It's alive! It's alive! . . .or so I'm told, anyway. For this week, we have Victor Frankenstein - the original doctor rather than the monster he created. . .which is also Frankenstein for those that want to be pedantic about it. Before Herbert West, before Maggie Walsh, before freaking Doctor Doom...there was Victor Frankenstein.
Victor Frankenstein was a role first played by Augustus Phillips in the silent 1910 film produced by Thomas Edison of all people. Most people tend to know him with the face of Colin Clive (pictured above) as Henry Frankenstein from the 1931 film adaptation of the Classic Universal Monsters vein. He is a scientist who perverted the very essence of life in order to create life all his own and now he knows what it's like to be God. . .depending on the adaptation you're going with. In the novel, he's a tragic figure whose creation causes him to lose his friends, family, and his mind. In most of the movies...well, he's the reason why we have the Mad Scientist stereotype.
Victor will need:
- Brains! Victor in the novel is a mathematician and chemist who is able to stitch together corpses and bring them to life with lightning.
- Necromancy! Sure, what Victor does isn't technically magic, but it might as well be if Arthur C. Clarke has anything to say about it. And he does.
- Nobility! Victor is actually a noble, if you can believe that.
So, for Victor. We're going to use the Standard Point array from the Player's Handbook.
Intelligence: 15
Victor is smart as all get out. Like we just said above - mathematician, chemist, and necromancer supreme! His greatest asset is his mind, regardless of how much it gets tugged and pulled on by his Monster.
Constitution: 14
Victor is able to tank getting hit by his Monster and lived. Not many people can make that claim. In fact, no one can if I remember correctly.
Dexterity: 13
Victor is a surgeon, it would be very awkward if he didn't have the dexterity to pull off complex surgery.
Wisdom: 12
Strength: 10
Victor does not do his own dirty work. He has Igor to fetch him the brain (and the rest of the body).
Charisma: 8
Victor is a shut-in who married his adoptive (sometimes actual) cousin. Not exactly a sexual tyrannosaurus is he. More to the point, someone not in touch with life would have few qualms about breaking the laws surrounding it.
For race, Victor is a human. Specifically he's a Variant Human. I know I use this a lot, but I promise we'll do some non-human builds in the future. Two ability scores increase by 1, go with Intelligence and Constitution for higher modifiers. You also get Common and one other language of your choice. You also also pick up one free skill and one free feat.
For the skill, we're going to go with Medicine, since Victor kind of needs that for this to work.
For the feat, we're going to go with Prodigy. With Prodigy, Victor gains one skill proficiency, one tool proficiency, and one language of your choice. You also get to select one skill in which Victor has proficiency and give yourself Expertise, meaning that your proficiency bonus for that skill is doubled. After all, Victor is one smart cookie. Give your Expertise to your Medicine skill and choose Nature for your free skill proficiency, since it's important to know how it works before subverting it.
For background, go for the Noble background as (again) Victor is a noble. Picking up History and Persuasion as your skills, proficiency with a gaming set, and one language of your choice.
Alright, so starting out, we know that Victor is a well-read guy.
For first level, we'll pop into the Artificer (1). First-level Artificers gain proficiency with light and medium armor and shields, simple weapons, and thieves', tinkerer's, and one set of artisan's tools of your choice (go for Calligrapher's Tools, then you'll really know what it's like to be God!). Choose two skills from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Sleight of Hand. Since we already have Medicine, Nature, and History, we can pick up Arcana, Investigation, and Perception.
First-level Artificers gain Magical Tinkering. With Magical Tinkering, Victor can imbue a Tiny sized object with one of the following magical effects:
- shedding light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional five feet.
- leave a recording that is no longer than 6 seconds in length that is activated when someone taps the object.
- emit an odor of your choice or a non-verbal sound that can be heard 10 feet away.
- a static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces, which can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, shapes and lines, or a mix of these.
The object keeps the effect indefinitely without you needing to maintain it, though the Artificer in question can end the effect as an action. The number of objects that can be affected in this way is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Artificer's also get Spellcasting, meaning two cantrips and two 1st-Level Spell slots.
For your cantrips, we're taking Mage Hand and Spare the Dying.
For spells, well...Artificer gets a little weird. You can choose a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half of your Artificer level (rounded down) that you know. Given that our build is currently at 16 intelligence, you have a grand total of four first-level spells to choose from.
For the record, I'll tell you at each level where you unlock spells, but I won't be listing them in detail unless a particularly good thing comes up. For example, I never want to make an arcane spellcaster build that doesn't have mage hand. Just saying. Also, obviously, go for necromancy spells where possible, though artificer doesn't have many.
Second-level Artificer (2) gets the ability to Infuse Item, specifically to infuse an item with magical energy. At first level, your know four infusions, but can only use two of them at any given time. Take the Homunculus Servant infusion in order to have your Igor (be nice to your DM and maybe they'll let you reflavor it) and Enhanced Defense to beef yourself up for when the village decides to storm your castle...or your Creature decides to try and rip your arms out of their sockets. For the other two, choose Mind Sharpener for when the Enhanced Defense fails, giving you another chance to pass a Constitution roll to maintain concentration instead of failing it. You can also take Enhanced Arcane Focus to gain a +1 to spell attacks when holding an infused arcane focus.
Third-level Artificer (3) gets to pick a Artificer Specialist and we're gonna go with Alchemist to play into Victor's origins as a chemist. Alchemist's get access to some new spells as detailed on page 14 of Tasha's Hideous Cauldron. Victor also picks up the ability to brew an Experimental Elixir. You can create more by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher, and each one has a random effect that is only known when someone drinks it. Again, check out Page 14-15 of Tasha's for the table.
Third-level Artificers also get Right Tool for the Job, meaning that they can use a set of thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand and can create one set of artisan's tools within 5 feet of you after an hour of work that can be during a short or long rest. The tools are non-magical, and they disappear if you use this feature again.
Also, Victor gains proficiency with Alchemist's Tools or another set of them if he already has those. Maybe the Healer's Kit?
Fourth-level Artificer (4) gets our first Ability Score Improvement or feat. Go for Keen Mind from the Player's Handbook. Victor increases his Intelligence score by 1 (to a maximum of 20, you should be at 17 if you're following this build), you always know which way is north, you know how many hours are left before sunrise/sunset, and you can accurately recall anything you've seen or heard within the last month.
Alternatively, you could get the Healer feat, letting you stabilize a dying creature with a Healer's kit and give them 1 hit point. You can also use said healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6+4 hit points to it, and additional hit points equal to the creature's max number of Hit Dice. The trade off being that it can't gain the benefits of the feat again until after a short or long rest.
Fifth-level Artificer (5) gets Alchemical Savant. Whenever Victor casts a spell using his alchemist's supplies as the focus, he gains a bonus to one roll of the spell. It must be used to restore hit points or be a damage roll that deals acid, fire, necrotic, or poison damage. The poison is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Fifth-level Artificers also unlock second level spells. Pyrotechnics would be good for distracting or staving off a vengeful monster. Web would be pretty good at containing it. Food for thought.
Sixth-level Artificer (6) gets Tool Expertise. Your proficiency bonus is now doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with tools. Neat!
You also learn two new infusions. It's time to replicate a few magic items! Namely the Spell-Refueling Ring and Repeating Shot. One lets you recover a spell slot of 3rd level or lower, the other makes basically any ranged weapon you have not only a +1, but you have unlimited ammo and don't even have to reload! A certain trucker from California might like to take a crack at it if he's traveling along with you.
Seventh-level Artificer (7) gets Flash of Genius. When you or another creature within 30 feet of you that you can see makes an ability check or saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll, using this a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. You regain uses after a long rest.
Eighth-level Artificer (8) gets an Ability Score Improvement or a feat. Go with one of the previous choices if you didn't for a Feat or just pump points into your Intelligence and Constitution. Gotta be smart and gotta be meaty.
Ninth-level Artificer (9) gets Restorative Reagents, which grants a creature 2d6 + Your Intelligence modifier worth of temporary hit points whenever they drink one of your Experimental Brews.
Also, you finally unlock third-level spells! It's not true to the book, but gaseous form is always fun one! As is mass healing word.
Tenth-level Artificer (10) makes a Magic Item Adept, allowing you to attune up to four magic items at once, and crafting a magic item of common or uncommon rarity takes a quarter of the normal time and costs half as much. Pretty handy for that Spell-Refueling Ring I mentioned before.
Eleventh-level Artificer (11) gains a Spell-Storing Item. After finishing a long rest, Victor can touch a simple or martial weapon or one item that can be used as a spellcasting focus and store a spell in it. It has to be from the 1st or 2nd level of the artificer spell list that requires one action to cast, and it can be used by other people (using your spellcasting modifier. The spell stays in the item until it's used a number of times equal to double your Intelligence modifier.
Twelfth-level Artificer (12) gets another Ability Score Improvement or Feat. Go ahead and keep pumping into Intelligence and Constitution.
Thirteenth-level Artificer (13) doesn't get any new perks, but it does unlock fourth level spells. Neat!
Fourteenth-level Artificer (14) becomes a Magic Item Savant. An artificer can now attune to five magic items at once. They also ignore all requirements for attuning to or using a magic item. The rules of nature? They definitely don't apply to you. Or, at least, they won't for a few more levels.
A fifteenth-level Artificer (15) gains Chemical Mastery from the Alchemist specialization. Victor gains resistance to acid and poison damage, and is immune to the poisoned condition. He can also cast greater restoration and heal without using a spell slot or preparing the spell, provided they have alchemist's tools as their focus. Once either spell is cast, this feature can't be used until after a long rest.
Now, at last, the time has come to delve into the dark arts that Victor became known for.
First level Wizard (1) starts off with three cantrips from the Wizard spell list and gets to select six 1st-level spells from that same list. To fit with the bringing the dead back to life theme, witch bolt is a good choice. So is false life.
Second level Wizard (2) sees Victor have to pick an Arcane Tradition. Obviously, we'll be going with the School of Necromancy. Victor becomes a Necromancy Savant, meaning that copying a necromancy spell in your spellbook is halved in both time spent and cost. Victor can also Grim Harvest from the souls of the dead. When Victor kills a creature with a spell of 1st level or higher, he regains hit points equal to twice the spell's level or three times if the spell comes from the Necromancy school.
Unlike last level, third level Wizard (3) doesn't get much besides access to 2nd level spells. Mirror Image and Ray of Enfeeblement may not necessarily fit Victor, but then Victor in the original novel has no magical powers...so far as we know, anyway. They probably would have come in very handy.
Wizard (4) gets us our last Ability Score Improvement or feat. Keep on with the Intelligence and Constitution.
Our capstone is the fifth level of Wizard (5), bringing us to 20th level overall and giving us access to 3rd level Wizard spells. Congratulations! You can finally bring the dead back to life with the use of animate dead. You can have a small or medium creature rise from the dead and be at your beck and call...at least for twenty-four hours. Then, if you don't cast it again, you'll have quite the potential rampage on your hands.
Now that we've reached level 20, let's look at our pros and cons for this build.
Pros:
- You have good armor and some great defensive options. With the proficiency with every armor from the jump as well as some infusions to make them better, you could be rocking an AC of 19 just as soon as you can get your hands on a suit of plate. 21 if you use a shield.
- You have skills. Not only do you have skills, but you're really good in them. By 20th level, even your one Charisma skill will have a nice bonus to it instead of a negative. You are a skill monkey to give any Rogue in your party a run for their money.
- You have several tool proficiencies, allowing you to cover a lot of different tasks with aptitude. And when you don't have the proficiency for something, you can still make the tool for the person who does!
Cons:
- You're squishy. Artificers are heavily armored, but a d8 is only mid-range and the dip into wizard doesn't help. On average, without adding your Constitution modifier, you're looking at about 108. Your Constitution will help with this a bit, but only so much (hence why we bumped it up with Ability Score Improvements). Maybe you could take the Tough feat to balance this out, but it's still gonna be some hard times ahead.
- Your spell selection is awful, only able to reach fourth-level on Artificer and third on Wizard. Your spell slots also aren't great, but some of your infusions will help mitigate this somewhat with Spell-Storing Item in particular giving you a essentially a freebie spell to play around with.
- Low Charisma and low Strength mean that you're definitely not going to be the party's face and you're going to get thrown around. A lot. Probably by your own creation if you aren't careful.
But hey, you're Victor Frankenstein. Return to your ancestral home, delve deep into the Dark Arts, avoid the judgmental stares of the superstitious villagers, and finally know what it's like to be God! Just be mindful of your creation, they may take on a life of their own...and take away everything you love in your own. . .
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