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View Full Version : Would you like to play in that party? Ivanhoe, Beowulf and Sherlock Holmes



Ossian
2012-01-04, 06:10 AM
Dear All,

I just opened the last of my Xmas presents and there were plenty of awesome books. Standing out from the stash are three items I was looking forward to adding to my collection: Beowulf (this time translated by M. Hudson), W. Scott's Ivanhoe and A.C. Doyle's Holmes complete anthology.

Of course I started crunching numbers the moment I saw the three books together. Question to the playground: would you enjoy playing a character in such a party? How do you see the dynamics going? Who would be in the lead?

We have two high-teens front line fighters , I would say a mix of Barbarian / Fighter (Beowulf), but also a chieftain and a glory seeker, and a Fighter / prestige Paladin without spells or perhaps simply a Knight / Cavalier (Ivanhoe), righteous and hell-bent on quests. With them, we have a well educated man of principles with soldier training and medical knowledge (say, Expert / Warrior mix?) in the mid levels and ...ah, tough one, an all-round genius, an investigator, a musician, a boxer, what talent does he not have, definitely an upper teens Rogue with some weird PrC I can t even think of. Sherlock Holmes.

I think that if the party was "streamlined" (fantasy version of Holmes and Watson, or even cooler, Victorian versions of Beowulf and Ivanhoe (he's an Englishman too, after all) it would be a totally cool group to go adventuring with.

O.

PS
Please don't burst my bubble with "beowulf and ivanhoe are fighters (level 3 tops) and Holmes and Watson are both level 3 experts :smallbiggrin:

Seharvepernfan
2012-01-04, 06:19 AM
I used to hate when people said this, so if you do, I feel ya: beowulf is a warblade, holmes is a factotum.

I don't know anything about Ivanhoe, I've only heard the name, but it sounds like crusader would work. You could argue that watson is a cleric.

As to your question, the answer is, well, yes. That sounds like a D&D party.

TheCountAlucard
2012-01-04, 06:36 AM
I was just gonna suggest that it could be the basis of a starting circle of Solar Exalts. :smallamused:

Holmes would make for a good Twilight Caste, high Lore and Investigation, of course, and probably also has Athletics favored. Willing to bet he's also got a good Larceny, given how good his disguises are.

As for Beowulf, I'm seeing him as a Dawn Caste. Tearing off a monster's arm with your bare hands sounds about right for that. :smallamused: Seeing him as high Martial Arts and Melee, high Presence and Resistance, and high Athletics.

The only one I'm doubting is Ivanhoe, because his abilities are pretty much that of an ordinary human. He's certainly no Greek hero.

Rorrik
2012-01-04, 10:55 AM
While Ivanhoe is a normal human, he's got a ton of resolve and proves himself to be the best knight in England at the time. He's also nobility by declaration of the King and has a castle to fall back on. Though the same could be said of Beowulf.

TheCountAlucard
2012-01-04, 11:14 AM
Though the same could be said of Beowulf.Beowulf wrestled with a monster that was immune to weapons, and ripped its arm off. He fought a dragon when he was an old man. He only lost a swimming contest because he had to take a break to fight sea monsters and bed hot mermaids!

Though that last part may have just been an exaggeration. :smalltongue:

Point is, even if he wasn't a mythic hero, it'd be safe to call him one.

While Holmes belongs to a different sort of fiction, his abilities fall into the same sort of nigh-superhuman focus that a starting Solar typically achieves. I can easily see a Night or Twilight Caste managing all his stuff with just starting Charms, except probably doing so in more of a wuxia style. :smalltongue:

Nightfall, London.

Watson watches from the street-corner as Holmes leaps from rooftop to rooftop, landing gracefully next to his dearest companion. "The game is afoot," announced Holmes, a bright golden brand glimmering on his forehead.

Arriving at the scene, the two immediately begin their investigation. "It's obvious the killer was left-handed," he says after a moment of analysis, "and more important..."

Holmes ducks, a silver blade whistling through the air over his head, where the shimmering golden mark has solidified into a shining half-filled disk of light. "He's still here."

I suppose Ivanhoe could work as a template, though. Give him some Melee and Resistance Charms, a good Integrity... he could be a starting Zenith.

Lix Lorn
2012-01-04, 11:27 AM
Sherlock Holmes would fit even better if you allow the new films to count, in which he applies massive intelligence to combat for tons of damage.

But yeah, it'd be an awesome party.
...dunno who Ivanhoe is though.

Rorrik
2012-01-04, 12:01 PM
Beowulf wrestled with a monster that was immune to weapons, and ripped its arm off. He fought a dragon when he was an old man. He only lost a swimming contest because he had to take a break to fight sea monsters and bed hot mermaids!

Though that last part may have just been an exaggeration. :smalltongue:

Point is, even if he wasn't a mythic hero, it'd be safe to call him one.

While Holmes belongs to a different sort of fiction, his abilities fall into the same sort of nigh-superhuman focus that a starting Solar typically achieves. I can easily see a Night or Twilight Caste managing all his stuff with just starting Charms, except probably doing so in more of a wuxia style. :smalltongue:

Nightfall, London.

Watson watches from the street-corner as Holmes leaps from rooftop to rooftop, landing gracefully next to his dearest companion. "The game is afoot," announced Holmes, a bright golden brand glimmering on his forehead.

Arriving at the scene, the two immediately begin their investigation. "It's obvious the killer was left-handed," he says after a moment of analysis, "and more important..."

Holmes ducks, a silver blade whistling through the air over his head, where the shimmering golden mark has solidified into a shining half-filled disk of light. "He's still here."

I suppose Ivanhoe could work as a template, though. Give him some Melee and Resistance Charms, a good Integrity... he could be a starting Zenith.
Miscommunication, I meant to say that Beowulf could also be said to have a castle and lordship. He is most certainly a mythic hero.

TheCountAlucard
2012-01-04, 12:05 PM
Miscommunication, I meant to say that Beowulf could also be said to have a castle and lordship.Oh, yeah. Some dots of Followers, high Resources, and you're good to go. Maybe some dots in Influence as well.

Skelengar
2012-01-04, 12:31 PM
While Holmes belongs to a different sort of fiction, his abilities fall into the same sort of nigh-superhuman focus that a starting Solar typically achieves. I can easily see a Night or Twilight Caste managing all his stuff with just starting Charms, except probably doing so in more of a wuxia style. :smalltongue:

Nightfall, London.

Watson watches from the street-corner as Holmes leaps from rooftop to rooftop, landing gracefully next to his dearest companion. "The game is afoot," announced Holmes, a bright golden brand glimmering on his forehead.

Arriving at the scene, the two immediately begin their investigation. "It's obvious the killer was left-handed," he says after a moment of analysis, "and more important..."

Holmes ducks, a silver blade whistling through the air over his head, where the shimmering golden mark has solidified into a shining half-filled disk of light. "He's still here."

...Well, I know what my next Exalted character is.

paladinofshojo
2012-01-04, 05:05 PM
While Ivanhoe is a normal human, he's got a ton of resolve and proves himself to be the best knight in England at the time. He's also nobility by declaration of the King and has a castle to fall back on. Though the same could be said of Beowulf.



Beowulf was technically a prince of the Geatish tribes of Sweden and eventually became their king up until he had to save his land from that accursed dragon. So what's a castle compared to a whole kingdom?

Ossian
2012-01-04, 06:06 PM
I was just gonna suggest that it could be the basis of a starting circle of Solar Exalts. :smallamused:

Holmes would make for a good Twilight Caste, high Lore and Investigation, of course, and probably also has Athletics favored. Willing to bet he's also got a good Larceny, given how good his disguises are.

As for Beowulf, I'm seeing him as a Dawn Caste. Tearing off a monster's arm with your bare hands sounds about right for that. :smallamused: Seeing him as high Martial Arts and Melee, high Presence and Resistance, and high Athletics.

The only one I'm doubting is Ivanhoe, because his abilities are pretty much that of an ordinary human. He's certainly no Greek hero.

This, and the following replies, can you tell me what game system you are referring to? Sounds pretty cool.

Os.

TheCountAlucard
2012-01-04, 06:24 PM
This, and the following replies, can you tell me what game system you are referring to?Exalted. It's a game by White Wolf. I'm specifically going in the mindframe of second edition.


Sounds pretty cool.Imagine sort of a fusion of Greek mythology, with all its heroes and monsters, and Shinto. Then violently stuff in as many anime tropes as you can. :smalltongue:

Urpriest
2012-01-04, 06:26 PM
This, and the following replies, can you tell me what game system you are referring to? Sounds pretty cool.

Os.

Exalted, by White Wolf. It's rather more fluff-specific than the quotes might indicate, and has its own baggage issues, but it's still a blast.

Agrippa
2012-01-04, 07:10 PM
Imagine sort of a fusion of Greek mythology, with all its heroes and monsters, and Shinto. Then violently stuff in as many anime tropes as you can. :smalltongue:

You forgot to include some Western superhero tropes. By the way, wouldn't Stardust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_the_Super_Wizard) the Super (http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics29.html) Wizard (http://www.the-isb.com/?p=94) be a perfect source of inspiration for a Twilight Caste? Especially one with Solar level Sorcery?

TheCountAlucard
2012-01-04, 07:18 PM
Exalted. It's a game by White Wolf.


Exalted, by White Wolf.

Curious, that. :smalltongue:


You forgot to include some Western superhero tropes.Did I? :smallconfused:


By the way, wouldn't Stardust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_the_Super_Wizard) the Super (http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics29.html) Wizard (http://www.the-isb.com/?p=94) be a perfect source of inspiration for a Twilight Caste?That's pushing it. :smalltongue:


Especially one with Solar level Sorcery?Let's see, something to let him fly (probably either an artifact or a spell), Wyld-Shaping Technique to let him wreck Fair Folks' day, and just for giggles, Total Annihilation.

Though SCS isn't available at character creation, even with merits and flaws, and I was specifically talking about starting characters.

Agrippa
2012-01-04, 08:03 PM
To TheCountAlucard: I just meant that I see very little difference between high-powered Shonen anime characters and Western superheroes. To me the only real differences between high-powered and anime/manga and Western superhero comics are culture and country of origin.


Imagine sort of a fusion of Greek mythology, with all its heroes and monsters, and Shinto. Then violently stuff in as many anime tropes as you can. :smalltongue:

Here I probably would have changed the last sentence to, "Then violently stuff in as many anime and superhero tropes as you can."

By the way, Stardust isn't someone you start out as, he's someone you aspire to be.

Urpriest
2012-01-04, 10:37 PM
Here I probably would have changed the last sentence to, "Then violently stuff in as many anime and superhero tropes as you can."


See though, it's a fundamental superhero trope that it's fairly easy to get flight, but in Exalted it's rather tricky for most splats. Many superheroes are mutants, but in Exalted mutants are less likely to be superpowered.

I'm having trouble thinking of any superhero tropes that are in Exalted and aren't typical of essentially the entire action genre.