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Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 04:49 PM
Hey everybody. For the game I am running, there comes a point where the party will come upon an adventuring company that is frozen in time in the ancient bowls of the old world. These were the heroes of an age forgotten who almost defeated the god queen who now threatens the land, and the heroes are going to need the key they hold to defeating this interdimensional beast.

Now, While I could easily just come up with characters for this, I would instead like to model this party off of real world (Okay, maybe not REAL)... lets call them champions of legend.

So things like knights of the round table, nordic legends like sigurd the dragon slayer, even people shrouded in mystery like Rasputin would work for my reasons. So I ask the playground; what other great "champions" (Fabled warriors, mages and rogues alike) that have appeared throughout history?

Trickquestion
2013-10-03, 06:03 PM
Are you looking to make the entire party in the style of a single legend, or are you looking to mix and match from across cultures?

Ziegander
2013-10-03, 06:07 PM
Also, must they be heroic, or can some of them be "darker" or even considered evil?

I would throw Nikola Tesla in there, myself, maybe even Leonardo da Vinci. ;)

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 06:24 PM
Are you looking to make the entire party in the style of a single legend, or are you looking to mix and match from across cultures?

I am looking to compile the worlds PC's into a functioning adventuring party.


Also, must they be heroic, or can some of them be "darker" or even considered evil?

I would throw Nikola Tesla in there, myself, maybe even Leonardo da Vinci. ;)
I am fine with the darker type people, it gives a forced together band of heroes that "We do this because the world is at stake" feel to it. Bonus points if they mesh ideally but vary in process :D

Ziegander
2013-10-03, 06:27 PM
Genghis Khan?

Dr Bwaa
2013-10-03, 06:33 PM
Just make an adventuring party composed of every character ever portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart.

For best results, allow the party to discover each new Sir Patrick Stewart persona one at a time, and give very good, clear physical descriptions each time. See how long it takes for them to catch on.

Vitruviansquid
2013-10-03, 06:39 PM
I don't know that it'd be very helpful to look at ancient warriors and heroes since many fantasy settings are full of anachronisms anyways. I'd approach this by having heroes who are somehow dated in the world.

For example, if one of your heroes is the subject of many old songs and tales, it'd be obvious that he was ancient. Likewise, if a hero's known for doing something that has left its mark on the world, like overthrowing an empire, shooting down the second sun, or building a mountain, it's clear that he's ancient.

Another possibility is, if your setting has a sense of time, like the ancient Greeks' idea of an ancient Golden Age when everything was bigger and better, ask yourself what would define the people from the past age. Would they be physically different from people now? Would they live by a different culture? And so on.

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-03, 07:27 PM
Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Genghis Khan, Jesus, joan of arc, Eric the Red, Rasputin, Ozymandius, Cú Chulainn, Scathach, Merlin (obviously), and....hmm...King Leonidas? Are any of those helpful?

Alex12
2013-10-03, 07:32 PM
Big Dumb Fighter: Beowulf
Skillmonkey: Odysseus
Wizard: Merlin
Cleric: Don't know.

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 07:35 PM
I don't know that it'd be very helpful to look at ancient warriors and heroes since many fantasy settings are full of anachronisms anyways. I'd approach this by having heroes who are somehow dated in the world.

For example, if one of your heroes is the subject of many old songs and tales, it'd be obvious that he was ancient. Likewise, if a hero's known for doing something that has left its mark on the world, like overthrowing an empire, shooting down the second sun, or building a mountain, it's clear that he's ancient.

Another possibility is, if your setting has a sense of time, like the ancient Greeks' idea of an ancient Golden Age when everything was bigger and better, ask yourself what would define the people from the past age. Would they be physically different from people now? Would they live by a different culture? And so on.

Each of these people, from whomever I choose among the people listed by the end of this, are going to have a place in history. That place is going to be an adaption of how they were in (real) life, and they are going to be placed doing things that fit for the time.

The old age (hereafter referred to as the first era) was basically a utopian world given to them by a being from beyond the spheres so to speak whose soul want was to be the mother of an entire world. So while it was a "Golden Age", they were probably less civilised than the world is now.

Through the ages on the Prime material plane known as Kalredos (there are more)the gods of all the pantheons have played a game with mortals against each other. The gods would look into a family and read their history back to the first, and they would do this until they found one of the offspring they were willing to wager some of their followers power on. When they did, they would state the bet, whether it be "This human will not scorn my gift, but instead he will spread my word and challenge the power of the king Therion in my name" or "This half orc will unite the realms of both his ancestry in my name".

For thousands of years this game played until Queen Faerna (known from hereafter as the mother) came into the realm and convinced them she was the one true benevolent being, the mother of all creation. Though not of direct divinity, the mother found that she could see the gods gift within each champion, and this gift was a miniscule part of their divinity.

So these champions are the last remains of the old game. After the conflict with the mother, the rules were rewritten so their power could be restored more easily, there's six of them, and they held a key piece of information required to actually kill her, not just send her back to her own realm until she could break back out.

so I'm looking for extraordinary people to use as models for the heroes. Maybe some key points about them if you have em.

@ Everyone: absolutely loving all the new folks to look up, if you have more, keep em coming :D

Trickquestion
2013-10-03, 07:49 PM
An good archetype for the team's token evil guy would be the Spanish Conquistador. A cruel, greedy jerkass who never the less functions perfectly with the standard D&D gameplay.

LWDLiz
2013-10-03, 07:50 PM
Hmm... here are a few I can think of... King Richard the Lionhearted, St. George (of St. George and the Dragon), Hercules, Indiana Jones, Spartacus, Terminator, Dracula.

The Oni
2013-10-03, 07:54 PM
For a Barbarian might I second Cu Chulainn? He was said to have a terrifying rage in battle called a 'warp spasm' which made him an inhuman monster unrecognizable to his friends and enemies.

Also he was so badass that when confronted by enemies who tricked him into breaking an oath to drain most of his power, and then bumrushing him, he still killed a ton of them. When he was mortally wounded he managed to remain standing, and kill a few more, by tying himself to a standing stone with his own entrails - and died standing up.

Seriously, the best Barbarian ever.

nedz
2013-10-03, 08:05 PM
How about Mordenkainen, Drawmij, Tenser, Bigby, ...

It would actually be funnier if you are not playing D&D.

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 09:15 PM
So after reading through the lore of all these guys I'm going to have to agree that Cuh Hullan is the truest definition of both a PC and barbarian, so he is dead set in the party as of now.

@Trick Question I don't know much about the spanish conquistadors. Are there any particularly notable ones out there?

@LWDLiz Dracula is actually one I hadn't thought of; the progenitor of his own breed might actually have been in accordance with the mother at one time, since he is the only one who knew what being the leader of an entire race was like.

@nedz Hah! I may find myself in use of one of them actually. Kind of as a way to let my players see the scope of who they're dealing with here....

Great suggestions, keep em comin!

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-03, 09:27 PM
So after reading through the lore of all these guys I'm going to have to agree that Cu Chullain is the truest definition of both a PC and barbarian, so he is dead set in the party as of now.

@Trick Question I don't know much about the spanish conquistadors. Are there any particularly notable ones out there?

@LWDLiz Dracula is actually one I hadn't thought of; the progenitor of his own breed might actually have been in accordance with the mother at one time, since he is the only one who knew what being the leader of an entire race was like.

@nedz Hah! I may find myself in use of one of them actually. Kind of as a way to let my players see the scope of who they're dealing with here....

Great suggestions, keep em comin!

just a note. It's pronounced "cuh hullan"

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 09:43 PM
just a note. It's pronounced "cuh hullan"

Noted. My apologies.

Harbinger
2013-10-03, 09:50 PM
Gilgamesh. Beowulf. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-03, 09:55 PM
Noted. My apologies.

Apologize for what? I was just warning you. Pronouncing Irish and Gaelic things is a verbal minefield.

navar100
2013-10-03, 10:03 PM
Cleric: Don't know.

Constantine

5a Violista
2013-10-03, 10:11 PM
Characters that I thought about:
Aeneas, a Trojan hero and is given credit to be the founder of Ancient Rome in Roman mythology. He's the son of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, escapes Troy when the Greeks sack it, claims to be led by the gods to found a city, and falls in love with a "barbarian woman" who was the founder of Ancient Rome's rival for a long time.

Medea, the witch who fell in love with and married Jason from the Argonauts. She was the daughter of a king and granddaughter of the sun god. She's known as an enchantress who is skilled in poison, potions, hypnotism, trickery, and murder.

Jeanne D'arc, a holy knight who was burned at the stake at 19 years old for "insubordination and heterodoxy." Led armies to victory, was a great and aggressive commander, and claimed to be guided by deity.

Scáthach, a legendary martial arts teacher and warrior woman. She trained Cú Chulainn, and was pretty good in fighting.

You could have a "Men" group and a "Women's" group, it looks like; it shouldn't be that hard to find enough of both.

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 10:23 PM
Apologize for what? I was just warning you. Pronouncing Irish and Gaelic things is a verbal minefield.
It's more of a courtesy and an attempt to avoid ignorance.

Constantine
Damn good one!

Characters that I thought about:
Aeneas, a Trojan hero and is given credit to be the founder of Ancient Rome in Roman mythology. He's the son of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, escapes Troy when the Greeks sack it, claims to be led by the gods to found a city, and falls in love with a "barbarian woman" who was the founder of Ancient Rome's rival for a long time.

Medea, the witch who fell in love with and married Jason from the Argonauts. She was the daughter of a king and granddaughter of the sun god. She's known as an enchantress who is skilled in poison, potions, hypnotism, trickery, and murder.

Jeanne D'arc, a holy knight who was burned at the stake at 19 years old for "insubordination and heterodoxy." Led armies to victory, was a great and aggressive commander, and claimed to be guided by deity.

Scáthach, a legendary martial arts teacher and warrior woman. She trained Cú Chulainn, and was pretty good in fighting.

You could have a "Men" group and a "Women's" group, it looks like; it shouldn't be that hard to find enough of both.

nice list and exposition. I could have two groups, but nothing says ununited like separate gender groups.

Deffers
2013-10-03, 10:39 PM
I would heartily suggest the unnamed Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (http://www.badassoftheweek.com/stamfordbridge.html) as perhaps an equally badass berserker, or, I mean, given how crazy unreal he was tanking an entire army at a bridge, maybe a Warblade. Gotta love those stances, yo. :smallamused:

Pretty sure he's actually called a 20th level fighter in the article, even. When a spear to the nuts is the only thing that can bring you down, I'd say that's deserved.

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-03, 10:42 PM
Characters that I thought about:
Aeneas, a Trojan hero and is given credit to be the founder of Ancient Rome in Roman mythology. He's the son of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, escapes Troy when the Greeks sack it, claims to be led by the gods to found a city, and falls in love with a "barbarian woman" who was the founder of Ancient Rome's rival for a long time.

Medea, the witch who fell in love with and married Jason from the Argonauts. She was the daughter of a king and granddaughter of the sun god. She's known as an enchantress who is skilled in poison, potions, hypnotism, trickery, and murder.

Jeanne D'arc, a holy knight who was burned at the stake at 19 years old for "insubordination and heterodoxy." Led armies to victory, was a great and aggressive commander, and claimed to be guided by deity.

Scáthach, a legendary martial arts teacher and warrior woman. She trained Cú Chulainn, and was pretty good in fighting.

You could have a "Men" group and a "Women's" group, it looks like; it shouldn't be that hard to find enough of both.

I'd just like it pointed out that I already suggested two of these, although i suppose I didn't use the proper spellings...

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 10:53 PM
I would heartily suggest the unnamed Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (http://www.badassoftheweek.com/stamfordbridge.html) as perhaps an equally badass berserker, or, I mean, given how crazy unreal he was tanking an entire army at a bridge, maybe a Warblade. Gotta love those stances, yo. :smallamused:

Pretty sure he's actually called a 20th level fighter in the article, even. When a spear to the nuts is the only thing that can bring you down, I'd say that's deserved.

Woah! damn! that guy takes hardcore to a new level! holy crap. Well, nothing says the savage tribes of Vel' Varis can't muster two god blooded champions.


@Mastergilgamesh aye, yea they've both (Joan and scathach) been mentioned, but I'm not going to discriminate between multiple people putting word of the same people in. just means they were extra story evoking.

5a Violista
2013-10-03, 10:54 PM
Yes, you did.

So...it looks like I'm in debt two characters.

So here's two suggestions to replace those:

Morgan le Faye, a sorceress/healer/magician/enchantress/who-knows-what who is different in every story she's in. Sometimes she's an evil witch and antagonist of Merlin and King Arthur, other times she's Arthur's sister who saves his life.

and

Hannibal, the famous strategist who rode the mystical elephant into Rome. He swore a blood oath to never befriend a Roman, and remained true to his oath as he fought against the Romans in the 2nd Punic War.

GoblinArchmage
2013-10-03, 11:06 PM
Daedalus, the legendary Greek architect who designed the Labyrinth and built special wings out of feathers and wax to escape from King Minos. His son, Icarus, flew too close to the sun, but everybody knows that story.

The Miller from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, an obnoxious, red headed drunkard who plays the bagpipes and likes to tell dirty stories.

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-03, 11:19 PM
Woah! damn! that guy takes hardcore to a new level! holy crap. Well, nothing says the savage tribes of Vel' Varis can't muster two god blooded champions.


@Mastergilgamesh aye, yea they've both (Joan and scathach) been mentioned, but I'm not going to discriminate between multiple people putting word of the same people in. just means they were extra story evoking.

NBD brah....Also, did anyone say Achilles yet?

Deffers
2013-10-03, 11:38 PM
I don't think anybody mentioned Achilles yet, but my guy definitely had a more... realistic weak spot that ended his mythic rampage. :smallbiggrin:

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 11:44 PM
I'd just like it pointed out that I already suggested two of these, although i suppose I didn't use the proper spellings...

I was a little surprised I hadn't seen achilles up til now.

Averis Vol
2013-10-03, 11:52 PM
I just remembered another for the list.

Vlad The Impaler!

Rhynn
2013-10-03, 11:53 PM
Väinämöinen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4in%C3%A4m%C3%B6inen) for a bard or wizard/cleric (Gandalf was based on him). A demigod who was essentially born along with the world, and worked magic with songs of power.

tasw
2013-10-04, 12:14 AM
Hey everybody. For the game I am running, there comes a point where the party will come upon an adventuring company that is frozen in time in the ancient bowls of the old world. These were the heroes of an age forgotten who almost defeated the god queen who now threatens the land, and the heroes are going to need the key they hold to defeating this interdimensional beast.

Now, While I could easily just come up with characters for this, I would instead like to model this party off of real world (Okay, maybe not REAL)... lets call them champions of legend.

So things like knights of the round table, nordic legends like sigurd the dragon slayer, even people shrouded in mystery like Rasputin would work for my reasons. So I ask the playground; what other great "champions" (Fabled warriors, mages and rogues alike) that have appeared throughout history?

Mandrako, sigfried and beowolf.

all deeply flawed, non-perfect humans your players could interact with on a reasonable level who happened to be great warrriors/ wizards.

Maybe google the name of the king of thieves from the old Xena show (he was awesome and hilarious) and the thief in Ali bobba for a little more historical fun.

Hell throw Robin hood in. He'll have a fun take on pretty much anything if you play to the legend.

You could also use Loki (he walked the world with Odin and Thor and often traveled in disguise later) and he would be a fascinating character as a god who pretends not to be.

Along the same nordic roots is Rig. Who is absolutely perfect for an ancient heroes theme.

Rígsþula or Rígsmál ("Lay of Ríg") is an Eddic poem in which a Norse god named Ríg or Rígr, described as "old and wise, mighty and strong", fathers the classes of mankind.

In Rígsþula, Rig wanders through the world and fathers the progenitors of the most important advances of human kind.

He appears as a regular mortal traveler, shares a bit of wisdom and then fathers children with special skills on the wives of the men who sheltered him.

He was the god of the ladder that mankind climbs up to improve its position in life.

So maybe he's a .... but he also uses it for the betterment of mankind.
The poem Rígsþula is preserved incomplete on the last surviving sheet in the 14th-century Codex Wormianus, following Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda.[1]

Kaveman26
2013-10-04, 08:47 AM
If you want to maintain similiar "periods"

Robin Hood (Archer Ranger): A Chaotic Good rebel with a cause and a heart of gold he could act as the party front man and face.

Little John (Fighter/Barbarian): Stout of size and courage a front line fighter or brawler.

Maid Marian (Sorceress) The beautiful maiden, charming to all and possessed of natural magical abilities.

Friar Tuck (Cleric) a wise man not afraid to swing a sword or throw back a pint.

Will Scarlet (Rogue) deft of hand and a bit of a dandy he is also never with about a dagger

OR:

(I think this would be sweet)

Sherlock Holmes (Master Detective maybe even some rogue levels) as a group leader and skillmonkey

John Henry (Fighter) American folklore hero who was able to drive a railway spike faster than a machine but the exertion killed him. Could definately see him modeled as a front line fighter with great strength and a warhammer

Tarzan-Lord of Greystoke (Barbarian) group tracker and a true barbarian.

Abraham Van Helsing (Wizard) a master of the occult and a force against evil.

Rasputin (Cleric) former seer and wise man to the Czar of Russia.


What I love about this group is that they would seem so very much out of place in a fantasy setting, it would make them feel special.

The_Werebear
2013-10-04, 09:32 AM
If you're ok with someone a touch older, might I suggest Socrates as a Bard? He was famed for being able to Logic people into frustrated paroxysms, which sounds like Bard type fascination and mind mixes.

Alcibiades might work for a more adventurous type. He was a young Athenian Noble and commander who, through a mix of treachery, opportunism, and patriotism fought on the Athenian, Spartan, and Persian side of the Peloponnesian war. He was an amazing speaker and leader and an adroit commander of men, if flaky.

Dr Bwaa
2013-10-04, 09:47 AM
Depending on how setting-appropriate it is, John Preston (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/) might make a good cleric as well.

You could go with Amergin (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/) for your bard.

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-04, 04:43 PM
Ooh, what about Emperor Nero? Or, like Caligula?

Bluepaw
2013-10-04, 07:01 PM
Another possibility is, if your setting has a sense of time, like the ancient Greeks' idea of an ancient Golden Age when everything was bigger and better, ask yourself what would define the people from the past age. Would they be physically different from people now? Would they live by a different culture? And so on.

Along the lines of the ancient Greeks, the Iliad is a great resource for tons of well-developed and complex, larger than life heroes who only sometimes get along with one another (a fun monkey wrench to throw in when your PCs finally get the heroes unfrozen and expect some major upper-tier help, and find that this ancient adventuring party had some MAJOR compatibility issues...).

Examples (paraphrased, haven't read the text in a while): Achilles, whose rage gets the better of him and leaves him unable to empathize with those weaker than him. Odysseus, a liar and cheat, fixing the odds against him, but brilliant at lateral thinking and unusual mechanics. Diomedes, touched by a divine madness so that he sees and fights with Gods that the other soldiers can't see. Ajax, the tank to end all tanks, who can fight with a broken ship's mast if he wants/needs to. Agamemnon, the politician and power-hungry strategist who can't bear to be upstaged. Cassandra, the prophet cursed to be always right and never believed. Paris, the pretty boy with divine boons from the God of archery and the Goddess of love. Hector, the pious family man fighting for his doomed country. The list goes on...

Joe the Rat
2013-10-04, 08:10 PM
Did you get any Conquistadors? Cortez is a good one to name-check. Pizarro did his thing as well. And Ponce de Leon - bonus points for the wacky fountain of youth quest.

Since we're tossing fictionals in, you might look at Solomon Kane for your Cleric (though he's more like an Inquisitor).

Socrates the Bard... Hooray for Perform(Oratory)!

GoblinArchmage
2013-10-04, 08:41 PM
Hershele Ostropoler, the character from Jewish Folklore, would be interesting.

Talentless
2013-10-04, 08:56 PM
Lü Bu and his horse Red Hare. Not only is he a badass warrior/cavalry among badasses, he could even be the reason they are all frozen anyways (whether through the outright treachery he is known for, or just brazenly charging forward into a scrap before the rest of his allies are ready... again, something he is known for).

Astolfo, the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne. Due to the method I came across this guy*, my knowledge regarding any exploits and details of what he can do comes from mostly internet sources rather than the actual any of the actual Epics he's featured in. Still, guy owns a magic book that can dispel any enchantment, and a horn that causes enemies to flee in terror. As well as his Horse is apparently light of step enough to not leave tracks while also being a "as fast as an arrow".

Those are my two contributions at any rate.


*Fate/Apocrypha is where I first came across the name. Big fan of the way the Fate/ series twists the legends and heroes into a form that is both different from the standard and makes a sort of plausible sense for them to be that way.

Anxe
2013-10-04, 10:14 PM
I was all like, "I'm gonna be the first to recommend a Three Kingdoms hero!"

And then Talentless ninjas me. Sigh...

Well we can add in Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. Ma Chao is another big one too.

Averis Vol
2013-10-05, 02:41 AM
Did you get any Conquistadors? Cortez is a good one to name-check. Pizarro did his thing as well. And Ponce de Leon - bonus points for the wacky fountain of youth quest.

Since we're tossing fictionals in, you might look at Solomon Kane for your Cleric (though he's more like an Inquisitor).


Thanks for the list! got a lot more reading to do tonight.

Hershele Ostropoler, the character from Jewish Folklore, would be interesting.
That man is too snarky for words, and I like that. I'd also be interested to see how he works in a near world ending situation.

Lü Bu and his horse Red Hare. Not only is he a badass warrior/cavalry among badasses, he could even be the reason they are all frozen anyways (whether through the outright treachery he is known for, or just brazenly charging forward into a scrap before the rest of his allies are ready... again, something he is known for).

Astolfo, the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne. Due to the method I came across this guy*, my knowledge regarding any exploits and details of what he can do comes from mostly internet sources rather than the actual any of the actual Epics he's featured in. Still, guy owns a magic book that can dispel any enchantment, and a horn that causes enemies to flee in terror. As well as his Horse is apparently light of step enough to not leave tracks while also being a "as fast as an arrow".
I had completely forgot about Lu Bu. That man was one hell of a monster in combat.

As to Astolfo, I hadn't heard of him, gonna give him a read over.


I was all like, "I'm gonna be the first to recommend a Three Kingdoms hero!"

And then Talentless ninjas me. Sigh...

Well we can add in Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. Ma Chao is another big one too.

What you lack in speed you make up in numbers, thanks!

Vitruviansquid
2013-10-05, 04:07 AM
Well, let me put together a dream team of ancient heroes for you, then.

Enkidu - For the naturey, barbarian guy. He's strong, he was raised by animals in the wild, and he became absolutely loyal besties to Gilgamesh.

Diomedes - He might not have been the strongest, most experienced, or cleverest of the Danaans at the beaches of Tory, but this guy had cast iron balls and wounded not one, but TWO immortals in a single day. He could definitely play the hot-headed lancer role for the ancient heroes' group.

Lancelot - Needed one of the ancient heroes to be the guy who dropped the ball, and whose failings brought everyone down? Look no further than Lancelot, who was chivalric perfection in all its forms... but his betrayal of his best friend.

Sun Wukong - He started out as a rebel, a thug, a trickster, and a petty tyrant whose larger than life powers gave him hubris to match. However, his journeys eventually reconcile him to the established order.

Odin - Warrior, magician, and wise man all in one, Odin is perfect to be the cold, calculating leader or advisor of the group. You can take many angles to approach portraying Odin, but I imagine him as ruthless in the pursuit of power and knowledge. Though he can probably overpower most enemies, he would probably try to work smarter, not harder to solve his problems.

Fabius Maximus - The Dictator of Rome who refused to meet Hannibal in battle, Fabius Maximus could be the inspiration for a hero who doesn't do anything flashy or audacious, but whose steady and unglamorous approach assures victory.

Angel Bob
2013-10-05, 09:13 AM
Anansi, an African trickster spirit, would be a very interesting addition to a truly ancient party.

Quetzalcoatl gets a bad rap; he's usually portrayed in his awe-inspiring "feathered serpent" form and worshipped by tribes that practice human sacrifice. However, in Aztec mythology, his role was comparable to that of Jesus in Christian religion: Quetzalcoatl was often given a humanoid depicition and was a bit of a martyr. He was also the one Aztec god who frowned on human sacrifice. However, I realize he is still an actual god, so maybe he wouldn't be part of an adventuring party.

I also second a vote for Sir Lancelot, a Greek demigod, and at least one hero from East Asia to balance the party.

cucchulainnn
2013-10-05, 03:59 PM
how about Harald Hardrada,

viking extraordinaire, ladies man, pirate, scoundrel, lead the byzantine special forces (varangian guard) king of norway, denmark and sweden, and finally the loser at stanford bridge. this guy was the james bond of his day. ooo did i mention that he was imprisoned for defiling a Byzantine princess and embezzling funds in Constantinople, broke out, raised an army on his way back home to Scandinavia where he conquered it. it is said by some that he escaped with the help of his compatriots in the varangian guard who started a revolt in constantinople to cover up the prison break, well this quote says it better then i could.

"Harald who was the leader of the Varangians who supported the revolt. The emperor was in the end dragged out of his sanctuary, blinded and exiled to a monastery, and the sagas claim that it was Harald himself who blinded Michael V"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada


all kidding aside his list of accomplishments are far to many to easy list and if it wasn't real would seem like fan fiction written by a fan boy.

i may be remembering this wrong but i think he was the one who took a russian town after noticing that birds lived in the thatching, so he had some of his men catch some of em, and they tied, i am not sure what it was but little bits of something that was burning, the birds panicked and flew home, carrying the fire with em and set large parts of the town on fire.

GungHo
2013-10-07, 09:45 AM
I think you need Keanu Reeves and George Carlin to continue this bit. I always feel bad for that other guy when it comes to these sorts of things.

Premier
2013-10-07, 10:05 AM
If you'll have a conquistador like Hernán Cortés, you should go all Renaissance and make John Dee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dee) the wizard/sorcerer. And their party leader/"face" should be Niccolò Machiavelli.

magwaaf
2013-10-12, 01:56 PM
Just make an adventuring party composed of every character ever portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart.

For best results, allow the party to discover each new Sir Patrick Stewart persona one at a time, and give very good, clear physical descriptions each time. See how long it takes for them to catch on.

i support this. also, we need to fit in bruce campbell as their fighter

Beleriphon
2013-10-13, 09:38 AM
@Trick Question I don't know much about the spanish conquistadors. Are there any particularly notable ones out there?

Hernan Cortez lead the exploration of Mexica (most of what is now central Mexico). Christopher Columbus could be considered the original conquistador. He was a hug jerkass, and I mean huge.

Generally speaking looking up the conquering of the Central and South America and you can find plenty of them. Hernan Cortez is probably the most (in)famous though.

As for other characters. I'd suggest Sun Wukong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_wukong) the Monkey King. He's an epic level monk AND epic level wizard.

Angel Bob
2013-10-13, 08:27 PM
Well, if we're going to suggest that jackass Hernan Cortez, why not his nemesis, Montezuma, Emperor of the Aztecs?

Acatalepsy
2013-10-13, 09:33 PM
Miyamoto Musashi. That is all.

Arbane
2013-10-13, 11:23 PM
Are people from the 20th century eligible?

if so, Audie Murphy, Simo Haya, and... what the heck, and Otto Skorzeney.

If they've got to be pre-modern: La Maupin, Benkei, Houyi, and King Solomon.

veti
2013-10-13, 11:44 PM
Fictional 18th-19th century characters who haven't been mentioned yet, but are worth googling if you don't know them:

Allan Quatermain. (Fearless adventurer, sort of as if Indiana Jones were more interested in money than archaeology.)

Harry Flashman. (Coward, braggart, bully, lecher, with entirely undeserved reputation as the bravest of the brave.)

Huck Finn. (Rogue with his own conscience, archetypal Chaotic Good.)

Long John Silver (a rogue with no noticeable conscience).

D'Artagnan (half-paladin, half-rogue, and sees no conflict between the two).

Gettles
2013-10-13, 11:44 PM
Hernan Cortez lead the exploration of Mexica (most of what is now central Mexico). Christopher Columbus could be considered the original conquistador. He was a hug jerkass, and I mean huge.

Generally speaking looking up the conquering of the Central and South America and you can find plenty of them. Hernan Cortez is probably the most (in)famous though.

As for other characters. I'd suggest Sun Wukong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_wukong) the Monkey King. He's an epic level monk AND epic level wizard.

IMO Pizarro comes across as a bigger bastard than Cortez

Averis Vol
2013-10-14, 12:23 AM
Are people from the 20th century eligible?

if so, Audie Murphy, Simo Haya, and... what the heck, and Otto Skorzeney.

If they've got to be pre-modern: La Maupin, Benkei, Houyi, and King Solomon.

I don't care from which point in time they hail as long as they were influential.

That being said, my game has reach its point and the party I chose was

Rasputin- Skillmonkey
Constantine- Cleric
Nameless warrior of stamford bridge- Bruiser
Cu chulainn- Bruiser
Simo Haya- Crossbow sniper
Quetzalcoatl- sorcerer (Ench/Illusion/Trans focused)
Robin hood- Scout
Sherlock holmes- Kung fu genius monk/factotum face.

Thanks for the help everyone, my group just met these guys and I can already see it's going to be a great series of encounters!

The Oni
2013-10-14, 12:31 AM
Hattori Hanzo is similar to King Arthur in the sense that he was probably a real person, but what he did was so badass it got mixed in with completely impossible legends and it's impossible to separate the man from the fantasy.

On the other hand, he was a Ninja, so the fact that he's legendary might actually mean he just wasn't very good at doing his job. :smallbiggrin:

GoblinGilmartin
2013-10-14, 07:00 PM
Fictional 18th-19th century characters who haven't been mentioned yet, but are worth googling if you don't know them:

Allan Quatermain. (Fearless adventurer, sort of as if Indiana Jones were more interested in money than archaeology.)

Harry Flashman. (Coward, braggart, bully, lecher, with entirely undeserved reputation as the bravest of the brave.)

Huck Finn. (Rogue with his own conscience, archetypal Chaotic Good.)

Long John Silver (a rogue with no noticeable conscience).

D'Artagnan (half-paladin, half-rogue, and sees no conflict between the two).

OP was trying to focus on real people/legends, not just books if i recall. Could be wrong though.

Wardog
2013-10-15, 06:21 PM
Arjuna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arjuna), hero of the Mahabharata.

Archer-extraordinare, and twinked out with a load of epic weapons and equipment beloning to the gods. Including a weapon capable of destroying the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashupatastra). Also had a god to drive his chariot for him.