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Illiterate Scribe
2008-06-03, 05:56 PM
So, Mary Sues. The bane of storytelling. But, deep within your heart, do you play one? Use this (http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm) handy test, to test your current campaign characters to find out, and share your shame here!

Paid for by the citizen's council for 4e thread reduction.


Well, the main character that I'm currently playing on these boards:


Azariah L'Imre - mad artificer from Sigil with Wis 7. Painfully little understanding of the way that the world works, together with epic levels - Mary Sue Score - 9.


Not too bad.

So, what do others get?

chiasaur11
2008-06-03, 06:19 PM
4 for a concept kicking I'm around.

Kobold Paladin, raised with no contact with his own species, believes Kobolds to be a race of legendary heroes and saints.


Low score.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-03, 06:24 PM
Genre Savvy veteran metal-wing clad swordmaster, a 6. More or less what I was expecting, since he is supposed to be the hero of a story I'm writing.

Worira
2008-06-03, 06:30 PM
Gah! Trying to do this for a character who's a vain changeling is impossible!

BRC
2008-06-03, 06:31 PM
I was doing my latest Dnd Character, but I ran into trouble because, first of all, It's an evil campaign. And secondly, He's A villain with Good Publicity who intentionally uses tropes that most people consider "Heroic" in order to further his evil goals. For example, he wields a rapier and focuses more on speed than brute strength specifically because those are things often associated with heroe's.

Valairn
2008-06-03, 06:32 PM
Funnily enough my character is a good looking princess from a foreign land, but I still only scored a 6, probably due to her being completely unlike me, honorable and dedicated to authority.... heh

Triaxx
2008-06-03, 06:35 PM
Nay! Tempus, Thor! Strike down the fool!

Please, let's not corrupt D&D with accusations of: It r teh Mrry Sue. I hates Joo!

Arbitrarity
2008-06-03, 06:38 PM
Huh. Being a bard makes most of these scores remarkably high. I mean, you get 3 or 4 for the music section, maybe 2-3 for renown, and D&D means you do pick up skills fast.

Wait, being part of an RPG is an instant 5 points?
Bleargh, my character over the past year is a 27, at least.

Cubey
2008-06-03, 06:39 PM
I was going to take this test for some of my NPCs that hang around the group. The problem - I'm DMing Exalted. Checking points on abilities that are not only common in Creation, but you EXPECT an Exalted to have is enough to make even the most original Solar a total Mary Sue.

Indon
2008-06-03, 06:40 PM
I tested Indon, the character that is literally my avatar (making him, by definition, a Mary Sue).

He scored 31.

Worira
2008-06-03, 06:44 PM
The aforementioned vain changeling got a 48. I win!

MeklorIlavator
2008-06-03, 06:47 PM
I was going to take this test for some of my NPCs that hang around the group. The problem - I'm DMing Exalted. Checking points on abilities that are not only common in Creation, but you EXPECT an Exalted to have is enough to make even the most original Solar a total Mary Sue.

If the character is expected to have these abilities because of his race(granted, Exalted isn't a race, but it fits with the general spirit of the rule), doesn't it tell you not to check them?

Saph
2008-06-03, 06:47 PM
Niriel got a 23. Not a surprise, since she's a singer and harpist.

John only got a 9, though. Poor guy probably could do with a bit more favouring.

- Saph

Cubey
2008-06-03, 06:49 PM
If the character is expected to have these abilities because of his race(granted, Exalted isn't a race, but it fits with the general spirit of the rule), doesn't it tell you not to check them?

Not in all cases. Let's take the test though with Rules as Intended, not as Written...

Indon
2008-06-03, 06:50 PM
If the character is expected to have these abilities because of his race(granted, Exalted isn't a race, but it fits with the general spirit of the rule), doesn't it tell you not to check them?

That's for questions that specifically ask, "Does your character have an unusual <Attribute>?"

The "Is your character awesome" questions, that doesn't apply to.

Flickerdart
2008-06-03, 06:58 PM
13 for an RP character I have knocking around another forum's RP (which I also happen to DM. Shut up, he' there to kick the plot into gear when it dies).

Prophaniti
2008-06-03, 07:01 PM
I actually tend to get negative scores when I do my D&D characters... I like them to have glaring flaws. Haven't tried with my main character in my novel yet. I haven't written anything for it in months and I need to go over it again to remember it all...

Cubey
2008-06-03, 07:02 PM
13 and 5, for an NPC that hanged around from the start, and a Player-Character-Turned-NPC-After-Player-Left, respectively. If you count stuff like "learning really fast", "having a magical weapon" or "defeating dozens of enemies easily", which are the default for starting level Exalted characters, add ~25 points to each.

What can I say? Characters I make with the intention to hang around the party have some Sue potential if roleplayed the good wrong way, but I make doubly sure not to steal spotlight with them. They usually serve one of these roles:
1. Comic relief
2. Doing boring parts of the quests, with the interesting left to the players
3. Causing (or getting into) problems instead of solving them. In moderation of course. Sues are bad, but so are Scrappies
4. Giving the party a friendly push if they get stuck

ShneekeyTheLost
2008-06-03, 07:10 PM
Wow, apparently being multi-lingual makes you a mary-sue...

Edea
2008-06-03, 07:10 PM
My Wizard character got a 0 O_O. I think that's because of all the Desuifiers she has.

Gerrtt
2008-06-03, 07:13 PM
23 for my what my first D&D Character would have become in the long run.

Talya
2008-06-03, 07:13 PM
Huh. Being a bard makes most of these scores remarkably high. I mean, you get 3 or 4 for the music section, maybe 2-3 for renown, and D&D means you do pick up skills fast.

Wait, being part of an RPG is an instant 5 points?
Bleargh, my character over the past year is a 27, at least.

Try doing it for a bard/sorceress/heartwarder and high priestess of a goddess of beauty/passion/love.

Still came out under 20 though.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-06-03, 07:15 PM
Gah! Trying to do this for a character who's a vain changeling is impossible!I know seriously. Let alone a vain Changeling spellcaster.

Of course, the test says to ignore things that are "commonplace" in the setting. I guess anything that comes from actual game rules can probably be exempted, since it's available to everyone and you're not just making your character stupid...magic, shapechanging, things like that. I'd say anything that requires a Level Adjustment or a particularly obscure PrC counts as MS, though.

FMArthur
2008-06-03, 07:17 PM
96 is probably really bad... Looking back, I really can't see how this data makes my character zoom off the charts. He vaguely resembles my ideal self, but also struggles with problems I wouldn't and goes through hell routinely. He's not especially popular and not hated a whole lot, does not attract a lot of affection and while he is gifted, he still goes unnoticed by his peers. He's got magical powers but it's also quite common and (surprise) as the main freaking protagonist in my story, yeah he does save the day more often than anyone else. He doesn't have a very good education, but as a scribe he knows 4 languages. The only thing I can think of that does this is his history of being a constant victim. The ability to fly at great strain without wings (and subsequently become comatose from the energy drain) might also affect it.

Indon
2008-06-03, 07:22 PM
So I went over a character in an actual story I wrote; scored a 10.

Cainen
2008-06-03, 07:26 PM
For one character - 45. The thing, though, is that I deliberately made him a Gary Stu to show off how blatantly incompetent the management of his employers was - he was the best militaryman on base, the best shot, all that.

And he was a VTOL transport pilot who never got involved in combat once during his tenure. A stark contrast for more humor than just making something powerful because I could, and he never stole the spotlight once.

The rest of them - 1, 6, 8, 10, 7, 12, 18. Obviously, as the campaign's power level starts to increase, so does the score there.

Prophaniti
2008-06-03, 07:26 PM
I also got a really low score (3) on a major character in my story who's a vampire. This is mostly because I treat vampirism as an actual curse, not a 'I'm a bad ass sexy blood drinker.' trope. Being a vampire sucks (no pun intended) big time in my world (though it does still make you strong enough to rip heads off one-handed...).

Flickerdart
2008-06-03, 07:30 PM
I know seriously. Let alone a vain Changeling spellcaster.

Of course, the test says to ignore things that are "commonplace" in the setting. I guess anything that comes from actual game rules can probably be exempted, since it's available to everyone and you're not just making your character stupid...magic, shapechanging, things like that. I'd say anything that requires a Level Adjustment or a particularly obscure PrC counts as MS, though.
Really? An Illithid with an effective +14 ECL wouldn't do so well there at all.

New challenge. Stat and flesh out a by-the-rules D&D character that has the highest score possible. Winner gets a cookie.

Worira
2008-06-03, 07:33 PM
Vampire Half-elf Half-dragon Bard named something like Dymond Ravynwyng.

Cainen
2008-06-03, 07:35 PM
New challenge. Stat and flesh out a by-the-rules D&D character that has the highest score possible. Winner gets a cookie.

Well, rolling all 18s is by-the-rules, and so are templates, and so are elves, and so are classes that get blank checks to rewrite reality and other peoples' mentalities...

Edea
2008-06-03, 07:36 PM
The lesbian love-child of Aphrodite and Tyche?

Kyeudo
2008-06-03, 07:38 PM
I tested one of my Exalted characters, and got between a 11 and a 16, depending on what I decided was "normal" for Exalts. Any other setting and he probably would have been a Mary Sue.

For kicks and giggles, I did the test using Richard, from the Sword of Truth series. He scored 101. :smallamused:

Nerd-o-rama
2008-06-03, 07:40 PM
Alright, let's do two characters. The first one is an old character, and one who I ran through this before and got a poor score. The other is my longest-running current character.

Discounting things she gets just by being a Changeling (reasonably common in Eberron) or a Duskblade (non-core but unrestricted class), Rin scores:

31

Ouch. Being a Doorstop Baby hurts on this test, especially when you include plot points that haven't been gotten around to yet. Two points, I should add, are intentional jokes because it was a semi-parody game (having a Japanese name and looking like a famous character...or rather, several different characters on various occasions).

Now for a character I'm actually currently playing. Daveon (minus Paladin abilities, and general 11th level badassery):

2

Yay for playing the normal guy!

Xefas
2008-06-03, 07:47 PM
I punched in my first ever D&D character from 2nd edition. I think I made him when I was about 12 years old. Scored a 23. For a middle-schooler, I find that damn impressive.

Then, I punched in my current D&D character that I'll be playing the first chance I get in 4th edition. Scored a 12.

Pie Guy
2008-06-03, 07:59 PM
The aforementioned vain changeling got a 48. I win!

I got a 49! Then I unchecked the shapeshifting and animal companion, because I, while being a level 7 sorcerer, STILL don't have enough money, or a town. And I eventually want to have polymorph. I got a 39. I still haven't really decided on a background even! High int for multi-lingualness though.

Flickerdart
2008-06-03, 08:17 PM
Well, rolling all 18s is by-the-rules, and so are templates, and so are elves, and so are classes that get blank checks to rewrite reality and other peoples' mentalities...
Yes, so list the stuff. For fairness, we're going with 20 levels in a single class, allowing for one PrC instead of some of those.

Cainen
2008-06-03, 08:20 PM
I'm too tired to do the actual work in the moment, but you certainly have something to work off of.

For bonus points, make it subvert the rules because it's so 'awesome'.

MeklorIlavator
2008-06-03, 08:25 PM
I think there are a couple things missing. For instance, I didn't notice any option for parents being amazing/widely famous.

Also, Dominic Deegan got an 81 on the quiz, but I think I might have been a bit conservative.

Worira
2008-06-03, 08:26 PM
Anyone want to try Elminster?

Bosaxon
2008-06-03, 08:43 PM
My dread necromancer//dungeoncrasher fighter gestalt got a 18. I played him as a psychopath with a thing for undead and a amused disrespect for his taskmaster in the theives guild. Hell, he even had a grim repear motif.

(but the scythe x4 crit was awesome)

Deth Muncher
2008-06-03, 08:57 PM
Sweet! My currently-a-ghost human sorceror scored an 18! Win!

Catch
2008-06-03, 09:14 PM
Okay, so my favorite ended up as a 13, which isn't at all bad, considering the circumstances.

Rand al'Thor from the Wheel of Time series got over 40, though. :smallamused:

Arbitrarity
2008-06-03, 09:27 PM
Try doing it for a bard/sorceress/heartwarder and high priestess of a goddess of beauty/passion/love.

Still came out under 20 though.

Indeed. Clearly, I need to figure out how to remove the Stuism from my character. Hm. Nerfs are required.

Hm. All +'s to stuism result in 642. How close can a character get? Not a clue, as some may be mutually exclusive. They'd have to be a original setting RPG character who crosses over to fan-fic.

ShneekeyTheLost
2008-06-03, 09:30 PM
And ironically, a Batman-Esque Wizard with a normal name, who is able to tell the laws of reality to sit down and shut up, with absolutely zero backstory whatsoever, and a low Strength score to simulate a shrimp who stays shrimpy, runs in at a negative Mary Sue Score, despite the fact that he is, in fact, probably closer to it than anything else you can come up with.

Huzza for the Min-Maxers and the Muchkins! They have been vindicated!

Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick
2008-06-03, 09:53 PM
18 for my current character.

Of course, considering she's a hybrid of human and Far Realm hideous eldritch monstrosity X, and that she was adopted by a knight belonging to the conquering army that devastated her original homeland, and only became an adventurer because she couldn't run a tea-shop anymore...

I think I'm doing alright, all things considered.

There's a fine line between 'mary sue' and 'has an adventurer-appropriate backstory'.

evisiron
2008-06-03, 10:02 PM
Recent D&D character (Gnomish Warlock): 26

wodan46
2008-06-03, 10:04 PM
Anyone want to test it on Eragon? I would, but that would require reading the books, which would require a frontal lobotomy.

The test seems to be unfair to RPG characters, who are in many settings by definition of the PC role, standout heroes and natural protagonists, and possess great powers compared to the norm.

And my Mary-Sueish imagined character is still only a 28, could be worse. Any character I actually create for an actual RPG would be much less.

Dervag
2008-06-03, 10:09 PM
I tested Indon, the character that is literally my avatar (making him, by definition, a Mary Sue).

He scored 31.Is an author insertion character a Mary Sue if they don't act all super?

Cainen
2008-06-03, 10:11 PM
Is an author insertion character a Mary Sue if they don't act all super?

No. Mary Sues don't even have to be self-inserts, either.

jcsw
2008-06-03, 10:16 PM
30. Is it my fault my character is a polyglot?

And is an aasimar?

Da Beast
2008-06-04, 12:54 AM
My favorite DnD character ended up with a 16, but I may have been a bit conservative. I couldn't decide which points being a half aquatic elf in a game of DnD should count for.

Recaiden
2008-06-04, 01:46 AM
I tested four of my characters.

One got a twenty. Some was from being a druid. Animal companion, shapeshifter, healing, etc. This one is my favorite.
My second got a 23. Warlock, convoluted backstory.
A third, well, they got 108.:smalleek: I realized quickly that i needed to destroy this character, long before i took the test.
My most recent character got a 3. Much better. They are pretty unimpressive. The max for RPG only is 376. With the fanfic...:smalleek:
I believe the character to get max would have to be a female nonhuman exalted bard. Maybe gestalt with something?

Fitz
2008-06-04, 02:34 AM
ok so i got a 68, but it was for my LARP character, so looks wise he scores a lot for looking a lot like me ! shocking news that :smallbiggrin:

Fitz

ghost_warlock
2008-06-04, 02:40 AM
I used an Original Fiction character from a Post-Apocalyptic story I was working on in high school. All of the main characters in the story were people I knew at the time and the character I tested was the version of myself from the story. The story got turned into an Alternity Mad Max-style RPG while I was in college and I used that version of the character for the test. Should have been dead-on Mary Sue.

I got a 27. :smalleek: I was expecting it to be much worse...

Tengu
2008-06-04, 03:24 AM
For my Exalted character, I scored 14. Hmm, not that bad, I thought she will get a lot more points. Of course, I didn't take under consideration the stuff that are standard for all Exalted, but would probably raise the score a lot...

Paragon Badger
2008-06-04, 03:29 AM
My last paladin scored an 8. :smalltongue: Mostly because he was pretty much all improv.

My Naruto D20 character (one among these forums...) scored a 37. :smallredface:

Though I shall claim the Mary Sue-ism of Naruto is infectious. I mean, Sasuke must be at least three-quarters of those. :smalltongue:

Seffbasilisk
2008-06-04, 03:35 AM
16-18 For Hallnsfarth Zukuri my Elven Warmage (See Avvy).

Being party leader, having a good Int score, and spending the last bits of childhood at the Warmage academy to come home to the smoking ruins of what was his home shot his score way up.

Laurellien
2008-06-04, 04:06 AM
64

For a Divine Rank 1, 25th level archivist, so I think I can be excused, as that was his score at the end of the campaign.

Elixia
2008-06-04, 04:18 AM
huh 17, not bad for a Montebank, though i have to admit she is a coward in combat, prefers to give out order than take a hit but thats what i hired my barbarian for ;)

Grey Paladin
2008-06-04, 04:19 AM
48, which is rather ironic as I was attempting to deconstruct the classical Tiefling in a planescape campaign.

He was actually raised by his (Demonic) father after his mother died at child-birth, due to his heritage he is unearthly beautiful, and amazingly skilled (level 6) at combat due to the way Demons raise their children. Today he is a psychotic bloodthirsty mercenary with a tendency to simply take what he wants by force, with the only thing keeping him in check is the party Wizard Planar Binding him.

hanzo66
2008-06-04, 04:19 AM
For a new character I'm using (IE a Mage who enjoys using Obfuscating Stupidity to avoid danger/annoy people for the hell of it): 17

For a character I'm potentially using for another RP (IE a Technology worshiping lunatic): 6

Elixia
2008-06-04, 04:26 AM
huh 17, not bad for a Montebank, though i have to admit she is a coward in combat, prefers to give out order than take a hit but thats what i hired my barbarian for ;)

hanzo66
2008-06-04, 04:38 AM
For a new character I'm using (IE a Mage who enjoys using Obfuscating Stupidity to avoid danger/annoy people for the hell of it): 17

For a character I'm potentially using for another RP (IE a Technology worshiping lunatic): 6

Tengu
2008-06-04, 04:52 AM
A double double post! What a rarity! *adds to collection*

Revlid
2008-06-04, 05:26 AM
I think there are a couple things missing. For instance, I didn't notice any option for parents being amazing/widely famous.

Also, Dominic Deegan got an 81 on the quiz, but I think I might have been a bit conservative.

I tried it with Deegan, being less conservative, and got a 119. :smallbiggrin:

But my nWoD character only got a 15, which is nicely flavoured, yet still undeniably human (he's a Ridden, of sorts)

Dhavaer
2008-06-04, 05:54 AM
My planned first 4e character got a 12. Originally a 16, dropped a few point when I reread the rules and noticed a 4e tiefling wouldn't get extra points for a funny name.

My absurdly Sue-ish Harry Potter fanfic character got a 66. Much lower than I expected, probably due to her largely positive upbringing, as opposed to an angst-fest.

Xuincherguixe
2008-06-04, 07:01 AM
67 for Galgeron. Heh.

This is coloured by the fact that it was the point.


This was over on a Shadowrun MUSH. What I was expecting was that as everyone was a Player Character, there wouldn't be very much conflict.

Needless to say, the place taught me a lot about what colossal bastards there are out there.

Even still, not that many people made an issue out of it.

Saph
2008-06-04, 07:27 AM
Anyone want to test it on Eragon? I would, but that would require reading the books, which would require a frontal lobotomy.

I just did it. Note, I only read the first two books, and that was kind of a long time ago, so my memory might not be perfect, but . . .

158.

I claim victory by proxy. Ha. :P

- Saph

wodan46
2008-06-04, 07:43 AM
ow. just... ow.

Mr.Bookworm
2008-06-04, 07:44 AM
I also just tested Eragon, and got 175.

Though I think the leather-wearing vegetarian elf chick would probably get a higher score.


I claim victory by proxy. Ha. :P

VICTOLY IS MINE!

Saph
2008-06-04, 07:46 AM
Hard to call a lot of these for the really Sueish characters. Ah well, guess once it's over 100, it doesn't really matter anymore what the exact number is. :P

Oh, I just tried Honor Harrington too. 127 for her, so Eragon's still in the lead.

- Saph

Reel On, Love
2008-06-04, 07:54 AM
I would've expected Lukeagon Al'Thor to hit over 9000.

wodan46
2008-06-04, 07:54 AM
Isn't part of the nature of Mary Sues is that in theory people either would want to be them or be with them? Harrington lives a rather lousy life, and everyone next to her is a probable redshirt.

I wonder how high Kevyn from Schlock Mercenary ranks, especially after the Sharp end of the Stick story. Looks kinda like the author, has outwitted a truly super-intelligent AI several times, died and come back many times, gotten a hot girlfriend who was originally after the ship's captain, is the catalyst for the story by re-inventing the warp drive, traveled back in time in order to singlehandedly save the galaxy, and so on. Is still an awesome comic, but Kevyn's Sueishness does not go without notice by me.

Saph
2008-06-04, 08:03 AM
I would've expected Lukeagon Al'Thor to hit over 9000.

No, Rand Al'Thor's number sounds right to me. High, but nowhere near Eragon territory.


Isn't part of the nature of Mary Sues is that in theory people either would want to be them or be with them? Harrington lives a rather lousy life, and everyone next to her is a probable redshirt.

Yet they all love her obsessively, which is kind of a warning sign. :)

Anyway, I like the Harrington books, enough to have read 9 of them cover to cover. But there's no arguing that by any objective standards Harrington pegs the Sue-o-meter pretty hard.

- Saph

DigoDragon
2008-06-04, 08:18 AM
My dragon character scored a 29 (the highest). He shares a few personality quirks with me, but they're not unusual traits. :smalltongue: Heh, my readers enjoy him as is so I'm not taking the test personally. A dragon is probably going to always score a little high anyway. Most other characters got low teen scores so they're fine.

Though as a tangent, I think the test should give smaller penalty if shapeshifting has some limitations like only one form or limited duration.

Anti-Tangent: I did the test for a character of a former player that I was sure was a Mary Sue type. Based on the way he Rped his character in our D&D game and the "fan-fiction" he wrote afterwards the character scored a 153! Yeah, this is why I don't allow half-elf twice ressurected daughters of Star Trek androids skilled in both sides of The Force in my games. :smalltongue:

Ulrichomega
2008-06-04, 08:35 AM
My recent character scored a 27 for some unknown reason. The only information that I have about him is that he is a really strong dude who knows how to fight, and grew up on the streets.

A 27 for a standard back story? I know grew up on the streets is a bit over used but 27? It's just insulting.

Illiterate Scribe
2008-06-04, 08:43 AM
Surprisingly enough, for his field THE IMMORTAL GOD-EMPEROR OF ALL MANKIND only received 97. Take that, Rutee!

Eldritch_Ent
2008-06-04, 08:46 AM
Yikes. Being a Psionic Pshapeshifter born via genetic experimentation is tough. Ignoring the rules, and just marking all the boxes that applied regardless of situation, I got a 92.

Taking the test again, this time not counting "racial abilities" and stuff other people did with her- I got a 17.

MandibleBones
2008-06-04, 09:33 AM
Arath, my grey elf abjurer, ended up with 12 - taking points for being an elf, for being able to polymorph and for being able to fly in a primarily ground-based world... but taking MOST of his points from speaking nine languages OTHER than Common and Elven. *shrugs* I can't help having an INT of 20 and spare skill points.

Thankfully there were some desuifiers.

elliott20
2008-06-04, 09:52 AM
most of my characters are going to end up on the low side since a lot of my characters are rather simple and streamlined concepts.

I took my one most sueish character and ran him through the gauntlet. He's a paladin that was basically inherit my own personality but with some bravery upgrades. He also inherited a magical blade from his father (a renown knight who died in a duel) that was in the keeping of an old colleague of his. she was an enchantress hermit who the GM suggested might have been the character's mother, but we never followed up on that. My character ended up bearing her visage on his shield as she was the one who trained him to become a knight. (it was basically a lion shield, but instead of a lion, had the enchantress in Greek amazon armor float out, attack the enemy with the spear and recede back into the shield.)

basically, all the parts were there: legacy magical items, good looks (high CHA and all), accomplished warrior and one of the best knights in the world (campaign eventually went epic, making this even more evident), and orphaned past. (raiased by the enchantress)

total score? 33.

much lower than I'd thought.

I wonder how much I could get if I played a narcissistic catgirl-vampire.

Citizen Joe
2008-06-04, 09:53 AM
I pulled a 3 with my human fighter character. But I tend to make anti-sues for characters anyway. I think one of the funniest things was that in play, he never really got a chance to use his Suish aspects.

PnP Fan
2008-06-04, 09:57 AM
Okay, so my current character is a swordsage/cleric of The Undying Court. Skull face and everything. He is descended from dragons, but in the fashion that Sorcers sometimes are. I basically used this to explain away the swordsage abilities, not as a plot hook, or as a key to special treatment. I did the test for him, and he came out about 11 (with a couple of points arguable up or down).

The irony is that he is currenlty on the path to gawd-hood in the campaign, which ought to score him bunches of gary-stu points, except for one thing. I didn't choose this for him. My GM decided that he wanted my character to become a gawd (or this is some kind of weird way of manipulating him into doing something particular). He even owns a cloak/sword/other equipment that have insignia identifying him as part of this branch of the family (the branch related to the dragon), again, I didn't do this, they were thrust on me by my DM when my party helped a group of NPC elves who decided I was going to be their heir (not my choice).

Bottom line is, my DM is Gary-Stu-ing my character! ahhhhhhh!!!!!!

Indon
2008-06-04, 10:06 AM
No. Mary Sues don't even have to be self-inserts, either.

Well, in justification for calling my character a Mary Sue, he _is_ a powerful dimension-jaunting sorceror, exiled from his home, etc, etc.

I imagine if the character hadn't so many personality flaws, he'd have scored higher.

Indon
2008-06-04, 10:10 AM
I would've expected Lukeagon Al'Thor to hit over 9000.

I would have expected that for Richard Rahl from the Sword of Truth books.

Al'Thor, while his power level is certainly over 9K, actually has personality flaws and makes mistakes, and is kind of a realistic character. Richard Rahl is about as realistic as another Richard I can think of (http://www.lfgcomic.com/) (not that that makes him a bad character, the character can still be interesting sometimes).

elliott20
2008-06-04, 10:10 AM
I want to see someone do Anita Blake on this but I fear that the test would just implode into itself by the sue-rificness of it all.

Deepblue706
2008-06-04, 10:37 AM
My most Mary Sue-ish character, a knight commander/gish-like fellow (marshal/wizard), got 20 points. According to the test, that's "Probably perfectly fine" for a RPG character.

I expected him to be a bit over-the-top, as the entire premise behind the character is experimenting with literary archetypes along with being a total badass (and not just some-guy). Basically, I took the High-man-brought-low (The Tragic Hero) template and combined that concept with one interpretation of the Low-man-brought-high (The Villain) template to show what happens to someone great who, after living his best days, essentially loses everything - and then tries to build himself back up again (although, I should note a full decade later). Considering all of the tragic heroes who are never able to recover from their downfalls, to overcome such an "end" and remake oneself would require a very talented and lucky individual. So, I'm a little surprised that he fit into this category. However, I am satisfied.

Frosty
2008-06-04, 11:04 AM
I want to see someone do Anita Blake on this but I fear that the test would just implode into itself by the sue-rificness of it all.

How about Meredith Gentry?

elliott20
2008-06-04, 11:12 AM
well, from whatever brief incomplete info I can gleen from wikipedia, she can be up there, but not as high as Anita Blake, I don't think

Aquillion
2008-06-04, 09:30 PM
Light from Death Note:

(spoilers right to the end)

Racks up a bunch of points from the name alone (noun, sorta related to darkness, unusual, meaning.) Plus cool nickname / unique title. Appearance racks up a bunch more. Not sure if his eyes should count as having unusual qualities (that seems to be a symbolic thing, not one anyone can see), but I said yes.

"Has your character ever killed someone after being provoked?" He he he. He he he.

"Does your character have any of the following psychological disorders?
Antisocial Personality Disorder" Probably, yes.

"Is revenge one of your character's main motivations?" Hard to say, but he is driven by 'revenge' against anyone who defies him.

Extremely accomplished at everything he attempts. Top in academics, tennis...

Not sure how many languages he speaks (is it mentioned anywhere?) At least English in addition to Japanese, though.

Do his/her initial plans, strategies, ideas, etc. always (or nearly always) work? "Just as planned."

Some things are tricky. Does taking out all the FBI agents count as taking them out 'single-handedly using his/her kick-butt skills?' I guess yes.

Is L envious of Light? I don't really think so...

A death note counts as a magic weapon. I dunno if it really counts as being "given" by a magical being (it was more sort of dropped at random), but I guess that counts.

I don't think L's death counts as losing a 'close friend'...

Did Light start out good? Hard to say, but I'd say no. There wasn't really any sense that his views 'changed' -- he just got the opportunity to do what he would have done all along.

While L is not a major villian, he's the antagonist, and certainly has a personal fixation that goes beyond any apparent reasons.

Amnesia at one point, check. Hmm, will he not like his past when he discovers it? Hard to say, but I assumed he'd be fine with it, at least after discovering it.

Uh... does Light count as getting a lot of romance? I don't think Misa is the sort of person anyone would want to hook up with, though (not even Light wants to hook up with her)...

Um, I guess he saves the day by dying, but I don't really think that that's what that question means.

He does get a few De-Suifiers, though. Weaknesses abound, he can be very petty...
I got a 63 for him; although some things I checked were iffy, he's plainly over 50. It's not that surprising (I've noticed a lot of fans of the series are a lot more sympathetic towards him than, from a logical standpoint, they should be.)

On the other hand, many of his Mary Sue traits are clearly intended to be commentary -- his perfect academic record, looks, demeanor and so forth are obviously intended to be contrasted with L, and to make the fact that he's basically a horrible person much more stark.

Speaking of which, let's do L:

Um, we can't really say much about his name. Counting L as his 'name', though, it racks up several marks against him... dunno if that's fair. Anyway, he certainly has a unique title.

Ok, no marks in the appearance section. He's cross-cultural, though, isn't he? Actually... was Light cross-cultural? I forget.

I'm not sure "murdering is bad" counts as voicing political opinions. He denounces Light as evil (by proxy), but that seemed like it was more of a tactic.

Ok, he bends the rules just a tad by being that famous at his age.

I would say he also suffers from antisocial personality disorder, although in a very different way than Light (look at how he has Misa treated for proof.) Inability to form relationships, check.

Profound wisdom or knowledge, check. Hey, I just noticed there's no general category for being "super-intelligent". Both L and Light get off easy there.

Wealthy for no apparent reason, check.

Ok, his occupation is chosen for being glamorous (world-famous top-secret mysterious teenaged detective? Yeah.)

"Is your character unusually accomplished for his/her age?" Ha-ha-ha-HA-HA. Just a bit.

Best detective in the world, period. Also, tennis. Insanely famous as a detective.

No magic.

I'm sure L does know several languages, but I can't recall any specific mentions. I'll check one box, at least -- he must know both English and Japanese.

Plans succeeding? Check. Usually.

He's kinda an outcast, but it's by his own choice, so I suppose that doesn't count.

Um, he manages to become friends with a villain, but doesn't exactly reform him...

Orphaned, check.

Personal villain fixation for no valid reason? Heck yes.

De-suifiers: Personality flaws, faults, ugly.
Hmm, only 25. I expected higher... I guess there just aren't enough mental ones there. Also, his complete lack of personal relationships with anyone but his butler combined with his complete lack of impressive appearance keeps his score down.

_Puppetmaster_
2008-06-04, 10:04 PM
My character (a Forest Gnome Dragonfire Adept) got a 19

MandibleBones
2008-06-04, 10:18 PM
Polgara the Sorceress - 155 points.

Possibly higher - I have no way of knowing what David and Leigh Eddings think of her, so no way to answer the questions about what the author thinks.

Cubey
2008-06-05, 02:31 AM
Sol Badguy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Badguy) of Guilty Gear's fame got 58 points. I've deliberately picked the yes option for "do you imagine you are this character".

Dhavaer
2008-06-05, 05:23 AM
Nitpick on the test: Wouldn't any character who qualifies for question 5 (Is your character described, illustrated, and/or shown as exceptionally beautiful, cute, or handsome?) more or less automatically qualify for question 5a (Do you find your character attractive enough to date him/her?), assuming the character is of your preferred gender?

The Faceless
2008-06-05, 06:23 AM
Lance Starblast, Toreador glam rocker, scored a 23. Considering the frequent orgies and the vampirism and the extensive beautiful and impractical wardrobe, not too bad i think. Mind you, he's also jealous, petty, shallow, vain, catty and utterly despises anyone who upstages him.

Maerok
2008-06-05, 05:05 PM
The score for any Vampires character is going to be OVER 9000!!! (And Nobilis characters are up there too, but they're purposefully asking for it. :smallbiggrin:)

I am guilty of #61. When I'm done with a character sheet I always try and sneak a few knives in there, just in case.

8 points for my World of Darkness guy (a boxer): http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4415041&postcount=14

Edit: Make that 9. Urgh... I forgot I put a bowie knife on him... :smallredface:

InfiniteMiller
2008-06-05, 06:00 PM
35? Goddamn.

Some stuff is not my fault! He's a paladin, so by default he has healing abilities and eye's that can see your alignment (detect evil).

And my DM made me one of the chosen ones. And my character resents it!

Ugh.

F.H. Zebedee
2008-06-05, 06:03 PM
26 for a direct rip of me. Really, a lot of the ones don't really apply due to various reasons (The whole abduction for experiment thing was the whole plot of the story, and also why the villains didn't do away with him, etc.) Not too bad for a clone of the author with eye related powers and wings as the only powers.

Draz74
2008-06-05, 06:04 PM
My current character, the explorer-Wizard Bindanol, scores a 14.

Not bad. Especially because he gets three points just for having Bonus Languages. :smalltongue:

Kupi
2008-06-05, 06:35 PM
35? Goddamn.

Some stuff is not my fault! He's a paladin, so by default he has healing abilities and eye's that can see your alignment (detect evil).

And my DM made me one of the chosen ones. And my character resents it!

Ugh.

It's important to remember (I certainly didn't) that you need only check a box if that trait is unusual for the setting. So having "mysterious healing powers" isn't a Sue-mark against your Paladin; that's normal for Paladins and if someone wants that power they're free to play a Paladin. Now, if this were world where magic is almost never used to heal, then being able to heal with a touch would give you Sue-points. Same with being a chosen one. You didn't introduce yourself as The/A Chosen One, your DM assigned you that role. If you'd brought that to the table as part of your character design, then it would be Sue-ish.

Ebonsword
2008-06-05, 10:57 PM
Hmm, the rankings that this test spits out seem a little harsh. Also, some of this stuff seems to cascade.

For example, I did a main character from some swashbuckling fiction that I'm writing and got a 30. He's among the best swordsmen in his city ('cause its swashbuckling fiction, so he can't just be some schmuck), which is a highly esteemed skill, and leads to rivalries with other swordsmen, and renown throught the city. Plus, all of that fencing means that he's in good shape, which leads to him being attractive, which leads to him getting attention from the ladies (though, seriously, it's not like he's Kirk and every chick in the world throughs themselves at him).

It probably doesn't help that his lover was murdered by a rival faction so he's got the whole revenge thing going, to.

Anyway, I ran Drizzt Do'Urden through and got an 83. It probably would have been higher, but I tried not to guess Salvatore's feelings towards his creation.

Aron Times
2008-06-05, 11:36 PM
17-21

Probably not a Mary-Sue, although a character can go either way at this point. Fanfiction writers should pay attention to ensure that their characters aren't getting too Sue-ish. For an RPG or original fiction character, however, you're probably perfectly fine.
Yay! Aron Times isn't a Marty Stu!

GrassyGnoll
2008-06-06, 12:05 AM
I think I'll test my two PbP characters.

Lagri, Icereach barbarian. 13, although I'd knock off a couple seeing as being part of the story's prophecy was not my decision. I consider him a baseline.

Nauphel, God of the Depths. 57, insane points for being a god, but a decent cutback for being ugly. Being a tragic (past) villain didn't help him at all, neither did his ability to speak near every language due to his insane Int modifier.

For poops and giggles I think we should run this by the "While on Olympus" pantheon. With as many divine being as that we should be able to hit the triple digits.

Xsjado
2008-06-06, 06:27 AM
Kreg Roignar - Dwarven Cleric - 6 - if would have been higher except he is a massive racist and unattractive even by dwarf standards. No problem with killing goblin women and children, which played out when our group came across a group of slavers. The ranger bought their freedom and I promptly killed them with a blast of divine magic as they ran off.

Aaron Sky - Major character in an original universe I wrote, I decided to test him because he is an intentional Mary Sue: leader of the earth military, ace pilot and general tactical genius. He is rather prone to committing genocide though. - 71 - Gained a lot of points because it's a post singularity universe and as a member of the military he gets access to technology which is unusual even in that setting.

Zenos
2008-06-06, 06:34 AM
The score for a OWoD Vampires: The Dark Ages character, an english Ventrue knight named Edward, got a 9. He is also the only one in the party with any skill in such things as "etiquette", "leadership" and "politics", and actually has some charisma compared to the two other characters in the party, a Gangrel focusing on brawling with Protean and my older brother's Brujah (and we all know what brujahs do best). Probably helped that he is a fairly unscrupulous type whose nature is Survivor (actually, the whole team has nature: Survivor, funny fact).

Leon
2008-06-06, 06:52 AM
Going by the PCs in my Sig

Razak Na'jzur got a 10
Mikael of Torm got a 6
and then i got bored with it, but i can forsee that none of my PC's are going to have a score that is more than 20

Elixia
2008-06-06, 08:01 AM
... huh, i just did my god, rein-hart the fox god, got a 41 .. i was expecting higher

Dhavaer
2008-06-07, 07:28 AM
Using this (http://ponylandpress.nfshost.com/ms-test.html) test, I get 40 for the uber-Sue fanfic character and 15 for the tiefling.

clockwork warrior
2008-06-07, 08:58 AM
31 for Jaktar the goblin warlock i will be playing in an evil game

i thought he was original.. he is a servant to a gnoll and got his powers not from infernal pacts or hellish dealings, but by eating a bunch of fey that he found...