Full Build Friday - Mr. Freeze

I think the cooling of the seasons has put me in a mood because I have another cold-themed character for you all. For those interested in a little bit comic book history, the character of Mr. Freeze was originally known as Mr. Zero and was a fairly standard crook with an ice gimmick. The classic and beloved tragic villain didn't find an origin until his reimagining in the Batman: The Animated Series show. Since then, most depictions of the character have followed this example with those that don't often meeting derision. As always, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in my best attempt to fit the character. These choice may not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.

You can also check out a video detailing the build over on the YouTube channel.

With that, let’s get into the build for Mr. Freeze from DC Comics!

MR. FREEZE

CHARACTER Victor Fries

SOURCE Origin

BUILD GOALS

o As a child, Victor Fries would kidnap ailing neighborhood pets to freeze them in hopes of saving them

o When his parents discovered this, they sent him to boarding school where he eventually learned they had disowned him, leaving him very alone in the world

o In college, he met a dancer named Nora who he fell in love with and eventually married, his sole connection to the world

o For a time, he taught cryogenics at a local college until Nora became terminally ill. He left teaching and took a job at a large drug company, where he worked on a way to cryogenically preserve his wife

o When his employer discovered his use of company funds for the project, he tried to shut the project down. In the ensuing fight, Victor was engulfed in his own cryogenic coolants but survived

o As a result, his physiology changed. He could only survive in cold environments, being immune to frigid temperatures while also becoming highly resistant to diseases and toxins

o With his immense intellect, which covers engineering, he built a highly advanced cryo-suit that could keep his body temperature below freezing while also protecting him from harm

o Driven by a desire to bring back his wife, he turned to a life of crime, aided by a cold gun that can create walls or pillars of ice, freeze victims, and generate gusts of frosty wind

o In some iterations of the character, his very touch is so chilling that it can freeze people that he touches

o Since turning to this life of crime, he has developed into a capable combatant who uses his considerable intelligence to counter previous methods used to take him down

LEVEL 1

Ancestry & Heritage: Undine Human

o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Intelligence

o Ancestry Feat: Rimesoul

Background: Ustalavic Academic

o Ability Boosts: +Intelligence, +Strength

o Skill Increase: Crafting (trained), Aacademia Lore (trained)

o Background Feat: Skill Training – Nature

Class & Subclass: Armor Innovation//Weapon Innovation Inventor

o Class Ability Boost: +Intelligence

o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Arcana (trained), Athletics (trained), Intimidation (trained), Medicine (trained), Occultism (trained), Society (trained), Survival (trained)

o Class Feat: Variable Core – Cold

o Skill Feat: Inventor

o Initial Modification: Power Suit – Phlogistonic Regulator//Jezail – Modular Head

Details

o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str 16, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10)

Mr. Freeze uses the human ancestry with the undine background to tap into the Rimesoul ancestry feat, reflecting his transformation into a frigid fiend. Admittedly, this build finds cold resistance from a couple of different sources, which can make this option somewhat unnecessary though the reduction of environmental severity is still useful. Given his time spent at boarding school and then going into college, the Ustalavic Academic background fit perfectly with his character though with a bigger focus on Crafting rather than the magic associated with the Magaambya Academic. This also grants him Skill Training to gain an additional skill, settling on Nature for his association with the cold and frost. When it came to deciding on Freeze’s class, inventor was always the first option but I was initially torn on weapon or armor innovation. The former better represents Freeze’s ice gun whereas the latter is better for the armor that he is trapped within due to his condition. This build, the character sheets, and his ability boosts focus on the latter though I will try to include options for the former as a sidenote.

A power suit armor innovation serves to represent Freeze’s cryo-suit, which is meant to protect him from the heat of the outside world and will this be represented with the Phlogistonic Regulator modification to grant him some resistance to the heat. Alternatively, he can have a weapon innovation using the jezail, since his ice gun is alternatively portrayed as a one-handed or two-handed firearm, which the jezail can switch between with its fatal aim. Going this route, there aren’t many options for a ranged weapon with Modular Head being the best, which could be used to represent him launching icicles, chunks of ice, or other variants from his weapon. Either way, Freeze will take the Variable Core so that he can deal cold damage with his explosion to better match his theme.

LEVEL 2

o Class Feat: Witch Dedication – Winter Patron

o Skill Feat: Alchemical Crafting

o Skill Increase: Thievery (trained)

o Familiar Spells:Cantrips – ray of frost

o Gear: ring of discretion

LEVEL 3

o General Feat: Toughness

o Skill Increase: Crafting (expert), Medicine (expert)

o Gear: +1 bastard sword, ring of discretion, stalk goggles

LEVEL 4

o Class Feat: Basic Witch Spellcasting

o Skill Feat: Magical Crafting

o Familiar Spells: 1st – chilling spray, snowball

o Gear: crafter’s eyepiece, +1 bastard sword, brooch of shielding, ring of discretion

LEVEL 5

o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 14, Cha 10)

o Ancestry Feat: Haughty Obstinacy

o Skill Increase: Nature (expert)

o Gear: +1 striking bastard sword, rime crystal, crafter’s eyepiece, brooch of shielding, ring of discretion, stalk goggles

In the initial iteration of this build, Freeze made use of the Gelid Shard archetype, and while a thematic fit, it was difficult to justify using a Charisma-focused casting archetype when he could rely on an Intelligence-based one instead. As such, he will pick up an early Witch Dedication with the with the winter patron. The familiar may seem strange, which I would flavor as a manifestation of his memory of Nora – or something using the shape of her. He’s mainly going to look at picking up spells that have frosty effects, starting with ray of frost. The spells gained from this archetype will actually end up being one of the main ways to represent Freeze’s ice gun, allowing him to blast ice at foes without having to invest in Dexterity. He follows up this dedication with Basic Witch Spellcasting to net more ice spells. Freeze seems well-versed in a number of sciences and engineering, which will be represented with his Alchemical and Magical Crafting feats. A fairly frigid fellow who is driven by his mission, he takes Haughty Obstinacy to represent his drive and focus. Toughness will help him hang in combat a bit better since inventor is only 8 HP per level.

LEVEL 6

o Class Feat: Basic Witchcraft – Basic Lesson (Lesson of the Elements)

o Skill Feat: Quick Repair

o Familiar Spells: 2nd – elemental zone, rime slick

o Gear: +1 power suit, +1 striking bastard sword, drake rifle (cold), crafter’s eyepiece, brooch of shielding, necklace of knives

LEVEL 7

o General Feat: Diehard

o Skill Increase: Crafting (master), Nature (master)

o Breakthrough Modification: Dense Plating//Advanced Rangefinder

o Gear: sure-step crampons, +1 power suit, snowshoes of the long trek, +1 striking bastard sword, rime crystal, crafter’s eyepiece

LEVEL 8

o Class Feat: Gadget Specialist

o Skill Feat: Battle Medicine

o Familiar Spells: 3rd – elemental absorption

o Gear: ring of sustenance, ring of the ram, sure-step crampons, +1 power suit, +1 striking bastard sword, drake rifle (cold)

LEVEL 9

o Ancestry Feat: Tide-Hardened

o Skill Increase: Medicine (master)

o Offensive Boost: Chill

o Gear: +1 resilient power suit, gloves of storing, ring of sustenance, sure-step crampons, +1 striking drake rifle (cold), +1 striking bastard sword

LEVEL 10

o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 10)

o Class Feat: Ubiquitous Gadgets

o Skill Feat: Continual Recovery

o Skill Increase: Stealth (trained)

o Gear: healer’s gloves, +1 resilient power suit, greater rime crystal, ring of sustenance, +1 striking drake rifle (cold), +1 striking bastard sword

Somebody who has had frostbite or hypothermia is more sensitive to the cold thereafter – something I know from personal experience. As such, Freeze uses Basic Witchcraft to pick up a Basic Lesson of Elements, netting him the elemental betrayal hex to make a victim more susceptible to cold damage. While his ice gun and cryo-suit are his most well-known creations, he has created a number of tools to aid him in his goals, which will be represented through the Gadget Specialist feat. To be thematic, all his gadgets should be spent making some level of cryomister. Ubiquitous Gadgets gives him even more of these handy-dandy tools, but Patron’s Breadth is another fantastic option that gives him more spells to use instead of gadgets. While he does have a focus on crafting and invention, Freeze’s interest in cryogenics and attempts to cure his wife suggest a considerable level of medical knowledge as well, which he will cover with some Medicine skill feats such as Battle Medicine and Continual Recovery. Tide-Hardened doesn’t sound like it would fit, but it gives Freeze a bonus to resist effects with the cold trait, and that is certainly a fit.

For his breakthrough modification, Dense Plating or Tensile Absorption covers the physical protections of his suit. These options suit him the best as his most common adversary, Batman, wields his fists (bludgeoning) or batarangs (slashing) in battle. For players that went with the weapon innovation, there is again the issue of there just not being a lot of fun ranged options. Advanced Rangefinder is probably the most fun given that it at least adds the backstabber trait to his ice gun. Either way, he will choose Chill for his offensive boost to add cold damage to his attacks and this is actually the biggest issue I had with the armor innovation. Somebody wearing the armor innovation can only add this boost to unarmed attacks or a single melee weapon that he attunes to his armor. This means that he loses out on using an ice gun with this build unless he flavors it as his spells. For this build, I have been using a bastard sword as his melee weapon, based on the panel up above.

LEVEL 11

o General Feat: Fast Recovery

o Skill Increase: Intimidation (expert)

o Gear: +2 striking bastard sword, healer’s gloves, mask of the banshee, +1 resilient power suit, gloves of storing, ring of sustenance

LEVEL 12

o Class Feat: Deep Freeze

o Skill Feat: Intimidating Prowess

o Gear: +2 resilient power suit, +2 striking bastard sword, +2 striking drake rifle (cold), healer’s gloves, boreal staff, greater rime crystal

LEVEL 13

o Ancestry Feat: Summon Water Elemental

o Skill Increase: Intimidation (master)

o Gear: +2 greater striking bastard sword, +2 resilient power suit, greater crafter’s eyepiece, +2 striking drake rifle (cold), healer’s gloves, mask of the banshee

LEVEL 14

o Class Feat: Expert Witch Spellcasting

o Skill Feat: Godless Healing

o Familiar Spells: 4th – ice storm; 5th – mantle of the frozen heart, wall of ice

o Gear: major rime crystal, +2 greater striking bastard sword, greater boreal staff, +2 resilient power suit, shadow signet, +2 striking drake rifle (cold)

LEVEL 15

o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 21, Wis 16, Cha 12)

o General Feat: Prescient Planner

o Skill Increase: Crafting (legendary), Nature (legendary)

o Revolutionary Modification: Physical Protections

o Gear: +2 greater resilient power suit, greater ring of the ram, major rime crystal, +2 greater striking bastard sword, greater crafter’s eyepiece, +2 striking drake rifle (cold)

Deep Freeze was a big point towards settling on the inventor as Mr. Freeze’s class and is another great way to represent his ice gun though it isn’t a terribly powerful ability unless the target critically fails. Since he takes this at twelfth level, he grabs Expert Witch Spellcasting at fourteenth instead, increasing his capability with his spells and picking up more subzero spells – the best of which is probably his mantle of the frozen heart. This is a buff spell that has some fantastic options, such as making him so cold that creatures touching him begin to freeze – akin to powers exhibited in his New 52 version. Freeze is a very intimidating individual who uses threats of violence, followed by actual violence to get what he wants and he will thus have a slight focus on Intimidation. He does make sure to grab Godless Healing as Freeze is a confirmed atheist within the comics. Freeze’s condition has made him more resilient, if not outright immune, to diseases and poisons, which he will try to demonstrate with Fast Recovery. He can also take Prescient Planner, representing some of his preparedness for familiar foes. From his ancestry feat, he takes Summon Water Elemental solely because there are also ice elementals within the category that he could create.

With his revolutionary breakthrough, an armor innovation Freeze can grab Physical Protections to guard against whatever tactics Batman may employ. If using the weapon innovation, Enhanced Damage is probably the best for his ice gun if a bit boring.

LEVEL 16

o Class Feat: Advanced Witchcraft – Greater Lesson (Lesson of Snow)

o Skill Feat: Craft Anything

o Familiar Spells: 6th – frost pillar

o Gear: greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient power suit, wand of the snowfields (5th-level), major rime crystal, +2 greater striking bastard sword, greater boreal staff

LEVEL 17

o Ancestry Feat: Tidal Shield

o Skill Increase: Medicine (legendary)

o Gear: +3 greater striking bastard sword, greater frost weapon rune, greater thunderblast slippers, +2 greater resilient power suit, greater ring of the ram, major rime crystal

LEVEL 18

o Class Feat: Master Witch Spellcasting

o Skill Feat: Robust Recovery

o Familiar Spells: 7th – frigid flurry

o Gear: artificer spectacles, +3 greater striking bastard sword, wand of clinging rime (7th-level), greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient power suit, wand of the snowfields (5th-level)

LEVEL 19

o General Feat: Prescient Consumable

o Skill Increase: Intimidation (legendary)

o Gear: +3 greater resilient power suit, artificer spectacles, major boreal staff, +3 greater striking bastard sword, greater frost weapon rune, greater thunderblast slippers

LEVEL 20

o Ability Boosts: +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 20, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 22, Wis 18, Cha 14)

o Class Feat: Full Automation

o Skill Feat: Scare to Death

o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (trained)

o Familiar Spells: 8th – polar ray

o Gear: +3 major striking bastard sword, +3 greater resilient power suit, artificer spectacles, major boreal staff, +3 greater striking drake rifle (cold), wand of clinging rime (7th-level)

For more snowy spells, Freeze has Advanced Witchcraft for a Greater Lesson of Snow and also takes Master Witch Spellcasting though he does return to inventor for his Full Automation capstone feat – the only level 20 inventor feat available to him though quickened is always handy so it isn’t exactly a lost. Frost pillar is a fantastic way to represent Freeze, well, freezing somebody solid. As something of a multidisciplinary scientist, Craft Anything feels right and Robust Recovery aids him in treating the diseases of others – as he wishes to do for his wife. Finally, I always take Scare to Death if I can. While it lacks the cold trait, flavoring Tidal Shield as him making a swift defensive wall of ice makes for a nice final ancestry feat whereas Prescient Consumable builds out of Prescient Planner – and could give him a spare cryomister in the case of an emergency.

FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: In a free archetype game, Freeze is freed up to take more of his inventor feats by spending these extra feats on his witch archetype. In such a game, he should absolutely pick up Patron’s Breadth as well as Improved Familiar so that he can make his familiar an elemental wisp, but he can also get a bit more offensive with his inventor feats as well. Megaton Strike could allow him to charge up attacks, Electrify Armor lets him prepare for any attempts by Batman to get up close to disable it, and Persistent Boost might represent the lingering chill his blows inflict. He could also dip into the Gelid Shard archetype, which doesn’t grant him much that he doesn’t get from his Witch Dedication, and at a lower DC, but Snowstep and Winter’s Embrace are at least thematically appropriate. Icy Apotheosis adding the cold trait to Freeze is a fantastic touch to represent his cryo-condition.

BUILD CONCLUSION

Mr. Freeze is a rimesoul human inventor with the armor innovation and academic background. This backstory represents his shunting into a boarding school program by his parents while his investment in Medicine and its skill feats matches his initial interest in preserving and saving lives – and his eventual singular devotion to curing his wife. Given his time working at a drug company, Alchemical Crafting fits in though he has demonstrated amazing engineering ability in general, fitting his class and the Crafting skill feats he takes. His Rimesoul lineage is meant to reference his transformation into a being meant for the cold, though it doesn’t give him a weakness to fire, an option that seems limited to poppets. This change also made him highly resistant to diseases and toxins, represented through Fast Recovery and Robust Recovery. This build focuses more on representing his iconic cryo-suit with a power suit innovation that protects him from the heat with its Phlogistonic Regulator and from the weapons of his foes with its Physical Protections. This can leave his ice gun feeling a bit lacking, but he will try to represent that through a collection of ice spells granted by his Witch Dedication, including mantle of the frozen heart, frost pillar, and ray of frost. His cold is so severe that it can even be felt through his weapons thanks to his Chill offensive boost. Learning from each combat, Freeze prepares for future contingencies with an array of gadgets through his Gadget Specialist, Prescient Planner, and Prescient Consumable.

Filled with fanatical fury, Freeze fires frigid flurries at foes while fully fortified in his futuristic, frost-forged frame.

Lemme know what you think and what other builds you would like to see!

If you want to join in on the discussion of these builds and the ones I do for monsters or just hang out with a bunch of fellow TTRPG nerds, check out the Discord server. We also have a Twitter where we try to post teasers for the blog. Next week's build is the last week before the Halloween month and features a build that I promise isn't stringing you along.

Have a fantastic Friday!