Vick's Hangout

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.