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John Constantine may not be on the same level of fame as Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, but he is nonetheless an outstanding DC icon in his own right. A complex character who struggles to balance his outward cynicism with a sincere and deep-seated desire to be a good man, Constantine effectively combines magic with a vast knowledge of heaven, hell, and the occult in order to help people. Combine all of that, and it’s easy to see that Constantine actually makes for a great role model for a Dungeons & Dragons character.
On the one hand, Constantine is still surrounded by heavy themes and difficult subject matter, perfect for the role-playing side of the game, though his complex morals may clash with the outdated alignment system. Additionally, Constantine’s magical powers and connection to deities and demons are at home in Dungeons & Dragons. With that in mind, here’s a guide to help players create John Constantine their way. Fifth edition Games.
The Best D&D Race for John Constantine
One of John Constantine’s main appeals is that, under all magical and supernatural happenings, he’s really just an average guy. Constantine has no super strength or invulnerability. He’s just a normal human often outside of his depth who prides himself on helping whoever he can. With this in mind, the human variant is the best choice as a starting point for building Constantine in Dungeons & Dragons.
Choosing the human variant gives players a +1 boost to two ability scores of their choice, a free language in addition to common, proficiency in a chosen skill, and a free feat. For language, players must choose between Celestial or Abyssal, as Constantine’s adventures often deal with angels and demons. As far as skill mastery goes, Deception would be a good choice, since Constantine sometimes got into the habit of being a trickster between adventures. Finally, players must choose Alert as an achievement. Constantine is known to often be nervous and ready to be attacked by monsters, and Alert reflects this very well by making sure no one can sneak up on him.
The best D&D background for John Constantine
As is the case with many long-running comic book characters, Constantine’s backstory has changed several times over the years, including in the recent HBO Max adaptation of Sandman, which starred his ancestor, Johanna Constantine, but this version specifically uses John Constantine’s version of the Popular Continuity hellblazer comics. In hellblazerJohn Constantine and his older sister Cheryl had a difficult childhood as their father became violent after their mother’s death, and Constantine himself was able to escape this life when he learned that his family line was full of powerful mages. dating back centuries.
Due to the Constantine family heritage, a perfect background for John Constantine himself is the heir background, found in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. An heir is someone who has led a very different life until they find out they are the heir to a big secret. In this case, his family’s heritage as magicians led Constantine to begin mastering magic and the occult to escape his old life.
The Inheritor background allows the player to master Arcana and Survival skills, as well as the choice of a playset and another language. The set fits perfectly with the previously mentioned fact that Constantine is sometimes a trickster, and when it comes to the extra language, players can once again take Celestial or Abyssal – whichever one they haven’t taken before.
The Best D&D Courses for John Constantine
There are a few classes that would suit Constantine well, namely Wizard or Sorcerer due to all the magic he uses, or Cleric or Paladin for his connection to more religious themes. However, a Warlock with a Celestial Patron, which is described in more detail in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, is arguably the best choice for a Constantine build, as it effectively combines these two aspects of Constantine into one. At level three of Warlock, players should choose Pact of the Tome as their Pact Boon, as this further expands the variety of magic they can do, especially with a few Eldritch Summons, which can be added every few levels.
Additionally, if players wish, they can also choose to take a few multi-class levels from Rogue, as Constantine often uses trickery and cheap shots to stay ahead. If players go up to three levels in their Rogue multi-class, taking on the Inquisitor archetype is yet another solid reflection of Constantine who remains constantly aware and alert.
The best ability scores for John Constantine
For starters, players looking to build John Constantine using these ideas should keep Charisma as their highest stat. Not only is charisma important to Constantine’s magical cast as a warlock, but also to his soft-spoken trickster side. After that, players will probably want to invest in intelligence as Constantine is a very intelligent man with a wide range of knowledge.
Dexterity or Constitution should be the player’s next concern, as Constitution is an important stat for all characters, regardless of race or class, and Dexterity will be key if the player chooses to multiclass as a rogue. Finally, this leaves Wisdom and Strength as the two lowest stats. With everything else in mind, strength is probably what players should choose as a dump stat for this build.
