Gordon Freeman in D&D 3.5

[AvatarVecna]

I'm currently working on a couple gaming projects, one of which is creating Gordon Freeman (the primary protagonist in Half-Life) as a character in D&D 3.5 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?348173-Video-Game-protagonists-as-D-amp-D-characters/page1). Due to my own less-than total system mastery of the edition, despite years of practice, I would appreciate the Playground's advice in this regard. My two problems right now are determining his ECL and classes. The ground rules are that homebrew stuff is forbidden, and Pathfinder is available as a last resort.

Current class considerations are:
Savant (no more than 4 levels)
Factotum
Ranger (this is, to me, a must)
Fighter (at least 2, and probably no more)
Foe Hunter (probably Aberrations or Humanoid {Human})

I'd appreciate any insights, as well as suggestions on what classes to take and why. Then there's the bigger problem: what level is he?

I have no idea how Gordon Freeman compares to a D&D character. On the one hand, he's ultimately a normal guy with good weapon skills, with armor and weapons so good, they're almost magical. Under the normal xp system, it's like giving a 1st level character a 20th level character's wealth and access to magic items; of course they're going to blow everything out of the water, but they've still got to be careful. On the other hand, the end of HL2-E2 has Gordon pitted against a squad of Striders, each of which has a couple Hunters with it. My current brute-force method of determining level is to play through the games, take copious notes of the encounters he faces, and determine level that way. This method has issues, though.

Firstly, what CR are these enemies? I've found tons of stats for various Half-Life enemies, but they're all either d20 or homebrew, and that's if I can even find stats for them. Gordon faces three Gargantuas (the big blue thing with flamethrower arms) in the first game, but what challenge rating are they? What about the Gonarch? Or Nihilanth? It's a serious issue with this method.
Secondly, the modern-day/futuristic weaponry is really difficult to adapt to the existing CR system. A charged blast from the laser in the first game can shoot a helicopter out of the sky and blow up a tank. The secondary fire of the AR2 from the 2nd game (and the episodes) can kill multiple enemies instantly, unless it's a Strider or a Hunter-Chopper. Since advanced weaponry makes encounters less challenging, does that lower the CR, am I not understanding the CR system properly, or is the CR system less-than adequate for my purposes?

I Imagine they're must be an easier way to determine character level, but I can't think of one. Any help or advice on this issue would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Juntao112]

This is not some agent provocateur or highly trained assassin we are talking about. Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist who had barely earned the distinction of his Ph.D at the time of the Black Mesa incident. I have good reason to believe that in the intervening years, he was in a state that precluded further development of covert skills.

I'd suggest going with Factotum. Given his age and doctorate, perhaps level 4? (With the Mute flaw, obviously.)

[AvatarVecna]

This is not some agent provocateur or highly trained assassin we are talking about. Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist who had barely earned the distinction of his Ph.D at the time of the Black Mesa incident. I have good reason to believe that in the intervening years, he was in a state that precluded further development of covert skills.

I'd suggest going with Factotum. Given his age and doctorate, perhaps level 4?

Sometimes level is an indication of training, while sometimes it's a measure of experience. I'd say that at the beginning of Half-Life, Dr Freeman was a 3rd or 4th level character. My original thoughts were Savant 4, but I then thought of Savant 3/Fighter 1 to represent basic Proficiency with weapons and the armor training necessary for him to wear the hazard suit comfortably in combat situations. Factotum could be easily substituted for Savant, both thematically and mechanically, but I can't imagine that being the extent of his training. Still, Factotum 4 is a very viable starting position.

Thanks for the thoughts!

[Juntao112]

My original thoughts were Savant 4, but I then thought of Savant 3/Fighter 1 to represent basic Proficiency with weapons and the armor training necessary for him to wear the hazard suit comfortably in combat situations.

You don't have to be a Fighter to have armor proficiency for the HEV suit because it was intended for civilian use. Presumably, it has an ACP of 0.

As for weapon proficiency, its not terribly difficult for an American to obtain proficiency with basic firearms. In my case, I just bought a few guns, a lot of ammunition, and visited the shooting range on a monthly basis in the year between graduating college and being accepted into graduate school.

[AvatarVecna]

You don't have to be a Fighter to have armor proficiency for the HEV suit because it was intended for civilian use. Presumably, it has an ACP of 0.

As for weapon proficiency, its not terribly difficult for an American to obtain proficiency with basic firearms. In my case, I just bought a few guns, a lot of ammunition, and visited the shooting range on a monthly basis in the year between graduating college and being accepted into graduate school.

You make a good point; he doesn't need proficiency so much as armor with ACP 0. In truth, Fighter wasn't being considered entirely for fluff purposes, but also mechanical purposes: 2 levels of fighter gives 2 BAB, a better Fort save, armor proficiency's,weapon proficiency's, and 2 feats. As a side note, between Mithril and the Nimbleness enchantment, I can knock off 5 points of ACP, so that's worth keeping in mind.
In regards to weapon profiency, I'm aware of how easy guns are to learn to wield in America, the problem is in-game representation by the rules. In the Pathfinder system, Gunslingers start out with proficiency in all firearms. In standard Pathfinder, firearms are exotic weapons, and getting proficiency requires the EWP feat for each gun. In a "guns everywhere" campaign (such as modern-day, and certainly in the Half-Life universe), guns are simple weapons, and just about everyone is proficient.
In D&D 3.5, even in modern day, it still requires EWP (firearms) for proficiency in all firearms, which is good enough for my purposes, but is still harder to work around than the Pathfinder "Guns Everywhere" rules.

Once again, thanks for the feedback.

[Juntao112]

In D&D 3.5, even in modern day, it still requires EWP (firearms) for proficiency in all firearms, which is good enough for my purposes, but is still harder to work around than the Pathfinder "Guns Everywhere" rules.


What leads you to this conclusion? My understanding was that how exotic a weapon is depends partially on the setting and culture of the individual. Dwarves, for example, get to treat urgoshes as martial weapons instead of exotic weapons, because they aren't exotic to dwarves.

So there's no reason for guns to be exotic weapons in a "guns everywhere" setting like Half-Life's America, because they wouldn't be exotic.

[AvatarVecna]

What leads you to this conclusion? My understanding was that how exotic a weapon is depends partially on the setting and culture of the individual. Dwarves, for example, get to treat urgoshes as martial weapons instead of exotic weapons, because they aren't exotic to dwarves.

So there's no reason for guns to be exotic weapons in a "guns everywhere" setting like Half-Life's America, because they wouldn't be exotic.

Exotic weapons represent weapons not normally trained with, almost universally because of their unwieldly nature. Simple weapons are weapons that, by the rules, any simpleton could pick up and wield, assuming they weren't raised in isolation from weapons entirely. A fighter can pick up a bastard sword and use it two-handed, but without training with it extensively, he can't wield it one hand because he's unfamiliar with its balance.

I have a pocket knife, and I've flailed around with it to try and get a feel for it. I am, by no means, a knife master, but I'm fairly sure I could successfully stab someone if the situation called for it. I recently tried my hand at wielding a bow at a ren faire. If it hadn't been for gravity, I'm fairly sure I would've missed the ground; as it is, the fact that I literally couldn't hit the broad side of a barn still irks me, but I chalked it up to inexperience. I've never in my life held a firearm more realistic than a laser tag "gun"--no BB gun, no pistol, not even paintball. Sure, I can figure out the theory behind it (point, squeeze the trigger, hole in person) but since I've never held anything with actual mass being propelled forward, I won't be prepared for the gun to jerk around in my hand (see multiple youtube videos of first-time gun wielders having their firearm hit them in the face the first time the fire it). Like the bow example above, I have no training with aiming ranged weapons, and it shows, especially when picking up a new one. And that's why non-proficiency gives an attack penalty.

Dwarves are proficient with Dwarven weaponry for the same reason that commoners in real life medieval times knew how to use clubs and daggers, because it was the basic training of their culture. Same things with Elves and bows/swords. Humans don't have that, both in game and in real life. Even in America, basic firearm proficiency isn't taught in public schools. Whether it should be is a political issue I refuse to touch, but the fact is, it isn't. Now, Black Mesa might have on-the-job training for using firearms for security reasons (I can't imagine why, but they could), but even then, that represents EWP more than basic class proficiency.

That said, if proficiences are based on their level of difficulty in wielding (which is my understanding), then I think firearms are more in line with Martial weapons in a modern-day setting; everyone understands the basics of them, but they aren't quite prepared for the entire reality. Of course, the DMG says firearms are exotic weapons, which is acceptable and manageable for my purposes.

[PraxisVetli]

Don't forget Weapon Supremacy: Crowbar.

[AvatarVecna]

Don't forget Weapon Supremacy: Crowbar.

Hehehe. While I agree with above average combat skill with a crowbar, Weapon Supremacy requires too many Fighter levels to be viable in a non-gestalt build, and I would prefer to avoid gestalt here.

[Zombulian]

Hehehe. While I agree with above average combat skill with a crowbar, Weapon Supremacy requires too many Fighter levels to be viable in a non-gestalt build, and I would prefer to avoid gestalt here.

Martial Monk 1. Pick that feat up 17 levels early ooooh.

[AvatarVecna]

Martial Monk 1. Pick that feat up 17 levels early ooooh.

That's one of the most questionable rules interpretations I've ever seen. I love it, but I don't think I'll be using it for Dr. Freeman.

[Tohsaka Rin]

In D20 Modern firearms were handled by the Weapon Proficiency, Firearms feat.

*Sunglasses.* ...Should've just shut my blinds instead.

[AvatarVecna]

In D20 Modern firearms were handled by the Weapon Proficiency, Firearms feat.

*Sunglasses.* ...Should've just shut my blinds instead.

I'm aware, but that's less acceptable than Pathfinder to me, if only because I don't know how it differs from 3.5 and don't care enough to educate myself.

[AvatarVecna]

Any other ideas floating out there that could help me?

[Vhaidara]

I'd say you're going to have pretty bad luck building him without using either d20 modern (which would make perfect sense, given that HL is set in modern day) or PF (much better system for firearms than 3.5).

However, I bring to the table the Exoticist Fighter. Trade your Martial Weapon Proficiency for 4 Exotic Weapon Proficiencies.

[otakumick]

Honestly, since sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic(and vice versa) I would peg the Free Man as an artificer in 3.5... not a wizard or other caster, because he doesn't directly alter the laws of physics on his own. He simply builds things that do so. Also, artificers like crossbows and Gordon's sniper weapon is a crossbow. The rest of his non crowbar weapons are either mundane guns or super/alien science best replicated with wands and rings and magical things.

[AvatarVecna]

I'd say you're going to have pretty bad luck building him without using either d20 modern (which would make perfect sense, given that HL is set in modern day) or PF (much better system for firearms than 3.5).

However, I bring to the table the Exoticist Fighter. Trade your Martial Weapon Proficiency for 4 Exotic Weapon Proficiencies.

I agree with you, but I am limiting myself to D&D 3.5 at the request of the original poster (see the linked thread in the OP), with Pathfinder available if 3.5 just isn't up to to the task. I've even looked at the builds already submitted and a couple are pure Pathfinder; I'd just prefer to try and make it work in 3.5 before throwing in the towel. D&d 3.5 has some modern weaponry rules, although classes focused around scientific advances more modern than medieval (such as Pathfinder's Alchemist and Gunslinger) are notably missing in 3.5; d20 modern would be perfect, but I'm personally not a fan (not because I don't like it, but because I have no idea how it differs from 3.5 and Pathfinder).

The Exoticist Fighter looks like it might be my best bet for what I'm trying to get from the Fighter class. What's it from?

[Juntao112]

Honestly, since sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic(and vice versa) I would peg the Free Man as an artificer in 3.5... not a wizard or other caster, because he doesn't directly alter the laws of physics on his own. He simply builds things that do so.

Yeah, that MIT education really started paying for itself when he started plugging electrical cords into sockets, flipping switches, pressing buttons, and pushing trolleys.

[AvatarVecna]

Honestly, since sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic(and vice versa) I would peg the Free Man as an artificer in 3.5... not a wizard or other caster, because he doesn't directly alter the laws of physics on his own. He simply builds things that do so. Also, artificers like crossbows and Gordon's sniper weapon is a crossbow. The rest of his non crowbar weapons are either mundane guns or super/alien science best replicated with wands and rings and magical things.

I've had a lot of ideas of how to replicate various weapons from the Half-Life series. And while I agree that mundane guns from the DMG and spell-based magic items can replicate his weapons from all the games, I don't think Artificer is necessarily the path to go, although I also agree that it's probably my third choice. But Savant seems to fit both the mechanics and flavor, while Factotum fits the mechanics but not the flavor and Artificer fits the fluff perfectly, but the mechanics isn't quite in line with what I was thinking. Still, it's much better than Wizard, or most anything else. Of course, that's only for starting out; I can see him maybe sneaking in a level of two later on, but at that point Ranger is going to be the focus.

[Vhaidara]

Somehow I missed that this wasn't your own pet project.

Exoticist is from Dragon magazine issue 310. Also available here (http://www.thirteen10.com/the6elements/setting/additional/Variant%20Fighters.pdf) (page 3). There are a few other things to the variant, but the level 1 benefit is the EWPs.

Also, when are you building Mr Freeman? I think there's a big difference between opening of HL1 and end of HL2. I would say he probably starts with Factotum/Savant 4, and then picks up levels in full BAB classes.

[AvatarVecna]

Somehow I missed that this wasn't your own pet project.

Exoticist is from Dragon magazine issue 310. Also available here (http://www.thirteen10.com/the6elements/setting/additional/Variant%20Fighters.pdf) (page 3). There are a few other things to the variant, but the level 1 benefit is the EWPs.

Also, when are you building Mr Freeman? I think there's a big difference between opening of HL1 and end of HL2. I would say he probably starts with Factotum/Savant 4, and then picks up levels in full BAB classes.

Thanks for the link; The Exoticist looks great for what I wanted Fighter for. I'll probably snag a level or two before going into Ranger.
I'm probably going to give a full overview of his career, presenting snapshots at various points meant to represent his abilities at the beginning/end of each game (including episodes). Overall, his stats at the end will reflect his abilities at the end of Half-Life 2: Episode 2. If HL3 or HL2 E3 ever comes out (insert half life 3 joke here) I'll probably update this.
My original thought was Savant 3/Fighter 1, but I was convinced that the combat classes should come from in-combat experience, not on-the-job training with the hazard suit and weapons. 4th level seems right for a starting point, and Savant, Factotum, and now Artificer all seem like good candidates for a starter class.

[AvatarVecna]

Any other classes/PrCs I should be considering? How should the level thing be handled?

[Vhaidara]

Honestly, I've never played through the HL games. The extent of my experience was the tutorial of HL 1. I never got out of the Black Mesa base. I was really, really bad.

However, here's what I would say: Your pick of Factotum/Savant/Artificer 4, then when the initial meltdown occurs, surviving puts him close to levelling, then he has a few fights with the crowbar (treat as a light or heavy mace, either way it's a simple weapon) and picks up Exoticist Fighter when he gets his first gun (Quest Reward XP).

[AvatarVecna]

Honestly, I've never played through the HL games. The extent of my experience was the tutorial of HL 1. I never got out of the Black Mesa base. I was really, really bad.

However, here's what I would say: Your pick of Factotum/Savant/Artificer 4, then when the initial meltdown occurs, surviving puts him close to levelling, then he has a few fights with the crowbar (treat as a light or heavy mace, either way it's a simple weapon) and picks up Exoticist Fighter when he gets his first gun (Quest Reward XP).

I've played through them plenty. Come to think of it, it's almost obsessive...
Anyway, there's rules in place for using the crowbar as an improvised weapon, but I'm not entirely sure if that properly mimics his in-game abilities. Picking up Fighter for firearm proficiency is good; I think I'll take two levels, then dive headlong into Ranger, representing his growing familiarity with his foes.

[Kane0]

If it hasnt been mentioned already, Freeman's mind by accursed farms on youtube may give you some extra stuff to work with. It's by no means canon, but it could give you some insight to how much time he spends on thw range when not at work or how he, well, thinks.

[Vogonjeltz]

You don't have to be a Fighter to have armor proficiency for the HEV suit because it was intended for civilian use. Presumably, it has an ACP of 0.

As for weapon proficiency, its not terribly difficult for an American to obtain proficiency with basic firearms. In my case, I just bought a few guns, a lot of ammunition, and visited the shooting range on a monthly basis in the year between graduating college and being accepted into graduate school.

In 3.5 not being proficient doesn't mean a character can't use the armor or the weapons. Non-proficiency in armor means a character suffers mobility issues (dex and str based skill checks) and non-proficiency in weapons means the character is lousy at actually hurting/hitting something with them (loss of accuracy).

I'd say given that he suffers no loss of mobility, he's certainly proficient in the power armor (heavy armor), and given that he potentially is a crack shot with all weapons, he's almost certainly got a level or more in Fighter. Because Freeman possesses literally no other skills than the ability to wear armor and wield weapons, I can't think of a single reason to recommend any class besides Fighter.

In regards to the time requirement to become proficient, the year you spent becoming proficient in basic firearms corresponds to the minimum of 1 year of training that Fighter must spend to become a Fighter 1. (minimum starting age 15 + 1d6; or 16-21)

[AvatarVecna]

If it hasnt been mentioned already, Freeman's mind by accursed farms on youtube may give you some extra stuff to work with. It's by no means canon, but it could give you some insight to how much time he spends on thw range when not at work or how he, well, thinks.

I love Freeman's Mind! It gives a very interesting personality to the man behind the crowbar. A borderline bat**** insane personality, but still.

[AvatarVecna]

In 3.5 not being proficient doesn't mean a character can't use the armor or the weapons. Non-proficiency in armor means a character suffers mobility issues (dex and str based skill checks) and non-proficiency in weapons means the character is lousy at actually hurting/hitting something with them (loss of accuracy).

I'd say given that he suffers no loss of mobility, he's certainly proficient in the power armor (heavy armor), and given that he potentially is a crack shot with all weapons, he's almost certainly got a level or more in Fighter. Because Freeman possesses literally no other skills than the ability to wear armor and wield weapons, I can't think of a single reason to recommend any class besides Fighter.

In regards to the time requirement to become proficient, the year you spent becoming proficient in basic firearms corresponds to the minimum of 1 year of training that Fighter must spend to become a Fighter 1. (minimum starting age 15 + 1d6; or 16-21)

If armor has ACP 0, it doesn't hamper the wearer's movement, even if they're not proficient with the armor. As previously mentioned, highly magical armor (which would be indistinguishable from high-tech armor mechanically) can take 5 points of ACP away between the Mithral metal and the Nimbleness armor enchantment; Full Plate has ACP -6, which is almost all gone from these two things. If you say that this doesn't include the masterwork bonus, then it's all gone.

Fighter is the only choice for after the resonance cascade; Gordon quickly gains familiarity with weapons he's never held before due to the stress of the situation, and becomes a talented warrior (which I will represent with Fighter levels). Once he's gotten a number of fights under his belt, he starts to figure out the methods these creatures use to attack and learns to fight them more efficiently (Ranger). That said while Gordon doesn't demonstrate his other skills in game, prior to the resonance cascade, he was an MIT post-grad with a Doctorate in Theoretical Physics under his belt. This will be represented in-game with some class based on Int; the Savant fits the mechanics and flavor, Factotum fits the mechanics, and Artificer sort of fits the mechanics and flavor.

[Xaroth]

Out of curiosity, is this for my Video Game protagonists as D&D characters thread?

[AvatarVecna]

Out of curiosity, is this for my Video Game protagonists as D&D characters thread?

Yep. I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to simulate a couple things. People have been pretty helpful so far.