Buy me a coffeeWill Scarlet
A prominent member of Robin Hood’s Merry Men. He is in his late teens hot-headed and tempestuous, but with a love of fine elegant clothes and is often seen wearing red silk. He is the most skilled swordsman of the merry men whilst Robin Hood is the most skilled with a bow and arrow and Little John with a quarterstaff. Scarlet uses two swords at the same time.
Robin finds a finely dressed young man shooting deer in Sherwood, and offers to let him join the band; they quarrel and fight. Robin asks who he is; he says he is Young Gamwell, who killed his father’s steward and fled his father’s estate to seek out his uncle, Robin Hood. Robin makes him welcome and renames him Scarlett. He helps capture Richard at the Lee and when Robin lends that knight money to pay off his debts, he is one of the Merry Men who insists on giving him a horse and clothing appropriate to his station.
Robin has Little John and Will with him, and they meet three foresters, resulting in the usual fight and outwitting. In Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar, Will Scarlet tells Robin of the friar, resulting in their encounter. In Robin Hood and Guy of Gisbourne, Little John is captured coming to Will’s rescue after two of their band had been killed and Will was fleeing. In Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon, Robin, Little John, and Will Scarlet come to the king’s rescue, fighting the prince of the title and two giants, and ending with Will marrying the princess.
D&D 5E Mythological Figures: Will Scarlet
Will Scarlet appears early on in the legends of Robin Hood in the ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, where he helps capture Richard at the Lee then later laughs at the cheapness of the knight’s clothing. His origins come later in Robin Hood and the Newly Revived—he’s found finely dressed and hunting deer in Sherwood, and after fighting they come to an accord. Renaming him from Young Gamwell to Will Scarlet, Robin Hood offers him a new life among bandits after his flight from his family’s estate following the murder of his father’s steward. Sometimes the details change but more often than not Will is depicted as one of the Merry Men’s youngest members, a conflicted and temperamental youth that ultimately dies in battle against the Sheriff of Nottingham’s forces.
In the earlier Robin Hood literature, Will Scarlet wasn’t always called Scarlet: he was alternatively known as Will Sherlock, Will Shylock, and Will Skylark. The last of those is perhaps the most telling version, as it points to a generic figure with a defining trait of being work-shy, or perhaps a troublemaker.
Will Scarlet
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good fighter (battle master) 11
Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
Hit Points 93 (11d10+33)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 11 (+0) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7
Skills Animal Handling +4, Athletics +7, Perception +4, Survival +4; vehicle (land)
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages English
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Background: Folk Hero. Will is always able to rely on the hospitality of commoners to help him hide or rest provided he poses no danger in doing so, going so far as to shield him from being discovered (though not at the cost of their lives).
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). Once on his turn, Will can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.
Indomitable (1/Long Rest). Will can reroll a saving throw that he fails but must use the new roll.
Maneuver Master (5d10/Short Rest). Will can expend a maneuver dice to perform a single maneuver with an attack.
Disarm. A creature Will has hit with an attack takes 1d10 additional damage and makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or drops one held item of his choice.
Feint. Will can use his bonus action to feint against one creature within 5 feet. He has advantage on his next attack roll against that creature as long as it before the end of his turn. On a hit he deals 1d10 additional damage.
Parrying Twist. Will uses his reaction when damaged with a melee weapon attack to reduce the damage by 1d10 + 3.
Sweep. Will chooses a creature adjacent to him and his target, and within his reach. On a hit, the adjacent creature takes 1d10 damage (of the same type as the weapon attack).
Trip. Will deals 1d10 additional damage and if the target is a creature of Large size or smaller, it makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Will can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+11 hit points.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Will attacks three times when he takes the Attack action. When he uses a bonus action to engage in two-weapon fighting, he adds his ability modifier to the damage of his fourth attack.
Shortswords. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Feat: Master of the Sword. Will gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls made with swords (included above), he has advantage on opportunity attacks made with a sword, and when wielding a sword and attacked he can use his reaction to gain a +1 bonus to his AC until the start of his next turn or until he is disarmed.
Will Scarlet
Name Will Scarlet
Human CR 11
XP 12800
Fighter level 12 (skill points 48) Fighter/Thief
(Fighter )
Any Medium Humanoid
Init +3; Senses ; Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +3 armor, +1 feats, +1 deflection)
hp 82 (0d8+12d10+12);
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 30ft.
Melee +2 Longsword +17/+12/+7 (1d8+7/19-20), +2 Longsword +17/+12 (1d8+7/19-20)
Ranged MWK Longbow +16/+11/+6 (1d8 X3) range 100 +1 to hit and +1 damage if within 30ft
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks
Weapon Training become proficient in a weapon group 2
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 12
Base Atk +12; CMB +13; CMD 28
Feats Combat Reflexes, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Point Blank Shot, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend, Armor Proficiency Heavy, Armor Proficiency Light, Armor Proficiency Medium, Dodge, Double Slice, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Tower Shield Proficiency, Two-Weapon Defense, Weapon Focus, Weapon Focus (Secondary)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +16, Handle Animal +1, Intimidate +16, Know Arch & Eng +6, Know Dungeon +6, Perception +2, Ride +8, Survival +5, Swim +6
Languages Common
ECOLOGY
Environment Any
Organization Company 10-20, Band 30-100, Squad 4-8
Treasure Standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
ITEMS: Masterwork Studded Leather, Darkleaf Cloth Light Armor Spell failure chances for armors made from darkleaf cloth decrease by 10% (to a minimum of 5%), maximum Dexterity bonuses increase by 2, and armor check penalties decrease by 3 (to a minimum of 0)., Ring of Protection (+1) +1AC, +2 Longsword, +2 Longsword, Masterwork Longbow,