Dashiell King at Comic Book Resources had the fun idea to try and adapt the hero of The Matrix movies into a 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons character. Rather than laying the full, finished Character Sheet for you to crib, King walks you through the whole character creation process, offering guidance how to best re-create Neo's characteristic and abilities in a 5E context. Case in point:
A player wishing to replicate Neo would likely want to multi-class, specifically with a Way of the Open Hand Monk and a Battlemaster Fighter.
An optimal build would likely start out as a Monk, only taking three levels in Fighter, then continuing to level up Monk, eventually resulting in a Level 17 Way of the Open Hand Monk/Level 3 Battlemaster Fighter. Neo's martial arts prowess is the first combat display see in The Matrix, which suggests he initially began as a Monk. He can dodge and eventually reflect projectiles, which Monks can do with their Deflect Missiles feature. Neo can attack and defend superhumanly fast, represented by Flurry of Blows and Patient Defense. The One can even strike Agent Smith so hard he explodes, which arguably is reflected in the Way of the Open Hand's Quivering Palm technique, gained at level 17.
The decision to take levels in Fighter, and specifically Battlemaster, is a bit more complex.The Matrix Reloaded includes fight sequences where Neo is revolving through weapons, using every one of them with equal skill, executing high-level maneuvers with no hesitation. This would suggest a level of martial proficiency which, in D&D, is reserved for only the most combat-oriented classes. His calm and poise during a brawl keep him from losing control like a Barbarian, which makes the Fighter class a better option. Given the variety of techniques he employs during a fight, it seems safe to suggest Battlemaster, as he's disarming, goading and otherwise outmaneuvering all of his opponents during the fracas.
It's a neat exercise, and reminds me of that time in high school that I adapted Ash from Army of Darkness for my Warhammer Mordheim warband. I should see if he's still somewhere in my parents' basement…
How to Build Neo in Dungeons & Dragons [Dashiell King / CBR]
Image via YouTube
