How to make the edgiest character?

[Douche]

I want to make the edgiest character possible. I already have a name - it's Darkblade Shadowedge.

Part of his backstory (feel free to add to it) is that he was trained in an assassin school, where he was always second best to his rival - who also happened to be the son of the assassin master. Living in the shadow of the golden boy led Darkblade Shadowedge (you must always use his full name) to explore the darkest reaches of the assassins archives, where he found forbidden techniques that even the assassins were not permitted to use. That's how dark & edgy they were.

He then challenged his rival to a duel, and using the forbidden techniques was able to incapacitate him... Then, just before Darkblade Shadowedge struck the killing blow, their master intervened & stopped the fight, exiling Darkblade Shadowedge. Since then, he has been wandering the lands, taking on the assassination contracts that are too dangerous & edgy for the average assassin to take. One day he will gain enough power to return to the assassin school & slay his former master, rival, and all the students - then he will take his place as the Dark master of all assassins.

I want to make the most convoluted & overblown backstory ever. Give me everything you got... Maybe he briefly fell in love & was going to give up the assassin lifestyle, opening his heart, but then his past came back to haunt him & an angry mob led by the son of a lord he once killed came, and although he did not want to inflict any violence on them, they attacked him anyway & his love got killed in the crossfire. This let the darkness back into his heart & he slayed all those peasants & put the new lord's head on a spike. From that day forward, he promised himself that he would never love again, and never leave anyone alive to oppose him.


So, what class combos, what race, feats, etc? How do I make the Darkest, Bladiest, Shadowiest, Edgiest character EVER??!? Also, and perhaps more importantly, what else can I add to his backstory?

[Waffle_Iron]

The master of the assassin school is already doomed to failure, because he is working against the prophecy foretelling Darkblade Shadowedge's supremacy.
He is the chosen vessel of the ancient spirit of the first assassin. We know this because only a half tiefling, half aasimar child can withstand the forces burning inside the vessel of the ancient spirit of the first assassin.

Darkblade Shadowedge always refers to himself as "Darkblade Shadowedge, vessel of the ancient spirit of the first assassin"

[georgie_leech]

Don't forget to add Curse of Strahd's Monster Hunter Background, a.k.a. you're so dark and broody that random townsfolk go out of their way to help you because they can just tell how tortured and tragic your backstory is.

[smcmike]

To make the ultimate Edgelord, you need levels in Warlock, Vengeance Paladin, and Assassin. Possible substitutes exist, including cleric of a dark god, fallen paladin, necromancer, and shadow monk, but I think those are the best.

Part of being Edgy is focusing on how Cool your character is while he is doing all those Dark & Edgy things. So Charisma is key.

[ZX6Rob]

Well, hold on, I think we're missing one of the most important parts of the proper edgelord here.

He's got to be misunderstood! His misanthropic nature is simply the outward manifestation of a deep-seated insecurity, resulting from the internalization of the notion that he is apart from others and always will be, that he somehow stands alone, and that no one will ever truly understand the incredible, titanic struggle within himself, nor will he ever truly be able to relate this to another person, no matter how close they become.

Darkedge Shadowblade's behavior and affectations are, in large part, due to this deep-seated need for understanding and acceptance. And yet, as a half-tiefling, half-aasimar assassin, given incredible gifts in the art of death that, in truth, are more of a burden than a boon, who can truly claim to understand or know him? Of course, he does what he must do to survive, and so he will tell himself, as his black-edged knife cuts the throat of one more unsuspecting nobleman, fatted on the wealth of the nation that he's enslaved with his unjust regime; but there will always be that shadow of self-doubt. The kind that can usually only be expressed during brooding internal monologues while Darkedge Shadowblade crouches, hunched and ready to leap at a moment's notice, on the silent gargoyles of the largest church in the city -- itself an impossibly large symbol of greed and lust for power given form in unfeeling stone -- as the rain pours down his hooded and implacable face.

You gotta' have the rain. That makes the whole scene.

[Rerem115]

For real edgelordiness, you should probably be a tiefling or a drow. For extra points, be a tiefling-drow-aasimar hybrid. He's gotta have katanas or the wrist dagger from Assassin's Creed (Exotic weapons if you can, refluffed longswords/rapiers/daggers if you can't). If those are out, you at least need hand crossbows. Do sunglasses exist? If they do, you need aviators. No matter what, you need some sort of leather armor that's impractically black (real black is actually bad for stealth) and a cloak with a massive hood. You've gotta use some sort of low rasp whenever you speak in character. Dead parents are a given, as are amazing scars and/or tattoos. He needs to be a fervent worshiper of Bhaal. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Xetheral]

Mechanical elements fitting the "dark and edgy" theme:

• Drow
• Slashing Weapons
• Shadow Monk
• Warlock (Blade or Chain Pact/Great Old One or Unseelie)
• Invocation: Devil's Sight
• Background:Haunted One
• Feat: Skulker
• Paladin of Vengeance
• Refluffed Ancients Paladin (Unseelie--promoting joy and happiness and beauty and laughter through slaughter and torture and cruelty)
• Shadow Sorcerer
• Warlock Spells: Arms of Hadar, Hex, Crown of Madness, Enthrall, Gaseous Form, Hunger of Hadar, Contact Other Plane, Dream

Suggested Build (no particular order): Dex/Cha/Wis Assassin Rogue 3/Ancients (Unseelie) Paladin 8/Shadow Monk 6/Fey Bladelock (Shortsword Pact Weapon) 3

[Douche]

For real edgelordiness, you should probably be a tiefling or a drow. For extra points, be a tiefling-drow-aasimar hybrid. He's gotta have katanas or the wrist dagger from Assassin's Creed (Exotic weapons if you can, refluffed longswords/rapiers/daggers if you can't). If those are out, you at least need hand crossbows. Do sunglasses exist? If they do, you need aviators. No matter what, you need some sort of leather armor that's impractically black (real black is actually bad for stealth) and a cloak with a massive hood. You've gotta use some sort of low rasp whenever you speak in character. Dead parents are a given, as are amazing scars and/or tattoos. He needs to be a fervent worshiper of Bhaal. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Well obviously he has no parents. He actually never even knew his parents - he was given to the assassin school at birth, cast away and unwanted by those that were supposed to hold him most dear.

Unbeknownst to him, he was actually the bastard child of a nobleman & a lowborn peasant woman. The nobleman told the woman that she could either give him away to an orphanage where the child would never interfere in his life, or the child would be killed... So to protect her dear Darkblade Shadowedge, she was forced to give him to the assassins. Later on in the story, Darkblade Shadowedge will get the chance to confront his father in a cathartic moment where he can break free of the shackles of his dark past... You see, his father has lived a haunted, guilt ridden life, devoid of an heir. He wants to accept his long lost son with open arms, finding him to be the only worthy heir, his own blood, that he can pass on his legacy. But of course DB SE will forsake his father, refusing the offer with a blade to the heart, so that he can watch his fathers kingdom crumble.


BTW, all the posts in this topic are hilarious so far... I haven't laughed this hard in a while

[Sir cryosin]

Arcane Trickster rogue with 3 lvs of warlock pact of the blade. Invocations armor of Shadows, devil's sight . Race vhuman feat martial adapt, maneuvers perry, and rispost. Not everyone sees this coming you're going to want to use Darkness and your devil's sight. Then you use your other spell slots for armor of agathys and hellish rebuke, cantrips minor illusion prestidigitation and made him for the Arcane Trickster, Warlock cantrips friends, Eldritch blast, create bonfire.

[Specter]

You obviously need Performance as a skill.

CRAAAAAWLING IIIIN MY SKIIIIIN
THESE WOOOUNDS THEY WIIIIIL NOT HEAAAAAAL

[Douche]

BTW guys I bought a practice butterfly knife on amazon. I think that twirling that around will give some emotional weight to my brooding so that I'm still getting attention from everyone while I'm quiet. I wouldn't want people to mistake my silence for not partaking in the game.

And then when people do address me I can do a really cool flippy flourish of my blade & look at them with a dark brooding expression

[Sicarius Victis]

Don't forget to make use of Thaumaturgy to be even more dramatic when you have to.



And don't forget: "I never asked for this". Bonus points if you play a Revenant, Tiefling/Aasimar, or other race that was created through supernatural power beyond their control.

Or you can play a half-Warforged if you want the line to be authentic.

[Rerem115]

Why not all three? Play a Tiefling/Aasimar hybrid using the Revenant template, and have magitek enhancements. Heck, that could even help; it gives you a reason to have a deep raspy/growly voice, since somewhere along the line, either dying or getting rebuilt messed up your voice.

[Sicarius Victis]

Why not all three? Play a Tiefling/Aasimar hybrid using the Revenant template, and have magitek enhancements. Heck, that could even help; it gives you a reason to have a deep raspy/growly voice, since somewhere along the line, either dying or getting rebuilt messed up your voice.

That has some amazingly edgy possible backstories.

1. He almost died, likely betrayed or something. His assassin mentor (or someone) managed to keep him alive by replacing large parts of his body with magitek prosthetics. Sometime after, he ACTUALLY died, but his determination (mixed with corrupted magic from the magitek) gave him new life as a Revenant, so he could continue his duty.

Or the better one...

2. He actually did die, but came back as a Revenant. However, his "life" as a Revenant was nothing but sheer pain (see also: Crystal Golem), and so he just wanted to die, and even came very close. However, he was patched up with magitek replacements, continuing his painful existence. This magitek managed to get rid of all that made him a person, and left him as nothing (almost nothing, there has to be that growing regret that makes him an Edgelord) but a soulless, emotionless automaton/undead abomination.

Bonus points if you add Fiendlock in there, and either:

1. Him selling his soul is what turned him into a Revenant in the first place, or

2. He sold his soul so that he could find out how to end his existence as a Revenant.

[DizzyWood]

Lots of eyeliner
Tons of family wealth that he dedicates to advancing his cause
a romantic interest he has never spoken to
A big nasty scar (so he thinks, others do not even notice it)
nose ring

[Slipperychicken]

The character supplements his diet with heated shards of glass and rock fragments. He claims outwardly that it's self-punishment for being a monster, but the real reason is to help maintain his rough gravelly voice. He will also seek out herbs to more safely maintain that effect.

He has prestidigitation, and regularly uses it to reduce his own temperature slightly, making him cool despite his dark heavy clothes.

His face is quite heavily scarred, even at level one. When asked, he claims it was from a series of battles over his life, that no man or beast who scarred his face lived to tell the tale. He actually just had a nasty fall off a horse when he was little.

At all times he wears a mask that resembles a black skull, and keeps several spare skull-masks in case one of them is damaged or broken. He is quite earnest about keeping his skull-masks polished, "so my targets can see their own screaming faces as they die".

[Douche]

I already chose a catchphrase. Its "heh, nothin' personel, kid" right after he teleports behind you and lightning fast slashes you 1000 times. Then right as he sheathes his katana your top half slowly slides off, in a clean cut, and falls to the ground. Alternatively they could just explode in gore.

I'd like to avoid the Deus Ex references, I've never played that.. But I do like the cyborg aspect, as well as being a revenant. His entire existence is pain & he wants the sweet release of death. It would also give him extra edginess when he's about to fight someone and can say "heh, maybe you'll be the one to finally kill me... But I doubt it, kid". Only problem I have with that is that revenants die after they accomplish their goals. DB SE has to become the dark master of assassins, it would be kind of disappointing if he died right after he slays his former master.

Lots of eyeliner
Tons of family wealth that he dedicates to advancing his cause
a romantic interest he has never spoken to
A big nasty scar (so he thinks, others do not even notice it)
nose ring

Did you even read the OP, dawg? He already felt love when he found the one woman who he could open his heart to, but she was slain by commoners and now his heart is stone, never to feel any emotion again (except pain, obviously)

But I do think you're onto something. He could have a sister that he cares for from afar, shielding her from harm whilst never revealing himself or letting her know that they're related, like Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho.

[Yagyujubei]

obvious race choice is tiefling. An edge lord must never have known his father who walked out on his mom before he was born, and being a race that everyone is afraid of/looks down upon is clearly optimal.

I suggest making his weapon of choice razor blades (dual wielded and thrown) and he def. has to have a dark diary where he writes down his thoughts on the day and all the people who have wronged him so he can get vengeance later.

[Sicarius Victis]

I'd like to avoid the Deus Ex references, I've never played that.. But I do like the cyborg aspect, as well as being a revenant. His entire existence is pain & he wants the sweet release of death. It would also give him extra edginess when he's about to fight someone and can say "heh, maybe you'll be the one to finally kill me... But I doubt it, kid". Only problem I have with that is that revenants die after they accomplish their goals. DB SE has to become the dark master of assassins, it would be kind of disappointing if he died right after he slays his former master.

That doesn't mean that's his whole goal. That's what he THINKS he wants. He could be wanting something else entirely, without even realizing it.

And the Deus Ex reference was really just there because imagining Adam Jenson as an Edgelord like DB SE amused me.

[Sabeta]

People are going overboard with the multiclasses and races, IMO.

Tiefling Infernal Bladelock. Multiclasses Fighter 2 for TWF, or stick to a Katana. Your pactmaker is Satan, whose also kind of your dad, but you were raised by the priestess he raped.

One night Satan decides it's a good idea to set religious people on fire just for fun. Your mom was one of them, as well as most Paladins and Clerics in the world. Because of this trauma you swear to "Kick Satan's Ass"

The rest of your party members are Paladins, Clerics, and Monk's who survived the ordeal, so you're forced to hide your demonic powers because these are the only friends you'll probably ever make.

[Kane0]

So, half tiefling/half aasimar turned revenant assassin 3 / bladelock 3 / vengeance pally 6 / battlemaster 4 / shadow sorc 4? You could crowbar some shadow monk in there too, if you really don't want those ASIs.

Misty step or darkness your way in, apply hex and unload a bundle of action surged assassin crit maneuver smites on your unsuspecting foe.
Then weep because it wasn't perfect enough to work on the grandmaster.

[Gastronomie]

Obviously, Darkblade Shadowedge's eyes have different colors, because an edgy character with eyes of the same color are lame. One of his eyes is golden and symbolizes the divine bloodline of the Aasimar, while the other eye is crimson and represents the hellish inheritance of the Tiefling. These eyes are known in folklore as the characteristics of the Chosen One, and make the commoners cower before him.

Darkblade Shadowedge uses two-weapon fighting, because that's how all edgy characters must fight. He wields the DARK SWORD (an Artifact that was created in the 666th layer of the Abyss as the ultimate weapon of supreme destruction and DEATH) and the LIGHT SWORD (an Artifact created by the Gods as the ultimate weapon of supreme retribution and DEATH), both of which are so powerful that most will DIE attempting to attune to even one of them (they're the ultimate weapon of DEATH after all). When it comes to attuning to both of them, Darkblade Shadowedge is the only one in the world who can succeed.

The Gods hate Darkblade Shadowedge for being half-fiend, and the Fiends hate him for being half-god. Thus he must constantly fight against the various minions of both sides, day and night, and he cannot be with others for fear that they may get in trouble because of him as well. This is also why he must continue on travelling forever - if he stays in one place for too long, that place will be ravaged by demons and be incinerated off the map. Because that's how wretched your fate has to be.

However, Darkblade Shadowedge has just one friend, who is the Shadow Dracolich upon which he mounts and fights.

Also, everyone talking about PHB classes needs to realize that to truly generate the awesomeness of Darkblade Shadowedge into a character sheet, we must create homebrew material.

[Douche]

@Gastronomie, holy crap, I can't stop laughing. Balancing his divine & fiendish aspects is definitely a hard burden for him to bear which causes him endless torment & make him unable to be accepted by anyone.

Also, while we're on the subject of homebrew, I think it's important for DB SE to have to inflict a lot of self-harm to access his most powerful abilities. Not necessarily that he cuts himself (I don't think that would be tasteful, although a blood mage sort of character would be cool... Without all the other edginess), but that his dark power is so uncontrollable that it causes collateral damage to himself.

For instance, I gotta mention Hiei again. He wielded the power of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame (edgy af name btw) which was such unrestricted power that it crippled his arm the first time he used it & seared his flesh. I think there's a lot of inspiration to be had there.. A character that sacrifices his own HP to deal extra damage. Hurting yourself to deal more damage is definitely the edgelord way

[Sicarius Victis]

What DB:SE really needs is a theme song. As has been suggested, there are a few decent Linkin Park songs. I personally would have to recommend something from MGR:Revengeance. Such as this.

[beargryllz]

Lawful good, trans female serial killer of orcs; specializes in blow guns and gives herself long, drawn-out monologues to justify her actions and other struggles in life.

[Sicarius Victis]

Lawful good, trans female serial killer of orcs; specializes in blow guns and gives herself long, drawn-out monologues to justify her actions and other struggles in life.

That's more "cringey" than "edgy", I'd say. Also rather irritating to have to deal with.

[mgshamster]

When DB SE was young, his mother fell in love with an evil man, destroying her. That set the first part of his life into thinking of nothing but revenge.

(Still works the the CoS background).

[Sicarius Victis]

When DB SE was young, his mother fell in love with an evil man, destroying her. That set the first part of his life into thinking of nothing but revenge.

(Still works the the CoS background).

I was wrong. We don't need to find him a theme song.





We need a whole soundtrack

[Draco4472]

These dark and forbidden techniques Darkedge Shadowblade found probably involve warlock levels. Shadow sorcerer can also add to both the edginess and mechanically benefit an assassin.

I was going to suggest half-drow as the race but half-tiefling and half-aasimar makes for a more convoluted and morally torn character, with demonic tendencies (enhanced with warlock levels) combating a good heart.

I'd ask why Darkedge Shadowblade decided to become an assassin in the first place, and what his rival did to cause so much envy and hate that he would turn to the darkest and edgiest of magics to kill them in addition to just always being a better killer and following in a master assassin's footsteps.

Come to think of it, how was a half-tiefling half-aasimar conceived? Did an angel fall in the process thus becoming a demon during conception and Darkedge Shadowblade's first sight was the abyss? And if so, how did he come to the material plane?

[Draco4472]

Obviously, Darkblade Shadowedge's eyes have different colors, because an edgy character with eyes of the same color are lame. One of his eyes is golden and symbolizes the divine bloodline of the Aasimar, while the other eye is crimson and represents the hellish inheritance of the Tiefling. These eyes are known in folklore as the characteristics of the Chosen One, and make the commoners cower before him.

Darkblade Shadowedge uses two-weapon fighting, because that's how all edgy characters must fight. He wields the DARK SWORD (an Artifact that was created in the 666th layer of the Abyss as the ultimate weapon of supreme destruction and DEATH) and the LIGHT SWORD (an Artifact created by the Gods as the ultimate weapon of supreme retribution and DEATH), both of which are so powerful that most will DIE attempting to attune to even one of them (they're the ultimate weapon of DEATH after all). When it comes to attuning to both of them, Darkblade Shadowedge is the only one in the world who can succeed.

The Gods hate Darkblade Shadowedge for being half-fiend, and the Fiends hate him for being half-god. Thus he must constantly fight against the various minions of both sides, day and night, and he cannot be with others for fear that they may get in trouble because of him as well. This is also why he must continue on travelling forever - if he stays in one place for too long, that place will be ravaged by demons and be incinerated off the map. Because that's how wretched your fate has to be.

However, Darkblade Shadowedge has just one friend, who is the Shadow Dracolich upon which he mounts and fights.

Also, everyone talking about PHB classes needs to realize that to truly generate the awesomeness of Darkblade Shadowedge into a character sheet, we must create homebrew material.

My suggestion seems pointless now.

Thread done! End it here! Darkedge Shadowblade is complete!