Help me make batman in 5e

[Mortis_Elrod]

Just as the title says I'm trying to make batman in 5e. Now i know there's alot of different ideas on what batman should look like in D&D, like how his abilities should be interpreted, his stats, his alignment, and such. So i'll start with a few key things i find important for this particular build.


Its a young beginning batman. Not max level. Cap is level 6-10.
No full-casting, I'll accept that its hard to make this work without magic at all, but only half or 1/3 casting, batman is never a wizard, hes just smart like one.
Dont worry about stats, or race. He's human, variant or otherwise but still human. with these rolled stats to be placed however you wish. 17/13/17/18/14/17
No need for theme redundancy like say, shadow monk/thief rogue/deep stalker. one of those is good at stealth, you only need so much anymore and you might sacrifice other potential skills. batman is more than a simple ninja



I think that's all, The theme I'm going for is intelligent/perceptive, stealthy, thrown weapon using vigilante that has a variety of skills and abilities/equipment. Refluffling is a non issue, spells can easily be things that come from his utility belt (component pouch).

[Llama513]

if 6 3 shadow monk, 3 Battle master Fighter, if 10, 3 in Monk 3 in fighter, and 2 in ranger for hunters mark, that is my recommendation for class combos, if you have feats you need to have alert and observant, Training in stealth and investigation, from there have fun or at least that's what I have in mind

[Specter]

The main question is whether you really want to punch/kick people. If so, Monk is mandatory. But if you're planning on Rogue/Monk, for instance, you'd have to ask your DM to let Sneak count with unarmed strikes, and for Monk/Fighter you'd have to refluff Defense to work without armor. Personally I'd use weapons.

I'd go Shadow Monk 10. The monk could definitely benefit from Skilled for more technical stuff. Another option that could work is Arcane Trickster 10, rogue with a bit of magic. Another 'master of darkness' option is two Warlock levels on the Monk.

[Llama513]

The main question is whether you really want to punch/kick people. If so, Monk is mandatory. But if you're planning on Rogue/Monk, for instance, you'd have to ask your DM to let Sneak count with unarmed strikes, and for Monk/Fighter you'd have to refluff Defense to work without armor. Personally I'd use weapons.

I'd go Shadow Monk 10. The monk could definitely benefit from Skilled for more technical stuff. Another option that could work is Arcane Trickster 10, rogue with a bit of magic. Another 'master of darkness' option is two Warlock levels on the Monk.

And in truth if you want to be able to punch, you can still go rogue so long as you grab tavern brawler

[Mortis_Elrod]

The main question is whether you really want to punch/kick people. If so, Monk is mandatory. But if you're planning on Rogue/Monk, for instance, you'd have to ask your DM to let Sneak count with unarmed strikes, and for Monk/Fighter you'd have to refluff Defense to work without armor. Personally I'd use weapons.

Dagger/light hammer/handaxes will be used as batarangs and are monk weapons that benefit from two weapon fighting as well tho with being a monk it will likely never be used that way but still possible. But yes mainly unarmed strikes will be the damage unless kiting is required. sneak attack with unarmed strike might be ok, and defense+no armor is a no go. DM interprets sneak attack to be more like 'cheap shot' is pretty lenient about its use.


I'd go Shadow Monk 10. The monk could definitely benefit from Skilled for more technical stuff. Another option that could work is Arcane Trickster 10, rogue with a bit of magic. Another 'master of darkness' option is two Warlock levels on the Monk.

full shadowmonk is cool but i dont think it entirely captures what im looking for.I'd definitely prefer magic lite, and arcane trickster could very well be that. Tho I'm not entirely looking for master of darkness i didn't even think of warlock levels. Convince me. :smallwink:

[Sigreid]

Ok, first you need a mad wizard with access to the wish spell, a male bat (I suggest giant vampire), and a fertile maiden that can be convinced/coerced to carry the unholy abomination in her womb to term...

[Specter]

Dagger/light hammer/handaxes will be used as batarangs and are monk weapons that benefit from two weapon fighting as well tho with being a monk it will likely never be used that way but still possible. But yes mainly unarmed strikes will be the damage unless kiting is required. sneak attack with unarmed strike might be ok, and defense+no armor is a no go. DM interprets sneak attack to be more like 'cheap shot' is pretty lenient about its use.
full shadowmonk is cool but i dont think it entirely captures what im looking for.I'd definitely prefer magic lite, and arcane trickster could very well be that. Tho I'm not entirely looking for master of darkness i didn't even think of warlock levels. Convince me. :smallwink:

Well then, at least one level of rogue would do wonders for that expertise and extra damage. Skills that can be expertised are Athletics, Perception, Stealth and Thieves' Tools.

Warlock 2 gives the infamous Devil's Sight, which lets you see through Shadow Monk's Darkness. Pair it with Sentinel and you've got the classic 'lights out, beat up' Batman. The hard part is the fluff of an entity-worshipping Bruce Wayne.

I think that's what's most important to remember is that no class will fit the concept perfectly, and none will be as powerful as Batman himself. You gotta choose between the options for what you like most.

[Llama513]

The two levels of warlock had not occurred to me either, I can see definetly getting Devil's Sight invocation, as for the other invocation, or reasons I'm not sure

[Mortis_Elrod]

I think the only part that turns me away from warlock is the patron, i can't think of a suitable patron. I'm also considering Deepstalker Revised ranger+Shadow or Open Hand monk. I think open-hand is a nice representation of how well batman throws enemies around, maybe thief or mastermind rogue, makes a detective feel. I liked the BM fighter, that never crossed my mind either, and would definitely represent batman's skillfull combat. I'm inclined to see if my DM will let me see through my own darkness, i hate how shadow monk can't do that.

I know the concept can't be fully realized, not perfectly without homebrew and even then the system isn't exactly inclined to support how badass Batman is. But i think we can come close. If not batman, maybe a nightwing or similar character.

[rooneg]

There has to be some sort of bat themed entity you can forge a pact with. I'd go archfey, btw, because Batman would totally put a room full of people to sleep and be gone when they woke up.

[Llama513]

There has to be some sort of bat themed entity you can forge a pact with. I'd go archfey, btw, because Batman would totally put a room full of people to sleep and be gone when they woke up.

That would work quite nicely, and then you have Devil's Sight, and could get the one that gives silent Image to help project fear or make you appear to be in different places

[Malifice]

Thief + shadow monk surely.

Fast hands for the utility belt.

Investigator + shadow monk also works.

[Anderlith]

Batman has all 18s levels in shadowmonk & Warlock Pact of the Tome. Not sure what the best Patron is but probably Fey by default. Background is a custom Noble/Criminal mix with Thieves Tools, Alchemist Kit, & idk what skills, depends on his class skills, plus Retainers (Alfred, Robin & Gordon) Warlock spells work for his utility belt, & tech options, others covered by Alchemist Kit

[Mortis_Elrod]

ok so this is what i came up with so far.

Vhuman. Shadowmonk 3/ BM fighter 3/ Feylock 2

Str 13 Dex 18(+1) Con 18 Int 14 Wis 18(observant +1) Cha 18(+1)
bonus Feat: Observant.

help me finish it out. what cantrips should batman have. Im thinking he has Devil sight and either mask of many faces or the silent image at will.
which maneuvers should he have.

[Anderlith]

Repelling blast. Scripted as tossing batarang eldritch blasts. He routinely throws them to force people to back up in the tv show.

[Llama513]

So to make this work you go 5 in Thief Rogue and 5 in Deep Stalker Ranger, if you have more levels beyond ten they go into Rogue, you grab Tavern Brawler, your Ranger spells are Hunter's Mark, Fog Cloud, Detect Magic, and Pass with out trace, favored enemies humanoids, Have fun

[Vorpalchicken]

I'd start with one level of rogue for max skills and expertise (more would be better but just one for now because we're keeping under level ten. ) Then I'd do seven levels of Shadow monk.

And I think finishing with two levels divination wizard would be appropriate- for utility belt tricks and uncanny preparedness. I thought of arcane trickster instead but the spell selection seemed too limiting.

For stats, I went S14 D18 C17+1 I17+1 W17+1+2 (ASI, observant feat ) C13 (but he's got intimidation expertise)

Edit. Missed the full caster ban but this is just a dip so maybe it's forgivable.

[Lombra]

You definately want monk 5 for the unarmed damage and extra attack, then a good mix of rogue and ranger for expertise in things like intimidation and investigation (fluff) or athletics and stealth (gameplay) and some spells that fit the "bounty hunter" theme. I think 80% of planning a batman character is role play it as batman. He's a pretty generic stealth fighter after all. Darkvision should be a thing... so shadow monk would be best I think.
Edit: a warlock 2 dip would work wonders for darkvision an the batrangs.

[djreynolds]

You can do anything with those stats.... paladin of vengeance

13 paladin of vengeance for dimension door and haste, 6 shadow monk, and 1 rogue for expertise in stealth and athletics

[Mortis_Elrod]

So far i have this.

Vhuman. Shadowmonk 5/ Deep stalker (revised) 3/ Rogue 2.
HD 7d8+3d10+40 AC:18
Str 13 Dex 18(+1) Con 18 Int 14 Wis 18(+1) Cha 17
bonus Feat: Martial Adept
Feat: Skilled.
maneuvers: disarming strike. Tripping attack.
Background: Urchin
Skills: Sleight of hand, Stealth*, Investigation, Perception*, Insight, Acrobatics, Initimidate, Athletics, Deception, Survival.(*=Expertise)
tools:tinkers tools, disguise kits, thieves tools,
spells: Disguise self, Ensaring strike, hunters mark, Fog cloud.
Ki powers: furry of blows, patient defense, step of the wind, shadow art
Favored enemy: humanoids
fighting Style: Archery
Ki pool: 5
spell slots: 3 of 1st
unarmored movement: 40 feet
MA die: 1d6
Proff Bonus: +4
Saving throws: Str, dex
Sneak Attack 1d6

Other features:
Extra Attack
Stunning Fist
cunning Action
Thieves Cant
martial Arts
Deflect Missles
Slow Fall
Natural Explorer
Primeval awareness
underdark scout
deep stalker Magic

Use simple thown weapons (handaxe, dagger, light hammer) as battarangs with ensnaring strike, trip attack, and disarming strike to close in on foes.
Extra attack, to mix in throwing daggers around in fight before flurrying.
shadow arts + expertise in stealth+Cunning Action Hide to be stealthy. also underdark scout.
Deepstalker magic + Perception expertise+Natural explorer tracking+Primeval Awareness(fe:humanoids) + Deception +disguise kits.... I can track hide in the crowd, notice everything.
Initiative advantage+underdark scout synergy+free sneak attack.
Stunning fist
cunning action+patient defence+step of the wind.


I think this about covers it all. any other suggestions?

[djreynolds]

Awesome build.

There have been lots of takes on Bruce Wayne and threads right here.

I always saw him initially as a paladin, kinda lost his way became a rogue, joined the league of shadows, but came back to his paladin roots in standing up for justice.

[Joe the Rat]

I'm with you there. Vengeance Paladin is very much what Batman is about. Depending on your version, going around the world to learn everything or league of assassins could easily fit the tools of a caped crusader. But I can also see it violating the "normal man" aspect. A common read is magic=superpowers.

Though I think we are a little at odds with direction: I see more Batman-the-noble-born-who-seeks-vengeance-and-gains-extensive-training-to-hunt-criminals vs. Batman-the-sneaky-guy-that-uses-martial-arts-while-wearing-a-cape-and-is-also-a-detective.

Where I would go:
Background: Charlatan. Noble would fit Bruce Wayne, but the Charlatan gives you two personas. Your "Noble" face is legit, and may get you in to most parties. If this is too much for the game runner, take Noble for the access. If you want to emphasize the knowledge of the criminal underworld Investigator (the City Guard variant) is a good option.
Features: World's Greatest Detective, Beats anyone with Preparation, Team Strategist, Stealth Hi-Bye, Hates Guns, Man-of-Bats/Leatherwing/Bat-themed heroes everywhere.
What is "guns" in this setting? bows/crossbows doesn't capture the feel. Swords are a better parallel (a weapon that is meant for killing people). This puts him at odds with the town watch and most of the villian NPCs, gearwise. Depending on theme, you could also treat magic as the gun, making him reticent to use it. This one takes a little mental gymnastics to keep from being overly hamstrung.

Rogue is essential as a skill base. Expertise in Stealth and Investigation or Perception out the gate. Get your knowledges stacked up as well. 2 levels gets you the cunning action. 18 dex, expert stealth? By level 5, that's +10 to stealth. You're already verging on stealthing against dragons. From here, it depends on your game themes. Are you playing batman in detective comics, or batman in justice league? DC Batman is the big deal, and needs martial hitting power.

Monk is good if you want to emphasize the ninja-kung-fu Batman. Shadow would give you smoke bombs, open hand emphasizes technique, Sun Soul puts you in the silver age (don't ask). You are primarily a room sweeper, and Bats is great at sweeping rooms.
If you want to emphasize martial prowess in a more traditional fantasy venue, Vengeance Paladin really does work well, particularly if weapons in general and/or some magic is acceptable. Bat-Knight and Samurai are armor wearers. Modern Batman is a light armor wearer (or Mage Armor if you go magic = technology). Plus there's the DKR power armor option. You get decent pursuit and terror support. At 6, he shares his batassery with others nearby. Skip casting, and smite (With Great Justice) the crap out of foes.
Ranger is a serious boon to the concept. Revised deep stalker, or original flavor Hunter works well. Primarily melee, but if your DM accepts darts as a valid target for shot effects, you've got a few options in your utility belt. Taking Humanoid(Human) as a favored enemy locks up a lot of the manhunter details (but not Manhunter, or the Manhunters), and is insane with Expert Investigation.
PICK ONE and take it to 5 for your extra attack.

Rogue: Thief. Fast hands, fast climb throw grappling hook as a bonus action. Your martial class gets most of your power needs covered. Save Swashbuckler for Silver Age cheesy one-liner batman, or the kid with the reversible cape. If you are tapping magic already, Arcane Trickster might be an option. Assassin gets you a disguise kit and a first-round drop.

For Justice League Batman, you aren't the front line big gun. You're the smartest guy in the room. More Rogue, and go Mastermind. You get some essential Spy training, dupe maneuver, and the ability to tell people what to do to win (Bonus Action Help at range). Combine with your martial option as a secondary.


Ok, first you need a mad wizard with access to the wish spell, a male bat (I suggest giant vampire), and a fertile maiden that can be convinced/coerced to carry the unholy abomination in her womb to term...No, you're thinking of Man-Bat, though his is more of a self-inflicted alchemical error. Possibly as a Totem Barbarian (bestial features, crazy strength, pseudoflight)/Warlock (Devil's Sonar).

[Talionis]

My thoughts are start with three levels of Thief Rogue for fast hands and skills. Knowledge Domain Cleric two levels for the ability to know everything. Tavern Brawler in leu of Monk levels. Then Ranger for throwing weapons or if you want to be silly a beast sidekick named Robin.

[Vorpalchicken]

I feel including some full caster levels are necessary to capture Bruce Wayne's nerd factor

[furby076]

Dump stat for batman would jot be str. He is peak physical stats, also mental.

[Talionis]

Dump stat for batman would jot be str. He is peak physical stats, also mental.

It's why I was suggesting you could dump stat Intelligence and be a knowledge cleric to cover the hole. Intelligence is a pretty low value stat in 5E and between proficiency and Knowledge Domain being able to get proficiency for just about all knowledge and tool checks.

[MinotaurWarrior]

I'd go Knight 5 / Rogue 2 / Hunter 3

Defense fighting style, Expertise Stealth and Athletics, Favored Enemy: Humanoids. Take Brawler as a feat, and maybe grappler too.

Spells: detect magic, detect poison and disease, hunter's mark.

[Vorpalchicken]

14 STR is Michael Keaton in top physical condition

[Llama513]

It's why I was suggesting you could dump stat Intelligence and be a knowledge cleric to cover the hole. Intelligence is a pretty low value stat in 5E and between proficiency and Knowledge Domain being able to get proficiency for just about all knowledge and tool checks.

Execpt the fact that Batman is supposed to be the world's greatest detective, you need a high Int for Investigation, and keen mind, yes he is very physically fit, but most of his feats go to his mind, if you want to make batman work right, your lowest stat is Wisdom, as Batman is not really mentally stable, and you can make up for the lower perception with observant and things like that

[Talionis]

Execpt the fact that Batman is supposed to be the world's greatest detective, you need a high Int for Investigation, and keen mind, yes he is very physically fit, but most of his feats go to his mind, if you want to make batman work right, your lowest stat is Wisdom, as Batman is not really mentally stable, and you can make up for the lower perception with observant and things like that

Problem with Batman is that he is peak human performance at everything. Poor Wisdom in 5E is deadly, not to mention Batman is observant, good with reading people, a wise businessman., etc. He needs to be good at most everything Wisdom.

Intelligence is a weak stat in 5E. Knowledge Domain fills a lot of that whole. Besides Batman often uses his bat computer and consults experts, like Lucious Fox.

Thinking you will fill gaps with feats is really tough, you get very few of them and they compete with stat bumps.

Two levels of Knowledge Cleric is less a price than a feat, lets you get the intelligence feel of a character that can't be statted fairly in a fair game.

[Llama513]

Problem with Batman is that he is peak human performance at everything. Poor Wisdom in 5E is deadly, not to mention Batman is observant, good with reading people, a wise businessman., etc. He needs to be good at most everything Wisdom.

Intelligence is a weak stat in 5E. Knowledge Domain fills a lot of that whole. Besides Batman often uses his bat computer and consults experts, like Lucious Fox.

Thinking you will fill gaps with feats is really tough, you get very few of them and they compete with stat bumps.

Two levels of Knowledge Cleric is less a price than a feat, lets you get the intelligence feel of a character that can't be statted fairly in a fair game.

So the question comes down to do we use the movie or the comic Batman for Int, cause if its the movies then I'm fine with having his dump be Int, but if we are talking comics, he can not have Int as his be his dump stat, too prove this he can and has memorized the shape of a cheek he punched, and yeah he uses gadgets, but most of those are simply to help him find clues which he then pieces together on his own, for Comic Batman the Bat computer, which he made mind you, is there to analyze compounds very quickly and give him what the compound is made from, he is able to tell everything else from there, if you are making Comic book bats you can't have Int as your dump

[Talionis]

So the question comes down to do we use the movie or the comic Batman for Int, cause if its the movies then I'm fine with having his dump be Int, but if we are talking comics, he can not have Int as his be his dump stat, too prove this he can and has memorized the shape of a cheek he punched, and yeah he uses gadgets, but most of those are simply to help him find clues which he then pieces together on his own, for Comic Batman the Bat computer, which he made mind you, is there to analyze compounds very quickly and give him what the compound is made from, he is able to tell everything else from there, if you are making Comic book bats you can't have Int as your dump

I prefer to say, I'm covering the comics as good as possible. If you are going to do comic Batman he's going to need fairly high stats in every category. I agree, Intelligence might be the only thing comic Batman is actually super human at, but I'm trying to analog that ridiculous intelligence with class features that are almost magical.

Intelligence is probably the least important stat in 5E. Being able to dump it and cover it with proficiencies in everything seems like a really good way to make Batman superhuman but still stat him with stats that could be considered game legal.

[RickAllison]

I feel like Batman's dump stat would actually be Wisdom, but he has some class feature that lets him get bonuses to his Wisdom saving throws and he throws Expertise at things like Insight. Batman is surprisingly reckless (at least from what I've seen), planning things out and able to think his way out of dangerous situations, but many of his problems are due to things like not realizing he needs to trust and receive help from others, not accepting help from people he does trust but thinks they won't do as well as him, and bursting into what he knows are traps. Batman is not wise, but he has the skills and other abilities to make up for it. And his willpower (his Wisdom save) is off the charts.

[Specter]

This argument won't lead anywhere. D&D was designed so that characters are bad in some attributes, while DC, well, not so much. Dump INT and say he bashed his head on the wall and has a fuzzy memory, done.

[Sigreid]

I feel like Batman's dump stat would actually be Wisdom, but he has some class feature that lets him get bonuses to his Wisdom saving throws and he throws Expertise at things like Insight. Batman is surprisingly reckless (at least from what I've seen), planning things out and able to think his way out of dangerous situations, but many of his problems are due to things like not realizing he needs to trust and receive help from others, not accepting help from people he does trust but thinks they won't do as well as him, and bursting into what he knows are traps. Batman is not wise, but he has the skills and other abilities to make up for it. And his willpower (his Wisdom save) is off the charts.

Might not be a reflection of overall wisdom. In order to be a super hero you really need to have some super-deluxe-economy sized issues or you're not going to put yourself through that.

[Malifice]

paladin of vengeance

Also works fantastically.

[Princess]

Batman is very good at punching crowds of people in rapid succession after sneaking into place effectively, so:

If you want to up the stealth factor, Rogue 3 (expertise stealth & acrobatics, mastermind for neat abilities or arcane trickster if you want spells as gadgets).

Monk - Open Hand 3 lets you punch hard and throw people around. Level 5 gives stunning strike, which is very much the goal of all those brutal strikes in the grittier depictions of how Wayne pummels people.

Ranger 3 (Hunter's Mark + whichever other ranger spell represents your favorite gadget, Hunter subclass for Horde Breaker to punch more faces every round)

If you care more about just beating people up, and aren't as worried about having a bunch of gadgets as class mechanics, the batman fighting style at level 10 is pretty solidly covered by Rogue 1 for expertise in stealth and athletics and good skills, 3 levels of ranger gives more skills, damage, and applied hatred for humanoid badguys, and 6 levels of Open Hand Monk makes you a martial arts expert who can punch anything and knock over, throw around, and concuss villains in the process.

Spells are realistically the best representation of Wayne's gadgets in D&D, though, so more spell-casting might make sense. Warlock 3 instead of Ranger could give hex for damage still, plus some spells to throw around in lieu of smoke bombs and other assorted batman tactics. Re-fluff Archfey or Fiend patron to represent an inherited multinational corporation and call your eldritch blasts batarangs :P This strains your stats a little bit, as you'd probably want to put the 17's and 18 in dex, con, wis, and cha which leaves 13 and 14 for str and int, as opposed to having a lower cha and bumping int for investigation and knowledge checks or str for saves and athletics/grappling if you stick to ranger. But those stats are amazing so it's hard to go wrong with anything.

My vote for minimum magic is definitely the open hand/hunter ranger combo, though, because a couple ranger spells gives you versatility and gadgetry. Maybe your DM will let you pick "Urban" as a favored terrain and instead of foraging really well you use your expense account. Best background is Noble or Waterdhavian Noble, because Waterdeep is also a big coastal city that seems to be at the center of everything all the time. And pulling strings in the social elite is something Wayne does from time to time when not in costume.

Variant Human. Noble. Feat - Lucky (because you are good at everything). Rogue 1/Ranger 3/Monk 6 is probably how I'd approach the simplest take on batman. Convince the DM your trust fund can pay for lots of magic items.

[Malifice]

Im really liking vengance paladin/ shadow monk/ investigator.

[djreynolds]

What stats do you need to dump? You do not have to have 20's to be optimized.

Batman/Bruce Wayne

1. He is a genius
2. He was a trained ninja
3. He is a driven man
4. He is a wealthy playboy
5. His will power is very strong
6. He is fearless

I don't think he has a dump stat and that's okay.

Run him as a plain human. Much of Batman's power comes from his skill set and his "wonderful toys"

I'm going with Nolan's Batman and a noble human. 13/13/13/14/14/14 and he has some magic items

Begins as a paladin, wisdom and charisma saves... fearless and you cannot banish this guy

Needed.

6 monk for shadow step (can this be used in medium armor, it doesn't say no)
4 paladin OoV
4 arcane trickster... mage hand is a versatile tool and expertise
4 deep stalker ranger... yes humanoid as enemies, darkvision
2 bard for Jack of all Trades

4 ASI

He's rich......

Special cloak, of displacement/elven kind/ of the bat
Gauntlets of Ogre power/gloves of swimming and climbing
Gem of seeing
Helm of teleportation/goggles of night
Special rope of climbing/entanglement
Special boots of elvenkind/speed/spidercliming
Wealthy enough to just to buy all the manual/tomes... maybe even 2 or 3 times

Its not optimized with standard array or point buy, but feel free to "roll really well"

[Joe the Rat]

If you're going Nolan Batman, don't forget the Apparatus of Kwalish Lucius Fox / Figurine of Wonderous Power (Andesite Tumbler, Ebon Fly...ing Thing).

[DiceDiceBaby]

Some of Batman's fans on the internet might lead you to think that he's a level 20 Wizard who would be prepared for every situation.

In reality though, one should realize that picking one version of the character leads to making a better copy of them in D&D. I had the same dilemma in creating a character based on Oliver Queen (Arrow; the TV Series), but I eventually settled on either monoclassing Fighter or multiclassing Battlemaster Fighter and Thief Rogue.

In Batman's case, go monoclass Thief Rogue (3rd level class features will cover climbing and utility belt, later levels make him harder to pin down), take the Criminal Background (go vigilante/investigator who learns the ways of criminals to beat them) and make sure to get 20 STR ASAP (peak human, basically a gold medalist in everything), Tavern Brawler Feat (for this I recommend Variant Human), and proficiency in Stealth and Deception from Background, Intimidation, Investigation, Athletics from Race and/or Class and whatever you feel is appropriate to this version of Batman.

You'll want decent, all-around stats if you're going Batman in his first year of crime fighting, but JLA Batman has to be level 20. :smallwink:

[RickAllison]

Some of Batman's fans on the internet might lead you to think that he's a level 20 Wizard who would be prepared for every situation.

In reality though, one should realize that picking one version of the character leads to making a better copy of them in D&D. I had the same dilemma in creating a character based on Oliver Queen (Arrow; the TV Series), but I eventually settled on either monoclassing Fighter or multiclassing Battlemaster Fighter and Thief Rogue.

In Batman's case, go monoclass Thief Rogue (3rd level class features will cover climbing and utility belt, later levels make him harder to pin down), take the Criminal Background (go vigilante/investigator who learns the ways of criminals to beat them) and make sure to get 20 STR ASAP (peak human, basically a gold medalist in everything), Tavern Brawler Feat (for this I recommend Variant Human), and proficiency in Stealth and Deception from Background, Intimidation, Investigation, Athletics from Race and/or Class and whatever you feel is appropriate to this version of Batman.

You'll want decent, all-around stats if you're going Batman in his first year of crime fighting, but JLA Batman has to be level 20. :smallwink:

In addition, Batman is one of those kind of heroes who really should be made with gestalt classes anyway.

[Connington]

Shadow Monk 6/7 + Rogue (Pick your archetype)

Batman does combat with unarmed and light weapons, generally with a focus on crowd control vs large number of enemies. That's basically a description of the monk's strengths. You're an early comics/BTAS Batman with a cloth costume and a knack for not getting hit, not a Nolan-ified bruiser in armor. Deflect Missiles helps against guns/crossbows, and Slow Fall is great for crashing in through skylights.

Shadow Monk gives you unbeatable stealth (Pass Without Trace), smokebombs (Darkness), and IR goggles (Darkvision), and silence lets Batman go up against the metahumans (casters) of his world toe to toe. Shadow Step lets Batman move around or escape fights at will, and rudely exit discussions with Commissioner Gordon as you please. Empty Hand's improved martial arts is as on point for the character, but I think then mega stealth is more appropriate overall.

To round out the build to level 10, throw in some Rogue for Expertise, Sneak Attack, and Cunning Action. Expertise should be used to strengthen whatever skills you want to highlight, but I'd caution that your stealth is already good enough that boosting it may be redundant. As far as archetypes go: Thief gives you a way to use your utility belt and better climbing but it competes for your highly flexible bonus action and is partially redundant with Shadow Step; Assassin is cool if you want to focus on infiltration and first strikes; Arcane Trickster adds juicy arcane power but the Mage Hand focus is off-brand for Batman; the UA Inquisitive reinforces Batmans as a detective, but feels lacking in real options; The Swashbuckler might be cool if you want an Adam West/Grant Morrison feel.

For 10th level, the question is if you want to take monk for improved move, Evasion, and immunity to mind control and fear, or Rogue for an ASI. I recommend Monk 6/Rogue 4 if you're planning to advance the build, since Rogue has more appropriate goodies, including Evasion. You can't use Sneak Attack on unarmed attacks, so mix up punching with batarangs (Thrown daggers and light hammers count as monk weapons) or ask for a houserule.

Feats: You get a free one as a variant human. Alert, Lucky, Keen Mind, Mage Slayer, Martial Adept, and Observant are all appropriate. Mobile is somewhat redundant with what you already do.

[Sigreid]

Some of Batman's fans on the internet might lead you to think that he's a level 20 Wizard who would be prepared for every situation.

In reality though, one should realize that picking one version of the character leads to making a better copy of them in D&D. I had the same dilemma in creating a character based on Oliver Queen (Arrow; the TV Series), but I eventually settled on either monoclassing Fighter or multiclassing Battlemaster Fighter and Thief Rogue.

In Batman's case, go monoclass Thief Rogue (3rd level class features will cover climbing and utility belt, later levels make him harder to pin down), take the Criminal Background (go vigilante/investigator who learns the ways of criminals to beat them) and make sure to get 20 STR ASAP (peak human, basically a gold medalist in everything), Tavern Brawler Feat (for this I recommend Variant Human), and proficiency in Stealth and Deception from Background, Intimidation, Investigation, Athletics from Race and/or Class and whatever you feel is appropriate to this version of Batman.

You'll want decent, all-around stats if you're going Batman in his first year of crime fighting, but JLA Batman has to be level 20. :smallwink:

Clearly the only true batman to emulate is the one from the 1960's t.v. series. :smallbiggrin: