D&D Bones: Temperance Brennan

I love Bones, and my boyfriend and I have been watching it a lot recently. I really enjoy how well the team works together and how the characters play off each other. I am a huge fan of the show, and I decided that maybe they might make some fun D&D characters.

So lets start off with the titular character: Dr. Temperance Brennan. A forensic anthropologist with a family that left her behind. She can fight, shoot a gun, and is the top of her field. Admittedly a limited field, but a field none the less. To be good at all that I'm going to say she is a....oh wow this is going to be hard. I like Rogue and the Bard for their expertise, but both fluffs are way off. Wizard is the closest for that, but lacks the expertise I would like to see. Hrmmm, maybe thats what I do. Make a new tradition for wizards.

Scientific Tradition
While some wizards focus on the powers of spellcasting, many others see them as tools for understanding the world around them. These academics care more about what the wizard spells can help them understand than the mechanics of the spells themselves.

Expertise
At 2nd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies,

Attuned Senses
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to open your sense and perceive what others have trouble understanding. As an action, you can detect magic, poison, and disease in a 60 ft. cone.

Language Expert
Beginning at 6th level, you have an unnatural understanding of languages. As an action, you can cast the comprehend languages or tongues spell at-will. You can use this ability again after a long or short rest.

Uncanny Perception
Starting at 10th level, supernatural perception increases in power.You gain darkvision and true sight out to 60 ft. for 10 minutes as a free action. You can use this ability again after a long or short rest.

Logical Leap
At 14th level you can make logical leaps that leaves others dumbfounded. When you make an Intelligence skill check you can declare success no matter what you rolled. You can do this after you roll, but before your DM declares the result of the roll. You regain this ability every time you finish a short or long rest.

Dr. Temperance Brennan

Level 1 Variant Human Wizard
Background: Sage
Str 10 (+0), Dex 12 (+1), Con 12 (+1)
Int 16 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0)
HP 7, AC 11, HD 1d6
Saves: Int +5, Wis +4
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarven, Halfling
Skills: Arcana +5, History +5, Investigation +5, Medicine +5, Religion +5





Dagger +3, 1d4+1 piercing, 20 ft./ 60 ft., light, finesse
Unarmed Strike +3, 1d4+1 bludgeoning, light, finesse

Arcane Recovery
Martial Arts
Cantrips: Prestidigitation, Shocking Grasp, Mage Hand
Spellbook
1st-level: Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Grease, Identify, Tenser's Floating Disk, Unseen Servant

Gear: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a colleague, a set of common clothes, dagger, component pouch, scholar's pack, and a spellbook.

Leveling Temperance: As she levels up, she should focus in on spells that help reveal what happened to dead bodies. She would be perfect for a mystery solving group. Feats like Keen Mind and Observant would be perfect, and so would Weapon Master and Martial Adept. Lots of options to make her amazing.

D&D Avengers: Ant Man

So I loved the Ant Man movie. It hit all my buttons: sarcasm, Paul Rudd, bugs, science, Paul Rudd, heist movies, good minor characters and a compelling story (if confusing villain), and of course Paul Rudd shirtless. So I figured, he'll be an Avenger soon, why not make him into a D&D character as well.

Given how weird his powers are, but how much they revolve around punching, I figured I make him into a Monk similar the way I did with my speedsters. The fluff for the hard hits is quickly density and I can throw some powers his way that let him control vermin and change size (I think I'll go big and small considering I'm pretty sure that is where they are going with the films.)

Way of Vermin
Monks of the Way of Vermin venerate what others find distasteful. Where others fear the alien nature of the mindless hordes, those who follow this path see beauty and precision in the hive mind. By attempting to emulate these creatures, these monks find a closer connection to the beasts and are able to control them and emulate their size, strength, and dedication. Many vermin monks focus on one type: bees, ants, rats, etc. and take up important professions associated with that creature.

Vermin Arts
Starting when you chose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend to 1 ki points to cast speak with animals but only affecting vermin, or 2 ki points to cast animal messenger (using a vermin), enhance ability, enlarge/reduce, pass without trace, or protection from poison without providing material components.

Vermin Size
At 6th level, you gain the ability to shrink down to the height of an inch. As an bonus action, you can spend 2 ki to shrink down to a height of one inch until the start of your next turn. While you are this height, attacks against you have disadvantage and you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Each round you can maintain this size by spending 1 ki at the start of your turn. If you do not spend 1 ki at the start of your turn and if there is not enough space for you to return to your original height, you grow to the largest size possible, take damage equal to half your level, and have disadvantage on all abilities, attacks, and checks that round.

Army of Vermin
By 11th level, you have a deep connection with the mindless creatures. As an action, you can spend 5 ki to cast giant insect or 6 ki to cast insect plague.

Shrinking Dodge
At 17th level, you can exploit your shrinking ability when you are targeted by an attack. Whenever you are targeted by an attack you may use a reaction to spend 4 ki and shrink to negate all damage from the attack before immediately returning to your original size.

Scott Lang
Level 1 Human Monk
Background: Criminal
Str 12 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1)
Int 14 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 11 (+0)
HP 9, AC 15, HD 1d8
Saves: Str +3, Dex +5
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Elvish, Deep Speech

Skills: Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Deception +2, Stealth +5
Proficiencies: Playing Cards, Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools

Shortsword +5, 1d6+3 piercing, finesse, light

Unarmed Strike +5, 1d4+3 bludgeoning

Dart +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20/60

Unarmored Defense

Martial Arts

Gear: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, a shortsword, a dungeoneer's pack, and 10 darts.

Leveling Scott: So we've got a criminal who learns to forge a mystical connection with ants to become more like them, for either good or ill. I like it. As he levels up, grab the archetype I made for him and maybe some feats like Skulker or Durable. Be sure to get your Dex way up there and maybe Wisdom as well to help with the spells. All in all he should be a fun scouty monk who is an alternative to the shadow monk. 

D&D Avengers: The Vision

The Vision! The appearance of this character honestly shocked me and may be why I like Avengers 2 so much. Jarvis was always a favorite character and to have him in this role and transform into this new hero was impressive. The only thing is, I wish they would've spent more time on what his crazy android body could do. The phasing, the laser beam, the density control. You know, all that jazz. So how can we make our beloved Vision into a D&D character? My version is going to be a Warforged Sorcerer with a new origin called Awakened.

Awakened
You had an experience, a life changing moment, that awakened a slumbering power within you. Perhaps this was from contact with a mystical artifact, or maybe instead it came during a time of crisis. No matter the catalyst, you have come upon great power that allows you to tamper with the world around you. The effect of your meddling is for you to decide.

Streamlined Biology
The power controlled in your mind is able subtly alter your body to improve its health. At 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
     Additionally, your skin hardens as a response to incoming attacks. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.

Mental Acuity
You know the comprehend languages spell. In addition, you can cast it once a day without using a spellslot; this ability recharges after you finish a long rest. At 5th level you know the spell tongues and can use this ability with tongues instead of comprehend languages, but only targeting yourself.

Phasing
Starting at 6th level, when an attacker you can see hits you with an attack you can use a reaction and spend 1 sorcery point to halve the damage. In addition, you know the spell gaseous form.

Unshackle
At 14th level you gain the ability to control your density to allow flight. You gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed. While flying your density is minimized, granting disadvantage on Strength ability checks and saving throws.

Mental Projection
Beginning at 18th level you can focus your immense mental power into a concentrated beam. As an action, you can force creatures in a 120 foot line to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 10d6 force damage or half as much on a success. This ability recharges after a short or long rest.

The Vision
Warforged Sorcerer 1
Background: Guild Artisan
Str 12 (+1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 12 (+1)

Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2)
HP 8, AC 15, HD 1d6
Saves: Con +3, Cha +4
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarven
Skills: Arcana +3, Insight +3, Persuasion +4, Religion +3

Proficiences: Tinker's Tools

Dagger +3, 1d4+1 piercing, 20 ft./60 ft.
Quarterstaff +3, 1d6+1 bludgeoning, versatile 1d8

Composite Plating

Living Construct

Sorcerous Origin: Awakened Mind (Streamlined Biology, Mental Acuity)

Cantrips: fire bolt, ray of frost, true strike

1st-level spells: comprehend languages, detect magic, feather fall

Gear: Tinker's tools, a letter of introduction, a set of traveler's clothes, a quarterstaff, a wand, an explorer's pack, and two daggers

Leveling The Vision: He is a Guild Artisan because...he was a butler before a sorcerer? I'm not sure, it just fit best of the basic options. As he levels up, The Vision should up his Charisma real high and grab feats that improve and expand his spell casting or reflect his heightened physiology. Feats like Alert, Athlete, Durable, Keen Mind, Ritual Caster, Observant, Spell Sniper; honesty he is supposed to be so awesome that really any could fit well. You could even grab Tavern Brawler or Martial Artist if you want to get him closer to the movie version. Spells should focus around transmutation, divination, and beams of energy. Changing his own body, being super smart, and head cannon respectively. 

D&D Avengers: Nick Fury

So I've been gone a very long time. I'm not sure why, considering I've been on summer vacation, which you think would make it easier to write these. But it hasn't. I think I mainly used these as an escape at work, but without work I don't need an escape. Even if that what these are, I want to keep doing them, I enjoy them, even if just thought projects, and I seem to get a few views from it.

Anyways, lets talk about Nick Fury. Spy extraordinaire, and current spy master for the avengers. He is a bad ass, which is why they got Samuel L. Jackson to play him. As a D&D character, I feel like rogue is the obvious choice, perhaps with the Assassin archetype, except he is way more into gathering information than attacking. Instead, I'll create a new archetype for the rogue: The Spymaster. It'll be a more supportive and feet on the ground kind of archetype without diminishing the classes combat potential. 

Spymaster

The spymaster isn't like other rogues, his skills don't focus on infiltration, but rather on facilitating that work in others. Usually at the head of a cell of conspirators, if not the leader of an entire organization, the spymaster gathers contacts and information to improve his groups chances of succeeding on missions. 

Bonus Proficiencies

When you chose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit and forgery kit. 

Coordinated Assault

By 3rd level, you are most deadly when working with allies. When you would deal sneak attack damage against an enemy, you can instead grant advantage to a number of ally attack rolls equal to half the number of sneak attack dice you get to roll. This benefit lasts until that number of attacks have been attempted against the target, or the battle has ended. 

      In addition, your allies within 30 ft. of you can use half your proficiency, including expertise, when making Dexterity (Stealth) ability score checks. 

Gather Information

Starting at 9th level, you gain advantage on all Charisma checks to gather information.

Call In Favors

At 13th level, your connections span across the world. Once a day, you are able call in a favor from any non-hostile NPC. The DM ultimately decides what caliber of favor they can grant you, and may require a check, but no matter what, they will help you. 

Ambush

Starting at 17th level, you and you allies gain advantage on initiative checks. In addition, during the first round of combat, you grant your allies a damage bonus equal to half your sneak attack dice using the same requirements for the sneak attack ability. 

Once again, this is likely overpowered, but I like it. We get a guy who can give out disguises and documents, improve his allies stealth constantly, and grant them advantage against a specific target. He is great at getting information, whether through intimidation or some nicer means, can call in random favors like a boss, and eventually grant his allies some of his roguish awesomeness. 

Nick Fury

Level 1 Human Rogue

Background: Spy (Criminal Variant)

Str 12 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2)

Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 13 (+1)

HP 10, AC 14, HD 1d8

Saves: Dex +5, Int +3

Speed: 30 feet

Languages: Common, Goblin, Orc, Thieves' Cant

Proficiencies: Thieves' Tools, Chess Set

Skills: Deception +5, Insight +3, Intimidation +3, Investigation +3, Perception +3, Stealth +7

Rapier +5, 1d8+3 piercing, finesse

Hand Crossbow +5, 1d6+3 piercing, 30/120 range, light, loading

Dagger +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20/60 range, finesse, light

Expertise: Deception and Stealth

Sneak Attack 1d6

Gear: A Crowbar, dark common clothes, a rapier, a hand crossbow and 20 bolts, an explorer's pack, leather armor, two daggers, and thieves' tools. 

Leveling Fury:

Grab the Spymaster archetype I made earlier and use your Ability Score Increases to bump up your Dex and probably Charisma. Grab feats that fit, like leader and all that jazz, anything that makes you a better leader or a better sneak. This should be a pretty fun character to play, especially if you take ont he personality of the movies, of the secretive and yet demanding leader of the avengers. 

D&D Avengers: Thor Odinson

Do you hear the rumble? Do you hear the shake? The quake of the oncoming storm?

That's right, if you couldn't tell from the title, today we'll be making the D&D version of Marvel's Thor! Now, there is going to be some contention here between original Thor story of man imbued with awesome power, and Marvel Universe Thor who is super strong already and just gets like a kick-ass hammer. The first is very obviously a Tempest Cleric while the later is either a Paladin with a new Oath or a Fighter with an artifact. Because this is homebrew day I'm going to make an Oath of Storm Paladin. I mean, Thor has got to be worthy, doesn't he?

Oath of Storm

The Oath of Storm binds a paladin to specific ideals of worthiness. The oath of storm requires a paladin to be strong in character and to be stalwart fighter in the face of danger. The oath of storm grants powerful abilities over weather and nature to those who are worth its might. Paladins of this oath do not hold them self to high conduct, but are usually loud and boisterous. They do, however, hold themselves to always be good and do what is best for their community before themselves. Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of righteous war, competition, and strength. As such, paladins of storm often add motifs of mountains, weapons, rivers, glaciers, and of course clouds and lightning as motifs in their armor. 

Tenets of Storm 

Though the exact words of the oaths vary, all who take the Oath of Storm must hold to these tenets. 

Sincerity. Do not lie to those you care about. 

Joy. Life is a gift, enjoy it. Spread that joy to those around you.  

Generosity. Give freely of your riches, even when you have little. 

Bravery. Do not hesitate to face difficult challenges. 

Strength. Be resolute in your decisions. 

Oath Spells

3rd     thunderous smite, thunderwave

5th     magic weapon, gust of wind

9th     fly, call lightning

13th  control water, ice storm

17th  destructive smite, commune

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain he following two Channel Divinity options. 

    Thunderhead. You can use your Channel Divinity to invoke the storms to strike your enemy. As an action, you can cause a 10 foot radius cloud to appear within 60 feet. The cloud produces a gentle rain and, as a bonus action, can shoot lightning requiring one target of your choice beneath the cloud to make a Dexterity save or take 1d6 lightning damage. This thunderhead lasts until it produces lightning a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), or after 1 minute. 

    Cow the Weak. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring those who are weaker than you. Any creature within 30 feet whose current hit points are less than yours must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes damage. 

Stormwalker's Endurance

Beginning at 7th level, the power of storms have made you durable enough to withstand their punishment. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, lightning, and thunder damage. 

   At 18th level, you gain resistance to all damage. 

Lightning Lash

At 15th level, you can cast a 3rd level lightning bolt without expending a spell slot. You may use this ability again after you finish a long or short rest.
    In addition, strong winds have no effect on you. 

Thundering Champion

At 20th level, as an action you become master of storms. For 1 minute a storm surrounds you in a 30 foot radius and you gain a fly speed of 60 feet. This storm provides total concealment for you and  your allies in the storm. 

     Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the storm, the creature takes 10 lightning damage. 

I don't feel like making an Asgardian race since they really aren't that special, so he'll just be a human. Finally the background should be noble, he is the son of Odin after all.

Now that that's done, lets make us a Level 1 Thor Odinson.

Thor Odinson
Human Paladin 1
Background: Noble
Str 16 (+3), Dex 12 (+1), Con 14 (+2)
Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)

HP 12, AC 16, HD 1d10
Saves: Wis +3, Cha +4
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Elvish
Skills: Athletics +5, History +2, Insight +3, Persuasion +4

Warhammer (Mjolnir) +5, 1d8+3 bludgeoning, versatile 1d10+3
Battleaxe (Jarnbjorn) +5, 1d8+3 slashing, versatile 1d10+3
Javelin (x5) +5, 1d6+3 piercing, range 30/120

Divine Sense 3/day
Lay on Hands

Gear: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, a warhammer, a battleaxe, five javelins, an explorer's pack, chain mail, a piece of frozen lightning (holy symbol)

Leveling Thor
As Thor levels up, grab dueling fighting style and then the Oath of the Storm I made earlier. Thor should choose spells that grant him increased power. You can easily fluff his smites as electric looking.
    Ability Score Improvements can be used for warcaster and other such feats, and should also definitely be used to up Strength and Charisma. 

D&D Avengers: The Hulk

The Hulk! Doing these in the order of their appearance in the cinematic universe is fun, it's helping me see how that area has evolved and how old that world is getting. Officially I could do Nick Fury right now, but he literally just shows up at the end of Ironman, so I don't feel like we've seen enough of him to make a character. At least, not yet.

But anyways...THE HULK!

Dr. Bruce Banner was hit by a blast of gamma radiation that turns his anger management issues into a superpower. Basically he is a Barbarian with a Sorcerer origin. Since that is way too complicated to work with I'm just going to make a new Barbarian archetype that allows a change in size and gets rid of the need to keep attacking, but also gets rid of some agency. That should make it a little more even and give us that nice, rampaging Hulk feel that we love so much. Would it probably be easier to do a later Hulk who has control and stuff like that? Yeah, probably, but where is the fun in easy?

Path of the Giant
Some barbarians don't control their rage, instead it consumes them. The Path of the Giant is a path of great power, but also of of great destruction. As you enter your rage, you become a mindless beast driven by anger and chaos.

Colossal Anger
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you change size when you rage. Your size doubles in all dimensions, and your weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases your size by one category - from Medium to Large, for example - and increases your stride, doubling your walking speed. Your weapon and armor grow to match your size. While your weapons are enlarged, including unarmed strikes, your attacks with them deal 1d4 extra damage. When your rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

(DM Option: You can allow the rage to last until all threats are defeated if you also require a Wisdom saving throw with a difficulty of 15 to control the character each turn.)

Powerful Transformation
At 6th level, your transformation into a huge monster also toughens your skin. While raging, you have resistance to all damage except psychic. In addition, you deal double damage to objects.

Improved Metabolism
At 10th level you become immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition. In addition when you enter a rage, you heal a number of hit-points equal to your barbarian level.

Thunderclap
At 14th level you can clap your hands together with amazing force. As an action, while raging, you can clap your hands together to create wave of thunderous force that sweeps out from you. Each creature in a 30-foot cube originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d8 thunder damage and is pushed 40 feet away from you. One a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is pushed only 20 feet.
    In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 40 feet away from you by the effect of the thunderclap, and the clap emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet. You regain the ability to use this thunderclap after a short or long rest.

I tried to make it pretty dissimilar from the Path of the Brawler I did for Superboy and his super-strength ilk. I ended up taking away the madness, allowing it to be role-played instead, though I could see it as the downside to Colossal Anger instead of the exhaustion. This build is definitely all about a crazy strong rage. I could also see a mechanic more similar to the Druid wilshape, but that feels a little like stepping on the druid's toes. I think it's okay that this isn't min-maxed at all. In fact, I could see explaining a high strength as being residual effects, where the monster only shows up when raging. I like this explanation.

Bruce Banner
Level 1 Variant Human Barbarian
Background: Sage
Str 16 (+3), Dex 10 (+0), Con 14 (+2)
Int 14 (+2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 10 (+0)
HP 14, AC 12, HD 1d12
Saves: Str +5, Con +4
Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common, Gnomish, Orc, Giant
Skills: Arcana +4, History +4, Medicine +2, Nature +4, Perception +2

Unarmed Strike +5, 1d4+3 bludgeoning, on a hit use a bonus action to grapple
Longsword +5, 1d8+3 slashing, versatile 1d10+3
Dagger +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20/60, light, finesse
Quarterstaff +5, 1d6+3 bludgeoning, versatile 1d8+3

Feat: Tavern Brawler
Rage 2/day
Unarmored Defense

Gear: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a colleague about your "condition", a set of common clothes, a shortsword, a quarterstaff, an explorer's pack, four daggers

Leveling Bruce: As Bruce explore his hulk personality more and more, he will grow in power. Up his Str, Con, Int, and Wis. This expresses his conquering his base nature and also growing in strength as the magical radiation spreads within him. Take the Path of the Giant to grant him size, speed, and eventually destruction, healing, and thunderclap. He will be a veritable monster when raging, and still pretty useful when not. I would probably play him mostly as a skill monkey who chooses to fight only when it is necessary. He calls on his gifts (a high str, and con) when he must and maybe looks more muscled then. But when he rages, the beast is unleashed, growing in size and power.

I might do this again as a druid. We'll see. I added a DM option on Colossal Anger in the hopes of adding some fun if both the DM and player are comfortable with it.

D&D Avengers: Iron Man

I decided I'd go in order of the release of the movies leading up to the Avengers. This is mostly by memory, so if I get htings out of order I apoligize. What I do remember is that Ironman and one Robert Downey Jr. started it all.

First lets pick a race, thats the easy part. Tony Stark is human to the core, he is good and pretty chaotic, but can be neutral to evil when upset or worried about the safety of those he loves. I would love to see people change his race to something more fun like gnome, or half-elf, but for now we'll go with our canon human.

Next up is background. Looking through our options, Noble looks like the best bet. He grew up in money and inhereted his daddys firm and important name. If that isn't aristocrat entitlement I don't know what is.

Finally, we've got class. You could jury rig something out of a Warlock and add a Technology pact, but a long time ago I created an Artificer class, and given Mr. Starks ability to tinker and create, I think it would be the best fit. I'm not sure between Tinkerer and Battlesmith. Ultimately, while battesmith would give him better armor, tinkerer gives him more spellstoring items, which works better. We'll just make the armor an artifact.

Or better yet! I'll make a new tradition, the tradition of the Bulwark

Tradition of the Bulwark
Bonus Proficiencies: When you enter this tradition at level 3, you gain proficiency with medium armor, heavy armor, and smith's tools.

Bonded Armor: At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a bond between you and one set of armor. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The armor must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the armor and forge the bond.
    Once you have bonded the armor to yourself, it cannot be removed from you unless you are
incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon the armor onto yourself as a bonus action, causing it to instantly appear on you.
    You can have up to two bonded armors, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third armor, you must break the bond with one of the other two.
     You can use your armor as an implement for satisfying the material component of spells, assuming the material component doesn't have a listed cost.

Power Armor: At 6th level, you can cast a cantrip as a bonus action while wearing your bonded armor.
    In additon, as a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Infused Equipment die when casting a spell in your bonded armor and add the result to the spell's damage.

Perfect Integration: At 14th level, your understanding of your bonded armor has become transcendant. You can concentrate on two spells while in your bonded armor, as long as both spells only target yourself.

This might be insanely overpowered with multiclassing, but looking at it now it'll just be a cantrip throwing (so makshift wand basically), armored, monster. The only real spell combos with perfect integration are things like Invisbility and Fly, or Stoneskin and Alter Self. Nothing terribly terrifying and you can only do it on yourself.

Tony Stark
Level 1 Human Noble Artificer
Str 11 (+0), Dex 11 (+0), Con 12 (+1)
Int 16 (+3), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 16 (+3)
HP 8, AC 11, HD 1d8
Saves: Con +3, Int +5
Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarven
Proficiencies: Tinker's Tools, Playing Cards
Skills: Arcana +5, History +5, Investigation +5, Persuasion +5

Infused Light Crossbow +5, 1d8+3 piercing, 80/320
Infused Dagger +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20/60
Makeshift Wand +5, 1d8 fire or thunder, 60

Artificer Knowledge
Cantrips: infuse weapon, makshift wand, mending
1st-level Spells: inflict damage, repair damage, mage armor, jump

Gear: A light crossbow and 20 bolts, a wand, a scholar's pack, leather armor, a dagger, tinkerer's tools, fine clothes, a signet ring, and a scroll of pedigree

Leveling Tony Up
Grab the new Bulwark tradition I made to give him some awesome armor and great abilities to go with it. He'll be a blasting tank that can fly and go invisible. Who wouldn't love that?
    With the ability score increases, go for Int and then grab some feats that look fun like Crossbow Expert.
    Finally for spells, Tony is mostly about buffing himself and also a bit about knowledge, grabbing all the buffs and divination spells would fit really well with his character.

D&D Young Justice: Kid Flash

In the final week of my D&D Young Justice series, I'm going to do the hardest one ever: the speedster, Kid Flash. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what class to make him. I want one that will give him the amazing abilities of speed, and mainly focus on super quick punches. This sounds like it might be the monk. Then we also have the fact that his powers come from an accident of science. In D&D terms, the origin seems to fit best with Sorcerer. Am I going to finally multiclass a character? Heck no, I want to stick with one class for these characters. It's part of the challenge.

If I went monk I would only have to change the fluff, but if I went sorcerer I would have to do that too. All the mini-tornados would be wind spells, the super quick movement would be teleportations. But what about all the cantrips? Another option would be a new speedster rogue archetype, but that precludes any crazy magic and gives him sneak attack which feels silly.

Alright, if I start with his background, that should make things easier. Flipping through the PHB I weirdly think Guild Merchant is the best choice. In the show, Wally didn't have much of a background; all it says is that he copied Barry's experiment and got powers of his own. Well, he's got this amazing speed and comes from a tradition, that likely required mysterious rites, and what is this speed good for? Being a courier. It even fits with the whole Mercury thing that the Flash totally ash going.

Alright, knowing that, I have decided on monk. It's an order who focuses on connecting with the magic of speed to move quickly and save others. At times, they are so fast it seems like teleportation.

Way of Celerity
Monks of the Way of Celerity are the ultimate masters of speed. They use their ki to move amazingly fast, at times replicating the effects of teleportation. Their techniques are used to quickly traverse distances and to beguile their opponents. No one escapes from a monk who follows this tradition.
    Many monks who follow this tradition focus on motifs of feathers and lightning, some followers even making makeshift wings and attaching them to their boots or hats.

Boundless Speed
Starting when you chose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your ki for the purposes of ki even easier. You no longer have to expend ki to use the Step of the Wind.

Unseen Acceleration
At 6th level, you gain the ability to move so quickly that you can teleport short distances. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki to cast misty step or 3 ki to cast blink.

With All Due Haste
By 11th level, you have learned to channel your ki into speed to travel further distances and improve your combat capabilities. As a bonus action, you can spend 3 ki to cast haste on yourself. In addition, as an action, you can spend 4 ki to cast dimension door.

Stop the Clocks
At 17th level, you have learned how to move so quickly that time around you seems to stop. As an action, you can spend 10 ki to immediately gain two full rounds where only you can act. During these rounds you succeed on all attacks and other creatures fail all Dexterity saves and checks. The effects of your actions in these 2 rounds on other creatures do not happen until the end of the two rounds.

Alright, that looks pretty good. It doesn't fit the mold too well, given that it gives spells at 6th level instead of 3rd, but I like it.

Wally West
Level 1 Human Guild Merchant Monk

Str 10 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2)
Int 14 (+2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 10 (+0)
HP 10, AC 13, HD 1d8
Saves: Str +2, Dex +5
Speed: 40 ft.
Languages: Common, Gnomish, Halfling
Proficiencies: Navigator's Tools, Tinkerer's Tools
Skills: Acrobatics +5, Arcana +4, Athletics +2, Insight +2, Persuasion +2

Shortsword +5, 1d6+3 piercing
Unarmed Strike +5, 1d4+3 bludgeoning
Dart +5, 1d4+3, range 20/60

Feat: Mobile
Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts

Leveling Up Wally: First a look at this. Unarmored defense is wasted on him. I might need to add something called Speed of Thought that gives the option to add Int to AC instead of Wis. Maybe an extra feat, we'll see. Alright, so leveling up Wally, up his Dex as much as possible and grab the new Way of Celerity path I made. He should be a punching machine who is always in the right place. Good luck getting away from this speedster.

D&D Young Justice: Superboy

So I've been procrastinating putting up my BiFrost homebrew materials until I've talked more about exactly how I want the world to be. Until then, I'm just tuning Young Justice characters into D&D character, mostly because they are actually a pretty good example of an adventuring party (besides missing a healer, which luckily isn't necessary in 5e.) I've already done Aqualad and Miss Martian, and this week I'm going to tackle a tough one: Superboy.

Now Superboy is special. He was grown in a lab, and since then has learned to how to be a teammate and generally a good guy. He's got daddy issues (always fun), anger issues, and just general issues. His powers are mostly coming from his Kryptonian genes. He is resistant to damage and super strong. He isn't super well trained but has recently started picking up some training with Black Canary. Most of his fighting is built around his strength and his durability. Later in the show he gains more superman powers like laser eyes, flight, and super speed. However, this can be called a magic item rather than a class capability.

Given the anger issues and focus on strength we are going to go Barbarian. He will always be strong, but get even stronger when he really cares. Now, super people punch things, no weapons for them; however, the standard unarmed attack is measly and so is the tavern brawler feat. I'm thinking of making a Path of Strength for the barbarian that would increase unarmed damage and give big jumps, but so many of what the Totem Warrior abilities work well, Bear for the first two choices for resistance and strength, and eagle for the last ability for the jumping. Heck it even gives him his connection to Wolf. However, I wanted to keep the flavor for all the characters appropriate, and it isn't his connection to the spirits that makes him strong, but instead his own amazing strength. However, I can pull a lot of similar things that still fit. Maybe even give them sooner since it isn't a choice.

Alright, background should be Hermit? What does "grown in a tube" count as? I should probably come up with something like a Foundling or a Born Yesterday background, but they take so much work to do correctly. Hermit it is. Trapped in stasis, alone, learning...it's close enough.

Now for his race. I could do one of two things: A) Use the human or variant human, B) Make a Kryptonian race and give them big bonuses to Strength and Constitution and resistance to all damage except from magical sources. This could be extremely overpowered in a low-magic world, but actually pretty darn balanced in a magic heavy world or campaign. Or even just magic uncommon. Commoners couldn't bring you down easily, but rich people and magical things (most things) would have an advantage against you unless you destroyed them quickly.

Kryptonian
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4.
Resistance. You gain resistance to all damage which doesn't come from a spell or magic attack.
Kryptonite Sensitivity. While within 30 feet of kryptonite, you lose the benefit of your Resistance race trait and you gain disadvantage on attacks, checks, and saves.

...oh Jesus. This is terrible. Kryptonite could show up in your games as little or as often as you'd like, which I guess has a good comic book feel. I think he'll just have to be super depowered from the show. What then to make his race? Half-elf fits the half-something/daddy doesn't love me vibe. Oh...oh....half-orc. You may think I'm crazy, but I don't care because then that means Superman is a full-blooded Orc with sunlight sensitivity. Some people would freak out about Superman not being human looking though. Let's be honest here, Kryptonians are sorcerer like people who get scorching ray from their eyes and cone of cold eventually and bonuses to Str and Con.

In fact...
Kryptonian (Second attempt)
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4.
Resistance. You gain resistance to all damage that doesn't come from a spell or magic attack.
Kryptonite Sensitivity. While within 30 feet of kryptonite, you lose the benefit of your Resistance race trait and you gain disadvantage on attacks, checks, and saves.
Solar Powered Superhero. You can cast the x-ray vision spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the scorching ray spell once per day. When you reach 11th level, you can also cast the cone of cold spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. If you haven't been in the sun for 24 hours

Oh man, I'm way off task because this wouldn't work for Superboy, only Superman.
I think we'll just do a human, or half-orc if you're okay looking funny. God, it is boring, but it works.
Well Superboy is a bit boring, so it fits.
Alright, now for the new barbarian path. Path of the Brawler? Sure.

Path of the Brawler
Some barbarians find their power, not in violence or spirits, but instead in the strength of their arms. The Path of the Brawler is a path of pure power and an expression of peak physical condition. You do not rely on weapons to destroy your enemies, and your rage only strengthens your resolve to destroy your enemies.

Powerful Blows
When you choose this path at 3rd level, you learn to strike forcefully. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 damage instead of the usual amount. While raging they instead deal 1d8 damage.

Massive Leap
At 3rd level, when you adopt this path, you gain the ability to make amazing jumps. While raging, your jump distance is doubled and you gain advantage on all checks related to jumping.

Iron Body
At 6th level, your proficiency with brawling has increased the hardness of your body. Your unarmed attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. In addition, when you begin a rage you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level.

Shockwave
At 10th level, you gain the ability to create a shockwave when you land. As a bonus action when landing from a jump, you can force all adjacent enemies to make a Dexterity saving throw against a difficulty equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier; on a failed save the creatures are knocked prone and take and take 5d10 force damage, on a successful save the creature still takes damage but remains standing. This ability recharges at the end of a short or long rest.

Knockout
At 14th level, you can use a bonus action to knock a Large or smaller creature prone when you hit it with an unarmed strike.

There we go. I will likely revisit this later once I do some testing with it, but I like how it looks. Now let's put it all together.

Connor Kent
Level 1 Variant Human Barbarian
Background: Soldier
Str 16 (+3), Dex 14 (+2), Con 16 (+3), Int 10 (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 8 (-1)
HP 15, AC 15, HD 1d12
Saves: Str +5, Con +5
Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common, Orc, Elvish
Skills: Animal Handling +2, Athletics +5, History +2, Intimidation +1, Perception +2

Unarmed Strike +5, 1d4+3 bludgeoning, can use bonus action on hit to attempt a grapple
Scimitar +5, 1d6+3 slashing, light
Dagger +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20/60 range
Javelin +5, 1d6 piercing, 30/120 range

Feat: Tavern Brawler
Rage 2/day
Unarmored Defense

Gear: An insignia from those who created you, a monsters head, a set of common clothes, a shortsword, a dagger, an explorer's pack, four javelins.

Leveling up: Get Strength and Constitution up first followed by Dexterity and Wisdom for those amazing senses and reflexes. Choose the new path I made and enjoy punching and jumping things to death.

Since he was given some weapons, I figured we might as well use concealable ones that would let him do other kinds of damage. Also, I changed his background to soldier; the skills fit better and he was created to be a soldier. I still think half-orc superboy with full-orc superman sounds amazing. Or you could use elves and half-elves, but then the improved strength is harder to get. Heck, I still love that Superman isn't even a man. Humans are odd.

D&D Young Justice: M'gann M'orzz

Making Kaldur'ahm was extremely fun. Like exceedingly. And satisfying too. It was like finally playing with a PC you created and seeing them work perfectly. Like planning your main months before the MMO comes out and then when you play it's perfect. I want more of this feeling. I'm going to create the rest of the animated young justice main crew.

No one else is quite as standard fantasy as Kaldur, but that just means I'm going to have to be more creative. I might even have to give up trying to not change the flavor of the classes from that presented in the PHB. That's a long way off however because Wizards just released a perfect race for my challenge this week. 

First, who is the character I'm creating? Hello, Megan! It's M'gann M'orzz a.k.a. Ms. Martian. Another Young Justice character, she gets most of her powers from simply being a Martian. She and her uncle are similar to superman in that way. However, instead of being weak to kryptonite she is weak to heat. A little more common. Most martian powers boil down to telepathy, telekinesis, shape shifting, and its cooler cousin density shifting. 

Like I said earlier, Wizards made my job easier by releasing the Changeling class last week. Officially M'gann can also shift her clothes, but this works so well, that I don't really see an issue. So the race covers the cosmetic shape shifting, but what about the rest? Well to get telekinesis and telepathy and better shape shifting we are going to need to go arcane caster. M'gann doesn't study anything and she is extremely charismatic, so probably Sorcerer or Warlock. Looking at both options I really like the Warlock pact for all the telepathy and stuff, but the sorcerer chassis as a whole for being more powerful and having that innate feel to it. Her background is oh jeez this is hard, I want to say charlatan although see if your DM will let you switch sleight of hand for insight. She is good at reading people, not so much at stealing. 

Alright, since this is Homebrew Monday (I need a better name for this still), I'll cave and homebrew an Outsider origin for the Sorcerer class. I think it will give most of the easier telepathy stuff, and we'll leave the shape shifting to spells. Will this character be as powerful as the real M'gann? Heck no, but that's okay because this is D&D; we're lower on the power scale.

New Sorcerous Origin: Outsider Influence

Your innate magic comes from the influence of beings outside reality mingling with you or your bloodline. You might have been rescued from an assault by psychic aberrations and their warped magic warped you on accident. Instead, you may have sought out rituals and favors from these beings to not just borrow their power, but to change you forever. Some sorcerers with this origin are aliens themselves, or have the blood of aliens running through them.  No matter how you got this power, it strengthens your mind and your will. It runs through you, altering your physiology and psychology, for good or ill. In Eberron, I'm thinking influence for Xoriat or Dal'Quor could both work well to cause this bloodline. 

Cerebral Transmission

At 1st level, when you choose this origin, the alien influence allows your mind to connect with others. You gain telepathy out to 60 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic communication; however, if the creature doesn't speak a language, you only gain a feeling of its general emotions. 

Alien Form

The magic that flows through your body allows it to shift and bend in unforeseen ways. Your melee reach is extended by 5 feet, and you gain advantage on Dexterity checks to escape grapples or bonds. 

Mental Backlash

At 6th level, your experience fending off others thoughts has strengthened your will; you gain proficiency with Wisdom saving throws. In addition, whenever you succeed on a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw, you can spend 1 sorcery point as a reaction to either deal 2d10+sorcerer level damage to whatever creature forced you to make that save, or to instead make it take psychic damage equal to the damage inflicted upon you.

Perfect Adaptation

At 14th level, you no longer need to breathe and you have immunity to the poisoned condition and to poison damage. You also learn to survive in different environments. As an action, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain a swim speed or 2 sorcery points to gain a fly speed. Whichever you choose, the new speed equals twice your current speed and lasts for 1 hour. 

Psychic Superiority

At 18th level whenever you cast a spell of 1st-level or higher that requires the creature to make a Wisdom or Charisma save, you can also make that creature take 1d10 psychic damage per spell level on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. This is in addition to any damage the spell already deals. 

What I'm thinking: Alright, this might be crazy overpowered, but I don't care, because I think the sorcerer origins are a bit under-powered. Mental Link gives her telepathy and DM fiat can make it group telepathy with her facilitation. At one point, it also gave her access to vicious mockery, but she doesn't like using telepathy for fighting in the show, so I scrapped it; well at least not always, so I figure we leave psychic damage for the real spells. Alien form gives her some more shifting, as does perfect adaptation. Mental strength and psychic superiority are likely super unbalanced, but I think super flavorful and the first one won't come up very much and the second is 18th level so should be a pretty big deal. 

Alright, I decided she needs a good force telekinetic cantrip. 

New Spell for Sorcerers and Wizards

Mage Slap

Evocation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You quickly summon a hand of force to slap a creature. Make a ranged spell attack against a creature in range; on a hit, you deal 1d6 force damage to that creature and it cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.  

   This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Alright, it's time to bring out M'gann.

M'gann M'orzz

Level 1 Changeling Sorcerer
Background: Charlatan
Str 8 (-1), Dex 11 (0), Con 14 (+2)
Int 12(+1), Wis 13(+1), Cha 16(+3)
HP 8, AC 10, HD 1d6
Saves: Con +4, Cha +5
Speed: 30 feet.
Languages: Common, Undercommon, Elvish, Telepathy to 60 feet
Skills: Arcana +3, Deception +5, Insight +3, Persuasion +5, Stealth +2

Reach of 10 feet with melee
Quarterstaff  +1, 1d6-1 bludgeoning, versatile d8
Dagger +2, 1d4 piercing, range 20/60
Mage Slap +5, 1d6 force, 60 ft. opponent can't make reactions

Sorcerous Origin: Outsider Influence (Cerebral Transmission, Alien Form)
Cantrips: blade ward, friends, mage hand, mage slap
1st-level spells: shield, sleep

Gear: Quarterstaff, component pouch, explorer's pack, two daggers, a set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, papers for Megan Morse.

Leveling up M'gann
Ability score improvements should up Charisma and Wisdom
Spell choices should focus around shape shifting yourself, telekinesis, and telepathy
(alter self, levitate, fly, detect thoughts, dominate/hold blank, polymorph)