Your 1st Character

One Horse Town · September 29, 2012, 08:19:48 PM

Can you remember your very first character in an RPG?

I DMed basic, so my first played character wasn't until ad&d - a Ranger called Gilzean. I stupidly called him Harpy-slayer after he duffed up a couple of them, only to fall prey to another later on in his career.

I played a Woodman Animist in MERP around the same time, although i recall next to nothing about him other than he got killed by a Rogue in the Thieves of Tharbad adventure.

Sacrosanct · September 29, 2012, 08:24:00 PM

I'm sure I probably had a character made at some point that never lasted, but the very first character I can remember was one I created when I started playing, so he was at the very least one of the first, if not the first.

Merdock. Fighter. Also the highest level character I've ever had. Started out on B/X and made it to level 5 or 6 before converting over to AD&D. This was in 1981 and I played him a lot until the early 90s, when he was retired for good at level 16.

Philotomy Jurament · September 29, 2012, 08:29:08 PM

IIRC, my first character was poisoned and slain by a giant spider on the first level of the dungeon, not too far into the first session I ever played. He dreamed big dreams but wasn't destined for greatness, after all, and history has forgotten his name. :lol:

But I was totally hooked...

Tommy Brownell · September 29, 2012, 08:33:43 PM

Tanjlock Sarlon, Wood Elf Fighter in AD&D2e. One of my friends played his brother Tark.

Ladybird · September 29, 2012, 08:36:06 PM

It was probably a Paranoia 2e character... but I don't remember.

Paranoia is a terrible first RPG, because until you've played pretty much anything else, you won't understand why exactly Paranoia works. But it's still a lot of fun if everyone is at that stage, just exploring Alpha Complex and getting in trouble.

Get a group of players with vastly differing RPG experience levels, though, and Paranoia will suck.

jeff37923 · September 29, 2012, 09:54:53 PM

Lars, a fighter in an AD&D game played during Boy Scout campouts. I was 12 and did not have a clue how to play. Our party got attacked by werewolves and one bit Lars, so Lars bit the werewolf back. The DM decided Lars didn't contract lycanthrope, but contracted a degenerative mouth/throat disease that rotted his head off over the next few months.

Good times, good times....

The Butcher · September 29, 2012, 09:55:11 PM

It was a cleric, whose name escapes me, for the old (1991) black box D&D Introductory Game didactic solo adventure.

In a real game, though (i.e. one run by someone else), it was either a human bard for someone's AD&D 2e school break game, or an elf mage for my buddy's Tagmar (Brazilian fantasy heartbreaker) game. I don't really remember which came first.

StormBringer · September 29, 2012, 10:19:26 PM

Quote from: Sacrosanct;587457Merdock. Fighter. Also the highest level character I've ever had. Started out on B/X and made it to level 5 or 6 before converting over to AD&D. This was in 1981 and I played him a lot until the early 90s, when he was retired for good at level 16.

That is eerily similar to my Magic User. Just about the exact same arc/timeline, except I blew the resurrection system shock roll instead of retiring at 16th level.

Gabriel2 · September 29, 2012, 10:22:02 PM

Basic D&D Fighter. I've long since forgotten his name. He never got to go to a dungeon, leave the starting town, or even get more than 20 feet away from the stereotypical tavern/inn where all adventurers meet and start from. He was killed almost immediately by a monster/familiar controlled by the other PC, a magic user.

Sacrosanct · September 29, 2012, 10:30:18 PM

Quote from: StormBringer;587497That is eerily similar to my Magic User. Just about the exact same arc/timeline, except I blew the resurrection system shock roll instead of retiring at 16th level.

I think Merdock only died once, around level 10 or so, that I recall. Got a few levels drained at a few points though.

However, I have it on good authority that I'm lying, because no character in TSR era D&D ever lived to make to to level 3. As soon as the orcs figured out that 10 foot pits were the bane of all adventurers everywhere, you couldn't go anywhere without finding them all over the place

StormBringer · September 29, 2012, 10:34:09 PM

Quote from: Sacrosanct;587501I think Merdock only died once, around level 10 or so, that I recall. Got a few levels drained at a few points though.

However, I have it on good authority that I'm lying, because no character in TSR era D&D ever lived to make to to level 3. As soon as the orcs figured out that 10 foot pits were the bane of all adventurers everywhere, you couldn't go anywhere without finding them all over the place

Of course, I assumed you meant level 3.

Jacob Marley · September 29, 2012, 11:56:58 PM

I still have the character sheet!

His name was Malcolm, 1st Edition AD&D Fighter. He fought valiantly against the forces of Charles Rayne a.k.a. the Reign of Terror. Good times.

Doom · September 30, 2012, 12:48:48 AM

I mostly DMed, even as a wee kid.

I remember my first DMPC...Iron Fist, a CE fighter with 18/00 strength, and yet, a reliable henchman.

Hey, 10 years can be silly sometimes.

J Arcane · September 30, 2012, 02:19:32 AM

My first character was a bounty hunter in Star Wars D6.

It was a one-on-one campaign, run by an acquaintance after much pressuring to finally let me try these RPG things.

I crash landed on a strange world, only to discover a hidden Imperial base. I managed to sneak into the base and steal a shuttle and escape, only to be immediately captured and executed by the Star Destroyer in orbit directly above the planet.

I think it was intended to be a doomed adventure, in an attempt to sway me away from the hobby.

It didn't work.

Piestrio · September 30, 2012, 02:29:02 AM

Anson. Bow wielding elf ranger.