I've been stuck for a few days on this. My original idea was Sorclock, but Bardlock sounds just as good. Trying to use all 2024 rules but I know some subclasses arent available in 2024 versions yet. Original idea was 17 shadowsorc/3 fiendlock or 17 fiendlock/3lore bard. Any help would be greatly appreciative
Arcane Trickster rogue. Maybe level 5. Charisma 20, expertise in Deception and Intimidation.
At least as of the time I was reading anything with him in it, he wasn't a powerful wizard. He knew a lot. And he was willing to scam anybody, up to and including the Devil himself.
Fundamentally, of course, you mostly can't build fictional characters in D&D and have them work. Constantine's magic is not in the D&D paradigm. (Also, his power level likely fluctuates massively depending on the needs of the story.)
I think I would agree with Arcane Trickster. Especially the Spell Thief ability. That's totally the kind of thing Constantine would pull. I would also probably say the Ritual Caster Feat.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
I mean, he's not exactly throwing fireballs around, either.
But a broken beer bottle is totally his style. IIRC, he did it to the devil. (Dangerous Habits) If he actually needs to take somebody out, and doesn't have a giant swamp beast around to do the heavy lifting, he'd probably go for the good old reliable knife in the kidneys before he tried any of that dangerous, unreliable magic.
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
I mean, he's not exactly throwing fireballs around, either.
But a broken beer bottle is totally his style. IIRC, he did it to the devil. (Dangerous Habits) If he actually needs to take somebody out, and doesn't have a giant swamp beast around to do the heavy lifting, he'd probably go for the good old reliable knife in the kidneys before he tried any of that dangerous, unreliable magic.
Seems to depend on the source, then. He tosses a lot of magic around in the animated movies and Arrowverse. The comics I remember tended to have more magic tricks than physical dust-ups as well.
Seems to depend on the source, then. He tosses a lot of magic around in the animated movies and Arrowverse. The comics I remember tended to have more magic tricks than physical dust-ups as well.
Probably. I'm working of memories of the Moore Swamp Thing, the Books of Magic miniseries, and bits of the Garth Ennis run on Hellblazer. All of which are a few years back. (OK, last millennium.)
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
True Strike (2024 version) can be flavored a lot of ways. Ooh .. True Strike with a pistol! Oh dangit, Pistols aren't Light weapons.
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
True Strike (2024 version) can be flavored a lot of ways. Ooh .. True Strike with a pistol! Oh dangit, Pistols aren't Light weapons.
I mean, it's something he could do, but doesn't really fit with his usual go-to style from what I've seen- the characterizations I've seen just don't do a lot of weapon fighting. The sequence I've seen is typically like this: run a con or set a trap -> play back row caster -> run away if possible -> start mixing it up close and personal when running isn't an option.
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
True Strike (2024 version) can be flavored a lot of ways. Ooh .. True Strike with a pistol! Oh dangit, Pistols aren't Light weapons.
I mean, it's something he could do, but doesn't really fit with his usual go-to style from what I've seen- the characterizations I've seen just don't do a lot of weapon fighting. The sequence I've seen is typically like this: run a con or set a trap -> play back row caster -> run away if possible -> start mixing it up close and personal when running isn't an option.
He certainly is the "magic bullet" type of fighter who will find the cheater solution that fixes the problem without having to slug it out with the baddie, but that doesn't always mesh well with D&D combat. I mean I certainly play that way, but sometimes the actual solution is just to deprive the enemy of their HP. And I think being able to telekinetically throw a knife or perhaps jury rig an enchanted crossbow, both of which could be ways to depict True Strike, would fit John. Especially if you also get a Cunning Strike off on it and pull off shenanigans that way.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
On the warlock point, Constantine is a conundrum. He uses both celestial and fiendish powers when one suits him more than the other.
He makes deals with all kinds of beings- typically as a con- but he also has his own fairly strong magic independent of any bargains, so I’m not entirely sure he fits the 5e model of a Warlock.
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I've been stuck for a few days on this. My original idea was Sorclock, but Bardlock sounds just as good. Trying to use all 2024 rules but I know some subclasses arent available in 2024 versions yet. Original idea was 17 shadowsorc/3 fiendlock or 17 fiendlock/3lore bard. Any help would be greatly appreciative
Honestly, I’d just go straight wizard; he’s versatile and has power independent of any deals with magical beings.
Arcane Trickster rogue. Maybe level 5. Charisma 20, expertise in Deception and Intimidation.
At least as of the time I was reading anything with him in it, he wasn't a powerful wizard. He knew a lot. And he was willing to scam anybody, up to and including the Devil himself.
Fundamentally, of course, you mostly can't build fictional characters in D&D and have them work. Constantine's magic is not in the D&D paradigm. (Also, his power level likely fluctuates massively depending on the needs of the story.)
Oh yeah, there’s no consistency to his bag of tricks, just that he’s pretty much always underpowered compared to the source of conflict.
I think I would agree with Arcane Trickster. Especially the Spell Thief ability. That's totally the kind of thing Constantine would pull. I would also probably say the Ritual Caster Feat.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
The counterpoint for Arcane Trickster is that setup does most of its damage via weapon attacks. Johnny Boy is scrappy, but getting physical isn’t really his core MO.
I mean, he's not exactly throwing fireballs around, either.
But a broken beer bottle is totally his style. IIRC, he did it to the devil. (Dangerous Habits) If he actually needs to take somebody out, and doesn't have a giant swamp beast around to do the heavy lifting, he'd probably go for the good old reliable knife in the kidneys before he tried any of that dangerous, unreliable magic.
Seems to depend on the source, then. He tosses a lot of magic around in the animated movies and Arrowverse. The comics I remember tended to have more magic tricks than physical dust-ups as well.
Probably. I'm working of memories of the Moore Swamp Thing, the Books of Magic miniseries, and bits of the Garth Ennis run on Hellblazer. All of which are a few years back. (OK, last millennium.)
True Strike (2024 version) can be flavored a lot of ways. Ooh .. True Strike with a pistol! Oh dangit, Pistols aren't Light weapons.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I mean, it's something he could do, but doesn't really fit with his usual go-to style from what I've seen- the characterizations I've seen just don't do a lot of weapon fighting. The sequence I've seen is typically like this: run a con or set a trap -> play back row caster -> run away if possible -> start mixing it up close and personal when running isn't an option.
He certainly is the "magic bullet" type of fighter who will find the cheater solution that fixes the problem without having to slug it out with the baddie, but that doesn't always mesh well with D&D combat. I mean I certainly play that way, but sometimes the actual solution is just to deprive the enemy of their HP. And I think being able to telekinetically throw a knife or perhaps jury rig an enchanted crossbow, both of which could be ways to depict True Strike, would fit John. Especially if you also get a Cunning Strike off on it and pull off shenanigans that way.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
On the warlock point, Constantine is a conundrum. He uses both celestial and fiendish powers when one suits him more than the other.
He makes deals with all kinds of beings- typically as a con- but he also has his own fairly strong magic independent of any bargains, so I’m not entirely sure he fits the 5e model of a Warlock.