Dragonlance Stat the Dragonlance heroes

BookBarbarian · Mar 21, 2019

oreofox said:
Just go with something close to what their original 1e write-ups were. I'd probably go with level 3, as by that time everyone has their subclass.

Tanis: Fighter (battlemaster) NG. Half-elf. Outlander background
Tasslehoff: Rogue (thief) N Halfling (lightfoot). Far Traveler background (kender wanderlust)
Caramon: Fighter (champion) LG human. Mercenary veteran (SCAG) background
Raistlin: Wizard (enchantment) N (NE leanings) human. Cloistered scholar (SCAG) background
Goldmoon: Bard/Cleric (life) LG human. Noble background
Riverwind: Ranger (hunter) LG human. Outlander background
Sturm: Fighter (knight) LG human. Knight of the Order (SCAG) background
Flint Fireforge: Fighter (champion) NG hill dwarf. Guild Artisan background
Tika: Fighter/Rogue NG human. Folk hero background (not the best fit, but nothing else comes close to "tavern wench")
Gilthanas: Fighter (eldritch knight) (or wizard bladesinger) CG High elf. Noble background
Laurana: Fighter (banneret) CG High elf. Noble background

As for the more specialized class features and feats, I'll leave those out for now.

I like this.

As they progress I could see Raistlin taking some levels in Undying Patron Warlock, Pact of the Tome.

akr71 · Mar 22, 2019

Ralif Redhammer said:
Ironic, considering how superior he considered himself.

Really, Raistlin’s behavior makes so much more sense if you look at him as a new, inexperienced player that’s a lower level than everyone else and resents it.

Keep in mind that in AD&D, wizards needed more XP to level up than other classes.

Ralif Redhammer · Mar 22, 2019

Good point. Though, if Riverwind was a barbarian, he'd probably still be first level! As I recall, barbarians had insane XP requirements.

akr71 said:
Keep in mind that in AD&D, wizards needed more XP to level up than other classes.

akr71 · Mar 22, 2019

Ralif Redhammer said:
Good point. Though, if Riverwind was a barbarian, he'd probably still be first level! As I recall, barbarians had insane XP requirements.

And pretty crazy ability score requirements... and they couldn't use magic!

Quartz · Mar 22, 2019

BookBarbarian said:
I like this.

As they progress I could see Raistlin taking some levels in Undying Patron Warlock, Pact of the Tome.

You could represent that as the Magic Initiate: Warlock feat he took at 4th level when he passed the Test. As for casting Fireball, remember that wizards have to have the spell in their spellbooks, not just be of appropriate level. So Raistlin could easily have been 5th level; he just didn't know Fireball. Or any other 3rd level spell, for that matter.

BookBarbarian · Mar 22, 2019

Quartz said:
You could represent that as the Magic Initiate: Warlock feat he took at 4th level when he passed the Test. As for casting Fireball, remember that wizards have to have the spell in their spellbooks, not just be of appropriate level. So Raistlin could easily have been 5th level; he just didn't know Fireball. Or any other 3rd level spell, for that matter.

I don't feel like Magic Initiate on its own has quite the same weight to represent his bargain with Fistandantilus.

Edit: truth be told undying patron is only fitting in fluff. It doesn't look like it bestows anything that would help with his frail constitution.

oreofox · Mar 22, 2019

Ralif Redhammer said:
Good point. Though, if Riverwind was a barbarian, he'd probably still be first level! As I recall, barbarians had insane XP requirements.

Riverwind was listed as Ranger in his DragonLance adventure write-ups. Barbarian was his race (called barbarian in the novels, human in the adventures themselves. Technically an "uncivilized tribal" human).

Pauln6 · Mar 23, 2019

I'm relaxed about the level imbalance at the start of because it disappears rapidly in play. Tika is cheated out of her dual class XP if her past as a thief is merged with her background but she could be fun with her tavern brawler feat smashing villains on the head with her frying pan.

Raistlin also has a powerful magical item at level 3 compared to the others. In fact, levels are so well balanced in 5e that making Raistlin 3 levels lower than his brother might be the best way to emulate his poor health in 5e (possibly with a curse that gives him disadvantage on exhaustion checks). The Testing could just be fluff to boost his intelligence score.

Should Tanis have to take the Toughness feat though or just be given more hit points to level 5 (he averages at 7 per level)

Paul Farquhar · Mar 23, 2019

Raistlin really shows up the difference between 1st and 5th edition. Even a 1st level wizard in 5e rules can do more than 3rd level Raistlin could in 1st edition. I seem to recall that the module suggested the same player take both Raistlin and Caramon.

Pauln6 · Mar 23, 2019

Paul Farquhar said:
Raistlin really shows up the difference between 1st and 5th edition. Even a 1st level wizard in 5e rules can do more than 3rd level Raistlin could in 1st edition. I seem to recall that the module suggested the same player take both Raistlin and Caramon.

Yeah he would have had two level one spells, one level two spell, and 10hp. He was fragile and pretty useless early on. A 5e Raistlin, even at 3rd level, is eminently playable in 5e, especially so with a sweet magical staff that improves AC and gives extra spells. He'll be less impressive at higher levels though compared to his 1e counterpart.

Laurana is probably the character who benefits the most from the edition change. She now gets to use her Dex to hit in melee and her high stats mean she has decent overall bonuses to skills and saves and reasonable hit points.

I favour Eldritch Knight over Bladesinger for Gilthanas since he seemed quite lacklustre as a wizard compared to Raistlin and his highest stat was his Dex, which he'll get more mileage from as fighter.

The one caveat I personally put on these is that they should be built as playable versions of the original versions with broadly the same stats rather than optimised versions for the sake of getting the most out of the rules. The one exception might be Gilthanas since his longsword probably needs to go rapier (which didn't exist in 1e) to avoid him being at a considerable disadvantage in melee.