Do you already know at level 1 what feats and features you want for your character all the way to the end?
I've seen people define their characters as if the characters are already level 20 while I've also seen people who have no thought on what's available at the next level for their characters. There's even a stream I watch where two players don't plan ahead and two players know what they want throughout the characters' careers.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I might have a few rough ideas in my head, however I won't have anything concrete on a character sheet or written anywhere ahead of the level ups because I like to play it so that my progressions are entirely based on how the story has developed and what has happened to my character between levels. I may have a general concept of something in my mind when I make the character, but I like to leave it as open as possible for more reactive developments that would feel more natural.
Interesting question. Oftentimes I'll have a vague idea of where I want to position the character and allow for the campaign narrative to shape and mould it. Now, in prior editions of the game (namely 3.5e, my only other D&D experience!), you basically had to have a pretty clear idea of how you wanted to build your character, unless you had a forgiving DM. But then that was heavily based on feats which required planning to get; specific ability scores, skill scores, alignments (?), etc.
Entire career? Nope. Ideas about the next few levels? Sure. It depends a lot on the character concept though: for someone serving a deity as part of the clergy or a studious fledgling wizard, it'll likely require an event with a big impact to change that path; for someone living by their wits or the strength of their arms lots of things could be an opportunity for change. I don't think I really have a standard MO for this.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I'll plan the next level, usually, but never the whole career. I'm more interested in finding out what happens between the level-ups, and I worry that A: if I plan to level 20, I will be sadder if I die before I get there, and B: It's kind of like spoiling the plot - I don't want to know what I could be capable of at level 10, even, when I'm only level 5. I don't want to be thinking "It's ok, in 4 levels I'll be able to do >X<", I'd rather be concerned with what I can and can't do right now, and then let my character evolve as they grow in the game.
I feel like (and this isn't a bad thing) planning your characters level progression is a form of powergaming - you're not picking what you go for because of the game, you're picking it because you want the abilities - how else could you be choosing?
I have a paladin who will have to choose between oath of vengeance or ancients, and that will depend on the game, not the abilities of the oaths!
It depends on the adventure. My last one was more RPing, so I didn't plan as much- I was far more engrossed in the story than how powerful my charscter was. I'm just starting a more dungeon crawling/combat based game, so I'm more invested in getting my character to hit his potential.
I'll have a rough idea of what my character will do. When I'm level 1, I'll already have in my head what subclass I'll take. There'll be some key points that I want to take, but most of the choices will just be pencilled in or not made until it comes to making them - how the story develops will heavily influence the final decision.
So mostly no, I don't plan. I just have a rough idea of the big things and even they are subject to change. Mostly, it's about exploring the story and taking what excites me.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Where's the option for "I like to make the plan, and then play level by level"?
I'll often have a second sheet for active characters labeled their Future Trunks sheet, where I toy with the character several levels higher, sometimes all the way up to 20. Seeing where they might progress, plotting out the best path for future ASIs, toying with spell lists on spellcasters, daydreaming about awesome magical items they could get, and the like. These are 'plans' in that they give me an idea of where I want to go and what would be cool to do. But I never allow a Future Trunks sheet to dictate what happens on the for-real sheet, and actual gameplay has yet to not affect my FT plans in big ways.
Just last week, my wizard gal Talisman was in an extremely difficult fight against an absolutely vicious undead predator with a heap of rogue abilities. It was mopping the floor with us and I needed more firepower than I had because my combat cantrip was bouncing off its immunities and our undead-chunking paladin had exactly two hit points from a Healing Spirit after being downed. I decided to bust out the Failed Experiment Wand and zorch this thing at point-blank range, hoping and praying for the Lightning Bolt option to trim its health down and give us more room to get the paladin healed up.
Aaaaaand...Fireball. Right in point-blank range. Downed myself, downed the paladin again, badly damaged the ranger with the Healing Spirit, and the frickin' undead critter managed to hit its save and had Evasion, so it took zero friggin' damage. Nearly Wild Magic TPK'd the entire damn team. we only just barely lived through that fight, and only because the creature got overconfident after Talisman did half its job for it.
That single event changed Talisman's trajectory for the next few levels, for sure. She's going to be learning different spells than she was prior to that fight, and the near-death experience she suffered revealed to her that a shadowy goddess-figure is watching her and also prepared to give her sass when she ****s up that deeply. "Make better choices" indeed.
No build plan survives contact with a campaign. Doesn't mean the build plan is invalid or a bad idea, just means you'd best be prepared to alter the plan on the fly to account for new events and experiences.
I've always got a plan and I never entirely stick to it. For me, having a plan adds more significance to the events that derail that plan.
Pretty much how I handle it. I have an idea where my character may go, both in terms of character arc and what feats or other options I may take as I level mechanically. But I'm also flexible and let things go in different directions where it makes sense. I don't map out the career so much as I have a general idea where things 'might' go but I go with the flow as the adventure unfolds.
I'm playing in my first campaign, so I am learning and adapting as I go. Luckily, I'm playing a druid, and there aren't a lot of decisions to make on level up after choosing my circle. You can prepare new spells at every level up, so spells I chose at level 3 don't have to affect my play at level 10 if I don't want them to. Feats and ASIs are the only long-term decisions, really. I just picked the Mage Slayer feat at level 12 because we learned we were about to go up against the caster BBEG. I wouldn't have known to pick that when I started at level 1.
I think even when I'm playing my 10th campaign, I'll probably figure things out as I go, because there's a good chance it'll only be my first or second time playing that class. (Plus we'll probably be on like 9th edition and the game will be completely different.)
I'm with those that say "Have a plan, then play level through level". Things change during the campaign. Other characters may multiclass, negating your need to do so, characters may die and be replaced, you may get magic items or unique spells that are more worth using/taking than a dip in another class, you may get sidekicks and party NPCs, and so on.
Have a plan from the beginning, but change it as the campaign goes on.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
I think my formulation which is close to Third and others is "It's ok to have aspirations, but play the game you're in and make choices that makes sense to it." There may be considerations or opportunities later in game unknown at character generation that may prompt a player to go in a different direction. These could be things that exist only within the game the character is in or they could be something introduced to the game through new sourcebook content (feats, spell options, etc).
I mean, and this is a bit of digression, the most radical thing, dependent on magical resources, that can happen to a character is dying, and that's usually not part of any player's plan ... but it happens. And it doesn't have to be a failure, done right a death can be a win, even if the win is just forcing the rest of the table to sit through listen to your adaptation of the "tears in rain" speech.
To be honest, it depends on the character. Most I have at least a basic plan on what they might take up through level 8. If they make it that far, I'll make a copy at 12 and see what things might be taken then. Usually once I play around with options I'll delete the Copies and then see how it progresses. But growth in-game always trumps storyboarding outside the game. They just influence my decision. I don't think "Plan" is the right option for how I work with mine... I think "Options" is a better word choice. I know what choices I have available by the time I level up and I'll combine that meta game information with in-game information and make a decision on the character sheet.
As for the Death options... the curveball a Reincarnation throws into the whole mix is actually an amazing thing. Sure you had a plan. Then you died. Now you have different abilities, stat changes (with those nice even stats all wonky-odd) and a new perspective on the world. Had never considered how powerful that could be until it happened in our last campaign and now I don't know why we haven't done that before. It's a bit like playing with the Deck of Many Things... which I have now also risked it for the biscuit on the same character (also a circumstance I had never planned on ever pursuing).
...You can prepare new spells at every level up, so spells I chose at level 3 don't have to affect my play at level 10 if I don't want them to...
Off on a tangent, but at each level up? You can change what spells you have prepared after each long rest?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
...You can prepare new spells at every level up, so spells I chose at level 3 don't have to affect my play at level 10 if I don't want them to...
Off on a tangent, but at each level up? You can change what spells you have prepared after each long rest?
For some classes (clerics, druid, etc.). For Wizards and Warlocks and such, a spell choice added to a spell book might can be changed from night to night, but the entire repository of spells aren't available. Being able to "forget" one and learn a new one in it's place can make a big difference on some characters as they grow through levels. And mechanically, the only way they can do that is when they level up. You are both correct, but with different meanings.
...You can prepare new spells at every level up, so spells I chose at level 3 don't have to affect my play at level 10 if I don't want them to...
Off on a tangent, but at each level up? You can change what spells you have prepared after each long rest?
Yes, correct. I am playing the rule correctly, and changing my spells at long rests if I want to. I just wanted to emphasize that you don't need to plan at level 3 whether a spell you're considering taking will still be worthwhile at level 10.
Most long rests I don't change my spells, because nothing since the last long rest changes my decision making process about what spells I want. But at a level up I might take 2 or 3 spells of a new level I learned, and drop some low or mid-level spells that I haven't used in a while. Sometimes I'll swap in one or two spells that I anticipate being useful in the upcoming adventure based on what we know about it from investigation and social encounters.
I will typically plan out all likely builds, saving the decision for what happens at a given level for the level where it happens. This generally means I plan a certain number of ASIs and a certain number of feats or sometimes two different versions where I take two half feats for one version and an ASI and a feat for the other. I usually only plan 0-2 'mandatory' feats with the rest left to what seems most interesting.
I have yet to encounter a situation so unexpected that it didn't suit at least one of the things I was already considering for leveling
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Do you already know at level 1 what feats and features you want for your character all the way to the end?
I've seen people define their characters as if the characters are already level 20 while I've also seen people who have no thought on what's available at the next level for their characters. There's even a stream I watch where two players don't plan ahead and two players know what they want throughout the characters' careers.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I might have a few rough ideas in my head, however I won't have anything concrete on a character sheet or written anywhere ahead of the level ups because I like to play it so that my progressions are entirely based on how the story has developed and what has happened to my character between levels. I may have a general concept of something in my mind when I make the character, but I like to leave it as open as possible for more reactive developments that would feel more natural.
Interesting question. Oftentimes I'll have a vague idea of where I want to position the character and allow for the campaign narrative to shape and mould it. Now, in prior editions of the game (namely 3.5e, my only other D&D experience!), you basically had to have a pretty clear idea of how you wanted to build your character, unless you had a forgiving DM. But then that was heavily based on feats which required planning to get; specific ability scores, skill scores, alignments (?), etc.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Entire career? Nope. Ideas about the next few levels? Sure. It depends a lot on the character concept though: for someone serving a deity as part of the clergy or a studious fledgling wizard, it'll likely require an event with a big impact to change that path; for someone living by their wits or the strength of their arms lots of things could be an opportunity for change. I don't think I really have a standard MO for this.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I'll plan the next level, usually, but never the whole career. I'm more interested in finding out what happens between the level-ups, and I worry that A: if I plan to level 20, I will be sadder if I die before I get there, and B: It's kind of like spoiling the plot - I don't want to know what I could be capable of at level 10, even, when I'm only level 5. I don't want to be thinking "It's ok, in 4 levels I'll be able to do >X<", I'd rather be concerned with what I can and can't do right now, and then let my character evolve as they grow in the game.
I feel like (and this isn't a bad thing) planning your characters level progression is a form of powergaming - you're not picking what you go for because of the game, you're picking it because you want the abilities - how else could you be choosing?
I have a paladin who will have to choose between oath of vengeance or ancients, and that will depend on the game, not the abilities of the oaths!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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It depends on the adventure. My last one was more RPing, so I didn't plan as much- I was far more engrossed in the story than how powerful my charscter was. I'm just starting a more dungeon crawling/combat based game, so I'm more invested in getting my character to hit his potential.
I'll have a rough idea of what my character will do. When I'm level 1, I'll already have in my head what subclass I'll take. There'll be some key points that I want to take, but most of the choices will just be pencilled in or not made until it comes to making them - how the story develops will heavily influence the final decision.
So mostly no, I don't plan. I just have a rough idea of the big things and even they are subject to change. Mostly, it's about exploring the story and taking what excites me.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Where's the option for "I like to make the plan, and then play level by level"?
I'll often have a second sheet for active characters labeled their Future Trunks sheet, where I toy with the character several levels higher, sometimes all the way up to 20. Seeing where they might progress, plotting out the best path for future ASIs, toying with spell lists on spellcasters, daydreaming about awesome magical items they could get, and the like. These are 'plans' in that they give me an idea of where I want to go and what would be cool to do. But I never allow a Future Trunks sheet to dictate what happens on the for-real sheet, and actual gameplay has yet to not affect my FT plans in big ways.
Just last week, my wizard gal Talisman was in an extremely difficult fight against an absolutely vicious undead predator with a heap of rogue abilities. It was mopping the floor with us and I needed more firepower than I had because my combat cantrip was bouncing off its immunities and our undead-chunking paladin had exactly two hit points from a Healing Spirit after being downed. I decided to bust out the Failed Experiment Wand and zorch this thing at point-blank range, hoping and praying for the Lightning Bolt option to trim its health down and give us more room to get the paladin healed up.
Aaaaaand...Fireball. Right in point-blank range. Downed myself, downed the paladin again, badly damaged the ranger with the Healing Spirit, and the frickin' undead critter managed to hit its save and had Evasion, so it took zero friggin' damage. Nearly Wild Magic TPK'd the entire damn team. we only just barely lived through that fight, and only because the creature got overconfident after Talisman did half its job for it.
That single event changed Talisman's trajectory for the next few levels, for sure. She's going to be learning different spells than she was prior to that fight, and the near-death experience she suffered revealed to her that a shadowy goddess-figure is watching her and also prepared to give her sass when she ****s up that deeply. "Make better choices" indeed.
No build plan survives contact with a campaign. Doesn't mean the build plan is invalid or a bad idea, just means you'd best be prepared to alter the plan on the fly to account for new events and experiences.
Please do not contact or message me.
I've always got a plan and I never entirely stick to it. For me, having a plan adds more significance to the events that derail that plan.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
That's actually a really good way of looking at it. Nice.
Please do not contact or message me.
Pretty much how I handle it. I have an idea where my character may go, both in terms of character arc and what feats or other options I may take as I level mechanically. But I'm also flexible and let things go in different directions where it makes sense. I don't map out the career so much as I have a general idea where things 'might' go but I go with the flow as the adventure unfolds.
I often have short term plan for some feat or features but i otherwise don't plan an entire carrer except for theocrafting purposes.
I'm playing in my first campaign, so I am learning and adapting as I go. Luckily, I'm playing a druid, and there aren't a lot of decisions to make on level up after choosing my circle. You can prepare new spells at every level up, so spells I chose at level 3 don't have to affect my play at level 10 if I don't want them to. Feats and ASIs are the only long-term decisions, really. I just picked the Mage Slayer feat at level 12 because we learned we were about to go up against the caster BBEG. I wouldn't have known to pick that when I started at level 1.
I think even when I'm playing my 10th campaign, I'll probably figure things out as I go, because there's a good chance it'll only be my first or second time playing that class. (Plus we'll probably be on like 9th edition and the game will be completely different.)
I only look a level or two ahead. Never know when the environment will change and death sometimes happens.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I'm with those that say "Have a plan, then play level through level". Things change during the campaign. Other characters may multiclass, negating your need to do so, characters may die and be replaced, you may get magic items or unique spells that are more worth using/taking than a dip in another class, you may get sidekicks and party NPCs, and so on.
Have a plan from the beginning, but change it as the campaign goes on.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I think my formulation which is close to Third and others is "It's ok to have aspirations, but play the game you're in and make choices that makes sense to it." There may be considerations or opportunities later in game unknown at character generation that may prompt a player to go in a different direction. These could be things that exist only within the game the character is in or they could be something introduced to the game through new sourcebook content (feats, spell options, etc).
I mean, and this is a bit of digression, the most radical thing, dependent on magical resources, that can happen to a character is dying, and that's usually not part of any player's plan ... but it happens. And it doesn't have to be a failure, done right a death can be a win, even if the win is just forcing the rest of the table to
sit throughlisten to your adaptation of the "tears in rain" speech.Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
To be honest, it depends on the character. Most I have at least a basic plan on what they might take up through level 8. If they make it that far, I'll make a copy at 12 and see what things might be taken then. Usually once I play around with options I'll delete the Copies and then see how it progresses. But growth in-game always trumps storyboarding outside the game. They just influence my decision. I don't think "Plan" is the right option for how I work with mine... I think "Options" is a better word choice. I know what choices I have available by the time I level up and I'll combine that meta game information with in-game information and make a decision on the character sheet.
As for the Death options... the curveball a Reincarnation throws into the whole mix is actually an amazing thing. Sure you had a plan. Then you died. Now you have different abilities, stat changes (with those nice even stats all wonky-odd) and a new perspective on the world. Had never considered how powerful that could be until it happened in our last campaign and now I don't know why we haven't done that before. It's a bit like playing with the Deck of Many Things... which I have now also risked it for the biscuit on the same character (also a circumstance I had never planned on ever pursuing).
Off on a tangent, but at each level up? You can change what spells you have prepared after each long rest?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
For some classes (clerics, druid, etc.). For Wizards and Warlocks and such, a spell choice added to a spell book might can be changed from night to night, but the entire repository of spells aren't available. Being able to "forget" one and learn a new one in it's place can make a big difference on some characters as they grow through levels. And mechanically, the only way they can do that is when they level up. You are both correct, but with different meanings.
Yes, correct. I am playing the rule correctly, and changing my spells at long rests if I want to. I just wanted to emphasize that you don't need to plan at level 3 whether a spell you're considering taking will still be worthwhile at level 10.
Most long rests I don't change my spells, because nothing since the last long rest changes my decision making process about what spells I want. But at a level up I might take 2 or 3 spells of a new level I learned, and drop some low or mid-level spells that I haven't used in a while. Sometimes I'll swap in one or two spells that I anticipate being useful in the upcoming adventure based on what we know about it from investigation and social encounters.
I will typically plan out all likely builds, saving the decision for what happens at a given level for the level where it happens. This generally means I plan a certain number of ASIs and a certain number of feats or sometimes two different versions where I take two half feats for one version and an ASI and a feat for the other. I usually only plan 0-2 'mandatory' feats with the rest left to what seems most interesting.
I have yet to encounter a situation so unexpected that it didn't suit at least one of the things I was already considering for leveling