Dungeons and Dragons and comic books are just about some of the geekiest hobbies one can have, so it makes sense for them to meet from time to time. The upcoming Honor Among Thieves promises a fun D&D fantasy adventure as a contrast to all the MCU movies coming out lately. Still, that doesn’t mean the two properties can’t coexist.
With how modular and player-friendly the 5e system continues to be, players have a lot of freedom in how they build their characters. There are a ton of ways to build Marvel heroes in whatever way players want, but these could be good templates to use.
Spider-Man - Underdark Land Druid 3/Drunken Master Monk 17
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For those looking for the web-slinging side of Peter, this build works out wonderfully. With Underdark Druid, they gain access to Spider Climb and Web, which are self-explanatory. In addition, Thorn Whip and Entangle can be easily reimagined from plants into webs. Instead of a lab spider, the bite could have been from a magical spider species.
As for the Drunken Master half of this build, all those features lend themselves perfectly to Spider-Man’s agile and unorthodox fighting style. Monks also get bonus mobility when they wear no armor and get the very important ability to climb walls and land from heights without taking damage. Important feats to take here would be “Alert” (to account for Spidey Sense) and Athlete, for even better mobility in and out of combat.
Star-Lord - College of Valor Bard 6/Swashbuckler Rogue 14
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The charming Star-Lord fits like a glove in the playstyle of a swashbuckling bard. While he’s no slouch in combat, his greatest accomplishments are the use of music and dancing to inspire his friends to beat the odds. Valor Bard further enhances Star-Lord’s ability to amp up his friends amid battle.
Of course, before he had friends, he was still a very effective Ravager. Swashbucklers are famed for prickling the ego of their enemies mid-combat to throw them off their game, and Star-Lord is fantastic at that too. As for his race, taking Aasimar would be appropriate thanks to his celestial heritage from Ego. Feats would be Sharpshooter and Inspiring Leader.
Loki - Hexblade 3/Trickery Domain Cleric 17
Loki, as the god of schemes and trickery, would obviously need an arsenal of deceptive spells and abilities in his repertoire. The Hexblade levels make him effective with his iconic daggers. More importantly, it gives him access to Misty Visions and Mask of Many Faces, which give access to versatile illusion spells without costing a spell slot. The “cursed weapon” in this scenario could be Loki’s scepter.
Trickery Cleric’s main feature, Invoke Duplicity, allows Loki to create a copy of himself that can do everything that he can. Cowardly as Loki is, the 6th level feature of becoming invisible is quite appropriate. An important feat for such a deceptive character would be Actor, a feat that gives an advantage on performance and deception checks.
Hank Pym’s Ant-Man - Battle Smith Artificer 13/Rune Knight Fighter 4/Ranger Swarmkeeper 3
Ant-Man is a versatile hero whose main gimmick is that he’s smart and can change size. Pick a small race such as Gnome for Hank and go for Battle Smith Artificer. This provides access to the all-important Enlarge/Reduce spell. If Hank casts Reduce on himself, he is now Tiny. After gaining this spell, it’s time to level Rune Knight by 4 levels to gain Giant’s Might.
With the combination of Giant’s Might and Enlarge, the huge Giant-Man is born. In addition, Battle Smith allows Hank to create his very own “Ultron” via Steel Defender, much like he did in the comics. The Swarmkeeper levels are mostly there to gain insect-based themes and abilities to complete the look.
Ghost Rider - Oath of Vengeance Paladin 6/Fiend Warlock 14
As the spirits of vengeance, Ghost Riders are sworn to enact punishment on the wicked. Vengeance Paladins. Abjure Enemy frightens the guilty, much like the Penance Stare. Vow of Enmity makes the Ghost Riders even more relentless in their attacks by giving them an advantage against foes. Additionally, Find Steed allows the Ghost Rider to summon their fiery steeds at will.
Of course, it can’t be forgotten that this pact was made with a demon, and that’s where the Fiend Warlock comes in. Dark One’s Blessing allows the Ghost Rider to gain vigor from fallen enemies, and with Dark One’s Own Luck, alter fate itself on saving throws. The 14th-level ability, Hurl Through Hell, toss a creature into hell itself for an entire turn. An important feat for the Ghost Rider would be Mounted Combatant, to lean further into the Rider aspect of the character.
Iron Man - Armorer Artificer 20
Iron Man might seem like he’s too high-tech for the fantasy world, but Dungeons and Dragons have been allowing a lot more science into their world as of late. The intrepid inventor benefits greatly from the Armorer subclass. Arcane Armor allows Tony to recreate those satisfying armor-up scenes at will, all without the usual strength requirements of heavy armor.
It’s also incredibly customizable. If the party needs a Hulkbuster, then the Guardian Armor Model’s Thunder Gauntlets and Defensive Field make it a powerhouse. If a mission needs a lighter touch, then the Infiltrator upgrade provides a Lightning Launcher, Powered Steps, and Dampening Field for unscrupulous tasks. A feat like Sharpshooter could be the “targeting system” of Tony’s armor.
Wolverine - Zealot Barbarian 20
A tough man with a short temper who just won’t die is a fantastic way to describe Wolverine. For sturdiness, Hill Dwarves with their passive health bonus fit perfectly. For the short temper and not dying part, Zealot Barbarians are the appropriate choice. The benefits given by Rage are perfectly in flavor with Wolverine’s typical fighting style.
The Zealot’s skills are all geared towards making death a mere annoyance. Specifically, Rage Beyond Death ensures that no matter what is thrown at the Wolverine, they simply won’t die as long as they continue to rage. To further enhance the flavor of this build, take feats such as Tough and Dwarf Fortitude to make the Wolverine that much harder to kill.
Scarlet Witch - Aberrant Mind Sorcerer 20
Unlike Wizards and Artificers, Scarlet Witch doesn’t gain her powers from the study, but instead through natural birthright, much like the Sorcerers of Dungeons and Dragons. Chaos magic chose her as its wielder and the closest analog to this would be the Aberrant Mind sorcerer.
These sorcerers are telepathic powerhouses, able to cause visions and warp reality with but a thought. In turn, they are resistant to other reality warpers’ powers, much like Wanda resisting the will of the likes of Doctor Strange and Vision. Warping Implosion causes Wanda’s movement to rupture reality itself. Most importantly, they gain access to the spell Wish, which with the proper wording, changes reality to her whims.
The Hulk - Alchemist Artificer 4/Totem Barbarian 16
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In both the Ultimates and the MCU, the Hulk was born because of Bruce Banner’s attempts to recreate the Super Soldier serum. The Alchemist subclass perfectly conveys Bruce Banner’s educated background and shows that he’s still a highly intelligent man outside of combat. In combat, however, the Hulk takes over, and no subclass fits the Hulk better than Totem Warrior.
It’s easy to reimagine the Totems as “The Green Door”, melding Gamma’s scientific and supernatural roots together. For the first two Totem levels, take Bear as they provide the Hulk with his legendary toughness and strength. For the third Totem level, take Eagle, as this perfectly recreates the Hulk’s famous super jump, which he uses to traverse terrain with ease.
Captain America - Battlemaster Fighter 9/Totem Barbarian 11
Captain America is one of Marvel’s best hand-to-hand fighters. Whether it’s his mighty shield, fists, or whatever weapon he is allowed, he is a master of combat. Battlemaster Fighter perfectly fits this archetype, as Cap gains access to a whole host of maneuvers in combat with different benefits, be it tripping up an enemy or boosting the resolve of allies.
Meanwhile, Totem Barbarian is the super-soldier side, as it provides Cap with his iconic toughness and strength. Relentless Rage is easily reimagined as Cap’s famous “I can do this all day” mode, refusing to fall despite the odds. Obviously, no Captain America build is complete without taking the Shield Master feat. It’s not Captain America without his mighty shield.
Source:gamerant.com