choosing PC classes

[serendipity]

I recall reading recently how someone said (apologies that I cannot recall who) that they always played the same type of character because they enjoyed that class so much. It started me thinking about my own PC generation habits, because I want to try everything. Absolutely everything. True, there are some classes I've returned to simply because they fit well into the group at the time, but my basic goal is to find out first-hand what it's like to be each type of character. This includes wanting to try newly proposed classes. (Yes, I found myself actually considering trying out a mule, but I did wonder about the feasibility of having one underground.)

So now I'm curious about everyone else. Do you stick with one general class because it's "you", or do you constantly shop about, looking for new experiences?

--Sere

[Rhuvein]

I like to try everything and so far have played a bard, cleric, knight, fighter, druid, monk, illusionist, thief, wizard and assassin.

I haven't yet played a ranger, barbarian or paladin.

And I generally like to play them as a demi-human.

[Deleted]

I think that was me, serendipity. I generally prefer & enjoy Clerics; however, I've played all of them at least once (probably a lot more than that). I enjoy Fighting-Men as well, but with the Cleric I just find that particular class suit me. I like playing the friendly Father-Confessor with the bloody hammer in his hand... ;D

[crimhthanthegreat]

I have usually play a fighting-man when I do play instead of ref sometimes with a barbarian flavor, and I will play a paladin or ranger if the stats allow. I have also played the SR bard, the cleric and the magic-user. I have not played as a knight proper except as it relates to the paladin, and I don't play the thief, druid, monk, illusionist, or assassin, since they don't interest me and I don't allow them IMC anyway except that I have at times permitted thieves.

I have played elves and dwarves, but never a hobbit. I have also played a young giant, a young ogre and a young dragon, if I can find the write-up we did for using those as a PC I will post in the Around the Campfire forum.

[serendipity]

oltekos said:

I think that was me, serendipity. I generally prefer & enjoy Clerics; however, I've played all of them at least once (probably a lot more than that). I enjoy Fighting-Men as well, but with the Cleric I just find that particular class suit me. I like playing the friendly Father-Confessor with the bloody hammer in his hand... ;D

oltekos, it was your cleric I read about recently. You remind me of a friend of mine, who also loves playing clerics. "Bless you, my child," he will intone as he christens an orc with his holy mace, "you are forgiven your trespasses...."

[makofan]

I will play any character as long as its an elf!

[James Maliszewski]

I tend to play exclusively human characters; I'm not a big fan of non-human races. I also prefer fighters, clerics, and (where allowed) paladins. I avoid magic-users like the plague -- too many fiddly bits for my liking.

[thorswulf]

Well to be honest, I like fighters and dwarves. With all of the little frustrations in life, beating the living dog snot out of orcs is great therapy! I have tried other other classes/races but tend to stay away from elves these days. Elf Burnout: it too can happen to you in 2E+ AD&D.

[serendipity]

thorswulf said:

Well to be honest, I like fighters and dwarves. With all of the little frustrations in life, beating the living dog snot out of orcs is great therapy!

D&D therapy to deal with life's stressors? Yes, it could be the new small business for 2008. Hang out a shingle and become rich! ;D

[doc]

I don't like playing spellcasters. To me it just feels like cheating to throw a 7d6 attack at an enemy from a nice safe 30' while hiding behind the guy in plate mail.

My favorite characters have always been fighting men and thieves for the sheer versatility of both classes. Coming in close seconds are the ranger and assassin (Yeah, I love the assassin, though most don't.) I just love the "up close and personal" types.

I also enjoy paladins as long as the campaign setting doesn't saddle me with a knight in shining armor interpretation. I recently played a paladin who was indeed very Lawful as a cross between Batman and Boba Fett, and the DM soon developed a nervous twitch every time I opened my mouth to announce that my character was going to do something.

Doc

[Finarvyn]

At one point or another, I've tried pretty much every major race and/or class created by 1976 or so. (Some of the classes, etc, in the later issues of Dragon didn't spark my interest much.)

For a long time I played mostly dwarves, later it was paladins, still later mostly elves.

Now I don't play much. Or, since I DM most of the time, I guess I play everything. ;D

[Deleted]

My choices have always been based on the fact that I don't like casting classes. I find that there are a ton of options with them and with that usually never anything decisive to do...Meaning most times in our campaigns the wizards hold their turn because party members are in the way of most of their spells. The only casting class I will play(and I almost always do) is Cleric, to me they have the right amount of options for fighting as well as a super high need (groupwise). If I am not playing a cleric I will play a fighter-class.

[serendipity]

You're probably right about what mages ought to do. Alas, my DM's wife plays a mage, and she has no problem blasting right through the group. I shouldn't complain, though; she's saved our bacon enough times to earn the right to occasionally crisp us a tad about the edges. We've also learned to hit the deck pretty quickly.

[coffee]

I was playing a mage once and the rest of the party learned to hit the deck pretty quickly, also.

But what really gets my goat is people firing missiles into melee. Just say no!

These days, I mostly play fighters or bards.

Althought, when 3d ed came out, a friend of mine wanted to play a Paladin. So I agreed to play a cleric of the same faith, to give him some back-up. (And he turned out to be too chaotic of a player to keep it up, so he switched to a mage and I kept on playing a cleric...)