Let’s Play D&D With Kingpin Wilson Fisk
You’ll learn that some villains just loom a bit larger than others this week when we play D&D with Kingpin.
Kingpin is one of those comic book villains that pops back up every now and again and people are sort of happy about it. He’s instantly recognizable, always a little goofy in that only-in-comics sort of way, and sometimes it’s hard to root against him. I totally understood his motivations in Into the Spiderverse, for example. He was definitely the villain, sure. But still, I get it. This is a larger-than-life- literally and figuratively- baddie who makes as much sense in comics as he would in a fantasy genre. After all, there’s organized crime, weird powers, and really big dudes in just about every D&D setting. And he’s back again in Echo, so this week we’re playing Dungeons and Dragons with…
Kingpin
Sometimes characters are a little hard to make because we just legitimately don’t know where to start with them. They’re too weird with a powerset that’s too alien to D&D and making a sheet will either be just a little wrong, a huge mess, or both. Fisk was the exact opposite; there were almost too many options. In fact, I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to make him as a playable character or as a monster sheet. As you can see I landed on the latter, but that’s only because he’s a villain and I don’t make monster sheets nearly as often. If you’re aiming for an evil-leaning character, a Rogue-Mastermind mixed with almost any variety of punch-guy would get the job done.
Personally, I made a foe, but I pulled inspiration pretty heavily from player-character abilities.
A few things make Kingpin a recognizable character. He’s real big—but not (usually) big enough to be a “large” creature within D&D—real strong, and real smart. Not the smartest or strongest in the Marvel universes, but at any given time and in whatever room he happens to be in? Probably.
So I wanted to make a character who’s going to be physically imposing in a fight, but also knows everything that’s happening at all times and is aware of everybody’s business. This isn’t a foe you’ll have an easy time sneaking up on or outsmarting. But they’re also not easy to beat in a contest of brute strength. After all, in a world of literal super-powered humans, Fisk holds his own. And sometimes he does pretty significant damage.
What I gave him as “henchmen” was inspired by the Mastermind’s ‘Master of Intrigue” ability. And “Brick Wall” was inspired by the Fighter’s ‘Second Wind’ as well as every monster that can regenerate. I thought that he was too human to have regenerative abilities. But he should be hard to lay a strike on. And weaker hits? He won’t even feel those.
How would you make Kingpin for a D&D setting? Which version of him is your favorite? Are you watching Echo? What movie, show, comic, game, or book should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
