Deckard Cain as a PC

[Spore]

Let's face it, Deckard Cain, the kind scholar that can identify any magical item no matter how rare with an impressive collection of other magical artifacts is an NPC.

He cannot cast any spells to speak of without magical items. He has a bit of intelligence but is certainly not the charismatic type, thus being a bard won't fit either. Wizards would use spells - and according to D2 and D3's sorceress and wizards, those are different entities entirely.

As he is affiliated with the Horadrim, an order in servitude of Tyrael, maybe Knowledge cleric could fit. But he doesn't really cast any divine spells either (maybe because Tyrael cannot grant spells?), leaving him with a bard dip and the rest of knowledge cleric.

Understandably he would have all knowledge skills, maybe investigation and insight. He would have perform (storytelling). But seeing as he would need unlimited identify spells, he would perhaps just go for Ritual Caster (Wizard) to get identify.

[Unoriginal]

Or he could be an INT Rogue with Expertise in Arcana.

[ImproperJustice]

I was gonna suggest artificer.

But Rogue probably fits best. He’s just a very intellectual one :)

[CantigThimble]

What do you envision this character actually DOING in combat? He's just not someone who belongs in a fight as he appears in diablo. Instead of going down the list of things he doesn't fight with pick something that he could do.

Besides that, I'd just suggest Celestial Tomelock.

[Spore]

What do you envision this character actually DOING in combat?

Buffing? Healing afterwards? Telling a really compelling story to inspire folks? Identifying the monster's weakness? Telling an even more compelling story to stop hostility and get the enemies' attention (casting refluffed sleep)?

[Naanomi]

Inquisitive or Mastermind Rogue

[xroads]

Race: Human
Class: Wizard 1 (with plans on being a Transmuter)
Background: Sage or Cloistered Scholar



I made him level one because he doesn't cast huge game changing spells*. I chose transmuter because of his associations with the Horadrim. And I chose sage/scholar because of his intelligence and knowledge.

*Technically he did cast a spell to merge Tyrael's artifact sword. But I'd write this off as deus ex machina.

[ImproperJustice]

Two levels of artificer, the go Inquisitive, and round him out with Ritual Caster and Healer Feats.

[Swaoeaeieu]

While deckard caine is a diablo character, where he is an npc. He wilk soon join the roster in Heroes of the Storm, where he will be a playable hero with a suport and crowd control focus. Perhaps you could look to his skillset there for inspiration?

[Sigreid]

The description sounds like a thief rogue given their use any magic item feature. You dont have to play as a stealy guy.

[KorvinStarmast]

Besides that, I'd just suggest Celestial Tomelock. Yeah, particularly considering the Book of Cain in Diablo III. +1
While deckard caine is a diablo character, where he is an npc. He wilk soon join the roster in Heroes of the Storm, where he will be a playable hero with a suport and crowd control focus. Perhaps you could look to his skillset there for inspiration? Or that.
(OK, I now have to go and play some HoTS, which I have not touched in about a year. )

[Naanomi]

His skill set in HotS appears to be ‘use lots of magic items’ and ‘some puns based on his quotes’

[Spore]

His skill set in HotS appears to be ‘use lots of magic items’ and ‘some puns based on his quotes’

Yeah. I don't a tornado made of books is particularly fitting.

[Naanomi]

Yeah. I don't a tornado made of books is particularly fitting.
Which itself is based on an April fools day joke from a few years ago

[mephnick]

While deckard caine is a diablo character, where he is an npc. He wilk soon join the roster in Heroes of the Storm, where he will be a playable hero with a suport and crowd control focus. Perhaps you could look to his skillset there for inspiration?

Weird. A game I've never heard of is already running out of ideas.

[Naanomi]

Weird. A game I've never heard of is already running out of ideas.
The idea of the game is ‘let’s do a game with characters from lots of different blizzard franchises’ so...

[Legendairy]

Weird. A game I've never heard of is already running out of ideas.

They have plenty of ideas....all blizzard games worth of ideas, from fan favorite NPC's to main story characters and everything in between.

edit:ninja'ed!

[GlenSmash!]

Needs Hold Person...

To force heroes to stay a while and listen.

[Honest Tiefling]

...Bard? He's inspiring people and knows old stories. You could probably refluff actual spellcasting as stuff on his person. Inspiration is now stories and puns. I only played Diablo II, but I'm having issues with him running around stabbing people. Through isn't the Healer feat quite decent? You're using an item after all.

And unless you are LITERALLY playing Sir Talksalot, what is preventing you from taking on a divine patron who can actually grant magic? A celestial warlock does come to mind to be what he WOULD do if he COULD do it. What aspects are you trying to keep?

[Spore]

I only played Diablo II, but I'm having issues with him running around stabbing people. ?

Here I am going to take inspiration from HotS because apparently every hero there needs an autoattack. He basically wacks people with his walking stick, dealing just a smidge more than a small fish-frog person that attacks with an even smaller fish (Murky). I'd say walking stick as improvised club (1d4-1). So you are never hardly in any danger of killing anyone, ever.


He's inspiring people and knows old stories. You could probably refluff actual spellcasting as stuff on his person.

Sounds like a reasonable approximation. so a few ideas:

Attributes:
Str 7 (Cain was never a fighter, and old age just made him weaker), Dex 10 (not fumbling but no dexterous sneak), Con 12-14 (have you seen what the old guy can take? Days in a hanging cage, barely escapes a meteorite, he can go long periods of studying without rest) Int 16-18 (he is a scholar, he is smart but I would not say peak human ability, that I would give to a nephalem wizard), Wis 12-14 (he is wise but no Sherlock Holmes) Cha 14-16 (charming old man but not the center of attention most of the time)

Build ideas:

Background: always Sage or Scholar

Lore Bard: Healer, Ritual Caster, Observant, Linguist
Expertise: Religion and Arcana.
Magical Secrets: Counterspell, Aura of Vitality

Celestial Tomelock: Healer, Observant, Linguist, Cha increases
Invocations: Book of Ancient Secrets, Eldritch Sight, Eyes of the Rune Keeper

Thief Rogue: Healer, Ritual Caster, Observant, Linguist
Expertise: Religion and Arcana
Thieves' Cant: Horadric secret sigils
this one needs superior magical item support.

While the Lore Bard offers more magic than comfortable, we want Deckard as PC, and thus competitive in every level. His peaceful lore seeking ways can only be realized by superior spell selection that can help his allies with non violence. Deckard is no fool. He knows the heroes and nephalem he aids slay monsters by the hundreds.

Warlock feels a tad bit to malicious and uncaring for Deckard. He wants to support the heroes as best he can, not curse or kill his opponents. Half of the celestial warlock's kit is still killing it with holy fire so that falls flat. Thief Rogue has a feature for climbing AND requires heavy DM fiat in terms of magical artifacts so that falls flat too.

I'd even say knowledge cleric is very fitting but the basic premise of forcing him to wear armor is limiting. Considering his strength a simple breastplate might encumber him. He might cast a scroll of mage armor every day but that is hardly a good idea. My favorite idea would be Warcraft's idea for the priest. In the 5e fan-made translation of the rules, priests get no armor proficiency but a gimped version of the monk's unarmored defense (12 + wis I think).

[Honest Tiefling]

Sooo...I checked the wiki and it says that the Horadrim were an order of mages. How come Deckard doesn't appear to have any spellcasting in any game other then the Heroes of the Storm? Is this more of that novel weirdness?

[Naanomi]

He studied horadrim lore as a scholar and storyteller; knowing more about it than anyone else in the current era... but didn’t really practice the horadric arts. He basically just declared himself the last of the horadrim without formal training of any kind.

[hymer]

I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I'll throw it out there: Maybe he's best portrayed as a PC via the Retainers feature on the Noble background?

[Spore]

He studied horadrim lore as a scholar and storyteller; knowing more about it than anyone else in the current era... but didn’t really practice the horadric arts. He basically just declared himself the last of the horadrim without formal training of any kind.

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20100130.gif


I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I'll throw it out there: Maybe he's best portrayed as a PC via the Retainers feature on the Noble background?

So you basically play a wizard with the greatest nerd ever as your retainer? I could live with that. :smallamused:

[Cybren]

1HP
Identify at will


that's it.