How to Play Inuyasha in Dungeons & Dragons (Anime Build for D&D 5e)

[@mboatrightED300]

"Youkai" -- the original Japanese term (poorly) translated as demon - are a LOT more like D&D's dangerous or malevolent fey in Japanese folklore than they are like D&D's demons. The term can include a wide range of phantoms, spirits, and magical creatures, and they don't have any connection to hell or evil deities. You made the absolute right choice.

[@Munchkin.Of.Pern09]

Agreed

[@Dijeouni]

Buddhist hell where souls are tortured during the day and released into the world at night as demons is a significant part of East Asian and Japanese folklore regarding demons. Inuyasha has a lot of Buddhist themes within it which shouldn't be overlooked.

[@mboatrightED300]

@@Dijeouni um,the idea of “souls” being released at night, which I haven’t heard of but might be a thing, folklore is not my specialty, is not a Buddhist teaching. It might be a folk belief I’m just not familiar with. Given the mix of Shinto and Buddhist elements, I consider Inuyasha to very more folkloric than tied to one specific religion.

[@mboatrightED300]

@@Dijeouni As I re-read this, I think you are getting hell denizens and pretas/hungry ghosts confused with each other. They are different categories of bad reincarnation. The former involves constant torture in one of many hells in ways that make Dante look uncreative. The others exist in a more parallel state to our world and wander around it constantly hungry. In Japanese versions of preta, the gaki, they do in fact come out at night to feed. But the creatures in Inuyasha aren't hungry ghosts, they're youkai, which are magical monsters, shape-shifters, and spirits - i.e. D&D fey.

[@Dijeouni]

@@mboatrightED300 Mixing of concepts is very common is East Asian folklore. Shinto or other indigenous beliefs, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. Hungry ghosts are one of the types of spirits/demons that can come and go from Naraka, but concepts like the jewel of power/wishing pearls/etc. (cintamani) are strongly rooted in Buddhist backgrounds. One of my Asian Studies professors (majored in Buddhism) is a big fan of Inuyasha because of it.

[@mason-.]

HOW DARE YOU SLANDER OATMEAL LIKE THAT?! I LOVE MY OATS COOKED IN HOT LIQUID!!!

[@jasminsolano6302]

I love oatmeal

[@StinkerTheFirst]

Oatmeal for health, customization and easy clean up.

[@JakeTheHawk]

Good nostalgia vibes, man. Pretending to sleep while watching Adult Swim with my tvs volume set at like 3.

[@dustincompton992]

I dunno, 10 intelligence seems a bit high for Inuyasha.

[@xLoLRaven]

Yeah, I would have switched the Int and Cha. He might not always be the most likeable, but he can be pretty damn intimidating when he wants.

[@legendary110]

yea i agree. He does have that smooth brain. XD

[@jasminsolano6302]

Wow doing my man dirty like that

[@legendary110]

@@jasminsolano6302 I mean, are we wrong? XD

[@jasminsolano6302]

@@legendary110 i get that Inuyasha is not that smart but he's not an idiot either

[@TheDanielCityHeroes]

Well, this was a pleasant surprise, one of my favorite anime characters as a D&D build. I hear Shonen Jump stuff brought up so much when discussing anime, I wasn't sure anyone even remembered this series anymore. Thanks for this.

[@thoughtfulfreespace]

I did not expect ranger when I saw Inuyasha, but this was an interesting way to build him. Good job.

[@ThexZeldaxChampx90]

I was expecting Path of the Beast Barb Why are you here?

[@neonsmith2802]

@@ThexZeldaxChampx90 was half expecting hexblade since it's like his dad's tooth or something been a bit since i've seen the show though XD

[@ThexZeldaxChampx90]

@@neonsmith2802 well Inuyasha has all the charm of a brick

[@allblazing1160]

I legit thought monk/warlock.

[@AssassinLupus7]

@@ThexZeldaxChampx90 same, honestly.

[@ryanmorris5923]

Fey Wanderer can trip their extra damage as many times as they make an attack, however each *target* can only take it once. If you make 3 attacks in a turn, each one can get the psychic damage assuming each one was directed at a different creature

[@lockwoan01]

Here's a fun one - Sheshomaru - Inuyasha's older half-brother. Things he needs - Poison Claws, Sword that Heals, Sword that Kills, Be Fast Possible Build - Reskinned Tabaxi with Noble Background, swap Persuasion for Intimidation. Class - Arcane Cleric (for Poison Spray cantrip, and Healing Word), Ranger Multi-Class Another possible one is Koga the Wolf Demon. Another reskinned Tabaxi - he's fast - with the Outlander background. Monk/Shepherd Druid multi-class - dude talks to wolves, alot.

[@remielhopefull8101]

YES, more of this!!!

[@lockwoan01]

@@remielhopefull8101 I got a lot of ideas.

[@Eramiserasmus]

Love the irony of using the cat-race to build the dogman. But fun build.

[@RobertBass]

Technically being half-demon is good enough to qualify for Tiefling, but I will concede that Tabaxi is a much better fit for the character. Seriously, though, Wizards, when are we getting dog-people? We've got cat-people, lion-people, elephant-people, rabbit-people, snake-people, and like three different kinds of bird-people, and yet no dog-people? Dogs are the best, why you hate dogs Wizards?

[@RobertBass]

@Jaden Chadwick Ehhhhh, teeechnically I suppose, but the twin mechanic doesn't work well unless your twin is either another player or a party NPC. Plus, their abilities just aren't very dog-like? Like, the closest thing they get that's dog-ish is their 35-foot move speed, but beyond that all they get are weapon proficiencies?

[@sandwichmonster7067]

To be fair, Inuyashaverse “demons” are basically just yokai from Japanese mythology, which are more akin to fey than D&D demons

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

Don't forget the lizard-people and half-marine-life-people

[@cteal2018]

Werewolves?

[@velphidrow]

Achuallly Tieflings aren't half. Being half an outsider makes you much more powerful then simple tieflings

[@sidneybranch5070]

PLEASE MAKE HIS BROTHER SESSHOMARU. THIS WAS GREAT

[@orioninfernal7269]

I havent seen Inuyasha, but I HAVE seen the quality content provided to us by Tulok the Barbrarian and dammit I want to see more so here I am

[@jackalope2302]

Its pretty good but it's got pacing issues. There's a recap every two to four episodes (it's a long running 90s anime made before streaming thus it was designed so if you miss an ep, it's not hard to get the grist of what you missed) so it's hard to watch after a few hours. But it's great if you space out the viewing.

[@DanSolo0119]

I imagine Kagome will be a combination of Cleric of Knowledge Domain (because she'll have access to the spell Command, thus she'll have the power to make Inuyasha "SIT") and Fighter so she can have abilities in archery. Miroku will probably a combination Cleric and Monk and Sango will probably be a Fighter.

[@velphidrow]

Nah Inuyasha just has a cursed item

[@peterwindhorst5775]

Songo - I would go with fighter (or rogue - rogue for poison use) / monk (monks can have boomerangs).

[@StarkMaximum]

Given how often they use that as a punchline in the show, is there a way to get Kagome to be able to cast Command as a cantrip if it only targets InuYasha? /s

[@weirdguy1495]

Episode 307 of the Fire Emblem stats: Inuyasha. He's great at brawling (claws), swords, and funnily enough, reason (since his sword has wind magic). He's weak to faith (since he's part demon), heavy armor (since his cloak is only magic-based armor), and authority (since he usually fights solo). He is great at both offensive stats and resistance and the rest of his stats are still pretty good.

[@Shalakor]

I'd say retrain a spell at level 17 to get both 5th level spells, since they're both useful for iconic features of the character. And, in play, I'd have the blades of blood use a slashing weapon (hand axe) just to make the divide between it and adamant barrage (javelin) more distinct.

[@geoffdewitt6845]

Interesting choice with ranger as opposed to something like an eldritch knight. I would have left Tetsusaiga as a legendary magical weapon and not put it into the build, but I respect the hell out of you for accomplishing that! Also, would love to see a Kagome build.

[@StinkerTheFirst]

I clicked this as soon as I saw it. Power of nostalgia. Ranger would have been my last guess of class, and I definitely wouldn't have thought to use Fey Wanderer as the archetype. You made a very good case for it. Great job! Also, I appreciate the jokes about Inuyasha's abilities, and his tendency to shout his archer's name. Speaking of which, Kagome build when?

[@kingdomkey01]

I don’t know much of anything about Inuyasha, I’m just doing my video fostering duty.

[@budinhapalmieri]

Oh shit finally you build that half demon white haired red clothed swordsman with a BIG sword to kill demons, now we only need his katana wielding brother, we already have Nero

[@RAJKevis]

A subject and predicate ...claws....Best joke of all time

[@cemiller]

Ah the nostalgia of trying to stay awake long nuff to watch this on adult swim. Also would still love to see a Portgas. D. Ace build.

[@godkingtroycalypso877]

I might be crazy, but didn't he already do Ace?

[@cemiller]

@@godkingtroycalypso877 I don't think he's done any one piece characters.

[@godkingtroycalypso877]

@@cemiller yeah, didn't see any One piece in there, found like 9 fire focused characters though

[@dphill96]

Between the times of the Muromachi period and the Higashiyama period was a time frame undreamed of, the Sengoku period, and the Shikon no Tama lay fragmented across the land in pink'ish/purple'ish colored shards beneath the stars and across the land. Hither came Kagome Higurashi, a bright eyed lovelorn high school girl from another place in history. It is I, Myōga, who alone can tell thee of her saga. Come, let me tell you of the days of high adventure.

[@Wouldyoukindly4545]

I would like Sesshomaru but don't quite know how to build him. Eldridch knight fighter fits, but doesn't get everything he needs. Hexblade doesn't quite fit lore wise, but combined with some sort of sorcerer (too bad there isn't one with a fey focus) they would get melee fighting, medium armor, blasting, poison, and flying. And polymorph could be the shape changing. You could substitute like oath of conquest paladin for hexblade, more MAD and the abilities don't fit perfectly, but his additude does. I'd like to see Tulok's take though.

[@av7501]

This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life.

[@rararasputin8608]

The Sniper taught three things: 1. Be polite. 2. Be efficient. 3. Be willing to kill anyone you meet. Inuyasha doesn't really have #1 down, but Uncle Iroh does (sorry for the delay, I'm on vacation).

[@OrangeyChocolate]

Anime characters in D&D are always an interesting exercise in just how far somebody can stretch mechanics and reflavouring.

[@danc6167]

Ghost Rider driving a grocery delivery truck is the most bonkers mental image I've had all month.

[@logandaley1544]

I’m happy to see Inuyasha, it was an interesting build. This sounds like a fun character.

[@lockwoan01]

Got to do a build for the actor Rutger Hauer - terrific actor. Two characters I can think of are Etienne Navarre from Ladyhawke, and Nick Parker from Blind Fury. Navarre is a former Captain of the Guards, who was cursed and outlawed by a morally corrupt Bishop. By day, he rides his mighty horse, Goliath, and has a hawk companion. At night however, he turns into a wolf, and the hawk turns into a lovely lady. This pair encounter Phillipe Gaston, aka The Mouse, who is the only person known to escape from a certain prison, and therefor knows how to get into the area where the Bishop works, undetected, and basically try to get him to help them. Parker is a Vietnam War vet, who lost his eyesight in the war. Now he's a wanderer, with a cane-sword, and now must protect his old comrade-in-arm's son from a bunch of criminals, who want to use the kid as leverage to get his father to make a certain product. Of course, despite being blind, Parker has no issues taking out sighted enemies.

[@EldrickJag]

That was a great video Tulok, I think you really got the flavor down! I don't want to seem greedy, you already do so much for us, but after/if you do more Inuyasha builds will this open up the door to any other works by Rumiko Takahashi by chance?

[@aetherspiralknight]

With our main Fighter going Purple Dragon Knight, Battlemaster felt slept on as a subclass in my DM's campaign until his former DM joined and started wrecking the fights with superior tactics, and helping the party pull off risky maneuvers by the skin of our collective teeth. When I built a gunslinger for his next campaign, I wanted to do all the cool stuff from westerns. I wanted Champion at first (because Champion), but it just didn't have the cinematic combat moments built in, and I realized that to build someone who pulls off badass stunts, Battlemaster is the way to go. They have such potential as anime builds, or anyone with superpowers (reflavored), in addition to their default design as Badass Normals. Battlemaster is great for new players who shyly ask "Is this allowed? Could I try to do the thing?" And when they attempt it, it reinforces that really, if you think of it, feel free to try. Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk

[@K_i_t_t_y84]

SIT BOY!!! ♥ Edited: Wait, did you say *WHEN* we build Kagome?!?!?!?!

[@CLSMandalore]

Here's hoping for Jack Burton next! Just a simple man who wants his truck back

[@EmmettMcMullan]

Did you pay your dues? The check is in the mail!

[@Daile0303]

Inu Yasha is incredible... And kinda sad Also, i would like to add Yusuke Urameshi from YuYu Hakusho to your list. Undead Warlock can make Eldritch blast a very strong spirit gun

[@timothyflynn2738]

I second that motion and would add Kuwabara has all the makings of a Paladin of Devotion with a dip in Fighter for that extra push of unarmed fighting style and second wind.

[@jnhensley09]

To add to this, Kurama would totally be a druid. I see Hiei as a sort of Rogue/Fighter multiclass with maybe a dip in Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer.

[@Daile0303]

Kurama is a Shifter Druid for sure

[@timothyflynn2738]

Oooh. That is good, maybe even better than Paladin with the Oath of Devotion. Initially selected that for its sacred weapon ability but you’re right, Warlock with the Celestial Patron, Pact of the Blade, that works marvelously. Maybe dual-class and give fighting initiate feat to give unarmed-fighting will work. So Yusuke, Warlock w. Pact of the Chain and Undying Patron(?), maybe some monk levels in Sun Soul for even more blasting power and martial arts, and some kind of variant human despite... well, later stuff... Kurama, shifter druid w. Circle of Spores, maybe just a touch of Rogue. Hiei is trickier but I’d say teifling Sorcerer w. Draconic bloodline, with more levels in Rogue, enough to go either Scout (for speed) or Assassin (for damage). Add the Martial Adept feat for more maneuvers for sure.

[@Daile0303]

@@timothyflynn2738 undead warlock is better. Your form of dread can be the spirit wave technique he learned from genkai, wich improves your eldritch blast to 2 d10+5 per beam Also, undying pact is... Well, it's bad. Just think about the abilities • you gain spare the dying cantrip • undead can't attack you... Except they can • you gain 1d8 +con life... Once per Long rest • You commit not-alive • you put your arm back It's kinda cool, but it's bad. Undead Warlock is the way Edit: also, i apreciate how you held the spoiler

[@draconicdemigod9696]

I've been waiting for this build. Thank you.

[@BestTroIl]

Now that van richten's guide is out we can have you build Sir Daniel Fortesque as a reborn.

[@WolfBoy-om6dw]

I absolutely love Inuyasha so thank you for making this video also I did not expect Ranger when I saw Inuyasha

[@danielscott4349]

L-l-l- Lord Sesshomaru, I now know all of Inuyasha's abilities, surely we can kill him now with ease... not that you would have trouble with him my lord it is just that... Quiet Jaken.

[@reloadpsi]

THAT'S who Inuyasha is? I only ever recognised that as "the avatar one of the creators of Final Fantasy Endless Nova used to use." Which is an insane coincidence considering what I've just been doing...

[@aaroncoffman7267]

Tulok, thanking you again for the Rey build. Currently at lvl 10 in candlekeep mysteries and having a great time.

[@RAJKevis]

Please make Sesshomaru druid build!

[@velphidrow]

He's not a druid tho. He doesn't do anything with nature beyond his shapeshifting

[@RAJKevis]

@@velphidrow poison claws, primal savery, plane shift. Revifiy etc...

[@velphidrow]

@@RAJKevis you mean things not exclusive to druid?

[@imjustwolf]

I clicked on this immediately when I saw it! My favorite anime character from my childhood!

[@NickTheGreatAndPowerful]

I legit almost squealed when I saw this pop up in my feed.

[@LeeMcKusick]

Did you tweak the drop shadow on the text to make it more like an anime outline? Cause that's the kind of minor detail that makes these videos worth paying attention to, and you a fantastic creator.

[@Narutonarutonaruto85]

Nice. I love InuYasha. Ranma 1/2 was one of the first anime and manga I started collecting and naturally I got into InuYasha as well. Have you seen Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir? I would like to see you do characters from it.

[@morbidnumbskull]

Been waiting for this

[@kilnorc]

Now I shall patiently wait for you to do more Inuyasha-based builds, Tulok XD This was awesome. Wonder if this will include the Yashahime character types? Maybe not, since it's only a season in, but still, something to think about.

[@CanadianCrits]

One of my first anime as a kid, this brings back great memories... Also, I was eating oatmeal when you made that joke! 🤣 You wound me, Tulok!

[@sandwichmonster7067]

Ngl, I unironically want that Shippo build

[@friedrin999]

oo idk if you changed this before but i like the new font/letter effects you added!

[@mabonator]

I love Inuyasha, but I also love Comics. You should build Martian Manhunter or Batman Beyond. Or just a video explaining how you make these would be very cool

[@wrightcore3367]

Damn, a fun build and new editing? Nice!

[@mistformsquirrel]

Pretty darn awesome... I admit I was hoping for Kenshin instead *but* I also have hugely fond memories of Inuyasha from back in the day and yeah, this is pretty awesome Funny thing too, I'd considered Steel Wind Strike for anime character type attacks awhile back and realized something hilarious but also kinda cool? It's entirely possible to make a Tome of Battle* esque character using of all things... Lore Bard and stealing Smite spells and Steel Wind Strike from Paladin and Ranger respectively. You don't need to go full 20 Bard for that build though, since once you have the second Magical Secrets you've pretty much got what you came for, and you can kinda just decide what suits your character best. Love these videos Tulok! So many ideas. *If anyone remembers that from 3.5e - been a long time so it's OK if not!

[@jakman873]

Clicked faster than i ever have before for this one

[@simonacerton3478]

Yeah I watched the heck out of this show.

[@gingermcgingin4106]

Fey Wanderer actually fits Inu very well. You see, while the English translation calls him a 'half-demon', he's actually half-yokai, yokai being much closer to fæ than demon.

[@aidenpruitt1256]

Sesshomeru next!!!

[@edgar-sama642]

It would be really interesting to see a Madara Uchiha build. Maybe 17 bladesinger / 3 rune knight

[@JakeTheHawk]

Sounds like you already made it! Congrats!

[@jnhensley09]

I have an idea for how to build Naruto. Echo Knight Fighter and reflavor Kurama as a fiend for multiclass as a Fiend Warlock.

[@edgar-sama642]

@@jnhensley09 Cool idea! What would you do for Minato?

[@JaelynMcgee]

hmm, interesting. if you don't mind me asking, why rune knight and not Astral Monk?

[@edgar-sama642]

@@JaelynMcgee So it could use armor and focus on intelligence for the wizard spells

[@AZDfox]

Jesse Faden build when? Definitely some kind of Warlock, but I can't tell what she should be .

[@mistformsquirrel]

*Yes* please!!

[@caeligocielo5634]

She's clearly a Hexblade Warlock for the service weapon, (and Pact of the Blade, of course). But do we count the Board or Polaris as her Patron? I'd say the Board, and we reflavor Polaris as a Sorcerous origin (giving her access to more OoPs).

[@AZDfox]

@@caeligocielo5634 she actually has 3 entities who could be her patron: Polaris, the Board, and Ahti. And so there's 4 different subclass options: Great Old One, Hexblade, Fey, and Celestial.

[@mistformsquirrel]

@@caeligocielo5634 I actually think the Service Weapon is better represented by Eldritch Blast (with various invocations) personally - you're not wrong though, that makes total sense. Personally for Patron I lean toward Great Old One since both the Board and Polaris are incomprehensibly weird and alien. You also have the Telekinesis stuff, which I'm fairly sure is only available as a spell for GOOlocks. That said, that's just my interpretation and yours is also entirely valid!

[@AndrewTyre]

You beautiful man you’re making me way too excited for Jujutsu Kaisen one day!!!!

[@erikwilliams1562]

Inuyasha! Kagome! Inuyasha! Kagome! Inuyasha! Kagome! Inuyasha! Kagome!

[@HighPhoenix1754]

And the occasional ..Ahem... KIKYO!

[@MukkadeJoro]

Omg yes I've been waiting on this forever 😂

[@blackmask6351]

Can you by any chance make a video for Sesshomaru?

[@LordSanquil]

I mean jar jar binks could slay way more than 1000 demons just by looking at them

[@ZStarShadow]

Hyped as hell for this one!!

[@GingerObiWan]

This makes me want to see your take on a Trevor Belmont build. But I still want Godzilla more.

[@Mandaiish]

He's done a Trevor Belmont video

[@bdcdbcfbsdckackacdac]

Thank you for doing my recomandation ❤

[@jonathanrodriguezperkins8647]

Please do Sesshomaru

[@Kyuubisagenaruto94]

I would love to see your take on the Horsemen from Darksiders

[@ji4215]

I would love to see a Kagome Build

[@kellydolan9717]

I would absolutely be down for a Kagome build.

[@goji3755]

Come to think of it, it IS weird that there are cat people, but no playable dog people in D&D. Huh... Ideas for future videos: Jade Fox (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) 9 or 7 (9) Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China) Ceasar (Planet of the Apes Trilogy) Tia Dalma (Pirates of the Caribbean) Shendu (Jackie Chan Adventures)

[@anthonynorman7545]

I'm surprised at well ranger worked for this!

[@PhoenixofEclipse]

Shippo build whe- oh wait he already said it…. Kagome build when?

[@charlotteharrison4677]

Please can you do the Winchester brothers (Dean or Sam)

[@diegobrando3430]

You should do a tekken character like Kazuya, cuz he seems like a cool challenge

[@biohazard724]

Fighter-Lock with a fiend patron. Maybe enough Monk to get Flurry of Blows

[@rustythebard]

Tulok, I’m a little late to the party, but I want you to know that I’m always watching... and so is Roz from Monsters Inc! This isn’t a video request, just a funny coincidence.

[@thunderfoot713]

Yes! More ranger builds!

[@shadowztaff]

Can we get the whole squad? I'd love to run these as one shots for convention play for folks to enjoy a 1-2 hour adventure. I often run the gaming rooms.

[@geoffdewitt6845]

Interesting choice with tabaxi, Mr. Tulok. Did you consider leonin from Theros?

[@MrKingDoss]

Would really like to see your vision for "Jack the ripper" from Record of Ragnarok. I have formulated a build for him that is very fun and want to compare!

[@TheMorbidHobo]

Demon tieflings are a thing, asaik. They are called abyssal tieflings, though there has been no official release of them in 5e, just UA, and they wouldn't be great For inuyasha.

[@donngreitontordilla1456]

Didn't Inuyasha go against Kenshin Himura in the polls? I hope that build still gets made.

[@babbalonian259]

Next do Natsu Dragneel from Fairytail

[@erikwilliams1562]

Way of the ascendant dragon to lvl 20. You’re welcome

[@ipsumquaerere6927]

Cool choise for race!

[@ernestlam5632]

I love Inuyasha

[@benmills4358]

Oatmeal was ruined for me for life. I'm sad about that. However Bravo Tulok for that build I didn't see this build comming.

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@ninakelly5065]

How would you make Kagome and Kikyo in D&D?

[@accelerator4936]

I wood love to see his older brother done

[@accelerator4936]

I can't spell his name

[@Sesshomaru1]

Sesshomaru

[@Cann0n_balI]

Day 1 of BEGGING for a Hisoka build 😭

[@spawnofnerds1843]

Hey. Can you do Rave master and his sword of 10 Forms

[@KINFIN123]

Low charisma? Did you forget about the fey wanderer ability to add wisdom to charisma checks? Yeah you didn’t cap wisdom but it’ll help a lot

[@Keyroye]

I hope one day i get to see vash the stampede from trigun

[@itwasidio1736]

Sure, you've heard about cat boy JoCat, but what about wolf boy Inuyasha?

[@ReaperHyren]

Ok, but seriously Tulok, Shippo build when?

[@mariojaramillo8156]

Can you make one for sung jin woo from solo leveling

[@TieflingKumasi]

6th level rangers get roving? I don’t see that anywhere And rangers don’t get Magic Weapon, either. Or is that part of the customization options Tasha gives you?

[@seand.g423]

Well, now ya gone and got me imagining if Kagome brought back a Core Rulebook translation!

[@anthonynorman7545]

What's wrong with oatmeal?

[@kainmiller3355]

I’d love to see a Jackie estacado build one day. I’d love to see how he builds it