Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Azar_of_Faerun 01-18-07, 10:05 AM	Hey all, I was just curious, when you make kings/emperors/dukes/princes and the like, what classes do you tend to use? Do some work naturally well, and others not so much? This is, of course, assuming you're not limiting the choices to CHA based classes only, and will grant any other, as long as it has a suitable Diplomacy/Intimidate rank(and a good Cha bonus doesn't hurt too) Also, would a ranger make a suitable king for a forest-kingdom?
Tempest Stormwind 01-18-07, 10:28 AM	Aristocrat. Unless the king's supposed to be an adventurer, when I might give him some PC class levels. Note that Charisma has nothing to do with it: It's a kingdom, not a meritocracy. You're king because your parents were, in the vast majority of cases. You'll likely be trained in courly behavour and leadership (the right skills), but kings don't need to be charismatic to be king.
Darth Sephiroth 01-18-07, 10:44 AM	Noble fits most Royalty rather well, Marshal also fits for those who like to lead from the front like most mythic kings did.
hiryuu 01-18-07, 10:49 AM	All kings need to be is Charismatic enough to make sure the populace doesn't revolt. Levels of aristocrat with ranks in Bluff and Diplomacy might be enough on their own. The guy in charge isn't going to be too high of a level, either. These are people who got their job because they were born there and have the ability to stamp their symbol on paper many hours a day. Likewise, people in charge of organizations got there because they have the ability to talk to people and delegate responsibility, not because they can kick the most ass (possible exception: the guy in charge is a necromancer and the organization is a mindless undead horde). For a wilderness kingdom, I would never build a ranger when an artistocrat/expert with ranks in Survival and the Track feat would suffice.
Witch 01-18-07, 10:52 AM	It depends on the type of king. Are you going with a Sargon of Akkad type of king? You'd likely give him fighter levels, maybe combined with Marshal and Aristocrat. Others might be Bards. Even others might be clerics (cfr. the pope back in the days). But most will be Aristocrats or Commoners (not every king is trained in the use of martial weapons).
Azar_of_Faerun 01-18-07, 10:53 AM	1d8 lol
Ariath Ska'Vhor 01-18-07, 11:07 AM	I usually make kings relatively high level with PC classes. An ideal king for me would be a paladin of whatever extreme alignment the kingdom is. I've also liked the idea of sorcerer kings, lots of charisma and arcane power out the wazoo. For a forest kingdom I'd say a good king would be a druid or possibly druid/ranger. Maybe I just like spellcasting royals. *shrug*
Xylem 01-18-07, 11:13 AM	If you try to rationally extrapolate how society works in a universe that follows D&D rules, either things get very strange, very fast (see K's various essays) or your head explodes. Thus, it is better to determine what class the king is by deciding what makes a better story. A weak king would have levels in NPC classes, a holy king in classes like Paladin or Favored Soul, a warrior king would have fighting classes or Marshal, etc. There are a lot of myths tied in around the concept of kingship in most pre-modern societies -- play into them and have fun!