Help turn concept to fantasy reality

[longshotist]

I've got the skeleton of an idea for a 5E character but i could seriously use some help. To aid in illustrating when this idea comes from, if anyone has played Mass Effect, i'm thinking of Mordin Solus.

He is a highly intelligent scientist/physician. In that universe's terms, he is "a geneticist, professor, and a former operative of the Special Tasks Group, where he performed reconnaissance and participated in the modification of the genophage." The genophage was a biological weapon. In combat he relies on pistols, incendiary grenades, freezing grenades and a paralyzing shot.

Obviously that is a sci-fi setting.

What i am hoping to find help with is the nuts-and-bolts of something along these lines. Certainly, spellcasting can be a stand-in for technological stuff, but there are lots of clever builders here that have more creative ideas.

At this time, I only play through the Adventurers League, so no homebrew or alternate rules here.

What i'd like to see is an intelligence-based character (high elf?), highly proficient in medicine, investigation, maybe nature, and the hand crossbow. The healer feat? Keen mind feat?

For the grenades I suppose something like proficiency with alchemist's tools to make things like alchemist's fire.

I suppose, at this point I'm basically just describing a rogue, but I guess I wanted to see what creative ideas anyone else might come up with.

[Joe the Rat]

Do you want to emulate the modes, or emulate the effects? Because "smart person who operates at range and occasionally lobs AOEs" sounds very wizard-like. Divination wizard with the Healer Feat sounds like all sorts of cool.

Arcana (science) is Int, Medicine (physician) is Wis, so picking a class that uses one, and doesn't mind the other - or can get expertise in either skill - is a good way to go.

Knowledge Cleric actually gets a lot of what you are after, particularly with the floating expertise feature. This also alleviates the need for Healer right out the gate, so you can look at races other than Human. High elf for the Int boost, pick a nice zappy cantrip, go to town. Arcana cleric keeps the smart guy part, and gets you the zappy cantrips - and a few other spells - as part of your Cleric list, so you can focus Wisdom for casting.

If you are serious about taking a "mundane" solution, Rogue is a good option. The catch is whether or not you can apply 1st level expertise to skills outside of the rogue list (can anyone confirm?). If you are limited, pick Investigation as one of them. Here you may want the V-Human for the Healer feat for 1st level. Thief makes you a combat healer, Arcane Trickster for the magicking options (you will get a few free choice spells. get your grenades there)... or Mastermind for staying out of it and making everyone else awesome (you can "Help" - grant advantage in combat - from 30' away from the target as a bonus action, among other things).

Another quirky route would be to look at Ranger - thematically, Aberrations would be a good favored enemy, though you might want Undead for the current season. Several of their spell options are essentially trick loads for shooting. You'll be using a Rifle (Longbow) by AL rules, though.

The Herbalist kit is the medicine-maker in this edition (you can make healing potions and healing kits with it). This can help with your budget in a pinch by using downtime to craft. Any class/background that includes this and Medicine makes you a physician. Or a barber. If you think you'll need to make your own acids and fire pots, you want an Alchemist's kit - Guild Artisan is a reliable way to get this.

[longshotist]

Do you want to emulate the modes, or emulate the effects? Because "smart person who operates at range and occasionally lobs AOEs" sounds very wizard-like. Divination wizard with the Healer Feat sounds like all sorts of cool.

Arcana (science) is Int, Medicine (physician) is Wis, so picking a class that uses one, and doesn't mind the other - or can get expertise in either skill - is a good way to go.

Knowledge Cleric actually gets a lot of what you are after, particularly with the floating expertise feature. This also alleviates the need for Healer right out the gate, so you can look at races other than Human. High elf for the Int boost, pick a nice zappy cantrip, go to town. Arcana cleric keeps the smart guy part, and gets you the zappy cantrips - and a few other spells - as part of your Cleric list, so you can focus Wisdom for casting.

If you are serious about taking a "mundane" solution, Rogue is a good option. The catch is whether or not you can apply 1st level expertise to skills outside of the rogue list (can anyone confirm?). If you are limited, pick Investigation as one of them. Here you may want the V-Human for the Healer feat for 1st level. Thief makes you a combat healer, Arcane Trickster for the magicking options (you will get a few free choice spells. get your grenades there)... or Mastermind for staying out of it and making everyone else awesome (you can "Help" - grant advantage in combat - from 30' away from the target as a bonus action, among other things).

Another quirky route would be to look at Ranger - thematically, Aberrations would be a good favored enemy, though you might want Undead for the current season. Several of their spell options are essentially trick loads for shooting. You'll be using a Rifle (Longbow) by AL rules, though.

The Herbalist kit is the medicine-maker in this edition (you can make healing potions and healing kits with it). This can help with your budget in a pinch by using downtime to craft. Any class/background that includes this and Medicine makes you a physician. Or a barber. If you think you'll need to make your own acids and fire pots, you want an Alchemist's kit - Guild Artisan is a reliable way to get this.

wow, thanks for all the great ideas! Knowledge cleric - i did not even think about something like that.

I suppose at the heart, I was looking for nonmagical means to emulate the mode. But a lot of what you've tossed out here is thought-provoking. There's several places to start tinkering more with this vague idea I had. I appreciate the input.

[Serket]

Another option is Bard. Know stuff, have half proficiency in everything, use hand crossbows, buff hand crossbow use with magic... it could work.

[indemnity]

Drow Knowledge Cleric at level 1 does everything you want (or Drow Half-Elf with drow weapon training and no sunlight sensitivity)

Could also argue that the drow race might look similar to Mordus and give you some interesting RP.


Drow Weapon Training. You are proficient with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.
Blessings of Knowledge. At 1st level, you learn two languages of your choice. You also become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.
Channel Divinity : Knowledge of the Ages. Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to tap into a divine well of knowledge. As an action, you choose one skill or tool. For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with the chosen skill or tool.

[longshotist]

Drow Knowledge Cleric at level 1 does everything you want (or Drow Half-Elf with drow weapon training and no sunlight sensitivity)

Could also argue that the drow race might look similar to Mordus and give you some interesting RP.


Drow Weapon Training. You are proficient with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.
Blessings of Knowledge. At 1st level, you learn two languages of your choice. You also become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.
Channel Divinity : Knowledge of the Ages. Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to tap into a divine well of knowledge. As an action, you choose one skill or tool. For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with the chosen skill or tool.


i like it. Knowledge clerics feels like a good route to go, and a bonus is i've never played cleric in any edition so it's a chance to try out the class.

Thank you and other posters for the guidance!

[JackPhoenix]

Mordin is obviously a bard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPzAYp3eo7Y). Expertise, good at skills, spells, some ability with weapons...