Dust off your gaming thumbs people! Street Fighter D&D 5E is done and what lay ahead is arguably its only true competitor among fighters in the golden age of video games: MORTAL KOMBAT D&D 5E (yes, all caps, every time). In this series I’ve put together RAW builds using Mists of Akuma (my eastern fantasy noir steampunk campaign setting) to supplement the core rules–with the litany of martial arts stances (playtest versions here) there’s a lot that can be done, and what can’t will get items to bridge the gap. 😀

Competing for most popular character, I think, is Sub-Zero–so here he is! The Stance of Frozen Flowers was inspired by him and it was no surprise to me that he was easily made with Mists of Akuma RAW.

Sub-Zero

Medium humanoid (soburi human), neutral rogue (ninja) 10/monk (martial artist) 6
Armor Class 18 (Wisdom, martial arts stances)
Hit Points 104 (16d8+32)
Speed 45 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA	Dignity	Haitoku
10 (+0)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	10  (+0)	16 (+3)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +8, Int +5
Skills Acrobatics +13, Arcana +5, Athletics +10, Insight +8, Perception +13, Stealth +13, Survival +8
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 23
Languages Chinese, English, Netherese (Outworlder)
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Basic Ninjutsu. Sub-Zero can throw three kunai or shuriken when he takes the Attack action and he has advantage on checks made to create or maintain a disguise.

Cunning Action (1/turn). Sub-Zero can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Evasion. When Sub-Zero is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Ki (6 points/short rest). Sub-Zero can spend ki to fuel the following features:

• Flurry of Blows. Immediately after Sub-Zero takes the Attack action on his turn, he can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
• Patient Defense. Sub-Zero can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on his turn.
• Step of the Wind. Sub-Zero can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on his turn, and his jump distance is doubled for the turn.
• Stunning Strike. Sub-Zero can spend 1 ki point to attempt to stun a creature he hits with a melee weapon attack. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of his next turn.

Magical Savant. Sub-Zero knows the ray of frost cantrip (spell attack +8) and has proficiency in Arcana.

Ninjutsu Novice. Sub-Zero has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, is able to run across any surface (regardless of whether or not it would support his weight, so long as he ends on a square he is able to stand on), and triples the distance of any jumps he makes.

Sneak Attack (1/turn). Sub-Zero deals an extra 17 (5d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Sub-Zero’s that isn’t incapacitated and he doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Stance of the Frozen Flower (2). Sub-Zero deals an extra 1d6 cold damage with his unarmed strikes (this does not multiply on a critical hit) and he has resistance to cold damage. As a reaction, Sub-Zero can flash-freeze the air around his body in protective petals of ice. These ice petals have 10 hit points and any damage he takes before the end of his next turn is subtracted first from this pool of hit points. Sub-Zero may create ice petals 5 times and regains expended uses at the end of a long rest.

Stance of the Striking Serpent (2). Sub-Zero’s unarmed strikes deal an extra 1d6 piercing damage (this does not multiply on a critical hit), he has advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks, checks and saves to avoid the prone condition, and creatures are at disadvantage to resist his attempts to grant them the prone condition.

 

ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Sub-Zero attacks twice. In addition, when Sub-Zero uses the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on his turn, he can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. Alternatively, he can throw three kunai.

Unarmed. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) magical bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) cold damage (cold and piercing damage do not multiply on a critical hit).

Kunai. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/80 ft., one target. Hit: 5 piercing damage.

 

REACTIONS
Deflect Missiles. Sub-Zero can use his reaction to deflect or catch the missile when he is hit by a ranged weapon attack. When he does so, the damage he takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10+9. When the damage is reduced to 0, he can catch the missile if it is small enough for him to hold in one hand and he has at least one hand free. If he catches a missile in this way, Sub-Zero can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition he just caught, as part of the same reaction (+8 to hit, range 20/60 ft., 1d6+3 damage).

Slow Fall. Sub-Zero can use his reaction when he falls to reduce any falling damage he takes by 30.

Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Sub-Zero can see hits him with an attack, he can use his reaction to halve the attack’s damage against him.

…but what about

Noob Saibot (HIDDEN CHARACTER!)

Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (martial arts stance)
Hit Points 67 (9d8+27)
Speed 60 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)

Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Evasion. When Noob Saibot is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Incorporeal Movement. Noob Saibot can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. He takes 5 (1d10) force damage if he ends his turn inside an object.

Innate Spellcasting. Noob Saibot’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells while in dim light, shadows, or darkness, requiring no material components.

• At will: invisibility, misty step

Ki (6 points/short rest). Noob Saibot can spend ki to fuel the following features:

• Flurry of Blows. Immediately after Noob Saibot takes the Attack action on his turn, he can spend 1 ki point to Life Drain twice as a bonus action.
• Patient Defense. Noob Saibot can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on his turn.
• Step of the Wind. Noob Saibot can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on his turn, and his jump distance is doubled for the turn.
• Stunning Strike. Noob Saibot can spend 1 ki point to attempt to stun a creature he hits with a melee weapon attack. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of his next turn.

Stance of the Striking Serpent (2). Noob Saibot’s Life Drain attack deals an extra 1d6 piercing damage (this does not multiply on a critical hit), he has advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks, checks and saves to avoid the prone condition, and creatures are at disadvantage to resist his attempts to grant them the prone condition.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, Noob Saibot has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

ACTIONS
Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 23 (4d8+5) necrotic damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

REACTIONS
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Noob Saibot can see hits him with an attack, he can use his reaction to halve the attack’s damage against him.