Last Kids on Earth

[MThurston]

I have 4 young boys that want play this as a world. They are alnot going to pick the girl as a character. ( boys)

I want to make the monster dog (Rover) a character. How do I go about making a giant dog a character?

I would give the dog the following stats.
Str +2
Int -2
Con +2

Darkvison 120 feet and can see magical darkness.

What do I do for a class? Or do I level him as an animal companion but HP each level?

Attacks would be the same as the wolf with pack tactics.

Sound good or does anyone have a better idea?

[Segev]

So, they want to play the characters from the show?

Hrm.

If you have the artificer, it MIGHT be how best to do Quint. I don't know the class at all, but it sounds right. If you don't, as I do not, the way I'd do Quint is as a wizard, and all his "spells" are gadgets he's put together. His spell slots are how often he can use them before they run out of juice or ammo otherwise break down.

Jake is probably a Ranger. I'd have said "beastmaster" for Rover, but if Rover is his own character, go with Hunter. If you want to be very generous, "Monsters" can be his favored enemy.

Dirk is probably an Open Hand Monk, oddly enough, and I'd give him Powerful Build as an extra perk.

Make Rover a war cleric, I think. Maybe pick his spells for the player, rather than letting him prepare normaly, so you can flavor them in various ways. Licks for healing, shield of faith as a sort of defenseive posture, that sort of thing. Divine Channel can be expressed by loud growls or barks, which do things like scare off zombies.


For June, I'd go with Battlemaster Fighter. Her spear is probably a +1 weapon after the events early in season 2.

[Garfunion]

First what is this TV show all about.
Is the dog an NPC or is someone actually going to play it?

[MThurston]

Its a kids show.

I was going to do Quint as a celestial warlock.
Dirk as a Monk.
June as a barbarian.
Jack was going to be a fighter but Ranger with monster hunter sounds better after you suggested it.

I could run Rover as a wolf companion but get HPs per level.

[Segev]

Rover's tricky because 5e really divorced monster stats from PC stats. You CAN just take a monster and slap on class levels, but the CR system doesn't directly translate to "plays well in a party of this level" at all.

Rover really does fit the narrative role of Jake's animal companion, but you don't want to make two players play effectively one character. Have you actually asked your 4 players who wants to play whom? Maybe they'll surprise you and one will want/be willing to play June. In which case Jake as a Beastmaster Ranger with Rover being a rule-breakingly Large animal companion (I'd just use Warg or Dire Wolf stats) should work fine.

Rover as a PC, though...

In the show, he demonstrates high jumping, scent ability, and he clearly has claws and a bite, but I don't know that we've seen him "multiattack" with both in roughly one round. I'd give it to him, anyway, in most cases, but it's something to potentially leave off if you're trying to balance him.


How many levels do you expect this game to go through? Depending on how few, it could be just as easy to take Dire Wolf or Warg stats and tweak them a touch for the things you want Rover to do or not to do. Even if it's not balanced, it can't be too far off, and unless your players are hard-core optimizers, they might not even notice.

[MThurston]

I have decided to use half orc as Rovera race. Everything about the build yells beast.

I then just use fighter as the class.

It should work well for this. The player is balanced with the rest of them.

I will ask about attacks though.

Claw is 1d8 Slashing and Bire is 1d6. Should I keep it this way or raise the damage of Claw? My reason for this is because of no shield use. If a fighter doesn't use a shield the can do 2d6 damage with a greatsword. Or should I look at the claws as two weapon fighting?

[Segev]

I have decided to use half orc as Rovera race. Everything about the build yells beast.

I then just use fighter as the class.

It should work well for this. The player is balanced with the rest of them.

I will ask about attacks though.

Claw is 1d8 Slashing and Bire is 1d6. Should I keep it this way or raise the damage of Claw? My reason for this is because of no shield use. If a fighter doesn't use a shield the can do 2d6 damage with a greatsword. Or should I look at the claws as two weapon fighting?

I'd either give him Multiattack (one claw and one bite) or let him treat the bite as an off-hand weapon for TWF purposes.

[MThurston]

I'd either give him Multiattack (one claw and one bite) or let him treat the bite as an off-hand weapon for TWF purposes.

I could raise the bite to 1d10 damage and the claw to 1d6 using a bonus action to get an off handed claw.

[Segev]

I could raise the bite to 1d10 damage and the claw to 1d6 using a bonus action to get an off handed claw.

1d10 might be a bit high with an off-hand weapon. Compare to other PHB martial weapons. Do any one-handed ones give a d10? I think d8 bite and d6 claw, with the claw being a light weapon, would be the best way to go.

[moonfly7]

First what is this TV show all about.
Is the dog an NPC or is someone actually going to play it?


Its a kids show.

I was going to do Quint as a celestial warlock.
Dirk as a Monk.
June as a barbarian.
Jack was going to be a fighter but Ranger with monster hunter sounds better after you suggested it.

I could run Rover as a wolf companion but get HPs per level.

You refer to it as a show but it was for many years before that an amazing book series. I haven't seen the show, but considering that it's recent I doubt it's caught up to the books yet, since the series isn't even done yet.
That being said I think monster Hunter ranger Jack is apt, although how you'll stat up his sharp bat that he used like a sword I have no idea. Quint really should be an artificer.
Don't forget that depending on where your starting in the series they'll have allies or they won't, that's why it's weord to run games like this cause everyone knows how it should go. Maybe also ask if they're talking about the book or the TV show(from what I gather the books a bit more serious) also how are you going to handle the fact that one of them is the "main character"?

[Segev]

You refer to it as a show but it was for many years before that an amazing book series. I haven't seen the show, but considering that it's recent I doubt it's caught up to the books yet, since the series isn't even done yet.
That being said I think monster Hunter ranger Jack is apt, although how you'll stat up his sharp bat that he used like a sword I have no idea. Quint really should be an artificer.
Don't forget that depending on where your starting in the series they'll have allies or they won't, that's why it's weord to run games like this cause everyone knows how it should go. Maybe also ask if they're talking about the book or the TV show(from what I gather the books a bit more serious) also how are you going to handle the fact that one of them is the "main character"?

My assumption is that he'll be running it branching off from season 2. Which is what's out of the series.

For the bat, I'd just run it as a sword. Probably longsword; Jake doesn't dual wield and sometimes two-hands it.

If DM and players don't know the plot of the books past the series, I imagine "everyone knowing how it goes" won't be an issue for their table.

[MThurston]

1d10 might be a bit high with an off-hand weapon. Compare to other PHB martial weapons. Do any one-handed ones give a d10? I think d8 bite and d6 claw, with the claw being a light weapon, would be the best way to go.

I think you miss read or I wasn't clear. I will expand my thinking.

1d10 bite. Equal to Long sword using two hands.
1d6 claw. Equal to two shortsword.

[MThurston]

My assumption is that he'll be running it branching off from season 2. Which is what's out of the series.

For the bat, I'd just run it as a sword. Probably longsword; Jake doesn't dual wield and sometimes two-hands it.

If DM and players don't know the plot of the books past the series, I imagine "everyone knowing how it goes" won't be an issue for their table.

it is based on the TV series and my game will be a stand alone. Main character doesn't mean anything in my game. The warlock class worked nicely for Quint. I re-named healing light to Band Aids and he was having fun throwing them at his friends. My son re-name guiding bolt to fireworks. So now that spell is a giant fire cracker rocket he fires from his crossbow.. Which I thought was brilliant.

I am running the bat as a giant club and when he uses the point as a spear using two hands. I figure it be the fair way to do it because he doesn't use a shield.

[MThurston]

I ran it last Friday and everyone liked it.

The dog getting Claw at 1d6 for two attacks. One with no str mod bonus. Bite attack at 1d10 damage. This seemed to work well.

I had Jack who has the baseball bat use great club damage or spear worked well also.

[Segev]

I ran it last Friday and everyone liked it.

The dog getting Claw at 1d6 for two attacks. One with no str mod bonus. Bite attack at 1d10 damage. This seemed to work well.

I had Jack who has the baseball bat use great club damage or spear worked well also.

I'm interested in more details. How'd they pick their characters? What was the scenario they faced? Did they pick where to go, or did a call to adventure find them for this one? (It's a mixed bag in the show which it is; sometimes, they're out pursuing goals on their own, facing complications to it, and sometimes, they're forced to confront something that's threatening them.)

[MThurston]

I'm interested in more details. How'd they pick their characters? What was the scenario they faced? Did they pick where to go, or did a call to adventure find them for this one? (It's a mixed bag in the show which it is; sometimes, they're out pursuing goals on their own, facing complications to it, and sometimes, they're forced to confront something that's threatening them.)

Well my youngest said I am Rover when I even suggested putting the dog in. My older son likes science, so he wanted Quint.

Jack went to my sons friend and his dad played Dirk.

They were short on supplies and had to make a run.

[Segev]

Well my youngest said I am Rover when I even suggested putting the dog in. My older son likes science, so he wanted Quint.

Jack went to my sons friend and his dad played Dirk.

They were short on supplies and had to make a run.

Ah, standard zombie-fending quest, then? I can just picture a little kid playing Rover. It's adorable. Glad you guys had fun. Is this the first RPG they've played?

[MThurston]

Yes and everyone had fun. I let them pick how r he ended a zombie and the first 3 kills was them jumping in the air.

The last kill my son said he dropped his crossbow and the fireworks went zooming all over and then ended up hitting under the zombie sending it flying.

[Segev]

Yes and everyone had fun. I let them pick how r he ended a zombie and the first 3 kills was them jumping in the air.

The last kill my son said he dropped his crossbow and the fireworks went zooming all over and then ended up hitting under the zombie sending it flying.

That's definitely getting into the spirit of being Quint! In character, did Quint do that on purpose, or was it an accident? (I know your son did it on purpose, OOC.)

[MThurston]

That's definitely getting into the spirit of being Quint! In character, did Quint do that on purpose, or was it an accident? (I know your son did it on purpose, OOC.)

He played it as an accident.

[Segev]

He played it as an accident.

The RP is strong with this one. Good for him!

Was June an NPC, or was she Lady Not Appearing in This Adventure for some reason? If the latter, what was she up to in the background?

I assume they got their supplies; any interesting plot developments, or just a general get-the-treasure quest with some zombie fighting on the way?

[MThurston]

June has a token and a character. If they get another player then that on is available.

They got some supplies and made it back home.