Today we’ve got another entry in Mythological Figures that’s had the House of Maus treatment, a warrior-general from ancient China: Hua Mulan!
The first distinction (and one I like most) is that there’s a crater on Venus named after her—how cool is that? More importantly she’s one of the most enduring and popular characters in all of chinese mythology, and because records going back to that area and era of the world are more plentiful we know at least that she was likely a real person back in 386-536 AD.
Most of us have seen the animated movie but for anyone who hasn’t, here’s the lowdown: Mulan’s father (or younger brother, depending on the source material) is conscripted into the army but fearful for his life, she dresses up as a man and enlists in his place. She proceeds to be a badass, earning distinction as a fine soldier over 12 years of service until refusing rewards to retire back home. In the earlier tales everybody is surprised she’s a lady but otherwise make no fuss about it, and in later iterations it can go the other way (one version has her committing suicide rather than becoming the emperor’s concubine).
Design Notes: Mulan has reached a legendary status in Chinese culture so she’s fairly high level. That said when she’s entirely on her own, she’s not going to be a wrecking ball like Thor. Consider using Mulan with other NPCs to use the warlord archetype features to their full effect, increasing her effective CR by +1 (if mooks like guards) or +2 (if using veterans or gladiators). With lots of allies to move around and boost she’ll make for an exciting encounter, and given her talents for deception Mulan is somebody that can play a part off of the battlefield as well.
Hua Mulan
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good monk (kensei) 4/fighter (warmaster) 12
Armor Class 18 (breastplate, dextrous parry)
Hit Points 110 (4d8+12d10+16)
Speed 40 ft. (50 ft. when not in armor)
Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +8
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +5, Intimidation +7, Stealth +8
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Chinese
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Background: Military Service - Rank. Mulan still commands respect from her time serving in the army. Soldiers loyal to the same forces view her as their superior, and Mulan can use her influence to temporarily requisition simple equipment or horses, possibly even gaining entrance to military fortresses and outposts.
Action Surge (1/short rest). Once on her turn, Mulan can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Battle Maneuvers. Instead of moving her speed on her turn, Mulan can allow up to three allies who can see or hear her to move up to half their speed. Only allies able to take actions can benefit from Battle Maneuvers.
Dextrous Parry. Mulan can defend herself with a longsword or longbow on the same turn she makes an unarmed strike as part of her Attack action, gaining a +2 bonus to AC until the start of her next turn so long as she is not incapacitated and has the weapon in one of her hands.
Feat: Acting. Mulan has advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks made to impersonate. In addition, she can mimic the speech of other creatures she’s head speak for at least 1 minute. A suspicious listener can see through her mimicry by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by Mulan’s Charisma (Deception) check.
Feat: Athletic. Mulan can stand up from being prone with only 5 feet of her movement, climbing doesn’t cost her extra movement, and she only has to move 5 feet before making a running long jump or running high jump.
Feat: Mobile. Mulan can Dash through difficult terrain without requiring additional movement. Whenever she makes an attack against a creature, she doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature until the end of her turn.
Feat: Soldier Tactics. A creature hit by Mulan’s opportunity attack reduces its speed to 0 until the beginning of the next round and disengaging from Mulan still provokes opportunity attacks. In addition, Mulan can use her reaction to make a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet when it makes an attack against a target other than Mulan.
Forward Leader. Creatures that Mulan hits with a weapon attack have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist her Tactical Stratagems until the end of her next turn.
Indomitable (1/long rest). Mulan can reroll a saving throw that she fails but must use the new roll.
Ki (4 points/short rest). Mulan can spend ki points to fuel various ki features.
Martial Arts. Mulan can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of her unarmed strikes and monk weapons. In addition, when Wukong uses the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on her turn, she can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Path of the Weaponmaster. Mulan has particular affinity with longswords and longbows, treating them as monk weapons.
Second Wind (1/short rest). On her turn, Mulan can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+12 hit points.
Tactical Focal Point. Mulan selects a 10-foot square to be her tactical focal point as a bonus action or as part of the Attack action, choosing one of the following benefits to apply to it. This lasts until she cannot take actions or uses this feature again. Each time Mulan completes a long rest, she can swap one of these benefits for a different one.
Tactical Mastery (9/long rest). Mulan uses part of her Attack action or a bonus action to take mastery of the battlefield, granting it to herself and allies within her tactical focal point by expending uses of this feature. A creature that is granted a use of Mulan’s Tactical Mastery can either regain 2d10 hit points when it is granted (any hit points greater than its maximum are temporary hit points) or use it to deal an extra 2d10 damage with an attack.
Tactical Stratagems (4/long rest). Mulan can use a stratagem as an action. Each time she completes a long rest she can swap one of her stratagems for a different one.
Weaponmaster Strike. Mulan can use a bonus action when she hits a target with a longbow attack on her turn, dealing an extra 1d4 piercing damage on ranged attacks with her longbow until the end of her next turn.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Mulan attacks three times when she takes the attack action (using a bonus action she can attack a fourth time with Martial Arts and her longsword or longbow monk weapons).
Unarmed. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage if wielded in one hand or 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Deflect Missiles. Mulan can use her reaction to deflect or catch the missile when she is hit by a ranged weapon attack. When she does so, the damage she takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10+4. When the damage is reduced to 0, she can catch the missile if it is small enough for her to hold in one hand and she has at least one hand free. If she catches a missile in this way, Mulan can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition she just caught, as part of the same reaction (+10 to hit, range 20/60 ft., 1d4+2 damage).
Slow Fall. Mulan can use her reaction when she falls to reduce any falling damage she takes by 20.
The first distinction (and one I like most) is that there’s a crater on Venus named after her—how cool is that? More importantly she’s one of the most enduring and popular characters in all of chinese mythology, and because records going back to that area and era of the world are more plentiful we know at least that she was likely a real person back in 386-536 AD.
Most of us have seen the animated movie but for anyone who hasn’t, here’s the lowdown: Mulan’s father (or younger brother, depending on the source material) is conscripted into the army but fearful for his life, she dresses up as a man and enlists in his place. She proceeds to be a badass, earning distinction as a fine soldier over 12 years of service until refusing rewards to retire back home. In the earlier tales everybody is surprised she’s a lady but otherwise make no fuss about it, and in later iterations it can go the other way (one version has her committing suicide rather than becoming the emperor’s concubine).
Design Notes: Mulan has reached a legendary status in Chinese culture so she’s fairly high level. That said when she’s entirely on her own, she’s not going to be a wrecking ball like Thor. Consider using Mulan with other NPCs to use the warlord archetype features to their full effect, increasing her effective CR by +1 (if mooks like guards) or +2 (if using veterans or gladiators). With lots of allies to move around and boost she’ll make for an exciting encounter, and given her talents for deception Mulan is somebody that can play a part off of the battlefield as well.
Hua Mulan
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good monk (kensei) 4/fighter (warmaster) 12
Armor Class 18 (breastplate, dextrous parry)
Hit Points 110 (4d8+12d10+16)
Speed 40 ft. (50 ft. when not in armor)
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +8
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +5, Intimidation +7, Stealth +8
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Chinese
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Background: Military Service - Rank. Mulan still commands respect from her time serving in the army. Soldiers loyal to the same forces view her as their superior, and Mulan can use her influence to temporarily requisition simple equipment or horses, possibly even gaining entrance to military fortresses and outposts.
Action Surge (1/short rest). Once on her turn, Mulan can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Battle Maneuvers. Instead of moving her speed on her turn, Mulan can allow up to three allies who can see or hear her to move up to half their speed. Only allies able to take actions can benefit from Battle Maneuvers.
Dextrous Parry. Mulan can defend herself with a longsword or longbow on the same turn she makes an unarmed strike as part of her Attack action, gaining a +2 bonus to AC until the start of her next turn so long as she is not incapacitated and has the weapon in one of her hands.
Feat: Acting. Mulan has advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks made to impersonate. In addition, she can mimic the speech of other creatures she’s head speak for at least 1 minute. A suspicious listener can see through her mimicry by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by Mulan’s Charisma (Deception) check.
Feat: Athletic. Mulan can stand up from being prone with only 5 feet of her movement, climbing doesn’t cost her extra movement, and she only has to move 5 feet before making a running long jump or running high jump.
Feat: Mobile. Mulan can Dash through difficult terrain without requiring additional movement. Whenever she makes an attack against a creature, she doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature until the end of her turn.
Feat: Soldier Tactics. A creature hit by Mulan’s opportunity attack reduces its speed to 0 until the beginning of the next round and disengaging from Mulan still provokes opportunity attacks. In addition, Mulan can use her reaction to make a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet when it makes an attack against a target other than Mulan.
Forward Leader. Creatures that Mulan hits with a weapon attack have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist her Tactical Stratagems until the end of her next turn.
Indomitable (1/long rest). Mulan can reroll a saving throw that she fails but must use the new roll.
Ki (4 points/short rest). Mulan can spend ki points to fuel various ki features.
- Flurry of Blows. Immediately after Mulan takes the Attack action on her turn, she can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
- Patient Defense. Mulan can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on her turn.
- Step of the Wind. Mulan can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on her turn, and her jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Martial Arts. Mulan can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of her unarmed strikes and monk weapons. In addition, when Wukong uses the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on her turn, she can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Path of the Weaponmaster. Mulan has particular affinity with longswords and longbows, treating them as monk weapons.
Second Wind (1/short rest). On her turn, Mulan can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+12 hit points.
Tactical Focal Point. Mulan selects a 10-foot square to be her tactical focal point as a bonus action or as part of the Attack action, choosing one of the following benefits to apply to it. This lasts until she cannot take actions or uses this feature again. Each time Mulan completes a long rest, she can swap one of these benefits for a different one.
- Area Clear. When an ally inside Mulan’s tactical focal point hits a creature with an attack, the ally can move that creature 5 feet.
- Cover the Flank. As many as three target creatures of Mulan’s choice can use a reaction to move up to their speed when an enemy that she can see enters her focal point, so long as that movement does not end in the focal point. If a target creature is ending their movement adjacent to the enemy that triggered this feature, they do not have to use their reaction.
- Phalanx Sidestep. An ally inside of Mulan’s tactical focal point doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks as long as they move from a square adjacent to an ally and into another square adjacent to an ally. In addition, Mulan and her allies can end their movement in space occupied by an ally. The ally immediately moves 5 feet away from the direction they came in and must end movement inside of her tactical focal point.
- Run Away! When an ally inside of Mulan’s focal point is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, they move up to their speed by using their reaction and are no longer subjected to the triggering effect if their movement takes them outside of the area or range.
Tactical Mastery (9/long rest). Mulan uses part of her Attack action or a bonus action to take mastery of the battlefield, granting it to herself and allies within her tactical focal point by expending uses of this feature. A creature that is granted a use of Mulan’s Tactical Mastery can either regain 2d10 hit points when it is granted (any hit points greater than its maximum are temporary hit points) or use it to deal an extra 2d10 damage with an attack.
Tactical Stratagems (4/long rest). Mulan can use a stratagem as an action. Each time she completes a long rest she can swap one of her stratagems for a different one.
- Luring Feint. As part of this strategem, Mulan can take the Attack action. On her turn if she hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, it makes a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or she and her allies are invisible to it until the end of her next turn.
- Pincers Movement. As part of this stratagem, Mulan can take the Attack action. Up to two allies that can see or hear Mulan can use their reactions to move up to their speed. Any creature adjacent to both of her allies or to Mulan and one of the chosen allies at the end of their movement makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or is restrained until the end of her next turn. As part of this gambit, you may take the attack action.
- Vexing Maneuvers. As part of this stratagem, Mulan can take the Attack action. Each enemy in Mulan’s tactical focal point that she can see makes a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or it cannot leave her tactical focal point using its move until the end of her next turn. As part of this gambit, you may take the attack action.
Weaponmaster Strike. Mulan can use a bonus action when she hits a target with a longbow attack on her turn, dealing an extra 1d4 piercing damage on ranged attacks with her longbow until the end of her next turn.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Mulan attacks three times when she takes the attack action (using a bonus action she can attack a fourth time with Martial Arts and her longsword or longbow monk weapons).
Unarmed. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage if wielded in one hand or 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Deflect Missiles. Mulan can use her reaction to deflect or catch the missile when she is hit by a ranged weapon attack. When she does so, the damage she takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10+4. When the damage is reduced to 0, she can catch the missile if it is small enough for her to hold in one hand and she has at least one hand free. If she catches a missile in this way, Mulan can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition she just caught, as part of the same reaction (+10 to hit, range 20/60 ft., 1d4+2 damage).
Slow Fall. Mulan can use her reaction when she falls to reduce any falling damage she takes by 20.
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