Dungeon Fantasy 1-2 -- Ranking of PC Templates Chosen by Your Players

[Stripe]

Just curios, using the templates from Dungeon Fantasy 1, what PC templates are most popular in your Dungeon Fantasy games?

In order of most common (1) to least common (11), how would you rank the following templates from 1 to 11?

Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Holy Warrior
Knight
Martial Artist
Scout
Swashbuckler
Thief
Wizard

I've yet to GM an actual Dungeon Fantasy game and am curious what templates are most popular and which are least popular.

Here's a wild guess about what I would expect knowing my own players, who like hitting things with swords most:

Barbarian       1
Bard            11
Cleric          9
Druid           10
Holy Warrior    3
Knight          2
Martial Artist  4
Scout           5
Swashbuckler    6
Thief           7
Wizard          8

Thanks!

[mlangsdorf]

By actual numbers of designs played, from the DF games I've run:

Barbarian - 2.5
Bard - 1
Cleric - 2
Druid - 1
Holy Warrior - 3
Knight - 2.5
Martial Artist - 2
Scout - 4
Swashbuckler - 3
Thief - 3.5
Wizard - 3.5
(Necromancer - 1)

The halves indicate a lensed character: we've had Scout/Barbarian, Barbarian/Thief, Mage/Scout, and a couple others.

Although Thief has been a popular choice, Thief designs tend to get retired quickly. I think only one person has repeatedly played a Thief, whereas one of the Thiefs got retired after 1 session.

So ranking, based on all that:

Barbarian - 4
Bard - 10
Cleric - 8
Druid - 11
Holy Warrior - 5
Knight - 6
Martial Artist - 9
Scout - 2
Swashbuckler - 3
Thief - 7
Wizard - 1

Stripe, if your players enjoy hitting things with swords, I'm surprised that the swashbuckler isn't a more popular choice.

[umbros]

Number of appearances:

Barbarian 1
Bard 0
Cleric 0
Druid 1
Holy Warrior 0
Knight 1
Martial Artist
Scout 2
Swashbuckler 0
Thief 0
Wizard 3

So ranked thus:

1. Wizard
2. Scout
3. Barbarian, Druid, and Knight.
4. Bard, Cleric, Holy Warrior, Swashbuckler and Thief.

[Kuroshima]

In my game, I've had, so far:

1 Swashbuckler
1 Cleric
1 Evil Cleric
1 Scout/Mystic Knight
1 Mystic Knight
1 Thief
1 Barbarian

[Kromm]

Based on frequency counts in the three long-running fantasy campaigns that inspired these template designs from me:

1. Swashbuckler & Wizard (tie)
3. Barbarian
4. Cleric & Knight (tie)
6. Druid, Martial Artist, Scout, & Thief (tie)
Artificer, Assassin, & Necromancer would go here
10. Bard & Holy Warrior (tie)
Justiciar & Scholar would go here
Shaman would go here

I've never had anybody want to play a demonologist, elementalist, innkeeper, or ninja.

I'd say that the "typical" four-member party has consisted of a cleric and a wizard for mystical support, plus two of barbarian, knight, or swashbuckler for muscle. When I've had six starting out, I could count on two of cleric, druid, or wizard for spells; two of barbarian, knight, or swashbuckler for muscle; and two of martial artist, scout, or thief for stealth. All the rest have been uncommon, seen solely in huge parties – although I hasten to add that I've had enough artificers, assassins, holy warriors, and necromancers that I wouldn't deem them rare.

[Gnome]

Let's see...in three DF campaigns I've had:
0 Barbarians
0 Bards
2 Clerics
0 Druids
2 Holy/Unholy Warrior
3 Knights
1 Martial Artist
1 Scout
1 Swashbuckler
0 Thieves
3 Wizards

So the ranking is:
Knight/Wizard - 1
Cleric/Holy Warrior - 2
Martial Artist/Scout/Swashbucker - 3
the rest - 4

Basically, my players are true munchkins. Knights do the most damage, Wizards are the most all-around versatile in and out of combat, and healers are essential. Having a stealthy guy or some non-combat skills can be useful, but in a hack-and-slash world, the Thief and his ilk are weak, along with all Artificers, Scholars, Shamans, etc. Barbarians are just crappier Knights, and Swashbucklers don't deal enough damage to defeat the most powerful enemies (especially if they don't have eyes/brains).

[PseudoFenton]

Well here's mine...

Barbarian 1
(Assassin)
Cleric 2
Wizard 3
Thief 4
Scout 5
(Mystic Knight)
Swashbuckler 6
Knight 7
Druid 8
Martial Artist 9
Bard 10
Holy Warrior 11
(and the rest, some of which I don't have access too)

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Although Thief has been a popular choice, Thief designs tend to get retired quickly. I think only one person has repeatedly played a Thief, whereas one of the Thiefs got retired after 1 session.

Why is that? I'm curious because some of my favorite characters of past campaigns have been thieves (profession, not template, as I've never played DF).

I've only run one short campaign, with a Demonologist, a Swashbuckler, and an Assassin (and an NPC alchemist to provide some measure of healing capability).

[Stripe]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Stripe, if your players enjoy hitting things with swords, I'm surprised that the swashbuckler isn't a more popular choice.

As I understand it, the Swashbuckler is DF's top "DPS" template...?

I put it behind the Barbarian and Knight because those are more straightforward sword swingers. None of that frilly "Dread Pirate Roberts" business.

I've yet to run a DF game, so I don't really know for sure. Getting ready to run my first here on the play-by-post forum.

[ULFGARD]

Originally Posted by Stripe

As I understand it, the Swashbuckler is DF's top "DPS" template...?

I put it behind the Barbarian and Knight because those are more straightforward sword swingers. None of that frilly "Dread Pirate Roberts" business.

I've yet to run a DF game, so I don't really know for sure. Getting ready to run my first here on the play-by-post forum.

In my game, the swashbuckler is the quick dealer of damage and death, the barbarian the tank, and the bard the face of the group. With 3 players, they have had to rely on NPC hirelings for heavier mystical support, with some interesting consequences at times. The fact that the swashbuckler is so quick to dispatch opponent, but with little armor, means that their lifespans can be short.