rocket

[zylodrizzt]

A buddy of mine is kinda new to d&d. He doesn't have books and so he wants to play the equivalent of the d&d rocket from guardians of the galaxy. He wants me to make the character for him. So I have scag and phb. Feats acceptable. I'd like to keep it as raw or eau as possible. Reasonable allowances acceptable such as sneak attack working with wildshape and monk unarmed strikes or allowing different spells for classes or choices. I will be the dm. It will be 5th level one or two player campaign. Thanks in advance.

[Sredni Vashtar]

Does he actually want to be a raccoon, or would a gnome or halfling work? I feel like a warlock or sorcerer would get the blastyness Rocket requires, although an Evoker blaster wizard would bring the smarts that Rocket has as well.

[Sigreid]

Does he actually want to be a raccoon, or would a gnome or halfling work? I feel like a warlock or sorcerer would get the blastyness Rocket requires, although an Evoker blaster wizard would bring the smarts that Rocket has as well.

I say refluff a halfling as a raccoon. A twisted transmuter wizard's escaped experiment.

[zylodrizzt]

Yeah I'm sure a halfling reflavor will work for racoon. Personally I was thinking some sort of rogue maybe AC however using different blasty spells. That isn't a terrible idea at all though. I was thinking of making a few homebrew spells that might mix together ranged weapons and spells since we now have scag. Or spells that are kinda like traps. I'll have to think how to reflavor as tech though any and all suggestions welcome.

[Sigreid]

Yeah I'm sure a halfling reflavor will work for racoon. Personally I was thinking some sort of rogue maybe AC however using different blasty spells. That isn't a terrible idea at all though. I was thinking of making a few homebrew spells that might mix together ranged weapons and spells since we now have scag. Or spells that are kinda like traps. I'll have to think how to reflavor as tech though any and all suggestions welcome.

You could do a warlock with a crime background. Fluff his focus as a variety of "weapons" he makes if you really want the Rocket Raccoon feel.

[zylodrizzt]

So what builds would you use for all those classes? Fiend for warlock? Book pact for schematic book? Or blade pact allowing ranged weapons? Chain for like a robotic companion? Evocation wiz? Dragon sorc? Storm? Wild? Metamagic? Use any rogue? Eldritch knight possible? What levels or multiclass would I go?

[Anderlith]

A beastmaster ranger with appropriate slightly overpowered plant creature as a pet. Groot of course

[Sigreid]

So what builds would you use for all those classes? Fiend for warlock? Book pact for schematic book? Or blade pact allowing ranged weapons? Chain for like a robotic companion? Evocation wiz? Dragon sorc? Storm? Wild? Metamagic? Use any rogue? Eldritch knight possible? What levels or multiclass would I go?

Any pact works. If you want to have fun, chain with a custom plant based familiar. A Mini Groo.

[zylodrizzt]

Love the ideas keep them coming. I think if my buddy needs just a little help I'll make groot as well. For that matter I know everyone will say druid for groot but what kind or what other thoughts on the matter of class n race n such. I was thinking warforged maybe druid or quite possibly monk or barbarian. I know he did some magical things it seems but mostly I seen him smash.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Too bad this isn't Pathfinder, since I *have* built Rocket in both a 3.5 and Pathfinder context, with no reflavoring required.

For 5e, I's think Gnome (tinker subrace) Warlock of either Fiend or Undying Light, with a heavy focus on different types of blasting. I'd go with tome and reflavor "ritual casting" as "improvising with bits and widgets", but that's just me.

[zylodrizzt]

Interesting. I like the flavor of rock gnome but what would be some suggestions to make the inventions actually useful or how to houserule it because as it stands I doubt he would use it much at all.

[Edenbeast]

I don't think Rocket is a spell caster. I would use a rock gnome, because rocket is a bit of a tinkerer. Make a custom feat that allows him to use a heavy weapon as a small character, and give him a heavy crossbow. Class would be ranger/rogue. Or maybe fighter/rogue. Use the thief archetype with use magic device, thieves' tools, ask for useless items from your party members pretending it's a crucial part of your plan and tinker away.

[Ninja_Prawn]

So, I haven't read the comics, but according to wikipedia, Rocket's key abilities are:

Genius-level intellect
Master tactician and field commander
Expert marksman and sniper
Accomplished starship aviator
Normal-physical attributes of an Earth raccoon
If this is accurate, I would argue that a D&D build would have:

At least 18 Intelligence
Battlemaster class, possibly the Inspiring Leader feat
Sharpshooter feat, at least 18 Dexterity
Proficiency with Vehicles (Air)
Lightfoot Halfling racial traits
And yeah, you'd probably have to allow heavy crossbows on a Halfling chassis, but that's only a little power boost. If we're limited to level 5, you're short a feat (you'd need Crossbow Expert as well) and getting two stats to 18 as well is tough. I mean, 16 Int should be considered 'genius level', but that's not how people see it.

And really, I think that crazy weapons-engineering skills could be reflected very well by Battlemaster manoeuvres, applied at range. And a Fighter with a crossbow is just as blasty as a Sorcerer or Warlock.

[Sredni Vashtar]

And a Fighter with a crossbow is just as blasty as a Sorcerer or Warlock.

Maybe so, but were I playing Rocket, I'd at least ask the DM for explosive crossbow bolts.:smallbiggrin:

[Ninja_Prawn]

Maybe so, but were I playing Rocket, I'd at least ask the DM for explosive crossbow bolts.:smallbiggrin:

a) I'm sure I remember Arrows of Explosion being a thing in AD&D, and though they're not in the 5e DMG, it would be a simple matter to homebrew them.

b) That's what I meant by refluffing BM manoeuvres. Sweeping Attack works kind of like an explosive shot, right?

[zylodrizzt]

I was just looking at Sun soul and if I make int apply instead of wis it seems to fit mostly doesn't it? He's a cyber raccoon so he's fast hence monk speed could reflavor his amazing jumps as rockets and though he doesn't gain it til later he can shimmy up wall's and across ponds no problem. His unarmored ac as his understanding of physics and his quickness + his tech. He's a racoon so he naturally gonna be good at tearing up an opponent hand to hand. I'd imagine as a ranged specialist he would get good at reducing hits and returning fire. Laser blasts that is probably allow stunning fist with. Big booms. Talk with anything. Resilient getting prof to all saves. It just seems to fit. If more needed maybe rogue for some hacking fighter for manuvers allowing blasts as well or ranger for bounty Hunter feel using spelless. What y'all Think.

[Edenbeast]

Maybe so, but were I playing Rocket, I'd at least ask the DM for explosive crossbow bolts.:smallbiggrin:

I think a magic wand that does something explosive fits better. The heavy crossbow is like a heavy rifle. It's too bad there's no repeater crossbow in this edition. Although you could probably make one.

[zylodrizzt]

Thought I'd bump for some final ideas maybe some builds.

[Tenmujiin]

The best suggestion imo is the halfling or tinker gnome battlemaster or maybe spelless ranger (unearthed arcana) grab a hand crossbow and xbow expert and apply up to 3 manuvers a turn at level 5, reflavor race as either tech or transmutation altered racoon and manuvers as one use tech/inventions you can rebuild/repair in short rests.

[Envyus]

I think a magic wand that does something explosive fits better. The heavy crossbow is like a heavy rifle. It's too bad there's no repeater crossbow in this edition. Although you could probably make one.

Actually there is. It's in Out of the Abyss. Under the Derro Entry.