How to play as X-Men’s Gambit in D&D

The Book of Many Things for D&D 5E has brought new card-themed powers into the game, allowing Gambit from the X-Men to be recreated as a character and used in campaigns.

Dungeons & Dragons allows players to create any character they want, but what if they want to replicate their favorite hero or villain in the D&D multiverse? Some characters are easier to build than others, and the new Book of Many Things allows Gambit from the X-Men to be more accurately represented in the game.

Remy LeBeau is a longtime member of the X-Men, having appeared in the comics since 1990 and being featured in numerous adaptations, including animated series, video games, and movies. As a mutant, Gambit can charge items (usually playing cards) with kinetic energy, which explodes when thrown.

Outside of his mutant powers, Gambit is also a master thief and a skilled fighter, even acting as a leader of the X-Men out in the field occasionally. The most enduring aspect of the character is his long-standing “will they won’t they” romance with Rogue, leading to their marriage in 2018.

Contents

• How to replicate Gambit’s traits and powers in D&D 5E
• Using the Book of Many Things to create Gambit in D&D
• Using Gambit’s personality in D&D 5E

Marvel Comics

How to replicate Gambit’s traits and powers in D&D 5E

There are two obvious class builds for Gambit off the bat – Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Sorcerer/Rogue combo. The former is easier to manage, thanks to single class progression that focuses on skills used in combat, while the latter suits the character better, as D&D Sorcerers are similar to mutants, while the Charisma-focused skills align with Gambit’s personality.

For both routes, the player would focus on Dexterity, Intelligence (a higher priority for the Arcane Trickster), and Charisma (a higher priority for a Sorcerer). Dexterity is essential for a high Armor Class score and performing regular attacks, while Intelligence and Charisma are important for many Rogue skills, as well as the spellcasting feature of both builds.

In terms of Background, Gambit would suit either the Criminal or the Charlatan, reflecting his own past as a member of a Thieves Guild. For Gambit’s spells. Magic Missile could be made to resemble cards while buffing spells like Expeditious Retreat, Jump, Enhance Ability, and Haste could replicate his unnatural agility.

Wizards of The Coast

Using the Book of Many Things to create Gambit in D&D

As for the new character options in the Book of Many Things, the Cartomancer Feat is essential. This can be taken at level 4, and it provides the Guidance Cantrip for free, as well as letting the caster reduce the casting time of a spell from Action to Bonus Action. This combo can be used with the True Strike spell so that an attack roll spell will have Advantage on its hit.

The Book of Many Things also introduces the Spray of Cards spell, which is already considered one of D&D 5E’s best spells for its level. Spray of Cards fires a deck of magical cards in a 15ft cone, damaging and potentially blinding opponents as they strike. There have been times in the X-Men comics where Gambit has fired all of his cards at a foe in desperation, so Spray of Cards could reflect this, acting as the character’s most powerful spell.

In terms of the Book of Many Things’ magic items, there’s the Card Sharp’s Deck. This card lets the user make a ranged spell attack that deals 1d8 force damage, as well as cast Spray of Cards for free once per long rest. The Card Sharp Deck is the ideal item for a Gambit-themed character, but it’s up to the DM to provide one to the player.

Using Gambit’s personality in D&D 5E

There’s more to playing a D&D character than just a block of stats and abilities. It’s all about role-playing as a specific type of person and seeing how they react in different situations, especially ones that only come up in fantasy & sci-fi settings.

In the case of Gambit, the character is meant to be charming yet untrustworthy, especially early on. Gambit starts out as an opportunist, someone who will do shady stuff for profit, and he uses his wiles to get what he wants. Over time, this roguish demeanor starts to fade as he grows to like and trust his teammates, revealing that he can be a good person if given the chance.

For the DMs, this is the perfect chance to have the character’s past catch up with them, as Gambit is haunted by the terrible things he did before joining the X-Men, and they kept coming back to bite him. How this would work in D&D is entirely up to the group, but it should be a challenge that gives at least one player a chance to prove how they’ve changed and overcome their previous misdeeds.