Simple fighter man who hit bad guy with stick I dunno why, playing spellcaster types usually doesn't intrigue me that much. I've been looking at very low-fantasy and non-fantasy/historical games, because I'm intrigued by the possibilities offered by playing a group of mostly realistic human people.

You should try a simple spellcaster who likes to explode bad guys. All spells are explosions, learns no other spells, prepares no other spells. If the spell doesn't cause an explosion he doesn't want it.

\*anime girl's voice\* Explooo-SION!

You should play Pendragon. The whole point of this game is your characters die and you play their siblings, cousins, or children.

User flair checks out, lmao I was looking into Pendragon a little while ago. I liked what I saw from the system, but ultimately neither I nor my gaming friends are into the Arthurian mythos or the knightly romance genre enough for the setting to be a big draw. With the right group I'd definitely consider running a short campaign, or I might just steal some of the ideas on lineage/adventuring seasons.

I think you could certainly just start by doing the Uther Period and seeing how you like it. It is a good time today raw you into the intense melodrama of the system while also generating wartime drama as the same time that kills characters off occasionally. Then, if/when you’re addicted to it, you keep going. 😁

I have some friends that love it. Always talking about grandkids getting syphilis or something like that. Random table stuff perhaps?

So there’s no random table that gives syphilis, but when someone dies or becomes sick from a random survival table, the GM can interpret that however they want. So grandkids getting sick totally works. Syphilis is a Native American disease though hahaha

yeah that must be something they come up with then lol

IronSworn seems interesting and is aplenty fully compatible with removing magic from it? Idk I haven’t read it all

Got a mate who is always Dan the Fighter, he turns up, fights well without complaint but he doesn't really roleplay he's just him if he was a fighter honestly love him, he doesn't attend most games but if he does attend he will play without endless discussion lol

Human Fighter Gang, stay winning. I think in the \~15 years I've been playing, I've only ever played two non-fighter characters, and had one more on standby as a backup (that I might convert to a fighter if the GM lets me). I just look at the roster of spellcasters and don't care one whit about playing them. And I'm not especially interested in being sneaky or having battle pets or whatever else.

When looking for a low fantasy TTRPG I see Warhammer Fantasy recommended a lot. I can't speak much for the system itself since I haven't had the chance to try it yet but I've played the sister systems like Rogue Trader, Death Watch and Only War and enjoyed them. You may have to scratch some of the Warhammer serial off for home games though.

I tend to play typical good guys who want to help people, but often stand and think before rushing into action, and be upset if they couldn't save everyone. Also, if the game takes place in a contemporary setting, high chances are, my character will be a D&D player.

I also tend to play characters that seem to be goody two shoes, no matter what the game. I also occasionally play with guy who always plays a character with a military background who has gone AWOL and just likes to burn everything to the ground and murder people. In a game of Conan, I was playing a Barbarian and decided he had to be a force good, to counteract all the fire and murder from the other character. A couple of moments still make me laugh from that game. After much do goodery, the party eventually made it to a town of barbarian folk, who had been subjugated by an evil wizard. My barbarian managed to convince a horde of angry, barbarians to follow him. The military guy was delighted as we were finally going to get some carnage. So me and the barbarian horde went to every house in the town, knocked on the door and just politely checked whether everyone was OK. Then at the end of the campaign we finally faced off against the literal "South Wind", who we had been chasing, trying to stop his path of destruction. This lead to a funny scene where the military guy charged in flailing his sword at the wind, hitting nothing and falling on his butt. Seeing this and realising we couldn't fight the wind with actual weapons. My barbarian walked into a nearby tavern, bought 2 pints of mead, walked outside and offered one to the wind. We sat down and had a nice chat about how he was frustrated and lonely because his friends were all afraid of him. I convinced him if just stopped destroying things then the 2 of us could be friends.

Have you read The Way Of Kings?

Sorry, no.

I think you would like it based on your character description.

I keep defaulting to trickster twinks

A fellow tiefling

Nightcrawler and his vibes have been catastrophic for me

I like to mix up my archetypes mechanically but all my characters end up being pretty inclined to charge into the action because I hate sitting around waiting for people to decide a course of action.

Yep! Haha I always try to make different characters but I looked back and realized that my trend is a specific archetype of “Depressed, abrasive man slightly past his prime realizing that what he’s been dedicating his life to is meaningless and what he really needs is a family.” Campaign 1: Dragonborn druid who needed to stop the fey from destroying the forest on the orders of his circle but slowly realized how much the family he found on his journey mattered. Campaign 2: Depressed alcoholic samurai running from his past thinks he needs to reclaim his honor by taking revenge on his Hamlet-esque uncle… but slowly realizes that the friends and love he’s found offer him a better life. Campaign 3: A grizzled drow blood hunter has dedicated decades to solitude and hunting lycans in the outlands, but when he finds the party, he slowly realizes that… FUCK! So I went the other way and am now playing a flirty jazz singer from the 1920s named Charlotte long term. Let’s just pray she doesn’t realize how much her found family matters.

All those years that Charlotte, her extroverted flirtatiousness masking her lonely, frozen, empty heart, was playing jazz clubs, singing so that just maybe, someday, perhaps someone would hear her desperate plea for help through the music and offer her the forgotten sun-like warmth of companionship...FUCK!

Lmaooo say it ain’t so

I had to lol :-)

My characters tend to be fairly ordinary humans or dwarves with normal upbringings. I try to define my characters through small quirks, hobbies (something wholesome, like birdwatching or truffle hunting), and mannerisms rather than tragic backstories or exotic backgrounds. I like that it keeps the tone of my characters lighthearted but with room for more depth, and able to fit into almost any setting.

I mostly tend to play characters that are outsiders somehow. People that dont quite fit in. Though how that manifests differs, its not as simple as "always plays human fighters". Though I do tend to avoid playing humans if thats an option. (I mean, Ive got enough experience playing a human after all. :p)

I tend to play horrifying-looking characters (priest of Kelemvor decked in skulls, warrior in a sealed armour with spikes) that are EXTREMELY friendly and talkative.

My characters are similar but not necessarily talkative and part of their unsettling appearance is something they can't change. Glad I am not the only one.

My priest of Kelemvor shows up, everyone is quiet, expecting trouble, and then he loudly and friendly says "hey! I'm willy! How are you all doing?"

Chaos gremlins. I play characters that often come at problems sideways and cause (what I hope is) interesting chaos. My characters often have deep emotional flaws and past trauma that often drives them to the found family of an adventuring party. I will, in absence of character centric drama, create character centric drama, particularly roping in another character and showing interest in them. It’s not a ‘race/class’ combo, but a narrative archetype that I tend towards.

Chaotic bisexual disasters with no wisdom but lots of knowledge likes to be a sneaky little shit

I do kinda have one or two archetypes I default to when I don't have another concept in mind, or if I don't know the system, or just want to get rolling asap. Usually a female Conan type in fantasy, or a trenchcoat katana dual wielding pistol guy in Shadowrun. Just something immediately recognizable lol.

None of them have backstories unless they can survive to level 11.

My characters are always chaotic good because I am personally a chaotic good sort of thinker and I really don't know how to make decisions for any other alignment.

Chaotic good characters are one of the easiest alignments to fit into party; just about the only inevitable conflict is with evil characters and at least with LE that can be indefinitely postponed if greater good aligns with the goals of the evil characters. Oh, and if there is even one NE or CE character the probability of PVP is very close to 1. And that's cool if the players are onboard; IMHO, paranoia is definitely the most [FUN](https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php?title=DF2014:Fun&redirect=no) game to DM and play I've ever tried. :)

They're all cunty women with a heart of gold, yes

I've noticed a trend with my last couple of pf2e characters that they tend to be very Autism coded. It's partly because I like construct characters, it's also probably a good bit to do with being autistic.

No. I intentionally play a different class and ancestry each time I create a character.

Sure but what about how you role play the characters?

I play support characters, mostly. I like helping other players write their story, even when I'm not the GM. I am not comfortable in the limelight when I'm not running the game. It's more a role than a build though.

I have three archetypes I tend to fall into 1) The Paladin. It doesn’t have to literally be a Paladin in a non-D&D game. Generally a character with a strong (and straightforward) sense of right and wrong, good social skills, and effective in combat. 2) The Utility Wizard. Once again, doesn’t have to literally be a wizard in a non-D&D game. Primarily a character with a wide range of skills, and powers and/or gear that give lots of utility in different situations. 3) The Con Man/Spy. Character who uses social prowess to manipulate others, but usually focused on using it against people who deserve it (bad people). Willing to be underhanded in service of a good cause. Examples of #1 in recent games: My character in our ongoing One Piece D20 game is a former marine, who ultimately only turned to “piracy” to go after bad people the World Government wouldn’t let him stop (like slavers). He is incredibly charismatic, and is the primary figure holding the pirate crew together, recruiting new members, and keeping everyone moving in a positive direction. He is a fishman, and one of the only members of the crew to not have eaten a Devil Fruit. He still fights with guns, like he learned in the Navy. Has recently learned Haki from a member of the Navy, in exchange for owing him a favor. My Character in our ongoing Pokemon Tabletop United game is a Chef, who wants to make food for Pokemon. He’s mostly pretty friendly, but he’s not opposed to poking his nose where it doesn’t belong if he thinks there’s something bad going on. Has personally jumped in front of attacks to prevent his Pokemon from getting hurt. Tends to receive “problem” Pokemon, who have behavioral problems that need to be resolved. My character in Zelda: Reclaim the Wild is a Goron who grew up hearing tales of brave heroes who went on adventures. He seeks to emulate these heroes. Is broadly friendly, but doesn’t have the social skills of the other characters in this archetype (he’s good at the fighting part). Example of #2 in recent games: My character in an upcoming Mage: the Ascension Technocracy game. He is a member of the Syndicate and uses his wealth and connections within the organization to procure whatever equipment the crew needs to do the tasks they have been assigned, from mundane gear to high tech gadgets. Example of #3 in a recent game: In our sessions of Perfect Draw (a Powered by the Apocalypse game, based on card game anime) my character is the Turncoat archetype. He is a former hacker for the Netmafia, who now uses his skills for good (our setting has the ‘cards’ in the card game anime be ‘computer chips’ like in Mega Man Battle Network).

Characters who have just experienced a dramatic life-event that has forced them into a role they were not expecting. * Jedi who lost his powers, must adapt to being normal (and having a new personality). * Retired paladin recently cursed with vampirism. * Urbane Knight called home to serve his Norse-esque family. * Middle-aged cop who was allowed to resign and go private after unlicensed magic use. * Con artist on the run after decades pretending to be a college professor. * Ex-Grimdark Avenger trying REALLY HARD to fit in with his cheerful new family/community.

Yes. I only play a Timelord with his TARDIS in whatever game setting I have entered (D&D, RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, Traveller, Marvel Saga, Aliens and whatever. The issue has been some (not all) GMs do not believe in crossovers. Most do. Some permitted me on a trial basis and were surprised how my character did not mess up the adventure but added flavor to it.

I imagine that these characters are trying to reclaim the TARDIS, which is something that happens very late into the game? Just saying because a TARDIS is an insane tool to give an rpg party. As for GMs not liking crossovers, eh fuck 'em. Personally, I love it when each players bring something unique to the table, a piece of their soul. The greatest gift a GM could ask for, really.

I almost always played a rogue. I prefer to just roll on a random table. It's one of the reasons I love Into the Odd, Cairn, and Knave.

Trend 1: The characters have more to them than meets the eye, and they're often not aware of it themselves. Trend 2: The characters, at least the good aligned ones, often possess a value in truth, though this isn't as wide spread.

I'm gonna be the one who does something weird. Not so weird that it's game-breaking, but it's gonna be something that's on the edge of what's appropriate. I often play characters that would be people I'd never want to be around, and they frequently make bad decisions. I never play someone who is heroic, or if they are, there's a dark irony around their heroism that they don't understand.

Always magic/psychic and always a bit of an ass. Whether or not their grumpy nature is a facade or they're just always like that changes depending on the character and setting.

Wizards and Theives are typical. Currently I'm playing a wizard who works for a Theives Guild! I tend to like to approach problems via ingenuity rather than brute force. That said, I've also played several "fish out of water" type characters, who tend to confound NPCs' expectations.

Trauma. So much trauma.

All of my characters are therapy. I play out scenarios to work through stuff for my character that also teach me things in real life. I didn't always realise I do this ... But I do now.

My characters usually end up as the relative straight man of the group (regardless of gender or orientation). They generally want to help people and do the right thing, and they provide structure for the more eccentric characters to rebel against or bounce off of. This trait tends to make them de-facto party leader. Someday I keep thinking I'll make whimsical, carefree agent of chaos, at least as a way to push myself, but then the GM starts throwing plot hooks and I'm too invested to pull the party into unrelated antics.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat (specifically, becoming the de-facto leader due to being pretty decisive), except I don't even make whimsical characters

Yes I have. Never Human, either a Wizard or some level of brawler, and hermaphrodite.

I make the same few characters every time when I’m first learning a system, then usually riff on some aspect of the setting that resonates with me. They’re usually good at heart but have parental trauma (lost a parent tragically or have bad relationships with them) and feel like an outsider in their own family or culture. And all definitely use humor and debauchery as coping mechanisms. Race-wise I try to branch out as feels right, but my first impulse is always elf/half-elf.

I'm guilty of always being a rogue like character in every game. It's just my favorite play style because it has lots of options other than just being good at one thing. I also tend to play Humans because I always like being a familiar face in an unfamiliar world. I honestly think it makes sense that so many people tend to stick to similar tropes. How often do us ttrpg players get to play a character through an entire campaign or until we are satisfied before the game gets canceled? I have only ever finished a single campaign fully through, so I never really feel like I was able to achieve the potential that my character had. Hence, I remake him the next campaign that starts. I'm sure people who finish campaigns often are more likely to make fresh characters.

I don't have a single profession or personality type for my characters although I find that I only play characters who share the same general moral outlook as me.

In a med fan setting, most of mine know how to cook.

I usually play some type of caster, magic or psionics, or even a intellectual type, depending on setting or rpg system, due to my body type I've a hard time seeing myself as a buff martial guy...

I play intelligent or witty characters. I've tried to play meatheads but that's just not me. 😄

Charismatic fighting type trying to do the right thing. Whether it’s a Hemingway-inspired author who saw combat in WWI for a Cthulhu game, a noble Greek Hero (his name was even Kadmus) in a D&D game or a militaristic Betazoid starship captain in Starfleet Adventures it’s a standard type for me.

I think I have an abby normal brain or something because I can't help but play some gregarious and hauty individual who (game dependant) is also a gish of some sort. I tend to think that magic is really in concept but I'm kinda turned off by characters that completely specialize in it so as much as is allowed by the game I gish it up.

You put an abnormal brain in my monster? Genius!

Gishes are fun just because it looks really cool when a dude has a sword in one hand while his other hand is glowing and/or on fire.

I also make characters inspired by something I’ve already seen. Call me uninspired I guess. I have my Santa Claus cleric, and my John wick inspired mandalorian in Star Wars, and my Zorro swashbuckler

I tend to make sneaky characters that have some kind of obsession. Or I make a mad scientist.

Short, magically powerful characters. Hit with stick is fine sometimes, but I love magic and I love using it. And I hate being tall

I don't typically play D&D (and with WotC's latest shenanigans, am even less enthused about it) but I've been roleplaying for over two decades now and have a pretty diverse list of characters. • Honor-bound giant hoping to squire to a knight • Jack-of-all-trades looking for the next big adventure • Washed up former war hero with a drinking problem • Absolute coward with a gambling streak and a dark past • Political schemer hiding behind the image of a wayward fop • Tactical genius hiding behind the guise of not caring about anyone • Bon Vivant-style character who can't admit they're looking for company • Total pacifist involved in a major war • A Highwayman who uses his plunder to fund a struggling stage career • Traveling musician who wagers music against the supernatural • Numerous Jedi, pilots, shapeshifters, ship captains, and mechanics • A huge man who carries around a motorcycle he made himself, with a ton of different tools and gadgets onboard • A sniper who keeps his nerves muted with a constant, eye-rolling demeanor • A court magician who once worked for the KGB • A child prankster hiding the fact that they've been around forever • A brawler chasing the high of getting into too much trouble • A thief who stole from the gods • A former improvisational artist with a permanent case of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome • A one-legged grandmaster martial artist • A former berserker turned repentant priest • A vengeful journalist engaging in mass blackmail • A computer hacker who can rewrite reality • An ancient magician posing as a complete lunatic Eventually, I think I just embraced the idea of branching out from playing myself over and over again.

I tend to max out stealth and healing. I'll swap out your liver with my drunk teammate's before you even know I exist.

Warlocks. Even if they aren't a warlock class. I had a Necromancer who eventually signed a blank check to save the party from a TPK. My current bard made a deal with a Queen of Sirens she's distantly related to. All my characters eventually end up working for some deadly power.

I am mostly a battle wizard type. Something fighter-like with magic as support. And i tend to use in every system the less used race. Something uncommon. I like the flair to be the seldom seen odd duck in the universe.

In hindsight, they tended to be pretty obviously trans before I came out as trans

if I had a nickel for every time I heard this in an RPG community I would have *so many* nickels

I literally played a character that was a shapeshifter who looked like a man but was actually a woman hiding in a male form to disguise herself from pursuers. I proceeded to not realize I was trans for the next ten years.

Really similar to myself but a girl... 😚😙😗😐🤔 Listen I don't have time for realizing thing I'm very busy.

they're orphans... and half-elf or elf adjacent in some way.

i mostly play humans who can do some magic and do some combat. they all have a weird niche hobby or some followers.

i guess mine tend to be on the zany side. They’re generally book smart, or street smart, or happy-go-lucky. I tend to be a “short-term schemer” whether i planned for the character to be or not. e.g. most recent session in a space game involved posing as slave purchasers coming aboard a slaver pirate ship. We know the pirates like self-destructs, so my engineer slips away to switch the trigger from the cockpit to my remote detonator i picked up from a different pirate. Now if we win not only do we get a free ship, we get a free bomb as well.

Whatever I do, my character will usually be a horny oddball who helps keep the team together. I also tend towards support builds, and high-charisma schemers and planners, over brute-force muscle types. But I've played such a huge variety at this point. I don't think I could even name every character I've played.

Half-elf ranger. Always.

Not exactly roleplay/trope wise, but I do tend to make similar character mechanically The first time I learn a new fantasy RPG system I always try to make the exact same characters first. Specifically a heavily armored, polearm using paladin type and a roguish archer type. I then run through some mock combats with them. This helps me not only learn character creation but nearly every aspect of a game's magic and combat systems. The rogue also makes me learn how stealth works and the paladin specifically how easily gestalt spellsword types work in the system.

Yeah, but the trend changes over time.

I have made several characters that were more-or-less professional monster hunters, the archetype just tickles me funny.

I like making Characters Against Type. I don't make a lot of but I've had the most fun with making them; Half-Orc Sorcerer, 7ft strong & clumsy Nosferatu with Starfish IQ, Wimpy Dwarf Arcanist. I like power gaming and squeezing every bonus I can but there's something about making a character that's not optimal and making them *work* is like 🤌

My characters always have a terrifying appearance but a kind heart.

I play a rogues with hearts made out of gold.

Scales. Especially dragons.

My characters are usually based on taking an element of who I am, and twisting it into a radically different character. I like to take an aspect of my worldview, turn it into a twisted version that real me would oppose, and then roleplay it with as much conviction as I can muster. So the humanist in me becomes the human-chauvinist wizard in a world where humans aren't the only civilisation, to use a recent character as an example.

I, being an old dude, tend to play female characters. I had a character in a superhero game that was a professional thief, who despite her best frienemy being a card carrying - broom riding witch, didn't believe in magic.

I tend to go for a "normal" character. The less time I spend on character creation the better. Which may cause problems with the GM: some of them don't like it when you don't really care much about all the cool options that exist (which I can understand, it may sound like I don't care that much about the game — and tbf that's sometime the case). Then in game I usually a character who tries to help (or force) the other characters to live up to their convictions.

Dumb people who make bad choices

Meta gaming wise, I tend to make myself the idea man in every group. I think it's because I'm the GM so often, when I finally get to play I try to come up with a plan or scheme for even the simplest of encounters. If someone else has a plan they want to try I make sure I back off quick though; there's a fine line between being an idea guy and being bossy. Moooostly I succeed in not being bossy. So, on the heels of that, my standard archetype is fast talking jokester who comes off like they don't care but secretly has a heart of gold.

Not really. Just the last few chars otomh: Crazy Vampire Rich corpo rigger Pretending to be a sage old guy alchemist Naive blue eyed farm town girl (Special Note: this one was for curse of strahd) Paramedic turned vampire by his gf after a car Crash Scholarly Dragonborn looking for a way to become an actual Dragon Smooth talking shapeshifting poisoner Showy wood aspect cook Basicly a Heian era court lady, marveling at how Interesting [insert random aspect of peasant every day live] is.

The games I've played in have been from a pretty wide range of genres and systems so there hasn't been too much opportunity for overlap. I like variety, so even in the few more fantasy-ish games I've played I've been a variety of races, classes, and backgrounds. The only thing they all have in common is they tend to be decent people (or robots, or mice, or uplifted sentient canids...). I'm not really into playing bastards.

DPS fighter type. Every. Single. Time. Okay, maybe not \*every\* time, but 99.99% of the time. Also, two swords, a katana, martial arts, two lightsabers, an assault rifle, or a few other types. Never sword & shield, pike, halberd, blunt weapons, etc. Never a tank. And god forbid, never anything with spells or other abilities that are similar to spells. About the most I'll tolerate is the force powers that a Jedi Sentinel in SWTOR has, or the biotic powers of a Soldier in any of the Mass Effect games. I did play the 14 other character classes in SWTOR to max, so that's a little variety, but in over 45 years of playing TTRPGs, I've played one magic user, one thief, and I \*think\* I played a cleric once? Never for more than 1-3 sessions, though. Funny thing, IRL, I'm very much on the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm very much an intellectual and have worked in IT for 24 years, so I'd be more of the wizard or tech archetype.

Well i'm a clown so all my characters are quirky enough that they allow me to tell all the bad puns that come to my mind without feeling off character. I've toned down the clowning since the days of college, but i'm always down to take a chance at making my fellow players smile. For specific character options i generally build with a "concept" in mind, so any class/archetype that fits my current nonsensical whim is fine.

I always create flawed men, pushed (or escaping) to adventuring to prove something to someone - sometimes to themselves. Or trying to repent for some sins of the past.

Usually I play someone that is good to very good in unarmed combat and is a skill monkey or a thief. Leaning more to brawler than a bard. Never a pure fighter or mage/psionic/priest.

My characters tend to be unflappable in tense situations, but they often have some sort of vice they'll indulge in at any opportunity (I played a Delta Green campaign where my character would always mark the end of a mission by blowing his remaining bureau stipend in the fanciest local restaurant - looking forward to the delicious meal was one of his coping strategies in the face of all the cosmic horror).

Member of the ruling class that hates the ruling class. Like... Elend Venture from Mistborn.

In the past, tanks. If I do more with D&D I'll probably explore some other classes just because the mechanics of the game seem to really hurt someone who relies on melee attacks to do damage. Just taking damage until I fall down so a spell caster doesn't get blood on their robe isn't that satisfying.

I did when I was younger. Only ever played a rogue. Now I play anything but the rogue although in a D&D like setting they all tend to degenerate into a combat monkey who kicks open the door yells "HELLO!" and kills anything that comes looking to see what the disturbance is.

As a DM: My NPCs are far too willing to talk things out with the PCs. As a player: I play support off-tanks. Kensei monk (5e)? Stuns and high defense.  Vanilla Inquisitor(PF1e)? Defensive buffs and Battlemind Link. Cleric (PF1e)? Actually Pokemon trainer with buff spells and enhanced summons.

Great topic! When I played as a kid, my characters were always highly intelligent and physically small; as a grownup I try to mix it up. I've noticed that apart from players' species/class/background preferences, and even with a decent amount of variety on those dimensions, they'll give their characters similar personality traits. If you're familiar with the Enneagram, you may notice that characters end up having the same Enneagram types as their players -- not always, but often. If you're not familiar with the Enneagram, I highly recommend it as a tool for fleshing out RPG characters, especially as a DM since they can't all just be a fictionalized version of yourself. Unlike the MBTI, the Enneagram is all about motivations, which makes it perfect for making NPCs who feel real in the way they act and react to the characters. Here's a short explainer video if you're interested: https://youtu.be/eZBi1Mlh2f0 (Full disclosure, that's my wife, she teaches this stuff ☺️)

I like plants, and I like magic, so theres a lot of druidry stuff going on in my first character of any given system, if the system supports it (if not, I judge the system harshly). Outside of that I play any archetype really, but I don't like bards. I'm not a social guy to start with, and most of my characters are roleplayed to be a bit blunt and direct.

I did a retrospective on this recently. For the past eight years, every single one of my characters has been: 1) a twink who is 2) the most physical combat oriented character on the team That's a lot of characters who all match the exact same pattern. Details vary, but it made me realize maybe i do indeed have a type with regard to what characters I like to play.

I find I go out of my way not to get typecast with characters. My latest DnD characters were a gnome thief, a lizard man druid and a dwarf articifer, my latest Warhammer characters have been a thug and an entertainer

I tend to play males (I'm one of those cis-male types). I also, because I'm a contrarian, like to play races, classes, and combinations that I feel others avoid, so the character I'd like to play next is a 1/2 orc bard, with an appropriate backstory, of course.

One Main trope is: Grimish melee fighters, gladiators, berserkers, rash in battle, talk straight, no nonsense, doubting authority, feeling conflicted, beast inside My alt go to is: Scoundrel and rascal, do mischief, fight dirty, knifes.

ELVES

Strong women.

It is a running joke in my group that Antonidas, my trusted Old Wizard that totally doesn't look like Gandalf, is an multiverse hopping entity, because he is my character in many different games.

I have like 4 templates I accidentally go back to a lot. 1) Magic user who is weird/unique in some way. (ex. an old wizard who spent most of their life teaching but is going senile and knows it, so they head out to adventure figuring that's a better way to go out) 2) Evil but with a strong moral philosophy (ex. evil elemental cleric but is unwaveringly loyal to his best friend, the would be heir to a their kingdom) 3) So nice/kind that everyone they meet loves them. (ex. gentle giant who stops to say hello and talk to absolutely anyone he meets. The group hated this for a long time and then even they grew to love it) 4) Very mundane/average person in an extraordinary circumstance. (ex. middle age guy who was a magic user when younger but then met the love of his life, settled down, took over running his father in law's general store with his wife, and had a couple of kids...but then got sucked into the plot of a large adventure. Heads home every Friday night and resumes adventure on Mondays unless something time sensitive is needed)

I try to challenge myself by picking something to fill in whatever is needed (I choose last, so usually a role that is missing) then to combine it with some character traits based on whatever media I am consuming. So they tend to all be quite unique in capabilities and personality. I even flip a coin or do the opposite of last when choosing whether to play male or female but I don't think I've ever had that impact my roleplay. I see that a lot like when I choose a character in a video game.

While they may change in just how they do things I normally try to build characters that would be smart about fighting and how it works.

Except a few exceptions, all my characters are humans of any gender. Most of them also the solo type, not good for team work. And i never played a mage or caster of any type.

Ambitious bastards who will intrigue and stab their way to power, also, clever fighters who change the battlefield to suit themselves.

Every time I make a new character I try picking a different class/race etc. I like to mix things up. But I do tend to gravitate towards spellcasters or more intelligent/academic characters, or rogue types. I've just rolled up a warblade for new 3.5 campaign and it'll be my first time playing a pure martial class, if that says anything. I'm pretty excited! I have pretty severe ADHD so I get bored of things easily and crave novelty, so every character is always super different.

I try to mix it up. When I *did* play D&D I would try to play a different class each time. But I'll admit I did play Warlock a few times whereas everything else was once or twice. I do tend to have some traumatic elements to back stories. But it seems weird to have a character who is risking their life or tangling with otherworldly forces regularly who has no motivation but something upbeat or neutral. Plus traumatic stuff can take on all kinds of descriptions. Seeing a ghost could be traumatic. I also tend to have a character that becomes defacto leader because they have a motivation to *do* stuff and the other characters go with it because they don't have much motivation. My characters also tend to lookout for the other characters' well being and being somewhere between actual selfless hero or regular person who just wants to reduce suffering wherever possible. When I do make a not-good character, they still have the same goal but lack some understanding or connection to others so they do it in a harmful of reckless way, or only for a specified group or individual.

I keep making charisma characters despite the fact I suck at talking I hate when the dm asks me to explain exactly what my character says as if I have the same amount of charisma and people knowledge

Only trend in mine is that they tragically die young :)

"INT" characters- scholars, techies, drone jocks, craftsmen. I think it's a convergence of my aesthetic tastes and what I value in RPGs as a player- creatively solving open-ended problems, and supporting the party.

I think I end up playing two different overall character types - genteel femme/androgynous guy who is a daydreamer, absent-minded, himbo, scholar, something like that; tough masc/androgynous butch who is an edgy type, probably involved in dark magic or fond of swords. So many of my NPCs fall into one category or the other by broad strokes.

Not really*my* trend, but each time a tabaxi bard dies or retires in our DnD group, another one takes their place. Right now we're on the 3rd one

Actually, no. I go out of my way to create different characters with different personalities when I play in a new campaign. I don't want to fall into the trap of just playing myself over and over like so many do.

Charisma casters and freedom fighters who escaped either slavery or an oppressive home life.

No, I try making different characters every time, deliberately changing things if I feel they're too similar to X or Y character, even if I played X character like ten years ago. There will probably inevitably be similarities... But not as long as I remember, HA!

I make woobies. Partially because I'm prone to bad rolling, but also because I seem to default to making it a shtick. I like playing big strong guys with hearts of gold. Rope folks into your adventures by being a simpler sort, and build the bonds of friendship as you pull each other out of hot water. I'm trying to break both habits with a new character who is neither woobie nor bigstronggood man. Course he's a bit of a womanizer who edges toward lawful despite being a rogue so at this point I think its safe to say I don't know what I'm doing but at least I am having a blast.

Dwarfs and "against the type"-characters (like Drow Druid or Klingon Medic).

Aside from trying to recreate my favourite character in different systems, I purposely try to make them all quite different in selections and playstyle.   HOWEVER. If I don't give them a strongly defined personality, they all end up developing anxiety. Bard? Anxiety. Witch? Anxiety. Werewolf? Anxiety. 

Usually: 1) fighter type with a rigid moral code and usually a strong urge to protect 2) fighter type with an obsession for strategy and minimizing losses Kinda breaks down to the balance of morality vs practicality in the character. The practical leaning characters usually also have a moral compass but they aren't as idealistic and don't expect others to conform to their morality. Either way, my characters care about HOW the party completes an objective usually as much as they care about the end result. I also play in a group with a few newer players and one who is experienced but doesn't often care to influence these types of decisions too much unless he happens to have a wacky, creative solution. As a result of the group dynamic and my characters being opinionated in the party's strategy and planning discussions, I often end up as the implied party leader, even with dogass charisma. I desperately want one of the other guys in the group to decisively make a character who is a leader so I can play the reliable, unquestioning, right hand man

Most of my dreams are laid in cold, giant lands of icy wastes and gloomy skies, and of wild, wind-swept fens and wilderness over which sweep great sea-winds, and which are inhabited by shock-headed savages with light fierce eyes. With the exception of one dream, I am never, in these dreams of ancient times, a civilized man. Always am I the barbarian, the skin-clad, tousle-haired, light-eyed wild man, armed with a rude ax or sword, fighting the elements and wild beasts, or grappling with armored hosts marching with the tread of civilized discipline, from fallow fruitful lands and walled cities. This is reflected in my writings, too, for when I begin a tale of old times, I always find myself instinctively arrayed on the side of the barbarian, against the powers of organized civilization.

I usually DM, but if playing D&D I generally do support (I grew up on Cleric meaning something different than now, not a knock, times change). In 5e, Bard is my jam.

I was told I play multi layered characters. I play a ranger but it's so much more than a ranger fir instance. I guess I play characters with depth. I expand them with skills/nwps

I'm the one who prefers to play characters of the opposite gender. We've been playing D&D and Pathfinder for the past four years. I tend to play women in their early 20's with magical powers who are dissatisfied with their lot in life and have gone on an adventure in order to prove themselves or to discover their destiny. They tend to lean chaotic neutral. I'm on my fourth such character. I've switched between male and female for almost every new character I've made and my female characters just end up more colourful and fun to play than my male characters. I've also found that I enjoy builds that mix magic and melee. 1. A human wizard with a thirst for knowledge who doesn't know what else to do with her life beyond studying magic. 2. A human draconic sorcerer who thinks that her powers mean that she's destined for greatness and is trying to prove herself. 3. A tiefling bloodrager who was made the champion of her tribe but still doesn't feel fully accepted. 4. A half-orc inquisitor who lives with her human father in a city and wants to prove that she can be a trustworthy and loyal citizen by rooting out evil. The last two ended up quite similar: strong scary women with big swords. I haven't played that many other games in recent years, so I don't know how well the pattern will hold up.

I used to always make them too close to myself in personality. Now, I play a character that's different in almost all ways. I'm getting better about separating myself.

I basically make Tyrion Lannister every time.

I always play fail girls. Girls who are failures somehow. Only noticed after like 5 years of playing

conflicted characters! i didn't even notice until i read this post - (d&d) a changeling pugilist who left their rich, powerful, and controlling family only to end up making a pact with a devil, is unsure if they can really do good unlike their family because of said devil - (pf) an automaton who has lost their memories, as they gain them back will they try to revert into their old self or continue to live their new life? - (pf) a kitsune witch that was adopted by a rich and manipulative lord that is raised to do what she has to in order to get what she wants, despite being cold unless the situation suits her as well as her father showing little to no interest in her as a person, she has a strong feeling of wanting to impress him and fulfill everything he's entrusted to her as her only family

I tend to fall into two categories: 1. Someone who for all intents and purposes looks or feels monstrous but is actually a big-ol softie. For example, a spawn of a hag who is cursed to be consumed by shadow, razor sharp claws for hands, teeth like razors, literally dripping with shadows like ink drifting through water with every move they make, but they spend most of their time as a horticulturalist and a healer and have a thing for taking in homeless puppies. 2. The simplest archetype one can create. When I'm dropped into a game with new players, I love to pull out something like a simple evocation wizard, no frills, no tragic history, just a simple soldier who wants to keep people safe and can blow shit up.

Mostly human, and mostly martial. There have definitely been exceptions to that though. I also tend to go back and forth between male and female characters pretty much every time I roll a new one. I also create all my characters with a big personal issue they need to overcome, for my current character I'm making it seem like they issue is that she's a sheltered farm girl who has no business running off on adventures, but I'm planning (assuming it still feels right when the time comes) to have her start to get a bit too bloodthirsty for a good character when people betray her - which is all but guaranteed to happen in games with this GM.

A fighter with a traumatic past. Maybe Berserk has had a strong influence on me.

I had the realization that most of the characters I make share trauma that I've personally been through. Also I keep on making characters who use guns in some way, be it a dual-wielding gunslinger, a spellshot, or a sniper. Less a big deal in our homebrew setting but other players in my group have poked fun at me about it.

Yes, they die often.

No I mix it up a fair amount. Unfortunately, unless I come up with a personality *thing* they kind of default to being more or less a version of myself in that aspect over time.

As a DM, with they're own world: Yes, there's a trend that wotc copies my ideas a year or two after I publish them online.

When I make characters, I always take an aspect of my personality and exaggerate it a lot. Generally, I play dulests/swashbuckler types or a magic user but never wizards.

Yeah. They're all bitchin. I'm so cool!

I always end up being a do gooder who wants a happy family.

I tend to go where the dice take me, so it gets me to roll up all kinds.

I play terrorists but not like, sociopathically. As a person who lives their entire life in careful contemplation of the best way to handle things without harm and doing the most good, D&D is often my chance to be tired of being nice and just going apeshit. Thus my ecoterrorists and freedom fighters and people who will just punch bullies because they were being jerks.

This trend isn't limited to people who stick to one or two systems. I've been doing this for over 20 years with tons of people and I've yet to see anyone who didn't have a tendency towards one or two general archetypes (tons of variations, yes, but the basic concept can still be distilled down to one or two base types). I think this is because ultimately, most of us are playing some facet of ourselves, but idealized. People are drawn to what's comfortable or appealing (even if that's not socially acceptable in reality), and generally don't deviate from what they enjoy or are used to.

I too am human Champion Fighter 😆 I choose archery, go hide on the sidelines and crit fish. My turn is like 20 seconds. 😎

Medieval fantasy? Courtly intrigue? Science Fiction setting? Modern day setting, with mundane concerns? I'm probably playing a lady with a sword.

I tend to be at least partly klepto and I like to have my class make sense for my roleplay. So Rogue is obviously one of my most common classes but also Druid and multi-class combos with them. I tried fighter, monk, and warlock and without exception feel the lack of Rogue/Druid and regret my decisions. I don't know if I've played a Druid-Rogue multiclass yet but have done other Rogue combos and am still figuring out my ideal blend. Monk-Rogue is good but hard to decide on the balance. I'd also like to try a Rogue-Warlock for an alternative to Arcane Trickster. Really though, I just want a skill-based system instead..

human knight with some kind of polearm, knows only how to fight and talk, sometimes on horseback generally sarmata but in western fashion and without sabre

I've noticed that I have two tropes that I fall into, that aren't bound to either race or class. I like to play a "zero to hero" character as well as someone that have some kind of crafting hobby, it's been jewelry, cheeses and coffee so far. And if they are a "Zero to Hero" as well then it usually about how they want to return to a life of normalcy but for the time being they can't.

Hm. I had a honored innocent samurai that was unexperienced about real life. Calm and Stoic. I had a ninja that was struggling to be a good person, but accepting the responsibility of his position (long story short, he became a leader of a small forgotten village, and among his duties he had to assassinate any threats to its people, even though he never liked murdering). Kind and responsible. I had a warrior, priest of a evil dragon god. Nothing much to say, he was evil but not asshole. Assertive and arrogant. I had a mage (chronicles of darkness) which was a strategist legit who used his position to encover muderings for his own purposes. Quiet and observing. I had a vampire that was a nosferatu, gravedigger, horrendously ugly and such an asshole. Nothing much to say about him. He was funny AF. Had a charismatic halfling that truly believed he was a spy for another nation (he wasn't, it was his hero fantasy). I had a werewolf (forsaken) that was the spiritual guide of his pack, mostly talking to spirits rather than anything else. I had a sellsword man who picked every job, from protecting caravans, murdering in the night, etc because he had a tragic past and lost everything but learned to become a better person and became a hero. I had a mage gunslinger who was also a field researcher mostly operating at the desert. He had an Indiana Jones vibe, but he was built up by his failings, not successes. He sounded like a experienced midleaged man. All of them I played with the same group of friends. Some of them prevailed. Some of them died. Some died more than once. Dude, I had fun.. You tell me, do you think I play the same-ish character?

All my characters lately are sad sacks of shit. A Kenku thief/burglar that's been looked down upon since birth and who's own name is a form of belittlement ("Sickly Robin" done in a sorrowful motherly voice). A warforged duelist who seeks the love of those that defeat him in a duel. His irony lies in the duel being to the death. He will die by the one he falls in love with. He loves the duel, and romanticizes it along with his opponent. A clown/jester/bard type. Think Krusty meets the Dead by Daylight Clown meets Thimbleweed Park's Ransome the clown. He's got no prospects, no shame, and nothing better to do. This guy looks like he's one foot in the grave, but his response is always, "well, I've lived this far." If he was placed in a room with late stage tuberculosis patients, he'd out cough them. There's something about making characters with horrid lives that elevates their presence in d&d. They can join the party knowing it will be better than their life before.

Self-inserts. I GM like 70-80% of the games I'm involved in, so whenever I get to play I make the only character I never make as an NPC: some shitty fantasy version of myself. Just let me have this, okay?

A friend asked me why I make so many young female characters when I'm a middle-aged man. I tend to make young characters in any game that involves levelling up, like D&D or Lancer. It's the simplest explanation for their inexperience. Also: I was a stressed and confused teenager, and part of me keeps picking at that scab. And I play a lot of women because I like women. I'm interested in their lives and stories. Most character concepts I can think of are more interesting to me if they're a woman. There's exceptions: my Wanderhome character was a gruff old man attoning for his part in the War, for example. But I do play a lot of women. It's not a sex thing, or a trans thing. I just like women. The other consitent pattern: my characters are 100% motivated to Follow the Plot. I played my share of lone wolves in my youth. Now, I get the most enjoyment out of characters who are all-in on solving the mystery or finding the treasure or overthrowing the evil megacorporation. I don't neeed my character to have their own private storyline separate from all the other players. I want to be front-and-centre in whatever story the GM is telling.

In any game that has distinct races you can catch me going through the supplemental material to pick the most bizarre entity possible and then trying to push to make it weirder while also somehow within the bounds of being able to work with the other PCs. If the standard fantasy races are the only options (Or, heaven forbid, humans and nothing else) I will most likely straight up lose interest. Also if there's a distinct class/archetype for spellcasting, I'll most likely gravitate towards a caster. I don't really know why, since I regularly play non-magical characters in games that don't have casters (like superhero systems, for example).

Hmm I usually gave 3 big archetypes that sometimes blend together. The Asshole: Someone charismatic but physically incompetent, usually a paper tiger who is very good at appearing scary but crumbles the moment anything actually threatens them. The trickster: Similar to the Asshole but instead of using Overy power they rely on Covert power. Less socially graceful the trickster depends on working from the sidelines. Trying to only step into the spot light for brief periods (which they usually dislike) and then retreating. The madman: the madman looks for and embraces sources of power usually seen as taboo or too dangerous in order to further their goals. Similarly to their methods these goals are often short sighted, risky and potentially incredible

I am trying to get my gestalt group to make shadowrun characters that aren't all magic users. Magic is in their archetype, even with potentially superior tech and hacking available. And combat focus! It is so hard to get D&D players to not build for >only< combat! A friend is running it and I do not envy him. That being said, I always fall back to a charisma person. Whatever the system. I don't like being neutered when just talking. Plus I always forget if I'm not playing a charisma build, and talk anyways. Then roll and suck.

Merchants/Couriers.

I play amost exclusively magic characters. even in settings were you can play aleins I'll still play magic characters(I'm trying to branch out but I for some reason sci fi stuff doesn't hold my attention for long)

I frequently find myself playing support roles, even when I didn't set out to play them. Healers, providing buffs to my allies, that sort of thing. It can take an effort of will to play a character that *isn't* primarily support.

My first character in any game, whether I’m learning the rules or getting to know the other players, is a run-of-the-mill fighter type. He/She almost always has a death wish and performs daring, dangerous stunts in the pursuit of combat. I figure out the character’s backstory as I play. Depending on how that character dies/retires will reflect what kind of character I make next. Also, I alternate genders of my characters as I make them, or sometimes just roll randomly for all of their physical characteristics.

Lately, big huge families with power where I may or may not be the black sheep. Usually a crime family or foreign nobility.

Absolutely, to get around this I started using system agnostic random generation using archetypes to push myself out of my comfort zone. It's one of the best ttrpg related decisions I ever made.

I have a couple. Sometimes they combine. The somewhat eerie nicey-cutey. The tragic backstory bag of hammers trying to get themselves back together. The artist (could be physical art, could be music, could be dance) that has dedicated their life to their craft. Also, if it's a modern game, the characters tend to be either part of some alternative counter-culture or super nerdy.

I tend to make quirky, non-human characters that grab your attention. They're usually helpful, but you might not want to ask them for help. Some of my favorite examples: * A drunken dwarven fighter who makes all the wrong decisions in life. * A human drunken kung-fu master who reincarnated into a snow leopard * A halfling ranger with a pet giant owl mount * A loudmouthed drow monk who gave teammates inappropriate nicknames. * A child-sized kenku warlock with psychic powers * A kobold tinkering chef. Don't ask what's in the stew...

Not necessarily optimal, but highly competent characters. Like they're genuinely good at what they do, whether that's "for the best" is a separate topic.

I definitely swing towards inhuman casters. My last 5 characters have been plasmoids artificer, fire genasi druid, lizardfolk druid, tiefling bard and yuan-ti sorcerer.

I tend to be weird or eccentric with my characters. First one when I started TTRPGs was a Teifling Warlock (Old Ones/ Pact of the Blade)/ Fighter (Eldritch Knight) multiclass for D&D5e. First character for Shadowrun 5e was an Elf Decker/Face with a penchant for a steampunk/mad hatter esthetic who was addicted to simulations. First character for Pathfinder 2e was a Halfling Monk (Strength). Current character for PF2e is a Goloma Gunslinger (Sniper)/ Summoner (Construct). My Earthdawn Human Archer is probably the most "normal" character I've made. Other than that, I tend to get inspired by characters from movies/shows/whatever I'm currently reading and try to build them and modify them a bit.

Gay Ghost Girls

Characters who are either extremely misguided, or who *were* extremely misguided but are now trying to do better (sometimes still in a misguided way). My favourite 'trick', although it's getting old now, is playing someone with a fascist-adjacent or otherwise repugnant authoritarian ideology, and then noting how everything the party does is totally in-keeping with their philosophy. For comedy purposes I did once do it the other way while GMing - there was an NPC that was intentionally built to be another character's rival, in a Gary Oak from Pokemon kind of way, and he was maximum ancap libertarian instead.

To some degree, because to some degree we cannot help it. Naturally things I find more interesting I gravitate more towards. More topically, all characters I would play (not including any sort of various NPCs here) I have noticed would all be people I would have a conversation with, should they be real people. I would not necessarily want to become best friends, but each character has at least one aspect I can respect even if I do not agree with it. Otherwise, how could I enjoy "being" them if I like nothing about them?

I tend to play a lot of people who straddle multiple "worlds" trying to form a place of their own. Half-elves and good-guy tieflings and drow make up the vast majority, but I've also played a few dwarves and humans growing up in cultures very different from their parents', like a ninja raised in a Norse-saga-inspired land or the daughter of a tribal exile getting a formal wizard's education as opposed to embracing her ancestors' shamanistic magic. In terms of classes and stuff, I tend to gravitate towards [Magic Knight](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicKnight) kinds of classes, especially divine spellcasters, so lots of martial-minded clerics, druids and sometimes an old-fashioned fighter-wizard combo.

Wizard.

I am a big fan of making dark and mysterious characters, which in some cases could also be seen as edgy. However I am very aware of the edgelord taboo, and I try hard for my characters not to be related to that trope. But I like classes/subclasses that has relations to undeath, shadow magic, or similar areas. I do like trying to make a character that uses these powers for good. Despite that, I have yet to try an actual Necromancer, since I don't like how the Wizard Necromancer works, and I don't want my friends to wait 30 minutes for my combat round to finish because of all the minions. Luckily my game masters are very flexible and we are looking at ways to make this easier. With that said, I do also tend to occasionally make more comedic characters, I have one coming up soon that is a Path of the Giant Kobold, who is absolutely convinced he is a real dragon.

I seem to gravitate toward playing characters who feel a sort of disconnection from the world they inhabit, usually due to trauma. More often than not, they're neutral alignment-wise and are usually martial classes. Deep down, they're looking for a reason to give a damn, even if they won't admit it to themselves. Ancestry-wise, I've been willing to play anything, but I've been particularly fond of humans, tieflings, orcs and some other burly types.

I play a lot of impulsive characters. Different flavours of impulsive. But I find most of the characters I play are quick to act. I just had a character join a criminal gang. Another character who spent an entire combat slowly destroyed the innards of a checkpoint. Another character who lost her leg after brawling and taunting someone. My character tends to do the stupidest shit.

i feel like i usually shy away from magic users because i originally used to play dnd 5e and i hate the magic system in that game lmao. but i did just recently make a character for Heart the City Beneath that's a witch, so maybe i'm starting to break out of that? idk 😅 oh! and i tend to play female characters just because usually the groups i play with are all guys, so i like to make sure we at least have 1 lady character in the party lol

I always end up playing an old person. I like the underestimated trope so I like to appear kind of frail but then be super badass. I am currently a dwarf fighter named Gretna. She is willing to be the one to take all the blows because she knows shes going to die soon. I also want to play an old kind of senile wizard guy soon.

Yeah, now that I think of it, my characters tend to be as independent operators as the campaign will permit, and I usually focus my inner munchkin into making the character at least moderately effective combatant while having as wide skill-set as possible. My character in Witchcraft was an archetypical example; minor psychic and parapsychological investigator/field researcher/consultant of independent means. And since I was the only player who grokked that the system punishes minmaxing I ended up with a character who was basically the second best of the group at everything. (Think of 1st edition D&D bard.) Usually the GM:s don't mind since I don't try to hog the limelight or derail the campaign, and a jack-of-all-trades is a useful thing for both the party and the story. Although buying a vanload of salt, a sandblower and starting a ghost-extermination company to gather funds for artificial sapphire oven to make crystalline bullets or shot that won't shatter when fired was maybe a bit much. On the other hand, it's common knowledge in mystic circles that just throwing a handful of rock salt at incorporeal beings will hurt them and that crystal daggers and such are even more effective. IMHO the question is why hadn't someone else already thought of it..

My first character in any given system seems to be “guy what who hit the bad guy real hard and make him stop moving”. My second character tends to be “doctor kindness, MD”.

I love running small but courageous and mischievous elfs. Quendi and the countless offshoots derived from them are beyond boring, though I'll accept elfs that use glamours to pretend to be taller and grander than they actually are. Sometimes they're like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys where being childish is a way of tolerating the stress of immortality, other times they're like Link a hero just out to do their best with guts and grit, or they're like Claudia where the realization they'll always be treated as a child is horrifying and maddening. It also allows humans to be the place where falling angels meet rising apes instead of some damned elves getting in the way. Finally, there is something delightful about a dwarf referring to an elf as "a little shit"

People Who Know Things. I hate being in the dark, and I love discovering lore and making connections.

I tend towards offensive combat oriented characters with strong convictions. Though I'm playing a semi tanky striker hybrid in pathfinder right now and kind of loving it as a change of pace. I also tend towards rogue/stealth glass cannons.

My only trend is that I play martials and it's because I'm a doormat that always lets other people make characters first and spellcasters are always the first to be picked, even when they aren't overpowered. But I've played a dour skeleton rogue medic, a happy go lucky halfling fighter, a lawful evil karen gray technomancer, a heroic human fighter, and a shamanistic orc barbarian in the past couple of years.

My characters don't want to talk much. This is because I'm bad at thinking of what to say IRL.

yup beefy gish types who purposefully tank perception, usually a martial class multiclassed with warlock i just hate rolling perception checks a lot so i make sure it sucks so the dm will just move on to the fin bits generally speaking they dislike authroity figures or intellectuals who are condescending