I think that the Dragon Slayer mages in Fairy Tail are an appropriate example for high level sorcerers and warlocks specifically. These two are not prepared casters, they don’t need crazy magical reagents for their strongest abilities, they have stronger Short Rest benefits than prepared, full-progression casters… Basically, via metamagic for sorcerers and the build-a-bear approach for Warlocks, you can have a theme/identity for your character. These two are not (generally) Ritual Casters either, just as the Dragon Slayer mages aren’t the sort who prepare delicate solutions to incoming problems; sorcerers and warlocks can be thrown at problems and come out on top.


I think Red X from the first Teen Titans cartoon is a good example of a high level Arcane Trickster rogue, an artificer, or some specific forms of Bard. A focus on disabling spells/gadgets, highly evasive, intelligent, capable of operating alone, competent even if they are stuck in an Anti-Magic bubble due to magic-free skills…


Wolverine is a barbarian. Logan is THE barbarian who can storm a castle single handed without having to sneak. Take the 2013 The Wolverine movie in Japan- robots, advanced weapons, environmental threats… He doesn’t smash the big threats in one hit, he dismantles them after surviving multiple surprise techniques. Some portrayals of Wolverine, like those where he has amnesia, might lead you to think he is a Monk or a Paladin or even a Ranger. I’ll counter with Spider-Man in his Iron Spider suits; those portrayals of Spider-Man are Artificers and Monks. Meanwhile Wolverine does not rely on tools. Frankly I think Barbarians should get Epic Boons automatically at high levels, or gain them temporarily at the cost of a Rage, but oh well.


Arthas Menethil as the Lich King is what I think of for a level 20 to level 25 Paladin/Blackguard. Whereas Clerics have 9th level spells and Divine Intervention, Paladins are defiance incarnate. They are made to cross blades with the commanders of infernal legions, survive drinking cursed soup from a hag’s cauldron, and stand stalwart when a living tornado shreds a cottage around them. Count Dooku could be a level 10 to 13 Paladin I think, seeing as he lacks a number of Monk traits you’d expect from a Jedi.


So Ranger; I can’t name the character, but I have this mental image of a businessman, head of some crew (poachers? Miners? Archeologists?) who wind up in every zone/realm prior to the arrival of the protagonists. Not Ratchet & Clank, no one from World of Warcraft (though they remind me of goblin poachers from WoD), no one from DC Comics… Some sort of colony manager? Deus from Grrl Genius and Vandal Savage fit the attitude I remember… but this is someone who put his money where his mouth is at times of crisis. Any ideas?