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Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke), ‘Lord of the Jungle’

Tarzan
Midjourney
  • Alias: Lord of the Jungle
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: Human raised by apes
  • Occupation: Jungle dweller, protector of the wild
  • Religion: Animism (reverence for nature and spirits)
  • Allies: Animal companions (apes, elephants, etc.), jungle inhabitants
  • Enemies: Poachers, exploitative outsiders, hostile animals
  • Abode/Base of operations: The heart of the African jungle
  • Nationality: English (by birth), adopted by the jungle
  • Languages: Jungle animal communication, basic English
  • Alignment: Chaotic Good
  • Affiliation(s): Nature, animals, balance of the jungle
  • Significant others: Jane Porter (romantic partner)

In the heart of the lush African jungle resides Tarzan, a remarkable individual raised by the wild and untamed. Born to a family of English aristocrats, he was orphaned in the untamed wilderness at a young age. Tarzan’s life has been a symphony of challenges and self-discovery as he navigates between his human heritage and the primal world he calls home. His bronzed and sinewy physique, sculpted through a life of climbing trees and wrestling beasts, tells the story of his symbiotic existence with nature.

Tarzan’s greatest fear is the potential loss of the jungle and its inhabitants to the encroaching forces of civilization. His connection to the animal kingdom and his deep respect for the delicate balance of life in the jungle drive his unwavering commitment to protect it from harm. With a heart brimming with curiosity, he seeks to learn more about his own origins and the world beyond the dense canopy.

Driven by a profound desire to safeguard his jungle home, Tarzan has honed his survival skills to perfection. He effortlessly navigates through the dense foliage, communicates with the animals, and wields crude yet effective weapons with exceptional accuracy. His days are spent swinging through the treetops, exploring every nook and cranny of the jungle, and defending his territory from threats both human and animal.

Tarzan’s ultimate aspiration is to bridge the gap between his two worlds—the untamed wilderness and the world of men. He yearns to introduce the value of his jungle teachings to humanity while preserving the sanctity of the natural world he holds dear. Tarzan’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of adaptation, and the unbreakable bond between a man and his environment.


Tarzan of the Apes, 1918 silent film, alternate publicity poster Date 1918, Tarzan
Tarzan of the Apes, 1918 silent film, alternate publicity poster Date 1918

Medium humanoid (human), neutral good


Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 108 (16d8 + 32) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.


STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
18 (+4)14 (+2)14 (+2)10 (+0)16 (+3)12 (+1)

Skills Athletics +8, Acrobatics +6, Survival +7, Animal Handling +7 Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Sylvan Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)


Innate Spellcasting. Tarzan’s connection with the jungle grants him the ability to cast spells innately. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom. He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

  • At will: speak with animals
  • 3/day each: entangle, pass without trace
  • 1/day: commune with nature

Jungle Warrior. Tarzan’s proficiency with his signature weapons allows him to make two attacks with his spear.

Legendary Swing. Tarzan can swing on vines as a legendary action. He moves up to 60 feet in a straight line, ignoring difficult terrain.

Actions Multiattack. Tarzan makes two spear attacks.

Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, or 11 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage if used with two hands.

Vine Swing. Tarzan can use his bonus action to swing on a vine and make a single spear attack against a creature he passes adjacent to during his swing.

Leaping Strike. Tarzan leaps up to 20 feet in a straight line and makes a spear attack against a target he reaches. On a hit, the target takes an extra 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Legendary Actions Tarzan can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. He can only use one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. He regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

  • Vine Swing. Tarzan uses his Legendary Swing ability.
  • Call of the Wild (Costs 2 actions). Tarzan lets out a piercing yell, summoning nearby creatures of the jungle to aid him. Friendly creatures within 60 feet gain advantage on their next attack rolls.

Equipment Spear, handmade loincloth, jungle-crafted leather armor, animal tooth necklace, vine rope.

Special Traits

  • Jungle Acclimatization. Tarzan has advantage on Constitution saving throws against extreme temperatures and effects.
  • Beast Companion. Tarzan has an animal companion, usually a loyal primate or large cat, with whom he shares a deep connection. This creature is an ape or panther (use the ape and panther stat blocks) and has an additional hit die, increased hit points, and gains proficiency in any saving throw in which Tarzan is proficient.

Personality Tarzan is a noble savage with a deep bond to the jungle. He fears the encroachment of civilization, yearning to protect the natural world. His agility, resourcefulness, and spiritual connection make him a legendary jungle hero. Tarzan’s goal is to live in harmony with the jungle, learning its secrets and protecting it from harm while seeking his place within a world that is both foreign and familiar.

Mythological Figures: Tarzan (5E)

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Unlike most of the characters in this series Tarzan is a character from relatively recent fiction authored by Edgar Rice Burroughs. In his infancy John Clayton and his noble parents were stranded on the African coast. They died to the wilderness and he survived, turning feral before the Mangani great apes took him in as one of their own and named him Tarzan (‘White-Ape’).

After he turns 18 he meets Jane Porter, falling in love and tracking her back to the United States only to find he despises civilization. They have a child and move back to Africa where Tarzan goes on many more adventures.


Tarzan
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good barbarian (animalist) 9

Armor Class
 16 (Constitution)
Hit Points 85 (9d12+27)
Speed 40 ft.

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
16 (+3)16 (+3)16 (+3)9 (-1)13 (+1)9 (-1)

Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7
Skills Athletics +7, Nature +3, Perception +5, Survival +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing (while raging)
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Background: Wildborn. Tarzan never forgets the geographic arrangement of terrain, settlements, and areas of wilderness. In addition, he can forage fresh water and food each day for as many as 6 people as long as the environment nearby can support it.

Beast Quality (Wolf). Tarzan can travel at a fast pace while he is tracking creatures, and while traveling he can move stealthily at a normal pace.

Brutal Critical. Tarzan can roll an additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

Danger Sense. Tarzan has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that he can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, he can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Feat: Athletic. Tarzan can stand up from being prone with only 5 feet of his movement, climbing doesn’t cost him extra movement, and he only has to move 5 feet before making a running long jump or running high jump.

Feat: Brawling. Tarzan is proficient with unarmed strikes.

Feral Instinct. Tarzan has advantage on initiative rolls. Additionally, if he is surprised at the beginning of combat and isn’t incapacitated, he can act normally on his first turn, but only if he enters his rage before doing anything else on that turn.

Nature Speaker. Tarzan can cast speak with animals as a ritual. He can also can also spend 10 minutes performing a ritual on one willing beast he touches. For as long as he concentrates, up to 1 hour, he can see through the beast’s eyes and hear what it hears, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the beast has. During this time, Tarzan is deaf and blind with regard to his own senses.

Rage (4/Long Rest). On his turn, Tarzan can enter a rage as a bonus action. His rage lasts for 1 minute, ending early if he is knocked unconscious or if his turn ends and he hasn’t either attacked a hostile creature since his last turn or taken damage since then. Tarzan can also end his rage on his turn as a bonus action. While raging, he gains the following benefits if he isn’t wearing heavy armor:

  • advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws,
  • when he makes a melee weapon attack using Strength he gains a +3 bonus to the damage roll,
  • he has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage,
  • opportunity attacks made against him have disadvantage,
  • and he can take the Dash action as a bonus action on his turn.

Reckless Attack. When Tarzan makes his first attack on his turn, he can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives him advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until his next turn.


ACTIONS

Extra Attack. Tarzan can attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.

Unarmed. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage and Tarzan can use a bonus action to grapple the target with a successful Strength (Athletics) check opposed by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) piercing damage.

Tarzan (John Clayton, Lord Greystoke)

Originally Posted by Kain Darkwind of the Dicefreaks d20 Community.

On this Thread

Tarzan has competence bonuses applied to various skills rather than magic items, as his story suggests a level of skill far beyond human norm. And uh…….no magic items.

Poster for The Adventures of Tarzan (1921). The wild animal serial supreme starring Elmo Lincoln in 15 electrifying episodes. Produced by Great Western Producing Co. for Weiss Brothers' Numa Pictures Corp. Picturized from the concluding chapters of The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Photolithograph.
Poster for The Adventures of Tarzan (1921). The wild animal serial supreme starring Elmo Lincoln in 15 electrifying episodes. Produced by Great Western Producing Co. for Weiss Brothers’ Numa Pictures Corp. Picturized from the concluding chapters of The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Photolithograph.
Tarzan (John Clayton, Lord Greystoke)
Medium humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice15d10 + 90 (240 hp)
Initiative+8
Speed45 ft.
Armor Class25 (+11 defense, +4 Dexterity), touch 25, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple+15/+26
AttackSpear +23 melee (1d10 + 10 /x3) or bow +20 ranged (1d8 + 5 /x3) or fist +22 melee (1d4 + 7 nonlethal) or lasso +20 ranged touch (special)
Full AttackSpear +23/+18/+13 melee (1d10 + 10 /x3) or bow +20/+15/+10 ranged (1d8 + 5 /x3)
Space/Reach5 ft./5 ft.
Special
Attacks
Favored enemies (animals +8, humans +6), lasso
Special
Qualities
Animal Empathy (+20), improved uncanny dodge, scent, savage
SavesFort +14, Ref +13, Will +9
AbilitiesStrength 24, Dexterity 19, Constitution 21, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 18, Charisma 17
SkillsBalance +31, Craft (wooden weapons) +8, Climb +32, Diplomacy +7, Escape Artist +11 (+13 ropes), Handle Animal +21, Heal +5, Hide +10, Intimidate +8, Jump +32, Knowledge (nature) +20, Listen
+24, Move Silently +25, Ride +10, Sense Motive +9, Spot +24, Survival +30 (+32 above ground), Swim +12, Tumble +13, Rope Use+9 (+11 bindings)
FeatsAcrobaticAgile, AlertnessAthletic, BrachiationCombat Expertise, EnduranceImproved Bull Rush, Improved Grapple, Improved InitiativeImproved Toughness, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Survival), Track
EnvironmentAfrica
OrganizationSolitary (unique)
Challenge Rating12
TreasurePossessions
AlignmentChaotic Good

Lasso: As an attack actions requiring a successful ranged touch attack, Tarzan can loop his grass rope around the neck or legs of a Large sized or smaller creature. A creature caught around the neck begins to choke, suffering 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per round. This is otherwise identical to slow suffocation. A creature caught around the legs cannot move and falls prone. In either case, an Escape Artist opposed check against Tarzan’s Rope Use check allows the victim to free itself.

An opposed Strength check can disarm Tarzan of the rope. The rope has 0 hardness and 4 hit points and is immune to bludgeoning damage. A choking creature has a 20% chance of striking themselves while attacking the rope.

Savage: Tarzan treats unarmed strikes as natural weapons, although they still deal nonlethal damage.

Possessions: Tarzan carries a knife, spear, grass rope, bow and quiver of 20 arrows. These are sometimes of masterwork quality.

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Currently in the World

In the dappled sunlight of the dense African jungle, Tarzan stands tall and sinewy, a testament to the wild environment that has shaped him. His deeply tanned skin is adorned with tribal markings, blending with the patterns of the flora around him. Strong and agile, he moves with the grace of a predator, his muscles rippling beneath his rough-hewn loincloth. Wild, untamed hair frames his face, and his piercing blue eyes reveal a wisdom that belies his feral upbringing.

At this moment, Tarzan is perched atop a moss-covered tree branch, overlooking a serene waterfall cascading into a crystal-clear pool. His keen senses are attuned to every rustle and chirp of the jungle, his body relaxed yet poised for action. He grips a vine absently, his fingers idly tracing the texture as his thoughts seem to wander. The air is alive with the calls of exotic birds and the distant roars of hidden predators, creating a symphony that Tarzan is intimately connected to.

His mood is contemplative, a mixture of tranquility and a yearning for a world he has never truly known – the human world beyond the jungle. As he gazes into the distance, his thoughts briefly turn to Jane, the woman who introduced him to her world. A pang of conflicted emotions runs through him – his love for the jungle and his growing attachment to Jane. Amidst the vibrant beauty of his surroundings, Tarzan’s heart is caught between two worlds, unsure of where he truly belongs.

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