Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Sling Master

Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted take a whirl at creating a master of the sling for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons character. The Sling Master character for 5E D&D makes their mark on the world with a humble sling, which sets in motion an adventuresome journey of magical research, eldritch deals and keen mental discipline. Let’s get into it.

Behind the CBG — Sling Master

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 Sling Master 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 Sling Master’s supreme dedication to the weapon that made them a hero. 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 Sling Master hits the bullseye by 6th level when the sling they used to fell whatever terrible adversary launched their career becomes an unerring instrument of damage dealing in their capable hands.

No arrows to be found but when it comes to slings this character is all about it. Whether ’tis nobler in D&D to suffer or to take arms against a sea of monsters. No question — go with the sling. Following the Battle Smith route adds a wonderful fantasy twist to the story of a young folk hero and their dog venturing in the wider world. While their adventures lead them to discover strange magical and mystical skills and abilities the core concept of an unlikely hero who saved the day with their sling makes a compelling character to roleplay.

Shire Reeve 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.

When Dave and Ted talk about a halfling peacekeeper with a mechanical dog I knew this would be the direction for the NPC version of the Sling Master. From a design perspective this one was fun because we wanted to keep the challenge fairly low with the idea a halfling Shire Reeve needn’t be incredibly powerful to keep the peace in a friendly community and region. The Shire Reeve stat block was a great reminder for me how the NPC Features from the Dungeon Master’s Guide really transform an otherwise frankly boring creature mechanically.

Rather than pile on a bunch of traits, which DMs would then need to remember and calculate to make their sling deal comparable damage I just rolled several features into the attack itself and call it a Sheriff’s Sling. Of course the Shire Reeve needs their steel defender, which I tinkered with for the Deputy Defender. Protip: the Shire Reeve can use their Deputy Defender as a mount!

A Badge and a Sling. A shire reeve is a legal official with the responsibility and authority to uphold laws for their appointed region. Each shire reeve has two very important pieces of equipment to aid in their duties. A Sheriff’s Sling is specially enchanted through the magic of artifice as a weapon and symbol of their station. Shire reeve’s also perform their job with the help of a Deputy Defender, which is also a product of magical artifice.

“Sheriff’s Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) force damage and the target is knocked back 5 feet to an unoccupied space. While the shire reeve wields it the sheriff’s sling ignores the loading property and magically produces its own ammunition when the shire reeve makes an attack with it.”

If your next 5E D&D game needs a character who elevates the sling with deadly magical precision  — whether you’re the DM or a player — check out the Sling Master Character Build Guide here.

*Featured image — Does a sling get any more iconic than David vs. Goliath? “David und Goliath” 1888. [Art by Osmar Schindler]

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