Best Jedi Build?

[Dralnu]

Yes, I've hopped on that bandwagon. I want to play a "Jedi" character, or as close to it in form and style. How would you guys do it?

I was thinking Oath of Devotion Paladin X / Sorcerer X might be good. Sacred Weapon lights up your sword, sorcerer gets you quickened spells to mix into your hacking and slashing. Pick up thematic spells like Jump, Haste, and such. Maybe some social "mind control" spells like Suggestion.

I don't have the new book, but I hear there are some new tasty options and spells. Perhaps there's even better options now?

[DivisibleByZero]

Homebrew, based off of the Four Winds chassis, from our houserules:


–- New Monk Monastic Tradition: Jedi

- Note that monks already get a lot of other jedi-like powers as class features (step of the wind, slow fall, deflect projectiles, and still mind cover most of the remaining canon jedi powers).

- The Jedi receives Force Attuned and Lightsaber at level 3, and chooses Force Powers at levels 3, 6, 11, and 17.

-– Force Attuned
You learn the mage hand cantrip if you did not know it already.

-– Lightsaber
As a bonus action on your turn, you can manifest a gleaming blade of radiant force from a specially prepared hilt, which you are proficient with and counts as a monk weapon. The blade has the finesse and versatile properties, and deals 1d6 radiant damage on an hit. Your unarmed strike, martial arts, and flurry attacks can be made with the Lightsaber or with your unarmed strike, individually for each attack, as you prefer. Any features, skills, and abilities which benefit your unarmed strike can also be used with your Lightsaber.

-– Force Powers
-– Force Powers
At each of levels 3, 6, 11, and 17 the Jedi chooses two powers from the following list. He chooses an innate power and a trained power. Innate powers are abilities that the Jedi has a natural affinity for, but has not practiced enough to become fully proficient in their use. Trained powers are innate powers that have been mastered by the Jedi, and as such have a lower cost and an higher save DC (if applicable).

---- Alter Perceptions
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained, Wis save)
Distract an enemy. Make a Wisdom check (+prof if trained). The result is the Wis save DC.

---- Empathy
(Ki cost: 1 innate, cannot be trained)
Opposed Wis check. If successful, you learn the general attitude and mood of a creature, and gain advantage on your next social or opposed ability check against it in the next minute.

---- Enhance Senses
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Initial benefit: Gain advantage on perception, investigation and intuition checks. Requires concentration.
Secondary benefit: If you pay twice the cost and sacrifice the initial benefit, you instead gain blindsight. This benefit requires both concentration and the expenditure of one force point every round.

---- Fear (dark side)
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Make an Wis check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Cha save DC. If successful, the target is frightened as long as you maintain concentration. The target gets a new save at the end of each of its turns.

---- Force Grip (dark side)
(Ki cost: 4 innate / 3 trained)
Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Con save DC. If successful, the target is grappled (at range, this supersedes the general rule about grapple range) and takes 2d6 damage each round that you concentrate, plus an additional 1d6 for each point spent above the initial cost. The target gets a new save at the end of each of its turns.

---- Force Heal
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Heal a creature of 1d8 + wisdom modifier damage, plus an additional 1d8 for each point spent above the initial cost.

---- Force Illusion
At level 3, you can cast Minor Illusion. (Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
At level 6, you can cast Silent Image. (Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
At level 11, you can cast Major Image. (Ki cost: 5 innate / 3 trained)
These illusions only affect a single target of your choice.

---- Force Lightning (dark side)
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You cast Witch Bolt. Each additional point spent counts as an extra spell level.

---- Force Strike (some uses dark side)
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Str save DC. Up to four adjacent targets take 3d4 damage, are pushed 10 feet, and fall prone. On a successful save, the targets take half damage and are not pushed or knocked prone. If used against intelligent living targets, this becomes a dark side power.

---- Friendship
(Ki cost: 1 innate / 0 trained)
You cast the Friends cantrip.

---- Hurl Object (some uses dark side)
(requires Move Object to be trained) (Ki cost: variable, see Move Object)
When you use Move Object, you may throw the item with enough force and velocity to deal damage. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 damage for each point of force required to move the object (not for each point spent to move the object). If the object hurled is a living creature, it takes the damage as well. If used on or against a living creature, this becomes a dark side power.

---- Imbue Lightsaber
(Ki cost: 1 permanent Ki point) (level 6 required)
Your Lightsaber gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls. You can gain this Force Power up to three times and the effects of doing so stack, but you may not take this power more than once at any given level. The first time you take this power you must learn it as a trained ability. Each subsequent time it may be taken as an innate ability if you choose.

---- Mind Trick
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
As per Suggestion, except the following. Make a Wis check (+prof if trained). Result equals the save Cha DC.

---- Move Object
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You can lift and move an object weighing 10 lbs or less. Each time you double the current cost increases this limit by a factor of 10, becoming 100 lbs at a cost of 4/2, 1000 lbs at a cost of 8/4, etc. If used against a living creature, the target gets a Wis save to negate the effect. Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the save DC.

---- Prolong Force
(must be chosen as a trained ability)
You may choose to spend Hit Points to power your Force Powers instead of Ki. The Hit Point cost is equal to three times the untrained (or innate) Ki cost, regardless of whether you are trained in the Force Power being used or not.

---- Sense Force
(must be chosen as a trained ability)
DM Fiat premonitions

---- Telepathy
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You can create a mental link with any creature that you have met who is on the same plane and planet. Through this link you can send emotions and a five word message to the target.

[Santra]

Weirdly enough I saw a good argument on here for Arcane Trickster because of its mage hand shenanigans.

[deathbymanga]

first you need the Sun Blade for your trusty Lightsaber, then you need a class that focuses on Sensory awareness and enhanced reflexes. also mind-control.

There's only one Build to be perfect for this. Awakened Mystic Mind

[CNagy]

Eldritch Knight/Swashbuckler/Rune Scribe.

Lightsaber? Rapier with a fire brand. The way Sneak Attack works, it's highly likely that it'll add fire damage to a weapon that deals fire damage. So for the deadliness of lightsabers, you roll all that fire damage dice twice and choose the higher amount.

Jedi Stuff?
Vind rune: you cannot suffocate or drown, saves vs gas-based stuff. Wind step, fly (jump?) 20 feet as an action. Wind's Grasp, take no damage when you fall (reaction). Shrieking Bolt... force push. Wind Walker, levitate.
Stein rune: Indomitable Stand feels rather force-y. Stone's Secrets has a very Sense feel to it. Optional if you wanted to just leave Rune Scribe at level 3.
Swashbuckler: Expertise in stuff can mimic superhuman capabilities. In social skills, it can mimic Force Persuasion (especially if you take Swashbuckler to level 9, with your ability to challenge in combat and charm out of combat with Persuasion.) Damage mitigation, evasion. A lot of combat mobility.
Eldritch Knight: Fighting style. Greenflame blade cantrip, Booming Blade or other cantrips. War magic to let you use those cantrips and then take a normal attack. Spell slots to fuel some of your Runic force abilities (looking at Shrieking bolt, mostly.)

Might need some tinkering-planning in order to build a build that is good at every level, and I am unapologetically biased towards Fighter/Rogue builds, but this is the first thing that came to mind.

[MaxWilson]

Yes, I've hopped on that bandwagon. I want to play a "Jedi" character, or as close to it in form and style. How would you guys do it?

I was actually just thinking that the Bladesinger is a pretty good match for the Jedi archtype, actually. Not so much for any specific mechanics (although the whole lightly-armored one-handed fighting shtick is a good match) as for the hints we see of the Jedi's real role in Episodes I and VI: they are diplomats, spies, and negotiators at least as much as they are warriors. I love Qui-gonn's response to the Droidekas: seeing that it's a stalemate, he and Kenobi take off in a Force Run and then sneak aboard transports to the surface. (Expeditious Retreat, Invisibility.)

So if I wanted to play a Jedi-type character in 5E, I'd play an elven Bladesinger with the Spy background. Skills: Stealth, Arcana, Persuasion, Perception, Insight. Take Invisibility and Suggestion ASAP to ensure that "these aren't the droids you're looking for." Eschew blasting spells, focus on mobility, diplomacy, and reconaissance. Try to think like Qui-gonn instead of Anakin.

[DracoKnight]

This is a Jedi (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66RprYE6_HHTEtPMXFUMnlSU00/view?usp=sharing) I homebrewed a while ago, and the forum balanced it out :D

[Malifice]

Bladelock WINS this thread.

Your Pact weapon manifests itself as a glowing [red] lightsaber that you 'learn' how to construct at 3rd elvel. Your Eldritch blasts are force thrusts (dealing force damage and pushing enemies back with repellling blast). Charm person/ friends/ bewitching whispers/ misty visions is the Mind trick.

Ditto witch bolt, mage hand, foresight, dominate person etc. Otherwordly leap at will? Force jump. Expetitious retreat? Surge. Visions of misty realms? Farseeing.

It goes on and on and on...

Check it out:

Darth Sidious (CE Great old one [Sith] Blade pact Warlock 20)

Cantrips: Blade Ward, Eldritch Blast (force push), Mage Hand, True Strike

Spells: Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat, Hex, Detect Thoughts, Clairvoyance, Sending, Enthrall, Suggestion, Shatter, Counterspell, Fear, Hold Monster, Dominate Person, Telekinesis, [and of course] Witch Bolt

Arcanum: True Seeing, Etherealness, Power Word Stun, Foresight [everything that has happened has happened as I have forseen...]

Invocations:Thirsting blade, life drinker, Otherworldly leap, Agonizing blast, beguiling influence, bewitching whispers, visions of distant realms, repelling blast

Pact boon:
Awakened Mind (communicate telepathically with any creature within 30')
Entropic Ward (can use reaction to impose disadvantage on attack roll, and next attack has advantage against it 1/ short rest)
Thought Shield (thoughts can’t be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it. IN YOUR FACE JEDI I'M THE PHANTOM MENACE HAHAHAHAH - resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage , it takes the same amount of damage)
Create Thrall (Sith apprentice)

Its pretty much 100 percent.

[Theodoxus]

Bladelock WINS this thread...

He said Jedi not Sith Sheesh ;)

[Malifice]

He said Jedi not Sith Sheesh ;)

Heh. It pretty much works the same as a Jedi. Anakin was pretty clear on this when we were chatting the other day.

Might want to remove Witch Bolt though...

:smallbiggrin:

I'd also splash some playtest Mystic in there as well if allowed.

[Tanarii]

I'm with Malifice on this one. Pact Balde is perfect for Lightsaber. I feel like any decent Jedi or Sith build just has to have at least three levels of Warlock for it.

[djreynolds]

Could go Darth Bane in Plate Armor

[Malifice]

If allowed, Order of the Immortal Mystic also fluffs nicely.

https://dnd.wizards.com/sites/default/files/media/upload/articles/Psionics.pdf

[Mara]

I was also thinking Great Old One bladelock. I also submit monks for the more lightsaber focused types and ATs for the more stealthy types. EKs work for the Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi who had minor force powers but was really more of the heavy armor Clone Wars General hero.

[Markoff Chainey]

Great Old One of Tome would also work for the less melee oriented type... choose MageHand, Greenflame and Shillelaqh as Cantrips for the "lightsabre" and you have more spells to emulate the powers.

[Mara]

Some jedi also cross into epics and post epics like Starkiller. The KOTOR universe also opens up a lot of Jedi who are just beyond the 5e power curve. One Sith Lord rips the life from planets, "it" would be an evil deity in D&D terms. Even in just the movie universe, the exact abilities of Force Ghosts are completely unknown but their side seems to always win in the end.

[rollingForInit]

I'm with Malifice. Warlock really is the best way to go. Even with just 5 levels of Warlock, you could do a really decent Jedi.

Bladelock for the pact weapon (lightsaber).

Flavour Eldritch Blast differently when you use it. Force Lightning? Say that it's sparkling lightning (still does Force damage). Want to knock people around? Say that it's Force Push.

Invocations: Repelling Blast (for Force Push), Agonizing Blast (if you wanna rely heavily on these flavoured Eldritch Blasts), Devil's Sight/Eldritch Sight/Armor of Shadows/Thirsting Blade (depending on whether you want more melee, or more Jedi senses).

Choose your Patron depending on what flavour you want. A Jedi who's heavily invested in mind tricks and telepathy? Great Old One. Someone who can often claim that the Force is on their side? Fiend. Someone who's more the charismatic and harmonious type of Jedi, go Archfey. A few of the spells Malifice recommended would work great.


After that, you can just keep going Warlock if you want more magic. Or, if you want more martial abilities, MC into Fighter or Paladin. If you really want lots of spellcasting, you could go Sorcerer as well (although this is probably more fun if you already start at a very high level).

[Joe the Rat]

From what's on the books, Warlocks (bladelocks esp.) and Monks are a solid chassis.
Multiclassing them would give you the bulk of what you need. Plus, you are looking at a character with solid scores in Wisdom AND Charisma - no wonder they're so rare! :smallbiggrin:

If I were to build out something for an actual Jedi (as DivideByZero did), or have a character that was "Jedi-like," Monk or Warlock would be my starting point.

...At least until Psionics are fleshed out.

[Theodoxus]

I agree that bladelock is best - I would just add more invocations that require the Force patron... (Can't be any worse than the "Positive Plane" patron :smallcool:)

Force Push - when you use Eldritch Blast, you can forgo doing any damage, and push or pull the target 30 feet in any direction.

Then grab DividebyZero's Human Paragon 3's list of monk abilities, turn them into invocations / add them to the Force patron granted abilities where applicable and be done with it.

Homebrew is homebrew...

[Human Paragon 3]

Homebrew, based off of the Four Winds chassis, from our houserules:


–- New Monk Monastic Tradition: Jedi

- Note that monks already get a lot of other jedi-like powers as class features (step of the wind, slow fall, deflect projectiles, and still mind cover most of the remaining canon jedi powers).

- The Jedi receives Force Attuned and Lightsaber at level 3, and chooses Force Powers at levels 3, 6, 11, and 17.

-– Force Attuned
You learn the mage hand cantrip if you did not know it already.

-– Lightsaber
As a bonus action on your turn, you can manifest a gleaming blade of radiant force from a specially prepared hilt, which you are proficient with and counts as a monk weapon. The blade has the finesse and versatile properties, and deals 1d6 radiant damage on an hit. Your unarmed strike, martial arts, and flurry attacks can be made with the Lightsaber or with your unarmed strike, individually for each attack, as you prefer. Any features, skills, and abilities which benefit your unarmed strike can also be used with your Lightsaber.

-– Force Powers
-– Force Powers
At each of levels 3, 6, 11, and 17 the Jedi chooses two powers from the following list. He chooses an innate power and a trained power. Innate powers are abilities that the Jedi has a natural affinity for, but has not practiced enough to become fully proficient in their use. Trained powers are innate powers that have been mastered by the Jedi, and as such have a lower cost and an higher save DC (if applicable).

---- Alter Perceptions
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained, Wis save)
Distract an enemy. Make a Wisdom check (+prof if trained). The result is the Wis save DC.

---- Empathy
(Ki cost: 1 innate, cannot be trained)
Opposed Wis check. If successful, you learn the general attitude and mood of a creature, and gain advantage on your next social or opposed ability check against it in the next minute.

---- Enhance Senses
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Initial benefit: Gain advantage on perception, investigation and intuition checks. Requires concentration.
Secondary benefit: If you pay twice the cost and sacrifice the initial benefit, you instead gain blindsight. This benefit requires both concentration and the expenditure of one force point every round.

---- Fear (dark side)
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Make an Wis check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Cha save DC. If successful, the target is frightened as long as you maintain concentration. The target gets a new save at the end of each of its turns.

---- Force Grip (dark side)
(Ki cost: 4 innate / 3 trained)
Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Con save DC. If successful, the target is grappled (at range, this supersedes the general rule about grapple range) and takes 2d6 damage each round that you concentrate, plus an additional 1d6 for each point spent above the initial cost. The target gets a new save at the end of each of its turns.

---- Force Heal
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Heal a creature of 1d8 + wisdom modifier damage, plus an additional 1d8 for each point spent above the initial cost.

---- Force Illusion
At level 3, you can cast Minor Illusion. (Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
At level 6, you can cast Silent Image. (Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
At level 11, you can cast Major Image. (Ki cost: 5 innate / 3 trained)
These illusions only affect a single target of your choice.

---- Force Lightning (dark side)
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You cast Witch Bolt. Each additional point spent counts as an extra spell level.

---- Force Strike (some uses dark side)
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the Str save DC. Up to four adjacent targets take 3d4 damage, are pushed 10 feet, and fall prone. On a successful save, the targets take half damage and are not pushed or knocked prone. If used against intelligent living targets, this becomes a dark side power.

---- Friendship
(Ki cost: 1 innate / 0 trained)
You cast the Friends cantrip.

---- Hurl Object (some uses dark side)
(requires Move Object to be trained) (Ki cost: variable, see Move Object)
When you use Move Object, you may throw the item with enough force and velocity to deal damage. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 damage for each point of force required to move the object (not for each point spent to move the object). If the object hurled is a living creature, it takes the damage as well. If used on or against a living creature, this becomes a dark side power.

---- Imbue Lightsaber
(Ki cost: 1 permanent Ki point) (level 6 required)
Your Lightsaber gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls. You can gain this Force Power up to three times and the effects of doing so stack, but you may not take this power more than once at any given level. The first time you take this power you must learn it as a trained ability. Each subsequent time it may be taken as an innate ability if you choose.

---- Mind Trick
(Ki cost: 3 innate / 2 trained)
As per Suggestion, except the following. Make a Wis check (+prof if trained). Result equals the save Cha DC.

---- Move Object
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You can lift and move an object weighing 10 lbs or less. Each time you double the current cost increases this limit by a factor of 10, becoming 100 lbs at a cost of 4/2, 1000 lbs at a cost of 8/4, etc. If used against a living creature, the target gets a Wis save to negate the effect. Make an Int check (+prof if trained). The result equals the save DC.

---- Prolong Force
(must be chosen as a trained ability)
You may choose to spend Hit Points to power your Force Powers instead of Ki. The Hit Point cost is equal to three times the untrained (or innate) Ki cost, regardless of whether you are trained in the Force Power being used or not.

---- Sense Force
(must be chosen as a trained ability)
DM Fiat premonitions

---- Telepathy
(Ki cost: 2 innate / 1 trained)
You can create a mental link with any creature that you have met who is on the same plane and planet. Through this link you can send emotions and a five word message to the target.


This is based off my homebrew, and not credited to me :smallconfused:

[GlenSmash!]

it's funny, when I read the new warlock Pact from the most recent UA the first thing I thought of was a Jedi. A Pact with Positive Energy but not a specific entity just screams Force User to me.

[EvilAnagram]

Bladesinger with a Sunblade. They enter a trance that allows them to have advantage on Acrobatics checks and gain nigh-untouchable AC.

[JackPhoenix]

Flavour Eldritch Blast differently when you use it. Force Lightning? Say that it's sparkling lightning (still does Force damage). Want to knock people around? Say that it's Force Push.

Of course it does force damage, it's FORCE lightning, after all

[burninatortrog]

Three levels Arcane Trickster for Mage Hand Legerdemain, three levels monk for Deflect Arrows. Whatever you like after that.