Help me build a spear-mage

[Rui]

Hello all! :)

My friend wants to build a mage (or a warlock for that matter) that centers around fighting with a spear while supporting himself with utility spells (such as alter self, sileny image and such spells). The point is not to build a fireball-spear hero that shoots lightning the first turn and then charges, but to get utility spells along with a decent spear damage and attack bonus.

Thanks ahead,
Rui.

[hymer]

build a mage

Someone is bound to ask for clarification. Which class(es) do you mean?

[Rui]

Oh. All spell casters, including divine and primal such as cleric, druid and ranger. He does have a minor prefer to warlock.

[hymer]

In that case, may I suggest a paladin. Smiting is a major part of the paladin's shtick, which is directly buffing the weapon in question.

[Raxxius]

Fighter/Eldrich knight - 20 principally a fighter with self buffs.

Fighter 1 Warlock/hexblade/fiendish 19 Kinda standard polearm master build

Paladin 20 Smites for days

Valour Bard 20

The actual spear in D&D itself is interesting because it's low base damage, and even though it's a quaterstaff with a pointy bit, it can't be used as polearm.

I'd be inclined to go for a Glaive, essentally it's just a none-throwable spear.

[Tenmujiin]

Warlock works well. Depending on some DM fiat (can you get a finesse spear, there are no balance issues but it is still up to the DM; Can you use your finesse spear with polearm master, this one has some balance issues but so long as you have to two hand the spear it should be fine) you may want to dip a level or two of fighter or paladin for armor proficiency, fighting style and either paladin spell selection and divine smite (oaths are taken at 3rd level so they aren't a problem) or for action surge. Take blade pact at warlock 3, extra attack invocation at warlock 5, charisma to damage at level 12.

If you got the finesse spear and are able to polearm master it then grab polearm master at warlock 4, focus cha->dex->con. If you got the finesse spear but can't polearm master it then strength and dex builds are about equal, if you didn't even get the finesse spear then you'll have to go strength. Strength build is paladin/fighter 1 warlock X, wear the heaviest armor you can find and focus cha->str->con, grab polearm master at warlock 4, use a glaive flavored as a spear if possible.

I'm unsure of how the new bladesinger wizard subclass works but that could be an option. There are also a couple of cleric options or the valor bard.

EDIT: I am assuming that you want a full caster

[kaoskonfety]

From the description I'd be nudging Blade Warlock, your invocations and spell selection can get you the "tricks" you are looking (various armors and illusions, hellish rebuke and such) for and your weapon damage can stay ok, if not top notch. And I love the way warlock is designed, probably Fae or Old one pact if you are looking for tricky rather than "ka-boom" but fiend could work too, its all with where you take it.

Valor Bard also flies fairly well...

and the various "combat clerics" will all go the distance and get you your "buffs"...

Wizard, Lore Bard and Sorcerer are pretty much right out, no second attack = you start falling behind at melee no matter what you do past level 5

[Zman]

Sorcerer/Fighter Multiclass.

Start as Sorcerer for skills, at 2nd level go Fighter for Duelest for +2 Damage. Later fighter levels will give action surge, extra attacks, and whatever subclass bonuses you go with.

Make sure you pick booming blade as a Cantrip. At level three Sorcerer Twonned Spell and Quickem spell are gold and both work with Booming Blade giving you extra attacks! You'll have Medium armor so Dex can cap at 14 leaving Sterngth, Con, and Cha. You won't be the best caster for Sace DCs, or the Steongest, but it is quite doable, versatile human for Tough out of the gate is very helpful.

Sorc1
Sorc1/Fight1
Sorc5/Fight5
And a mix after that, Sorcerer 14/Fighter8 is a good stopping point.

[Tanarii]

Is multi classing allowed? Feats? What's the stat roll/pb/array method?

I'd say use Pike (if no feats) or Glaive with Polearm Master (if feats). Warlock, fiend Pact, Pact of the Blade, Str primary, Con/Cha secondary, focus on spells with with no attack roll or DC. MC 1 level of anything with Heavy Armor.

If you are playing single class with no feats and insist on using a spear, the only class that actively uses simple weapons using Str, has heavy armor (removing need for Dex), won't melt like a snowball in hell staying in melee, and casts spells especially utility spells, is the Cleric. Specifically Life or Nature Cleric.

[Joe the Rat]

Warlock works well. Depending on some DM fiat (can you get a finesse spear, there are no balance issues but it is still up to the DM; Can you use your finesse spear with polearm master, this one has some balance issues but so long as you have to two hand the spear it should be fine)A level of monk effectively gets you Finesse spear - or at least Dex-based Spear. Still need a touch of Fiat to make Spears usable with Polearm Master, though.

In that route, you'd want to look at Cleric/Druid options, or suck up the wisdom req to multiclass.

[deathbymanga]

Warlock works extremely well in this situation since they ca make their Pact Weapon be anything they want. grab a lance and weild it with both hands and you have a long-spear.

Or go Paladin and combo smite attacks with your attacks. Paladins get Find Steed also so you could weild a shield and a Lance and Heavy armor that way, so its nice.

Eldritch Knight works well. As Does Valour Bard.

Favoured Soul works good if you want to use Quickened spell to catch spells while fighting.

[Human Paragon 3]

Eldritch Knight. You can open up with a fire or lightning spell and then charge in with the spear. You will be very good with the spear.

[Temperjoke]

From the sounds of it, I'd say the best fit would be either a Paladin or a Blade-Pact Warlock. The Paladin's smites give it the weapon-magic you seem to be looking for, adding magical effects to your damage, plus Paladin's generally have heavy armor so they can take more of a beating. A Blade-Pact Warlock is going to be more versatile than a Paladin though. Not only can you melee, you also have more ranged magical options. But the downside to the Blade-Pact Warlock is that you have to use spells to give you the extra protection to fight in melee, which can limit your options, especially early on.

For me personally, though, if someone is looking for a "spear-mage" then thematically a Blade-Pact Warlock feels like a better fit.

[Rui]

Thank you all for the wonderful help! As far as I know multiclass and feats are allowed. From my talk with him, he also thought about Blade-Pact warlock and he's looking for a way to maintain a good DPS (he's not expecting it to be the best in the table, yet useful).

He sends his thanks too :smallsmile:

[silveralen]

Thank you all for the wonderful help! As far as I know multiclass and feats are allowed. From my talk with him, he also thought about Blade-Pact warlock and he's looking for a way to maintain a good DPS (he's not expecting it to be the best in the table, yet useful).

He sends his thanks too :smallsmile:

One potential option two boost melee damage is dipping two levels of paladin, grab smites plus a fighting style. The new tunnel fighter fighting style is great for anyone using a reach weapon.

As far as it goes though, Bladelock has pretty decent DPR so long as he grabs polearm master and keeps dex an cha high.

[Joe the Rat]

Another nice thing on the bladelock is until/unless you pick an existing magic weapon, you can call up your spear as a spear, or a pike, or a javelin - whatever fits the mode you need.

[deathbymanga]

One potential option two boost melee damage is dipping two levels of paladin, grab smites plus a fighting style. The new tunnel fighter fighting style is great for anyone using a reach weapon.

As far as it goes though, Bladelock has pretty decent DPR so long as he grabs polearm master and keeps dex an cha high.

why keep dex high? he's a Paladin + Warlock mix with a Polearm. He should be maximizing Strength and Charisma and wearing Heavy Armor

[AmbientRaven]

How power-gamey?

Power Gamey
2 Paladin / 18 Favored Soul (War Domain)

Spirit Guardians (pre-activated) + 2 attacks a turn (level 5 smite both) + Quicken Green-Flame Blade for another attack + level 5 smite

Using a 1d8 spear that is
21D8+3*Str+30 (9D8+3*Cha) re-rolling 1's and 2's + 3D8-9D8 (depending on spell level) to anyone in the aura.
66-213 Damage + 24-72 to near by + 3-24 to 9-72 damage to anyone in aura

if needs be you can still cast level 9 spells, wear full plate and attack and quicken higher level spells as needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

if not a power-ish build best he picks a class they like then build around it

[deathbymanga]

How power-gamey?

Power-gamey? Spears, Javelins, and Lances all use STRENGTH as their damage stat. None of them are finesse. Meaning he'd have to double-down strength and dexterity to do decent damage. and he already has access to heavy armor due to being a paladin, so why go Mage Armor + Dexterity then?