Maybe not so subtle, but given that this post will go live on Halloween, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try to dress up a DND character as a super hero. Since I’ve given so much love to Cap in the past, I figured I should give some equal playing time to the other side of the Civil War and explore what Tony Stark might look like in a fantasy setting. There are many other directions I could have taken him as far as class (I looked at sorcerer first honestly), but after finding the wonderful art for the Spiritual Healing Magic: the Gathering card, I knew I had found my hook. The arc reactor as a holy symbol was simply too good to pass up. And then as I started to look through the cleric spell list, and especially the Light domain spells, I had to go with a cleric.
Anthony
Human Cleric of Light 1
Armor Class 15 (scale mail, 17 w. shield)
Hit Points 7 (1d8 hit dice)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Speed 30 ft
Alignment chaotic good
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish
Ability Scores
Strength 11 (+0)
Dexterity 13 (+1)
Constitution 9 (-1)
Intelligence 15 (+2)
Wisdom 16 (+3)
Charisma 14 (+2)
Attacks
Melee Attack: Mace +2 1d6 bludgeoning damage
Ranged Attack: Light crossbow +3 1d8+1 piercing damage, ammunition, range 80/320, loading, two-handed
Skills: Acrobatics +1, Animal Handling +3, Arcana +2, Athletics +0, Deception +2, History +4, Insight +5, Intimidation +2, Investigation +2, Medicine +5, Nature +2, Perception +3, Performance +2, Persuasion +4 Religion +2, Sleight of Hand +1, Stealth +1, Survival +3
Equipment: mace, scale mail, light crossbow and 20 bolts, explorer’s pack, shield, holy symbol, set of tinker’s tools, letter of introduction from your father, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.
Class Features
Proficiencies
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapon Proficiencies: All simple weapons
Tool Proficiencies: Tinker’s tools
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion
Warding Flare: You can interpose divine light between yourself and an attacking enemy. When you are attacked by a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, causing light to flare before the attacker before it hits or misses. An attacker that can’t be blinded is immune to this feature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Spellcasting. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). You typically have the following spells prepared. Furthermore, you can cast any spell you have prepared that has the ritual tag as a ritual. See the spellcasting chapter in the Players Handbook for more information.
Cantrips – light, mending, sacred flame, thaumaturgy
1st level – bless, burning hands*, command, faerie fire*, guiding bolt, shield of faith
*denotes domain spells
Background: Guild Membership
As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides. Your fellow guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary, and pay for your funeral if needed. In some cities and towns, a guildhall offers a central place to meet other members of your profession, which can be a good place to meet potential patrons, allies, or hirelings. Guilds often wield tremendous political power. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or the crime is justifiable. You can also gain access to powerful figures through the guild, if you are a member in good standing. Such connections might require the donation of money or magic items to the guild’s coffers. You must pay dues of 5 gp per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild’s good graces.
Personality Traits: I’m well known for my work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I’m always taken aback when people haven’t heard of me.
Ideals: People. I’m committed to the people I care about, not to ideals.
Bonds: I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I’m still looking for someone worthy.
Flaws: I’m horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I’m surrounded by rivals.
History: The son of a noted weapons developer during the last great war, young Anthony grew up completely in the shadow of his father. Brilliant in his own right, he could never break out on his own, no matter how hard he tried. Still, he showed enough promise that his father brought him into the guild work when he was a young man. Even after his father’s death, the inventor’s shadow cloaked Anthony, and he swore that he would break into his own one day. Fortunately, this gave him the drive to try to be better than his father. Unfortunately, the lack of a figure he could trust led to a lonely life. One day while he was traveling with a shipment of weapons, the caravan was attacked by organized bandits. Their aim was two-fold – first to steal the weapons that were being transported. The second was to capture Anthony and ransom him back to the guild. But Anthony was grievously injured during the attack, struck in the chest by a slug of iron from one of his own weapons that was set off during the attack. He spent his time in captivity drifting in and out of consciousness. In his moments of lucidity, he realized that the guild wasn’t going to ransom him. He had always been a liability to them. His untrusting and unyielding nature made him impossible to work with, and while the products he made were top notch, they often weren’t worth the price of doing business with him. He tried to give up. But for some reason, he could not die. He kept on living in agonizing pain from the wounds he had suffered. They weren’t getting better, but they also weren’t getting worse. He knew the bandits were spooked by what was going on from hearing their conversation. And so, with nothing else to do, Anthony decided that he would do what he had promised himself he would do all his life. He would get better. He would be better. The small spark of light that was somehow sustaining him flared suddenly and his wounds began to heal at a rapid rate. The metal that was lodged next to his heart, the metal from his own weapon, the metal that the bandit surgeons couldn’t move without killing him began to pulse with a light and Anthony heard a voice speak to him.
The light shines strong in you. You can use it to do great things. But you have many more hard lessons to learn first. Keep faith in yourself, and keep yourself in the light.
He is still not entirely sure how he escaped the bandit camp. He knew that his miraculous recovery caught the bandits by surprise. His sudden clerical gifts caught them (and himself) by surprise as well. But he escaped. He’s not sure what happens next, but the iron in his chest is a constant physical reminder of his past sins and what he needs to strive to be better than while also letting him tap into his newfound powers, it shines as a holy symbol of the divine forces that are protecting him. He will have to learn to forge the rest of his body and spirit into the same type of metal.
Roleplay Tips: Acerbic and quick with a scathing comment, Anthony can be hard to be around, especially if you aren’t familiar with his particular style of humor. Though truth be told, the lashing out at others is more often than not him channeling his own internal anguish. However, those that stick around him long enough and are able to get close enough are able to see the heart that beats beneath the metal, burning with a light that wants to radiate. Anthony just needs to let it.
Ben Erickson
