Princess Mononoke (San) build

[HamsterKun]

I need help making a character who best fits San from Princess Mononoke. My first idea was to multiclass Barbarian (Path of the Totem Warrior)/Druid (Circle of the Land, Forest), but am starting to question myself.

[Man_Over_Game]

I need help making a character who best fits San from Princess Mononoke. My first idea was to multiclass Barbarian (Path of the Totem Warrior)/Druid (Circle of the Land, Forest), but am starting to question myself.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of support for a magical barbarian-esc character in 5e yet. There are a few solutions you can do to work around this, but you might need to talk to your DM to make some of them work for what you're looking for:


Fighter 1, then be Strength Ranger. Hunter would fit well with what you're looking for.
Kensei Monk and Druid would work well.
Storm Herald Barbarian gets close to what you're looking for.
Ask DM to allow casting during Rage, but change level 2 feature from Reckless Attack to instead allow you to cast while Raging and you no longer deal Rage damage. Instead, you gain a bonus to Concentration saving throws equal to your Rage damage bonus.
Ask DM to look into my Prestige Options. There are a few options that may fit what you're looking for (including a Strength Monk option, good for multiclassing with Druid while using Strength).

[LudicSavant]

Wouldn't San just be a Rogue or something similar? I don't recall her having any magical powers beyond being adroit and stabby.

She doesn't cast spells, or go into a screaming rage and tank things with her muscles, or any of that, IIRC. She runs and jumps and stabs things and sometimes rides mounts. She also strikes me as a Dex build; she doesn't physically overpower people (especially not characters like A****aka).

[HamsterKun]

I guess a Ranger would work out instead. Or perhaps a Dexterity-based Ranger/Barbarian multiclass. Just pondering.

[LudicSavant]

Remember that you don't have to be a Barbarian or a Ranger or a Druid to be from the wilderness.

[HamsterKun]

Remember that you don't have to be a Barbarian or a Ranger or a Druid to be from the wilderness.

I know; just wanted to do a class that’d fit San’s wolf motif well, that’s all.

P.S. The reason I have against making her a Rogue is that they aren’t proficient with the pike, which would be her primary weapon with a pair of daggers as a second.

[Max_Killjoy]

Revised Ranger.

But, is this for a character just inspired by her, or for a setting like that of the movie more completely?

[HamsterKun]

Revised Ranger.

But, is this for a character just inspired by her, or for a setting like that of the movie more completely?

Based off of

[strangebloke]

Wood Elf Scout rogue with Wood Elf Magic and Skulker.

You're crazy fast on foot. Longstrider + Wood Elf speed + the level nine ability + bonus action dash are enough to give you 110' of movement in a given round.

For stealth you can hide in darkness from anything, and can hide in light obscurement as well, with a +25 or more to stealth when you need it.

You can see in the dark without disadvantage. You've got expertise in a wide range of survival skills.

[krugaan]

you know, I don't ever recall her actually fighting with the pike, either.

All I remember her doing is stabbing it into the fort wall at the apex of that wolf-assisted high jump and using it as a foothold to get over the wall.

[strangebloke]

If you really want pike proficiency, take a level of war cleric or start with a level of fighter. Either is a great 1-level dip that gives you proficiency with all martial weapons.

[Max_Killjoy]

Based off of

Then I'd go with the UA Revised Ranger (https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_RevisedRanger.pdf), probably Beast Master, and work with your DM on the giant wolf as a special.

[HamsterKun]

Then I'd go with the UA Revised Ranger (https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_RevisedRanger.pdf), probably Beast Master, and work with your DM on the giant wolf as a special.

Large or Huge-size wolf we talking about here? :smallamused:

[8wGremlin]

I know; just wanted to do a class that’d fit San’s wolf motif well, that’s all.

P.S. The reason I have against making her a Rogue is that they aren’t proficient with the pike, which would be her primary weapon with a pair of daggers as a second.

Always thought that was more of a spear myself.

[Catullus64]

In terms of which class communicates her fighting style best, any mixture of monk, ranger, barbarian, and rogue could work, but I think that Totem Warrior Barbarian is probably most on the money in terms of representing her ferocity, and her primal instincts. The race ought to be human, too; her humanity is her deepest source of shame and anger, after all.

[HamsterKun]

In terms of which class communicates her fighting style best, any mixture of monk, ranger, barbarian, and rogue could work, but I think that Totem Warrior Barbarian is probably most on the money in terms of representing her ferocity, and her primal instincts. The race ought to be human, too; her humanity is her deepest source of shame and anger, after all.

How does a Dexterity-build Barbarian (Totem Warrior)/Ranger (revised, Beast Conclave) sound?

[strangebloke]

How does a Dexterity-build Barbarian (Totem Warrior)/Ranger (revised, Beast Conclave) sound?

Honestly, not that good.

Barbarians simply have no class features that work with dexterity, except for unarmored AC. You can rage, but you won't get bonus rage damage. You can't reckless attack at all.

Then, if you do rage, you won't get access to ranger spells like Hunter's Mark or hail of thorns.

From a fluff perspective it just feels like a very weird way to build a character who doesn't rage, doesn't do magic, and doesn't fight recklessly... As a character who is all those things.

[HamsterKun]

For me personally, Rage is more like a sort of adrenaline rush more than anything.

[lunatron]

Could do Ancients Paladin (for pike proficiency) and Find Steed to get a wolf.