Scion of Darkness

In the post about the adventure hook contest, I chose to award  The Forbidden Legacy with the note that I wanted the protagonist—who in the hook is an NPC to escort—to be one of the PCs.

Today I’m using that hook as an excuse to build a character based on that theme for a 4th-level adventure. I’ll be using the new D&D 2024 rules for the first time. I’ll rely on the SRD found here.

Class Selection 

As per the guidelines, the first thing to do is to choose a class. The hook mentions a lineage of banned sorcerers. The obvious choice would be to start as a sorcerer. However, doing so would lessen the impact of the twist where the protagonist discovers his dark heritage during the campaign. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but I’d like this element to emerge through the character build. So I’ll go with a multiclass build.

Let’s look at our options:

• paladin: the most thematically contrasting option. A paladin who eventually discovers this heritage and struggles with reluctantly using powers from their lineage versus those from their paladin training;
• cleric: same logic as the paladin—a cleric strongly oriented toward good;
• druid: who sees the lineage as something “unnatural”;
• fighter: who feels how magic conflicted with her own identity.

If we want a mechanically solid combination, fighter and cleric are the best options: good armor, access to useful spells, proficiencies, and interesting saving throws. The paladin shares Charisma with the sorcerer but doesn’t offer much more than the fighter. The druid has thematic potential, but the required stats are hard to align: high Wisdom, Charisma, plus Dexterity and Constitution.

I’ll use the magic extractor to choose the combination:

So be it, a cleric!

I’ll start with 3 levels of cleric, followed by 1 level of sorcerer (the setting is designed to start at level 4). I’ll keep in mind that sorcerers use Charisma as their primary stat.

Background and Species 

The background determines ability score bonuses. We need at least a boost in Charisma, so we’ll go with acolyte - which isn’t ideal for a cleric but we’ll make use of it given our low Wisdom. We’ll assign +2 to Charisma and +1 to Wisdom. It’s also the only background that allows a Charisma increase using the SRD.

For equipment:

• background: 50 GP
• class: 110 GP
  Total: 160 GP to spend as we wish. (No additional bonus, since we start at level 4.)

Species: evaluating synergy with both classes, valid options are human and elf.

• Human provides an extra skill, one heroic inspiration per long rest, and an origin feat.
• Elf has darkvision, reduced long rest, and some wizard spells (which I can cast using Charisma).

I usually prefer elves for darkvision, but in my imagination, human fits better with a forgotten sorcerous heritage. Elves, especially long-lived ones, make less sense as an 

unaware descendants of a banned lineage. So I choose human.

Divine Order and Ability Score Distribution 

Before assigning ability scores, for the cleric it’s good to decide the Divine Order. If I chose Protector, I’d get access to heavy armor, but I’d need at least 13 Strength to use chainmail (AC 16), 15 Strength for others—too restrictive. Also, full plate would be out of budget.

So I choose Thaumaturge, even though Wisdom won’t have a bonus.

Languages 

I’ll use the magic extractor again (I doubled the lines for those with higher odds according to the table) for languages:

 

The languages obtained are Common, Dwarvish, and Orcish.

Ability Score Distribution

Ability	Value	Points Spent
CHARISMA	14 +2 = 16	7
DEXTERITY	14	7
CONSTITUTION	15 +1 = 16	9
WISDOM	10	2
INTELLIGENCE	10	2
STRENGTH	8	0

The melee weapon I’ll use is the dagger because it has finesse and I can use Dexterity.

Pre-Build Considerations

Since the cleric won’t have a high spell attack bonus or save DC, spell selection must take that into account.

As a cleric, I don’t have a good ranged attack among the cantrips, so I’ll choose wizard cantrips via the human origin feat. This also lets me take Shield for emergencies. Additionally, with the acolyte background I can take Sacred Flame and boost its DC using Charisma, reaching 13.

For the extra skill from human, I choose Deception, which uses Charisma and fits the story well.

Level 1

Ability	Value	Bonus	Saving Throw Bonus
STRENGTH	8	-1	-1
DEXTERITY	14	+2	+2
CONSTITUTION	16	+3	+3
INTELLIGENCE	10	+0	+0
WISDOM	10	+0	+2
CHARISMA	16	+3	+5

• Class: Cleric
• Species: Human
• Background: Acolyte
• Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Orcish
• Hit Points: 11
• AC: 18 (14 scale mail, +2 Dex, +2 shield)
• Melee Attack: Dagger +4 (1d4+2)
• Cleric Spell Save DC: 10
• Wizard Spell Save DC: 13
• Heroic Inspiration
• Origin Feat: Magic Initiate (Wizard, Charisma)
• Acolyte Feat: Magic Initiate (Cleric, Charisma)
• Divine Order: Thaumaturge
• Skills:
  • Insight +2
  • Religion +2
  • Persuasion +5
  • History +2
  • Deception +5

Equipment

• Scale Mail (50 GP)
• Shield (10 GP)
• Holy Symbol (5 GP)
• Priest Pack (33 GP)
• Dagger (2 GP)
• Remaining: 60 GP

Spells and Cantrips

• Cleric Cantrips: Light, Guidance, Thaumaturgy, Spare the Dying
• Magic Initiate Wizard Cantrips (Charisma): Ray of Frost, Firebolt
• Magic Initiate Cleric Cantrips (Charisma): Sacred Flame (DC 13), Resistance
• Prepared Cleric Spells: Cure Wounds, Shield of Faith, Bless, Detect Evil and Good
• Magic Initiate Spells: Shield, Healing Word (Charisma-based)

Level 2 (Cleric)

Hit Points: 19

Channel Divinity: Divine Spark (used for healing)

Additional Prepared Spell: Protection from Evil and Good

Level 3 (Cleric)

Hit Points: 27

Cleric Subclass: Life Domain (grants +2 + spell level bonus to all healing spells)

Always Prepared Spells: Aid, Bless, Cure Wounds, Lesser Restoration

Additional Prepared Spells: Silence, Prayer of Healing

Level 4 (Sorcerer)

Hit Points: 33

Innate Sorcery: This level marks the first signs of the character’s cursed heritage. Their powers begin to show something sinister (Ray of Sickness), though rarely.

Spells and Cantrips

• Cleric Cantrips: Light, Guidance, Thaumaturgy, Spare the Dying
• Magic Initiate Wizard Cantrips (Charisma): Ray of Frost, Firebolt
• Magic Initiate Cleric Cantrips (Charisma): Sacred Flame (DC 13), Resistance
• Sorcerer Cantrips: Sorcerous Burst, Mage Hand, Message, Elementalism
• Prepared Cleric Spells: Shield of Faith, Detect Evil and Good, Protection from Evil and Good, Silence, Prayer of Healing, Lesser Restoration
• Magic Initiate Spells: Shield, Healing Word (Charisma-based)
• Always Prepared (Life Domain): Aid, Bless, Cure Wounds, Lesser Restoration
• Prepared Sorcerer Spells: Thunderwave, Ray of Sickness

Conclusion

For now, I’ll end the build here. As mentioned earlier, I didn’t intend to create a high-level character, but rather stop at level 4, which I consider perfect to start an adventure with a solid narrative and mechanical foundation.