D&D 5E [5e] Party based on classic horror monsters

[Delazar]

We're planning a Ravenloft Campaign, and each players wants to create a character "inspired" by a classic horror monster.

How would you "build" such a character?

Some ideas we had:

Werewolf = Shifter Barbarian (or Ranger);
Vampire = Shadar-kai something... not sure;
Witch = human (or tiefling) warlock;
Frankenstein's Monster = Goliath (or re-fluffed warforged... or half-orc) Fighter (or Barbarian)
Dr. Frankenstein = human artificer
Mummy = (insert race) cleric

Suggestions are welcome!

 

[Salthorae]

We're planning a Ravenloft Campaign, and each players wants to create a character "inspired" by a classic horror monster.

How would you "build" such a character?

Some ideas we had:

I like most of your initial ideas. Below are just some thoughts to flesh them out.

Werewolf = Shifter Barbarian (or Ranger);

• Barbarian and go either Path of the Berserker or the new UA with the Path of the Beast seem best to reflect the mad/ravening werewolf best. New UA would give you natural weapons like a bite or claw attack

Vampire = Shadar-kai something... not sure;

• I like the Shadar-kai here
• An interesting route would be Druid (Circle of Spores).
  • Druid's can wildshape into wolves and eventually bats
  • Druid's can summon wolves and bats with Conjure Animals (though, not sure about swarms)
  • The spell list from Circle of Spores is very vampiric in theme:
    • Chill Touch
    • Gaseous Form
    • Animate Dead

Witch = human (or tiefling) warlock;

• Classic would be a Fiend Pact Warlock with either Pact of the Chain or Pact of the Tome
• I'd go Tome and then pick up Book of Ancient Secrets to get Find Familiar and use that to summon a cat familiar
• Focus on "hexes" and curses and divinations
  • Spells: Hex, Contact Other Plane. Use book of shadows to get Divination, etc. Also Invocations below for more fun
  • Invocations: Sign of Ill Omen (bestow curse), Thief of Five Fates (Bane), Sculptor of Flesh (polymorph things to fish), Vision of Distant Realms (Arcane Eye), Whispers of the Grave (Speak with Dead)

Frankenstein's Monster = Goliath (or re-fluffed warforged... or half-orc) Fighter (or Barbarian)

• Warforged have more of the things that the monster exhibits... the monster is still a dead shell, so they don't suffer from mortality like mortals do, so things of sleep/breathing/etc, also functionally immortal. Warforged fits those mechanics better.
• I think starting Barbarian to reflect strength and fortitude (in the saves and AC from Con) but also the rage mechanics. Then later they can multiclass into Fighter as the monster learns the things of more civilized society

Dr. Frankenstein = human artificer

• Alchemist subclass, but absolutely artificer
  • Alchemist have Raise Dead
  • Artificer has Animate Objects
  • Something with those and lightning maybe helped create the monster?
• Cloistered Scholar Background
• Variant Human and take Keen Mind feat

Mummy = (insert race) cleric

• Maybe a Human Revanent from the Gothic Horrors UA as the race? No mummy rot, but... eh?
• Cleric? That is more like The Mummy movie mummy with spellcasting and such.
• The classic Mummy seems more like a barbarian or fighter kind of thing with just bashing people to death.