Been running D&D and playing D&D for over 25 years now. Been looking to get into 5e a bit more.
I make characters that have odd things to them. I don't make their stats determine how the character acts. The character acts how it wants to.
- I've had a red kobold paladin who called himself a shaman of Bahamut. He kept silver scale polish with him to keep the red covered. When called a kobold, he would declare himself a short dragonborn. "Like a halfling is to a human." Sure, they aren't the same, but he wouldn't know that.
- I've had an Orc Sorcerer whose spells focused on buffs and illusions. Instead of spellcasting, he usually hit things in the head with his tower shield. Yes, that was his weapon. He played more like a barbarian than a sorcerer, but he was also helpful with his spells when need be...He just liked hitting things when he had the choice.
- I've had a thri-kreen something...probably a ranger or rogue since he dual wielded. He tried to use his own made weapons. That character is odd in how different a bug is to a normal character. They have completely different mindsets. He would constantly challenge(mental or physical) whoever was acting like the party leader, but never wanted to lead himself. This was in a setting with low-magic and weapons broke often.
- I have played a gnome rogue and human cleric duo. The gnome rogue wanted to adventure, eventually became an assassin and then mob boss. The human cleric was an experienced adventurer who had lost his powers before the campaign and was trying to find his path in life. He was sent with the gnome rogue to watch over the kid. It wasn't enough to sway the kid from crime unfortunately.
- I had a kenku seeker in 4e. He was a fresh bounty hunter who stored the souls of evil he slew into arrows, then used those arrows for good in an attempt to give some purpose to evil. Unfortunately, that game had lost their melee in the first game(two teenagers who thought they could game online during school hours). So the seeker found his god by way of a sword, and became a 4e avenger. Never did take up the bow again.
- There have been a lot of characters over the years. Good and evil. Elf wizard, warforged druid, gnome arcane trickster, human mystic theurge, human fighter, dragonborn sorcerer, WILDMAGE, and more. Always fun.