I'd go with Occultist. He has pretty strong ties to magical items, after all, and Int-based casting seems right. The class is sufficiently martial to fit his backup hand-to-hand skills.
As Sorcerer Supreme I think he would be a wizard.
Given the lack of material components in his spellcasting and the fact that he uses the same spell several times in a day during the final sequence, I'd say he's probably a Sorcerer... except that he clearly learns his spells from books.
Hmmmm... Arcanist, then?
I second Arcanist.
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Third to Arcanist - he's got Int and Cha through the roof but he learns magic through lots and lots of practise and hard work, with a good dash of natural ability thrown in. Has to be the wizard/sorceror mix.
I think the Cape of Levitation is an upgrade-able item from Unchained, the ring could easily be a bonded item, the rest is just explained by the fact that he spends a lot of time in a magical museum therefore there are toys available.
I can't see magus at all. Dr. Strange really wasn't trying to do melee.
I vote for arcanist!
Ley Line Guardian Witch (Time Patron for the Movie version)
I can't see magus at all. Dr. Strange really wasn't trying to do melee.
I vote for arcanist!
Melee, and UMD was all they ever did in the movie. (My biggest problem of the Movie, still loved it)
Magus/Arcanist of some sort.
Arcanist with VMC Monk and Weapon Focus Unarmed Strike and Skill Training UMD. I'd also say take the Pride drawback.
A magus isn't using his class abilities if he isn't doing melee. I think Dr. S would have preferred to stay out of melee, but had carelessly lost his meatshield in a lot of scenes! Luckily, he had a Concentration bonus straight out of an 18-hour brain surgery. :)
He did cast an energy whip & a personal shield. So he's a neophyte still. (Kind of like the first Dennis Craig Bond movie; it took me a minute, while the credits rolled, to "get" that one.)
Plus I suspect the Marvel universe doesn't actually have UMD (the skill) -- you have to be a caster for a magic item to work. And yes, he practiced extensively before he could make the rings work. But I don't think that practice or all his reading represents class levels that could be simulated with a UMD check. The ritual he performed for his fancy amulet to work was not a skill check to simulate levels, even though he was woefully under-level when he attuned the Eye!
The cloak wouldn't have worked at all except that it chose him. Since it's sentient, the cloak is really, in Pathfinder terms, a familiar!
Btw, I adored Dragon Age for the clothing. So it'll be no surprise that I sat raptly through Dr. Strange while Debnor geekasmed. I feel defensive, apparently, of *my* Sorcerer Supreme. :D
I can't see magus at all. Dr. Strange really wasn't trying to do melee.
I vote for arcanist!
Melee, and UMD was all they ever did in the movie. (My biggest problem of the Movie, still loved it)
Magus/Arcanist of some sort.
And astral projection, planeshift, "forced mystical visions", major image, slowing down time, and controlling gravity, etc.
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*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Doctor strange is usually able to do whatever he needs to....
However, he has a lot of common tricks that the writers like to use over and over again. Crimson bands of cytorrak, Shield of seraphim, winds of watoom...
Then a bunch of magic items to round out the other stuff
An argument could be made for Sorcerer with their limited spell lists, but ability to cast on the fly.
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Don't forget ranks in Heal. He didn't spend time in medical school to not have ranks in Heal ;)
Warlock vigilante perhaps? Mystic bolts, especially in melee, work for creating weapons out of magic, and it has a good skill list, and high skill ranks.
His Title is "Sorcerer Supreme"...
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I'd dare say he is an Expert/Arcanist, and is in the process of retraining those Expert levels.
A magus isn't using his class abilities if he isn't doing melee.
Magi DO cast spells like lightning bolt and fireball after all. Not everything a magus does has to be in melee.
And astral projection, planeshift, "forced mystical visions", major image, slowing down time, and controlling gravity, etc.I can't see magus at all. Dr. Strange really wasn't trying to do melee.
I vote for arcanist!
Melee, and UMD was all they ever did in the movie. (My biggest problem of the Movie, still loved it)
Magus/Arcanist of some sort.
Yes, that is true... But I was referring to when they were attacking (trying to damage) there opponents. Not just Dr. Strange, but all of them. They all conjured Melee weapons when attacking.
*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Probably has a few levels in Monk* or something, then.. Maybe even just one level. Enough to raise him above npc warrior level (and thus better in it than the vast majority of people), but it's still not his thing, so most of his levels would be in Arcanist or Sorcerer.
*I'm no expert on Strange, at all, Monk just seems to fit his aesthetic the best. I also haven't watched the movie yet.
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Haven't seen the movie yet (Can't wait!) :)
But in the original comics, (70's, my comic era) he rarely-if ever- engaged in hand to hand. Usually he was attacked and tried very hard to get away so he could cast some more. He always used magic spells to get the job done.
Mostly the Same spells used repeatedly as noted above.
So, my guess would have been originally Wizard, Sorcerer, or Arcanist.
First instinct is to lean towards sorcerer, natch. :)
In more recent comics, and the previous cartoon movie of the same name, they definitely updated him with a more Monk-ish background. So Whatever class fits best with what your play style is, (Wiz, Sorc, Arcanist) mixed with either a level of monk, or a monk-ish archetype to explain the knowledge of melee fighting.
An argument can be made for Magus, Especially if you take the archetype that can create their own force-blades. :)
Also the above-mentioned Warlock, with the class abilities that let you form weapons of pure energy, that's a good interpretation.
Otherwise, both in the comics, and in the movies far as I can tell, he does make judicious use of UMD and available items.
Interesting thought on the cape as sentient and is his familiar.
I would have said that the Amulet was his familiar. It definitely has always responded to being spoken too, has always had a mind of its own (which did not always coincide with the good doctors) and has interacted with others on it's 'master's' behalf several times over the years in the comics.
Nice brainstorming guys and gals! Keep it up!
Old wizard is very interested,... :)
In the comics, he is trained by a monk.*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Probably has a few levels in Monk* or something, then.. Maybe even just one level. Enough to raise him above npc warrior level (and thus better in it than the vast majority of people), but it's still not his thing, so most of his levels would be in Arcanist or Sorcerer.
*I'm no expert on Strange, at all, Monk just seems to fit his aesthetic the best. I also haven't watched the movie yet.
Very true, but the 'monk' never did any monkish-style-combat-moves back in the original/older comics. (That I recall, to be honest I do not have as extensive a collection of Dr Strange comics as I do other heroes)
They were like we think of monks, but instead of practicing martial arts, they practiced magic.
As Sorcerer Supreme I think he would be a wizard.
Not a sorcerer? I mean his title has sorcerer right in the name!
Half eleven sorcerer with that racial spell that basically lets you cast every other spell.
Half eleven sorcerer with that racial spell that basically lets you cast every other spell.
In other words, an Arcanist (with one level of Core Monk), with the "origin" being a retraining of his Expert (physician) levels to arcanits/monk.
Half eleven sorcerer with that racial spell that basically lets you cast every other spell.In other words, an Arcanist (with one level of Core Monk), with the "origin" being a retraining of his Expert (physician) levels to arcanits/monk.
I don't know enough about arcanist to say
As Sorcerer Supreme I think he would be a wizard.Not a sorcerer? I mean his title has sorcerer right in the name!
Back in the day, the terms magus, mystic,wizard, sorcerer, and witch would be frequently used to describe the same person. Strange has been called all of these names and more.
iar.
I would have said that the Amulet was his familiar. It definitely has always responded to being spoken too, has always had a mind of its own (which did not always coincide with the good doctors) and has interacted with others on it's 'master's' behalf several times over the years in the comics.
Save that the Amulet is more of a God Object/Artifact, and that's not even counting the Orb itself.
In the comics, he is trained by a monk.*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Probably has a few levels in Monk* or something, then.. Maybe even just one level. Enough to raise him above npc warrior level (and thus better in it than the vast majority of people), but it's still not his thing, so most of his levels would be in Arcanist or Sorcerer.
*I'm no expert on Strange, at all, Monk just seems to fit his aesthetic the best. I also haven't watched the movie yet.
In TSR's Marvel Superheroes in addition to his magical skills Strange poseseses a Martial Arts form that puts his Fighting at Excellent.
Wizard! Universalist.
Strange was neither a monk nor martial artist. He learned a few defensive moves from Wong is all.
Strange was neither a monk nor martial artist. He learned a few defensive moves from Wong is all.
Enough to put him at least at black belt level. He's no Captain America, but he's more than a match for the average thug.
In TSR's Marvel Superheroes in addition to his magical skills Strange poseseses a Martial Arts form that puts his Fighting at Excellent.In the comics, he is trained by a monk.*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Probably has a few levels in Monk* or something, then.. Maybe even just one level. Enough to raise him above npc warrior level (and thus better in it than the vast majority of people), but it's still not his thing, so most of his levels would be in Arcanist or Sorcerer.
*I'm no expert on Strange, at all, Monk just seems to fit his aesthetic the best. I also haven't watched the movie yet.
True, but Excellent wasn't all that special in that game. Basically on a scale of 0-100, that was only a 20. slightly above a swat team if I recall, which for a superhero isn't so great.
For myself, I wouldn't give him any levels in monk... I would give him the Improved unarmed combat feat. He can still tussle a bit if enemies get to close better the average PC. He's always considered 'armed', but that's not really his speciality or where he should be fighting.
Maybe toss another 'style feat' in there if someone really wants to focus on his 'training'... but it shouldn't be enough to diminish his casting ability. If it gets in the way of his metamagic feats, he should just skip them.
Strange was neither a monk nor martial artist. He learned a few defensive moves from Wong is all.Enough to put him at least at black belt level. He's no Captain America, but he's more than a match for the average thug.
In the way that one or two moves overcomes a commoner. Cap taught judo throws to every Avenger at one point and Strange learned in much the same way. In game terms, he probably has a trait that gives him *Improved _______" ( once a day), but not actual levels in monk.
In TSR's Marvel Superheroes in addition to his magical skills Strange poseseses a Martial Arts form that puts his Fighting at Excellent.In the comics, he is trained by a monk.*Raises hand*
I should note that Dr. Strange is often referred to as the "Master of the Mystic and Martial Arts". Despite his title of Sorcerer Supreme, he's far from a squishy wizard who's completely reliant on spells to get things done.
Probably has a few levels in Monk* or something, then.. Maybe even just one level. Enough to raise him above npc warrior level (and thus better in it than the vast majority of people), but it's still not his thing, so most of his levels would be in Arcanist or Sorcerer.
*I'm no expert on Strange, at all, Monk just seems to fit his aesthetic the best. I also haven't watched the movie yet.
True, but Excellent wasn't all that special in that game. Basically on a scale of 0-100, that was only a 20. slightly above a swat team if I recall, which for a superhero isn't so great.
For myself, I wouldn't give him any levels in monk... I would give him the Improved unarmed combat feat. He can still tussle a bit if enemies get to close better the average PC. He's always considered 'armed', but that's not really his speciality or where he should be fighting.
Maybe toss another 'style feat' in there if someone really wants to focus on his 'training'... but it shouldn't be enough to diminish his casting ability. If it gets in the way of his metamagic feats, he should just skip them.
I really wouldn't try to model Strange using Pathfinder... Mutants and Masterminds, or D20 Modern perhaps.
I think classic Dr. Strange would be more akin a demigod. Perhaps Exploiter Wizard 20/Archmage 10.
I like Dr. Strange, what would be the coolest class(es)for him to be besides maybe Wizard or Magus???
What version of Strange?
Classic Strange is basically a wizard 20/archmage 10 NPC able to face down gods and the like.
And that's the meaning of "Sorcerer Supreme".
Doctor Strange stands out because he is a powerful wizard in a world where magic is extremely dangerous, rare, and practically unknown.
In a typical gaming world... he'd just be one of the working stiffs in the arcane line.
I like that comics today are re-embracing the theme that magic requires a price. Batman rescues Wonder Woman from a Circe transmutation by sacrificing his dignity. Jane Foster is the most powerful wielder of Mjolnir because of all the Thors, she is literally sacrificing her life for the role, and is wise enough to refuse Asgardian magic to heal her.