Your buddy who usually runs your gaming group calls you to pitch a new idea for the group:
The Justice League as played in D&D (any version)!
How would you assemble the team? How would you build them, in terms of class, alignment, race, etc., using only the rules for the edition you choose? Which JL members would complete your roster for your adventuring party of, say, 4-6 players? Would you start everyone at Level 1, or would you prefer to get as close as possible to the regular incarnations of the characters and start them out at various levels? What kind of equipment would you use to help replicate their powers?
And most importantly of all, would Robin be a Henchman?
I'd love to hear what you'd do with that scenario, other than hanging up on your buddy the DM!
I’d hang up on . . . Oh, never mind that. 🙂
That would be a tricky conversion indeed. D&D being level based does not lend itself well to the super heroes over all. The main consideration is that in a level based system all characters can potentially end up at roughly the same poer level. While is appropriate for Robin vs Batman as Robin could eventually become as skilled over time. It works less well when comparing Ronin to lets say Superman. There is no way in the Comics that Robin could ever even compare with Superman’s power level. The difference is in inate power compared to skills that can be developed.
To address this consideration I think I would treat certain characters (those with inate abilities at least) like a different race. Most Mutants would each be of a different race with modifiers and abilities appropriate. In D&D 3.5 this would translate to level adjustments.
I’m looking at this from a D&D 3.5 perspective. That is my favorite version so far. I am also thinking early in the heroes careers; perhaps at the beginning. I think a reasonable conversion could only be done if each character did start with different levels appropriate to their abilities.
Eg.
Batman = Monk Lvl.3 / Rouge Lvl.7
Robin = Rouge lvl.3 (With Improved Unarmed Feat)
Superman = Professional Lvl.3 (NPC Character Class)
w/ HUGE racial abilities Lvl.20 adjustment
Oh yah, Superman would also need some levels of Paladin. Just one at the start but increasing over time.
You mean rogue, right?
Green Arrow would definitely be a Ranger.
Superman a Planetouched Paladin.
Batman and Robin? Yeah, some kind of Rogue/Monk multi-class works there.
Dr. Fate would clearly be some kind of Mage or even Cleric of Nabu or multi-class.
I would forgo Wonder Woman in favour of Big Barda as a Barbarian/Fighter of some kind (additionally, she would be able to wear a chain mail bikini!)
Yup, I meant Rogue. Sometimes my fingers don’t listen to my mind when I’m typing. They like to do their own thing. A little multiple personality thing going on over here. 🙂
Here’s how I see it. Change the super powers to magic powers and you have it.
Superman=Paladin with divine powers and flight spell.
Batman=Rogue/Ranger with special equipment.
Wonder Woman=Amazon with magic Armor.
Robin=Apprentice Level Rogue/Ranger.
Green Lantern=Green Mage/Summoner.
Green Arrow=Expert Ranger.
Aquaman=Water Mage for lack of any other ideas.
Hawkman=Barbarian with magical wings/or Angel Race type.
Hawkgirl=Valkyrie with magical wings/or Angel Race type.
If you really set down and think about it, they all fit into a class already, all you have to do is change Super Powers into Magical Powers.
Jeff you are just an evil person, I’m going to be working this up in my head forever now.
AD&D Ed 2 League of Justice
Superman – Paladin (I can’te improved on Jeff’s Sketch of the Day on HeroMachine),
The Dark Knight – Ranger (MAX human physical states, Stealth, tracking skills, large equipment list, Belt of Holding)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147914&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904630078901
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147913&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904626745568
Robin – (Max Dex) Theif/Acrobat,
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147910&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904616745569
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147909&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904613412236
Wonder Woman -Priestess of Athena, gifted with STR, DEX, CON as well as lasso
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147915&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147915&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147916&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904636745567
Aquaman – Half Elf (Racial water abilities) Fighter (High STR, CON, DEX) with Psionics (Communication w/Animals, Animanl Summoning, Animal Control)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147898&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147898&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147900&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904473412250
Black Canary – Bard (although took Monk as first Fighter class, then Thief/Acrobat then Bard. Can perform with Voice, no instrument needed)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147901&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147901&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147902&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904480078916
Elongated Man – thief (sneak, stealth, scout skills) who has drank a very powerful Potion of Elasticity, wears duo colored tights from his days as a performer.
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147904&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147904&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147903&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904483412249
Green Arrow – Half Elf (Bow racial bonus) Ranger, (Max Dex,) with magic arrows, Everfull Quiver, Magic Bow)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147906&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147906&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147905&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904490078915
Green Lantern – Magic User, Artifact Ring and Lantern)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147908&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147908&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147907&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904496745581
The Atom – Fighter and a ring of Shrinking
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147912&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147912&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147911&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904620078902
Zatanna – Human Elementalist (all 4 elements!)
Face
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved
Body
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=147899&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=147917&id=100000780936307&saved&fbid=132904640078900
Well that’s all I have time for, for one day.
maybe some others after Dialysis, heh
I guess saying ‘I’d use Hideouts and Hoodlums’ (unofficial D&D rules for superheroes) is cheating?
I’d model most of their powers using magic items. For example the Flash could have Boots of Speed.
Batman and Robin would be rogues/thieves, or fighters if I wasn’t having thieves in my game. Just about everyone else is a fighter. The Phantom Stranger or Zatanna would be magical classes.
Come to think of it, if I was using monks a lot of the fighters would be monks, because they’re the class who don’t use armour and fight without weapons.
This is easy. D&D 3.5, Superman is a cleric.