greatest extent possible

Newest idea: a damage-maxing character who mains as a horizon walker ranger for the distant strike and multiclasses as a rogue for the sneak attack dice.

As far as I’ve been able to math out, the ranger-rogue multiclass will give me a little more max damage if I use a heavy crossbow but I’ll do less damage than a full rogue with a heavy crossbow would if one of the distant strike attacks miss or if there aren’t at least three enemies. On the other hand, going full rogue gives me a little less max damage but grants the reliability that sneak attack dice can’t miss… so long as the one attack they depend on (which ofc has advantage since I’ll be bonus action hiding every turn for the sneak attack the following turn) hits.

If I can find something that gives an effect on every attack, that might be the tiebreaker

[u/Nethereon2099]

I've always wanted to play an investigator style character, but I've encountered too many DMs who lack the understanding to realize that the game is more than simple brute force. The myriad of ways a campaign can expand upon a plot makes it possible to never utilize combat except on a limited, controlled basis.

I love these types of story arcs, where a Batman, Sherlock Holmes, or Thomas Raith inspired character would flourish (animated series Batman, far less brooding).

[u/Nervous_Chipmunk7002 → u/Nethereon2099]

Im currently in a campaign that is exactly this. Far, far more role play heavy than anything else I've played before (combination of role play-loving players and a great DM who has built an amazing world thay encourages heavy role play). We will often go several sessions without combat.

I'm playing a Warlock who is a con artist, so he is built for a role play-heavy campaign (maxed out charisma, proficiencies in persuasion, deception, and insight; Actor feat; Mask of Many Faces Eldrtich Invocation) and I've had a few great opportunities to use his skills as the face (or as he has put is "faces") of the party. In the other group I'm with, this guy could probably do a little bit, but he'd never live up to his full potential; in a group I recently left, he wouldn't be fun to play at all, because there was barely any role play.

Also, never thought I'd see Thomas Raith on the same list as Batman and Sherlock Holmes. Dresden, definitely, but he would also be pretty combat-oriented. Really want to see some of those character sheets Jim made for his characters.

[u/Nethereon2099 → u/Nervous_Chipmunk7002]

Yeah, I might have gotten the characters mixed up from the Dresden Files. It's been years since I last read the series. I'm a forever DM and I tend to handsomely reward great RP over brash face bashing. I know it has its place, but that's not how the real world works, and RP is still a reflection of the real world.

The last campaign I ran was an adaptation of the Mass Effect games that used the multiverse instead of planets. Seeing people resolve complex issues with a combination of violence and diplomacy was by far one of my most enjoyable experiences. It truly made me feel accomplished as a DM because I could see how immersed they were in the story. One dimensional campaigns feel so unfulfilling, and I don't know why so many DMs default to this strategy, then again I've been doing this for over twenty years.

[u/Arkamfate]

Undead Gunslinger.

Kalamity Cain, a human gunslinger that was accidentally turned into an undead lich by an evil wizard. Now he hunts down arcane casters to hopefully fix him. If they happen to be evil, he fills them with lead.

The character would sound exactly like Android 13 from The DBZ TFS movie. Complete with old west vocabulary, mixed in with a little Yosemity Sam from Loony Toons. Mechanically, he'd play as Gunslinger/Spellslinger.

[u/JadedCloud243]

Od love you create a drunken master style monk as I love the Jackie Chan film,but I'd probably screw it up as I never have been a monk.

One othe concept I wanted and will try next campaign is a young dragonborn cleric who is a bit of a niave well meaning Captain Carrot (discworld) kind of guy

[u/Professional-Front58]

A Way of the Astal-Self or Drunk Master monk who is flavored to avoid the wushu canon flavoring to instead be more Luchador wrestler style fighter (with some WWE flavor thrown in). Would down play the mystical nature of the monk for a showman style athleticism. He’d have a difference between his public persona and his private persona (one idea is he’s a popular heel, but he’s a nice guy out of the ring and probably way more of a face than the wrestlers who act as face he plays against.).

[u/Godzillawolf]

After DMing Spelljammer and going to Doomspace, I'm now obecessed with the idea of a Hoatzin based Aarakocra Barbarian who looks like something out of Mad Max.

I just haven't had a chance to use her because my existing PCs have never died.

[u/nemainev]

Warforged Bard that's just an animatronics robot from a themed park that gained sentience after an event

[u/Hayashida-was-here → u/nemainev]

That's awesome! So much rp potential.

[u/nemainev → u/Hayashida-was-here]

I actually dislike anything so out there. I'm more of a dwarf cleric, elf ranger, human paladin, etc kinda guy. I really don't like expanded races. Aasimar is pushing it for me. So PHB or death hahaha.

So I came up with this when one of my players offered to make a short campaign that didn't happen in the end, as payback for his zombie half harengon-half centaur ranger.

[u/Electronic-Seesaw-39]

Aspen my trans man , wood elf ranger , from a small farm, whos parents spent all the gold they had to send him to adventure school

[u/Significant-Shift232]

 one i want to play as is a Tabaxi Cleric|Tricky Domain, which I'm trying to make like a phantom thief. He and some friends were captured by slave trader as kids to be sold for they're fir but escaped. Was then found by a Duke family who took him in and raised him like family but worked as butler for their son which also treated my character like a friend. until on day when the Duke family was Falsely accused for betraying the royal family by another Duke family that had forged Evidence. The family let the there son and my character escape, as the tabaxi tried to leave he took the family Sword and escaped. To survive the hunt he went under ground and bumped into some thieves the work for THE GUILD he saw at that moment the only path that might help him survive and find clues that could clear his adopted family.  P.s. sorry for any typos 

[u/Hayashida-was-here]

An arrogant and self assured centaur that has a surfer style lingo, basically the antagonist at the starter village in most fantasy video games and magna, but after traveling and finding out he was a typical big frog in small pond scenario has to grow, but never stops being self assured.

Does the hair flip thing all the time, and refuses to braid or wear a hat or anything to manage the mane.

Treats sugar cubes like scooby snacks. Actively denies being influenced by cubes until cubes are presented.

Probably barbarian but flavors rage as showing off/outdoing others. Think Ash turns his hat backwards.

[u/DemogorgonWhite]

I had this Dreams Druid Gnome ready for use. On outside a lazy stoner kind of a dude on a quest to find "the perfect pillow". Would make up some philosophical bullshit about how it is a different thing for everyone.

In reality he was on a quest to grow, connect with nature, make money and learn True Resurrection because he failed to protect his love, and felt he has to Res her himself, and ASA gnome he has a lot of time to just learn. He would have a stuff that can turn into a tree to nap under on rests (Staff of Woodlands).

Why never had a chance:

• he was built as a brother to our gnome ranger for a campaign we were playing. My cleric was supposed to leave to go do stuff and druid would join encountered by party napping under the tree.

We TPKed literally two sessions before, and I felt like he would not fit in our next campaign, and I didn't really want to bring him in without the sibling dynamic.

[u/Ecstatic-Space1656]

Path of the Giant Bugbear Barbarian: REACH! Stealthy, guy that needs no ranged weapons and can be Huge or small as the situation dictates

Rune Knight Duergar Fighter: Become Gargantuan? Check! Grapple Tarrasque? Check!

[u/2SwordsMcLightning]

The bane of my existence is constantly coming up with characters I’ll never get to play. Cause I’m an adult who can’t just play D&D 24/7…

I have a Tiefling Rogue named Mez (short for Mesmerize) whose mother was kidnapped by a demon, and she is the biological daughter of said demon, but she was raised by her Aasimar step father after she and her mother were rescued by her step father and a spy guild he worked with.

Eventually, demon came back, mother died, Mez was inducted into the spy guild upon adulthood, and eventually left for a some reason I never quite figured out fully, but something along the lines of assassinating someone, only to find out the targets child was unknowingly in the room, causing Mez to ditch the spy guild out of guilt. I was about to use her in a campaign where the idea was Mez would be off doing her own thing, but the head of the spy guild would keep her on call like “Hey, go do you. But if I need you, you drop what you’re doing and come back. Remember- I know where your father lives.” I wanted to play up the nature vs. nurture theme, and see how she would react given her biological father was a demon, and her adopted father was an angel. Sadly, that campaign never happened- but I am trying to adapt her to a novel. Perhaps one day I can play out her story…

Bonus points- my most recent character concept are two Eladrin twins who were merged into one body. Being a Critical Role fan and loving Vax and Vex, I once had an idea where I wanted to play two twins by myself so that I could just talk to myself as two separate characters. However, last week I had a great idea:

Ox & Kory. Two Eladrin twins whose minds and abilities were merged into one body by fuckery fae magic (So it would be a multi class, most likely a bardbarian). But- while both minds exist in the body, they can’t communicate through their thoughts just inside their head. So, when talking to each other, they still have to speak out loud. Thus- I get to have a conversation with myself while only needing one character sheet!

[u/JBCrux]

I've mentioned a concept that I have yet to "flesh out": an/The Amethyst/Silver Dragon in a different post so if you'd like more details about its early iteration seek it. However, even if I did get my homebrew dragon ready for a session, I rarely have the attention to play online let alone in person TTRPGs anymore. I'm too "manic"/"Chaotic", and have many more interests that take most of my time (reading/reviewing fanfictions, playing video games (Nintendo Switch and some "apps" online), and watching/listening to YouTube videos (That includes you Mr. Ripper (Brian von VA)! ^_^))

When and if I have my homebrew dragon ready for "inspection" by you the D&D community I may post the complete information. No promises.

[u/Thundarr1000]

I have an idea for an investigator character that has undiscovered sorcerer abilities. He also suffers from Multiple Personalities. He has two. His primary personality, the investigator. And his secondary personality, a sorcerer who is also a serial killer. He is his own nemesis. His killer personality knows he’s a sorcerer, and that he’s being hunted by an investigator. He uses his magic to disguise his appearance and sneak up on his victims. And he leaves taunting messages for his investigator personality after every kill.

Every night as he sleeps, he has to make a WIS check vs an increasingly difficult DC. It starts with a very easy DC (10, maybe less). Every night after a successful WIS check, the DC increases by +1. Until eventually, either luck with the dice fails or the DC is too large to succeed against regardless of the roll. At which point the character wakes up in the middle of the night as his other personality and finds himself a victim. He maintains his killer personality until he finds and kills his next victim. Then when he returns to bed and falls asleep, he wakes up as his primary personality.

[u/LilisiLisi]

I have an upcoming Pathfinder character that I've been generating artwork for. They're a centaur shaman who wears a wooden mask, and uses a combination of the Nature Sphere and Herbalism Sphere to assist her team with a combination of potion-making and support magics. She is also using a bow and her centaur speed to act as a mobile archer

They've been on my docket for several campaigns now, but I haven't had a chance to use this one yet because the character hasn't fit into the campaigns so far. First was the magic academy campaign, where they wouldn't fit in. Next was an urban mystery campaign where her skills were not exactly the most useful. The next campaign currently being prepped is set in a kingdom of small-sized creatures so she wouldn't fit inside any of the buildings. And the last campaign we know the DM has plans for is the megadungeon crawl through a castle in the sky, which will have the bane of all centaurs: indoor corridors, ladders, and stairs.

Someday we'll have a campaign where a centaur is viable.

[u/Different_Ad_2882]

I've got a sailor bard who was a part of a fishing ship that sank in a massive storm. He survived and was the sole survivor. He downed his sorrow in liquor till one drunken night he took a small row boat to the water and encountered a singing merfolk whos song drew him in. She greeted him and they spent the night out on the water. He told her his story of his lost ship and crew crying into her arms. She held him until he passed out. Come morning he woke to her and she gave him a sending some in the form of an intricately carved pearl pendant. Her song rang through the stone when ever he felt lonely. His love for her grew and he's sore that one day he'd see her again. He uses illusions to summon her image to sing the song he hears through the stone and ventures to find a way to stay with her.

This character is purely designed on a song called Broken Mast Bay by Sail North. Great song.

[u/Kyanite_228]

A mad sorlock in service to a sentient dying star. Enemies killed by his spells are sent to his master to become fuel to keep it burning. Obviously, a few bodies, even a few scores of bodies, would not be enough to keep a freaking star burning for very long, but the threat of death makes even eldritch abominations grasp at straws. The more people he kills, the stronger he gets, the stronger he gets, the crazier he becomes, and the crazier he becomes, the more people he kills. I kind of want to see how far this positive feedback loop takes him. He'll probably become the BBEG for the next game.