[All RPGs] If you had to make a new character, what would it be?

[TorontoFrog]

@Navarre: Thank you... I feel welcome!
@Gaumer: Thanks, my DM is already annoyed 'cuz I plan to play him with a language problem, inserting bzzzz here and there! But since I DM most of the time, it will be my revenge because he could easily be qualified as a problem player...

[TorontoFrog]

Vuvuzela is a stadium horn.

Yep and I plan to be as annoying as this ear drum destroying device.

[Web.Metz]

I cannot wait until you get ahold of a Magician's Ring (lvl 14 item). it allows you to use Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation at will. Ghost sound Bzzz into people's ears.

Them multiclass into Bard and have a horn as your implement.

[TorontoFrog]

I cannot wait until you get ahold of a Magician's Ring (lvl 14 item). it allows you to use Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation at will. Ghost sound Bzzz into people's ears.

Them multiclass into Bard and have a horn as your implement.

That's an awesome idea... and an Avenger-Bard is unheard of! Vuvuzela... the avenger-bard that makes ennemys surrender just because he is awesomely annoying! I like it!

[Web.Metz]

I have a new character concept to try. A shardmind artificer.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Split, level 1
Shardmind, Artificer
Build: Tinkerer Artificer
Shardmind: Thievery Bonus
Birth - Among Another Race: Among Another Race (Gnome)
Background: Birth - Among Another Race, Shardmind - Thought Builder, Found Religion Among Others (Among Another Race (Gnome))

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 8.


AC: 16 Fort: 14 Reflex: 15 Will: 15
HP: 27 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +11, Dungeoneering +8, Heal +8, Thievery +7, Perception +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Endurance +4, History +4, Insight +3, Intimidate -1, Nature +3, Religion +4, Stealth, Streetwise -1, Athletics

FEATS
Artificer: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Mark of Making

POWERS
Artificer at-will 1: Aggravating Force
Artificer at-will 1: Magic Weapon
Healing Infusion: Healing Infusion: Shielding Elixir
Artificer encounter 1: Halo of Thorns
Artificer daily 1: Punishing Eye

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Leather Armor, Backpack (empty), Belt Pouch (empty), Hempen Rope (50 ft.), Thieves' Tools, Dagger, Silvered Armbow Crossbow +1, Bracers of Respite (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +1, Everburning Torch
RITUALS
Brew Potion, Disenchant Magic Item, Enchant Magic Item, Make Whole
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Name: Split
Gender: Male
Alignment: Good
Deity: Erathis
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180lb
Age: 2 years since gaining consciousness

Personality Traits:
Split is constantly messing around with gadgets. He he sees a device he is not familiar with, he would want to take it apart and rebuild it.

Mannerisms and Appearance:
The color of his crystals tend to change depending on his emotions, which is strange among his kind. His head shards are 'slicked back, and around the rest of his body the shards are relatively flat and angular, fitting in smoothly with one of another.
He is much more emotional then other shardminds, which may have been influenced by living among gnomes for a long time.

•Black (Midnight Black To Charcoal~Ebony/Onyx)- Serious, Intense, Aloof, Mysterious, Stormy, Excited, Energetic, Stressed, Overworked, Tensed, Angry, Mad, Hurt, Inactive; Nothing, Not Working
•Tan (Dark Brown To Golden Beige~Copper/Bronze)- Anticipation, Heated Emotions, Reactive, Rising Energies, Unexplored, Adaptive, Random Thinking, Restless, Jitters, Puzzled, Troubled, Worried, Fear
•Red (Red-Brown To Rose~Ruby)- Allured, Aroused, In Love, Excited, Passionate, Awe-Struck, Active, Adventurous, Anxious, Insecure, Angered, Harassed, Stressed, Tensed, Alarmed, Fearful
•Orange (Amber-Red To Sun Gold~Sunstone)- Thinking, Searching, Busy, Stimulating Ideas, Daring Wants, Excited, On Edge, Impatient, Disturbed, Nervous, Worried, Stressed, Aggressive, Exasperated
•Yellow-Orange (Amber To Flame~Gold/Brass)- Mixed Emotions, Lovable, Emotional, Passionate, Sincere, Concerned, Challenged, Flaring Moods, Confused, Cool, Aloof, Sad, A Little Nervous, Upset
•Yellow (Olive To Golden~Topaz)- Ok Feeling, Luke-Warm, Vague, Bored, Emotions Mixed, Ambitious, Cautious, Many Thoughts, Intent, Distracted, Discomforted, Unsettled, Strained, Insecure, Foreboding
•Green-Yellow (Green Amber To Lime~Peridot)- Mixed Emotions, Hopeful, Excitable, Expectant, Romantic, Restless, Edgy, Fiery Mood, Contrary, Irritated, Worried, Troubled, Uneasy, Distressed, Fear
•Green (Jade Green To Light Green~Emerald)- Average Reading; Normal, Neutral, No Great Stress, Fine, Calm, Easily Amused, Alert, Involved, Sensitive, Touchy, Ambivalent, Inner Disquiet, Envy, Jealousy
•Blue-Green (Teal To Cyan~Aquamarine)- Inner Reading; Normal, Easy-Going, Inner Emotions Charged, Somewhat Relaxed, Emotional, Flirtatious, Stimulated, Upbeat, Surprised, Puzzled
•Blue (Royal Blue To Light Blue~Sapphire)- Happy, At Ease, Calm, Relaxed, Near Bliss, Lively, Joyful, Coasting, Peaceful, Contented, Tranquil, Composed, Pleasant, Warm, Lovable
•Dark Blue (Midnight Blue To Twilight Blue~Tanzanite)- Very Happy, Total Bliss, Very Relaxed, Subdued, Inner Harmony, Peacefulness, Satisfied, Passionate, Love-Struck, Romantic, In Love
•Violet-Blue (Indigo To Lavenflower~Iolite)- Contented, Deeply Relaxed, Extremely Happy, Intensely Passionate, In Love, Very Romantic, Feeling Great, The Ultimate Mood - At Your Best
•Violet (Deep Violet To Lavender~Sugulite)- Preoccupied, Irked, Moody, Mischievous, Mystical, Intrigued, Emotionally Excited, Sensual, Physically Charged, Blissful, Happy, Passionate, In Love, Romance
•Red-Violet (Aubergine To Mauve~Amethyst)- Moody Passions, Violent Love, Romantic, Aflame, Emotionally Peaking, Over The Edge, Hyper, Infuriated, Surging Energies, Ballistic, Despair, Unhappy
•Fuchsia (Magenta To Pink~Rose Quartz)- All Right, At Rest, Calm, Mellow, Happy, Warm, Affectionate, Love Glow, Resonant, Thoughtful, Cool, Curious, Unanswered Questions, Mystified, Fear, Wonder
•Gray (Storm Gray To Stone Gray~Silver/Titanium)- Neutral, At Rest, Cool, Aloof, Inhibited, Little Emotion, Unconcerned, Tired, Depressed, Sad, Uneasy, Afraid, Very Anxious, Worried
•White (Moonstone To Ice Mist~Ivory/Opal)- Meditative, Restrained Mood, Philosophical, Temperate, Not Much Enthusiasm, Indifferent, Bored, Confused, Frustrated, Strained, Astounded, Intense Fear
•Clear (Ice Blue To Crystal~Diamond)- Psychic Perceptions, Pure Visions, Surreal Quality, Elusive, Fear, Unreal Moods, Mental Void, Completely Emotionless, Mood Ring Not Real; Faux, Fraud
•Mist Blue (Steel Blue To Cat Eye Blue~Sillimanite)- Cool, Wistful, Questioning, Wondering, Somewhat Odd Feelings, Suspicious Of, Forlorn, Wanderlust, Longing, Pining For, Sorrowful, Despair
•Green Sky (Spring Green To Cat Eye Green~Chrysolite)- Calm, Relaxed, Nonchalant Emotions, Pondering, Discerning, Inquiring, Searching For, Interested, Bemused, Inquisitive, Surprised
•Blue Flame (Blue Amber To Cobalt~Blue Opal)- Radiant, Aglow, Enamored, Love, Desirable, Lambent, Reminiscent Passions, Mellow, Collected, Warm, Genuine Concerns, Intuitive, Suspended Disbelief
•Blue/Green/Yellow (Verdigris To Unique Green~Euclase)- Deep Heartfelt Contemplation, Sensitive Emotional Serenity, Sincere/ Thoughtful, Wavering Moods, Shifting/Tremulous Mode
•Violet/Green (Deep Teal To Indigo/Green~Chrysocolla)- Upbeat Motivation, Emotional, Intuitive, Slightly Unpredictable, Mostly Relaxed Mood, Contented/Delighted, Rejuvenated, Having A Sense Of Ease
•Violet/Brown (Purple Taupe To Gray Indigo/Blue~Axinite)- Distant Hope, Lost, Disenchanted, Lurking Emotions, Moody, Dreary, Nervous, Mystical Depths Of Feeling, Retrospective, Mysterious Notions
•Green/Brown (Umber Shadow To Green/Red~Chrysoberyl)- Muted, So-So, Cooler, Pressured, Off-Set, Stressed, Antagonized, Tedious Emotions, Tiresome, Misguided Thoughts, Weird Moods, Aggravated
•Gray/Beige (Taupe/Haze To Silvered Dusk~Siderite)- Misguided, Feeling Unpredictable, Malcontented, Angst, Extremely Worried With Fear, Sad, Anxious, Strained, Nervous, Tensed
•Pink Coral (Autumn Blush To Yellow-Pink~Morganite)- Fine, Mild, Blissful, Optimistic, Excellent Vibes, Evocative, Mischievous, Effected, Slight Moodiness, Somewhat Concerned, Impatient, Misgivings
•Rainbow (Paisley To Psychedelic~Ammolite)- Emotions Are Overly Reactive, Constant Mood Changes, Indescribable, High Energy, Hyper, Wild, Extremely Moody, Conflicted, Disorganized
•Emerald Green- Stable

History:
Two years ago, Split woke up in abandoned Gnomish Workshop. Confused he just contemplated, and experimented with the gadgets and gizmos for weeks until the owner (or was it a new owner?) came back to the shop.
Split has no idea why he changes colors, and he doesn't really care. He has found new joy in creating new things.
The owner saw that this strange construct has created many strange things while the shop was abandoned, so he showed kindness to Split and let him work in the shop.
Split has recently come to the conclusion that his skills in crafting things could be used to recreate the Living Gate. Yay!

I represented his low charisma by literally putting his emotions on his sleeve. I used the colors found on mood rings (in a handy text chart). There negative and positive connotations to each color...

I could go simple...and settle for a few colors. But hey, lots of colors is sweet.

[dantemarx]

A cool idea, Webmetz. But how do you overcome the concept of the shardmind? I get nerd rage (though just a little) from them. And don't get me started on the Wilden. I would like them with such small changes, but I hates them.

Anyhow, I am sorely tempted to run an Eladrin Warlord next time I play. Mainly because they can be astoundingly potent with the right party. Useless on their own, but with a good offensive party, devastating.

[Web.Metz]

A cool idea, Webmetz. But how do you overcome the concept of the shardmind? I get nerd rage (though just a little) from them. And don't get me started on the Wilden. I would like them with such small changes, but I hates them.

I just throw everything I know out the door and think.

The Crystal Lattice (which the Living Gate was embedded in) was something from the Astral Realm. The Living Gate sealed the far realm from the astral realm. When the lattice was wrecked by the Pissed of Primordials (when the gods told them not to reset the Material Realm), reason stands that shards of the Living gate must have absorbed something from the Far Realm and Astral Realm to give them the ability to animate themselves and be telepathic.

[dantemarx]

Sure, I am okay with that, but why do they have hair?!
(Also applies to several other races, but yeah, that's my problem)

Oh, and gender! Why the heck do they have gender?

[@lantis]

Gender is a social construct, so it is a learned trait.  If you're talking about physical features of a different sex, probably because it takes a random humanoid shape when it animates itself.

[Web.Metz]

Some do have feminine and masculine mindsets, for they are sentient, and almost every sentient gains masculine or feminine views eventually.

The shardminds view other humanoids as a curiosity. Shardminds are constructs made out of hundreds shards of crystal arranged in a humanoid shape. Facial features are just something that they work into their design when they self assemble themselves.

So technically it is not hair, but really head crystals arranged to resemble hair.

[litanyofthieves]

Oh, and gender! Why the heck do they have gender?

The reason the writer gave them gender: Because it's easier for humans, who are gendered, to identify with them that way, which is important in a game in which An Adventurer Is You!

The reason they have gender in-game: Because whatever reason makes the most sense to you. I'd personally go with the idea that they simply are curious. Perhaps shardminds change gender on a whim. Or maybe they do it because whatever magical force first made them made it that way on purpose. Maybe it's just to put other, gendered races at ease.

[Beta Ray Bill Cosby]

Gender is a social construct, so it is a learned trait.  If you're talking about physical features of a different sex, probably because it takes a random humanoid shape when it animates itself.

at the risk of further derailing this thread: Gender is not a social construct, the specific social behaviors assigned to it are social constructs.

Identifying as female = ingrained characteristic
Not being able to be a catholic priest = social construct

That said, Dantemarx is most likely correct, D&D is very careful about not making its players deal with difficult social issues and gender roles are one such issue, thus genderlessness is a problematic concept.

[@lantis]

Gender is a social construct, so it is a learned trait.  If you're talking about physical features of a different sex, probably because it takes a random humanoid shape when it animates itself.

at the risk of further derailing this thread: Gender is not a social construct, the specific social behaviors assigned to it are social constructs.

Identifying as female = ingrained characteristic
Not being able to be a catholic priest = social construct

I'm going to politely disagree for two simple reasons.  First, gender, masculine versus feminine, have definitions dependent upon society, so society constructs what it means to be a given gender.  Sex, male and female are defined independent of society.  Second, whether or not female identification is an ingrained characteristic is still up in the air thanks to no concrete advancements in the nature vs nurture debate.  And we can now agree to disagree.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled D&D thread.

[dantemarx]

So, before we return, here are my two cents. The D&D world often fits itself too neatly into a mold. All the major races are humanoid. All the major races have hair or something that mimics hair. All the major races have male and female genders, and the females have secondary sex characteristics.

As a player, I would like there to be more variety in what the world of D&D can be composed of. Why not allow races without gender? Especially in the case of things like the wilden, shardmind and deva, there is no obvious in game reason for gender to be present.

Now, I know full well that a DM can change things, but the purpose of bringing this up is that I don't want this to be my groups wacky rule.I want the game's designers to approach this world of magic and high fantasy with an interest in introducing abnormal elements. Making every race fit a single mold is not exploring the possibilities that a role playing game allows.

[Web.Metz]

Races that I think could have neutral gender:
Shardmind (construct)
Warforged (construct)
Changeling (because they choose their form)
Deva (because they are 'reborn' instantly)
Revenant (since the Raven Queen can choose/creates their bodies when she grants them new life.)

The wilden are not animated piles of leaves, but rather fey (with genders) that have leafy skin. They think, and speak, of themselves as if they were a collective. (We instead of I.) despite that, they still have male/female bodies and personalities/