Building Navarre from Ladyhawke

[MThurston]

So was thinking it would be cool to build this guy for a level 10 one shot or game.

What would be the build for him?

Fighter - Ranger
Paladin - Ranger

I'm thinking 7 levels of Paladin and 3 levels of Ranger. Could go 5 and 5 to give the hawk more HPs.

[Max_Killjoy]

Honestly, to me, he's a fighter with some survival skills, no magic. Anything unusual is covered by the curse.

[Unoriginal]

Well, what is this Navarre capable of that you wish to emulate in your character?

[Max_Killjoy]

The movie in question -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyhawke_(film)#Plot (spoilers)

Character's name is Captain Etienne of Navarre.

[MThurston]

Navarre has a trained warhorse and a trained hawk.

He is a Knight and uses a crossbow and a greatsword.

I can just spam smite and not cast any spells.

[MThurston]

Honestly, to me, he's a fighter with some survival skills, no magic. Anything unusual is covered by the curse.

But you are making a character to mimic the show.

I guess having a trained warhorse would be ok, but the hawk would have to be a ranger thing.

[KorvinStarmast]

I guess having a trained warhorse would be ok, but the hawk would have to be a ranger thing. The hawk is a lady under a curse, hence the name of the movie.
I would recommend Ranger(Str); Mounted Combatant Feat, Beast Master, GWF, hawk animal companion.
Or
Paladin, Vengeance. Mounted Combatant Feat. The Hawk is an NPC, just as in the movie. (Or a familiar from the Magic Initiate Feat).

A vHuman Vengeance Paladin with the Magic Initiate feat (and Find Familiar) strikes me as the simplest way to go.
Not sure what cantrips to choose, but minor illusion for a wolf? and maybe Thaumaturgy? (He's not all that magical; True Strike? even though it's not a great choice ...)

Hmmmm,
Might be better to go Ranger 8 Fighter 2; Archery Fighting style from Ranger, GWF from fighter?
Or, Ranger 4 Fighter 6; that gets second attack, 3 ASI/Feat, and the two fighting styles.

[MThurston]

It be hard to pull off the changing shape at dusk to dawn. But calling the wolf dusk and the hawk dawn is a cool idea.

I guess just taking Variant Human Fighter with the familiar idea would work.

Could say that when he is wolf form he just acts like himself for attacks and abilities. Just have his bite so his weapon damage.

Maybe change his speed over to what the wolf is. The Princess could still act like a familiar but the wolf protects her at all cost.

[KorvinStarmast]

It be hard to pull off the changing shape at dusk to dawn. But calling the wolf dusk and the hawk dawn is a cool idea.

I guess just taking Variant Human Fighter with the familiar idea would work.

Could say that when he is wolf form he just acts like himself for attacks and abilities. Just have his bite so his weapon damage.

Maybe change his speed over to what the wolf is. The Princess could still act like a familiar but the wolf protects her at all cost. One would need some DM help here, but why not consider a lycanthropy deal from the MM for the wolf part?
(Or, two levels in druid and 8 in fighter? Turn into a wolf ... )

[Max_Killjoy]

But you are making a character to mimic the show.

I guess having a trained warhorse would be ok, but the hawk would have to be a ranger thing.

The hawk isn't an ability or power or skill Etienne has, she's another character, under the same curse he's under -- Lady Isabeau d'Anjou.

[MThurston]

One would need some DM help here, but why not consider a lycanthropy deal from the MM for the wolf part?
(Or, two levels in druid and 8 in fighter? Turn into a wolf ... )

Never thought of druid for that part. Just make it last for the night.

Can't see why that wouldn't work with a nice DM.

[MThurston]

The hawk isn't an ability or power or skill Etienne has, she's another character, under the same curse he's under -- Lady Isabeau d'Anjou.

Correct. But you can't play two characters.

Also Isabreau wasn't a fighter or mage.

Maybe a support bard with druid to make her change into the hawk?

[KorvinStarmast]

Correct. But you can't play two characters.

Also Isabreau wasn't a fighter or mage. Maybe a support bard with druid to make her change into the hawk? Says who? (To the bolded part). I've been in a lot of campaigns where we each played two characters.

The question is: how well does the player do at separating Navarre knowledge with Isabeau knowledge? That's something that a player and a DM need to work on together.

[MThurston]

Says who? (To the bolded part). I've been in a lot of campaigns where we each played two characters.

The question is: how well does the player do at separating Navarre knowledge with Isabeau knowledge? That's something that a player and a DM need to work on together.

Very true.

[Laserlight]

Or "during the day I play Navarre with a pet hawk, at night I play Ysabeau with a pet wolf."

[Max_Killjoy]

Or "during the day I play Navarre with a pet hawk, at night I play Ysabeau with a pet wolf."

That's how I'd handle it.

[Misterwhisper]

Used to love that movie.

If you wanted to play them as one character:

During the day:

Navarre is a Variant Human Battle Master fighter with Great Weapon fighting style.
Bonus feat is Magic Initiate: Wizard to get Find Familiar to have his hawk familiar, cantrips of like Mend and Whatever.

At night:

Ysebeau is not much of a character, she does not really do much.
She would be a Beastmaster Ranger who pretty much just plays defense and lets her wolf fight for her.

Gaston would definitely be a human rogue thief with the urchin background.


Also, Navarre definitely rolled a 20 on his improvised greatsword attack for throwing it.


The Bishop is just a very charismatic but insanely jealous Cleric of something or another, nothing specific comes to mind.

[MThurston]

Used to love that movie.

If you wanted to play them as one character:

During the day:

Navarre is a Variant Human Battle Master fighter with Great Weapon fighting style.
Bonus feat is Magic Initiate: Wizard to get Find Familiar to have his hawk familiar, cantrips of like Mend and Whatever.

At night:

Ysebeau is not much of a character, she does not really do much.
She would be a Beastmaster Ranger who pretty much just plays defense and lets her wolf fight for her.

Gaston would definitely be a human rogue thief with the urchin background.


Also, Navarre definitely rolled a 20 on his improvised greatsword attack for throwing it.


The Bishop is just a very charismatic but insanely jealous Cleric of something or another, nothing specific comes to mind.

For me I feel that Navarre would be fighter-druid. Druid wildshape would be for the night hours. Just add the wolves and human HPs together.

Isebeau would be a Bard-Druid and do the same with HPs. I'd let her cast aid spells to help the group. If not she is a waste as a hawk. I know the rules say level 8 for flying but you are keeping with the curse.

[Mister_Squinty]

For me I feel that Navarre would be fighter-druid. Druid wildshape would be for the night hours. Just add the wolves and human HPs together.

Isebeau would be a Bard-Druid and do the same with HPs. I'd let her cast aid spells to help the group. If not she is a waste as a hawk. I know the rules say level 8 for flying but you are keeping with the curse.

I disagree. Neither Navarre nor Isabeau had their human minds when they were transformed. They acted on instinct when in animal form, and had no memories of what they did while in animal form.

Based on what happened in the movie, Navarre is a Champion Fighter with Great Weapon Fighting Style. Isabeau is the Noble NPC class.

[MThurston]

I disagree. Neither Navarre nor Isabeau had their human minds when they were transformed. They acted on instinct when in animal form, and had no memories of what they did while in animal form.

Based on what happened in the movie, Navarre is a Champion Fighter with Great Weapon Fighting Style. Isabeau is the Noble NPC class.

No one is going to play a Noble NPC. She has to be playable in her human form.

[Misterwhisper]

No one is going to play a Noble NPC. She has to be playable in her human form.

That is the issue, she was not an adventurer in her human form she was nothing special, she had a nice wolf, that is about it.

[MThurston]

That is the issue, she was not an adventurer in her human form she was nothing special, she had a nice wolf, that is about it.

The only way to do without two players is for Navarre to be a fighter - Druid with wild shape for the nights. Having a familiar that looks like a hawk during the day and a woman at night.

[Malifice]

Navarre has a trained warhorse and a trained hawk.

He is a Knight and uses a crossbow and a greatsword.

I can just spam smite and not cast any spells.

Isnt he a champion fighter with the archery and GWS?

And isnt the Hawk... not really a Hawk?

[Max_Killjoy]

Problem is, Etienne of Navare has no magic. Turning into the wolf is a curse. Same with Isabeau d'Anjou, and turning into the hawk.


Do you want to create them, or just a character inspired by them?

[Misterwhisper]

Isnt he a champion fighter with the archery and GWS?

And isnt the Hawk... not really a Hawk?

I would not say he is a good enough archer that I would think he had the archery style, he is much more a great sword swordsman who uses a crossbow when he has to.

As far as the hawk, it is just a normal hawk during the day, like a trained hawk but still nothing special other than that.

It turns back into a human at night when he turns into a wolf, but again nothing special about the wolf other than it is a very nice wolf, not even what I would call expertly trained either.

Could use the new sidekick rules from the last UA.

Navarre is a fighter with a hawk pet, but Isabeau is nothing special but has a Wolf Sidekick instead of just a normal wolf.

I would just play Navarre the whole time:

During the day as a fighter with a hawk as a pet.
At night as a sidekick wolf/direwolf of a noble human.

[MThurston]

Problem is, Etienne of Navare has no magic. Turning into the wolf is a curse. Same with Isabeau d'Anjou, and turning into the hawk.


Do you want to create them, or just a character inspired by them?
I'd like to create them. Two cursed people looking for a way to break the spell.

[Max_Killjoy]

I'd like to create them. Two cursed people looking for a way to break the spell.

The curse is custom magic / DM adjudication, then, not standard game mechanics.

Etienne of Navarre is a Fighter, concentrated on the great sword first, and crossbow second, with survival Skill(s).

Isabeau d'Anju is some sort of non-adventuring NPC class.

[MThurston]

The curse is custom magic / DM adjudication, then, not standard game mechanics.

Etienne of Navarre is a Fighter, concentrated on the great sword first, and crossbow second, with survival Skill(s).

Isabeau d'Anju is some sort of non-adventuring NPC class.

She is adventuring, just not skilled in combat. And that doesnt explain the animal part of it.

[Max_Killjoy]

She is adventuring, just not skilled in combat. And that doesnt explain the animal part of it.

The animal part is the curse, the custom ritual or whatever, that the Bishop put on them. It's not a game mechanic as such. It's power is entirely setting and narrative, not a game mechanic. It can't be lifted with Dispel Magic or a more power version thereof, it has a specific circumstance that lifts it.

This is not a system issue, this is a "come to an agreement with the DM" issue.