Hey Veeky Forums
So I'm thinking of running a fairly light-hearted and comedic campaign where the players are a group of monsters and the main antagonists are caricatures of a generic, stereotypical adventuring party. The whole idea got me thinking about what everyone else considers a 'standard' or 'stereotypical' party.
What's your idea of a stereotypical fantasy RPG party, Veeky Forums?
The fact that you have to ask what a stereotypical adventuring party consists of tells me that you should put your dice away, close your books, and never offer to GM for anyone ever again.
>loot-obsessed rogue
>overpowered wizard
>grumpy healer
>lawful stupid paladin
>roll-to-seduce everything bard
This.
Grumpy healer can be replaced by grumpy druid though.
Rogue, Wizard, Fighter, Cleric. It's the basest base party in D&D.
A proclivity for causing things to burn around them. (I've noticed a proclivity for my (co-)players to solve problems with fulmination.)
Starting with rats or spiders in the tavern's basement.
Wandering into trouble, rather than having the trouble come after them.
The rogue using the 10' pole for trap detection.
The Party Conga Line: Rogue, warrior, mage, cleric/druid. Rogue is detecting traps and ready to scurry behind the warrior, warrior is ready to attack anything that goes after them, cleric (second-best melee) is covering the back, and the wizard blasts anything that comes near.
Despite murder, grand theft and who knows what else, the adventurers are never treated as anything but heroes because their crimes are committed against 'monsters'.
Paladins having incredibly poor senses of (moral/physical) balance (i.e. they tend to fall).
Dragon-hunting.
A proclivity to pick up quests at bars or taverns.
At higher levels: Excess healing ability (from potions, magic items, and a high-level healer) and enough magical equipment to finance a small kingdom for a year. Still prone to fulmination.
Really, the simplest way to determine what would work is look up filename threads, and spot what references are both relevant and immediately recognized by you. Those will be things to use/employ in your campaign.
I see your double dubs, but I reject them in the favor of OP having fun.
What would you consider the most stereotypical ranger?
Drizzt.
-Elf of the forest variety, maybe half-elf
-Longbow
-Sabres for melee
-Kind of a hippie
-Animal companion, probably a wolf or similar predatory canine/feline
-Constantly bitching about city folk and their strange ways
-Revering some forest/life/nature deity
Druids are stereotypically autistic treehuggers and bestiality fetishists, not just grumps.
Bard, Sorcerer, Barbarian, Druid is better.
>Biff Meatslab
>Human Fighter and the party leader
>Tall, handsome, deep booming voice, barrelchested, confident, goody-two-shoes, not too bright
>Confidently and bravely leads his party into peril, but somehow it usually works out for them
>Gimgi McDowell
>Dwarf cleric and the party healer
>Wears heavy, plate armor
>Incredibly honorbound, also wise but not too booksmart, takes pride in combat but also loves drinking ale and getting drunk
>Qua'elirian Galatuu
>Elf wizard and party DPS
>Prissy, uptight, focused on etiquette, vain and arrogant
>Has a rivalry with Gimgi because one's a dwarf and the other's an elf
>Jane O'Booty
>Sexy, redheaded rogue girl and party skillmonkey
>Fights with a rapier and throwing daggers
>Also has a tight, leather suit that looks more like fetish gear than armor
>T H I C C
>halfling rogue that steals everything not nailed down
>know-it all elf wizard that couldn't lift anything heavier than a wooden staff
>pious dwarven cleric who's the moral compass of the party who always argues with the wizard
>human fighter that's the heart and unoffical leader of the group
>half-orc barbarian with some serious retard strength
>naive half elf bard that sits in the back and sings about shit and sleeps with all the princess they save
A bunch of meatheads that as soon as they wander into a puzzle get stuck for hours.
Like one hour max and we took a break then even too
Found your rogue, mostly.
You left out 'lesbian', though.
And your wizard, too.
Or possibly this.
I like this. Please continue.
If you want to give the game a little more scope and long term potential you could have the player character's travelling to the dwellings of other "villainous creatures" on some sort of benign mission, perhaps a trade agreement. The antagonist adventurers are convinced the PCs are trying to rally an army of evil to destroy civilization, tracking down the players intent on ending their mission.
Fighter, but as a half-orc.
Don't actually have any dorf clerics, though.
Alternate fighter. Maybe they can have been cursed with a belt of gender swap and just not give a fuck because Fighter.
> Paladin
Fighting Man: Human guy with nothing really special about him, but insists he's the leader. Takes pride in his "strategy" which consists of common sense advice.
Dwarf: Barbarian, carries a big axe and talks about how much he hates Orcs and elves. Drinks.
Wizard: Old man with a really long beard. Frequently absent minded. Secretly the only competent member of the party, he acts like a kooky grandpa as a social experiment.
Priestess: Healing type. Typically waxes poetically about how purity is her strength. Squeaky clean at all times, has a booby trapped chastity belt.
Elf: Argues with the dwarf and talks down to everyone. Uses a bow and arrow and sneaks about. Nobody knows what gender they are.
Small Guy: The furry footed burrower, wields a mandolin and is usually shoved into small holes to scout them and try to disarm boo u traps. Sings songs about potatoes.
>Sings songs about potatoes.
Irish accent, boyo.
>Old man with a really long beard
Stuffy English accent. Possibly Shakespearian english.
>Dwarf: Barbarian
Scottish accent. Glaswegian specifically.
>Fighting Man: Human guy with nothing really special about him
Generic american accent. Midwest/newsreader, maybe texan.
>Priestess: Healing type. Typically waxes poetically about how purity is her strength.
Upper-class English accent. Received Pronunciation or just a plummy posh accent.
>Elf: Argues with the dwarf and talks down to everyone
French, without a doubt.
Keep it simple.
Ranger Mage Warrior.
No need to over complicate things.
I'd say Warrior Thief/Rogue Mage
Parties need four people, though.
Fighter/Rogue/Mage/Cleric is the standard for a reason.
>Hoity-toity, by Jaeses I can't wait to get back in me shire and grow me spuds, begorrah!
>Forsooth, this spell doth interest mine genius!
>WATCHA LOOKIN' AT, YE FOOKIN' BASTID? I'LL GLASS YE M8.
>Everythang's bigger in Humanland! Don't mess with humans, pardner!
>Oh my, I sure hope we'll make it through this picke fine I do! Please sir, may I have another mana potion to heal me friends? Pip pip tally ho!
>Zhese 'umans are unceeveelised, ze dwarf is loud, zis dungeon steenks... I wish I was back 'ome eating garleec-stuffed giant garleec.
...
I actually prefer a 3 person party. More spotlight time per player and combat tends to go faster because skirmishes are smaller. I outright refuse to run a 5 person party.
Yes, but we're talking about stereotypes rather than your preferences.
A group of murderhobos that burns down every building they enter.
>Lawful stupid paladin. The "leader" and "moral compass" of the group. The only one interested in actually getting things done, but still has his own brand of violent stupidity.
>Dickass thief. Probably a halfling. Steals everything that isn't nailed down, including other party members' stuff. Backstabs ankles. Frequently quarrels with the paladin.
>Pyromaniac wizard. Socially inept. Wields his ludicrous arcane might frequently and with much smugness. Does most of the damage for the party. Wishes he were back home with his books.
>Violent hippie druid. Cares more about nature than people, to the point of being sociopathic. Wildshapes compulsively. Is an elf. In a loving and committed relationship with his animal companion. Arrogant.
>Slutty bard. Plays stupid songs. Rolls to seduce. Is useless.
>Dwarf cleric. Fights with the druid. Hits things with his hammer. Heals occasionally. Smites in the name of Thor/Moradin/whoever. Xenophobic.
Actual party.
>Lawful angry paladin. Actually the leader, but prone to fly off the handle when things get...less simple.
>Chaotic happy bard. The paladin's waifu. Also a dark elf.
>Star sorcerer. Literally a star. Fond of explosions.
>Arcanist. An engineer before wizard, considers magic a tool to accomplish greater feats of engineering.
>Rogue. Male elf who makes a habit of stealing hearts. In the literal sense.
>Ranger. Half-orc who has a sensible head on her shoulders and a thing for the star.