Disneycember disrupted our last remastered build last month, so here it is now! Normally, there would be a vote to follow this, but I have a character that a lot of people have been asking questions about that is going to get to jump to the front of the line. Otherwise, this was a fun build as it allowed me to put together a fear-focused build, which I always enjoy. On the other hand, there is very little actually about Marrow-Gnawer, which led to a lot of extrapolation and clinging to minor aspects of the character. 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 have a fun little video on Marrow-Gnawer that you can check out if you want to support me more.
Let's get into the build for Marrow-Gnawer from Magic the Gathering!
MARROW-GNAWER
SOURCE Magic the Gathering
BUILD GOALS
o Marrow-Gnawer is a ratfolk hailing from the Japanese-inspired plane of Kamigawa
o He is a mono-black ‘Rat Rogue’ with 2 Power and 3 Toughness
o He grants rats the ‘Fear’ keyword, which means that they can only be blocked by black or artifact creatures
o Additionally, he can sacrifice a rat creature to spawn more
o His art features him wielding a kusarigama
o The leader of a nezumi gang, Marrow-Gnawer claimed his position by slaying all three leaders of previous gangs in a single night
o He is a feared gang boss who operates out of a swamp
Summary of Goals: Marrow-Gnawer is a feared gang lord who is noted to be a better leader than a warrior. Despite this, he’s a capable killer armed with a kusarigama who can call forth great masses of rats and imbue them with terror.
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Sewer Ratfolk
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Strength, -Strength
o Ancestry Feat: Skull Creeper
o Skill Feat: Intimidating Glare
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (trained)
Background: Criminal
o Ability Boosts: +Intelligence, +Strength
o Skill Increase: Stealth (trained), Underworld Lore (trained)
o Background Feat: Experienced Smuggler
Class & Subclass: Ranger with Outwit Hunter’s Edge
o Class Ability Boost: +Strength
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Athletics (trained), Deception (trained), Diplomacy (trained), Nature (trained), Society (trained), Survival (trained), Thievery (trained)
o Class Feat: Initiate Warden – distracting decoy
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Charisma (Str +3, Dex +2, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +0, Cha +1)
This is a great opportunity to make use of the ratfolk ancestry with the sewer heritage standing in for his swamp habitat. This build features a super heavy focus on fear that starts with Skull Creeper, granting him training Intimidation and Intimidating Glare. Having been an operative in the nezumi gangs of Takenuma Swamp since he was young, he uses the criminal background, but I’m going to deny his creature typing with a ranger class rather than building him as a rogue. This lets him use the kusaigama as that isn’t a weapon that even the ruffian can sneak attack with. Furthermore, the outwit hunter’s edge will give him a bonus on Intimidation checks against his hunted prey. He uses Initiate Warden for distracting decoy to make an illusory rat, but he mainly takes it because none of the other feats really fit him.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Marshal Dedication
o Skill Feat: Intimidating Prowess
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (expert)
o Gear: ring of discretion
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Adopted Ancestry – Hobgoblin
o Skill Increase: Stealth (expert)
o Gear: +1 kusarigama, psychopomp mask, ring of discretion
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Dread Marshal Stance
o Skill Feat: Group Coercion
o Gear: golden legion epaulets, +1 kusarigama, pyrite rat, ring of discretion
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +2, Wis +1, Cha +2)
o Ancestry Feat: Remorseless Lash
o Skill Increase: Athletics (expert)
o Gear: +1 striking kusarigama, golden legion epaulets, skinsaw mask, pyrite rat, psychopomp mask, ring of discretion
The build begins to explore Marrow-Gnawer’s nature as a leader and commander with the Marshal Dedication and then focuses on the Dread Marshal Stance to add damage to the Strikes of his allies and cause their crits to inflict the frightened condition. Intimidating Prowess increases his ability to Coerce or Demoralize while Group Coercion lets him Coerce an entire group, such as the gangs that he took over. By taking the Adopted Ancestry for the hobgoblin, he can then grab Remorseless Lash, providing further focus on fear. This is a fantastic feat that allows him to keep a creature frightened as long as he continues to hit them with melee weapon Strikes.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Cadence Call
o Skill Feat: Titan Wrestler
o Gear: +1 scale mail, +1 striking kusarigama, demon mask, golden legion epaulets, pyrite rat, necklace of knives
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Toughness
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (master)
o Gear: grub gloves, +1 scale mail, shadow armor rune, +1 striking kusarigama, golden legion epaulets, skinsaw mask
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: Rogue Dedication
o Skill Feat: Battle Cry, Streetwise
o Skill Increase: Medicine (trained), Occultism (trained)
o Gear: cloak of illusions, grub gloves, lesser dread armor rune, +1 scale mail, +1 striking kusarigama, demon mask
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Agonizing Rebuke
o Skill Increase: Stealth (master)
o Gear: +1 resilient scale mail, ash gown, boots of bounding, grub gloves, shadow armor rune, +1 striking kusarigama
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Charisma (Str +4.5, Dex +3, Con +3, Int +2, Wis +1, Cha +3)
o Class Feat: Basic Trickery – You’re Next
o Skill Feat: Terrified Retreat
o Gear: guise of the smirking devil, +1 resilient scale mail, decaying weapon rune, cloak of illusions, grub gloves, +1 striking kusarigama
Marrow-Gnawer takes Cadence Call mainly to complete his marshal archetype so that he can then delve into a Rogue Dedication. This will provide him with the You’re Next class feat, allowing him to attempt a Demoralize a creature after downing another. The rogue archetype also provides him with additional skill feats and he focuses on Intimidation options for it, gaining Battle Cry and Terrified Retreat. Titan Wrestler lets him use the trip and disarm traits on his weapon against a wider range of enemies. He also uses Streetwise given his involvement with the gangs of Takenuma Swamp. He uses Toughness since that has a higher value than his power. With his access to hobgoblin feats, he can take Agonizing Rebuke, which will allow him to deal mental damage to a creature that he has frightened through Demoralizing them.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Incredible Initiative
o Skill Increase: Athletics (master)
o Gear: +2 striking kusarigama, guise of the smirking devil, nightmare weapon rune, +1 resilient scale mail, boots of bounding, cloak of illusions
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Advanced Trickery – Dread Striker
o Skill Feat: Swift Sneak
o Gear: +2 resilient scale mail, +2 striking kusarigama, cloak of the bat, guise of the smirking devil, astral weapon rune, decaying weapon rune
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Ratspeak
o Skill Increase: Society (expert)
o Gear: +2 greater striking kusarigama, +2 resilient scale mail, ring of maniacal devices, ring of lies, guise of the smirking devil, greater shadow armor rune
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Dazzling Display
o Skill Feat: Leverage Connections
o Gear: propulsive boots, +2 greater striking kusarigama, greater cloak of illusions, +2 resilient scale mail, ring of lies, greater demon mask
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +5, Dex +3, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +2, Cha +4)
o General Feat: Fleet
o Skill Increase: Crafting (trained), Intimidation (legendary)
o Gear: +2 greater resilient scale mail, propulsive boots, keen weapon rune, +2 greater striking kusarigama, ring of maniacal devices, greater ash gown
To further enable Marrow-Gnawer’s ability to keep a victim frightened, he uses Advanced Trickery to take Dread Striker, which means that frightened creatures are off-guard to him and this makes them easier to land hits on and thus continuously proc Remorseless Lash. He returns to his ranger class feats for Dazzling Display, granting him an ability to Demoralize all foes within range with but a single action. To slay three gang leaders in one night, unless they were all in one place, Marrow-Gnawer had to be sneaking around pretty quickly, so he goes Swift Sneak and Fleet and then takes further advantage of the gangs he’s brought under his command with Leverage Connections. Incredible Initiative is there to help him both take advantage of his surprise attack from the rogue and his Battle Cry, smacking them before they can take their turn and reduce frightened. He rounds out this block with Ratspeak not because it particularly fits the character, but because he needs it for another feat in the next block.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Eerie Environs
o Skill Feat: Scare to Death
o Gear: greater decaying weapon rune, +2 greater resilient scale mail, major everair mask, propulsive boots, +2 greater striking kusarigama, greater cloak of illusions
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Call the Swarm
o Skill Increase: Stealth (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater striking kusarigama, greater decaying weapon rune, greater astral weapon rune, +2 greater resilient scale mail, keen weapon rune, propulsive boots
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Tactical Cadence
o Skill Feat: Legendary Sneak
o Gear: bracers of strength, +3 greater striking kusarigama, quickstrike weapon rune, greater decaying weapon rune, +2 greater resilient scale mail, major everair mask
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Quiet Allies
o Skill Increase: Society (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater resilient scale mail, bracers of strength, dread blindfold, +3 greater striking kusarigama, greater decaying weapon rune, greater astral weapon rune
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +5, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +4)
o Class Feat: Time Dilation Cascade
o Skill Feat: Underground Network
o Skill Increase: Religion (trained)
o Gear: +3 major striking kusarigama, +3 greater resilient armor, titan’s grasp, dread blindfold, greater ashen weapon rune, quickstrike weapon rune
Eerie Environs is another ranger feat associated with fear and Intimidation, making it a fantastic fit. Tactical Cadence simply improves Cadence Call and adds some much-needed functionality to the feat, making it so that creatures aren’t slowed afterwards and so they can use their reaction to Stride or Strike. Time Dilation Cascade doesn’t require something like a weapon in each hand, so Marrow-Gnawer here can make use of it, just going ham with his kusarigama. If you want a different suggestion, you could continue to play into the leadership ideals of the character with something like Warden’s Boon. Scare to Death is a must on this fear-fixated furry fellow. Legendary Sneak is also very good and it lends to some fun possibilities with Eerie Environs, letting him disappear to create such effects even when there isn’t any cover or concealment. Underground Network further plays into his leadership of his gang, and Quiet Allies has a similar sort of idea, mainly letting him guide enemies past the defenses of foes. Finally, he has Call the Swarm thanks to Ratspeak, which is the perfect way to represent his ability to call forth rats though it doesn’t require any sacrifice. This is a pretty nifty little ability, dealing okay initial damage, creating difficult terrain, and dealing damage each round – all without a save!
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: There are some solid options for Marrow-Gnawer in his pre-existing archetypes – Skill Mastery from the rogue or To Battle and Topple Foe are solid options – but he could also take up a Fighter Dedication. This will let grab feats such as Intimidating Strike and Fearsome Brute to make the most out of the menace that Marrow-Gnawer manages.
BUILD CONCLUSION
Marrow-Gnawer is a sewer ratfolk ranger with the outwit hunter's edge and the criminal background, which doesn't quite cover his command over a number of united nezumi gangs. His position as a gang boss can also be seen in feats such as Streetwise, Leverage Connections, and Underground Network. He's a capable slayer and killer who debilitates foes with fear before closing in for the kill. While a ranger, he does make use of the Rogue Dedication along with a number of its feats and outside of his vast array of fear-focused feats and features, picks up the Dread Marshal Stance so that he can imbue the strikes of his squad with fear, like the keyword he shares among rats. He's a little lacking in sacrificial abilities, but through Rat Speak and Call the Swarm, he can call forth great swarms of rats to harass and tear apart his adversaries. He wields his kusarigama with terrible effectiveness and invests a bit more into things such as Toughness and the outwit edge to cover his higher toughness rather than focusing on power.
A mastermind of menace, this mammalian major makes the most of his maligned merit, managing marauders to mash and mangle malcontents that might match his magnitude, making their meager melees moot.
Please let me know what you think and what other builds you'd like to see!
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Have a fantastic Friday!
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