How to Build Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in D&D 5e
Jotaro Kujo – the stoic 17-year-old who somehow has tires for shoulders and a hat that mysteriously blends into his hair. I have seen cosmic radiation erode away solar systems and this... THIS is a first.
Hey there, meatbags! Today we’re channeling our inner Stardust Crusader and building Jotaro Kujo in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. This build is all about capturing the essence of Jotaro and his Stand, Star Platinum, in D&D terms. So grab your gakuran school uniform, crack your knuckles, and get ready to yell “ORA! ORA! ORA!” at the top of your lungs.
pdfs at levels. 1, 5, 11, 17, 20.
Goals
To make sure we do Jotaro and Star Platinum justice, we need to hit a few key characteristics. Our build’s centerpieces will be:
An Astral Spirit (Stand) – Jotaro’s Stand, Star Platinum, is like a psychic punching ghost that fights alongside him. We need a D&D feature that lets us manifest a spirit or spectral force to represent Star Platinum (Editor’s note: I might have been watching Persona by accident – wrong show, similar concept). This “Stand” should give us supernatural strength and reach in combat.
Rapid-Fire Punching – You can’t have a three-page-long ORA-ORA beatdown without supersonic punch speed. Jotaro pummels enemies with blinding flurries of blows, so our build must support making multiple unarmed strikes in a single round (the more attacks, the better). We want to recreate that barrage of punches that sends villains flying.
Time Stop (Star Platinum: The World) – At his strongest (late in Part 3 of the series), Jotaro gains the ability to stop time for a few moments using Star Platinum: The World. If we’re building this character all the way to level 20, we want to represent this iconic power. (No build is complete without some way to yell “Time has stopped” and utterly confuse the DM!).
With these goals in mind, let’s dive into the mechanics and make Jotaro in 5e.
Stats
As with all our builds, we’ll use the Standard Array for ability scores (the set of scores 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 as given in the Player’s Handbook). Feel free to roll for stats if that’s your table’s style, but make sure to prioritize the same key abilities. Jotaro is a physical powerhouse with keen senses and iron will, so we’ll allocate his abilities as follows:
Strength – 15: Jotaro’s raw physical power is immense. He can crack skulls with his fists and toss much larger foes around. We start with a high Strength to reflect his punching power and brute force. (We’ll be using Strength for our attacks for thematic reasons, even though D&D monks often rely on Dexterity – Jotaro hits hard).
Wisdom – 14: Between Jotaro’s battle intuition and Star Platinum’s heightened senses, we want a strong Wisdom. This fuels our Stand’s perception and our own insight. Jotaro often sees through enemy tricks and is perceptive enough to react to threats others might miss. Wisdom will also govern some of our Stand abilities and improve our D&D monk features (like Stunning Strike DC).
Dexterity – 13: While Jotaro is bulky, he’s also surprisingly quick and agile – he catches bullets with his bare hands in the anime. A solid Dexterity gives us good reaction speed, improves our unarmored defense, and helps with initiative.
Constitution – 12: Jotaro can take a beating. He endures knife attacks, emerald splashes, and even a vampire’s road roller assault. A decent Constitution score represents his toughness and stamina, ensuring we have enough hit points to stay standing in a prolonged stand-off. (We’ll look to boost this later for even more durability.)
Charisma – 10: Jotaro is cool, no doubt – intimidating when he glares and says “Yare yare daze.” But he’s also taciturn and not exactly a people-person. A roughly average Charisma (10) feels right: he doesn’t actively schmooze anyone, but he has a certain badass presence. Intimidation will rely more on proficiency and flavor than a high Charisma score.
Intelligence – 8: Books aren’t Jotaro’s focus (he’s more street-smart than book-smart). He’s a clever tactician in fights, but that’s more represented by Wisdom. An 8 Intelligence makes academic knowledge a dump stat – Jotaro isn’t quoting Shakespeare or solving riddles; he’s letting his fists do the talking.
Starting Array after racial bonuses: We’re choosing Variant Human (more on that below), which grants +1 to two ability scores. We’ll apply +1 to Strength (bumping it to 16) and +1 to Dexterity (bumping it to 14) to reinforce Jotaro’s physical prowess and reflexes.
Feel free to adjust Dex and Con prioritization depending on how much you value a higher AC (Dex) versus more HP (Con) for your playstyle. We’re aiming for a balanced but brute-force build.
Background & Species
Species (Race): Variant Human. Jotaro is human, and the Variant Human option lets us start with a feat—extremely useful for bringing his combat style online early. As a human, we also get to increase two ability scores by +1 (we did Str and Dex as noted) and gain an extra skill proficiency. Jotaro doesn’t have any funky racial powers; he’s just a (very intense) human, so this fits perfectly.
Alternative Feat: You could choose Tavern Brawler instead (from the Player’s Handbook) to gain proficiency with improvised weapons and a bonus action grapple after you hit with an unarmed strike, plus a +1 to Strength or Constitution. This can be fun if you want Jotaro to be able to smash foes with random objects (road roller, anyone?) and emphasize his grappling strength. We opted for Fighting Initiate for raw damage, but Tavern Brawler is a solid flavorful choice too
Feat (Variant Human): Take Fighting Initiate (Unarmed Fighting) from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Your punches now deal 1d6 (or 1d8 if unarmed) bludgeoning damage—perfect for Jotaro’s ORA-ORA barrages. You can also deal 1d4 to a grappled foe at the start of your turn, mirroring Star Platinum crushing an enemy mid-hold. Jotaro doesn’t need weapons—his fists are the weapons.
Skill Proficiency (Variant Human): Grab Athletics to capture his sheer strength and grappling prowess. Jotaro climbs, leaps, and wrestles Stand users into submission—Athletics fits all of that.
Background: Soldier works perfectly for his stoic discipline and intimidating presence. It grants Intimidation and Perception—exactly what we need. Intimidation covers the cold stare and cracked knuckles; Perception represents Star Platinum’s supernatural awareness. The “Military Rank” feature can be reflavored as Jotaro’s commanding aura—people just listen when he speaks.
If you go custom background, aim for Perception and Insight instead, reflecting his knack for reading lies and subtle cues (like seeing through D’Arby’s tricks).
By level 1, you should have Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, and Insight. Skip flashy Monk skills like Acrobatics or Stealth—Jotaro doesn’t dodge; he steps forward and hits harder.
Class Features and Level Progression
Levels 1–6: Way of the Astral Self Monk (Stand User in Training)
We’ll start with Monk as our base class. Jotaro’s fighting style is unarmed and brutal, which screams monk, and the Way of the Astral Self subclass (from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) is exactly what we need to represent a Stand. As a monk, Jotaro uses his inner ki (think of it as his fighting spirit/Stand energy) to perform superhuman feats. Let’s break down the first six levels:
Level 1 – Monk 1: We get the core of Jotaro’s combat training.
Unarmored Defense: AC = 10 + Dex + Wis (≈14). No armor needed—he blocks bullets with attitude.
Martial Arts: Unarmed Fighting bumps our punches to 1d8, and we get a bonus-action strike each round. From day one, Jotaro can land two hard-hitting ORA-ORA punches per turn.
Roleplay note: At this stage, Jotaro doesn’t yet consciously manifest Star Platinum as a separate entity, but his impressive fighting skills and latent Stand power are already evident. You can flavor his punches as being unusually fast or guided by an unseen force (foreshadowing the Stand).
Level 2 – Monk 2: Here’s where Jotaro starts tapping into his spiritual energy (hamon? no, wrong JoJo part – we’re on stands now).
Ki: We gain access to ki points (Monk’s resource) equal to our monk level. Jotaro’s ki represents his fighting spirit and resolve. We can spend ki to do a few cool tricks: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind.
Flurry of Blows: Now the ORA-ORA rampage really kicks in–on a Flurry round, Jotaro can attack three times total at level 2 (1 Attack + 2 Flurry attacks). That’s a mini “Stand Rush” every time he spends a ki point. This is perfect for simulating his rapid punches. Picture Jotaro cracking his knuckles, then unleashing a trio of blows so fast the target hardly sees them.
Patient Defense: This is Jotaro going into full defense – weaving and blocking with Star Platinum’s help. Not used as often in JoJo, but handy in D&D when you need to turtle up.
Step of the Wind: Jotaro isn’t a ninja, but he can certainly move quickly when needed, remember him closing the gap on DIO in their final fight in a split second. This can be flavoured as Star Platinum propelling him forward or simply Jotaro’s athleticism.
Unarmored Movement: Our speed increases by +10 feet when not in armor. Jotaro is surprisingly fast for a guy his size, and Star Platinum’s presence makes him even faster. With a base speed of 40 feet now, he can rush down foes or maneuver around the battlefield easily. Gotta catch that evil orangutan or get in DIO’s face before he throws a road roller!
Level 3 – Monk 3: It’s Stand time! We choose Way of the Astral Self as our monastic tradition, which gives us the ability to summon our Stand’s spectral arms.
Unlock Arms of the Astral Self—Star Platinum appears. For 2 ki you summon spectral arms (10-ft reach, force damage, use Wis for attacks) for 10 minutes. Enemies near you take 2 Martial Arts dice of force on activation. Now your Stand can punch at range, and those blows bypass most resistances.
Level 4 – Monk 4: Time to improve our stats or pick up another feat. We have a few tempting options, but we’ll start by pumping up Jotaro’s Strength to superhuman levels:
ASI: raise Strength +2 (16→18) for heavier hits, or take Crusher for knockback flair.
Level 5 – Monk 5: A huge power spike for monks, and it translates perfectly to Jotaro’s ORAORAORA assault.
Extra Attack: two per Action → four attacks with Flurry.
Stunning Strike: spend 1 ki to freeze a foe—a one-target “Time Stop.”
Your Martial Arts die climbs to d6 (base still d8 from Fighting Style).
Level 6 – Monk 6: Jotaro further refines his Stand powers and physical resilience.
Ki-Empowered Strikes: unarmed attacks count as magical.
Visage of the Astral Self: summon Star Platinum’s face for 10 min to gain 120-ft darkvision, advantage on Insight/Intimidation, and Stand-style telepathy/booming voice.
At Monk 6, Jotaro (with Star Platinum’s arms and visage out) is a terror to behold. Mechanically, we’ve rounded out the core of the Stand: supernaturally accurate and powerful arms, enhanced senses, and the ability to shut down an opponent with a single well-placed punch (stun). We’ve also buffed our Strength and unarmed damage nicely.
Levels 7–10: Fighter (Echo Knight) – The Stand Manifestation
Time for Jotaro’s Stand to fully emerge. We multiclass into Fighter (Echo Knight) from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount—the subclass is practically made for Stand users. It represents Star Platinum as an autonomous spirit that fights beside him, while boosting Jotaro’s raw combat output.
Level 7 – Fighter 1:
Fighting Style: Take Superior Technique for one Battlemaster maneuver and a d6 Superiority Die (refreshes on short rest). Choose Lunging Attack to extend reach +5 ft and add d6 damage—your “Star Finger” move.
Second Wind: Heal 1d10 + level once per short rest—pure fighting spirit keeping Jotaro on his feet.
Level 8 – Fighter 2:
Action Surge: Take an extra Action once per short rest. Combine this with Extra Attack and Flurry of Blows for up to six attacks in one turn—the true ORA ORA rush.
Level 9 – Fighter 3 (Echo Knight):
Manifest Echo: Bonus action to summon a spectral duplicate within 15 ft. It moves 30 ft, fights through you, and can swap places with you as a bonus action—essentially Star Platinum on the field.
Unleash Incarnation: When you Attack, make one extra strike from the echo’s position (uses = Con mod per long rest). Think of it as Jotaro and Star Platinum punching together in sync.
Tactically, you now control a 30-ft combat zone, attack around corners, and trade places instantly—all core to the Stand fantasy.
Level 10 – Fighter 4:
Feat or ASI: Take Sentinel to lock down foes—anyone who tries to move gets frozen mid-step by a Stand punch. This pairs beautifully with your echo: if an enemy leaves its reach, you can opportunity-attack from that spot and stop them cold. Alternatively, raise Strength to 20 for maximum damage.
By Level 10, Jotaro commands his Stand like a separate fighter—teleporting, countering, and unleashing barrages that leave no enemy standing.
By level 10, let’s assess our progress towards the goals:
Stand powers: We have Astral Self arms and visage (Stand physical manifestation, reach, senses) and the Echo (Stand independent action). We’re essentially fighting with Star Platinum at our side all the time now.
Punching speed: We have Extra Attack, Flurry, Action Surge, and Unleash Incarnation. In a nova round we can hit absurd numbers of attacks (5–7+). Consistently, we can do 4 attacks a round with Flurry. This definitely satisfies the “supersonic punches” requirement.
Time stop: We can simulate it with Stunning Strike on a single target, and Sentinel to freeze fleeing foes. We haven’t literally stopped time for everyone, but mechanically we are locking down enemies effectively. We’ll keep this in mind as we reach the capstone levels, but so far so good. (We have a solution, though an actual Time Stop spell is still outside our build – more on that later.)
Levels 11–16: Back to Monk – Advanced Stand Techniques
Having dipped into Fighter for those 4 levels, we’ll now return to Monk to continue improving our Stand abilities and overall ki-powered skills. The next few monk levels will significantly boost our defense and give us some new tricks that fit Jotaro’s narrative of getting stronger and tougher.
Level 11 – Monk 7: (Character level 11, multiclass: Monk 7 / Fighter 4)
Back to our monk progression, Monk level 7 grants two useful features:Evasion: Jotaro becomes extremely nimble against area effects. When you make a Dexterity save for half damage (like a fireball or a dragon’s breath), Evasion lets you take 0 damage on a success, or only half damage on a failure. Essentially, you instinctively dodge out of the blast or Star Platinum shields you in the nick of time. This fits scenes where Jotaro narrowly avoids a spray of bullets or an explosion with a quick leap. Mechanically, it makes you much more durable against spells and breath weapons, playing into Jotaro’s toughness.
Stillness of Mind: You can use an action to end an effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened. Jotaro’s sheer willpower (or maybe Star Platinum slapping him out of it) means he’s not easily manipulated mentally. In JoJo, Jotaro has a strong mind – he isn’t one to succumb to fear or mind control easily (he literally let himself get stabbed in the face to defeat a flesh bud controlling Kakyoin, which shows courage over fear). In D&D terms, if some vampire tries to charm Jotaro or a fear spell tries to scare him, he can shake it off after a moment and get back into the fight. It’s situational, but very thematic for his unyielding demeanor.
Level 12 – Monk 8: Monk 8 means another ASI/feat. It’s time to cap out Jotaro’s Strength and/or shore up another stat for defense.
Ability Score Improvement: Increase Strength by +2, reaching the maximum 20. Finally, Jotaro’s raw power is at the peak for a human. He’s now as strong as a D&D character can normally be (short of magical enhancement). Every punch now carries our highest possible Strength modifier (+5) to hit and damage. This ensures our blows land as often as possible and hit as hard as possible. You’ll really feel the difference, especially against high-AC foes. We’ve achieved the physical might that Jotaro’s known for – this is the guy who can punch through solid stone and send enemies flying to the horizon.
Alternative: If you had already maxed Strength earlier (say you took an ASI at Fighter 4 to do it), then here you could instead bump Wisdom (to improve Stunning Strike DC and AC) or Constitution (for more HP and better Con saves). For example, raising Wisdom from 14 to 16 would improve your AC by +1 (since unarmored defense uses Wis) and make your stun/save DC a bit higher. Raising Con from 12 to 14 would net you +1 HP per level (retroactively as well) and increase your uses of Unleash Incarnation if your Con mod rises. Both are solid choices. In our case, we prioritized hitting power first, but Jotaro definitely benefits from both Wisdom and Constitution boosts, so we’ll address those soon.
Level 13 – Monk 9: Monk 9 doesn’t give subclass features (Astral Self’s next feature is at level 11), but the base monk gets a nice quality-of-life bump:
Unarmored Movement Improvement: At Monk 9, your movement speed bonus increases to +15 feet and you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids without falling during the move. In simpler terms, you can run up walls and across water as long as you end on solid ground. This is awesome for Jotaro’s dynamic mobility. We’ve seen Joestar characters run up things or dash across water (okay, that might be more Joseph/Hermit Purple swinging or Jesus doing a cameo… but I digress). Jotaro could plausibly jump from stand-to-stand (pun intended) or dash up a building to punch an enemy Stand user on a higher floor. With a base speed of 45 feet now (thanks to monk progression), plus Step of the Wind if needed, he can cover a lot of ground in combat. You’re basically a short-range teleporter when it comes to terrain – walls? No problem. Water? Star Platinum will carry you through. It makes battlefield positioning much easier. And combined with the Echo swap ability, you have a ton of movement tricks.
Martial Arts die: Also, minor note, at Monk 9 our Martial Arts die becomes d8. This means if you ever aren’t using the Unarmed Fighting style’s d8 (like perhaps if you wield a monk weapon or something), your unarmed strikes are still 1d8 base. But since we are using that style and often empty-handed, we’ve been at d8 the whole time anyway. From here on, as monk levels increase our die, the Unarmed Fighting style ceases to be higher – we’ll keep it for grappling damage and because we can’t change it, but at level 11 monk it would equalize, and at 17 monk the martial arts die (d10) would actually surpass it. (Spoilers: we won’t get monk 17 in this build, as we have multiclass levels, so we’ll stick at d8 damage for unarmed, which is fine.)
Level 14 – Monk 10: Monk 10 grants another defensive buff reflecting Jotaro’s near-superhuman body control.
Purity of Body: You become immune to disease and poison (both damage and the poisoned condition). Jotaro’s body is as pure as his dedication to smackdown! In JoJo, he doesn’t really face much disease or poison (aside from maybe some enemy stands that poison, which he resists through sheer will or gets saved by others). In D&D, this is situational but very nice to have when it comes up. Poison is a common threat (poisoned condition gives disadvantage, poison damage can be nasty) and now we simply don’t worry about it. That exotic assassin’s toxin the DM was excited about? Jotaro crushes the vial and says “poison doesn’t work on me.” It’s a small nod to his incredible endurance – he’s the guy who keeps fighting with broken bones and multiple knife wounds; a little poison isn’t stopping him.
Level 15 – Monk 11: Huge Stand upgrade! This is the capstone feature of the Astral Self subclass (besides the 17th level one). By hitting Monk 11, we unlock Body of the Astral Self.
Body of the Astral Self: When both your Astral Arms and Visage are summoned (2 ki for arms +1 for visage, or 2 if done together at once), you unlock the full power of your Stand’s body. For 10 minutes, you gain two benefits:
Deflect Energy: Whenever you take damage from a nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing source, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by your monk level (which is 11). This is similar to the monk’s Deflect Missiles but for any melee/physical hit, and it doesn’t throw it back. It just subtracts 11 damage from one hit once per round. Flavor-wise, imagine Star Platinum interposing its hands or body to soften a blow, or outright catching a weapon mid-swing. Jotaro often just tanks hits that would floor a normal person – here we have a mechanical reason why. Reducing damage by 11 can turn a lethal sword strike into a glancing blow.
Empowered Arms: Your astral arms now deal extra damage equal to your Martial Arts die once on each of your turns when you hit with any attack using the arms. At our level, Martial Arts die is d8, so one of our hits each turn does +1d8 force damage. Every bit helps, and this basically represents Star Platinum hitting even harder. Think of it like the Stand winding up for a particularly big punch each round (maybe a loud “ORA!” that hits harder than the rest).
Resistance (from Arms of Astral Self at Monk 11): Also, while your Stand’s arms are out, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons. This actually came online at Monk 11 automatically as part of the Astral Arms feature improvement. It means all mundane physical attacks do half damage to you. This is huge for durability. Many enemies (especially humanoids, beasts, etc.) do nonmagical weapon damage – now Jotaro effectively has doubled HP against them. Combined with the Deflect Energy reaction, you are incredibly tanky against weapon-wielding foes. Even against those with magical weapons (or monsters whose natural attacks count as magical), you still have the reaction to shave off some damage.
To summarize: By spending 2 ki to have arms+visage up (which we likely do at the start of any serious fight now), Jotaro becomes a beast on defense. This reflects Star Platinum fully guarding him. In the anime, when Jotaro is really focused, Star Platinum is essentially an extension of his body, blocking and parrying attacks at ultra-speed. Now in D&D, we can actually mirror that.
And don’t forget, at Monk 11 our Stunning Strike DC went up (proficiency bonus increases at character level 13 to +5, and if we’ve boosted Wisdom to 16 by now, Wis mod +3). So our stun DC could be 8 + 5 + 3 = 16, or maybe 17 if Wis 18. Not bad against many foes at this level. We should consider improving Wisdom soon to make that even more potent.
(By level 15 character, our multiclass is Monk 11 / Fighter 4. We have 15 hit dice: 11d8 + 4d10 HP plus Con mods. Our base AC if we haven’t increased Dex/Wis is still modest (10 +2 Dex + 3 Wis = 15 AC). But with resistance to most weapon damage and Evasion, we’re more durable than AC suggests. Still, boosting AC through Wisdom would be wise – pun intended.)
Level 16 – Monk 12: Another ASI/feat. We’ve maxed Strength at 20. Now we should boost our secondary stats for defense and utility. Two top contenders: Wisdom and Constitution.
Ability Score Improvement: Increase Wisdom by +2 (from 14 to 16). This improves a bunch of things for us: our Armor Class goes up by +1 (to 16 AC unarmored, assuming Dex still 14), our Stunning Strike and other ki save DCs go up by 1, our Insight & Perception checks get better, and if we do choose to use Wisdom for our astral attacks it helps those too. Jotaro’s willpower and perception are further honed. Star Platinum was always noted for its exceptional vision and precision – a higher Wisdom cements that. Also, thematically, Jotaro as he matures (into Part 4 and 6) becomes more wise and experienced, so a high Wisdom fits his later character development as well.
Alternative: If you feel your Wisdom is sufficient, you could instead raise Constitution (from 12 to 14) here, for extra HP and +1 on Con saves (useful for resisting things like stun, which ironically many monsters might try on you!). More HP never hurts, especially with our relatively low AC. We went with Wisdom first to help avoid getting hit (and to make our clutch Stunning Strikes more likely to succeed when we attempt them), but plan to bump Con with a later opportunity.
Feat alternative: Another option at this stage could be the Lucky feat (as a nod to Jotaro’s clutch moments where things just go his way). Lucky gives you 3 luck points to reroll attack rolls, saves, or enemy attacks against you. It’s powerful and can represent Jotaro’s near-miraculous survival instincts (like the famous scene where he’s seemingly out, but then he wasn’t, because he put magazines under his shirt to stop a knife – Lucky in game terms could let you turn a hit into a miss, representing such quick thinking). We will actually consider Lucky at level 20, but it’s worth mentioning here if you wanted it earlier.
At level 16 (Monk 12 / Fighter 4), Jotaro is an absolute monster in melee. Let’s recap the highlights:
Offense: Still rocking up to 4 attacks per round base (2 attacks + Flurry), with occasional nova spurts of 6–8 attacks using Action Surge and Unleash Incarnation (Con mod might now be +2 if we raised Con, giving 2 uses per long rest). We have 5 ki per short rest (monk level 12) to fuel Flurries and Stunning Strikes liberally. Our unarmed strikes hit for d8+Str (which is 1d8+5, averaging 9.5 damage each, not counting any bonus damage from arms empower once per turn or superiority die on a lunge). With 4–6 hits, that adds up fast. And we can do it at 10 ft reach, or even 15 ft with Lunging, and via our echo up to 30 ft away. No enemy is safe from being pummeled.
Defense: Our effective HP is high thanks to resistance to common damage types while Stand is out. Evasion covers spells, Stillness of Mind covers mental effects, Diamond Soul (coming at level 17) will cover saves, etc. AC ~16 is a bit low for level 16, but we compensate with these other defensive layers. We also have mobility to avoid some attacks and the echo can sometimes be used to body-block (via its positioning or using the Echo Knight’s later feature at level 18 fighter – which we didn’t take, but echo can still intercept one attack at level 18 via Shadow Martyr if we had gone that far).
Stand utility: We can scout with the echo (and at fighter 3 we got nothing explicitly, but Echo Knight at level 7 would have Echo Avatar for long-range scouting – we won’t reach Fighter 7 in this build, though). We have advantage on Insight/Intimidation from visage, 120 ft darkvision, special voice projection – Jotaro’s got style. We can also teleport swap with the echo for trick plays.
Control: Stunning Strike to lock an enemy down, Sentinel to stop movement, and the sheer damage to break concentration or disrupt plans. We’ve basically got the tools to handle most situations an in-your-face martial character could want.
Now, there’s one more stretch to go: the capstone levels, where we aim to fulfill the Time Stop goal in spirit and finalize Jotaro’s build.
Levels 17–20: Stand Mastery (Star Platinum: The World)
For the last stretch, we stay Monk to complete Jotaro’s transformation into a near-mythic fighter. These levels solidify his endurance, resolve, and mastery of Star Platinum.
Level 17 – Monk 13:
Tongue of the Sun and Moon lets Jotaro understand and be understood by anyone—essentially a universal translator. It’s mostly flavor but fits perfectly with his worldly travels and quiet, unshakable cool. “Yare yare daze,” indeed.
(No subclass features here; our next Astral Self feature would have been at Monk 17, which we won’t reach. That one would have been the ability to spend 5 ki to have Arms/Visage last indefinitely and +2 AC while they’re out – unfortunately not in this build, but we have plenty already.)
Level 18 – Monk 14:
Diamond Soul grants proficiency in all saving throws, plus the ability to spend ki to reroll a failed one. It’s the ultimate expression of Jotaro’s indomitable will—he shrugs off mind control, resists petrification, dodges fireballs, and just keeps standing. With Evasion and poison immunity layered on, he’s practically unbreakable.
Gaining Diamond Soul is perfect for fulfilling that feeling that Jotaro is the toughest, most resilient fighter around. Use those ki points for rerolls when it really matters (and remember, your ki regen on short rest, and at this level you have 14 ki, so you’re unlikely to burn them all in one fight just on flurries – save a few for clutch defense).
Level 19 – Monk 15:
Timeless Body slows aging and removes the need for food or drink—mostly narrative, but fitting for someone who never seems to lose his edge. Mechanically minor, thematically perfect.
Even if not directly relevant to JoJo canon, it’s kind of fun to imagine Jotaro not needing to eat or drink on long journeys (Avdol and Joseph are cooking kebabs and Jotaro is just chilling, not hungry). Regardless, this is mostly narrative. The real power at these levels came from Diamond Soul.
Level 20 – Monk 16:
Ability Score Improvement: Our final boost. At this point, our Strength is maxed (20). Our Wisdom is 16 (or 17 if we split an earlier ASI differently), our Constitution is likely still 12 or 14 depending on choices, and Dex 14. We have a few ways to go:
Increase Wisdom 16 -> 18 for an extra +1 AC (bringing AC to 17 unarmored if Dex 14), +1 on Wis saves (which we’re proficient in anyway), and +1 on our Stunning Strike DC (bringing it to a very solid 18 or 19). This improves our Stand’s precision and our overall defense.
Or increase Constitution 12 -> 14 (or 14 -> 16 if it was 14) to get more hit points and better Con saves. We’re already proficient in Con saves from Diamond Soul, but boosting the stat helps survivability and increases our Unleash Incarnation uses (which are based on Con mod).
Feat option: If stats are fine, you could opt for the Lucky feat here as the cherry on top. With Diamond Soul rerolls and Lucky combined, you’re almost untouchable. You could also consider Tough for +2 HP per level (making Jotaro even beefier) if HP feels low, or Mobile to further increase speed (though we already have lots of mobility). Given Jotaro’s character,
By now, Jotaro is everything he’s meant to be:
Unstoppable Will: Diamond Soul makes him nearly immune to failure.
Stand Mastery: Astral Arms and Echo Knight combine into a true Star Platinum—fast, independent, devastating.
ORA ORA ORA: With Action Surge, Flurry, and Unleash Incarnation, he can throw out 8–10 strikes in one turn, shredding any foe.
Narrative Perfection: Every feature is official 5e, flavored for JoJo without homebrew.
Jotaro’s final form is simple: the most durable monk, the fastest striker, and a living legend who bends time and fate through sheer willpower.Pros & Cons
Finally, let’s summarize the strengths and weaknesses of our Jotaro build:
Pros:
Burst Damage:
When it’s time to ORA-ORA, this build unloads like few others. With Extra Attack, Flurry of Blows, Action Surge, and Unleash Incarnation, you can throw out 6+ strikes in one round—perfect for deleting a target in classic Star Platinum fashion.Consistent Damage:
Even outside your nova turns, you’re landing 2–4 solid, magical unarmed hits per round for 1d8 + 5 each. Your Echo extends your threat zone, so anything within 30 ft risks getting pummeled.Stand Versatility:
Astral Self + Echo Knight creates an incredibly flexible “Stand.” You attack at 10 ft reach (15 ft with Lunging Maneuver), strike from your Echo’s position, and even teleport by swapping with it. It can scout, bait, or ambush—essentially a free summon that doesn’t cost concentration.Battlefield Control:
You dominate single targets. Stunning Strike can lock down foes, while Sentinel punishes anything that dares move or attack elsewhere. Between stun chains and opportunity smacks, most enemies will find themselves frozen in place—and regretting it.Durability & Defense:
Though unarmored, you’re no glass cannon. Fighter d10 hit dice and boosted Constitution keep HP high, while Evasion, Stillness of Mind, and Diamond Soul make you almost spell-proof. Body of the Astral Self grants resistance to nonmagical damage, and Second Wind patches you up mid-fight. You’re hard to drop and even harder to control.Mobility:
Monk speed, Echo teleporting, and Step of the Wind make you nearly untouchable. You can chase, reposition, or escape without taking hits—Jotaro’s signature “I was already behind you” moment.Utility & Skills:
Strong physical skills (Athletics, Acrobatics), awareness (Perception, Insight), and sheer presence (Intimidation with advantage via Visage) let you shine outside combat too. You’re not a party face, but you’re intimidating enough to make people listen.No Concentration Needed:
Every ability is innate—no buffs to maintain, no concentration checks to fail. Your fists and Stand function even in antimagic zones (DM permitting), meaning your offense almost never turns off.
Cons:
Limitations & Resource Management (Condensed)
Ki Points:
You have plenty of ki at higher levels, but also many ways to spend it (Flurry, Stunning Strike, Step of the Wind). Use it wisely—save ki for clutch moments rather than every turn. Short rests are your best friend since they restore ki, Action Surge, and Second Wind. Without rests, you’ll feel stretched thin.Unleash Incarnation:
Uses are tied to your Constitution modifier (1–3 per long rest). It’s a limited but powerful boost—save it for big turns or boss fights.Superiority Die & Action Surge:
You get only one Superiority Die and one Action Surge per short rest, so plan bursts carefully. Most fights won’t need both; unleash them when it matters.Bonus Action Overlap:
Your build competes for bonus actions—Flurry, Step of the Wind, Second Wind, Manifest Echo. You’ll often have to pick one per turn. Summon your echo early, then use later rounds for flurries or healing.
MAD (Multiple Ability Dependency):
You rely on Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution. That spread limits how high each can go, leaving AC a bit lower than a Dex-based monk. The trade-off is versatility and power across many areas.Limited Range:
You’re built for close combat. Without spells or ranged weapons, flying or distant foes can be annoying. Echo teleport helps, but mostly you solve problems by getting close and punching them—very Jotaro.Low Magic:
No spells means fewer tricks but zero dependence on concentration or magic. You’re pure martial might—immune to anti-magic and always ready to throw hands.No True Time Stop:
Stunning Strike only halts one target, not the whole battlefield. It’s a flavorful nod to “Time Stop,” not a literal one, keeping things balanced and thematic.Complexity:
You’ll juggle multiple resources, positioning, and reactions every turn. It’s not a beginner build—but if you enjoy tactical, high-skill play, it’s incredibly rewarding. Make a quick “combo cheat sheet” and soon you’ll feel like a true Stand user.
In conclusion, we’ve created a D&D 5e version of Jotaro Kujo that stays true to the source material: a brawling, determined hero with a supernatural punching ghost at his side. You’ll find this build fun and flavorful if you love JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and even outside of that context, it’s a strong and unusual multiclass that shows how combining monk and fighter can yield something greater than the sum of its parts. Now get out there and clobber some [Stand] users – Yare yare daze, they never stood a chance!
GOOD GRIEF!
You actually made it through this entire build – give yourself a pat on the back (or better yet, have your Stand do it for you). And remember, in the world of D&D (and JoJo), a clever plan and a flurry of punches can solve just about anything.
