Dungeons and Dragons is more popular than ever thanks to the success of titles like Stranger Things, Critical Role, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Dungeons and Dragons is currently working on One D&D, its evergreen evolution of 5th Edition, and the film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is scheduled to hit theaters on March 31, 2023. It’s a great time to be a Dungeons and Dragons fan.
Tabletop role-players often borrow ideas for new characters, and World of Warcraft is an excellent source of inspiration for Dungeons and Dragons. Azeroth takes heavy inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons, and there have even been two official Warcraft tabletop roleplaying systems compatible with 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons. There are a few ideas to try for players hoping to embody their favorite Warcraft heroes in Dungeons and Dragons.
Jaina - Conjuration Wizard
Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore’s mastery of magic has made her into a powerful ally for some, and a terrible adversary for others. Lady Proudmoore's Dungeons and Dragons class would be a Wizard of the School of Conjuration, as Jaina is known for her skills in teleportation and summoning - both of which are empowered by the Conjuration archetype’s features. Variant Human is the obvious pick for her species, and her background could be either Noble or Sage, representing her time in Kul Tiras or Dalaran, respectively.
Players should make liberal use of spells like Conjure Elemental or Summon Elemental to ensure she is never far from her water elemental companion. Other spells like Ice Storm, Wall of Ice, and Vortex Warp can be used to control the battlefield as the archmage does in her Battle for Azeroth raid encounter. For feats, players might consider taking Elemental Adept to ensure her icy magic can freeze almost every foe, or Keen Mind to represent Jaina’s cunning intellect.
Jaina’s magical Staff of Antonidas is her most important piece of gear, and this mighty focus would be best represented by a Staff of Power or the Staff of the Archmage. If players are unable to get these incredibly powerful magic items in Dungeons and Dragons, staves like the Staff of Frost or Staff of the Voyager would be perfect in their stead.
Thrall - Rune Knight Fighter/Tempest Cleric
Thrall is one of the most iconic and recognizable orcs in World of Warcraft history. The former warchief’s mastery of the elements would make Tempest Cleric with a Rune Knight multiclass perfect to represent him. The former gives him access to powerful storm magic, while the latter improves his martial capability while giving him more elemental tricks. Players should choose the Orc species for Thrall, and can take the Outlander or Hermit backgrounds to represent his shamanistic soul-searching (alternatively, choosing Athlete, Folk Hero, or Gladiator to represent his early life as a pit fighter).
Players should take more levels in Cleric - five levels in Fighter gives players most of the features they would want from the class, while still allowing them to use powerful Cleric spells like Earthquake. The Stone and Fire runes from Rune Knight are great fits for Thrall, granting him mighty offensive and defensive abilities. For feats in this Dungeons and Dragons build, War Caster is a must-have, allowing Thrall to better concentrate on spells for opportunity attacks.
The legendary Doomhammer and Doomplate granted to Thrall by Orgrim Doomhammer are some of his most iconic pieces of equipment. The Doomhammer can be best represented by a custom version of the Hammer of Thunderbolts or Akmon, the artifact hammer from Mystic Odysseys of Theros. Adamantine Plate Armor would be a great fit for the Doomplate, but any magic armor could work.
Tyrande - Twilight Cleric
Tyrande Whisperwind, High Priestess of Elune, is an awesome warrior with peerless skill in both magic and martial combat. The Cleric class is an obvious pick for the priestess, and the Twilight Domain fits Elune’s profile. The Night Elves of World of Warcraft are best represented by the Wood Elf species in Dungeons and Dragons, and Tyrande would have the Acolyte background due to her training as a priestess.
Like Thrall, the War Caster feat would be a great pick for Tyrande. If players want to take inspiration from her older incarnations, Mounted Combatant and Sharpshooter can be a great combination of feats to represent being an archer astride Ash’alah, her tiger companion. The Dual Wielder feat can help players fight with two swords as she does in Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands, and for players seeking to embody the Night Warrior, they should consider taking the Shadow Touched feat, the War Cleric Domain, or taking multiclass levels as a Vengeance Paladin or a Celestial Warlock.
Tyrande’s bow, Elun’tara, is a mighty weapon that rarely leaves her side. The artifact bow Ephixis would be a perfect fit, but the more common Oathbow is also a powerful and thematic choice, one that serves players well as they bring Elune’s wrath upon her enemies.
Baine - Ancestors Barbarian
As leader of the Horde-aligned Tauren in World of Warcraft, Baine Bloodhoof is a great warrior who does not hesitate to protect his allies. As such, the Path of the Ancestors Barbarian is a great pick. The class’ ability to summon the power of ancient warriors is thematic for Baine, even if he does not explicitly use such abilities in World of Warcraft. The Minotaur species is a perfect representation for the bull-like Tauren, and a re-flavored version of the Uthgardt Tribe Member background would fit the Bloodhoof chieftain well.
Several Dungeons and Dragons feats would be excellent choices for Baine. Tough would give him extra hit points, Sentinel would help him prevent foes from reaching his allies, and Great Weapon Master would turn his swings into devastating blows. For players looking for a less magical approach to Baine, the Path of the Totem Barbarian would also be fitting for the brave warrior.
Baine is shown wielding several weapons throughout World of Warcraft, so players have a few options. The Bloodhoof Warmace could be any Vicious or +1 magic mace. For a short while, Cairne also wielded Fearbreaker, a hammer given to him by Magni Bronzebeard and Anduin Wrynn. Capable of destroying evil creatures, a Mace of Disruption would be a great way to represent this magic weapon. Lastly, the Bloodhoof Runespear wielded by his father Cairne could be represented by the godly Khrusor artifact spear if it can be unlocked through a generous dungeon masters.
One D&D is in development.