Dragonlance Stat the Dragonlance heroes

[Pauln6]

In the books so she really did was shield bash, the stated PCs in modules didn't really match up with the books that well.

Not only that, the iconic images of the PCs very often didn't match the novelisation and/or the modules.

Sturm really needs a suit of plate mail or he's trapped by role play concerns in inferior armour by his family heirloom which, in all the artwork, was platemail in any event. Similarly, in Tika wears leather in the modules because elven chain would have reduced her thieves' skills that were needed in the adventures. The same concern doesn't exist in 5e.

I gave Tika expertise in Athletics to better assist her Tavern Brawler feat and efforts to shove but that does mean her useful thieves' skills are reduced somewhat. She's better at climbing as a result but ironically, I vaguely recall she's afraid of heights due to a fall in her youth... Although I might be mis-remembering .

 

[Cam Banks]

When I wrote up the official stats for these characters in the Sovereign Press 3.5 era modules and sourcebooks, Flint and Laurana didn't have NPC class levels: the noble and the master were PC classes. The noble was more or less taken from Star Wars d20 and Wheel of Time; the master was an all-new class that's basically a PC-level expert.

I've been posting my actual stats for these characters on MeWe. There's a Dragonlance group there that I set up and I've cross-posted them to my own feed.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Coroc]

Well, stat a 5e dragonlance instead for a challenge, and please justify your idea balance for 5e wise as well as truthfulness to the original setting.

 

[Pauln6]

It's been too long since I read the novels to accurately pick out canon support for particular combat styles and advancement beyond Raistlin improving his intelligence. Based on what we've discussed here, I reckon Tika might work either as a level 1 Rogue with expertise in Athletics and Tavern Brawler, and a level 3 champion with a view to taking either shield master (She bashes a lot in the modules) and/or Dual wielder (so she can two weapon fight with the frying pan or even her shield) at higher levels. She would also work as a single classed champion with urchin background albeit she won't be as good at using her grapple from Tavern Brawler, her shove with shield master, and her use of a short sword is of less benefit. Sticking to the PCs as in the books though, she should stick to the short sword rather than go rapier.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I will have to add to those pointing out the discrepancies between the novel versions of the characters and the module versions. Having read the modules before the novels I found the differences striking.

Also, I believe the characters in the original module where intended as a "pool" from which only some of the characters would be played, so the skills overlap didn't really matter.

 

[Pauln6]

I will have to add to those pointing out the discrepancies between the novel versions of the characters and the module versions. Having read the modules before the novels I found the differences striking.

Also, I believe the characters in the original module where intended as a "pool" from which only some of the characters would be played, so the skills overlap didn't really matter.

I think the expectation was that they would split into two groups at some point, so they had two clerics, two wizards, and two thieves to facilitate that. The 5e system is more flexible with its skill system and alternative healing. It would matter less.

 

[Dioltach]

Why all the focus on Tika wielding a frying pan? In the novels, as far as I recall, she only ever uses a frying pan once: when she's waiting tables in Solace and she hits a draconian with the only "weapon" she has to hand.

Later she's explicitly said to have developed shield-bashing into an art.

 

[Pauln6]

Why all the focus on Tika wielding a frying pan? In the novels, as far as I recall, she only ever uses a frying pan once: when she's waiting tables in Solace and she hits a draconian with the only "weapon" she has to hand.

Later she's explicitly said to have developed shield-bashing into an art.

I'm just trying to build in different styles for the various champion fighters while following the narrative and sneaking in a mechanical benefit. As a supporting character, and potentially a suboptimal fighter and suboptimal Rogue, the fun is in trying to make Tika a character that a player might choose willingly, rather than because all the better characters have already gone.

The frying pan is listed as one of her weapons in her official 1e write up (analogous to a war hammer I think). She develops shield bashing because she used to bash people with the frying pan so the logical progression is Tavern Brawler to Shield Master. Smacking someone with a frying pan is great, camp comedy, so the question for me is whether there are ways to make that work mechanically. If you have an alternative build, go for it. I think just try to make her fun and different because no way is she ever going to be optimised IMO.

With Dual Wielder, she has the choice of attacking with the frying pan and short sword for 1d6+3 plus sneak and 1d8, with +1AC, or short sword and shield for 1d6+3 plus sneak and 1d4 shield bash with +2AC, or short sword 1d6+3 plus sneak and a shield shove with +2AC, or with frying pan 1D8+2 plus grapple, or shield 1d4+2 plus grapple with +2AC, or Shield shove and grapple (possibly good for keeping someone from attacking Raistlin in melee) and probably a few other combinations with a dagger.

Another challenging example is Kurt, a low dex, high con hill dwarf fighter who uses a hand axe and shield while in studded leather. He should probably always have had a battle axe, but I'd be interested to hear how people would build him...

For Tas, sleight of hand must be his primary expertise but with his low intelligence, I'd say he might benefit most from investigation and the Dungeon Delver feat.

 

[cpalmer825]

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.

Not if you go off the book lore. He exposes the seeker cult in solace with a 2nd level spell which would put him a minimum of 3rd level before he took the test at the tower of high sorcery in Wayreth. The test would have garnered him I believe at least one more level even with the pact with Fistandantilus so by that point I would say a minimum of 4th level. The fact that he killed the ancient red dragon Immolatus shortly thereafter and that would have garnered him over 20,000 xp for a single encounter would have put him half-way between 5th and 6th level and that's not including any other xp he gained over the 5 years between the test and the start of the War of the Lance he realistically would have been 6th or 7th level(at a minimum) by the time he returned to Solace for his reunion with his companions if not even higher level than that. You can go on tons of adventures in a 5 year span in the game world.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Having read the trilogy recently:

Tanis, Caramon, Sturm, Flint, Lauarana, Tika are fighters
Tas a Rogue
Raisin a Wiz
Goldmoon a cleric
Riverwind a Ranger

while yes a character like Sturm could be a Paladin he never shows the magic for it. Plus Paladins are ultra rare in DL.