#pixelpup

I want to respond to this image I found of Mystery Inc as DnD characters.

It's common to see these characters as their archetypes. Fred is the strong male figure, Daphne is the Elven maiden, Shaggy is a Ranger/Druid because he's paired with Scooby. But I disagree, and this is based on my history of watching the shows and the movies.

Fred should be the Rogue. Fred and Velma are arguably the two smartest characters in the group, and Fred is always the one to set traps. You can still have him wearing white and give him an upbeat attitude. He's a subversion of expectations, a white hat rogue who wants to use his talents to protect rather than steal.

Daphne should be some sort of fighter- either monk or paladin. She's usually seen as the damsel in distress, but the Sarah Michelle Geller version uses this to evolve the character into a baddass striker. Paladin could also be argued because of her proud nature and aesthetics. I could see her roll into combat clad in a deep purple armor and green cape and smite all sorts of baddies then reveal herself by taking off her helmet and letting her red hair spill out.

Shaggy is a bit hard to argue against. Ranger would fit because of his attachment to Scooby and his penchant for herbs (canon). But IMO this steals agency away from Scooby. If I'm in a DnD group and we are all planning to RP Mystery Inc someone has to play Scooby. Make him an awakened dog and give him the Druid class. Flavor his Good berries into Scooby Snacks. Make Scrappy into his animal companion that always wants to run into combat and Scooby has to pull him back because he's smol.

So, what to do with Shaggy? Honestly, making him a timid Barbarian has a lot of RP potential. He's always used as bait by Fred and Velma and so he's gotten super paranoid over the years. Make him a tanky barbarian with a big ass shield and as soon as he gets hit/gets a Scooby Snack he goes into a rage and wipes up the mooks.

Finally, Velma. Honestly, dealers choice between Wizard or Bard. She needs to be the encyclopedia character that knows all the things. Making her a Bard would make her viable in combat while Wizard could fill out the parties lack of serious arcane might. I'd lean more towards Bard though because of the healing magic, and the fact that despite her nerdiness, Velma is obviously the sexiest of the girls and what else is a Bard for but to seduce.