Let’s Play D&D With Alfred Pennyworth
If your D&D character needs someone to patch them up, keep their secrets, or just make them a really good cup of tea, they need Alfred.
Alfred may be the best character in the Batman series. His ability to spend all of his time with superheroes while barely blinking is a level of cool that we can all aspire to. But he also has a long list of skills that make him one of the most impressive people in the world. If his version of the world wasn’t full of superhumans and space aliens, that is. But Alfred is the best and he deserves the best, and this week we’re inviting him to play D&D.
Alfred Pennyworth
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Sheet made on the Homebrewery.
Right off of the bat you may be thinking, “Why does he have a monster sheet?” That’s a good question! Alfred isn’t a player character. In a world of heroes and villains, the people putting on the fancy costumes and solving super crimes are the player characters.
Alfred is more like that helpful NPC that some groups desperately need to keep them a little bit on track. Alfred is the DM’s self-insert who’s entire job it is to babysit the rest of you. And he’s darn good at what he does.
Obviously Alfred, within the Batman canon, is a butler and does all of the butlery arts required of him. I’m sure that’s how he’d be played in a D&D setting as well. But none of that is terribly important on the D&D sheet. Instead I wanted to look at all of the extra stuff that makes Alfred the best Batman support character possible. This consists of a handful of things that help him stand out.
Courtesy of DC Comics
For starter, Alfred is an accomplished medic. Batman doesn’t often have to see professional medical help after missions because, the vast majority of the time, Alfred can bandage, clean, and suture whatever he comes home with. I gave him a pretty decent skill in Medicine for any character bumps or bruises that may arise in battle. But for the bigger stuff, he has access to the Lay on Hands spell.
Alfred can usually be found in the mansion or the Bat Cave. And on the off chance a member of the rogue’s gallery captures him, he doesn’t have a tendency to stay that way for long. Maybe he’s born with it, maybe’s it’s plot armor. But either way, it’s a key part of this sheet that if your characters trust NPC Alfred, neither he nor your secrets will stay captured for long. While he’s in the Bat Cave though, he has access to all of those fancy computers crystal balls. This isn’t the main part of his job, but if he’s there anyway and you need some quick info…
Courtesy of DC Comics
Of course, Alfred isn’t helpless. He knows his way around a firearm and has thrown a few punches in his day. He doesn’t necessarily want to get involved in the actual fight, but if it comes up, he’s got a few moves.
Which version of Alfred is your favorite? How would you include him in your D&D adventures or do your characters have an Alfred like character? What movie, comic, show, or game should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
