Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lion93 07-16-03, 06:48 PM	Hey kids, I'm trying to stat up a king of a realm in my game... at least the beginnings of stats... in my mind, he's very formidable, not just a 'noble' because he was born to it... he's the focus and heart of his kingdom. lawful with a preference for good over evil... pious and concerned for his people. what character classes would you use to make an 18th-20th level King? NPC classes are ok in combination with others...
DrakeRunner 07-16-03, 08:06 PM	Paladin readily springs to mind. They're not just Staff Of Buttstuffing wielding knights roaming the countryside you know. Cleric maybe too. And I bet a Loremaster level wouldn't too badly reflect his Kingly training in diplomacy and knowledge.
Anduin_Lothar. 07-16-03, 10:18 PM	Actually, while reading this, a thought from Never Winter Nights came into mind. Wasn't Lord Nasher the ruler of never winter a fighter? Also way back in 2nd edition a fighter qualified to be a "lord" when he reached 9th level or something. So couldn't you say that upon reaching your 18-20 level he could be a king? Besides a 20th level fighter would have the military know-how to run a country sucessfully and ward off any attacks. All that and the fact that I like the fighter class.
Hope 07-17-03, 03:10 AM	I'd just go with 20 straight levels of Aristocrat. They get the hit points and BAB of a cleric, with the weapon and armour proficiencies of a fighter, so a 20th level Aristocrat could easily hold his own against most foes, while still having his actual guard captain to fight the big battles. Meanwhile, he'll have twenty levels worth of (4 + Int bonus + human bonus) skill points per level, and aristocrats have a *very* nice skill list. With a decent Intelligence, he could have several ranks in all of the social skills, several knowledges and a few more "practical" skills like Spot, Listen and Wilderness Lore, if you thought that was appropriate.
lion93 07-17-03, 11:40 AM	Hope - that's pretty close to what I've started working on... What I did was Aristocrat 10 / KPoTGK 8. It was either that or Arist 10/ Cavalier 10... That gives him all kinds of funky cool skills... as well as a few impressive 'leader like' powers... and the drive to kick butt for his kingdom. The Aristocrat is a pretty cool NPC class, although I think that if you wanted to be a PC with a noble background, the best bet is to take levels of Rogue or Bard. If you want to spice up your Aristocrats, though, it seems that they can easily qualify for some PrCs from the Sword and Fist book... and most of the PrCs from the Song and Silence book... I just created a 'Zorro' like character by making an Aristocrat/Vigilante. Thanks for your help, guys!
maddog60 07-17-03, 11:52 AM	Depends what kind of king you're looking for. Someone born into power, such as an heir to the throne would probably have nearly all their levels in aristocrat, maybe one or two levels in fighter as naturally they'd have received some sort of military education (probably having generals for tutors) to complete their understanding of how to rule and defend a country. Possibly if their particularly good-hearted, a couple levels of Paladin would work well, however I think any ruler over time has to make compromises on their morals for the good of a nation and will 99% of the time have a Neutral alignment, not Good. It means this character would not likely have those Paladin abilities, tough it might be right for flavor to give them those levels. Another type of King would be the self-enterprising one. This kind of King can have a variety of different levels, but undoubtably gains levels in aristocrat after being King for awhile. Typically I would think of characters that forged their own kingdom for this scheme. Perhaps lawlessness and feuding had caused strife in their homelands, and this person forged together an army to seize control of the lands and restore order. This character would likely have several (4-8) levels of Fighter. Possibly even a Paladin who sought to end the evils of a lawless state and became an established leader and chosen as ruler after order was restored. You could also go with the rebel leader, who likely has a few levels of Rogue and Fighter (Ranger possibly depending on the habitat) to reflect his days in the resistance.
Lord of the Ninth 07-17-03, 03:45 PM	Level 20? I would say that most kings would not have been high level. Maybe if he was sort of king that people would make legends about later, but most kings will not be much over level 10. And yes, most kings who are born into power are aristocrats, that's why aristocrat has the abilities it does. So unless this is a warrior king (like in Tortal or something), I wouldn't give him fighter or paladin levels. He isn't a front-lines-in-the-trenches sort of fellow (at least most aren't). Just because a king rules an entire nation doesn't mean he is the most powerful person in it (or even the most qualified for the job). I'd say level 6+ is a must, sure, for Leadership, but not a whole lot more. Of course, if he is the founder of an empire, or had to gain the thrown in a very challenging manner (such as actually being the most powerful person in the kingdom), or he is a former adventurer I would never make him higher than level 12. Look at history and find me a level 20 king I ask you...
lion93 07-17-03, 05:13 PM	He IS the kind of King one makes legends about. He's actually the Grand Duke of Umpqua, who is the ruler who consolidated his land's independance from the Ancient Kingdom (a decadent place ruled by an undying lord...) He's kindof the guy that all 'heros' have to measure up to. So I don't have a problem with him being close to 20th level. Unlike FR, I'd like Aristocrats to be able to hold their own in society against those crazy Wizards!
inci 07-18-03, 06:08 AM	Why not go for a Bard/Aristocrat ? fighting skills, wits and definatly a great diplomat no problem with him being lawful too, alignment changes with responsibility. NG makes a good king too. he knows a lot about this world and his kingdom, a source for forgotten legends and legend on his own. being more rebellious in his younger days makes him loved by the people (and adventures too) since he is not the guy who just sits in his palace and so he knows about the problems of his people.
El Ninja Amarillo 07-18-03, 11:38 AM	Originally posted by Lord of the Ninth Look at history and find me a level 20 king I ask you... Alexander the great? Julius Cesar? King Arthur? :P I don't find it so odd to be a 20th lv king. Epecially if you're playing a FR campain where most NPC are a multiclass cocktail over 15th level. Options for a King could be: 1)A powerful warrior who build his kingdom with his own sweat and blood, which woud justify several Fighter or Paladin leves. 2) a wise wizard/sorcerer/cleric who brought the country together through unification (and/or through the faith towards his God). 3) a Gigolo Bard who married a priencess and became the Crown Prince. Becoming a king later.