New D&D 5e game starting

We decided to play a little D&D 5e. Rather than play in Forgotten Realms, we'll be using a GM sandbox setting which the players (that means me) know very little about other than lots of arid plains.
Characters were generated by rolling 4d6, drop lowest, in order of Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha and choosing race+class based on what we think would be most fun using those numbers. Zero attribute shifting was allowed. However, if totaled attribute bonuses wound up negative, player could choose to roll a whole new set of attributes. We are beginning at 3rd level.
With big Dex and Cha, I chose to play a Bard and, just to make things interesting, I'll be playing a Dragonborn. Isaac settled on a Human Druid and we're waiting on a couple of new-to-us players to sit down and generate characters.
This will be an interesting experiment to see if we get a decently well-rounded party. Character generation in this manner is a throw-back to the 1970s where it was recommended to roll in order of attributes and choose accordingly. It mixes things up pretty well. We will certainly have less "optimized" characters, but what's fun about power gaming, anyway?

Jimmy Beam

Just a quickie character for Risus: The Anything RPG. Use him how you see fit.

About Jimmy 
Jimmy grew up in an asteroid mining family but found that dull, so he joined the space marines and learned to fight. He was issued a lovely laser rifle and fell in love with that little toy.

Nowadays he flies his little rocket ship all over galaxy, a trouble “shooter” for hire; rescuing distressed demoiselles and cats in trees and occasionally, sometimes, very rarely, doing something important.

Cliches

Marksman 5 
Space pilot 1 
Swashbuckler 2 
Gambler 2

Description 
Suave, debonaire, beautiful hair! Always wears leather “bomber” jacket. Keeps his laser rifle, "Nancy", handy at most times.

Introducing Luc

So, the Rippers game has been put on indefinite hold since the game master will be away for much of the remainder of our Winter gaming season. This is a bummer, as I rather liked playing Sgt. Wilkins. I don't often play happy character types, my usual style being the brooding, silent type. We switched to the DragonLance setting under D&D 3.5 rules and I get to play Luc - Human Nomad Barbarian.

The story so far...

For various reasons, the party were all visiting Solace and gathered at the Inn of the Last Home. A kidnap attempt was foiled by the PCs, but we were implicated, charged, tried and punished with the attempt to carry an artifact across the continent. The artifact was, of course, a dummy and we got to be the targets of anyone who may or may not have wanted to acquire it.

As it happens, we were ambushed in the woods a few days out of Solace, but not by thieves. Instead, we were captured and led to some sort of weird bandit/cult enclave and unwittingly enlisted to retrieve the Graygem - the prison of the god of Chaos - so that it could be destroyed, releasing the prisoner to wreak havoc on the poor, unsuspecting citizens of Krynn. Damn, I hate when that happens.

We were equipped, myself with a +1 spear and four potions of bane for which I have yet to devise a use, and sent onward to an island surrounded my a magical "stay away" mist. We managed to shipwreck ourselves on the island and proceeded inland towards a mountain, it being our only landmark of significance and as a likely a place to hide the Greygem as any.

Sure enough, we entered the mountain, fought some bad guys, lost one party member (Kender rogue), gained another (Human Cleric) and somehow managed to land in a town full of tall beautiful people who are not of a known racial type. We are currently recuperating, resupplying and preparing to venture forth again with better information. Oddly enough, asking the local residents about the Greygem in a straightforward manner provided some very useful clues.

The game master has been, perhaps, overly generous with the experience rewards. In four sessions, we've all attained fourth level. Perhaps he is justifying this as needed to confront his final Big Boss and maybe he's decided the island is magical and it Just Works That Way. I dunno. It probably would have been better to simply start us out at whatever level he needs us to be, but it has been kind of fun doing it this way!

Introducing Arden Scarlet

Arden is a hunter approximately 25 years old. though middle aged (considering the life span of the era) he is an extremely isolated individual. you can usually find him hunting or camping, if indeed you can find him at all. hunting has made him somewhat observant, stealthy, and tough, though it has done nothing for his social skills. he can stalk prey for hours and not be noticed, but when it comes to conversation he lacks finesse.

when it comes to any social interaction actually, he lacks finesse. and its not because he doesn't have any. out and out, Arden is mean. a real bastard and loving it. short and to the point idle chitchat does him no service, and he lets everyone around him know it with his dark disposition.

somewhat of a coward in the face of unknown things, he requires time to adjust. the first time faced with a monster he may be shaken up, but the second time action will be taken. swiftly, and without mercy.

to sum it up, he's a hermit hunter with a sharp tongue.

Meet Sergeant Roger Wilkins, His Majesty's Royal Marine Corps:

My character is Roger Wilkins, a non-commissioned officer in His Majesty's Royal Marines. A real jovial pretty-boy, he is a fairly typical soldier: reasonably brave and useful with a rifle. He has, up to the start of the campaign, had no encounters with the supernatural, ripper-tech or anything else out-of-ordinary. Sgt. Wilkins is the eternal optimist, always upbeat and ready with a quick, motivational taunt; in short, he's the commander everyone wants but nobody ever seems to wind up with.