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Draz74
2010-05-11, 05:25 AM
So every now and then we get a thread about "Stat Yourself as a D&D character."

Out of those threads, half of them (eventually) include some caveat about "This isn't what you're actually like in RL, this is about what you'd be like if you were an actual fantasy adventurer." So people can stop arguing about whether they're Expert 3 vs. Aristocrat 2 and actually put in some creative answers.

Tonight -- while struggling with insomnia -- I thought of a twist to this tired old topic. What if your whole family was an adventuring party? Then, what classes would you be as a group? What are your different specialties within the family and how do you divide responsibilities and talents?

One way in which this is interesting is that it tends to de-emphasize some of your character traits, if they're things that all of your family tends to share. For example, I tend to identify myself as a Cloistered Cleric, partly because I'm very religious ... but in my family, that religiousness is just par for the course, so I might not end up with that in my "build" at all.

Here's what I've come up with so far.

Mom would be a Cloistered Cleric. She's very dutiful, very motivated by supporting those around her. Wisdom would be her best ability score. She's the one we all flock to when we have problems and (figuratively) need healing. She has an astounding array of skill points in domestic and artistic skills. She generally isn't very confrontational or combative in her personality, but watch out when she occasionally lets out a nasty offensive "spell" analogous to Divine Power or Flame Strike. The old adventuring adage, "Keep the cleric alive!" makes an interesting parallel with our #1 family adage, "Never upset a redhead (i.e. Mom)."

Dad would be ... Hmmm, tough one. I guess I'll say Factotum until anyone suggests something more appropriate. First of all, he's got to have Diplomacy as a class skill; he can tell someone to go to hell, and by the time he's through with them, they want to. We all "march to the beat of his drum," so to speak, which goes well with the Factotum's adventurous spirit. He's a man of diverse interests, and extremely good at the field he focuses on (business law). He's not particularly striking in terms of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution; but he somehow still manages to be the most physically adventurous family member (Brains over Brawn?).

Son #1 (me) would be the party Wizard. I'm the strategy gamer, the physicist, the one who likes to focus on complex puzzles and deep mysteries. We're all avid readers, but I'm at least not behind the rest of them in that regard. In a conflict, I'd rather be controlling things from behind the scenes than getting super-actively involved.

Son #2 would be a Bard. He's a consummate dilettante, a jack-of-all-trades who is good at pencil art, sculpting, unicycling, juggling, ventriloquism, stand-up comedy, movie trivia, costume design, contortionism, and coming up with exciting new business models ... but is in no hurry to graduate from college. I'm smarter than he is in terms of concentrating on a complex problem and keeping focused, but he's much more quick-witted or "clever" than I am. For the purposes of this exercise, I'll equate those two kinds of mental aptitude to Intelligence vs. Charisma. Really, this one was a pretty easy choice.

Daughter #1 would be a Wilder. She's brimming with passion, often put to good use but sometimes not completely controlled. She's blunt and quick to criticize, but also the first one to come to the defense of her loved ones when they're criticized by outsiders. She's consistently hilarious. She's very pretty. She's struggling to find her role or direction in life, but you just know something is eventually going to "click" for her and she'll be very good at it.

Daughter #2 would be a Crusader. She's the most athletic, tough, and driven family member; she decides what she wants and charges ahead; others are free to follow and she'll get annoyed with them if they don't, but she'll never coax and coddle them along. She occasionally gets impatient with how geeky the rest of the family is. Her husband (who I'll call a cohort rather than expanding the party to eight PCs; he definitely has a less forceful personality than she does) is the biggest and strongest family member, but is sort of the gentle giant type. I could see him as another melee class, maybe a Setting Sun-focused, Strength-based Swordsage.

Daughter #3, the youngest ... hmmm, another tough one. She's very gentle and compassionate, not a mean bone in her body, which makes me think something like Healer or something with Vow of Nonviolence. She's very involved in drama and musical theater, so Perform as a class skill would be nice. However, she doesn't seem to be as natural a performer as, say, my brother, so maybe cross-class ranks are a better representation.

Post your own ideas!

Serpentine
2010-05-11, 05:54 AM
Ooo, neat. Lets see...

I would, if I could, be a Ranger/Druid. I like TN, but realistically probably NG. I love nature, and turning into animals would be my superpower of choice. Unfortunately, Wisdom is my real-life dump stat, which could be a problem...
My mother would be a healbot Cleric, probably NG. She's a doctor, so that's a pretty obvious option. She used to be CG, but she's getting more conservative with age, alas. She would have skills in Alchemy, Knowledge (local), poisons and Heal (obviously), and Knowledge(religion). High Intelligence and Wisdom. And Charisma, for that matter - she seems to be a very popular doctor.
My father would be a Bard, C or NG. Lots of ranks in Perform (Comedy) and Perform (Acting). Also Diplomacy and Knowledge(history) and the like. High Charisma and Intelligence, not so great Wisdom.
My sister is tougher... A Wizard, perhaps? Or a Rogue. CG. Some knowledge of poisons, lots of Knowledge(local). Yeah, Rogue, mostly social-based.
Her partner would be CG knowledge-focussed Wizard, especially Knowledge(history).
My (older - the other's just a baby) nephew... He'd be multiclassed out the wazoo. Some Fighter with sword skill, some Rogue with Bluff and sneakiness, some Bard with Perform(acting), some Wizard with just about every knowledge. Could get away with removing Rogue, probably. CN, but growing into a solid CG.
My boyfriend... lets go a brawling Barbarian build, CG (I'd make him more L or N, but never mind). Absolutely no nature skills whatsoever. Probably more of the physical skills. I'd houserule that he can have Bardic Knowledge, or maybe just Knowledge(popculture). He reckons 30 Charisma... nnnno.

So... Ranger/Druid, Cleric, Bard, Rogue and meleeing multitasker. Seems reasonably solid.

Closak
2010-05-11, 06:35 AM
Me: Some sort of Sorceror/Rogue multi-class


My dad: Blackguard, easy


My step-dad: Bard with a wisdom penalty


My brother: Fighter


My sister: Druid


My other brother who is 3 years old: A Distraction (Bastard sure knows how to scream and be really annoying, not to mention how to draw attention to himself, perfect for setting traps)


My mom: Cleric of herself.

megabyter5
2010-05-11, 07:26 AM
Mom: I don't know, I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Dad: Monk? Yeah, I'm gonna say Monk.

Brother: Ranger, from time in the boy scouts. Has a cat for an animal companion.

Self: Wizard, probably dipped into Loremaster. Bard would have been another possibility, but my charisma isn't very good. I have another cat as a familiar, specifically the more affectionate one that I'm pretty sure can tell when I'm upset.

Iferus
2010-05-11, 07:30 AM
Nice twist!

I'll start with me and my siblings. My parents are going to be the toughest to stat..


I am definitely a bard. I'm interested in everything and good (enough) at everything I try. Music is the central theme in my life.

My sister is a Ranger/Beastmaster. Animals are definitely her thing, although she doesn't have strong ties with nature itself.

My brother not as versatile as much as I am, and more of a silent type. His intelligence would manifest psionically, which makes him a Lurk.

My father is a very minute scientist. Known for his tendancy to keep all documentation and "spare parts" (rooms full of 'em), I'd say he's an Archivist.

My mother is a Druid. She cares little for knowledge, but loves nature. She'd have ACF'd her Animal companion though.

Orannis
2010-05-11, 08:26 AM
For my family:
Dad:wizard/lormaster
Mom:rogue focused on social skills
Older Brother:Assassin, mostly of his own potential
Younger Brother: Monk, all the way
Me:Wiz/fgt/spellsword

PId6
2010-05-11, 08:32 AM
Dad: Expert, with ranks in Knowledge (Biochemistry)
Mom: Expert, with ranks in Heal
Me: Expert, with ranks in Profession (Gaming) and Craft (Character Sheets)

:smallwink:

Seriously though:

Dad: Archivist or maybe Artificer
Mom: Factotum, maybe with a cleric dip for Rebuke Student.
Me: Wizard + Sorcerer -> Ultimate Magus

onthetown
2010-05-11, 08:41 AM
Me: The only class I would fit in well would be Bard. I love telling people stories (as you've probably noticed, my posts are kind of wordy), I play about five different instruments, and the arts are just generally where my passion is. The only problem is that I'm generally a lawful person (people agree on lawful neutral), so maybe with some house-rules to ban alignment restrictions. I would possibly multi-class or gestalt as a Ranger, as I love being outdoors and I spent all my time playing in the forest when I was growing up. I have a little zoo of animals in the house right now. My animal companion would be my horse, if it was allowed... I forget the list. If not, I have a kitty. Or a mouse. Or a shark. Take your pick. (My boyfriend calls the cat my familiar, though.)

Mom: Definitely a Noble from the DL campaign setting. She just wants to be waited on hand and foot and expects everybody else to do things for her. Chaotic Good.

Stepfather: I can't honestly think of any D&D classes for him. He's such a defined technogeek and nothing else that I have to go with Smart Hero, Technician occupation from D20 Modern. I want to say Chaotic Evil, since he's a complete jack and does what he wants to get what he wants, usually from me. If not CE, then Chaotic Neutral. Edit: Maybe a skill-focused Rogue.

Father: Wizard/Rogue. This man is a wealth of knowledge, useful and not. I can expect to hear some new fact about some obscure subject every time I see him. He just seems to revel in obtaining strange information. He also likes using it to his advantage to manipulate people, and he's quite capable of pulling fast ones on me and everybody else. He's tricky. I won't go as far as to say Lawful Evil, but we're quite alike in a lot of our personality (except the manipulating part) so definitely Lawful Neutral.

Yora
2010-05-11, 09:00 AM
My father would be a telepath specialized in psychic surgery. Or an expert with max ranks and skill focus in Sense Motive.

My grandfather would definately be an expert with skills in profession (sailor), profession (mechanic), open lock, and disable divice.

My aunt would be a ranger or maybe even a druid. I don't know about her husband but he's too cool a farmer to be a first level commoner. Probably expert/warrior.

And my mother would be cleric. Probably a pretty high level one, as she'd be one of 11 second level high priests and superior to about 50 regular priests. I think that should be enough to have access to Raise Dead and Planar Ally. :smallbiggrin:

One of my uncles would be a low level cleric or rather adept.

My brother is working on his first level of marshal or warlord. Something about getting a bunch of stupid first level commoners in line and stop them from breaking rank.

Myself, either expert or diviner/loremaster.

Cuaqchi
2010-05-11, 09:03 AM
Mom... Hard call, but probably Cleric of some type.
Dad... Paladin, an honest to gods paladin though the god of choice would be hard to decipher as an agnostic.
Me... Wizard/Druid
1st Brother... Barbarian
Sister... Bard or Sorcerer focusing on social ability and enchantment based spells.
2nd Brother... Probably Paladin or Cleric but with a lot of ranks in cross-class Perform-Draw.

valadil
2010-05-11, 09:04 AM
Level 1 Commoners, the whole lot of them!

Telonius
2010-05-11, 09:18 AM
Mom: Cloistered Cleric/Bard. She was going to be a nun before she met my dad. Also a very good singer. (According to family story her high school choir was on the Ed Sullivan show once).

Dad: Barbarian/Archivist. ("Conan the Librarian" build). Dude has a temper, but he's very well-read and is a former English teacher. Do NOT get into an argument with him about Shakespeare.

Brother: Artificer, but he'd have to be a Gnome given the number of his contraptions that don't exactly work the way they're supposed to.

Uncle: Cleric. Being a priest will do that.

Wife: Bard/Artificer. Also an excellent singer, she's the mechanically inclined one in this relationship.

Mother-in-Law: Paladin. Does not put up with nonsense from anybody.

Daughter: Hasn't chosen a class yet, but being 8 months old grants some ridiculous bonuses to charisma. Fascinate and Wail of the Banshee as Ex abilities.

Me: Probably some kind of Rogue or Beguiler, possibly Archivist.

Myou
2010-05-11, 09:57 AM
(Ages aren’t our real ones, I’m actually 21)

Me: CG Naga Wizard/PrCs//Warblade (Male, Age 18) - I love knowledge and science, but I'm also pretty well-built physically, and I like learning new skills. Oh, and I hate overly controlling government/people in general, and value freedom a lot (sadly we don't get any in my country). And I'm horribly disorganised. xD
I've got good str and dex, great con and int, and good wis and cha. (What do you mean, 'did I roll those with DM supervision?', you calling me a cheat? D:< )

Mother: TN Dryad Shapeshift Druid//Totemist (Age 39) - Freaking new age hippy mother. Thinks she was a horse in a previous life. :smalltongue:
She's also got a nurturing side though, and is pretty wise, if not hugely intelligent.
Average str, dex, con and int, but very high wis and good cha.

Father: LE Vampire Dread Necromancer//Rogue/Assassin (Age 42) - Never up before noon without a good reason, sucks the life out of people with his gloomy attitude, lies a lot, and tends to be extremely selfish (depression can do that).
Good str, average dex, average con (Vampires don't have con anyway, so he's losing nothing. XD) pretty intelligent, but awful wisdom and average charisma. No idea how he got my mother to marry him. XD

Grandfather: CE Dwarf Crusader//Paladin of Slaughter (Age 53) - Hates governments, police, immigrants, gays (glad I have a high bluff check), motorists, pedestrians, foreigners, English (me again, but harder to hide), Scottish, Welsh, etc. Basically, he thinks anyone who doesn't look and act like him should be shot. And then deported.
Great str, good dex, great con, good int, awful wis, bad cha.

Grandmother (Deceased, can we get a raise dead over here?!): LG (how she and my grandfather got together I have no idea) Halfling Cloistered Cleric//Rogue - She was always fun and playful (but strict), and generally the polar opposite of her husband.
Average str, good dex, average con, average int, good wis, great cha.

Yeah, we wouldn't make a very good adventuring party. :smallbiggrin:
My mother, grandmother and I would probably end up killing my grandfather, and my father would probably side with the BBEG. D:

PersonMan
2010-05-11, 10:09 AM
Father: LN Fighter 1/Adept 1/Expert 3
Str: ~14
Dex: 13
Con: 14
Int: 15
Wis: 14
Cha: 13
Was an apprentice toolmaker for a while before going into computer/software stuff
Mother: NG Druid 3/Ranger 2
Str: 11
Dex: 13
Con: 15
Int: 13
Wis: 16
Cha: 12
Suboptimal. Yes.
Me: TN Adept 1/Expert 2/Sorcerer 2
Str: 9
Dex: 14
Con: 16
Int: 14
Wis: 8
Cha: 15
Not much to say.
Brother: CN Expert 2
Str: 10
Dex: 13
Con: 14
Int: 13? Hard to tell
Wis: 7
Cha: 13
He's eight. Some of these stats are iffy.

Sister: CG Commoner 1
Str: 6
Dex: 11
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 15
Cha: 15
She's five.

Yeah, we're a pretty odd group.

Caliphbubba
2010-05-11, 10:23 AM
interesting tweeest as they say :-)

My family D&D-ized:

Dad: CN Bard/Barbarian or Beguiler works too. with mediocre physical stats, a wisdom dump and high INT/CHA. Something of a diplomancer with a mean streak.

Mom: TN Urban Ranger, with a dog/wolf. Charisma penalty cause she's really not forceful personality-wise at all. Probaby focused on ranged attacks.

Brother: NG Bard into Seeker of the Song or Sublime Cord. high mental stats all the way around. Perform(Singing).

Noedig
2010-05-11, 10:57 AM
Father: Old Medium Humanoid LG Healer 5/Expert 3 w/lots and lots of ranks in heal and diplomacy.

Str 13
Dex 11
Con 12
Int 17
Wis 16
Cha 15


Eldest Son: Adult Medium Humanoid LN Fighter 3/Bard 2/Monk 1 w/lots of ranks in all the social skills

Str 15
Dex 15
Con 14
Int 13
Wis 10
Cha 17


Middle Son (Me): Adult Medium Humanoid N-LE Archivist 1/Loremaster 2/Fighter 1/Rogue 1/ Monk 1
Ranks in all knowledge skills, use device, craft, diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, and sleight of hand

Str 15
Dex 15
Con 16
Int 17
Wis 14
Cha 14


Daughter: Adult Small Humanoid N-LE Loremaster 2/Rogue 2 Ranks in all knowledge skills, use device, craft, diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, and sleight of hand. (She's like a small clone of me but female and prettier)

Str 10
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 16
Wis 12
Cha 15


Youngest Son: Young Small Humanoid CN Rogue 2
Ranks in bluff, diplomacy

Str 11
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 13
Wis 10
Cha 13


No we arent optimized.

Dienekes
2010-05-11, 11:12 AM
Hmm

Father= LG Paladin. My father is a pinnacle of virtue, and expects the highest standards from his family. Not overbearing really, but expects morality and will be very disappointed in you if you aren't. Focuses on Wisdom and Charisma, completely dumped Constitution (bad back).

Mother= NG Marshal. She may not be the strongest character in the game, but if she tells you to do something, you do it. She maxed out Intelligence, and completely dumped all physical skills.

Sister= NG Bard. The force of personality that keeps the family together. Very high Charisma, Wisdom, and Dexterity. Notably has no dump stat.

Me= LN Warblade. Without a doubt the muscle of the group. A big ugly brute figure, who surprisingly spends most of his time reading. Focused on Strength, Intelligence, and Constitution has never put a single point in any of the other stats.

Brother= CN Barbarian/Swordsage. Always butting heads with the party Paladin and causing mischief. A very good fighter in his own right but lacks the discipline of the Warblade. Tends to go off the handle at random times. Focused on Dexterity and Charisma, secondary in Strength and Constitution, decent Intelligence and dumped Wisdom.

ghost_warlock
2010-05-11, 11:21 AM
Step-dad (52): Nomad. Nothing else fits him quite so well. As a trucker, it seems like he's always on the move and rarely stays in one place for long. What better way to haul a big load from Point A to B than an astral caravan?

Mom (51): Hm. Hard to say as she's not much of an adventurer. Perhaps a Cleric with the community and family domains. She's the most religious member of the family and has spent the last 30+ years with "mom" as her full-time job.

Me (31): Started out as a Paladin, fell, and psychic reformation'd into an Egoist. Just as well - Str has always been my dump-stat. :smalltongue:

Younger Brother #1 (25): Fighter/Bard/Druid. Seems to flutter from one dream to another, will hopefully make it into fochlucan lyrist someday and bring it all together.

Younger brother #2 (20): Warmage. Charismatic, undisciplined, and probably the most naturally athletic of us boys. But most of all he loves a good explosion.

"Kid" sister (16): Probably following in mom's footsteps but hard to say for sure because she still has a lot of growing up to do. For the time being, I'll say Favored Soul as she's more charismatic than wise.

Octopus Jack
2010-05-11, 11:34 AM
Ok let's give this a go:

Me: Definetly a Hexblade, True Neutral verging on chaotic, lots of luck feats, and improved unarmed strike. Wisdom as a dump stat.

Sister: Wizard, Neutral Good. Lots of knowledge skills, a familiar (cat). High Int, good Dex but low Cha and Con

Father: Blackguard Lawful Evil, decent mental and quite good physical stats

Mother: Cleric probably Neutral Good. No idea for stats.

Grandfather: Artificer Lawful Good, probably the highest level of the family got high physical and mental stats.

Lifeson
2010-05-11, 11:38 AM
Me: Bard/Rogue : I'm a musician, a story-teller, and I have a knack for picking up skills somewhat fast. And I fight dirty. :smalltongue:

Dad: Technomancer/Artificer: He was a techie for the military. I figured it'd be this by default. Artificer as a second class because he dealt mostly with hardware, and he's actually kind of handy.

Mom: If her WoW persona is anything to go by, it's Barbarian. :smalltongue:

Sister: I have no idea. Maybe Bard/Druid?

arguskos
2010-05-11, 11:40 AM
Well, my folks are divorced, so it'd be an awkward and disaster fraught group, but, let's figure it out anyways.

Me: Probably a Binder/Sorcerer/Anima Mage. I have a strong personality that is very magnetic in nature (people either like or hate me, not much middle ground), and I love the idea of shaping things with pure will and instinct (things I'm driven by),

Mom: Something cautious and analytical, since she is a very laid-back, detail oriented type of person. Perhaps Druid, since she is also fairly religious (compared to the rest of us) and loves gardening.

Dad: Warblade. He is a tough and scary dude, very strong and very capable of a lot of wild feats of strength and whatnot.

Step-Mother: Something caring and nurturing yet cerebral. Probably Cloistered Cleric.

Little Brother: He's 2 years old. Pass.

The Dog: He's a dog. Pass.

Dogmantra
2010-05-11, 11:52 AM
Myself: A Factotum. What I lack in Strength (and I do lack in Strength), I more than make up for in Intelligence, and the speed at which I learn things. Good Charisma, but with a tendency to roll really badly on social checks. Most likely NG.

Older Brother: Bard. He plays a bunch of instruments, is fluent in Japanese, and generally knows quite a bit about quite a bit. Almost definitely chaotic, either neutral or good.

Mother: Also knows quite a bit about quite a bit, I'm going to go for a cloistered cleric/archivist with a load of Charisma. She is incredible at arguments. Either NG or CG.

Father: Probably also a Bard, but more of a Bardic Music focused Bard than my brother. He has played the guitar for a good 37 years, and can bodge nigh on any job, though not as well as someone trained in it. Really hard to come up with an alignment.

The Cat Goddess
2010-05-11, 11:58 AM
Well, I was raised by my Aunt, so...

Aunt: Bard/Druid/Greensinger/Archivist. She's a concert-class pianist, has a great singing voice, incredibly skilled gardener & professional librarian.

Uncle: Warblade/Beastmaster (Dogs). Tough and skilled and very good at training dogs.

Cousin: Bard/Loremaster/Paragnostic Apostle. Plays the Guitar, Mandolin & teaching himself the Hurdy-Gurdy. Collects stories and esoteric trivia... practically unbeatable in Trivial Pursuit.

Cousin's Wife: Cloistered Cleric/Monk. She's a Buddhist Temple Priest's daughter, after all.

My Significant Other: BattleDancer/Bard. She designs and makes costumes for shows in the Las Vegas casinos, plays the flute, does choreography and actually knows how to fight.

Me: Bard/Factotum. I play the cello, violin, fiddle & lap-harp. I love telling stories at Ren-Faires and I love studying new things. Of course, Dex is my dump stat (I'm a klutz) & I have the "Black Thumb" flaw (plants do not last a week under my care :smallfrown:).

Choco
2010-05-11, 11:59 AM
Level 1 Commoners, the whole lot of them!

That is probably the closest to the truth, however if we had PC classes...

As I see us:

Dad: LN Fighter
Mom: LG Vow of Nonviolence Cloistered Cleric
Sister: CN Wilder/Anarchic Initiate
Me: LG Paladin/Sorcerer

As we often appear to others:

Dad: LE Paladin of Tyranny
Mom: LG Vow of Nonviolence Cloistered Cleric
Sister: CE Wilder/Anarchic Initiate
Me: CE Paladin of Slaughter/Sorcerer

Either way I think we got a decent enough group going.

Xallace
2010-05-11, 12:18 PM
Well well, let's see... v3.5?

Pops: Artificer primarily, with a dash of Ranger and the Educated feat. Ranks in Survival, Use Rope, and Knowledge (Nature) from his Boy Scout days (all 40-some years of them), but focused primarily on varying Craft skills, a couple Professions, and Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering). He'd probably serve as party buffer, being a stout pacifist, but also as the party face somehow; good Charisma, and definite ranks in Diplomacy. Lawful Good.

Mum: Spirit Shaman. High ranks in Heal, Profession (Herbalist), and Knowledge (Nature); Brew Potion is definitely part of her repetoire, for both medicinal and bartending purposes. Knowledge (Local) for a few large cities is a must, and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) since her hobby is keeping up with European Royalty. She might also have a level or two in other spellcasting classes; she's a big fan of magic in various cultures. Would primarily work as the party healer and, combined with Pops, our sages. Neutral Good.

Lil' Sis: Fighter / Cavalier. She eschews academic pursuits in favor of physical ones, and has a definite love for horses. Handle Animal and Ride are her top skills by far, possibly with the Skill Focus feats in each. Mounted Combat feats make up her primary selection. Party tank, so long as she has Mum and Pops to back her up; doesn't do so well with fear effects. Lawful Neutral.

Big Sis: Um... she's a writer, and a housewife, so... ranks in Craft (Writing), Profession (Chef)... Knowledge (Local) [Savannah, Georgia]... I dunno, she never really did anything that I know of. Our lives are very separate. Chaotic Neutral.

----

Pap: Venerable Ranger with a little Fighter thrown in to taste. At his prime his Con score was amazing, although he's taken quite a hit in his old age. His main weapon would be a large crossbow (his aim is still quite good). Skill Focus (Spot), Rapid Reload, Precise Shot, other ranged combat feats. Improved Toughness as well. Being the front-line war veteran that he is, I imagine he's higher level than the rest of us, though his age definitely takes its toll on his useful abilities. Ranged damage-dealer, Lawful Neutral.

Nana: Venerable healer with a single level in Barbarian. Many ranks in Heal. Nana used to be quite athletic, and her strength for being 4'8" and nearly anorexic is something legendary; at the same time, most of her life was spent as a nurse, and she's very good at treating wounds and disease. Lawful Neutral.

Gramps: Bard / Loremaster. A man of dozens of tales, random trivia, and knowledge about pretty much everything pre-1980. Skill Focus (Knowledge [History]), and max ranks. He's not much of a fighter, but as a historical reference he's better than most libraries.

Also has some incredible Fortitude Saves, given his ability to shrug off things like strokes.

Fiery Diamond
2010-05-11, 12:28 PM
Lessee...using only core classes because I don't know enough about the others....

My Father: NG Ranger. He's a pathologist for his career (Heal skill sums this up), but his hobby fits his personality much better: I'm fond of saying that botany is his hobby. He's an avid outdoorsman, he loves hiking, planting trees, growing gardens, and all that kind of stuff. On the other hand, he's more intellectual than hippy-style and not really a tree-hugger; he just loves to spend time messing with plants and moving around.

My Mother: ...Hm, this one is tougher. She's NG. She's a hard-worker and likes to volunteer (when she has time), usually putting too much responsibility on herself. She's loving and kind, but strict. She also likes hiking outdoors and gardening, but she's less of a fanatic about it than my dad. She's an animal lover. Hm... let's go down the list...Bbn (definitely no), Bard (no), Cleric (well, she likes to volunteer at the church...), Druid (is an animal lover...), Fighter (heavens no), Monk (er, no), Paladin (no), Ranger (not like my dad...), Rogue (no), Sorcerer (heh heh...no), Wizard (no). So....maybe a Cleric/Druid (wolf animal companion)? I'm not sure.

My Big Brother (age 23): Hah, this one is easy. TN (though he would claim NG) Wizard, knowledge-focused, especially knowledge(mathematics). He probably has Skill Focus: know(math). He's a literal mathematical genius.

Myself (age 20): Hm... NG for sure. I know what class I'd want to be (sorcerer)... but truthfully, if I were to compile my character traits (ignoring my RL physical stats all being below 9: probably about Str6, Dex7, Con8) I'd be a Barbarian//Bard: I'm a good performer with drama and singing, I love to do writing and stuff with the arts, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I have a horrible temper.

My Little Sister (17): NG Druid. Cat animal companion (RL pet). Or wolf, or cheetah. She is a complete outdoors-loving indoors-hating goody-two-shoes with a heart of gold. She's my favorite sibling.

Lord of Syntax
2010-05-11, 12:41 PM
I will be doing it Gestalt.
Me: A Wizard//Factotum, fairly good at most things but awesome a some things. I have a lot of ranks in K: Computer Science.
My Mother: A Marshal//Bard with ranks in Preform (Nagging).
My Father: A Bard 1/Commoner//Factotum, he has never really figured out what he wants to do, so he does a little of everything.
My Cat: My cat is probably a Rogue/Assassin//Monk, he has quite a Death Attack as my porch and its pile of dead animals can attest, and he defiantly has a powerful unarmed strike, as my arm can attest.

Cogidubnus
2010-05-11, 02:29 PM
Dad: NG High STR cleric - hammer the bad guys and doctor to the good guys. Maxed Heal and Knowledge (Nature).

Brother - CN bard/rogue with mithral breastplate and a guitar.

Mum: NG Druid, probably. Focus on buffs/healing, unless you get her really mad. Then she transforms into a giant bear :smalleek:

Me - Paladin/Sorcerer with Stilled Spells + Rods of Still Spell. Destructive casting and divinely-powered sword swinging.

Vorpalbob
2010-05-11, 03:01 PM
My mother is the easiest. Druid all the way. She has a garden that is slowly taking over our entire yard, recycles everything she possibly can, and rides her bike everywhere. She's also into Wicca.

My dad is sort of a laid back, take-it-as-it-comes guy. I'd say he would be a Fighter who would protect the rest of the party, and doesn't like taking chances.

My step mother would be a Cleric. She brings the family together, and while she isn't extremely intelligent or knowledgeable, she has a definite skill at diplomacy that can stop fights immediately.

My sister is three, so she wouldn't be joining the rest of us.

I am a Bard. That is what I am, what I always was, and what I always will be. I focus on the electric ukulele, and I am competent with the guitar, bass, drums, bass ukulele, and I know a few tunes on the banjo. I sing, I'm the frontman of my band, I've acted in professional shows (and been paid to do so), and I have the sometimes annoying habit of dropping one-liners. I also write short stories. My weapons of choice would be a shortbow and dual knives.

My cat would be a Sorceress with a few levels of Rogue. She is bright orange and quite big, so sneaking is not happening. Her tactic would be to waltz right up to people, charming their brains out. Then she would stretch, oh so innocently, and claw their eyes out. This is her MO IRL.

James the Dark
2010-05-11, 03:39 PM
Dad - Barbarian who cross-classed into Paladin in recent years. Famous in my family for standing back to back with five other guys and withstanding an attack from an entire town's thug population. Recovered from anger issues. High strenght and constitution, quite respectable charisma.

Mom - Expert, dipping into Chameleon. She never does one thing for very long, never keeps one set of friends, and recently buggered off. Chaotic alignment.

Brother - Bard, all the way. Maxed out Perform: Electric Bass.

Me - Factotum. All kinds of skills, and at least one skill rank in every Knowledge under the sun, but otherwise incapable of doing just about anything requireing more than a modicum of training or expertise.

Ernir
2010-05-11, 03:49 PM
Mother: Sorceress/War Weaver
Father: Cleric
Me: Archivist
Brother: Wizard
Sister: Barbarian
Cat: My mother's familiar.

Quincunx
2010-05-11, 04:04 PM
Well, I got this revenant blood from somewhere--Oh. D&D PCs. Gotcha. We are a low-level party with some (. . .a lot of. . .) ill-advised character paths.

Mom: Monk 2/Sorcerer 4. She spent her early years surviving and not much else. Once out of that shadow, her natural talents could bloom like spells--few, but versatile and inexhaustible.

Dad: Ranger 6. Equally at home in the temperate deciduous forest, the temperate plowed field, and the temperate server farm, but lost anywhere outside of his chosen terrain. Favored enemy: cubicle drone.

Myself: Cleric 3, Death and Knowledge. I look forward to level 4 and that bonus point to wisdom. Maybe then I'll be able to cast the second-level spells I ought to have unlocked.

Younger sister: Rogue 3. Despite ranks in perform and self-deception, not a bard. Her music doesn't stab people's hearts and minds. She does.

Youngest sister: Paladin 2. Intended to be our healbot, and to everyone's surprise, became our tank. Took UMD cross-class to make up for lack of spells.

Anonymouswizard
2010-05-11, 04:59 PM
I'll go with those I can stat, some I cannot do.

Dad: bard 3-4/wizard 1, most likely. Intelligent, a decent actor, and has a good knowledge of old rules (BD&D). Add in a homebrewed gamemaster class. Makes bad jokes.

Sister 1: wizard 2-3/fighter 1?. Pretty much the only single class, as she is the most focused. Can also read latin (ahem, draconic:smallbiggrin:). Has had Ti-Jitsu training.

Me: cloistered cleric 1/bard1/fighter 1. Again intelligent, I also know the 3.5 PHB nearly front to back (and the only one of us to know the critical threat rule), I am a moderately okay actor, and am the only one of us that I can say has had extensive martial art training (karate, 6th belt). Feats: improved unarmed strike, weapon focus (unarmed strike), and 2 skill focuses (knowledges). Most skill points are in knowledges. I am the only one of us who is religious. Makes bad jokes.

Brother 1: wizard 1/rogue 1/expert 1. Most skill points are in creative skills. Has had Judo training.

Brother 2: wizard 1/rogue 1. There is some reasoning in this, but I have forgotten it.

And the old man who sends us on our quest:

Granddad: mathematician 8. Near mathematical genius (or actually one, depending on how you interpret my dad).

Temotei
2010-05-11, 06:21 PM
I'll be bending the trait rules a bit.

Mum: Factotum -- Maybe. There's not really much for Mum that fits, so factotum works, I guess. She's pretty versatile. Before she got breast cancer, she was pretty strong too. Then she reached level 3.
Fighting Style: Talker
Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Search, Sense Motive, Spot
Traits: Cautious
Dad: Barbarian/Fighter -- He might not get angry much, but when he does (when someone threatens a friend or family, for example), there will probably be blood. Despite that, he seems to have a calculated stance in terms of fighting, always thinking instead of rushing into the fight.
Fighting Style: Reserved Rager
Skills: Appraise, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Search, Sense Motive
Traits: Easygoing, Hardy, Nearsighted, Plucky
Stepdad: Too much work for now. I'm done. :smallbiggrin:
Me: Bard/Feat Rogue -- Honestly, I'm most likely neutral good (I've got many lawful and chaotic tendencies, but overall, I think it balances out to "I don't care as long as everyone is safe and happy."), but that doesn't stop me from raiding the cupboards at night for food right behind my mom who never sleeps. I'm really social and energetic all the time basically, and I love to play instruments (whether or not I know how). I also tend to hold influence in social situations. Bardic music might not be my thing, however, hence the multiclass/alternate class. Who knows. :smalltongue:
Fighting Style: Dishonorable Duelist
Skills: Balance, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Spot, Tumble
Traits: Cautious, Easygoing, Focused, Polite, Skinny
Brother: Barbarian/Fighter -- My little bro has a short fuse, but he's one of the most trustworthy people you'll meet. Loyal. Of course, you make him mad and all that matters is the pain he's inflicting.
Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighter
Skills: Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Listen, Swim
Traits: Agressive, Detached, Hardy, Passionate, Plucky, Skinny, Slippery
Stepbrother: Unarmed Swordsage -- Yep. He's basically a combat machine with a focus on disarms and grabs. I would say monk, but I'm way faster than he is and he's not into that whole flurry thing. Oh, and he's not lawful. :smallamused:
Fighting Style: Unarmed Specialist
Skills: Bluff, Craft (something with metalworking), Diplomacy, Jump
Traits: None

MeatShield#236
2010-05-11, 06:32 PM
Dad-NG Paladin/Bard, a very hard-working, honest man who also can make a ping-pong tournament sound like a wrestling match. Cannot stand swearing, among other things, but is otherwise very laid-back. Has ranks in a few perform skills along with profession(programmer.) High Cha, mid Str, Dex, Con, and Int, Low Wis

Mom-NG Druid, an expert gardener and cook. Animal companion is either a cat or a dog, (or both). Has max ranks in diplomacy, gardening, and loving. Good Cha, Wis. Decent Int. Low Str, Dex, and Con.

Oldest Brother- LN Artificer, a industrial tech major. Loves engineering. A very play-by-the-rules person. Good Int, Str, and Con. Decent Dex. Low Wis and Cha.

Middle Brother- CG Bard/Rogue, a jazz musician. A very easy person to get along with. Has max ranks in Perform(saxaphone) and bluff. A very inteligent person who doesn't think about the conciquences sometimes. Decent Str and Con. Good Dex, Int, and Cha. Low Wis.

Youngest Brother (me)- NG Factorium. I love random knowedge and knowing stuff in general. Prefer to just blend in and help in whatever way I can. Have ranks in Diplomacy, knowledge, and sense motive. Of my three brothers, I probably have the most common sense. Good Int, Wis, and Cha. Decent Dex. Low Str and Con.

So, a decent party?

Irreverent Fool
2010-05-11, 06:57 PM
Expert, Expert, Commoner, Expert, Aristocrat.

None of us have any special powers or particular ability with armor and weapons.

obnoxious
sig

Draz74
2010-05-11, 07:35 PM
Expert, Expert, Commoner, Expert, Aristocrat.

None of us have any special powers or particular ability with armor and weapons.

obnoxious
sig

Man, you guys are in trouble when the zombie apocalypse comes. :smallfrown:

AslanCross
2010-05-12, 01:43 AM
(Ignoring alignment restrictions)

Grandma: CG Druid. Great cook and nature-lover; can get along with almost anyone she meets. Doesn't like planning very much. High CHA, high WIS.

Dad: NG Ranger/Cleric with the Trade and Artifice domains. He's a bank executive who specializes in electronic applications and operations. He's done a lot of running in his youth and still does some regularly. He's also a decent shot with a rifle. High CON, low DEX

Mom: LG Bard/Cloistered Cleric with the Community and Family domains. She started out as teacher then worked in the merchandising department for a large mall chain, then went back to teaching. Now she's the director of our church's children's ministry and also sings in the choir. Since she got into a serious car accident that damaged the left half of her nervous system, she's somewhat uncoordinated. High INT and WIS, low DEX

Me: LG Cloistered Cleric with the Community and Planning domains. Like my mom I'm a teacher, but for the foreseeable future I'll be one. I have a knack for reading nonverbal cues and body language as well as guessing what's on other people's minds. High WIS.

My younger brother: NG Transmuter. While he's usually laid back, my brother has a gift for the culinary arts and sciences. He's very orderly and particular with method, so I see him as more of a wizard than anything else. He's also far more athletic than me. High INT and CON.

My two young stepbrothers are still 8 and 6 respectively, so I don't really know what they'll become yet.

Stone Heart
2010-05-12, 02:44 AM
My entire family is bards. Dad is a musician, brothers are both musicians, I was a musician (broke both my arms kinda stopped after that) and I am such a good storyteller that I have stories about me telling stories that gets people to gather around me, and mom is a jack(jill?) of all trades, bardic knowledge check randomly sorta thing.

More specifically though

Dad: Barbarian because of his raging, he also really strong, if not that tall, and is very good at fighting from the way he grew up.

Mom: Cleric though not really of any specific god, she is very compassionate, and randomly knows medical stuff, probably because her dad was an army surgeon, and most of her family were nurses.

Son 1: Rogue, very dextrous, skinniest in the family, great at extreme sports, daredevil.

Son 2: Bard he is one of the most amazing musicians I've ever known, he randomly taught himself banjo because there was one in the house, and you've seen him play if you watched the super bowl opening from this year, he was in the orchestra behind Jay Z in the opening.

Son 3(me): Not sure, Druid probably. I am very animalistic, and am very in touch with nature, especially our dogs, especially MY dog. The fact that my high school was based around zoology probably adds to this, especially because studying animals for so long has caused me to mimic certain behaviors of certain animals when I am relaxed, it helps make the animals you are studying more calm and act more naturally.

Superglucose
2010-05-12, 03:15 AM
Dad,

Definitely a Bard with a diplomatic focus. He's a fantastic lawyer, would have above averages in all stats, especially charisma and int. His lowest stat would probably be wisdom. CG.

Mom,

Paladin for sure. LG (leaning LN) for sure, she has the stick-up-her-bum class feature. High int, moderate cha, lowish wisdom, and poor physical stats.

Little bro,

He's 8. Come back in a few years.

Older sister,

One of those classes that's spread too thin. I'd say Monk but she's not lawful. The thing is, she's just never sure what she wants to be doing so she ends up doing nothing.

Myself,

As much as I want to say wizard, I have to say I'm probably more of a rogue.

HunterOfJello
2010-05-12, 03:29 AM
3 Commoners
1 Vrock
1 Archivist

Ormur
2010-05-12, 04:01 AM
I've actually considered making a character based on my father, a Dwarf Factotum. He just knows how to do everything. I'd probably put ranks in every skill so I could use inspiration for them all, especially the craft skills. He's a dwarf because of the charisma minus unless biting sarcasm counts as charismatic.

Mother would be an archivist because her job is cataloguing although her physical stats are above average for such a character.

My sister would be the on with the ranks in diplomacy. Maybe a sorceress (cross class or able learner).

Her husband would be a cleric, maybe cloistered, in the Old Norse pantheon, he's even one-eyed. He'd be a dwarf too.

My brother would be a bard with perform: drawing or perform: animation.

I'd be a wizard myself. Good int, la-la charisma, lower wisdom and hardly any strength. I'd put all my extra skillpoints in knowledge: history and knowledge: trivia.

Amiel
2010-05-12, 04:53 AM
Level 1 Commoners, the whole lot of them!

Well, my mum is descended from aristocracy; so, she'd be an Aristocrat :smalltongue:


Mum and Dad are both teachers; if I had to choose, I'd say Wizard/Loremaster for both. They're well read (our house is overflowing with books), knowledgeable in their chosen professions and well liked. They also seem to roll well/high on Animal Empathy checks. High Int and Cha, decent Wis and Con (getting on a bit), and average Str and Dex.

Anonymouswizard
2010-05-12, 09:40 AM
Made a mistake back there:

Me: Archivist 1/Bard 1/Fighter 1. I am intelligent but have below average wisdom (about 16 int but 7-8 wis).

Voldecanter
2010-05-12, 03:43 PM
Dad : Barbarian

Mom: Barbarian/Healer

Me :Sorcerer/Wizard/Cleric

Sister : Rogue/Ranger

Thajocoth
2010-05-12, 04:15 PM
Me: Artificer (Actual: Video Game Artificial Intelligence Programmer)

Brother: Bard (Actual: College - Acting)

Mom: CoDzilla (Cleric) with Leadership (Actual: Runs several websites online for child care providers and parents and such. Has a bit of a following. Does the work of a team of people by herself. I have seen her deal with situations that would be absolutely impossible for the average person. The reason Cleric & not Druid: The animals in the house annoy her to no end, and she's convinced Oliver is out to get her.)

Dad: Barbarian/Warrior (Actual: Facilities Management)

Scamper: Awakened Cat Monk with old age

Oliver: Cat Rogue

Tango: Awakened Dog Paladin

Elphaba: Dog [Is there a sumo wrestler class?]

Froogleyboy
2010-05-12, 05:17 PM
Seems fun

Mom - My mother would be a CE barbarian. She is the biggest sociopath I've ever met, and if she's had a drink in her, she starts swinging (last night she chased me around with a friggen knife!) She can take on any man I've ever met, I'd want her on my side in a fight.
Real Dad - Dad would have to be a CG rogue, He's never worked a day in his life, but he has more money then anyone I know. He's the perfect thief
Step Dad - He'd have to be a CE expert, he is a master at airbrushing. That's all I can say about him without insulting him