Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Purveyor of Peace

Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted touched on playing a pacifist spellcaster in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons during a video and received a lot of feedback asking for a character build inspired by the concept of a character who has no interest in violence. This Purveyor of Peace character for 5E D&D keeps allies safe from harm and diffuses hostile situations with potential enemies. They have a keen awareness of creatures’ intentions and a powerful focus on preventing violence with abilities and features to back it up. Let’s get into it.

Behind the CBG — Purveyor of Peace

Every CBG we create considers the journey as much as the final outcome. We aim to present a guide suitable for any level of 5E D&D play whether you’re pursuing an epic campaign from start to finish, starting beyond 1st level or choosing a character for a one shot. Then we take those concepts and develop an NPC or creature version of the character build for DMs to incorporate into their games. All of this gets packaged up and laid out in a PDF you can find over at Dungeon Master’s Guild. We’ve got dozens of pay what you want products at DMG, many of them best sellers so if you want to check those out start with the Purveyor of Peace here.

All about the character story

Each CBG starts with a character concept sticking to a particular schtick, from the Mind Breaker’s psyche crushing smites to the Purveyor of Peace’s avoidance of causing pain and suffering to other creatures. Sometimes puns and pop culture references instigate the creation of a CBG too.

For us it’s important to consider who these characters are as individuals and why they follow these particular paths. One special thing to note with this CBG is while we always aim to make the journey to 20th level as practical as possible — none of these characters “come online” after an awkward slog through many levels — the Purveyor of Peace brings numerous peaceful and useful options to the table in the 8th-10th level range, about the time most campaigns wind down so a great high point for a seeker of peace’s narrative arc.

Our pacifist character comes from humble beginnings. Despite the potential for suspicion of fear directed at them because of their uncommon heritage, this character nevertheless gained a strong respect for peace through their upbringing. Now as an adventurer they work hard to share their peaceful community values out in the dangerous world.

Peacemaker NPC for 5E D&D

Full disclosure — the NPCs and creatures we make in CBGs are some of my favorite bits of 5E D&D content to create. We step back and look at the character build to find the standout features that feel like signature abilities. The juice! From there we consider what sort of person or people would possess or gain these abilities and build a stat block around them. More often than not the section of a CBG For Dungeon Masters presents a generic creature.

As an emissary of peace, a Peacemaker NPC present at any negotiations will observe and take stock of others in attendance. With their incredible Insight, it’s very possible they will learn more about those around them than those creatures know of themselves. We imagine these mediators as true neutral representatives. If violence does erupt they might very well share their gentle gifts and persuasions with both sides in order to return to peaceful equilibrium

Seek Resolution. A peacemaker will always interject in a conflict to promote a peaceful outcome. Whether the participants in a fight are good, evil or anywhere in between, peacemakers are dedicated to nonviolent solutions. This attitude can put them at odds with even the most morally upright creatures, as it is their belief that violence is never the correct course of action.

“Purveyor of Peace (Recharge 5-6). All creatures within 60 must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or halt all aggressive actions. This is a charm effect and creatures immune or resistant to it treat it as such.“

If your next 5E D&D game needs a character who advocates for peace (but without being a stick in the mud about it) — whether you’re the DM or a player — check out the Purveyor of Peace Character Build Guide here.

*Featured image — The Peacekeeper from the Magic: The Gathering Weatherlight expansion really put the kibosh on aggressive actions. A 5E D&D player could get a lot of mileage from the MTG multiverse. All it takes is a Plane Shift or five. [Art by Donato Giancola]

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