Question What build are you? Really though.

[Mazer]

We've all got an ideal mental image of ourselves, or how we'd like to be pictured. Our strengths and weaknesses and quirks. Sometimes that image is even accurate. And we usually also have a much more realistic and unromantic picture of ourselves as we know we actually are and what the people around us put up with.

So, can you identify with a particular character build as capturing either the way you'd like to be, or the way you think you really are, or both!


In an ideal world I'd like to think of myself as a true neutral, half-elf druid. Completely objective and dispassionate, and always pragmatic. Not belonging really to any one world but appreciative of all walks of life.
In reality, I know I'm really more of a chaotic good half-orc bard. Wildly unreliable and consistently sabotaged by my own poor judgement and ham-fistedness, but well-intentioned in general and with a genuine desire to please. Also, hairy and horny.


I went with DnD archetypes but maybe some of you aspire to be a Breton Spellsword, Qunari Rogue or Tauren Ranger. I won't judge.

Let's do some self reflection, and also get a view into what game worlds have stuck in our minds.

 

[Gmak]

In Oblivion, no choice to choose a marketer. Doing business is my stuff. I hide diplomacy: where is the leaders in Elder Scroll?

 

[Alm]

It's been a while since I did any DnD. (I have some DnD related stuff from 2nd Ed.)

In games like Morrowind I was always attracted to pick Dark Elf Mages because I really like the idea of reclusive but intelligent beings who practised the arcane (hence the avatar I suppose).

For inspiration I tried to answer honestly and took a test at: http://easydamus.com/character.html (EDIT: Beware, the test is 140 questions long)

I got True Neutral Human Monk/Bard (2nd/2nd Level). Sounds pretty accurate in the description.

"True Neutral- A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction."

 

[StingingVelvet]

I usually play female assassins/rogues. I don't want to be a female though, . I do like the idea of stealthy spies and stuff though, it would be kind of a fantasy to be a CIA agent or whatever.

When I play a male character though, I do usually make them look somewhat like me. Bigger in frame, beard, dark hair, etc. I leave out the thinning hair in the front though.

 

[Frindis]

I tend to play a neutral good character in the majority of the games I play as that is a type of character which best reflects how I am in real life. Sometimes I make the right decision and sometimes I don't. I like that balance and it opens up for improvement which again gives greater wisdom to see things from different perspectives and hopefully making a better choice next time.

@Alm I just took the test and I got: Lawful Neutral Gnome Monk/Wizard (3rd/2nd Level) I still believe I am more of a neutral good character, but it was an interesting test to take.

 

[Lauren Morton]

As for what build I'd like to be, definitely the witty vagabond I end up being in—well I was going to say Bethesda games but actually just any RPG. I wish I could talk my way out of sticky situations and always schmooze just a little coin out of every job.

What build am I actually? Definitely the over-empathetic and accidentally centrist Sorry Cop I played in Disco Elysium. Constantly thinking about or worried about what other folks are thinking and feeling (whether correctly or incorrectly) and always winding up walking the middle ideological route by shying away from directly angering anyone.

 

[spvtnik1]

I'll usually veer towards being some kind of technician... could be a mechanic, hacker, medic, archer, stealthy, sharpshooter even. However, if I'm presented with the choice between say, a thief, a magician, and a warrior... I'll probably take the warrior. One of my favorite classes is Paladin, but you don't really see that much outside of very traditional RPGs, in my opinion.

 

[MandorasBox]

I tend to favor dual-wielding anything, especially if I can play as shadow/hexblade/warlock of some kind. Usually, my wits are as sharp as my knives, in life and in-game. Although in-game, I'm a much better listener and therefore far better at diplomacy than in real-life. As far as race, I'm anything from normie human, to an elf, to tiefling/qunari. It depends on the universe, really.

 

[Krud]

I gravitate toward chaotic good fast-talking rogues in games, but that is definitely not my build in real-life. In real life I don't backstab, I don't lurk in shadows, nor am I able to convince anyone of anything. I also tend not to break the law, which is Rogue 101, I think.

In real life, if I'm being honest, I am probably a low-level Neutral Good bard, but without the magic aspect, obviously. Also a low-charisma bard, so... not especially good at it.

 

[is_died]

My time in RPGs is limited and it's almost exclusively been spent in modern Fallout games, so... I'm not the target of the question, but I've got thoughts on the topic at least.

First, I like to create characters that roughly represent myself. In real life, the first thing I'd do in a war-ravaged hellscape is die, but Fallout lets me create a version of myself that is stronger and less prone to instant death. Intelligence and charisma -- yeah -- are what I tend to focus on, as I find the diplomatic / crafty solutions to problems more interesting than the explosive, machine gun-based solutions.

It kinda reflects my real-life preference for approaching problems gracefully, but not really. It's a caricature, so it's supposed to be exaggerated, and the fact I'm deliberately creating a version of myself with enhanced "positive" traits -- which is entirely subjective -- means my ego and insecurities are going to impact the build in ways I can't possibly understand.

My build could be completely inaccurate even as a caricature and it's impossible for me to truly know! The mind is a fascinating thing. That said, it still ends up with a build that I enjoy playing, so who really cares?


EDIT: I confused myself (shocking) and forgot the point of this thread halfway through writing my post.

Tying into the theme of what build I "am" in real life, I guess I'm sort of low stats across the board but maybe bolstered by a very sparse set of buffs (and debuffs) acquired through "gameplay"?

You don't want me in your party, and that's absolutely double entendre.

 

[Pifanjr]

In D&D, I've played the rogue with the golden heart, the paladin who protects the weak, the ranger who faces anything together with his wolf companion and the druid that always just followed orders until he was thrown into a leadership position, at which point he did everything he could to be the best leader he could be.

My actual build resembles a shared trope in all of these and most builds I make for video games. I'm a introverted support character, helping others in their goals and ambitions and only reluctantly stepping up as a leader when necessary, but doing the best job I can when I have to.

 

[Avalon]

I usually play as a rogue/stealth character, although in real life i could'nt sneak up on a sandwich.
I enjoy being a chaotic neutral, but as in real life i gravitate towards good.

When building a character in game I play all races. I usually stay away from orc's and bigger characters as they tend to be below average stealth-wise and have lower diplomatic skills. It does depend on the game though, as sometimes you just want to smash.
I usually try to make a character that looks like myself, but I find the one thing I can never get good at (besides fast paced reflex games) is character creation.

As in real life I tend to overthink moral choices, usually because what I really want to do is not an option.

 

[Pifanjr]

As in real life I tend to overthink moral choices, usually because what I really want to do is not an option.

Have you ever tried playing a tabletop game? Everything is an option in a tabletop game, as long as you can convince your GM.

 

[jpishgar]

Human Wizard here. Neutral Good, I'd say. The very icon of glass cannon.

 

[Inspireless Llama]

I'm an dark elven archer.

Boring and predictable, prefers to look from a distance. Dark elven because my humor often is dark and sarcastic (it doesn't have to do with dark elf specially but it's the first dark creature I can think about ).

 

[Tyriune]

I identify as a chaotic good human spellsword/mercenary with reasonably high charisma and diplomacy checks.
I work in marketing and am fit as a fiddle. I work for social justice on the daily. Could be a cleric, but my atheist nature doth not mesh well!