Aarakocra concepts

[coredump]

Playing in my first non-AL campaign in a long time, so wanted to play a PC that is not AL legal (for the variety) OTOH, mostly new people, so I don't want to optimize too hard...

So thinking of playing some a fun Aarakocra character. Playing a Sharpshooting archer seems annoying.... I heaf Monk is a good choice, but don't know if its 'fun' flavor or 'fun' overpowered...any input?

Any other ideas?

[Belac93]

Become a land druid. Take every earth focused spell you can. You are a flying rock.

Alternatively, cleric/storm sorcerer. You can be the ultimate sky lord. Storm sorcerers 1st level power will add to your mobility, or tempest cleric gives you lightning powers.

Eagle barbarian would be really fun as well.

[RickAllison]

Playing in my first non-AL campaign in a long time, so wanted to play a PC that is not AL legal (for the variety) OTOH, mostly new people, so I don't want to optimize too hard...

So thinking of playing some a fun Aarakocra character. Playing a Sharpshooting archer seems annoying.... I heaf Monk is a good choice, but don't know if its 'fun' flavor or 'fun' overpowered...any input?

Any other ideas?

Two Aarakocra concepts that I've found as rather fun:

Swashbuckler: Max mobility, running around and stabbing whoever you like for the SAs. With my iteration of this character, I loved playing up his bird aspect, having him crow and tweet and whistle as he dodges between all of the enemies. It makes it really easy to abuse the 'Buckler's extra opportunities for SAs when you have 3 dimensions to work with. I had this guy have Akadi as his deity of choice, for the freedom of the sky.

Sun Monk/Undying Light Warlock: This one requires a little lenience from your DM. UL is a patron from Unearthed Arcana that gives a variety of bonuses, but the first is what is so great; you add your Cha modifier to radiant and fire spells. You have to get it approved by your DM since the text specifies casting spells, but the Radiant Sun Bolts of the Monk are noted as ranged spell attacks. Depending on how well you roll, you can potentially end up with a character launching 4 bolts per turn with each dealing 1d6+Dex+Cha. If you can get both modifiers up to 20 (unlikely, but possible), that's 4d6+40, which is well ahead of the curve. Unfortunately, the combination doesn't improve much from that point on (only upgrading to higher damage dice with Monk), but it also means that you have the freedom to do with the character what you like going forward. Like magic? Go 'Lock, or you could grab Favored Soul Sorcerer (also UA) for more spells and Metamagic. If you do, taking Aumanator as a patron deity gives you a choice of more radiant options with Light domain, or going Life to be able to heal. You could also take Shadow Sorcerer (UA, same one as UL) for the sake of sturdiness and irony.

EDIT: Belac, Aarakocra would be very offended at that remark :smalltongue:. They are mortal enemies with gargoyles and derogatorily refer to them as "flying rocks". That being said, it would be interesting to play an avian in exile because he was helping the gargoyles...

[8wGremlin]

No idea of effectiveness but an eagle totem barbarian with wind rune rune caster from that UA article. Be just under 1 mile high and kill things with the air rune.

[DracoKnight]

Honestly, I've found the Arcana, Light, Nature, and Tempest domains to be rather fun! :smallbiggrin:

You're wearing light armor, but you get a racial +2 to DEX so that's fine :smallsmile:

Starting stats, using the Standard Array:

STR 8 (rp as hollow bones)
DEX 16 (14 +2 racial)
CON 13 (slightly lower hp also lends itself to the hollow bones thing, but be sure to take Tough as one of your feats.)
INT 12
WIS 16
CHA 10

You are now a badass cleric who's a bird, motherf*cker!

[Inevitability]

I had this idea for an Aarakocra tempest cleric who'd create a fog cloud, move out, attack, move in, and enjoy total cover between rounds.

[hymer]

Any other ideas?

This may be too 'other', but have you considered a flying tiefling from SCAG? Different ability bonuses, so goes better with different classes, but gets more than flight as a racial.

[Foxhound438]

RAW the undying light patron thing doesn't work, and most dm's will see the reason it's worded as it is and not allow it. Hex, however, will apply to those bolts and give you L20 fighter-esque dpr once per day (when there's no more weaklings to fend off) if you take magic initiate for it, or once per short rest if you go 1 level of warlock.

As a side note, you're not invincible because you're airborne, and if you get ko'd while in the air that's one failed death save off the bat. Grappling/restraining effects also will send you plummeting if you get hit.

[RickAllison]

RAW the undying light patron thing doesn't work, and most dm's will see the reason it's worded as it is and not allow it. Hex, however, will apply to those bolts and give you L20 fighter-esque dpr once per day (when there's no more weaklings to fend off) if you take magic initiate for it, or once per short rest if you go 1 level of warlock.

As a side note, you're not invincible because you're airborne, and if you get ko'd while in the air that's one failed death save off the bat. Grappling/restraining effects also will send you plummeting if you get hit.

I did mention within the post that you would have to get permission and approval from the DM beforehand. I don't think it is really as prone to banning as you make it seem, however, as the maximum damage possible with the build is far eclipsed by blasters or especially by other damage classes. With all four attacks getting criticals, max damage, having monk 17+, and with Dex and Cha of 20, it reaches 120 DPR. That is high, but still far behind other DPR-focused classes at either range or in melee which can begin reaching those levels at 10. It does allow a high early damage count, but it is easy to see that the damage stagnates and thus keeps the build as niche and far from overpowered. In order to reach L20 Fighter DPR, the monk would need both Hex and the bonus from UL, and still likely not reach that power level because other martial classes can boost damage with magic weapons. This is fine, however; the build I suggested is a niche build that gives a good base-blasting with a very reasonable peak (at the same level as Eldritch Blast, but at 1/5 the range and without the Invocation support), but then lets the player focus on utility while knowing that they can still contribute effectively in a fight without having to focus on it.

For TL;DR, it is a build worth talking with the DM about because it does not encroach anywhere near other DPR builds, but simply permits fun Sorclock, etc. builds for utility since the PC already has a solid damage base. At level 6, it might seem too powerful, but by levels 10 and later the other classes far outpace it. Not optimal, but fun.

[coredump]

Getting more info from/about the DM, I am going to stay away from any UA stuff. I am the 'new guy' and they do not read UA, so I am going to stick with what they already know about.

I could go tiefling, but I already have a tiefling PC in AL. (non flying), so I would rather the Bird-man.

I am not sure how optimized these guys normally play, so I want to keep it fun, and not tricked out.

I will be playing an arcane cleric next AL season... but I will play one if the group needs it.

I do like the Swashbuckler idea....lots of hit and run potential. And then I also saw the Mastermind archtype, can do flyby Help actions.
Hmmmm.....

But I really like the idea of Eagle vision barbarian.... So I am toying with the idea of a Dex-based Barbarian.... I think I can make it work, just need to figure out if I need to MC with fighter or rogue to pull it off....

[Waffle_Iron]

Try an aarakocra monk, way of shadow, and multiclass cleric, trickster domain. You are invisible, and so is your party. Plus with monk speed flight and shadow hopping, you'll be pretty hard to pin down.