Character concepts you'll never use

[Anders]

That reminds me, I once thought about playing an atheist in Forgotten Realms. He didn't deny that the gods existed, per se, he just denied that they were qualitatively different from very powerful mortals. He was a Sorcerer and could use innate magic - they were the same, just oodles more powerful.

[Erling]

A dunmer brothel keeper who'd ran into debt with Camonna Tong, out of despair smoked lots of skooma and suddenly decided to burn down his brothel and stage his own death. However, he was still high, so he actually burnt his brothel... In broad daylight, so everyone could see him setting fire and then living the town.

Enemy (Camonna Tong) is intended.

[Litvyak]

Originally Posted by dfinlay

I ran a game where one PC was a sentient magic item possessed by another PC. She could talk telepathically to the host and activate all of the item's abilities (of which there were lots - she was a full 150 point character). It was not a good idea at all. She wound up not doing much and her player grew increasingly disinterested in the game.

Pretty much the main reason why I'll never use that concept. It's really cool in fiction, but doesn't translate well to most gaming.

[starslayer]

I have used the 'pc is a sentient thing' concept multiple times. I normally got around the 'won't be that interesting' part by making the owner as an ally.

There was a group joke that one of my characters was just psychic and crazy instead of actually having a ghost friend.

[GodBeastX]

A big club toting caveman who has dinosaur empathy and rides T-rexes into battle!

Will never use because:
- Have yet to see a good cave man RPG campaign
- Dinosaurs and Cavemen probably never lived together on Earth (But we can ignore that)
- GM won't let me buy T-rex ally

[Purple Haze]

I have a character with a pair of war rhinoceroses (even a rhino rider needs a remount), and I know where in that game triceratops are to be found, just never got to put the two together. Sigh, haven't played a session of that game in over thirty years, and the GM died so there's that too.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

A big club toting caveman who has dinosaur empathy and rides T-rexes into battle!

Will never use because:
- Have yet to see a good cave man RPG campaign
- Dinosaurs and Cavemen probably never lived together on Earth (But we can ignore that)
- GM won't let me buy T-rex ally

This is precisely why ISWAT games exists. I've been mulling over a game where the character would fit right in!

ok, actually, he'd be under-powered in that game. But still, we could work with that.

[McAllister]

Originally Posted by starslayer

I have used the 'pc is a sentient thing' concept multiple times. I normally got around the 'won't be that interesting' part by making the owner as an ally.

There was a group joke that one of my characters was just psychic and crazy instead of actually having a ghost friend.

Use Mind Control or Possession on the owner. That way, you'll have a fun session even if another PC wields you!

[zuljita]

In my supers game, one of my players has a backup character that is a straight up FF style black mage, complete with mute, and the ability to ccommunicate through chat bubble illusions. He also statted up an ally (airship) that can fly him and the party around Megapolis. I doubt the player will ever retire his current primary character though.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

A big club toting caveman who has dinosaur empathy and rides T-rexes into battle!

Will never use because:
- Have yet to see a good cave man RPG campaign
- Dinosaurs and Cavemen probably never lived together on Earth (But we can ignore that)
- GM won't let me buy T-rex ally

That's not too far off from one of the sample NPCs in GURPS IoU.