(l-r) Red Sonja (Human-Paladin-Oath of Vengeance); Kalidor (Human-Fighter-Battle Master); Falkon (Human-Rogue-Mastermind); Tarn (Human-Monk-Way of the Open Hand).
IN THE REALMS
“If danger is a trade, I’ll learn it myself.”
When Thay’s evil Zulkir, Gedren, and her army ravaged the Rashemeni countryside, they crossed the wrong woman.
The only survivor of an innocent farmstead was red-haired Sonja, left for dead but saved through the grace of Selune. The salvation bestowed by the goddess was contingent on a life of chastity, but the powers she imbued her paladin with were more than enough to set Red Sonja on the road to revenge.
Years later, Gedren embarked on a new military adventure, this time to steal an immensely powerful magic Talisman from the Witches of Rashemen and use it to conquer the nation of Thesk. This drew the attention of the Impilturan fighter Lord Kalidor, who began to shadow Sonja’s steps. The two found Gedren’s swath of destruction easy to follow, including the Theskan city of the Shou Prince Tarn (an open-fist monk) and his devoted, if bumbling consigliere Falkon (a Mastermind rogue).
With these two survivors, the party begins to venture into the country of the Red Wizards, where Gedren plans to use the Talisman as a tool in her mad quest of destruction and power.
Woe to the forces of evil as they face Red Sonja: the she-devil with a sword.
SOURCE MATERIAL & CAMPAIGN IDEAS
Like many of the source movies for my Pop Culture Party series, Red Sonja is not a good movie.
But it was one of the early sword & sorcery movies I watched (on Betamax!), and I always enjoyed the Marvel comics adaptation, where some of the dialogue really shines without wooden actors to labour through it.
Get to Class
Red Sonja might have also worked as a Warlock, but an Oath of Vengeance Paladin really does fit perfectly. It is a bit weird to find out that the Forgotten Realms don’t really have one clear warrior goddess. Selune works in a pinch, but I’d love an Amazon goddess to work with.
Kalidor, a Conan-clone, is pretty purely a fighter – I think a Battle Master by how clever he is. He figures out how to use a rope bridge like a bow-string to vibrate the bad guys off it, and has some fun acrobatic fights in the finale.
Prince Tarn, played by Ernie Reyes Jr, who was the son of the film’s stunt coordinator, is obviously a Monk, studying the Way of the Open Hand. I’ve never played a game with an underaged character, but I have played with a mix of levels and feel like it could work.
Falkon was probably the hardest to pin down. He doesn’t do a lot and he’s not that effective in combat. But the fact that he works best when working with others, his belt of daggers, and his position close to the young Prince Tarn made me think he fits best as a Mastermind Rogue – but creatively played. I suspect this character has the lucky feat and not great stats.
Campaign Notes
Making Gedren a Thayan might give any prospective DM lots of adventures to choose from for padding out the campaign. Just check out DM’s Guild for any Red Wizards adventures.
The Pop Culture Party Series follows a similar line to my Motley Crew series. Only while that nerdly rotogravure imagined sci-fi motley crews in Firefly’s ‘Verse, this will imagine various casts of adventure media as D&D characters.
HyperboreanComics 