Been watching some horror movies to get in the mood for the season, though I tend to do that normally, and I think I might take a watch through the whole A Nightmare on Elm Street series. I don't think I ever watched anything beyond the first one but even so, I dug into the character a bit to generate my build goals. As always, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in an attempt to fit the character. These choices might not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.
Let's get into the build for Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise!
FREDDY KRUEGER
CHARACTER Freddy Krueger
SOURCE A Nightmare on Elm Street
BUILD GOALS
o In life, Freddy Krueger was a serial killer that targeted children. When a mistake set him free following his capture, he was hunted by a mob of vengeful parents that burned him to death
o He carried out his kills with a bladed leather glove that he crafted himself
o Although his physical body perished, his spirit lived on. Fueled by the town’s memories and fears of him, he enters the dreams of his victims to torment and slay them
o While a cruel and sadistic killer, Freddy possesses a dark and cheesy sense of humor who often wisecracks at the expense of his victims
o Freddy is powerful in the dreamworld, being able to alter the very fabric of it to his whim
o In the Dead by Daylight game, his main power is Dream Demon, which makes him invisible to survivors outside of a certain distance. He can also pull his victims into the Dream World, place slowing Dream Snares, conjure illusory Dream Pallets, and teleport with his Dream Projection
o With the Fire Up perk, Freddy gains increased action speed whenever a generator is completed
o Remember Me causes Freddy to become obsessed with a survivor. Each time that obsession loses a Health State, Freddy gains one stack, which increases the amount of time taken to open exit gates
o Blood Warden reveals the aura of survivors when they open exit gates and can block them if Freddy hooks a survivor while in this state
o His two iridescent perks are Red Paint Brush, which makes it harder to awaken from his Dream World, and the Black Box, which blocks exit gates when they are first opened
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Duskwalker Hobgoblin
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma, -Wisdom
o Ancestry Feat: Deliberate Death
Background: Revenant
o Ability Boosts: +Charisma, +Dexterity
o Skill Increase: Religion (trained), Boneyard Lore (trained)
Class & Subclass: Warrior Muse Bard
o Class Ability Boost: +Charisma
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Crafting (trained), Deception (trained), Diplomacy (trained), Intimidation (trained), Occultism (trained), Performance (trained), Stealth (trained)
o Spell Repertoire: Cantrips – daze, ghost sound, haunting hymn, mage hand, inside ropes; 1st – fear, lose the path, sleep
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 18)
As this build aims to emulate Freddy Krueger as the slasher portrayed in films rather than the human and mortal child killer he was in his backstory, hobgoblin serves as an ancestry to work off of. It gives him fear focused feats down the line, but initially represents his inhuman appearance and his runty stature, especially in comparison to other classic slashers. The duskwalker heritage, revenant background, and Deliberate Death ancestry feat all dive into his vigilante death at the hands of the townsfolk of Springwood and subsequent return. Freddy’s powers are centered in the world of dreams and for that mental manipulation of effects and the darkness of them, which the occult spell list works for quite well. The tangible dream of the psychic is a bit too colorful and bright for the concept but Charisma is definitely Freddy’s main stat. The warrior muse grants him scaling proficiency with martial weapons, meaning that he can pick up the claw blade to represent his classic bladed glove. For spells, he’s mainly looking for options to manipulate minds, but considering some of the effects of his DbD version, spells that trap people are also highly suitable – such as lose the path. Most obviously, sleep is a must-have on Freddy’s list to draw his victims to where he is the most powerful.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Reach Spell
o Skill Feat: Intimidating Glare
o Spell Repertoire: 1st – phantom pain
o Gear: cloak of feline rest
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Incredible Initiative
o Skill Increase: Occultism (expert)
o Spell Repertoire: 1st – sleep*; 2nd – animus mine*, hideous laughter
o Gear: +1 claw blade, cloak of feline rest, ring of discretion
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Sleepwalker Dedication
o Skill Feat: Bon Mot
o Spell Repertoire: 2nd – telekinetic maneuver
o Gear: ventriloquist’s ring, +1 claw blade, hat of disguise, cloak of feline rest
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 19)
o Ancestry Feat: Agonizing Rebuke
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (expert), Nature (trained)
o Spell Repertoire: 3rd – agonizing despair*, oneiric mire
o Gear: +1 striking claw blade, channel protection amulet, ventriloquist’s ring, hat of disguise, cloak of feline rest, ring of discretion
Given the lack of options at 2nd level, Reach Spell is probably the most useful choice for him, but Sleepwalker Dedication fits mainly for the theme of a sleep and nightmare-themed character. It strengthens the resilience of his mind, the domain where he reigns but it’s the other feats that he wants more than just this initial dedication. As somebody who literally thrives on fear, some investment in those feats are a good fit for Freddy, starting with Intimidating Glare. He has to start his skill increases with Occultism so that he can qualify for the Sleepwalker Dedication, but he is otherwise focusing on Diplomacy. To represent Freddy’s wisecracks and off-color comedy, he picks up Bon Mot. From his ancestry feats, he picks up Agonizing Rebuke to inflict lingering damage upon those that he has Demoralized. From his spell list, animus mine fills in for the dream snares that he places. Oneiric mire fits in with the theme of dreams as well as slowing and trapping victims. In the dreamscape, Freddy can toss victims around without so much as a touch, possibly best represented in his pinball scene with Jason in Freddy vs. Jason, which led to the inclusion of telekinetic maneuver. However, as a note for 3rd level spells or higher, I would consider trying to squeeze in haste somewhere. It could possibly replace phantom prison given the numerous ways that Freddy has and will gain to lock folks down and it is meant to represent his Fire Up perk from Dead by Daylight.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Dirge of Doom
o Skill Feat: Terrifying Resistance
o Spell Repertoire: 3rd – phantom prison
o Gear: +1 studded leather, +1 striking claw blade, mentalist’s staff, ventriloquist’s ring, hat of disguise, necklace of knives
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Diehard
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (master)
o Spell Repertoire: 4th – nightmare, phantasmal killer*
o Gear: staff of the dreamlands, +1 studded leather, diplomat’s badge, +1 striking claw blade, channel protection amulet, ventriloquist’s ring
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: Infiltrate Dream
o Skill Feat: Terrified Retreat
o Spell Repertoire: 4th – daydreamer’s curse
o Gear: deathless armor rune, wand of hopeless night (2nd-level), staff of the dreamlands, +1 studded leather, +1 striking claw blade, demon mask
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Recognize Ambush
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (expert)
o Spell Repertoire: 5th – dreaming potential, mirror malefactors*
o Gear: +1 resilient studded leather, boots of bounding, deathless armor rune, staff of the dreamlands, diplomat’s badge, +1 striking claw blade
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 20)
o Class Feat: Waking Dream
o Skill Feat: Quick Coercion
o Skill Increase: Athletics (trained)
o Spell Repertoire: 5th – dimension door
o Gear: dreamstone, +1 resilient leather, wand of teeming ghosts (3rd-level), deathless armor rune, staff of the dreamlands, +1 striking claw blade
Dirge of Doom allows him to keep his victims trapped in the nightmares and terrors that he creates while Infiltrate Dream is a natural choice for the dream demon who plagues the sleeping heads of Springwood. Also from the archetype is the Waking Dream feat to give him a focus spell. While this spell is the occult tradition and will scale with his level, it uses Wisdom instead of Charisma, limiting its usefulness somewhat. It feels very appropriate for the character, which is the main reason the build includes it. Additionally, with Freddy’s ability to lower Will saves – between Bon Mot or just judicious application of the frightened condition, he might have a chance of landing it. He continues to delve into his Intimidation skill feats while also picking up Diehard, like any good slasher, and Recognize Ambush lets him get his hands in his weapon at the start of combat to fit the fact that he’s always armed. Nightmare and phantasmal killer was an obvious choice along with other dream-based spells, such as daydreamer’s curse and dreaming potential.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Ancestral Paragon – Remorseless Lash
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (master)
o Spell Repertoire: 6th – lure dream, phantasmal calamity*
o Gear: +2 striking claw blade, dreamstone, mask of the banshee, +1 resilient leather, boots of bounding, deathless armor rune
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Oneiric Influence
o Skill Feat: Battle Cry
o Spell Repertoire: 6th – hag’s fruit
o Gear: +2 resilient leather, +2 striking claw blade, wand of hopeless night (4th-level), dreamstone, greater mentalist’s staff, wand of teeming ghosts (3rd-level)
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Sneaky
o Skill Increase: Deception (expert)
o Spell Repertoire: 7th – dimensional lock, maze of locked doors*
o Gear: +2 greater striking claw blade, +2 resilient leather, ebon marionette, wand of hopeless night (4th-level), dreamstone, mask of the banshee
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Witch Dedication – Night Patron
o Skill Feat: Sow Rumor
o Skill Increase: Thievery (trained)
o Spell Repertoire: 7th – leng sting
o Gear: hellfire boots, +2 greater striking claw blade, greater staff of the dreamlands, +2 resilient leather, ring of lies, wand of hopeless night (4th-level)
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 21)
o General Feat: Numb to Death
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (legendary)
o Spell Repertoire: 8th – dream council, undermine reality*
o Gear: +2 greater resilient leather, hellfire boots, keen weapon rune, +2 greater striking claw blade, ebon marionette, unholy weapon rune
While not entirely representative of the character’s features, Oneiric Influence feels appropriate and uses Freddy’s spell DC, which the build keeps as high as it can get. The Witch Dedication has a particular feature that Freddy wants and is why this build has been increasing his Intelligence score. However, given how late it is picked up, he doesn’t develop it too much farther beyond the cantrip it offers, so some may wish to prioritize an ability score other than Intelligence. With a pick up of Ancestral Paragon for Remorseless Lash, Freddy has another method of potentially keeping his victims trapped in their nightmares with him. Numb to Death is another solid fit given Freddy’s status as a slasher and refusal to stay dead while Sneaky allows him to evade notice better, appropriate for somebody who’s only supposed to show up in dreams. Freddy is also something of a trickster and survives on the memories people have of him and his atrocities, making a Sow Rumor and easy choice. He gets more dream and sleep-based spells as well as a spell to cover his ability to block exits in DbD through a dimensional lock.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Basic Witchcraft – Basic Lesson – Lesson of Dreams
o Skill Feat: Scare to Death
o Spell Repertoire: 8th – hypnopompic terrors
o Gear: greater flaming weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, wand of teeming ghosts (6th-level), hellfire boots, +2 greater striking claw blade, greater staff of the dreamlands
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Yamaraj’s Grandeur
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (legendary)
o Spell Repertoire: 9th – unspeakable shadow*, weird
o Gear: +3 greater striking claw blade, greater flaming weapon rune, dragonscale amulet, +2 greater resilient leather, hellfire boots, keen weapon rune
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Ever Dreaming
o Skill Feat: Group Coercion
o Spell Repertoire: 9th – astral labyrinth
o Gear: circlet of persuasion, +3 greater striking claw blade, wand of teeming ghosts (7th-level), greater flaming weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, wand of teeming ghosts (6th-level)
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Fleet
o Skill Increase: Deception (master)
o Spell Repertoire: 10th – alter reality, gate
o Gear: +3 greater resilient leather, circlet of persuasion, dread blindfold, +3 greater striking claw blade, greater flaming weapon rune, dragonscale amulet
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 22)
o Class Feat: Fatal Aria
o Skill Feat: Slippery Secrets
o Skill Increase: Society (trained)
o Gear: +3 major striking claw blade, +3 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, major staff of the dreamlands, circlet of persuasion, orange prism aeon stone, wand of teeming ghosts (7th-level)
Reaching into the witch archetype, Freddy grabs a Basic Lesson for the Lesson of Dreams so that she can gain the veil of dreams focus spell, another means for him to increase the chance of inflicting sleep upon his victims. He also grabs Ever Dreaming that removes many of his vulnerabilities while sleeping. For his capstone feat, Freddy grabs Fatal Aria to gain a single action focus spell that has the ability to immediately kill victims without leaving a single wound upon them. Scare to Death gives him another way of doing just that for a single action, meaning that a turn for Freddy Krueger might look like using Bon Mot to inflict its penalty followed by Scare to Death to take advantage of the lowered Will DC, and then fatal aria on another poor sap. The idea of Freddy unleashing a breath of ravenous, flesh-shredding insects feels very in keeping with the dream demon he is, so he picks up Yamaraj’s Grandeur.
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: With free archetype rules, Freddy obviously wants the Sleepwalker Dedication and Witch Dedication and it might be worthwhile to increase his Occultism skill so that he can make use of Basic Witch Spellcasting and its more advanced versions. This frees up a good number of bard feats, which Freddy can use to pick up feats such as Courageous Opportunity, Courageous Advance, Courageous Onslaught, House of Imaginary Walls, and Quickened Casting.
BUILD CONCLUSION
Freddy Krueger is a dream-manipulating slasher returned from the dead following a vigilante killing, represented by his duskwalker heritage, revenant background, and use of the occult spell list. In particular, the warrior muse gains access to martial weapons, which means that he can wield a claw blade to mimic his famous weapon. For his spells, Freddy focuses on sleep and dream-based spells as well as spells to trap and limit the mobility of his targets in congruence with the powers and perks of the DbD version of the killer. Bon Mot makes use of his wisecracks and dark humor to unsettle his victims. He can drag victims into the dream world with sleep, aided by effects such as Bon Mot, Demoralize, and veil of night, and then Infiltrate Dreams thanks to the Sleepwalker Dedication. He can even manipulate such victims thanks to his Oneiric Influence. With animus mine, Freddy can leave dream snares in the minds of others, create illusions, and jump short distances as per Dream Projection with his dimension door. If you can squeeze a haste spell into his build, it fills in nicely for Fire Up, but it’s harder to capture the feel of the very specific effects of his Remember Me and Blood Warden perks. To do so, I leaned into battlefield control spells that limited the movement of enemies. While this version of Freddy may be a manifestation in the physical world, he has all the tools and tricks to reign as the Dream Demon!
Lemme know what you think and if there's any other particular builds you'd like to see.
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Have a fantastic Friday!
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