Picture by
Risa "Vylla" Hulett
Mako, the Thunderer
Race: Human (variant rules);
Background: Outlander;
Class: Barbarian 4th (Storm Herald)
Alignment. Neutral Good
Personality.
Mako watch over her friends like they were a litter of newborn pups.
Mako can stare down a hellhound without flinching.
Ideals.
Peace: Mako believes that her ultimate goal as a warrior is to find a way to ensure peace.
Bonds.
Mako goes were the winds lead her.
Flaws.
In truth, Mako is hopelessly romantic and starstruck.
STR: +3 (16),
DEX: +2 (14),
CON: +2 (14),
INT: +0 (10),
WIS: +1 (12),
CHA: +1 (12)
Proficiency Bonus: +2
- Saving Throws: Strength +5, Constitutio +4
- Skills: History +2; Insight +5; Intimidation +3; Persuasion +3, Religion 2
- Tools: Cooking Utensils*
- Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Giant
- Weapons: Simple, Martial, Improvised
- Armors: Light, Medium and Shields
Features
- Wanderer. Mako has an excellent memory for maps and geography and she can easily recall the general layout of the terrain around her. She is also able to find food and water for herself and up to five companions provided the region offers enough resources.
- Rage (Bonus Action; 3 times per Long Rest): When Mako flew into a berserker rage, she gain Advantage to Strength-based checks and saves, +2 damage on all melee attack and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage. The rage lasts 1 minute or until Mako passes an entire round with being hit or attacking an opponent in melee.
- Reckless Attack. Mako can gain Advantage on all her melee attacks for 1 round, but she also provides Advantage to all attacks against her.
- Danger Sense. Mako has Advantage on Dexterity saves against visible dangers.
- Storm Aura (Bonus Action). While raging Mako can call down a lightning bolt against a single opponent within 10' of her, the target suffers 1d6 lightning damage (half as much on a successful DC 12 Dexterity save).
- Feat: Athlete. Standing up from Prone cost Mako only 5' of movement, she can also climb at full speed and perform a running jump with only 5' of running start.
- Feat: Tavern Brawler. When Mako hit an opponent with an improvised weapon or an unarmed attack she can immediately start a grapple as a Bonus Action.
Combat:
Initiative: +2;
Armor Class: 16 (Breast Plate) or 14 (unarmored);
Speed: 30'
Hit Points: 41;
Hit Dice: 4d12
Attacks:
- Long Spear (+5 to hit; 1d10+3; Reach)
- Javelin (+5 to hit; 1d6+3; Thrown [30'/120'])
- Unarmed (+5 to hit; 1d4+3)
Other Equipment: Clothes (traveller), Backpack (Bedroll, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, Rations [10 days], Torches [10], Rope [50'], Hunting Trap), Pouch (10 gp), Trophy from a Past Hunt (bear fang earrings), Waterskin
The Story So Far.
The Windsong Forest marks the border between the proper Silver Moon Kingdom and the region of the Outer Marches. While technically part of the Kingdom, it's a wild and unexplored region famed for being home to ancient creatures from the elder days. No noble family lay claim to this territory, but the nominal leaders of the sparse communities of hunters, woodchoppers and waywatcher are the Seusa clan ... until recently. Just last year tragedy struck, most of the able-bodied men and women of the clan were killed in a mysterious accident.
When the Queen was informed she dispatched a company of her knights to explore the region. When they arrived they found that all the dead had been neatly buried and fresh flowers decorated each mound. Only a single set of human tracks was found. They press on and a few days later they met a young woman camping in the wilds next to the skinned corpse of a massive bear. She introduced herself as Mako, the last of the Seusa.
Mako was brought to the capital, where rumors about her feat started to circulate and caused many to give her a wide berth. Even the Princess was very much scared, until one night she runs into another boatload of trouble and it was the tall child of woods to save her and nurse her back to health. Since then Mako has started to watch over the Princess like an older sister of sorts and while she hasn't joined the royal guard, many think it's just a matter of time.
Makoto Kino was a bit of a problem to fit into D&D format, I knew I wanted her to be a warrior class, but I also didn't like the idea or relegating her lighting powers to some kind of magic item. For a while I was dead set on a Way of the elements Monk (a.k.a. a bender from Avatar/Korra) then the Storm Herald Barbarian came along. A warrior that calls down lighting while raging? Sold!
Of course Mako is the bulldozer of the team, she might not have the raw damage output of Ami or Rei, but she can take a hit and return the favor like no one else in the business. Her big trick is that she is extremely flexible: her lighting supplement her basic attack instead or replacing it or she can punch someone and start a grapple.
For her weapon of choice I decided to go with a little homage to the live-action version of the show and went for a spear, easily the most iconic of the bunch given that all the other Senshi got some form of bladed weapon.
Under normal circumstances, the Outlander background provides proficiency with one musical instrument, but I decided to trade that for proficiency with cooking's utensils, which is much more in line with the character.