PDA

View Full Version : Fictional characters in D&D



dr.cello
2007-09-12, 09:19 AM
Nerds that we are, my friends and I have a tendency to make D&D references more or less all the time. Watching movies or playing games, it's 'Looks like someone failed their balance check' or 'I start a grapple!' Sometimes we observe that Link doesn't seem to be able to make any climb DC greater than 5 or 10, but that he is pretty decent at making tumble checks.

This ultimately leads to wondering: how would you make your favorite fictional characters in D&D? Having just re-played Ocarina of Time, I'm wondering specifically how you'd make the Zelda characters, but there have been others I've pondered in he past (including, but not limited to, the characters from Terry Pratchett's Night Watch, etc.).

So, what's your take on your favorite fictional characters (or any of the above, for that matter)?

internerdj
2007-09-12, 09:33 AM
Tim the Enchanter showed up in some of our games. As did roger the Shrubber. I never gave them classes, just had them show up. Yellowbeard was another. Usually I would introduce people who had no class level and not let the party attack them.

Ryshan Ynrith
2007-09-12, 09:36 AM
Best I can tell, Link from Twilight Princess seems to be a Warblade/Eternal Blade, with some shield-bashing thrown in. Previous incarnations might have multiclass or gestalt with ranger and/or bard.

As for the Night Watch, most of them seem to be multiclassed Fighter/Rogues, except for Carrot, who may or may not have paladin levels.

Mad Wizard
2007-09-12, 05:35 PM
I agree, Warblade/Eternal Blade for Link.

de-trick
2007-09-12, 05:38 PM
my friends do the same thing even rolling a d20 to see if we pass the check

did it in school i rolled a natural 1, and screwed up

Kurald Galain
2007-09-12, 05:41 PM
Tim the Enchanter showed up in some of our games. As did roger the Shrubber. I never gave them classes,

A: Hello, I'm Tim the Enchanter.
B: Yeah, so what class are you?
A: I'm an invoker.

???

Well, you get Python jokes anywhere. I think we've had a few LOTR in-joke characters in our campaign; otherwise, not all that much.

Thinker
2007-09-12, 05:43 PM
Statting out fictional characters in DnD (and probably most other systems as well) hardly ever works out.

Stormcrow
2007-09-12, 06:48 PM
Aren't all characters in D&D fictional :P

Thinker
2007-09-12, 06:53 PM
Aren't all characters in D&D fictional :P

Let me rephrase if you want to nitpick. Statting out fictional characters from various media outlets in DnD never works well. :smalltongue:

Tengu
2007-09-12, 07:14 PM
If you're an anime fan and value your sanity, do not click this spoiler.


Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu
Haruhi - Smart Hero 1/Fast Hero 1
Kyon - Smart Hero 2
Mikuru - Charismatic Hero 2
Yuki - near-epic Smart Hero/Construct (or Outsider)/Psion
Itsuki - Dedicated Hero 2, with at least 10 levels of Psion added when in Closed Space

bugsysservant
2007-09-12, 08:09 PM
Dorian Gray-
Um, low level chaotic evil aristocrat. Average physical stats. Low wisdom, average intelligence, and 18 charisma.

Oh wait, did you mean our favorite characters that worked well in D&D? My bad.

Stormcrow
2007-09-12, 09:22 PM
Let me rephrase if you want to nitpick. Statting out fictional characters from various media outlets in DnD never works well. :smalltongue:

I was actually refering to the topic of the thread. All characters in D&D are fictional. I'm resisting a rant about people whose lack of creativity causes them to plagarise the creative works of others into their games, even with name changes its still crass.

dr.cello
2007-09-12, 10:19 PM
Statting out fictional characters in DnD (and probably most other systems as well) hardly ever works out.

Yes, but it's an amusing exercise. It passes the time, anyway.


I was actually refering to the topic of the thread. All characters in D&D are fictional. I'm resisting a rant about people whose lack of creativity causes them to plagarise the creative works of others into their games, even with name changes its still crass.

Who said anything about using them in games? I just like seeing what sort of classes or build you'd give them. (To say nothing of the assumption that the only way to be creative is to come up with purely 'original' ideas. To (badly) quote someone famous: 'Bad poets borrow; good poets steal.')

Dr. Weasel
2007-09-12, 10:24 PM
Fictional Characters in D&D eh?
Sigmund Freud: Ninja 20//Wizard 20

AKA_Bait
2007-09-12, 10:26 PM
As for the Night Watch, most of them seem to be multiclassed Fighter/Rogues, except for Carrot, who may or may not have paladin levels.

Carrot is totally a Marshall or a Knight.
Nobby is probably just a rogue.
Igor has some levels in cleric or necromancer.

Most probably have the investigator feat.

JackMage666
2007-09-12, 10:31 PM
I once made Marv from Sin City into a character.

I set him as about a 10th level Thug (Unearthed Arcana Fighter Variant) with Sneak Attack rather than Bonus Feats (another Unearthed Arcana variant). Lots of ranks in Intimidate. High Str, High Con, Decent Dex, Average Int, Low Wisdom, Low Cha. Never got to play him, though. His weapons of choice were unarmed strikes (thanks to Improved Unarmed Strike and Superior Unarmed Strike). Also, carried a hand-axe (hatchet) if he needed a weapon.
The main problem was presented when I tried to have him unarmored. The best I could do was a Leather Coat (using Leather Armor as a base) and, as broken as they are, the "Roll with it" feats from Savage Species. They were pretty fitting, I think.

dr.cello
2007-09-12, 10:34 PM
Carrot is totally a Marshall or a Knight.
Nobby is probably just a rogue.
Igor has some levels in cleric or necromancer.

Most probably have the investigator feat.

I'd probably give Vimesy a few levels of Streetfighter, too. Suits him rather well. I'm not so sure where to put Colon. Possibly just a mid-to-high-leveled rogue with relatively poor ability scores?

Duke Malagigi
2007-09-12, 10:36 PM
Carrot is totally a Marshall or a Knight.
Nobby is probably just a rogue.
Igor has some levels in cleric or necromancer.

Most probably have the investigator feat.

Igor is diffinately a necromancer. His work is based on science not religion.

Dr. Weasel
2007-09-12, 10:46 PM
On a slight tangent,

I set him as about a 10th level Thug (Unearthed Arcana Fighter Variant) with Sneak Attack rather than Bonus Feats (another Unearthed Arcana variant).
People keep mentioning the two variants. It doesn't work as they both trade in their first level bonus feat.

This though I'll pretend is slightly more relevant:
Quentin Tarantino: Level 2 Commoner with Divine Ranks

JackMage666
2007-09-12, 10:54 PM
Doesn't it also say in there that they do work together?


Some fighters prefer stealth and cunning over martial skill. This variant can also be combined with the thug variant.
From the SRD
So, they work together, and present an interesting synergy.

EvilElitest
2007-09-12, 11:12 PM
Best I can tell, Link from Twilight Princess seems to be a Warblade/Eternal Blade, with some shield-bashing thrown in. Previous incarnations might have multiclass or gestalt with ranger and/or bard.

As for the Night Watch, most of them seem to be multiclassed Fighter/Rogues, except for Carrot, who may or may not have paladin levels.

I've just finished the first book, wonderful by the way, and the Night watch seem really ranger to me, not making them so would be like not making the Dundain rangers in LOTR Rangers.
from,
EE

Lord Iames Osari
2007-09-12, 11:20 PM
If you're an anime fan and value your sanity, do not click this spoiler.


Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu
Haruhi - Smart Hero 1/Fast Hero 1
Kyon - Smart Hero 2
Mikuru - Charismatic Hero 2
Yuki - near-epic Smart Hero/Construct (or Outsider)/Psion
Itsuki - Dedicated Hero 2, with at least 10 levels of Psion added when in Closed Space


You forgot Haruhi's Divine Ranks.

John Campbell
2007-09-13, 12:36 AM
I've just finished the first book, wonderful by the way, and the Night watch seem really ranger to me, not making them so would be like not making the Dundain rangers in LOTR Rangers.

So Nobbs would be Colon's animal companion, then?


IME, trying to port characters from other media into RPGs very seldom ends well, largely because assumptions about how the world works and what the capabilities of characters should be are generally incompatible. "Inspired by" can work out nicely, though, given a character with a solid feel that can survive stripping away details.

dr.cello
2007-09-13, 01:05 AM
So Nobbs would be Colon's animal companion, then?


IME, trying to port characters from other media into RPGs very seldom ends well, largely because assumptions about how the world works and what the capabilities of characters should be are generally incompatible. "Inspired by" can work out nicely, though, given a character with a solid feel that can survive stripping away details.

As I said. I'm not expecting a perfect representation; it's mostly an amusing exercise. Though to be honest, especially with some earlier works I can easily see Pterry's writings fitting handily into D&D.

I've made 'inspired by' characters and such previously, with varying degrees of success. It's easier at mid to high levels, most of the time. Actually, my big project is to find a character who could most easily be inspired by Twoflower. Fortune's Friend PrC seems the most obvious, but before that I'm sort of at a loss. (In-game he'd almost certainly be an Expert or Commoner, but I don't want to gimp myself utterly in the name of an amusing character.)


I've just finished the first book, wonderful by the way, and the Night watch seem really ranger to me, not making them so would be like not making the Dundain rangers in LOTR Rangers.

Urban Rangers, maybe, and definitely sans spellcasting. In the other books (highly recommended) they become a lot more Roguish in feel.

Conners
2007-09-13, 01:43 AM
SSJ Vegeta: Improved Unarmed Strike, each attack does 10,000d20 damage, 800 punches per round :smallbiggrin:. Any energy attack is an instant kill for creatures under level 500,000. :smalltongue:

The Extinguisher
2007-09-13, 02:04 AM
Is his HP over nine thousand?

When I was bored once drew up stats for Derek Leech from the book The Quorum. I don't know it exactly, but there were definatly lots of Aristocrat, as well as some Divination and Loremaster. I also gave him a charisma of 40.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-09-13, 02:14 AM
Statting out fictional characters in DnD (and probably most other systems as well) hardly ever works out.
Mutants & Masterminds, being an extremely versatile point-buy system, is actually pretty good for it. It's basically the entire point of this board (http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=fed6112b493ee91b7f3dde4a8b25fe4e)

There's even a Haruhi build on there. PL X, of course.Plus everyone else from Popeye to Jack Bauer.

Anyway, I've given a few Final Fantasy characters cameos in my game...specifically Celes, Locke, Edgar, and Terra. Considered making JRPG-based adventure parties a running gag in that campaign, but it kinda fizzled before I could really go anywhere with it.

Such characters also tend to show up in Sigil Prep (http://www.sigilprep.com) pretty much by necessity. Most famous are probably Yffub the Ranger Who Has Chosen Undead As Her Favored Enemy and Htiaf The Other Ranger Who Has Chosen Undead As Her Favored Enemy (and more recently Nwad, Sister of The Ranger Who you get the idea). Of course, these characters are only superficially similar to the "originals", and have their own associated plots and sight gags.

Ossian
2007-10-29, 09:06 AM
Well, one of my favs is most definitely Pulp Fiction.
Hard to stat them as heroic, but here we are, in a fictonal word, statting characters we like, so:

Vincent Vega
Thug 3/Scoundrel2/Fringer1 (he's been to Amsterdam for THREE years)
Skill Emphasis: entertain, DANCE (it was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well...)

Jules Winnifeld
Scoundrel 6, Skill Emphasis: Intimidate

Marsellus Wallace: Scoundrel 7/Crime Lord3

Butch: thug 5/scoundrel 1 (improved martial arts)

(from Star Wars RCR).

I've been thinking about two more favs, but they're hard to stat correctly.
1) The LEGENDARY Jack Burton, of the Pork Chop Express (and David Lopen, even harder to stat)

2) John McLane, from Die Hard, toughest bastard alive.

Drascin
2007-10-29, 10:29 AM
Mutants & Masterminds, being an extremely versatile point-buy system, is actually pretty good for it. It's basically the entire point of this board (http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=fed6112b493ee91b7f3dde4a8b25fe4e)

There's even a Haruhi build on there. PL X, of course.Plus everyone else from Popeye to Jack Bauer.

Yup, point buys seem to be far better suited for making characters inspired by previous ones. I personally have gone around statting people like Guts and Zero (Neo Arcadia Saga) in Tri-Stat without that much trouble (though Guts's Defects list was frigging massive. It really puts in perspective just how much he's been screwed over. Cursed and Wanted and with various Nemesis and partially disabled and...), and I'm not even that proficient with the system yet. In fact, I think I'll go practice a bit by statting Prinnies as monsters right now :smalltongue:



Anyway, I've given a few Final Fantasy characters cameos in my game...specifically Celes, Locke, Edgar, and Terra. Considered making JRPG-based adventure parties a running gag in that campaign, but it kinda fizzled before I could really go anywhere with it.


You know, I might yoink this idea. My group has pretty much played every JRPG ever translated onwards from the PSX, and a few from before, so the joke would not be lost on them.

Serenity
2007-10-29, 10:39 AM
I've found the Cinematic Unisystem to be fairly perfect for statting out 'inspired by' characters, though one usually has to 'supernaturalize' them a bit if they aren't already.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-10-29, 11:32 AM
You know, I might yoink this idea. My group has pretty much played every JRPG ever translated onwards from the PSX, and a few from before, so the joke would not be lost on them.
If you want to mess with them though, use the guys from the Baten Kaitos games. Nobody has played Baten Kaitos.

Rex Blunder
2007-10-29, 11:46 AM
I know Quentin Tarantino is fictional, but I thought Sigmund Freud was real?

Nerd-o-rama
2007-10-29, 11:52 AM
That's because you have an unresolved attraction to your mother.

(Please note: I hate explaining jokes, but I feel this merits an explicit disclaimer that I'm mocking Sigmund Freud, and not Rex Blunder. I'm sure Rex Blunder is a psychiatricly well-adjusted man in all respects.)

elliott20
2007-10-29, 12:04 PM
nerd-o: I LOLed

I think it's natural for every person whose ever played any RPG system to try to recreate their favorite heroes in said system.

I've mentally done that with a bunch of Kenshin characters, a bunch of Chinese Martial art novel characters, a bunch of Three Kingdom characters (AKA dynasty warriors), Link from various Zeldas, etc.

Trying to do "based" as opposed to "inspired by" is difficult though, so I usualyl don't sweat it too much.

It's much more fun to actually do inspirationally based with some mix and matching though. That's what I did with Mario and M. Bison and ended up with a Psychic Warrior / Monk.

Dizlag
2007-10-29, 12:28 PM
Last year early in the week while I was prepping for the next session, I realized our next session was going to fall on Friday the 13th. I'm sorry, but I just had to do it ...

An uber-strong undead humanoid wearing a newly created magical item called "The Mask of Nosaj" and wielding a short sword that looked similar to a machete.

My players appreciated it and we all had a good time. :smallbiggrin:

Dizlag

elliott20
2007-10-29, 12:38 PM
heh, that sounds too awesome... I think I need to yoink that idea some day.

Drascin
2007-10-29, 01:40 PM
If you want to mess with them though, use the guys from the Baten Kaitos games. Nobody has played Baten Kaitos.

I have, and they have seen me play, so HAH! :smalltongue:

Nerd-o-rama
2007-10-29, 01:50 PM
Well, there's just one way to ensure I remain correct then...

Um, could you wait five minutes, and give me some mooks to fight? I need to get my MP up to five and get all the cards for the Apotheosis in my hand. I'd like to murder you properly.

nobodylovesyou4
2007-10-29, 01:51 PM
As Nerd-o-rama and others have said, Mutants and Masterminds is the place to go for statting out other characters. I made some of the transformers (Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, and Unicron, all who were level 10 except for Unicron, who was 50), and ive even made some... weirder... characters, like Salad Fingers. Anyone who knows who salad fingers is, speak up.

But seriously, ive made a ton of characters for that just screwing around based off other media. Inspector Gadget is another one that comes ot mind (his powers only work 50% of the time, but he gets more of them).

Tengu
2007-10-29, 01:55 PM
Anyone who knows who salad fingers is, speak up.


Mmm, rusty kettle.

Drascin
2007-10-29, 02:07 PM
Well, there's just one way to ensure I remain correct then...

Um, could you wait five minutes, and give me some mooks to fight? I need to get my MP up to five and get all the cards for the Apotheosis in my hand. I'd like to murder you properly.

Sorry, no mooks available. My Charisma is just too abysmal to attract followers. You'll have to settle for mulliganing your hand and using lesser spells, I'm afraid - wait, what am I saying? I'm not letting you murder me! *uses a PSO III card to summon a Dark Flow Sword*. (Yep, Baten Kaitos is not the only Gamecube game with card-based battles. And laser claymores infused with the very essence of darkness win every time :smallamused:).

Anyway, back to the topic... I also forgot to mention, I have played Celes in a small one-shot campaign in D&D, too. She was a Warblade/Wizard/Phoenix Mage (this last one heavily reflavored, of course). It was pretty appropiate, and fairly true to the character, as far as D&D allowed. That module was quite fun - we all were playing FF-based chars. I was sharing party with Auron, Vivi, and Sabin, also pretty true to the characters.

Dhavaer
2007-10-29, 02:46 PM
I'd put Drusas Achamian from The Prince of Nothing as a Warmage, I guess.

Hyfigh
2007-10-29, 04:19 PM
The Theoretical portion of the CO's has a thread dedicated to just this subject (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=424838). Quite a few of the builds are neat and very well thought out.

Kizara
2007-10-29, 05:19 PM
I made siegfried (probably spelt wrong) from soul calibur 2-3 into character once. He was fighter 2/paladin 4 before the campaign ended (started at level 1) I even created a progression for Soul Calibur and talked my DM into letting me have it. His name was Luke, was a pretty memorable character.

Another time I made Cassandra (from the same games) into a character. She was the youngest daughter of a midling noble that went to finishing school (read: catholic schoolgirl), she spent most of her time there getting into trouble, before taking up her father's (a great general) sword. After traveling for a bit and having some pretty bad experiences, she decided to dedicate her life to protecting other's from the perils she often encountered on the road. Rogue 1/fighter 2/paladin of freedom 4 with shield bashing feats. Her name was Alexandra, and she was one of the funnest character's I've ever RPed.

Kizara
2007-10-29, 05:22 PM
Sorry, no mooks available. My Charisma is just too abysmal to attract followers. You'll have to settle for mulliganing your hand and using lesser spells, I'm afraid - wait, what am I saying? I'm not letting you murder me! *uses a PSO III card to summon a Dark Flow Sword*. (Yep, Baten Kaitos is not the only Gamecube game with card-based battles. And laser claymores infused with the very essence of darkness win every time :smallamused:).

Anyway, back to the topic... I also forgot to mention, I have played Celes in a small one-shot campaign in D&D, too. She was a Warblade/Wizard/Phoenix Mage (this last one heavily reflavored, of course). It was pretty appropiate, and fairly true to the character, as far as D&D allowed. That module was quite fun - we all were playing FF-based chars. I was sharing party with Auron, Vivi, and Sabin, also pretty true to the characters.

I envy you, Celes is one of my favorite FF characters of all time. Only recently replaced with Ashe (FF12).

StickMan
2007-10-29, 05:26 PM
Anyone have any clue what Class Doctor Who would be. I'm stumped.

Bedlam
2007-10-29, 05:37 PM
Almost all of them?

I've mostly only got knowledge of the core classes and a few other game systems. I'd say lets of levels in tinker from World of Warcraft along with a few levels of Mage and probably Cleric (Follows the idea of time?).

Defently elite and with some sort of self reincarnate ability.

Winterking
2007-10-29, 06:00 PM
In the last campaign I ran, I stole the inspiration for several NPCs from fictional sources, and modified (read: mangled, anagrammed, and squished) the names from some fictional characters, and more than one real one. I don't view this as inherently less imaginative, or moronic, or bad DM-ery...the fiction-inspired characters fill voids in the game that I would have filled anyway, with NPCs vaguely similar. Only, the NPCs I made, (often on short notice...not fans of the railroad tracks, my players...) would have lacked the depth, the backstory, the realism that borrowed characters brought with them. The borrowed/inspired NPCs were easier and faster to roleplay, since I was familiar with how the characters acted, how they might have thought around the PCs' actions, and what made th em distinctive. Much less effort, for an equally entertaining result, and thus, more time to develop the truly original parts of my world/the plot.

Anyway, my contributions to the thread: (points to those who can figure them out)
Borrowed NPCs: Jacqueline Olberi (aka "Lucky Jackie), captain of the warship Ambush, and her friend, the druid Stefano Mutarni. Lucky Jackie was a noble 1/Ftr 3/Rogue 2/Legendary Captain 1, if I recall aright.

Borrowed/anagrammed/otherwise mangled names:
Lord Winslow Kirkdale, First Commander of the Sea. (a historical name)
Colonel (later Admiral) Bal Madali (an anagram)
The Sultan Kereshanh (another anagram, and a hint at the guy's true nature)
The Ragnavari Guards (not a character, but a group, with a historical anagram name)

There were others, but my notes have been scattered on the winds, and my memory has faded.

Nostri
2007-10-29, 06:01 PM
The Doctor would most likely end up with alot of levels in Rogue and Fighter. Rogue because of all the bloody skill ranks that man must have and then Fighter because if you spend centuries fighting a war through-out time your bound to pick up a couple of tricks.

I don't think he'd have any levels in any kind of casting classes since all of his various abilities come from either his technology (the TARDIS, sonic screwdriver, etc) or by virtue of his being a Time Lord which is his race.

Nonah_Me
2007-10-29, 07:07 PM
As Nerd-o-rama and others have said, Mutants and Masterminds is the place to go for statting out other characters. I made some of the transformers (Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, and Unicron, all who were level 10 except for Unicron, who was 50), and ive even made some... weirder... characters, like Salad Fingers. Anyone who knows who salad fingers is, speak up.

But seriously, ive made a ton of characters for that just screwing around based off other media. Inspector Gadget is another one that comes ot mind (his powers only work 50% of the time, but he gets more of them).

I really, really, really wish that I didn't.

From the few episodes I've watched (I'm behind the times on British television) I'd say the good Doctor would be a factotum. He seems to be pretty good at everything.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-10-29, 07:57 PM
Salad Fingers is one of the greatest creations there is. Bard 1.

Doresain
2007-10-29, 08:09 PM
i once made a predator rip-off out of a catfolk...level 6 fighter...even talked the DM into letting my have the combistick and wristblades

i also ended making a character that acted (combat wise) a lot like Astaroth from SC...

Chronos
2007-10-29, 08:28 PM
One that works surprisingly well:

Sherlock Holmes
Human Rogue
Int 18 (plus any level-up points)
Wis 17
Cha 18
Dex 13
Str 16
Con 10

Skills:
Search
Spot
Listen
Disguise
Gather Information
Knowledge: Criminology (not in the rules, but reasonable to put it on the rogue list)
Knowledge: Local (London)
Sense Motive
Perform (act)
Forgery
Decipher Script (all maxed)
plus a mixture of Perform (string instruments) and Knowledge: Chemistry.

Feats:
Alertness
Investigator
Negotiator
Plus a bunch of other skill-boosting feats, depending on level.

elliott20
2007-10-30, 09:27 AM
I find most soulcalibur characters to be a shoe-in for D&D creation. Between ToB and Core, you pretty much have all of them covered.

Mr White
2007-10-30, 10:05 AM
I'm surprised no one mentioned Rincewind from discworld series. He would be perfect for comical relief.

elliott20
2007-10-30, 10:08 AM
Rincewind is actually not that easy to stat out though. (Or ironically, requires no statting out) His power lies not in his levels, but in the fact that he's clearly a GM pet NPC who can't be killed. The only thing you can really nail down about him is that if he could prepare "expeditious retreat" it would be the only spell he'd ever prepare.

GolemsVoice
2007-10-30, 10:44 AM
Rincewind would require a certain class, which would somehow revers the rolls, making everything from 2-20 a failure, and the 1 a roll which is always too low.
But it would be a class that is dedicated to fail with style. And certainty.