Dragonlance Stat the Dragonlance heroes

[Morrus]

Inspired by some stuff Cam Banks was tweeting last night. Just for fun, how would you make each of the Dragonlance heroes (a) at the start of the Chronicles and (b) at the peak of their powers?

Here’s what Cam suggested:

https://twitter.com/boymonster/status/1108514046565703680?s=20

I’d make them all 5th level to start with. You _could_ start the classic War of the Lance story with 1st level characters, or even 3rd level, but I like 5th. Original AD&D modules had Raistlin at 3rd, Tanis 5th, Caramon at 6th! All over the place.

Tanis Half-Elven, ready to start the Classic modules in 5e: NG male half-elf fighter (battle master) 5. This is an easy one. Alert feat, archery fighting style, commander’s strike, rally, precision strike. Background? I’d go with Caravan Specialist (variant of Outlander).

Caramon Majere, another easy one. LG male human fighter (champion) 5. Give him the mercenary veteran background, Sentinel feat, Protection fighting style. Perfect compliment for his wizard brother, who he’s used to fighting alongside.

Goldmoon. In 5e, she’s a LG female human cleric (Life) 5. Mishakal’s definitely a Life goddess. When she starts out, she needs her staff to cast any spells at all, but it comes with a lot of high-level slots she can use.

After the first adventure, she doesn’t need the staff any more, and uses her own medallion of faith like other DL clerics. For some readers, she wasn’t as interesting after then, but that’s when I felt she came into her own.

Noble background, too. Just because she’s the daughter of a chief of a barbarian tribe, doesn’t mean she’s not a princess in her own right. In the modules it even suggests players use Riverwind as her henchman!

 

[Quartz]

Yes. They're all fairly simple archetypes, which is why they work so well.

Laurana obviously has the Noble background, and is a Rogue. You could make her a Crown Paladin.

Sturm is a Devotion Paladin. with the Noble background.

 

[akr71]

I can't argue with anything proposed here. I would push the starting levels back to 3rd if I was playing it, to give room to grow, but again, I don't really have any issue with the level 5 start. The main companions are all seasoned and know what they're doing.

I would suggest that Goldmoon is a Bard until they reach Xak Tsaroth and she finds the statue of Mishakal, at which point she multiclasses as cleric. I also think Laurana multi-classes as a Paladin at some point.

Tika starts at level 1 with the Folk Hero background.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

At the beginning, Raistlin cast sleep and that winded him significantly, and he was impressed (and horrified) the first time Fizban cast fireball and was clearly unable to cast it himself, so I might start them lower than 5th. I wonder which school he goes? Or if he multiclasses given his change from red robes to black. He definitely has slight of hand but I’m not sure if that’s from a background or just a free skill from being human.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In the original Dragons of Autumn Twilight module Rastalin was a 3rd level Magic User. He was the lowest level starting character though. That was before the Dragonlance setting book was realised, so he was just vanilla. Obviously, to Do Dragonlance properly, you would need a new subclass for each of the three colours of wizard.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

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.

In the original Dragons of Autumn Twilight module Rastalin was a 3rd level Magic User. He was the lowest level starting character though.

 

[Pauln6]

You can build them in lots of different ways but I don't mind the level differential. I think I would prefer to try different fighter subclasses for the fighters: champion for Caramon, Kurt, maybe Tika, knight for Sturm, Baneret for Laurana, Eldritch Knight for Gilthanas. The way Raistlin is written, he either needs to be a level 3 novice or have the 8 con suggested by his 4e version, upgraded to 10 as he levels. Tika works just fine as a fighter with cutpurse per the PHB. Laurana might work as a scout, but her stats make her pretty potent as an all rounder in 5e so she will also rock as a Baneret. It's worth noting that the boys were given above average hit points compared to the girls in their 1e versions.

 

[oreofox]

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.

 

[Gadget]

I thought Raistlin was a lower level due to the different xp progression in 1e? IIRC it took quit a bit more xp to level up a magic user than most other classes, and thieves practically rocketed through the levels.

Anyway, most of the suggestions here seem good, though at the time I always pictured Tanis as a Ranger due to the whole woodsman/tracker vibe he had and the leather armor in all the artwork, though I agree a Fighter with the Outlander background would suit better in 5e. 5e classes/subclasses tend to have more magic than back in the day, so Ranger is no longer appropriate. I might think about Samurai for Sturm, though. That might be a good fit.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Please consider that I havent read DL since I was 14 (some 15 years ago), so from memory I'd go with:

Tanis, Half-Elf Battlemaster or Banneret, outlander
Tas, Lightfoot Thief, far wanderer
Flint, Dwarf Champion, Clan craftsman (SCAG)
Goldmoon, Divine Soul, Noble (Retainer; Riverwind, lvl 3 Warrior Sidekick)
Raistlin, Undying Warlock, Sage
Sturm, Knight, Knight of the Order (SCAG)
Caramon, Berserker, Folk hero

I dont remember enough for the rest of them.