Video Game Characters

[kevin_video]

So a friend and I were having coffee today, and he was talking about the "Free For All" that is done at the annual gaming convention. It's 20 gamers vs 20 DMs. Its popularity is second only to the six hour D&D Tournament that's held the day before.

We were tossing around ideas for this year's one-shot when I brought up that maybe we could do a D&D style video game face-off. Like Link vs Ganon, Mario vs Koopa, Simon Belmont vs Dracula, etc. The only problem is designing these guys. For Ganon, I'm thinking orc wizard/archmage since that's apparently what he is (but it was also suggested warmage), but how the heck do you do teleport at will? Dracula I'm thinking vampire template, sorcerer/fighter/vampire master, and Koopa's just your standard green dragon, except he's got fire breath... how does that work?

The heroes are the main problem though. What's Mario? A Monk? And then you have his items. I'm thinking a belt that'll enlarge him with a mushroom belt buckle, a star shaped ring with greater blink 1/day, a cape that gives him fly (work the mechanics out on that later), and I have no idea how to design the fireflower. Maybe something like the necklace of fireballs. I'm thinking Ranger/Fighter for Simon though, with undead being his favored, and lots of "blessed" weapons. The hardest thing I'm trying to figure out right now is Link's sword. I've looked and looked, and for the life of me can not figure out how his sword can shoot energy bolts. Even just 30 ft would be fine. For classes, I'm thinking Fighter (maybe even Warblade)/Rogue with high skill levels in Use Magic Device.

Now, admittedly, we don't yet know what exact system we'll be using. Pathfinder's out, so I want to try and stay with the core classes if at all possible. Chances are the guys in the commity are going to make us use that, or 4th edition. Right now we're going to use 3.5 for the rough drafts. Especially since Dracula's currently in the mix.

[Smudgy]

I remember seeing a Bowser character over on the Wizards board somewhere... Yup, here it is.

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=424838

Along with a bunch of other video game characters, make of 'em what you will.

[kevin_video]

I gotta admit that this isn't too bad, although I don't know that I agree that Mario's a dwarf. I'd have to change a lot of this as most of this is 3.0 and takes from Oriental Adventures. Not sure how the Night Crawler build works as I'm not familiar with those classes, but it seems that somehow those will allow him to teleport at will. Still no Link and his blaster sword though. And Ganon's human form is apparently a Warlock. Go figure.

[Archmage Joda]

Well, I'd say that if you go by Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf being a warlock makes perfect sense. He didn't actually have much of a repetoire of spells (limited invocations), but could spam them at will, and that glowing sword in twilight princess could probably be Eldritch Glaive.

Oh, and if you haven't played through Twilight Princess, don't read that previous paragraph.

[kevin_video]

Well, I'd say that if you go by Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf being a warlock makes perfect sense. He didn't actually have much of a repetoire of spells (limited invocations), but could spam them at will, and that glowing sword in twilight princess could probably be Eldritch Glaive.

Oh, and if you haven't played through Twilight Princess, don't read that previous paragraph.

lol Little late for that, don't ya think?

I've played through Ocarina of Time though so that does make sense when I think about it, but I'm an old school player too, and Link to the Past is still my favourite.

[j0lt]

We were tossing around ideas for this year's one-shot when I brought up that maybe we could do a D&D style video game face-off. Like Link vs Ganon, Mario vs Koopa, Simon Belmont vs Dracula, etc. The only problem is designing these guys. For Ganon, I'm thinking orc wizard/archmage since that's apparently what he is (but it was also suggested warmage), but how the heck do you do teleport at will?

Blink.

And as usual, I'm going to suggest that D&D's class system is woefully inappropriate for most of the characters you want to design.  For Zelda it works fairly well, as long as Link the Fighter has some way of getting his UMD checks up into a decent range.  For most other (non-fantasy) characters, d20 Modern would be able to replicate them much more easily and accurately.

[kevin_video]

We were tossing around ideas for this year's one-shot when I brought up that maybe we could do a D&D style video game face-off. Like Link vs Ganon, Mario vs Koopa, Simon Belmont vs Dracula, etc. The only problem is designing these guys. For Ganon, I'm thinking orc wizard/archmage since that's apparently what he is (but it was also suggested warmage), but how the heck do you do teleport at will?

Blink.

And as usual, I'm going to suggest that D&D's class system is woefully inappropriate for most of the characters you want to design.  For Zelda it works fairly well, as long as Link the Fighter has some way of getting his UMD checks up into a decent range.  For most other (non-fantasy) characters, d20 Modern would be able to replicate them much more easily and accurately.

Okay, how do you use Blink at will? A ring? That's not really teleport though. I was thinking of using that as the invincible star.

Idon't know that it's not appropriate or not, but I've seen some pretty good builds so far from that previous link I was given. I even went so far as to Google D&D Zelda, and even got a copy of the Zelda d20 game. Link's a Fighter 12/Ranger 1 (with favored environment forest) and a high Handle Animal. In that system there's an ability that gives you a bonus to certain creatures (for Link it's fairies). His sword and shield aren't that detailed, but his sword has the +2 holy ability.

[Bozwevial]

Teleport at will? Dimensional Jaunt, a reserve feat from Complete Mage.

[kevin_video]

Teleport at will? Dimensional Jaunt, a reserve feat from Complete Mage.

That's perfect. Thank you.

[dark_samuari]

Link can perhaps be replicated through use of the legacy champion.

[kevin_video]

Link can perhaps be replicated through use of the legacy champion.

I'm not familiar with that class.

Just found Link's sword.
Master Sword (artifact): +3 holy longsword. As a standard action, when the weilder spends power points, the blade fires an energy missile that deals 1d6 holy damage on a successful range attack.

Hmm. Wish it'd say how many points have to be spent. What's the average? Two? But if this is the case, then that'd mean Link isn't a Fighter, but a Psionic Warrior. That changes things.

EDIT: Whoops, messed up. That's the original sword. The one at the end of the last game is:

Master Sword (artifact): +5 holy evil outsider bane longsword. As a standard action, when the weilder spends power points, the blade fires an energy missile that deals 1d6 holy damage on a successful range attack.

Still says nothing about how many points you use.

[dark_samuari]

Link can perhaps be replicated through use of the legacy champion.

I'm not familiar with that class.

It's a prestige class from Weapons of Legacy that alongside progressing an earlier class or prestige class through eight (of it's ten) levels also grants a character greater power in wielding a legacy item (an item that grows in power during an adventurer's career).

[kevin_video]

It's a prestige class from Weapons of Legacy that alongside progressing an earlier class or prestige class through eight (of it's ten) levels also grants a character greater power in wielding a legacy item (an item that grows in power during an adventurer's career).

Okay, maybe I do know that one. It's a class that saves you money if you've got the proper feats when you wish to upgrade your weapon.

[dark_samuari]

It's a prestige class from Weapons of Legacy that alongside progressing an earlier class or prestige class through eight (of it's ten) levels also grants a character greater power in wielding a legacy item (an item that grows in power during an adventurer's career).

Okay, maybe I do know that one. It's a class that saves you money if you've got the proper feats when you wish to upgrade your weapon.

Yep except the prestige class gives you those necessary feats.

[Negative Zero]

Someone had a very well-done Chozo Warrior homebrew class on here.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Red mage (8-bit theatre): Factotum 20.

Or possibly factotum 19/Chameleon1.

[Anklebite]

generally, video game chars are so tricky to stat out, you either have a spatbooking-from-hell person made with hours upon hours worth of research, or a homebrew class made the same way.  but one thing to remember, at all times, is that this characters were made to a concept without any form of limitation other than difficulty. my advice: abuse custom items. really, its the best way.  ever notice how link seems to have an earring in some games? thats a slotless ring of something. tunics? shields? swords? gadgets? link is just a fighter20 with really good gear.  go weapon supremecy(longsword), grab a few shield feats, and use any excess to get archery feats.  

for making characters perfectly in line with a concept using the same resource system for all of them, though, you pretty much need HERO system or something just as flexible.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

It's pretty easy to reflavor things to get the right fluff for your mechanics, though.  Like, for example, you could change my custom priest class into a street performer or something.

[Paradox]

It's pretty easy to reflavor things to get the right fluff for your mechanics, though.  Like, for example, you could change my custom priest class into a street performer or something.

No way you could turn that into a street performer.  Just go with a bard.

[Rebel7284]

No way you could turn that into a street performer.  Just go with a bard.