What is the best magic mult-classing option for a tiefling arcane trickster?

[rhtrjded]

Hello everyone, I was hoping to get some opinions/insight on this topic.

My Tiefling rogue is an outlander arcane trickster with the moderately armored feat. I want to have the ability to equip both offensive and defensive magic, but not be limited to only enchantments and illusions.

Could anyone offer the pros/cons between choosing to multi-class wizard, sorcerer, or warlock?

Crokel (my rogue's name), has lived his life mostly alone only coming into the fringes of society as needed. He's reluctant to show trust towards new people he meets due to past bad experiences. Having survived on his own for the majority of his life he's had to become skilled in handling any situation he's presented with. Due to this he strives to make use of every tool at his disposal including magic. Up to this point he's been limited in his ability, but has a strong desire to learn offensive magics that will aid him in dealing with troubles he may encounter on his path to glory. He has recently found himself in the company of several adventurers and has not yet made a decision about whether or not he will be able to trust them. Due to this he is still living and fighting very much on a solitary level doing all he can to keep from having to rely on the others. Camaraderie in the party would be somewhat welcome, but it's yet to be seen whether or not these people are friends or simply wanting to take advantage of him as a means to their particular ends.

Hopefully that gives somewhat of a better idea of the sort of character he is. While I'm not totally against Warlock, meaning I've thought up backstory for why that's the class taken, I'm kind of reluctant to go that route, because it sounds more evil-oriented to me than do sorcerer and wizard. Though at the same time, I see how it could make sense with Crokel's demon heritage.

Current stats:

Chaotic Good

Str. 10 +0
Dex. 17 +3
Con. 11 +0
Int. 16 +3
Wis. 11 +0
Cha. 16 +3

Armor Class 14
Proficiency +2
HP 23

[CaptAl]

Any of the three would fit well. I feel like wizard is the best fit mechanically/power wise. Pick up Abjuration school for the bonus HP if you want to be more defensive. Go Evoker if you want to blow crap up without frying your buddies. Or go Divination if you want to control the fates themselves. Or even Necromancer if you want to play up the demonic side and have a ton of Skeletons and Zombies following you around. Plus Wizards work on Intelligence, just like Arcane Tricksters.

Sorcerer with meta magic can be a ton of fun, and the easiest way to gish it up. Quicken a cantrip (I recommend Booming Blade, or Green Flame Blade from the SCAG), then stab someone with your regular attack action. Tons of fun. Or double your sneak attack damage by bonus action Booming Blade (Via Quicken), and readying your regular action for when your enemy tries to attack your buddies. Since sneak attack is per turn, not per round, this could send your DPR sky high.

Warlock (Blade Pact) would bring some good utility, plus extra attack. Chain pact brings magic resistance and cheesy familiar advantage to attacks for more sneak attack goodness. And Tome pact brings awesome utility plus approximately all the cantrips you could ever need.

Bard could be an option as well. Makes for a ridiculous skill monkey build, which works with your use every tool/lone wolf background. Great defensive/buff/debuffing options. Not a powerhouse blaster, but could use magical secrets to steal some blasty spells. Lore college with Cutting Words is amazing for defense, not just personal but party wide.

Pick your flavor. You can't go wrong.

[MrStabby]

I am with the sorcerer option for booming blade mainly.

If you take spellsniper then you can twin booming blade and have more creatures within range by using a whip, you can quicken another or use a held action. Even if not cunning action is also great - hit with booming blade and move away leaving a melee enemy with nothing in range.

[rhtrjded]

Thanks for the input. I've really got till tomorrow evening to make a decision so I'll wait and see if I get some more replies.

[Saggo]

Chain pact brings magic resistance and cheesy familiar advantage to attacks for more sneak attack goodness.AT's Mage Hand gives advantage at 13th level. Other Advantage cheesiness is Eldritch Knight 7 for War Magic: True Strike -> Attack. One of the rare times True Strike would actually add damage.

[Corran]

Bladesinger would not be a bad idea, if you are fighting in melee, and if you could swap the armor feat you have with sth else.

Arcane tricksters get their 2nd level spells at 7 level if I am not mistaken. That means invisibility among other things. Do you like invisibility on a rogue? I like invisibility. That means that it would be a good choice if you spent at least 3 consecutive levels on that ''magic dip''. Of course you lose out on sneak attack and you will delay you low level rogue features (uncanny dodge, evasion, etc), but at least you wont hinder your level of known spells. And you will have more spell slots to upcast spells you already know. Thus, if you indeed take 3 levels of caster, whatever these 3 levels may be, focus on 1st and 2nd level spells that become even better if you cast them with a higher slot.

Sorcerer is a good idea for a level 3 dip, due to metamagics. And since you will be only one level away from another ASI, it would be a good idea to even take a 4th level in the caster class (that actually is what grabs you the higher level spell slots), in which case the sorcerer gets another little extra benefit, ie one more sorcery points. Metamagics can be fun. Pick subtle spell for example, you can use magic and no onw will know it's you. Have fun with it. And more stuff that other people already mentioned.

Warlock has some nice utilty and fun options as well. Invocations can be rather amusing. How about mask of many faces? Do you like disgiuse at will? You have a high enough charisma, are you trained in deception? Perhaps you could take the actor feat as well to accomodate more creative uses. Now you can be anyone! Have fun with that, and have fun exploiting the friends cantrip, perhaps while in the form of an NPC for whom you want to create some trouble.


In the end pick the one that seems the most fun, sure there are some good options regarding optimization, but leveling up in AT might be the better choice, as far as optimisation goes, imo ofc. Pick the most interesting dip.