How to Build Barret from Final Fantasy VII Remake in DnD
Barret Wallace, Final Fantasy VII’s walking tank, was the game’s quintessential physical fighter. In the original game, he more or less attacked normally with his guns; but in the remake, ranged attacks matter a lot more. This makes Barret an odd mix: a super-strong ranged tank character. Is that a traditional build? No, not at all. But is it do-able in DnD? Yeah, absolutely! Here’s how.
Picking a Class and Subclass
Even in a game where anyone can use magic, Barret is, first and foremost, a physical attacker. He has high defense, so good armor is a must-have, and his ranged attacks hit hard, so he needs to be able to do some significant damage from range. Sure, we could just make him an archer, but a strong thrown weapon build seems more accurate for a character based on Barret.
Picking a Fighter lets you take the Thrown Weapons fighting style, adding damage to each weapon you throw. Pick javelins as your main weapon and you can still use a shield, boosting your defense. (You’ll probably want a spear or something in case you get stuck in melee.) Feel free to wear whatever armor you want, but heavy armor works well with this build and gets you the highest natural armor class. This alone will get you most of the way there.
For a subclass, Battle Master works wonderfully with this build. The Quick Toss maneuver will allow you to use your bonus action to throw another javelin, making that your go-to maneuver. For your other maneuvers, some of the classics are as good as always (like Precision Attack), but with Barret’s role as a defender, feel free to pick some of the less popular ones, like Goading Attack or Bait and Switch.
That in itself is a fun build, but there is one glaring problem: non-magical damage immunity. As you start gaining levels, you encounter more and more enemies that are straight-up immune to damage from non-magical weapons. Unless your DM gives you an unlimited supply of +1 javelins, you need a way around this.
I normally try to keep these character guides to a single class, but multiclassing is the best way around this. If you take 2 levels of Artificer, you can get the Returning Weapon infusion, which allows you to make a javelin into a +1 javelin that returns to your hand when thrown. This solves the problem and makes your javelin attacks more effective. Artificers can also take the Enhanced Defense infusion, effectively turning the plate armor you have by now into +1 plate, making your defenses even better. If your DM gives you some magical armor, you can apply the Enhanced Defense infusion to a shield instead.
Most classes get a power boost at level 5; Fighters get their first extra attack. If you want to multiclass into Artificer, you’ll probably want to get to level 5 in Fighter first to get that extra attack. Also bear in mind that, in order to multiclass into Artificer, you will need an Intelligence of at least 13.
Picking a Race
There’s no single race that offers unique benefits to this build mechanically, so I’m looking mostly at flavor for this build. Barret is stocky, muscular, and tough as nails—that screams dwarf. Mountain dwarfs and hill dwarfs both offer some benefits.
Hill dwarfs get the typical +2/+1 increases to stats, but they also get an additional hit point per level. This adds up over time to make a significantly tougher character.
Mountain dwarfs are unique in that they get two +2 modifiers to their stats, potentially giving a big boost to both Strength and Constitution, making for a great hulking tank. The Dwarven Armor Training is redundant since you’ll be a Fighter. If you’re using the Customized Origin rules from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, feel free to swap this for something you’ll use.
Background, Alignment, and Personality
Barret has a background that you don’t often see in DnD: eco-terrorist. There’s not an exact match in the list of official backgrounds, so we’ll just have to get close.
The Faction Agent background from Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide is probably the closest we can get to Barret’s official background. That way, you can tie him into an existing faction like the Emerald Enclave or the Harpers, giving a good plot hook for a larger organization that shares his goals. The background grants proficiency in Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, making it pretty flexible.
If you want something for a more central source, the good old Soldier background from the Basic Rules might be a good fit. This grants proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation—both good fits for a Barret-type character. A Soldier background helps explain where this character got their combat training and can provide a good backdrop for an eco-terrorist.
For alignment, Barret tries to act for the greater good, but he does so by fighting against unjust laws. He sees the world in black and white, and he has a well-tuned sense of good and evil; however, his concepts of black and white do not line up with social expectations and laws. This makes him a hard Chaotic Good-type character. You can obviously play with this to get the type of character you want to play, but if you’re going for Barret, that’s it.
Barret’s role as a ranged tank presents some unique opportunities in DnD—for instance, you can hold the front line while hurling javelins at the back line, essentially performing double duty that most tank characters can’t do. Your overall damage will be slightly lower than a character that goes all-in on melee with a Great Weapon Fighter build, but the flexibility in choosing your targets can make you an extremely effective strategic attacker, and being dangerous means enemies will want to focus on you—making you more effective as a tank.
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.