The popular Mythological Figures series continues with another character for your 5E games! Born to a peasant family (although her father headed the local watch and collected taxes in addition to farming), Joan of Arc was raised inside of a territory loyal to the French but surrounded by pro-Burgundian forces (an alliance between some of the French aristocracy and England). Starting at the age of 13 she began to have visions of the saints beseeching her to drive out the English and see to the coronation of the Dauphin (Charles VII) to Reims as the rightful ruler of France.
There’s a fair bit of historical argument about exactly how involved or instrumental she proved to be in the Hundred Years War, but she definitely had a tangible effect. By the time Joan appeared the French were on a very long, brutal losing streak and many consider her treatment to be a reflection of how desperate things really were—which makes sense, because they really put a lot of faith into this crazy teenager. Good thing too because it paid off, leading to the coronation she was destined to make happen. You can read more about exactly how influential she was and the specifics over on Wikipedia, but after that things didn’t go so awesome for her (see the left side of the banner). In the end she became canonized as a saint and probably saved the French from an early defeat (although the Hundred Years War drags on for 22 years after her execution, her tactics were largely adopted by French forces).
As always the list of Mythological Figures on the docket grows so comment with who you want to make their way onto EN World! Next week, Aladdin will be making an appearance!
Joan of Arc
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good bard (valorous) 5/fighter (master of battle) 8/paladin 2
Armor Class 21 (platemail, shield, defensive fighting style)
Hit Points 107 (5d8+10d10+30)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +6, Cha +9
Skills Animal Handling +5, Athletics +8, Insight +10, Medicine +5, Perception +5, Religion +12
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Action Surge (1/short rest). On her turn, Joan can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Background Feature: Divine Connection. Joan devoutly believe she has a divine mandate to liberate France from the English.
Bardic Inspiration 1d8 (3/short rest). As a bonus action on her turn, Joan can choose one other creature within 60 feet who can hear her. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d8. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or weapon damage roll it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether a roll succeeds or fails. In addition, a creature can use its reaction when attacked to use the Bardic Inspiration die, adding the result to its AC and possibly causing the attack to miss.
Divine Sense (3/long rest). As an action, until the end of her next turn Joan knows the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of her that is not behind total cover. She knows the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence she senses, but not its identity. Within the same radius, she also detects the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
Divine Smite. When Joan hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, she can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 3d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Feat: Inspirational. When Joan spends 10 minutes speaking inspirationally, she can choose up to 6 friendly creatures (including herself if she likes) within 30 feet that can hear and understand her. Each creature gains 18 temporary hit points but cannot gain more temporary hit points from this feature until after they have completed a long rest.
Feat: Master of the Shield. While she has her shield, Joan adds +2 to Dexterity saving throws against spells or other harmful effects that only target her and she can use a bonus action to use it to shove a creature within 5 feet.
Jack of All Trades. Joan adds +2 to any ability check she makes that doesn’t already include her proficiency bonus.
Lay on Hands (10 points/long rest). As an action, Joan can touch a creature and restore a number of hit points to it, up to the maximum amount remaining in this pool. Alternatively, she can expend 5 hit points to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it.
Maneuver Master (5d8 maneuver dice/short rest). Joan can expend a maneuver dice to perform a single maneuver with an attack.
Second Wind (1/short rest). On her turn, Joan can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+8 hit points.
Spellcasting. Joan is a 6th level spellcaster that uses Charisma as her spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16; +8 to hit with spell attacks). She knows or has prepared the following spells:
Song of Rest. After a short rest, if Joan or any friendly creatures who can hear her performance regain hit points by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Joan attacks twice.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage if wielded in one hand or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10+1) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Feat: Master of the Shield. Joan can reflexively protect her body with her shield. When she is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Joan can use her reaction to take no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw.
Design Notes: It was really, really hard to decide on what sort of build Joan of Arc should have—she infamously preferred to wield her banner in battle (“forty times” better than a sword) but as an NPC it’s questionable if she’d be a lot of fun to encounter that way. Ultimately I settled on kicking her off with bard (all about inspiring others), fighter (to provide some oomph when engaged in combat), and then finally paladin (because while in this scenario she might have started out as sort of a crazy person, her faith is vindicated in the end).
If you’re looking for a more historically accurate version of Joan (not this glitzy-Hollywood-show iteration) take away the fighter and paladin levels:
There’s a fair bit of historical argument about exactly how involved or instrumental she proved to be in the Hundred Years War, but she definitely had a tangible effect. By the time Joan appeared the French were on a very long, brutal losing streak and many consider her treatment to be a reflection of how desperate things really were—which makes sense, because they really put a lot of faith into this crazy teenager. Good thing too because it paid off, leading to the coronation she was destined to make happen. You can read more about exactly how influential she was and the specifics over on Wikipedia, but after that things didn’t go so awesome for her (see the left side of the banner). In the end she became canonized as a saint and probably saved the French from an early defeat (although the Hundred Years War drags on for 22 years after her execution, her tactics were largely adopted by French forces).
As always the list of Mythological Figures on the docket grows so comment with who you want to make their way onto EN World! Next week, Aladdin will be making an appearance!
Joan of Arc
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good bard (valorous) 5/fighter (master of battle) 8/paladin 2
Armor Class 21 (platemail, shield, defensive fighting style)
Hit Points 107 (5d8+10d10+30)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Cha +9
Skills Animal Handling +5, Athletics +8, Insight +10, Medicine +5, Perception +5, Religion +12
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Action Surge (1/short rest). On her turn, Joan can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Background Feature: Divine Connection. Joan devoutly believe she has a divine mandate to liberate France from the English.
Bardic Inspiration 1d8 (3/short rest). As a bonus action on her turn, Joan can choose one other creature within 60 feet who can hear her. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d8. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or weapon damage roll it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether a roll succeeds or fails. In addition, a creature can use its reaction when attacked to use the Bardic Inspiration die, adding the result to its AC and possibly causing the attack to miss.
Divine Sense (3/long rest). As an action, until the end of her next turn Joan knows the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of her that is not behind total cover. She knows the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence she senses, but not its identity. Within the same radius, she also detects the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
Divine Smite. When Joan hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, she can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 3d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Feat: Inspirational. When Joan spends 10 minutes speaking inspirationally, she can choose up to 6 friendly creatures (including herself if she likes) within 30 feet that can hear and understand her. Each creature gains 18 temporary hit points but cannot gain more temporary hit points from this feature until after they have completed a long rest.
Feat: Master of the Shield. While she has her shield, Joan adds +2 to Dexterity saving throws against spells or other harmful effects that only target her and she can use a bonus action to use it to shove a creature within 5 feet.
Jack of All Trades. Joan adds +2 to any ability check she makes that doesn’t already include her proficiency bonus.
Lay on Hands (10 points/long rest). As an action, Joan can touch a creature and restore a number of hit points to it, up to the maximum amount remaining in this pool. Alternatively, she can expend 5 hit points to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it.
Maneuver Master (5d8 maneuver dice/short rest). Joan can expend a maneuver dice to perform a single maneuver with an attack.
- Command. Joan uses her bonus action to forgo one of her attacks and direct a friendly creature who can see or hear her. The creature uses its reaction and makes a weapon attack, dealing 1d8 additional weapon damage on a successful hit.
- Disarm. A creature Joan has hit with an attack takes 1d8 additional damage and makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or drops one held item of her choice.
- Precise. Joan adds 1d8 to a weapon attack roll.
- Sweep. Joan chooses a creature adjacent to her target and within her reach and on a hit, the adjacent creature takes 1d8 damage (of the same type as the weapon attack).
- Trip. Joan deals 1d8 additional damage and if the target is a creature of Large size or smaller, it makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Second Wind (1/short rest). On her turn, Joan can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+8 hit points.
Spellcasting. Joan is a 6th level spellcaster that uses Charisma as her spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16; +8 to hit with spell attacks). She knows or has prepared the following spells:
Cantrips: mending, message, true strike
1st level (4 slots): bane, longstrider, healing word, heroism; bless, divine favor
2nd level (3 slots): enhance ability, zone of truth; aid
3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, sending; revivify
1st level (4 slots): bane, longstrider, healing word, heroism; bless, divine favor
2nd level (3 slots): enhance ability, zone of truth; aid
3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, sending; revivify
Song of Rest. After a short rest, if Joan or any friendly creatures who can hear her performance regain hit points by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Joan attacks twice.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage if wielded in one hand or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10+1) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Feat: Master of the Shield. Joan can reflexively protect her body with her shield. When she is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Joan can use her reaction to take no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw.
Design Notes: It was really, really hard to decide on what sort of build Joan of Arc should have—she infamously preferred to wield her banner in battle (“forty times” better than a sword) but as an NPC it’s questionable if she’d be a lot of fun to encounter that way. Ultimately I settled on kicking her off with bard (all about inspiring others), fighter (to provide some oomph when engaged in combat), and then finally paladin (because while in this scenario she might have started out as sort of a crazy person, her faith is vindicated in the end).
If you’re looking for a more historically accurate version of Joan (not this glitzy-Hollywood-show iteration) take away the fighter and paladin levels:
- drop her hit points by 75
- reduce Saving Throws/Skills/spell save DC/Attack bonuses by -2 (Insight and Religion by -4)
- Strength reduction of 2 (further lowering some skills and melee attack/damage by -1)
- remove the defensive fighting style, Action Surge, Divine Sense, Divine Smite, Feat: Master of the Shield, Lay on Hands, Maneuver Master, Second Wind, and Extra Attack features
- Inspirational only provides 8 temporary HP and Jack of All Trades goes down to a +1 bonus
- for spells drop anything after semicolons along with one of her 3rd-level spell slots
- put her in half plate (so AC of 18)
I think Mike Mearls may have a stab at it on one of his twich design streams. But that said, massive inspiration, suicidal bravery and keeping the Fleur de Lys flying was Joan's sthick, get others to do the actual head bashing. If anyone ought to have a warlord build it should be Joan.
