Making a Farron Legionnaire

[The Ship's dog]

So the title kind of says it all really, the whole point of this thread is to make a Legionnaire from the Undead Legion of Farron from the game Dark Souls 3. We will be wielding a Longsword and a Shortsword, Longsword to represent the ultra greatsword and the shortsword to represent that oversized knife.

This is what I've got worked out so far at level 20:
Variant Human (Dual Wielder feat)

Revised Ranger (Hunter) 20
Scores at level 1
Str: 16
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 14
Cha: 8

At 20
Str: 20
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 14
Cha: 8

3 feats: Dragonmark (Sentinel) re-fluff this a the Wolf's Blood that binds them, Mobile, either Defnesive Duelist or Blade Mastery.

Let me explain the feats. The whole shtick of the Farron Legion's fighting style is that their paired weapons symbolise both the 'attack and get out' style of fighting that Sif employed (using the shortsword), and the seriously strong acrobatic hits from Artorias, but employed by one person. That's why in the boss fight, they constantly hit you with their knife, backstep, and lunge in with their ultra greatsword. Then they attack with both weapons, how Sif and Artorias went in for a kill, together. The Mobile feat helps you to show this fighting style by being able to dip in and out quite easily and not be punished for doing so.

The Blade Mastery is to give you the option of having slightly better AC for a round, or being able to take opportunity attacks at advantage (furthering the Wolf part of the fighting style, which is to leap onto a turned back and easily out run them). Although the Defensive Duelist would make you much more likely for a single attack to miss, especially at higher levels.

The Favoured Enemies would be Mostrosities and Aberrations (treating The Abyss from DS as the Underdark).

Hunter stuff would be:
Colossus Slayer
Steel Will
Whirlwind Attack (it's the Weapon Art!)
Evasion

Deepstalker Conclave could also work, but the Farron Legion don't necessarily travel into the Abyss, they simply destroy it where it taints the world.

Spells:
Note: I am very aware that these are not optimal choices for spell later on, the reason for this is explained after the spell selection:
Level 1
Absorb Elements
Cure Wounds
Hunter's Mark

Level 2
Silence
Lesser Restoration

Level 3
Daylight
Lightning Arrow

Level 4
Locate Creature
Freedom of Movement

Level 5
Conjure Volley
Protection From Energy

I avoided Conjure X spells as well as spells that use plants and nature because thy don't really fit in wih the Farron Legion aesthetic. Anyway, the spells that I have chosen work very well I think. Also, only Locate Creature and Conjure Volley have Material components, which means that with Dual Wielder the Somatic components don't matter because you can stow and draw the shortsword for free.

[Unoriginal]

I don't want to sound pedantic, but it should be noted that the Legion's swordsmanship is not based on a deliberate blend of Artorias's and Sif's fighting styles into one person, and them attacking with both weapons isn't because " how Sif and Artorias went in for a kill, together" (it is even debatable if Artorias and Sif ever went for the kill together, as Sif was just a pup when Artorias walked to his doom).

The Legion's swordsmanship is due to two things: a misinterpretation of Artiorias's fighting style, as he himself used a shield and a sword and only devolved into the ultra-aggressive no-protection-allowed manic fighter he is when the Chosen Undead encounter him due to being consumed by the Abyss (and having only one of his arms still working, IIRC), and the fact they based their techniques (attack with dagger, retreat, attack with big sword, etc) on how wolves fight.

As far as your build goes, I'd say it seems to work well (I'm not expert, though), but I just want to point two things:

-D&D Undead and Aberrations fit the Abyss more than Monstrosities and Aberrations, IMO.

-The Undead Legion of Farron was based in Farron Woods, and some of their rituals involved plants, so them having some plant-based magic wouldn't be out of line

Other than this, what kind of magic items are you willing to allow in this build?

[The Ship's dog]

I don't want to sound pedantic, but it should be noted that the Legion's swordsmanship is not based on a deliberate blend of Artorias's and Sif's fighting styles into one person, and them attacking with both weapons isn't because " how Sif and Artorias went in for a kill, together" (it is even debatable if Artorias and Sif ever went for the kill together, as Sif was just a pup when Artorias walked to his doom).

The Legion's swordsmanship is due to two things: a misinterpretation of Artiorias's fighting style, as he himself used a shield and a sword and only devolved into the ultra-aggressive no-protection-allowed manic fighter he is when the Chosen Undead encounter him due to being consumed by the Abyss (and having only one of his arms still working, IIRC), and the fact they based their techniques (attack with dagger, retreat, attack with big sword, etc) on how wolves fight.

As far as your build goes, I'd say it seems to work well (I'm not expert, though), but I just want to point two things:

-D&D Undead and Aberrations fit the Abyss more than Monstrosities and Aberrations, IMO.

-The Undead Legion of Farron was based in Farron Woods, and some of their rituals involved plants, so them having some plant-based magic wouldn't be out of line

Other than this, what kind of magic items are you willing to allow in this build?

No no, that completely fair enough and good points that you have made, thanks for correcting me!

I was thinking about Undead and Aberrations, but the thing is that the Undead Legion are committed to snuffing out or containing the Abyss, and the Undead Curse isn't a result of the Abyss. Sure, humans have darkness inside of them and the Abyss is what happens when Humanity goes wild, but the Undead Curse is linked more to the First Flame IMO (as almost all lore in DS is ultimately theory). Also things like Driders, which are a perfect D&D example of what an Abyss corrupted individual is like (if we draw parrellels to the Underdark and the Abyss, then to Lolth and Manus or perhaps even Kath), is a Monstrosity.

I had forgotten about the Legion having plant-based rituals, so that's a good point. Wow, I really should refresh my memory of the lore of a game before I try and replicate it rather than just going off scraps that I remember!

In terms of magic items, I'm thinking that the main things that I would looking for is a Flame Tongue longsword and a Ring/Armour of Resistance (Necrotic). Other than that, I'm really not sure.

[Unoriginal]

I was thinking about Undead and Aberrations, but the thing is that the Undead Legion are committed to snuffing out or containing the Abyss, and the Undead Curse isn't a result of the Abyss. Sure, humans have darkness inside of them and the Abyss is what happens when Humanity goes wild, but the Undead Curse is linked more to the First Flame IMO (as almost all lore in DS is ultimately theory).

But those are Dark Souls Undead. I'm talking about D&D Undead, who are beings animated by a malevolent force dedicated to snuff out all what is living, drinks/gnaw at life force, and turns people into evil shadows of who they were... kind of like the Abyss, you know.



Also things like Driders, which are a perfect D&D example of what an Abyss corrupted individual is like (if we draw parrellels to the Underdark and the Abyss, then to Lolth and Manus or perhaps even Kath), is a Monstrosity.

I see no reason to draw those parallels. The Underdark is just a series of deep caves where magic is wild, not the slowly creeping oblivion that is the Abyss, and there is basically nothing about Lolth that's similar to Manus or to Kath (Lolth doesn't even live in the Underdark). Not to mention that a Drider would be pretty out of place in the Abyss beings, as they're people punished by a god for displeasing them and have none (or nearly none) of the traits associated with the Abyss's creations (or beings corrupted by the Abyss).

Furthermore, Monstrosities includes more often beings like Hippogriffs, Centaurs, Chimeras and Ice Wolves, so not anything that a Legionnaire would have a problem with.




In terms of magic items, I'm thinking that the main things that I would looking for is a Flame Tongue longsword and a Ring/Armour of Resistance (Necrotic). Other than that, I'm really not sure.

Seems like a good start.

Maybe Boots of Striding and Springing?

[The Ship's dog]

*snip*

Seems like a good start.

Maybe Boots of Striding and Springing?

Oh well, lore aside for the time being.

I'm not sure how useful the Boots of Striding and Springing would be. I mean, it gives you the ability to do the leaping attacks that the Farron ultra greatsword has, but otherwise it's kind of meh IMO. I was looking for something that is close to the Wolf Ring, but poise really isn't a thing in D&D, so I decided that a Ring of Protection would be the best bet.

Unfortunately, that's pretty boring, so now I am looking at other things. Here are things that I thought might be interesting or good:
Ring of Evasion (combine with Evasion from the Hunter Conclave, for the best defence against Dex saving throw imposing abilities)

Ring of Regeneration (for the 'never die' Undead feel)

Javelin of Lightning (probably not needed, but I was already thinking of a sort of Faith type character as hurling Lightning Arrowed javelins is very similar to the lighting spears in DS. I wonder how the Javelin of Lightning would interact with Lightning Arrow...)

Boots of the Winterlands (just above the Boots of Striding and Springing IMO)

Gloves of Missile Snaring (because nobody likes being pelted with arrows too badly)

Gloves of Swimming and Climbing (because being able to chase your quarry over any terrain is important)