How to Build Rosa from Final Fantasy IV in DnD
Rosa Joanna Farrell was the love interest for protagonist Cecil Harvey, and Cecil spends much of the early plot trying to rescue his love. But damsel in distress she is not. Once Cecil rescues Rosa from the main villain, she joins the party and stays there through the end of the game, proving to be one of the most important members of the party for the tough battles toward the end of the game. There's a little more to her than simply "the healer," though, so read this guide to find out how to get the many aspects of her right.
Picking a Class and Subclass
With Rosa's primary feature being support magic, Cleric is an obvious fit—but it's even more fitting when you consider why Rosa became a white mage to begin with. Rosa's mother was a white mage who fought alongside Rosa's father, who was a knight of Baron. When her love, Cecil, became a knight of Baron, Rosa followed in her mother's footsteps, not just so she could heal Cecil's wounds, but so she could be there with him when he fought. Remember that, in addition to being an amazing white mage, Rosa is also the best archer in the game with her Aim action. She's not a heavy-hitter like some of the other party members, but she can definitely hold her own when needed. A combat healer who rushes in to fight alongside the knights is the archetype for the Cleric.
With her healing ability, it might be tempting to make Rosa a Life Cleric for the increased healing, but that's completely overlooking the combat abilities Rosa had. Rosa could boost her accuracy with a bow, and in doing so became the hardest hitting archer in the game. Her drive to learn archery and her aptitude with it are a great fit for the War Domain. War Clerics gain proficiency with martial weapons, so they can use longbows while Life Clerics can use shortbows at best. War Clerics can also boost their accuracy tremendously, making feats like Sharpshooter just free damage. One place the War Cleric shines, though, is in making other strong martials in the party even more effective. So if a War Cleric is fighting alongside the Paladin she loves, she can boost his efficiency as well as her own, making for a power team.
I think War Domain is the best choice for Rosa because it emphasizes her skill with archery while still having plenty of healing options. That said, Life Domain could also work if you want to focus on being a spectacular healer, with Life Clerics having the best single-target healing by a pretty wide margin.
Picking a Race
As an archer, Rosa would have a high Dexterity in addition to the Wisdom required for Clerics. Between a need for Dexterity and a natural proficiency in archery, Wood Elf is a great fit. If you ended up picking Life Domain over War Domain, Wood Elves have proficiency with longbows, making archery a much more formidable part of their arsenal. They also have proficiency in Perception—a useful skill for any archer. The stealth abilities aren't something Rosa had in the game, but they fit with the character build overall.
If you want to lean into Rosa's background with an established kingdom with its own knights, a Human might be a good fit as well. A Variant Human can boost Dexterity and Wisdom, as well as pick up the Sharpshooter feat at the first level, which can be great if you go with the War Domain.
Background, Alignment, and Personality
There are two backgrounds that can fit Rosa.
Acolyte is a natural fit for just about any Cleric, and plays into Rosa's desire to study the healing arts to further her goals in life. As an Acolyte, devotion isn't just a virtue; it's a way of pursuing the life she wants. For a War Domain Cleric, this ties in naturally to the desire to go save the world with an adventuring party. Rosa is a healer, but she will do anything in her power to stop the evil she sees around her.
The Noble background can also be an interesting fit, especially if you want to tie her character's story in with another party member with ties to a nation or house. Rosa wants to go protect Cecil, but she's also driven by a desire to stop the evil she saw taking root in Baron, and that's something she saw clearly because of her proximity to the higher-ups in the castle. A Cleric who sets out to stop an evil entrenched in a powerful government is a hell of a story hook and can make for a fascinating character.
Alignment is pretty clear-cut: Rosa is Neutral Good. She's not chaotic by any stretch, but she has no trouble overthrowing a government if their goals are evil. Rosa will always choose what is good, but isn't necessarily bound by existing laws and established powers.
As a character, Rosa is interesting. For most strong characters, things like mercy and kindness exist mostly to keep more dominant aspects of their strength in check; for Rosa, mercy and kindness are major strengths. Her desire to stop Baron sets her on a journey that she's initially unprepared for, but she goes out alone because she knows it's the right thing to do. When the only path forward was through an ice wall, it was Rosa's kindness that was the show of strength that Rydia needed to overcome her trauma and cast a fire spell. There's always a lot of muscle in the Final Fantasy IV parties, but there's not always a lot of heart. Cecil and Edward tried, but were so unsure of themselves that they struggled in that role. Rosa acts confidently anytime a big heart is needed, and that guides the party in some pivotal scenes.
About the Author
Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a web developer and writer in the Kansas City area. He's been playing TTRPGs since 2020 and is involved in the disability-related TTRPG podcast Tales from the Crips. He's into classic movies, mental health, and, of course, DnD. Also, he's in a band. One time, they rocked so hard it killed a man.