Buffy the Vampire Slayer Team
by Lone Angel

Team: Ideally 1 of each class
Buffy = Amazon
Angel = Paladin
Willow = Sorceress
Giles = Necromancer
Xander = Barbarian

Introduction

This party must be played tactically as if it were Hardcore (or play it Hardcore). These people are definitely mortal. They're also good friends, and will prioritize keeping each other alive over everything else. They will not be afraid to run like hell if need be. In addition, they trust each others' judgment of a situation and if someone says run, that's what everyone does.

Before a serious fight, the party must repair to town for planning of tactics. Any disagreements over tactics, strategy, loot sharing or whatever will be settled by Giles. This is apart from quest Boss tactics, in which case Buffy has the final say. The party will split up where it might be more efficient - perhaps to find waypoints or stairs - but weaker members will try to avoid getting into fights while alone.

Well, thats it...if any of you are Buffy fans and think it might be fun to have a go at this, go try it!

Buffy

Class
Amazon

Stats
Dex, some Vit, some Strength. The usual Amazon distribution.

Skills
Passive tree only, as Buffy is a versatile fighter and is too busy with her life to learn highly specialized skills like strafe or jab. The only passive skill disallowed is Valkyrie (its out of character), although Cordelia the Decoy may be used.

Equipment
The best normal or magical gear she can get hold of, but no shields (its not her style).
Buffy will also not go to town just for repairs. If her weapon breaks she will just discard it and pick up whatever's lying on the ground to finish the job.

Playing Style
She's one of the party's front line fighters (the other being Angel). When facing a boss pack, she and the gang must kill the minions first, then Buffy must make one wisecrack before slaying the boss herself.

Angel

Class
Paladin

Stats
Dex, Vit, and Strength. He won't be needing Energy.

Skills
None of them are really in character for a Vampire. And Xander doesn't want to share an Aura with Dead Boy, thank you. Angel is the Paladin because he needs to be a versatile fighter, he doesn't look like a Barbarian, and Xander makes a funnier barbarian anyway.

Equipment
Same as Buffy. (Shields aren't Angel's style either). Although Buffy only gets to use the uniques/rares for the quest bosses, Giles might lend Angel one of them at any time if the party is in it really deep. Or he might choose not to.
Angel may wear nothing with +resists, as vampires are especially vulnerable to elemental damage.

Playing Style
The party's second major combatant. He will tend to focus on minions and leave the bosses to Buffy. Of course, he cannot risk exposure to daylight, and therefore cannot risk going with the party in wilderness areas. Angel must wait in town, and the party will send him a tp when they get indoors/underground. The Act 2 eclipse is the exception of course.

Willow

Class
Sorceress

Stats
Everything must go into Energy. Willow has the potential to become a powerful spell caster. However, her physical effectiveness is limited.

Skills
Pump up whatever spells she likes. But at least one point must be put into every spell; Willow is an inveterate researcher and will learn them all.

Equipment
Whatever she can carry. A shield is recommended.

Playing Style
Willow's physically frail in comparison to the others. This means she will have to hang back from the fray. If it's really dangerous, she might hang back in the next room or even area and wait for Buffy and Angel to clear the area. When she can, she will experiment with all her spells.

Giles

Class
Necromancer

Stats
2 points each level in Strength until it's enough to wear any armour. The rest are split equally among Energy, Dex and Vit.

Skills
Giles's training as a watcher has given him an impressive knowledge of dark forces, and he will put at least one point into every skill. But his powerful skills need much difficult ritual and preparation, and so he will rarely use them, preferring to leave the fighting to the others. Giles can use each skill once only, obviously only when the party has great need of it.

Equipment
Giles tries to avoid melee if he can help it, so will probably carry a bow or a wand. Giles also favours heavy armour. Any rares or uniques the party finds must be given to Giles for safekeeping. They may be brought out for special use by Buffy against a quest boss, and each may only be used once.

Playing Style
Since he's a relatively poor fighter, and rarely uses his occult skills, his main use is as a mobile stash and a spare hand in a desperate fight. He also has possibly tactical uses as a decoy. Additionally, Giles will take responsibility for keeping the party well equipped and prepared, and will always carry as many potions (flasks of tea) as he can, perhaps spare arrows/bolts for Buffy and Angel if they're using bows at the time, and some ID & TP scrolls.

Giles is also the party's information source. If another party member has a question about monster resists, skills or any other game minutiae, Giles must TP to Town and search the internet for answers.

Xander

Class
Barbarian

Stats
Everything into Vit. Although he's useless in a fight, Xander's survival skills are second to none.

Skills
Warcries only. In the beginning his only contributions will be to gather donuts (find potion) and send the monsters running with his howls of terror. Later though, he will remember the knowledge from his soldiers incarnation and use this to aid the fighters during battle.

Equipment
Whatever he can carry, including the best shield he can carry.

Playing Style
Sensibly stays out of the fray in medium serious battles, but if there's a lone, fairly wussy looking monster to be dealt with, Xander will probably do his best to wail on it. Of course in life and death battles, he will give his all to help the party.