101 Fun Dungeons & Dragons Character Ideas: How To Come Up With Interesting Concepts For Your Next Campaign!

Getting Started with Dungeons & Dragons

While there is much to learn about Dungeons & Dragons, the game is easy to begin. The community is massive, and there are plenty of great sources to introduce you to gameplay and character creation. We will focus on the current 5th Edition rules and basics for this character creation guide, meaning some race and class combinations won’t be covered here.

Don’t worry, though, because our method of character creation can be applied to any edition and expansion of the game. We have you covered for those of you taking your first steps into character creation. We’ll get you a roleplay-worthy character to start, and you and your DM can handle the stats and equipment from there.

A Secret to Success

When developing a character, there is such a thing as having too many choices and options. Avoiding decision paralysis can be tricky, especially in a game like Dungeons & Dragons, where you have incredible control over how you shape your character and their story. It’s not uncommon to seek out templates for D&D character ideas. We have 101 of them for you in this article.

But the secret to our character ideas? They were all generated by answering three central questions. If you want to try your hand at making interesting D&D characters, give the following method a try. Or, if you want to run with one of our generated concepts, you can do that, too.

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The Three Questions of D&D Character Concepts

The three central questions we used to develop 101 character concepts were simple:

1. What is their race and class?
2. What is their goal?
3. What is their complication?

Those questions are all you need to answer to start developing a compelling character. However, like any creative endeavor, it also requires some decent thought. The most obvious question is the first one, which will factor into many of the character's mechanics. Usually, players have no problem finding interesting D&D character combinations at this stage. However, the other two questions require a little more critical thought.

The question of a character’s goal can be pretty open-ended and range from very simple to very complex. It all depends on your style and approach. Broad archetypical goals can provide an excellent starting point for a character that you can unpack as you play them. These are things such as seeking something or someone, looking for vengeance or a unique item, or developing something like a goal or ability. These questions are asked all over literature and pop culture.

The third question is where the real fun begins. In the sense of a complication, consider an obstacle or character trait that can hinder them from meeting their goal. For example, things like interpersonal failings, struggling to develop or change, or even an external force, such as being pursued by someone or something. Characters who lack a form of struggle can be flat. Developing a good complication is a way to create cool D&D character ideas.

Steal These D&D Character Ideas!

The following list features 101 character concepts for Dungeons & Dragons that you can begin working with immediately. By all means, make like a halfling thief and use them as you will. These concepts are all developed by asking those three central questions:

1. What is their race and class?
2. What is their goal?
3. What is their complication?

The selection has been limited to race and class combinations in the basic ruleset to keep things manageable and newbie-friendly. However, the previous questions will work in any edition of Dungeons & Dragons. You should see all three questions addressed in each character concept.

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How to Use These Character Concepts

As for how to use these concepts, you don’t need to worry about anything beyond just having fun with the game. You’ll need to name and assign skills and equipment to your character, but that comes with creating any character. Your DM can help you with that if this is a new experience. The more abstract things, such as motivation and background, are where these character concepts are most helpful.

With an understanding of your character’s goals and complications, you can roleplay based on these ideas. Plus, with some coordination with your DM, your complications can be worked into an existing campaign for some flavor and story development that will surely make you the envy of the dungeon party. To keep track of your character's intricate details and visualize their design, consider creating a character reference sheet.

Many players discover who their character is over many sessions; with these Dungeons & Dragons character concepts, you have a head start on a compelling story.

Dragonborn

1. A Dragonborn Barbarian wanders the land in search of a cure for a curse that puts them in a devastating blood rage.
2. A Dragonborn Bard travels in search of ancient songs of power scattered amongst tribes of Dragonborn; however, they are not the only one seeking those songs.
3. A Dragonborn Cleric was orphaned at a human abbey and struggles to perform their holy duties in a world that regards them as suspicious and strange.
4. A Dragonborn Druid of a powerful fiery aspect desires to change his nature to one of verdant green magics.
5. A Dragonborn Fighter has been fighting in an arena for years and knows little of the world. He is freed from his contract upon the death of the cruel arena master at the hands of adventures who ask him to travel with them.
6. After years of training, a Dragonborn Monk decides to spread his teachings. However, he is unaware other races can breathe fire, which is a significant part of the martial style he wishes to teach.
7. A Dragonborn Paladin struggles with his draconic heritage and newfound faith in the light, resulting in sporadic failings of his abilities.
8. A Dragonborn Ranger has set out to become the most accomplished hunter in the world. However, their honor depends on using their natural abilities and no weapons.
9. A Dragonborn Rogue is an accomplished assassin who leaves smoldering corpses in their wake. However, a zealous knight who served a lord killed by the assassin is now hunting them down.
10. A Dragonborn Sorcerer is known for her innate magical gifts, unaware of an order of wizards who seek her blood to empower their abilities.
11. A Dragonborn Warlock forms a pact with an entity that claims to be its father - and the resemblance is uncanny.
12. A Dragonborn Wizard seeks out ancient tomes with a possible spell to grow wings. However, these tomes have been lost to time or hoarded by sinister powers.

Dwarf

1. A Dwarf Barbarian seeks to prove a dwarven fist is more potent than any armor, and they just may prove if they were a little more coordinated.
2. A Dwarf Bard wanders the mountains, seeking inspiration for a song to defend miners in their hometown's dark caves.
3. A Dwarf Cleric believes their ancestor may have a godly background and desire to find their lost hammer as a religious relic… in the depths of Goblin territory.
4. A Dwarf Druid seeks to find the power in the world to create a verdant spring in a dry mountain but must get over their distaste for elves to attain such an ability.
5. A Dwarf Fighter works as a mercenary for a local lord, only to discover the lord has his sights on the jewel-filled caves of the Dwarf’s homeland.
6. A Dwarf Monk craves to ascend to a state of spiritual enlightenment but just can’t seem to kick their drinking habit to get there.
7. A Dwarf Paladin made a sacred oath to uphold the quest of a fallen companion, only to discover that the companion may not have been honest about their intentions.
8. A Dwarf Ranger takes particular delight in annoying Elven rangers in the forests at the foot of his mountain. However, the Elves have recruited an exceptionally talented ranger to give the Dwarf a taste of their own medicine.
9. A Dwarf Rogue, on the verge of their biggest score to date, robbing a noble’s villa, discovers the noble may not be as wealthy as they indicate.
10. A Dwarf Sorcerer can tap into powerful stone magic, but at the loss of their left hand, which has turned to stone.
11. A Dwarf Warlock has discovered the ability to speak with and control giant spiders. But alas, they are arachnophobic.

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Elf

1. A Wood Elf Barbarian sounds like an impossible combination until one Elf was exiled from his village for fighting a corrupt leader and implicated for a crime they did not commit. They now wander, fueled by rage.
2. A High Elf Bard seeks to form a famous troubadour group from the best elvish musicians worldwide but must first find them.
3. A Wood Elf Cleric is tasked to find a magical seed by a mysterious forest god nobody seems to know about.
4. A High Elf Druid is tasked with teaching the ways of his adopted Wood Elf ways to a local human village but can’t seem to come off as anything but arrogant.
5. A Wood Elf Fighter travels the world as a gladiator to raise money to buy the forests surrounding his home from a local lord.
6. A High Elf Monk has mastered their innate ability to fall into a trance to meditate, and now they seek to use it in battle. Now, they can respond to the actions of others while in this state without breaking their meditation.
7. A High Elf Paladin has been questing for months to purify a haunted shore, only to discover a necromancer is harvesting those same souls and has fled the land. Now, the Paladin must track them down to save those souls.
8. A Wood Elf Ranger has been tracking a group of bandits who have slain a local family that the Ranger had befriended. However, their quest is cut short when they discover a band of adventures has already slain their quarry
9. A High Elf Rogue uses their innate beauty to spy among the royal court of a local kingdom on behalf of a potential usurper. However, the conspiracy has been discovered, and the Rogue is now being hunted.
10. A Wood Elf Warlock makes a pact with an otherworldly force to protect their woodland home at the cost of their very essence.
11. A High Elf Wizard has uncovered a mysterious tome, granting them magical abilities and spells at the cost of feeding it other priceless books.

Gnome

1. A Gnomish Barbarian is known for his tremendous feats of strength in bare-knuckle brawls but has managed this through a secret aura-channeling technique learned from a wandering Monk.
2. A Gnomish Bard owes a life debt to a cowardly knight and works to help bolster the knight’s profile to one day satisfy that debt.
3. A Gnomish Cleric sets out to prove they are a faithful servant of their god and undertake a mission that other members of their order doubt they can accomplish.
4. A Gnomish Fighter has specialized in taking down fighters much taller than he but hasn’t recovered from the sting of losing to a Halfling that was shorter than them.
5. A Gnomish Monk has made a name for themselves being a master of Ki, but others do not know that the amount of Ki flowing through their body is so powerful that they must meditate four hours a day.
6. A Gnomish Paladin has specialized darkvision from delving into the deepest dungeons to fight demons, but their eyes have grown so sensitive they must wear special lenses outside of the depths.
7. A Gnomish Ranger has become obsessed with finding the most potent crossbow possible, no matter how large and cumbersome it may be to their small frame.
8. A Gnomish Rogue has invented all manner of devices for subterfuge and assassination that appear pretty promising when they work.
9. A Gnomish Sorcerer discovers they have more potent spells than other casters, but they must be focused through magic daggers with elemental affinities.
10. A Gnomish Warlock has become a master of commanding familiars, including what appears to be a giant hellhound that serves as a mount. The only problem is the familiars are too familiar with the Gnome, acting more like pets.
11. A Gnomish Wizard received tremendous magical power from a scroll but bound their life to the scroll in the process and must keep it protected and on them at all times or risk oblivion.

Half-Elf

1. A Half-Elf Barbarian wanders the land, talented in fighting but never able to fit in with civil society. However, a band of wanderers provides a chance at some social progress.
2. A Half-Elf Bard has made a name for themselves in human kingdoms playing ancient elvish songs. However, those who created the songs are still around, have heard about their work being exploited, and are seeking out the Bard.
3. A Half-Elf Cleric has proven to be talented at any faith, and unsurprisingly, religious orders across races have been clamoring to recruit them to serve their gods.
4. A Half-Elf Druid hasn’t mastered the druidic arts, but they are doing their best.
5. A Half-Elf Fighter seeks to prove they are a better archer than their childhood High Elf rival.
6. A Half-Elf Monk has turned to meditation and training to grapple with their raw feelings of being between two worlds, only to discover their abilities are heightened because of their lineage.
7. A Half-Elf Paladin strives to be the first of his kind - a Paladin that serves the Fey. However, the local Wood Elves must become more open to these new ideas.
8. A Half-Elf Ranger is vital in maintaining peace between a kingdom of Humans and a nearby kingdom of Elves, taking on the role of protector and ending conflicts before they can swell.
9. A Half-Elf Rogue has been leading a local band of bandits only to be betrayed by them. Now in Elvish custody, the Rogue seeks to make them pay, no matter where they hide.
10. A Half-Elf Sorcerer has discovered a new, unknown power that seems to have disturbed the nearby High Elves to the point where they seek to destroy her.
11. A Half-Elf Wizard must track down an ancient record of inheritance to prove his place among the highborn families of High Elves. However, those records are sealed by magic, suggesting a conspiracy only a brilliant wizard can solve.

Halfling

1. A Lightfoot Halfling Bard has a bad habit of sneaking into venues to share their songs but can usually get away with it because they put on one hell of a show.
2. A Halfling Cleric is filled with doubt due to how people treat them, resulting in an increasingly tenuous connection to their holy inspiration. Can they restore their gifts by becoming more confident?
3. A Stout Halfling Druid has nearly mastered several shapeshifting forms but cannot seem to shapeshift into regular-sized versions of different creatures, resulting in ferocious but tiny beasts.
4. A Stout Halfling Fighter has honed their body through the power of alcohol, able to perform tremendous combat feats based on their drunkenness.
5. A Halfling Monk has proven very competent in martial arts but cannot shake slacking off due to their addiction to a particular relaxation herb.
6. A Halfling Paladin wanders from village to village in a desperate search for a former paladin who has been said to have retired after an epic quest. That paladin may well be their father.
7. A Lightfoot Halfling Ranger sets out to recover a stolen bow from a drunken night at an inn. However, the thief has been a step ahead of them, leaving taunting messages.
8. A Lightfoot Halfling Rogue works as a pickpocket for a local criminal syndicate and is working to pay off a gambling debt.
9. A Halfling Sorcerer has an innate magical ability, but their small frame cannot process such raw, magical power. They must seek a trainer to help them dissipate the magic through physical fitness.
10. A Halfling Warlock leads a band of imps and terrorizes a community with pranks, unaware that the imps are slowly beginning to worship the warlock.
11. A Halfling Wizard works as a magical archivist at a library while they study to become a great wizard, only for a book heist to occur on their watch. Now, they must return the books before the head of the wizarding order learns of the missing texts.

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Half-Orc

1. A Half-Orc Barbarian seeks to prove they are stronger than any orc. Specifically, they seek to defeat their father in combat.
2. A Half-Orc Bard struggles to find inspiration for their songs in nature until they discover true inspiration comes from the field of combat.
3. A Half-Orc Druid aims to improve their extended family's lives by training in the druidic arts to help improve the land they’ve settled. However, their aptitude for nature magic is lacking.
4. A Half-Orc Fighter is a vigilant defender of half-orcs from crime and exploitation in a large city.
5. A Half-Orc Monk has trained to control their rage issues, but upon entering a world of adventuring, learns that they’re barely keeping a lid on their aggression.
6. A Half-Orc Paladin seeks a hidden tomb of a great paladin to recover a relic that will grant them acceptance into a band of paladins they idolize.
7. A Half-Orc Ranger has fallen in with a band of elven rangers but finds his loyalty tested when his brother has become a target of the rangers.
8. A Half-Orc Rogue has become known for stealing massive amounts of treasure due to their tremendous strength; however, a local knight has begun working a profile and investigating those cases with all evidence leading to the rogue.
9. A Half-Orc Warlock has tapped into dark, otherworldly gifts in an attempt to ascend to a demonic form, unaware of the price their dives into such power draws from their life force.
10. A Half-Orc Wizard at a magical academy seeks to prove they are as capable of incredible wizardry as other students but is not shy about letting their fists do the talking.

Human

1. A Human Barbarian has been raised by a tribe of orcs. They find themselves thrust into the role of a defender when the tribe’s bravest warriors suddenly vanish.
2. A Human Bard seems to create a perfect melody that borrows from the styles of music of all races - provided he can earn the trust of 11 of the world’s greatest bards.
3. A Human Cleric finds themselves in the unenviable position of serving as a missionary to a tribe of orcs.
4. A Human Druid wages a private war against a logging company that destroyed a heart tree that was a thousand years old. In the process, their magic has been weakened.
5. A Human Fighter has sought to fuse the elegance and dexterity of elvish combat with the strength of dwarves. The only problem is that their potential teachers are bitter rivals and refuse to train them if the other is involved.
6. A Human Monk has wandered from kingdom to kingdom, attaining enlightenment through service towards others, but regrets that such service in these lands comes from fighting.
7. A Human Paladin desires to become an ultimate hero but cannot do that without the blessing of the retired former hero - who just happens to have been imprisoned for gambling debts.
8. A Human Ranger had been surviving on their own, comfortably, until they found an abandoned dire wolf pup. With a companion that means everything to them, the ranger opts to help a band of adventures where the wolf has taken a shine.
9. A Human Rogue leads a band of expert pickpockets and con artists but is betrayed by a spy from a rival syndicate and imprisoned. Newly escaped, our rogue seeks vengeance on behalf of his band.
10. A Human Sorcerer has discovered their tears have healing properties but has been on the run for years as sinister forces seek to enslave them for their gifts.
11. A Human Warlock calls upon dark and otherworldly gifts to find the swordsman who murdered their family.
12. A Human Wizard has been accepted to a wizarding school, only to discover a conspiracy to search promising your wizards for the next incarnation of a dark lord, and our wizard may very well be that next incarnation. However, they don’t want to be and prefer to study spells in peace.

Tiefling

1. A Tiefling Barbarian is known as “The Demon of Iron Peaks” but has only taken to combat because people keep trying to slay them.
2. A Tiefling Bard has developed a new form of music by channeling lightning powers through their guitar; however, traditional bards are highly disturbed by this and try to run the tiefling out of towns whenever they arrive to perform.
3. A Tiefling Cleric has become somewhat of a marketing push for a group of priests, showing anyone can “be good.” Meanwhile, the tiefling just wishes to serve others out of the kindness of their heart.
4. A Tiefling Druid has been the subject of rumors of a local village who have seen a nearby horned bear. However, the tiefling themself has not mastered that form of shapeshifting. Now, they seek to investigate the presence of the horned bear.
5. A band of clerics recruits a Tiefling Fighter to defend them as they purify a temple overrun by demons, a task the tiefling eagerly accepts, as they lost a horn to some of those same demons before.
6. A Tiefling Monk finds themselves at the center of a murder mystery when they return to find their entire temple has been slaughtered, and all evidence points to a powerful non-human.
7. A Tiefling Paladin is known locally for their wisdom and faith and decides to take their duties into a larger, more cynical world.
8. A Tiefling Ranger has been searching for a gigantic cat that destroyed a local village, only to discover that the cat is a cursed druid, desperate for help.
9. A Tiefling Rogue has been operating an exotic brothel of demihumans that caters to the wealthy, who are relieved of their treasures in secret. However, the operation is discovered, and the rogue must find a safe harbor for all their workers.
10. A Tiefling Sorcerer is the next target of a serial killer who believes tiefling magic is found in their horns. The killer has no idea what they are in for with this sorcerer as their target.
11. A Tiefling Warlock has been posing as a demon lord, and their summoned minions are beginning to suspect them of lying.
12. A Tiefling Wizard has devoted themselves to the study of time-based magic in an attempt to right a past wrong, no matter the consequences.

Keep Your Characters on CharacterHub

Once you’ve developed your character and backstory, you can record their information and adventures on CharacterHub. Many players love having art created for their characters, and using CharacterHub as a central repository for commissioning art of your Dungeons & Dragons character makes it easy to network with creators and find artists. That is if you are not already drawing the character yourself. In that case, you can assemble a gallery of your art based on your adventures and show off your OC D&D character to anyone interested.

You can also create an index of essential information about your character for gaming sessions, easily accessed in-game through your phone. Open their profile and quickly parse important information without needing a notes app. Even better, character profiles are easily customized, meaning you can shape the profile to your needs as a gamer.

You have everything you need to get into the game, between 101 interesting D&D concepts, the character creation shortcut, and CharacterHub’s powerful tools. Please be sure to share your characters on CharacterHub; you could say we’re on a quest to see all 101 concepts used by real gamers as OCs.