The Character, aside from a good DM, is the most essential element to playing a game of D&D. But it's more than just an amalgamation of dice rolls, feats, skills, and class; a character is a person with hopes and dreams, fears and desires, and let's not forget history.

Before I roll dice and pick a class I think about what I want to do in the game. Do I want to kill everything in sight? Do I want to make the world a better place? Maybe I just want to see the world and it's many facets of wonder. The answers to just those few questions guide me into picking a class that reflects my goals. Once you settle on a class that suits your purposes, then and only then, are you ready to roll up those ability scores.

Now comes the fun part, according to how you roll you can achieve a myriad number of configurations, the average joe fighter, the slightly intelligent wizard, the barely sagacious priest are just a few challenges that could come about. Sure they aren't the super heroes some would care to play, but why not? Some of the best game play you can experience comes from characters such as these. I once new a guy who started the game with a wizard who had 9's in every ability. It was a constant struggle for him but he overcame these short comings to achieve 18th level and an intelligence of 20! The journey was a very interesting one not just for him but for those of us who adventured with him. Imagine having to rely on a fifth level wizard who couldn't even access 3rd level spells because he was too stupid to cast them. It was through sheer determination and ingenuity that we survived!

3rd edition D&D ushered in the era of feats and skills. In my opinion they are by far the best thing about 3rd edition! through these two aspects of your character you can tailor your character to fit your every need. Still, I've seen these abilities squandered time and again by budding power gamers who only put ranks in skills that will boost their effectiveness in the game and feats that will deal death blows to any enemy. For shame! this makes for flat, one-sided characters who have no personality. I say SPREAD THE WEALTH! Why not spend skill points to play an instrument or sculpt? Heck, why not dancing? After all, in our lives we tend to pick up alot of skills we never or hardly ever use in real life. Didn't your parents make you play the violin for awhile or take piano lessons? My parents made me take a square dancing class when I was a kid because they thought I spent too much time playing D&D couped up with my friends! And no, I'm not gay because of it! But it's little details like that that breathe life into your character and make them more interesting.

Once all that is done you should have a fairly good idea of the who your characters is. Now, how did they get that way? Were their parents rich nobles, or street paupers? Were they picked on alot as kids? Creating a backstory for your character not only finishes rounding your character out but helps you understand and play them better in the future. Understanding their past helps you understand their motivations for adventuring in the first place, and helps the DM personalize his campaign to better suit your character's needs.

I know that I, as a DM, love all the information I can get about a PC. I can throw your old childhood bully into the game to brow beat you from time to time. I can have you inherit your great uncles keep when the time is right (complete with monster filled dungeons that you have to clear out before you move in). The possibilities are endless with a well detailed backstory! It not only makes your character more interesting for you but for your fellow players as well. Just watch your friends eyes light up when you tell them how your character's parents were killed by a demon they mistakenly summoned when you were twelve, and how you survived on the streets as an orphan for all those years after.

Yep, a well rounded character is what seperates the hack and slashers from true role players! So use your imagination, it's what the game is for.