Just a note. I have heard use of the term for a long time but not applied in the way it is now. In many of the RPG circles I am part of (both off and on line), a "special snowflake" describes the kind of player that just had to play a very "unique" character regardless of how reasonable, playable or even sane such a character might be. They are distinguished from munchkins because mechanically the character is not necessarily all that powerful, just often bizarre.
Some examples:
Vampire the Masquerade (long live V20!): Some obscure Bloodline, a "good" Baali, the "last" Cappadocian, Salubri, Lasombra antitribu
Werewolf the Apocalypse (nWod? What's that?): The "last" of the White Howlers, Mokole, Bastet, very strange and often made up Changing Breeds (such as weresquid, vetoed by a Storyteller that did not want tentacles in his game. The werebarracuda was better received until the Storyteller used them as pseudo Deep Ones)
Dark Heresy/W40K RPG: FEMALE SPACE MARINES. Daemonhosts (usually homebrewed), psykers that are an expy of Professor X
D&D: Ugh. Too many to count. Vampire unicorns. People whose ancestry involve dragons, demons, angels and squid with mad SCIENCE! thrown in to make them part golem too. "Good" members of usually evil races, especially Drow since they are both pretty and R.A. Salvatore made the mould with Drizzit. People who hail from the far past such as Netheril or Cormanthor during its Myth Drannor phase. Elven Royalty on the lam. Dwarven royalty on the run. Human royalty, ah heck it, there are people of royal blood EVERYWHERE when the Snowflakes come to the gaming table. Gonzo races like the various kinds of bird people also make an appearance especially the avariel. That is because the only thing better that being a beautiful elven princess sorceress is being a beautiful winged elven princess sorceress.
Some examples:
Vampire the Masquerade (long live V20!): Some obscure Bloodline, a "good" Baali, the "last" Cappadocian, Salubri, Lasombra antitribu
Werewolf the Apocalypse (nWod? What's that?): The "last" of the White Howlers, Mokole, Bastet, very strange and often made up Changing Breeds (such as weresquid, vetoed by a Storyteller that did not want tentacles in his game. The werebarracuda was better received until the Storyteller used them as pseudo Deep Ones)
Dark Heresy/W40K RPG: FEMALE SPACE MARINES. Daemonhosts (usually homebrewed), psykers that are an expy of Professor X
D&D: Ugh. Too many to count. Vampire unicorns. People whose ancestry involve dragons, demons, angels and squid with mad SCIENCE! thrown in to make them part golem too. "Good" members of usually evil races, especially Drow since they are both pretty and R.A. Salvatore made the mould with Drizzit. People who hail from the far past such as Netheril or Cormanthor during its Myth Drannor phase. Elven Royalty on the lam. Dwarven royalty on the run. Human royalty, ah heck it, there are people of royal blood EVERYWHERE when the Snowflakes come to the gaming table. Gonzo races like the various kinds of bird people also make an appearance especially the avariel. That is because the only thing better that being a beautiful elven princess sorceress is being a beautiful winged elven princess sorceress.