Link and Zelda as 5e characters

[slachance6]

You read the title. What do you think Link and Zelda would be in terms of class, race, alignment and level? I personally think Link would probably be a NG Wood Elf Champion Fighter with a couple levels in paladin. I'm not sure about Zelda, maybe a sorcerer?

[Rfkannen]

Well bolth are humans. Just a diffrent subrace than we know. But still humans

Zelda, well in pathfinder i would make her a celestial sorcerer. I think in 5e a cleric would work. Light of course. Probably level.... 6?

Link knows magic but is primarily a fighter, I would say probably an eldrich knight. Probably around level 10?

[Pinnacle]

Which Link and Zelda?


Tetra is a rogue, maybe rogue/fighter.
Skyward Sword Zelda, maybe a cleric. But we don't actually see her adventuring, so who knows what kind of weapons/tactics/abilities she uses? We do know she was a knight in training, so she's got at least some weapon proficiencies.
Ocarina of Time Zelda apparently knows some magic, but she's also skilled at being a ninja and standing there uselessly, so sorcerer/rogue with low Wis.


There's not as much variance with Link.
A few of 'em have been known for magic music, which sounds like a bard. But I don't think it's really bard-like magic. Paladin? Ranger?

[Naanomi]

Link has been an Eldritch Knight, Champion, and Paladin in the past. Generally well past their WBL Magic Item recommendations; but probably necessary for a mostly solo adventurer.

Zelda is generally a Cleric of some sort, or maybe Warlock (arrows of light - eldritch blast?). Noted above that some incarnations have likely had rogue or fighter levels as well.

[VeliciaL]

Depends on how much of his abilities you want to represent as class abilities. For most games though, he strikes me as a straight fighter - probably dex based, he rarely wears armor - with a large amount of magic, or otherwise special, items.

Granted, I haven't played many of the games since OoT, so there's plenty of stuff I've missed.

[Durazno]

I could also see Link as a Fighter (any flavor) on one side and a Rogue (thief or arcane) on the other. Expertise in athletics, perhaps. The sneak attack would represent how so much of LoZ combat comes down to exposing and exploiting weak points.

Zelda's tough, but for the time being I agree that Cleric fits best, with the domain depending on which incarnation we're going with. A touch of warlock might be fun, too, both for the incongruity and to give her a reason to rock sky-high scores in both wisdom and charisma.

[AvatarVecna]

Maybe it's just me, but Link seems almost to be one of the primary inspirations behind the valor bard or the eldritch knight, so...maybe a combo of the two? A good mix of bard (valor) and fighter (eldritch knight) gets lots of attacks, gish action economy, and bardic music/magic.

Disclaimer: I've never played a single LoZ game, but I've played Brawl. So...feel free to ignore my opinion if it flies in the face of every single piece of LoZ canon in existence.

[Hytheter]

I'm no Zelda expert, but is Link's magic ever actually his own? I know he uses a lot of magic items, but does Link himself actually use magic?

I think he'd probably just be a Dex based Champion Fighter. Dueling and Archery styles, probably in that order. And a ton of magic gear.

[Naanomi]

I'm no Zelda expert, but is Link's magic ever actually his own? I know he uses a lot of magic items, but does Link himself actually use magic.
Yes, Zelda 2 (so the same Link from 1, Awakening, and Oracles) learns several spells from sages that he casts.

One could make a case for the Ocarina songs as well

[Madfellow]

I'm no Zelda expert, but is Link's magic ever actually his own? I know he uses a lot of magic items, but does Link himself actually use magic?

I think he'd probably just be a Dex based Champion Fighter. Dueling and Archery styles, probably in that order. And a ton of magic gear.


Yes, Zelda 2 (so the same Link from 1, Awakening, and Oracles) learns several spells from sages that he casts.

One could make a case for the Ocarina songs as well

There's also those three spells from Ocarina of Time: Din's Fire (Fireball), Farore's Wind (Teleport), and Nayru's Love (Resilient Sphere). At least, to me they feel more like spells than magic items.

[Ghost Nappa]

Well bolth are humans. Just a diffrent subrace than we know. But still humans


Note that in the Legend of Zelda Hylians are NOT Humans. As we see in Twilight Princess, Humans and Hylians are visibly different...they have pointed ears. Yes, Hylians are basically Elves.

[Yagyujubei]

Note that in the Legend of Zelda Hylians are NOT Humans. As we see in Twilight Princess, Humans and Hylians are visibly different...they have pointed ears. Yes, Hylians are basically Elves.

yeah, I would put them as half-elves tbh if it were me making the character.

I'm also of the camp that Link wouldn't fit as even a 1/4 caster since he never knows more than a few spells in any game. I'd almost be more likely to have him be straight fighter and give him a couple spells out of class cuz Link.

[GorinichSerpant]

yeah, I would put them as half-elves tbh if it were me making the character.

I'm also of the camp that Link wouldn't fit as even a 1/4 caster since he never knows more than a few spells in any game. I'd almost be more likely to have him be straight fighter and give him a couple spells out of class cuz Link.

So strait fighter, with a special feat or two that give him a few spells.

[Naanomi]

I'm also of the camp that Link wouldn't fit as even a 1/4 caster since he never knows more than a few spells in any game. I'd almost be more likely to have him be straight fighter and give him a couple spells out of class cuz Link.
He knows 8 spells in Zelda 2; 3 in Ocarina; and 6 'spell songs'; a composite Link could do that as an Eldritch Knight I think; at the very least 'Zelda 2' Link would qualify

[RedMage125]

Depends on how much of his abilities you want to represent as class abilities. For most games though, he strikes me as a straight fighter - probably dex based, he rarely wears armor - with a large amount of magic, or otherwise special, items.

Granted, I haven't played many of the games since OoT, so there's plenty of stuff I've missed.

In several of the games, his Green suit is also armor. Chain mail can be seen underneath the coat in several of the more recent games.

[Yagyujubei]

He knows 8 spells in Zelda 2; 3 in Ocarina; and 6 'spell songs'; a composite Link could do that as an Eldritch Knight I think; at the very least 'Zelda 2' Link would qualify

yeah but everyone knows the second game was an experiment gone wrong. I don't think it's a coincidence that it's the ONLY game in the series not titled Legend of Zelda.

anyway I think that Links adventure is the only odd man out, and that even OoT song spells could be considered a property of the ocarina rather than links own magic. if not then the case could be made for OoT Link to be a Valor Bard/Fighter

[VeliciaL]

I suppose the pertinent question is, which Link are we talking about? He's got well over a dozen games now. :smalltongue:

My main point of reference is OoT, so that's what I always fall back to. Three learned spells do not a caster make, so I'm leaning toward fighter with some sort of custom feat, or maybe something akin to the Blessings from the DMG.

Now that I think of it, he does know a few maneuvers - he's done that spin slash since Link to the Past - so there's an argument to be made for Battlemaster.

[GM_3826]

Link is a Fighter. He's proficient in a wide variety of tools and weapons, but specializes in the sword and shield. However, it's rarely, if ever, he casts spells, so it seems more like he'd be a Champion.

Zelda, as stated, can be many things depending on the game, so there's a lot of multiclassing options. However, nearly always she displays some sort of magic, she wields the Triforce of Wisdom, and nearly always gives off a deeply spiritual air. Cleric seems like your best bet. The only problem is where the powers come from. She should have the Light domain and worship Hylia, (Think Amaterasu), but there's kinda an issue with that.
She is, in fact, the reincarnation of Hylia.
If you have issue with that, make her a Sorcerer. it's your call what subclass she gets.

Also, Hylians are very clearly Humans with pointy ears and a bit of magic. The only Hylian who actually displays elf-like traits consistently is Zelda, and she's a princess. If they didn't even have pointy ears, you wouldn't be arguing that they were elves in the first place.

[Naanomi]

As bearer of the triforce of wisdom, I'd put Zelda as a Cleric of Nayru (knowledge); and Tetra version having some fighter levels. The whole Shiek situation is a difficult point I'm not sure how to solve

[Yagyujubei]

Here's how I see it. Link is a pure fighter (honestly i would go battlemaster).

in addition to that he automatically gets 1/long:

Hunters mark
Cure wounds
Jump

and these special spells 1/long

Song of Rest, Countercharm, Warp (if in possession of Ocarina)

and these special spells 1/recharge on 5 or 6 with a 1d6 roll.

Flame Shield, Chain Lightning, Globe of invulnerability (if in possession of magic medallions)

in addition, when he is above half health his crits with a sword will deal an additional weapon die as fire dmg

[treecko]

You could say link has multiple (homebrewed) blessings (DMG pg 227) that let him cast his spells. Thematically it makes sense because he got them from goddesses, and its RAW(sort of- the DMG says you can make your own).

[VeliciaL]

You could say link has multiple (homebrewed) blessings (DMG pg 227) that let him cast his spells. Thematically it makes sense because he got them from goddesses, and its RAW(sort of- the DMG says you can make your own).

My thoughts exactly. He has three blessings, each given to him by the Great Fairy.

[golentan]

No mention of Link's druid of the moon credentials in a couple of the games?

In general, I'd cast him as primarily classed into Paladin of the Ancients (a lot of his spells could be fluffed as variants of nature's wrath or turn the faithless), but really, there are a ton of classes you could go with for him: if you have the right magic items, it's just important that he can fight and take a hit.

Zelda I'd agree alternates between clerics and rogues depending on her incarnation.

[Naanomi]

No mention of Link's druid of the moon credentials in a couple of the games?

Zelda I'd agree alternates between clerics and rogues depending on her incarnation.
All Link's shapeshifting has been curse-related; or via magic items; not as a class ability (excepting perhaps when he can turn into a faerie)

Zelda as a rogue... Maybe Shiek (rogue/monk/cleric?) but Tetra wasn't very sneaky. She was also proficient in the longbow (and catapult and bomb); so maybe a fighter with the sailor background for Tetra?

[golentan]

In the fluff, yeah, it's curse related, but I'm not sure that "at will curse-related shapeshifting" is really that different from a class feature.

[strangebloke]

^^ you mean like lycanthropy?

In 3.5, Link was best statted as a factotum who just doesn't use his inspiration points for spells. He's pretty much good at any skill check you can think of, barring social skills like bluff which never come up in the games. (Although he seems to be pretty good at diplomacy and gather information. People are more than ready to talk to him.)

So skill-wise he's a rogue or a bard here. He can take a hit, sure, but he is noticeably less durable than a lot of things he fights. I like rogue because Link doesn't really have any of his own magic and because the only way he wins boss fights is by exploiting key weaknesses. (aka sneak attack.)

And of course he could have a few levels of fighter as well, but there really isn't anything he does that would necessitate it. I guess ranger works too, with their whole 'whirlwind attack' shtick.

Zelda's an easy pick. She's a cleric of Nayru who multiclasses into rogue when she goes undercover. Alternately her magic all comes from her race/templates, and she's really just a low level rogue with a whopping level adjustment.

[Knaight]

Note that in the Legend of Zelda Hylians are NOT Humans. As we see in Twilight Princess, Humans and Hylians are visibly different...they have pointed ears. Yes, Hylians are basically Elves.

Hylians are basically elves, minus the immortality or highly extended lifespan, the connection to forests, the small, slowly growing populations, the slightness of build, and basically everything else that isn't pointed ears. There's some stylistic artwork involved, but the Hylians are effectively human characters, as are all the other human looking characters.

[Naanomi]

He's pretty much good at any skill check you can think of, barring social skills like bluff which never come up in the games. (Although he seems to be pretty good at diplomacy and gather information. People are more than ready to talk to him.).
Really? No knowledge skills to speak of, good at searching (investigation), at least in the hands of a good player; but often ambushed, and easily tricked by obvious bluffs. Never shown signs of thief skills either: never picked a pocket, and should have learned to pick locks ages ago.

Also, I'm reluctant to give him Athletics proficiency given how poor a jumper he is without items, how slow a climber of ladders he is, and how he can't climb over many waist high fences that have stymied him over the years.

In 5e he'd have... Acrobatics, stealth, investigation, persuasion?

And maybe a tool skill (blacksmith in LBW anyways, herbalism in the past as well) and one of the few people in his world to speak Sylvan?

[strangebloke]

Hylians are basically elves, minus the immortality or highly extended lifespan, the connection to forests, the small, slowly growing populations, the slightness of build, and basically everything else that isn't pointed ears. There's some stylistic artwork involved, but the Hylians are effectively human characters, as are all the other human looking characters.

"The Hylians are a race of humans from the countries of Skyloft, Hyrule and the latter's flooded counterpart, the Great Sea... Descended from the people who lived among the goddess Hylia long prior to the establishment of Hyrule as a kingdom, they are a magic race with pointed ears who have inherited the blood, powers and abilities of their ancient ancestors. " quote from zelda wiki (http://zeldawiki.org/Hylian).

So hylians are basically like Numenoreans from LotR. Humans, but distinct from other humans due to their magical qualities.

So, aesthetically, I'd argue that they're very similar to half-elves, or possibly Aasimaar.

[Knaight]

In 5e he'd have... Acrobatics, stealth, investigation, persuasion?

I'm away from book here, and have done approximately jack-all with cavalry in 5e. Did they keep anything in skills/tools for that? Link's a pretty decent horse archer in a number of the games.

[Naanomi]

Good point, Animal Handling covers riding so he'd need that too. Maybe survival also, he spends lots of time in the wilderness and lives

[strangebloke]

Really? No knowledge skills to speak of, good at searching (investigation), at least in the hands of a good player; but often ambushed, and easily tricked by obvious bluffs. Never shown signs of thief skills either: never picked a pocket, and should have learned to pick locks ages ago.

Also, I'm reluctant to give him Athletics proficiency given how poor a jumper he is without items, how slow a climber of ladders he is, and how he can't climb over many waist high fences that have stymied him over the years.

In 5e he'd have... Acrobatics, stealth, investigation, persuasion?

And maybe a tool skill (blacksmith in LBW anyways, herbalism in the past as well) and one of the few people in his world to speak Sylvan?

Well, I was giving him:
Acrobatics (backflips all over the place in combat)
Animal Handling (good on a horse/bird. Gets creatures to follow him.)
Athletics (sure he's not the greatest jumper, but he can push huge blocks around and can run for hours without tiring.)
Intimidation (Sometimes. Scares the crap out of his childhood friends in both OoT and TP)
Investigation (duh)
Performance (harps, ocarinas, wolf howls, heck, he even dances in Oracle of seasons.)
Persuasion
Survival (This is iffy. But he certainly does a decent job finding supplies in the wild.)
Stealth

He also picks up tools very quickly. Granted a lot of them aren't in the DMG, but whether its digging claws or grappling hooks or the navigation of a the high seas, he is amazingly competent nearly instantly.

I mean, it wouldn't necessitate a rogue or bard, but as far as simulation goes it is a closer fit I think.

[RedMage125]

Regarding Zelda, I would almost go with how Super Smash Bros. handled it, and have her effectively have 2 different character sheets, one for each persona.

Cleric of Naryu for her "Zelda" persona.

Way of Shadow Monk or Thief Rogue (or multiclassed both) for "Shiek".

I think a lot of the things brought up about Link have merit.

I think we can all agree that Link is primarily a warrior, using both sword and bow as primary weapons (even if the sword is more iconic). Fighter and Ranger (Hunter) would be appropriate.

He does use magic, but in most cases, it is through magic items. Still, he COULD be an Eldritch Knight or Oath of Ancients Paladin. That, or perhaps a handful of Blessings would be more appropriate.

Link is sometimes shown to have connections to animals, such as Epona (which COULD be an argument for Beastmaster Ranger), but Epona is really only in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, and the Riding Bird is only in Skyward Sword.

Someone mentioned his possible "Moon Druid" abilities. I've played most of the games, and most of the time when he "transforms", it's not exactly something he controls, such as his early visits to the Sacred Realm in Link To The Past, or his early wolf transformations in Twilight Princess. Yes, he eventually gains control over the transformation, but that's more due to his altering the way the Twilight Realm was interacting with Hyrule than it was mastery of an ability he possessed. Thus, I don't think Druid is appropriate.

Really, Battlemaster Fighter, Eldritch Knight, Hunter Ranger, or Ancients Paladin seem the most appropriate if one is going to do a single-classed version of Link. But ultimately, each Link is so different, that we would be better served trying to match WHICH Link we are discussing, rather than trying to find one class (or combination of classes) that fits all incarnations.

For example, say Ocarina of Time Link would be X, Skyward Sword Link would be Y, etc.

[Torched Forever]

The simplest incarnation of Link you could do in 5e to me seems like Champion Fighter with the Magic Innate feat and Martial Adept for some of his fancier attacks. The tool thing strangebloke mentioned could just be high Int. The problem I see with Hunter Ranger is there is still a huge connection to the land (favored terrain) and nothing I can think of as his favored enemy.

[Naanomi]

Even if we are doing an 'average Link' by ignoring things that he only does in a single game (obvious Spellcasting, voluntary shapshifting); he may need Find Familiar to get that pesky Navi-or-equivalent

[GM_3826]

Even if we are doing an 'average Link' by ignoring things that he only does in a single game (obvious Spellcasting, voluntary shapshifting); he may need Find Familiar to get that pesky Navi-or-equivalent

There have been 17 games. In six of them, he had those. I mean, sure, that's a bit more than 1/3, but it's nowhere near a universal trait, and besides, his companion does not need to be a familiar.

[VeliciaL]

You know, it occurs to me there's one class we're completely ignoring for Shiek-Zelda, and that's shadow monk. Stat wise, it synergises with Cleric better for multiclassing.

[Naanomi]

Shadow monk would be good for Shiek assuming he does stuff... In the canon games he may as well just be an illusionist for as much as he actually accomplishes