Okay, you sit down for a D&D game at a con. The DM lays out a set of pregens. There is one of each class available. You are given first pick out of the entire lot.
What character class do you choose?
Personally, I would pick the fighter. While I have gone on in the past about my love for the class, I also like fighters because they are the easiest class to play. There are no fiddly bits like spells and thief skills to worry about. And no matter what type of campaign the GM has in mind, the fighter fits in like a hand in a glove. Even in a game that is non-combat oriented, there is still an advantage to having a strong, intimidating figure around.
That's my choice, what's yours?
Showing posts with label fighters are awesome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fighters are awesome. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
N is for Names
A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, but a bad character name can really stink up the joint.
Choosing a name for a PC is never easy. A good name should be appropriate for the campaign setting, as well as help establish the character itself. For example, when I was playing Engines & Empires, I played a fighter named Lt. Reginald Hornsby. The name was perfect for the character. First, it fit the pseudo-Victorian pseudo-England setting of the campaign. Second, the rank helped establish a sense of authority from a character that started with an 8 Constitution and a 9 Charisma. Third, the name was remarkably versatile in determining who was addressing him. Those that recognized his authority called him Lieutenant. To those who new him more formally, he was Reginald. To his best friends, he was just Reg. And you always knew when an enemy approached when they shouted "Hornsby!" By the time the campaign ended, he added "Lord Reginald" and "Baron Hornsby" to the list of addresses. It's of little surprise that he became the leader of the party. The only name that came close to my PC's in coolness was our party's scholar, Dr. Matthew DeVault. That was a name that said, "I am an erudite and cultured individual, and I slay monsters for a living." No wonder he ended up with the Sword of Dracus.
On the other hand, we had a few characters that naturally fell to the back of the pack. First there was Bob the gnome, a character that was sadly played by a woman who had no idea how to play an E&E gnome/tech. Bob's major contribution to the party was being cursed to grow an inch a week until he was 6'8" tall. Not exactly the stuff legends are made of. On top of that was one of the party's halflings. Engines & Empires replaced the thief class with the more versatile expert, a skill-oriented character that could quickly become a master of many things. Halflings were the demi-human counterpart to the human expert. So one would expect a character that made up for his lack of size by using intelligence and guile.
Instead we got Bayonetta, the halfling stripper.
Yes, a gaslight fantasy campaign filled with high adventure and political intrigue had a character named after a then-popular video game character whose weapon of choice was based on it doubling as a stripper pole. John eventually made the player change the character's name to something more appropriate, but I'll be damned if I can remember it. And why should I? The player obviously didn't give a damn about the game, and came up with a character that was only memorable because of some juvenile shock value. So it's no surprise that it fell into the ranks of the supporting cast. In the end, the party really consisted of four or five heroes and a bunch of glorified hirelings. and those at the front of the line were played by players that cared enough to give their characters a decent name.
After all, you can't make history if no one knows who you are.
Choosing a name for a PC is never easy. A good name should be appropriate for the campaign setting, as well as help establish the character itself. For example, when I was playing Engines & Empires, I played a fighter named Lt. Reginald Hornsby. The name was perfect for the character. First, it fit the pseudo-Victorian pseudo-England setting of the campaign. Second, the rank helped establish a sense of authority from a character that started with an 8 Constitution and a 9 Charisma. Third, the name was remarkably versatile in determining who was addressing him. Those that recognized his authority called him Lieutenant. To those who new him more formally, he was Reginald. To his best friends, he was just Reg. And you always knew when an enemy approached when they shouted "Hornsby!" By the time the campaign ended, he added "Lord Reginald" and "Baron Hornsby" to the list of addresses. It's of little surprise that he became the leader of the party. The only name that came close to my PC's in coolness was our party's scholar, Dr. Matthew DeVault. That was a name that said, "I am an erudite and cultured individual, and I slay monsters for a living." No wonder he ended up with the Sword of Dracus.
On the other hand, we had a few characters that naturally fell to the back of the pack. First there was Bob the gnome, a character that was sadly played by a woman who had no idea how to play an E&E gnome/tech. Bob's major contribution to the party was being cursed to grow an inch a week until he was 6'8" tall. Not exactly the stuff legends are made of. On top of that was one of the party's halflings. Engines & Empires replaced the thief class with the more versatile expert, a skill-oriented character that could quickly become a master of many things. Halflings were the demi-human counterpart to the human expert. So one would expect a character that made up for his lack of size by using intelligence and guile.
Instead we got Bayonetta, the halfling stripper.
Yes, a gaslight fantasy campaign filled with high adventure and political intrigue had a character named after a then-popular video game character whose weapon of choice was based on it doubling as a stripper pole. John eventually made the player change the character's name to something more appropriate, but I'll be damned if I can remember it. And why should I? The player obviously didn't give a damn about the game, and came up with a character that was only memorable because of some juvenile shock value. So it's no surprise that it fell into the ranks of the supporting cast. In the end, the party really consisted of four or five heroes and a bunch of glorified hirelings. and those at the front of the line were played by players that cared enough to give their characters a decent name.
After all, you can't make history if no one knows who you are.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
F is for Fighters
Fighters are awesome.
They aren't required to follow a particular ethos, philosophy or religion. In the heat of battle, all are warriors.
Fighters are unrestricted when it comes to weapons and armor. The mounted knight with plate, shield and lance. The dual-axe wielding wild man dressed in skins. The unarmored swashbuckler with the sabre. They are all fighters with their own style.
Fighters can go anywhere. They are as comfortable in the city as they are in the wild. As deadly in the desert as they are in the tundra. As useful in the darkest dungeon as they are stark battlefield.
If you go through a fighter's belongings you will not find the tools of a thief, nor the gruesome components of a wizard, nor the religious icons of the cleric. They will not have to worry about being accused of being a criminal, or burned at the stake for being a witch or heretic.
In battle the wizard, thief and cleric laugh at the fighter as he takes the enemy's shots while they prepare their counter-attack. But in the tavern after the battle, the patrons will hear how the fighter went toe-to-toe with the ogre while the others, stood back, hid and prayed.
Give a knife to a wizard, and he'll tie up some helpless damsel to sacrifice her to a demon. Give a knife to a thief, and he'll skulk in the shadows and stab an innocent passerby in the ribs for a few coppers. Give a knife to a fighter, and he'll hold it in his teeth as dives in to wrestle with an owlbear.
Fighters get all the glory. Fighters get the stories told about them. Fighters get free drinks from appreciative citizens. Fighters get all the chicks.
Fighters are awesome.
They aren't required to follow a particular ethos, philosophy or religion. In the heat of battle, all are warriors.
Fighters are unrestricted when it comes to weapons and armor. The mounted knight with plate, shield and lance. The dual-axe wielding wild man dressed in skins. The unarmored swashbuckler with the sabre. They are all fighters with their own style.
Fighters can go anywhere. They are as comfortable in the city as they are in the wild. As deadly in the desert as they are in the tundra. As useful in the darkest dungeon as they are stark battlefield.
If you go through a fighter's belongings you will not find the tools of a thief, nor the gruesome components of a wizard, nor the religious icons of the cleric. They will not have to worry about being accused of being a criminal, or burned at the stake for being a witch or heretic.
In battle the wizard, thief and cleric laugh at the fighter as he takes the enemy's shots while they prepare their counter-attack. But in the tavern after the battle, the patrons will hear how the fighter went toe-to-toe with the ogre while the others, stood back, hid and prayed.
Give a knife to a wizard, and he'll tie up some helpless damsel to sacrifice her to a demon. Give a knife to a thief, and he'll skulk in the shadows and stab an innocent passerby in the ribs for a few coppers. Give a knife to a fighter, and he'll hold it in his teeth as dives in to wrestle with an owlbear.
Fighters get all the glory. Fighters get the stories told about them. Fighters get free drinks from appreciative citizens. Fighters get all the chicks.
Fighters are awesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)