Vick's Hangout

For this game, I’ll be using the concept outlined in this post .

The gameplay for this story can be found here .

Notes

This is a story of the character Zareth Kael from his embracing his powers to reaching Level 3. I wanted to start the solo game from Level 3 but wanted to document how he came into his powers and how he grew more powerful.

Early Years

Zareth Kael’s story begins not with fire or prophecy, but with silence and mercy. He was left as a baby on the stone steps of a quiet village orphanage, swaddled in darkness and mystery. Sister Mariel, a gentle-hearted nun who believed every soul deserved love, raised him with unwavering kindness—teaching him compassion before the world could teach him fear. Though his eyes glowed a muted yellow, like candlelight behind thick glass, and his shadow sometimes twitched even when he stood still, she never flinched. Among the villagers lived a retired bard, once a seasoned adventurer, who recognized the subtle signs of a deeper, more dangerous origin. He said nothing. Memories of old companions twisting into fear had taught him that suspicion spreads like wildfire. In this small, quiet place, he chose silence—not out of ignorance, but out of hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, the darkness that clung to Zareth would not be his fate.

For this game, I’ll be using the concept outlined in this post .
For the oracle, I am using the Loner 2E, that I am using part of the One Hero Engine .

The story from this gameplay can be found here .

Early Years

Oracle
Question: Was Zareth's childhood troubled?
Twist Counter: 0
Odds: Likely
Chance Die: 1
Risk Die: 2
Roll: [ 3 ] [ 2, 2 ]
Outcome: Yes, but
Result: Abandoned as a baby at an orphanage with a kind hearted nun who showed kindness and nurturing, allowing him to have kindness and compassion

Oracle
Question: Does anyone in the village know about infernal bloodlines?
Twist Counter: 0
Odds: Unlikely
Chance Die: 1
Risk Die: 1
Roll: [ 6 ] [ 2 ]
Outcome: Yes
Result: A bard who retired in the village knows about tieflings and infernal bloodlines

Oracle
Question: Did the bard reveal the truth about Zareth to anyone else?
Twist Counter: 0
Odds: Likely
Chance Die: 1
Risk Die: 2
Roll: [ 3 ] [ 4, 5 ]
Outcome: No
Result: The bard kept silent because his previous adventuring party experienced fear and doubt and didn't wish to hurt a little child

The Darkness Calls (Level 1)

The Darkness Deepens (Level 2)

The Darkness Embraces (Level 3)

About This Build
This build explores the design of Tharn Wildvein, a Half-Orc Barbarian in Dungeons & Dragons 5e inspired by the essence of Wolverine — the feral loner, the unstoppable survivor, the relentless fury in the face of overwhelming odds.

Rather than a direct adaptation, this is a fantasy reinterpretation: a savage warrior whose power is not bestowed by science or sorcery, but awakened by rage, trauma, and unrelenting instinct. His body is the weapon — muscle, claw, and willpower forged through countless battles.

About This Build
This build explores the design of Jaxen Vantrell, an Armorer Artificer in Dungeons & Dragons 5e inspired by the concept of Iron Man — especially the Heroes Reborn saga, where the character’s brilliance, adaptability, and sheer variety of power suits took center stage.

Rather than a direct conversion, this is a high fantasy reimagining of the archetype: a genius arcane engineer who doesn’t rely on destiny or lineage, but on crafted armor, magical augmentation, and relentless iteration. Every infused item, every armor model, every spell reflects a different version of “the suit” — modular, reactive, and purpose-built.

Design Note
Zareth Kael is a personal homage to one of my all-time favorite characters — The Darkness, from the Top Cow comic series. I read the entire run starting from the 1990s, and the idea of a reluctant antihero bound to an ancient, sentient force of shadow left a permanent impression on me.

In reimagining this concept within 5E, I wanted to portray the Darkness not just as a weapon or curse, but as a primordial entity — protective and parasitic, elegant and monstrous. Its presence isn’t loud or overt, but it shapes every moment Zareth lives through, watching from behind a cracked mirror and whispering between spells.

About This Build
This step-by-step breakdown traces the mechanical and narrative design behind Zareth Kael, my reinterpretation of The Darkness comic character in Dungeons & Dragons 5e. As someone who grew up reading The Darkness from the 1990s onward, this project is more than just a character — it’s a tribute to one of my favorite antiheroes.

I wanted to explore how Jackie Estacado’s cursed, sentient power could be expressed through official 5e mechanics, while leaning into my current interest in flawed, complex protagonists. This build is designed for a homebrew game I may run someday — dark, thematic, and soaked in psychic tension.