Family Ties
The votes have been tallied, and this month’s Patreon poll went to Inquisitor in a landslide. (Better luck next time, Barbarian! I’m sure that your daddy will visit one day soon).
Dark elves have it rough, man. Living in the shadow of everyone’s favorite Menzoberranzanite exile is a burden shared by any player that’s ever scrawled “drow” on a character sheet. If you want to play a drow ranger, you’ve got to question whether scimitars are worth it. You’ve got to tread lightly around “chaotic good rebel from an evil society,” even though that storyline is de facto default for dark elf PCs. Sure as shit you don’t want to pick up any feline animal companions.
When a pop culture character goes iconic, it begins to cast a shadow over player characters. No one wants to be accused of ripping off the guy on the cover of the adventure, and that means your options are necessarily limited. So sure, you can play a Drizzt clone or a Bilbo clone or a hulking brute with an Austrian accent, but whether or not you choose to embrace the similarity or run from it, it pays to know the tropes.
Suppose you want to play a wise old male human wizard. You know that you’re competing with Gandalf and Dumbledore and even Ben Kenobi for conceptual space, so you’ve got to figure out what makes those characters distinct. Magical fireworks? It could be fun, but it’s probably a pass. Phoenix familiar? Badass, but Fawkes is just a bit too famous. Magical floating training orb? Actually, that one gets a pass. It would make a pretty legit magic item.
My point is that the quest for originality is a difficult one. When you’re playing with iconic characters and all their baggage, you want to know those archetypes inside and out. That way, whether you mimic the character or consciously avoid it, you’re doing so with intention.
Question of the day then. Have you ever seen a PC that bore a suspicious resemblance to a famous pop culture character? What was it? Did it work well in-game? Let’s hear it in the comments!
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Suspicious? No, it’s always been deliberate. For example, one of the PCs in my Curse of Strahd game is described as “the least competent Belmont.”
I guess Clown Shoes multiclassed to ranger?
Pretty much. She got Death House’d anyway. The new character is her slightly more competent daughter, who is a Trickery Cleric instead of a Ranger.
Lol actually, if i seem them they are mostly exterragated Copies. Though funnily most People i game with, make their own rather Unique Characters or they Copy and spin them so far that they aren’t resembling their Inspiration.
I have an unrelated Question though: Are Bard, Druid, Summoner all without a Party? Like i think Gunslinger? https://www.handbookofheroes.com/archives/comic/loner
Funny story about that Gunslinger comic. When I wrote the comic Gunslinger was supposed to be a Man With No Name clone. I didn’t know that Laurel had already done some character design. Thus it was that our badass lone wolf became an adorable hobbit.
But yeah, you guessed right. For our upcoming (and long-delayed) “Roll Call” page, I’ve got all of the above listed as “Independents.” Now that we’ve got the new store up and running, I’m hoping that we can get that page up soon. It’ll help newcomers, long-time readers, and (most importantly) me to keep everyone straight.
This makes it even funnier! I guess he got the http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/gunslinger/archetypes/paizo-gunslinger-archetypes/mysterious-stranger/ Archetype to boot? A True lone Wolf XD.
Of course! How else is he going to make use of that awesome Charisma bonus?
Suspicious? If you’re ripping off a pop culture character, do it brazenly and gloriously. I usually do it in one shots, since just ripping off an established character tends to make character progression harder for me, but jumping in a game as Dr. McNinja or Hog Rider and playing it up for all it’s worth is marvelous fun.
Before I started my latest Occultist, I made sure everyone had seen this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kXiVSYmC0g
It’s important for fellow party members to know where you’re coming from.
One of my early players played batman. His character was a monk, literally named Bruce Wayne, and had the rich parents trait. He died in the second or third session after he was mauled by ghouls and left for dead by the rest of the party. I think that player never got over that, because he hated me forever after that.
*Bruce Wén
Now I think the wise old male human wizard doesn’t fall into this trap precisely BECAUSE there are so many of them already; it doesn’t default to one specific thing. Contrast this to the other examples mentioned; anybody playing a good drow ranger pretty much has one specific character they’re copying, as does anyone playing a halfling.
As for the last example I don;t know whether playing a warforged as the Terminator is unoriginal or really really clever
There’s a pretty good take on the wise old male human wizard over in the Glass Cannon Podcast:
http://glass-cannon.wikia.com/wiki/Pembroke_the_Potent
Dude does a solid job making the archetype fresh.
I am at a loss. Who is the auburn haired lass?
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Catti-brie
I’m no Drizzt expert, but since the wiki says that he was 42 when his wife was born, it’s not that surprising that he might have a child from a previous relationship. Or he moved on after she died. Mayfly-December Romance and all that.
I try to avoid copying established characters in any serious campaign. I’ve made references to characters (or real-life people) in my character names and descriptions, such as to Link and William Shakespeare, but the characters themselves usually act quite differently from their “inspiration”.
But there was that one time I played Mega Man in a Big Eyes, Small Mouth campaign.
Man… I need to play me some more comedy games. BESM always sounded like a blast.
Well I’ve certainly see a decent amount of copy-cats. I personally try to avoid them. Maybe too hard perhaps. *shrug*
What were the copy-cats? Avengers? Ghostbusters? Satirical takes on prominent politicians?
Nothing even remotely interesting enough for me to actually remember. Just other fantasy style characters.
I’m just waiting for this to transition to a longform webcomic a la OOTS. You’ve got the characters down, now they need to do things more than a snapshot at a time.
I’d be down. Sadly, it’s a lot easier for me to words than it is for Laurel to art. That girl is already cranking ’em out like whoa. So until our Patreon hits the “quit your day job” mark, I think it is what it is.
…
Now I’m wondering if folks would dig micro fiction with these characters. Hmmm….
I made a pyrokineticst named … Kuzo… who was a bounty hunter obsessed with regaining his honor. He was easy to distinguish due to the large burn on his right.. ear.. that he got as a cild after challenging his … mother.
“I’ll change a few details,” said the devious Moonjuice7 to himself. “They’ll never suspect a thing!”
One of my favourite PCs ever was patterned strongly on Guts of “Berserk” (check out this manga, if you haven’t). 95% of the fundamental similarities with Guts were there: mercenary, dark secrets, emotional baggage, talent for incredible slaughter, deep-down a kind heart in a wicked world, etc. (I’ll omit other facets to avoid spoilers).
Anyway, in spite of the strong resemblances, my PC’s life trajectory turned out to be *very* different from that of the source material.
Looking back, I think the main diverging point that led to a radically different outcome was that he could maintain almost all of his relationships; and the DMs weren’t running a grimdark campaign with a specific nemesis.
That’s an interesting point. Back when I did my starship mechanic in that Firefly game…
https://www.handbookofheroes.com/archives/comic/creepy-ghost
…he was basically Danny Devito. And by that I mean I was doing my best Devito impression. I’m not a professional actor though. My best impression isn’t 100% Penguin or Louie the dad from Matilda. My gross little troll of a mechanic became his own thing through play. I suspect that’s how all characters wind up developing in TRPGs.
I’ve got Pterry’s Carrot on a character sheet somewhere, at least race wise. I haven’t decided on a class to go with him yet. Plain fighter or better Ranger with a bond to the companions and archetype without casting?
Sgt. Colon and Nobby Nobs will get a cameo in my homebew campaign with maybe a Vetinary clone as the Baron.
I can neither confirm nor deny that I’ve used the Sgt. Colon voice from the audio books for my own constabulary.
First character I desingned was a drow ranger, I later redisinged her as a warlock. She is CE (chaotic because she doesn’t follow rules, evil because she is wiling to harm innocents to achieve her goals). She believes drow faith holds them back, and tends to admire some elven civillizations. She deeply vallues comradery and is willing to do anything for her friends. Her build (abbilities and such) is inspired by a character from a book I once read. The second character I desinged was heavily inspired by Jack Slash from Worm web novel.
Well now you’ve got me curious. What was the book?
My younger brother made Danny Devito. Literally his character’s name.
He inevitably lost the sheet and we gave him a premade character, Lorcan Redman.
He immediately started calling himself Morgan Freeman.
Well, if you ask me, THIS guy looks like Wizard in a different color palette. Who also changed class. The other features… glances over the baggage Basically the same character.
Hey now, it’s not the Handbook’s fault for following the elf playbook. That’s just the way things is.
As I noted in Bickering Gods, I’ve statted up characters based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, although I have not yet had any chance to use them
(Stats below are for D&D 3.5e)
A team of out-of-work adventurers of disreputable character, Warlock, Mimic, and Gorn Lord can be found almost anywhere, commiting middling crimes or abusively half-assing some odd job or another; whether selling magic items of dubious quality, ransacking and looting, creating magic items no-questions-asked, blackmailing more villainous ne’erdowells, abandoning the person who’s hired them as bodyguards, framing a random patsy when they tire of an investigation, or simply working at a local tavern and stealing from the till.
“Warlock”
HP 46 (13d6); Fiendish resiliance; DR 3/cold iron
Male Human Expert 1/Warlock 12
LE(LN) Meduim Humanoid (Human)
Init +0; Senses: Detect Magic; Listen +1, Spot +7
Languages: Comprehend Languages (written only); Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Gnome
Resist: Fire 5, ????? 5
Fort +4 (0+4+0) Ref +4 (0+4+0) Wis +11 (2+8+1)
Speed: 30 feet, Fly 30 feet (good)
Ranged: Eldritch Hammer blast +9 (6d6)
Ranged: Brimstone blast +9 (6d6 fire plus ignition)
Base atk: +9
SA: Eldritch Blast, Invocations
SQ: Damage Reduction 3/cold iron, Detect Magic, Fiendish Resiliance, Imbue Item
Invocations:
Least- All-seeing Eyes, Beguiling Influence, Hammer Blast, Otherworldly Whispers
Lesser- Brimstone blast(?), Fell Flight
Greater- Dark Hand (See below)
Abilities: Str 11 Dex 11 Con 11 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Investigator, Jack of All Trades (CAdv), Magical Aptitude, Master of Knowledge (HoH)
Skills: Bluff +6 (6inv), Concentrate +2 (2sk), Craft (Alchemy) +20 (16skill+4int), Craft (blacksmithing) +17 (13sk+4int), Craft (Weaponsmithing) +16 (12sk+4int), Diplomacy +8 (6inv+2syn), Gather Information +2 (2feat), Heal +5 (4sk+1wis), Intimidate +7 (1sk+6inv), Knowledge (Arcana) +27 (16skill+4int+1feat+6inv), Knowledge (architecture) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +10 (5sk+4int+1feat), Knowledge (gepgraphy) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (history) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (local) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (nature) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (nobility) +5 (4int+1feat), Knowledge (religion) +27 (16sk+4int+1feat+6inv), Knowledge (The Planes) +17 (6sk+4int+1feat+6inv), Search +16 (4sk+4int+2feat+6inv), Sense Motive +17 (+16sk+1wis), Spellcraft +24 (+16sk+4int+2feat+2syn) +26 with scrolls (+16sk+4int+2feat+4syn), spot +7 (1wis+6inv), Survival +1 (1wis) +3 on other planes or underground (1wis+2syn), Use Magic Device +18 (16sk+2feat) +20 with scrolls (16sk+2feat+2syn)
Eldritch Blast (Sp): The first ability a warlock learns is eldritch blast. A warlock attacks his foes with eldritch power, using baleful magical energy to deal damage and sometimes impart other debilitating effects.
An eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet. It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. An eldritch blast deals 1d6 points of damage at 1st level and increases in power as the warlock rises in level. An eldritch blast is the equivalent of a spell whose level is equal to one-half the warlock’s class level (round down), with a minimum spell level of 1st and a maximum of 9th when a warlock reaches 18th level or higher
An eldritch blast is subject to spell resistance, although the Spell Penetration feat and other effects that improve caster level checks to overcome spell resistance also apply to eldritch blast. An eldritch blast deals half damage to objects. Metamagic feats cannot improve a warlock’s eldritch blast (because it is a spell-like ability, not a spell). However, the feat Ability Focus (eldritch blast) increases the DC for all saving throws (if any) associated with a warlock’s eldritch blast by 2. See page 303 of the Monster Manual.
Detect Magic (Sp): A warlock can use detect magic as the spell at will. His caster level equals his class level (12)
Damage Reduction (Su): Fortifed by the supernatural power fowing in his body, a warlock becomes resistant to physical attacks, gaining damage reduction 3/cold iron.
Deceive Item (Ex): A warlock has the ability to more easily commandeer magic items made for the use of other characters. When making a Use Magic Device check, a warlock can take 10 even if distracted or threatened.
Fiendish Resilience (Su): A warlock knows the trick of fendish resilience. Once per day, as a free action, he can enter a state that lasts for 2 minutes. While in this state, the warlock gains fast healing 1.
Imbue Item (Su): A warlock can use his supernatural power to create magic items, even if he does not know the spells required to make an item (although he must know the appropriate item creation feat). He can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + spell level for arcane spells or 25 + spell level for divine spells) in place of a required spell he doesn’t know or can’t cast.
If the check succeeds, the warlock can create the item as if he had cast the required spell. If it fails, he cannot complete the item. He does not expend the XP or gp costs for making the item; his progress is simply arrested. He cannot retry this Use Magic Device check for that spell until he gains a new level.
Dark Hand
Greater Invocation
The warlock may use Telekinesis as the spell. Additionally they may make a free attempt to telekinetically grapple any creature they hit with eldritch blast
The other two members of the group refer to the warlock simply as “Warlock”. It is unknown if he really has no name or the others are simply too stupid to remember it. A scholar of all fields of study, Warlock is the brains of the group and its de facto leader. Except for when he is plotting the murder of a romantic rival or building an unsavory magic item for an even more unsavory client, he also is usually the conscience of the group; he tries to steer the group towards adventuring and/or employment rather than outright stealing, extortion, and fraud.
“Mimic”; Mimic Warshaper 1; Large Aberration (Shapechanger)HD 7d8+1d8+56; HP 92; Init +1; Speed 10ft; AC 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 15; Atk +9 melee (1d8+4, 2 slams); SA adhesive, crush, morphic weapons; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, mimic shape, morphic immunities; AL CN; SV Fort +11 (+2HD+7con+2class), Ref +5(+2hd+1dex+2feat), Will +3 (+5HD-2wis); Str 19 Dex 12 Con 24 Int 8 Wis 6 Cha 10
Skills and Feats: Climb +6 (2sk+4str), Disguise +10 (2sk+0cha+8rac), Escape Artist +2 (1sk+1dex), Listen +3 (3sk-2wis+2feat), Spot +3 (3sk-2wis+2feat); Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam)
Special Attacks:
Adhesive (Ex): A mimic exudes a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that touch it. An adhesive-covered mimic automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. Opponents so grappled cannot get free while the mimic is alive without removing the adhesive first.
A weapon that strikes an adhesive-coated mimic is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. A successful DC 16 Strength check is needed to pry it off.
Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the mimic still can grapple normally. A mimic can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.
Crush (Ex): A mimic deals 1d8+4 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Morphic Weapons (Su): As a move action, a warshaper can grow natural weapons such as claws or fangs, allowing a natural attack that deals the appropriate amount of damage according to the size of the new form. These morphic weapons need not be natural weapons that the creature already posesses, for example, a warshaper polymorphed into an ettin (Large giant) could grow a claw that deals 1d6 points of damage, or horns for a gore attack that deals 1d8 points of damage.
If the warshaper’s form already has a natural weapon of that type, the weapon deals damage as if it were one category larger. For example, a warshaper who used wild shape to become a dire wolf (Large animal) could grow its jaw and snout, enabling a bite attack that deals 2d6 points of damage (as a for Huge animal), not the normal 1d8. A warshaper can change morphic weapons as often as it likes, even if it is using a shapechanging technique such as the polymorph spell or the wild shape class feature that doesn’t allow subsequent changes after the initial transformation.
Special Qualities:
Mimic Shape (Ex): A mimic can assume the general shape of any object that fills roughly 150 cubic feet (5 feet by 5 feet by 6 feet), such as a massive chest, a stout bed, or a wide door frame. The creature cannot substantially alter its size, though. A mimic’s body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Anyone who examines the mimic can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the mimic’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.
Morphic Immunities (Ex): A warshaper is adept at distributing her form’s vital organs around her body to keep them safe from harm. Warshapers are immune to stunning and critical hits.
“Mimic” is an unusually dumb mimic prone to taking on non-apropos disguises or accidentally disguising himself as the wrong thing. The Gorn Lord is fond of tricking him into turning into offensive shapes that enrage onlookers and even more fond of tricking him into doing the dirty work for its half-baked schemes. When out adventuring he has the useful quality of being able to get the others into hard to reach places
“The Gorn Lord” (3.5e) (An intelligent mug based on Master Shake)
The Gorn Lord; CE Intelligent Everfull Mug (Magic Item Compendium pg.160; A mug that can fill itself with cheap booze 3/day; base price 200gp); Int 9, Wis 6, Cha 6; Speaks Common; Sight 120 ft and hearing; 10 ranks in Bluff, 10 ranks in Profession(Cook);
Moderate Conjuration; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, Create Water;11700 gp
The Gorn Lord is white stoneware tankard with a carved face and an elaborately wrought golden lid. The tankard has a reprehensible personality, and left to its own devices it will swindle people, verbally abuse people, make inappropriate advances towards women despite the fact that it lacks genitals, and attempt to trick people into injuring themselves. Its only useful trait, other than its ability to generate cheap alcohol, is its inexplicably extensive knowledge of cooking.