Making a well rounded Dungeons and Dragons character.

I've played a few Dungeons and Dragons games some in the Advanced rule set, some in the 4th edition and a few in 3.5. Out of these I would have to say that my favorite version of the game is 3.5e because of its ability to create an awesome amount of  character depth and a very well rounded first level character. So here are some tips and tricks to remember when creating your D&D character.

1) Remember that your character is unique.
Your character shouldn't be just another cookie cutter hero. They should have traits, flaws, quirks, ideals, morals and other things that really make them stand out in the game world. When creating your character think about the type of personality they have, think about what they believe in, think about what they would do when a Gargantuan Red Dragon is breathing very angrily down their neck. When looking for traits you could either talk to your GM or look into Unearthed Arcana for the Traits and Flaws that will help flesh out your character for the game. Just remember that just as a character in a movie, video game, or play has characteristics, so too should your character.

2) Plan for your character's future.
What is your character's goal in life? Does your character strive to be the very best at what they do or have they sworn that they won't let any more party members die? When thinking about your character in D&D it's a good idea to have a direction in which you wish to strive that way you know where to put your feats, ability points, skill points and which prestige classes to take, that way when you reach a higher level your character isn't a scrambled mess of assorted classes. On the other hand though, if the campaign starts at a higher level a scrambled mess of assorted classes might add to his/her character background and create an interesting and intriguing background which leads me to my next point...

3) Have an idea of a character background
What walk of life did your character come from? Maybe they spent some years of their youth orphaned on the streets of a big city where they then became adopted by the Lords and Ladies and then became a Paladin, or maybe your character was abandoned in the forest by their brigand parents where a band of elven scouts picked you up and took you home and raised you in the ways of the Ranger. Whatever it is, have an idea of who your character is, what made them that way and what they were to do if they were to come across some people from their background. In fact if you share your background with your GM they are guaranteed to take key details from it and incorporate it into the game. Which leads me to my final point....

4) Talk to your GM.
Is there an idea that you like but isn't in the rules? Is there an item that seems kind of interesting to you that you would like to start with? Any of these questions could be resolved by talking to your GM, and in doing so you guarantee to make the game more interesting by providing the GM with ideas of things to include in the game.

So there are some points on character creation for D&D 3.5. Any questions? You can always post them in the comments and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. No idea what I'm going to talk about tomorrow. But until then...Adieu.