Hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a happy new year on the horizon! Finishing up both Disneycember and the FBFs for the year is the original Disney Princess herself, a fitting juxtaposition to end on. 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.
I had some fun making the video for this, so I hope you'll check it out.
Let's get into the build for Snow White from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves!
SNOW WHITE
SOURCE Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
BUILD GOALS
o Although a princess, Snow White was dressed in rags by her wicked stepmother and forced to work as a scullery maid
o When the Magic Mirror still declared Snow White to be the fairest in the land, the vain queen ordered her taken into the forest and killed, but the huntsman couldn’t go through with it and instead let her flee
o She met and befriended both the woodland animals as well as dwarves that lived within the forest
o As the archetypal Disney princess, Snow White is a superb songstress who sings to encourage the work of herself and her friends
o Her songs attract animals who seem eager to aid and protect her
o She was eventually poisoned by a cursed apple from her stepmother, but was awoken by love’s first kiss and went on to live happily ever after with her prince
Summary of Goals: Snow White is a gentle and encouraging singer who is able to swiftly form friendships with furry creatures who will rush to her aid in her time of need. She is a capable cook and cleaner despite being born as a princess.
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Versatile Human
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Dexterity, +Charisma
o Ancestry Feat: Natural Ambition
o General Feat: Fleet
Background: Royalty
o Ability Boosts: +Charisma, +Intelligence
o Skill Increase: Society (trained)
o Background Feat: Courtly Graces
Class & Subclass: Bard with Zoophonia Muse
o Class Ability Boost: +Charisma
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Crafting (trained), Diplomacy (trained), Medicine (trained), Nature (trained), Occultism (trained), Performance (trained)
o Class Feat: Hymn of Healing, Zoophonic Communication
o Spell Repertoire: Cantrips – haunting hymn, infectious enthusiasm; 1st – summon animal, synchronize steps
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +1, Cha +4)
For Disney’s first princess, we stick with the human ancestry and use the royalty background even though she was forced to work as a scullery maid by her wicked stepmother. With all her singing capabilities, she picks up the bard class but uses the zoophonia muse given her connection with a vast variety of animals. This grants her summon animal to represent the beasts that flock around her, which she can also communicate with thanks to her Zoophonic Communication. She has supportive capabilities thanks to Natural Ambition letting her get a hymn of healing and infectious enthusiasm while she can lead her friends in a dance with synchronize steps.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Sorcerer Dedication (Fey Bloodline)
o Skill Feat: Forager
o Skill Increase: Deception (trained), Survival (trained)
o Gear: psychopomp mask
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Toughness
o Skill Increase: Performance (expert)
o Spell Repertoire: 2nd – peaceful rest*
o Gear: masquerade scarf, ring of discretion, psychopomp mask
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Zoophonic Composition
o Skill Feat: Group Impression
o Gear: dancing scarf, masquerade scarf, stone of encouragement, psychopomp mask
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4.5)
o Ancestry Feat: Cooperative Nature
o Skill Increase: Athletics (trained), Diplomacy (expert)
o Gear: staff of healing, dancing scarf, persona mask, masquerade scarf, ring of discretion, psychopomp mask
Given her association with the creatures of the wilds, Snow uses a Sorcerer Dedication with a fey bloodline to tap into primal spells while still using a Charisma-based DC. She can follow up a composition spell to Sustain a summon Spell as a free action with Zoophonic Composition, and this courageous anthem honestly helps to make summons a bit more palatable, buffing these lower-leveled creatures. Forager will help her feed her friends whereas Group Impression covers how she was able to win over all the dwarves shortly after meeting them. She further explores her ability to help others with Cooperative Nature, making her better at Aiding others. The only spell of note in this block is peaceful rest, mainly for the irony of it.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Basic Sorcerer Spellcasting
o Skill Feat: Glad-Hand
o Sorcerer Spell Repertoire: 1st – animal allies
o Gear: +1 leather, staff of healing, wand of mercy (1st-level), dancing scarf, masquerade scarf, ring of discretion
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Incredible Initiative
o Skill Increase: Nature (expert)
o Gear: crown of the companion, +1 leather, resonating fork, staff of healing, dancing scarf, persona mask
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: Songbird’s Call
o Skill Feat: Tame Animal
o Gear: greater resonating fork, crown of the companion, primeval mistletoe, +1 leather, staff of healing, wand of mercy (1st-level)
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Cooperative Soul
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (master)
o Gear: +1 resilient leather, greater resonating fork, boots of bounding, primeval mistletoe, diplomat’s badge, wand of shardstorm (1st-rank)
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +3, Cha +5)
o Class Feat: Rallying Anthem
o Skill Feat: Train Animal
o Gear: wand of shardstorm (9th-level), +1 resilient leather, greater staff of healing, greater resonating fork, wand of mercy (2nd-level), crown of the companion
By taking Basic Sorcerer Spellcasting, Snow White gains access to animal allies to summon an entire horde of creatures, representing their assault on the evil queen when she goes to poison Snow in her crone hag. Songbird’s Call is taken for similar reasons, giving her effects on a focus spell. For more protective abilities, she uses Rallying Anthem to offer her allies some protection, which is just playing into her caring nature and doesn’t have a lot of reason beyond that. Tame Animal and Train Animal both represent her ability to befriend animals and teach them how to clean a house. Glad-Hand lets her quickly diplomacize creatures before they can kick her out after she’s invaded yet another home. Cooperative Soul builds on the same idea as her Cooperative Nature, just befitting her helpful personality.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Supertaster
o Skill Increase: Nature (master)
o Spell Repertoire: 6th – hag’s fruit
o Gear: entertainer’s cincture, cape of grand entrances, wand of shardstorm (9th-level), +1 resilient leather, boots of bounding, greater resonating fork
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Expert Sorcerer Spellcasting
o Skill Feat: Shameless Request
o Gear: +2 resilient leather, entertainer’s cincture, wand of mercy (4th-level), wand of shardstorm (9th-level), wand of mercy (3rd-level), greater staff of healing
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Group Aid
o Skill Increase: Performance (master)
o Spell Repertoire: 7th – vibrant vibrato
o Gear: major staff of healing, +2 resilient leather, arachnolute, entertainer’s cincture, cape of grand entrances, wand of shardstorm (9th-level)
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Musical Summons
o Skill Feat: Influence Nature
o Gear: wand of shardstorm (5th-rank), major staff of healing, major resonating fork, +2 resilient leather, wand of mercy (4th-level), entertainer’s cincture
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +4, Cha +5.5)
o General Feat: Fast Recovery
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (legendary), Religion (trained)
o Spell Repertoire: 7th – musical shift, uncontrollable dance
o Gear: +2 greater resilient leather, horn of the sun aurochs, wand of shardstorm (5th-rank), major staff of healing, accompaniment cloak, arachnolute
Snow mainly wants Expert Sorcerer Spellcasting so that she can heighten animal allies and Musical Summons just provides her with some additional action efficiency, letting her combo a composition cantrip with a summon animal so that they hit the field with the buff. Influence Nature is inspired by her ability to change the behavior of animals in the woods where she lived with the dwarves. Group Aid follows the same idea as her cooperative feats. Her general feats are inspired by her recovery after partaking of the poisoned apple with Supertaster making her better at identifying potential poisons and Fast Recovery letting her overcome them more swiftly. She can prove that she’s really learned from that experience with the hag’s fruit spell before delving into a medley of musical magic with the likes of vibrant vibrato, musical shift, and uncontrollable dance.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Effortless Concentration
o Skill Feat: Legendary Negotiation
o Gear: greater cape of illumination, +2 greater resilient leather, wand of mercy (6th-level), wand of shardstorm (5th-rank), major staff of healing, major resonating fork
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Heroic Presence
o Skill Increase: Nature (legendary)
o Spell Repertoire: 9th – resplendent mansion
o Gear: true staff of healing, greater cape of illumination, whistle of calling, +2 greater resilient leather, horn of the sun aurochs, wand of shardstorm (5th-rank)
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Master Sorcerer Spellcasting
o Skill Feat: Morphic Manipulation
o Sorcerer Spell Repertoire: 7th – summon stampede
o Gear: troubadour’s cap, true staff of healing, radiant prism, greater cape of illumination, +2 greater resilient leather, wand of mercy (6th-level)
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Feather Step
o Skill Increase: Performance (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater resilient leather, troubadour’s cap, wand of shardstorm (7th-rank), true staff of healing, greater cape of illumination, whistle of calling
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str +1, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +6)
o Class Feat: Pied Piping
o Skill Feat: Legendary Performer
o Skill Increase: Arcana (trained)
o Gear: cloak of waves and clouds, +3 greater resilient leather, wand of wearying dance, troubadour’s cap, radiant prism, true staff of healing
Effortless Concentration is massive for any summon-based build, like Snow White here, and Master Sorcerer Spellcasting is mainly going to let her heighten animal allies though she could also take summon stampede with the spells here. There’s a number of good capstone feats for the bard, but this build settles on Pied Piping mostly for how it was able to call animals in its original tale. Legendary Negotiation lets her find peaceful means to resolve an encounter, singing enhances the growth of plants through Morphic Manipulation, and then Legendary Performer simply fits with all the singing that she does. Heroic Presence sticks with her support capabilities and then because Hireling Manager no longer exists as a general feat, she tosses in Feather Step. A resplendent mansion is a necessity for her happily ever after if she wants to have room for her animal and dwarf friends.
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: There’s a few different options to explore for Snow White in a free archetype game. Obviously, she could expand on her Sorcerer Dedication with picks such as Bloodline Breadth netting her more spell slots or Basic Blood Potency for a few sorcerer feats, such as some spellshaping options. Alternatively, she quickly takes up the role of cook for the dwarves, which could lend to the use of the new Wandering Chef Dedication, which has some real fun options. Rounding out some potential picks is a Witch Dedication to follow in the foul footsteps of her stepmother though this might requite a shifting in some of her other selections.
BUILD CONCLUSION
Snow White is a versatile human bard who is inspired by a zoophonia muse and, as Disney's very first princess, uses the royalty background. While humble and kind-hearted, Snow White's supportive nature as well as her excellent Charisma as a bard ensures that she is truly the fairest of them all. Being a bard also ensures that her melodies manage a modicum of magic for a variety of purposes - courageous anthem to bolster her allies, rallying anthem to protect them, and songbird's call to get some area damage and some more protection. On that topic, her zoophonia muse allows her to connect with animals, which we see through summon animal or her Sorcerer Dedication letting her pick up animal allies, referencing the beasts of the forest who attempted to take down the queen while she was disguised as a crone. While Snow fell victim to the cursed apple in her feature film, she's since learned from it as we see with her Fast Recovery general feat and the hag's fruit spell.
So, in short, this superbly sweet songstress summons scores of support from all sorts, searching for safety among short-statured sappers from her sinister sovereign.
Please let me know what you think and what other builds you'd 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. That finishes up Disneycember and I hope you all enjoyed it. We're starting up next year with League's latest lady, but my brother is coming home during this week, so I might have to do an emergency schedule adjustment.
Have a fantastic Friday!
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