Renaissance James Bond

[MrZJunior]

A friend of mine plans to run an espionage themed themed fantasy game. I wanted to play a James Bond type character. What sort of weapons and characteristics should this guy have?

[Maglubiyet]

Is magic available? You must have some idea of the characteristics of a James-Bond-type character if you say you want to play one -- what do YOU think he would be like?

Bond is a pretty archetypal hero, with forerunners in actual Renaissance/pre-Renaissance heroic characters. The Scarlet Pimpernel, d'Artangnan, Robin Hood come to mind. Roguish, well-bred, capable men who flaunt authority with style and panache, but ultimately work toward the greater good.

[veti]

I think "well bred" is the key point to remember. Bond isn't just a thug, he's a gentleman thug who can pass himself off in the highest company.

That means social skills are just as important as weapon skills. Stealth comes third. Knowledge skills (politics, crime) probably fourth.

[Townopolis]

To make a renaissance James Bond, you will need


High Charisma and strong social skills. By social skills, I mean whatever your system uses for diplomacy and sex appeal. Bluff/deception/whatever can usually be thrown out, because I can't recall James Bond ever using those.
Stealth, lockpicking, acrobatics, athletics, escape artist... and any related skills. James Bond always excelled at extraordinary feats of physical prowess.
Enough Constitution to survive a fireball to the face.
Fancy duds that automatically prestidigitate themselves clean (or whatever the equivalent spell is in your system).
A second PC who is an artificer or equivalent. This person will need to spend the entire campaign just coming up with and making cool toys for James Bond to use, since ~40% of James Bond's awesome is Q.

[Mr Beer]

Assuming this is D&D:

- Primary stats would be CHA for social, especially with the ladies and DEX for constant leaping on and off moving horses, chandeliers, cliffs etc.

- Skills would be thief and social skills, Bond is comfortable in any social situation from high society to the military to street thugs.

- Class would be thief I think, with enough levels in fighter to kick the crap out of mooks and mook bosses.

- Verboten classes would be barbarian, cleric and mage. Although a D&D James Bond would certainly use magic items that relate to disguise, safe-cracking and evasion.

- On that note, I would make 'Q' a slightly deranged gnome mage who hands out moderately reliable magical prototypes for the long suffering Bond to use mid-adventure.

[Waywardson]

On that note, I would make 'Q' a slightly deranged gnome mage who hands out moderately reliable magical prototypes for the long suffering Bond to use mid-adventure.

You have no idea how much money I would pay to sit in on that game.