Flavor Focused Build Help: White Dragonborn Barbarian

[treecko]

So, white dragons are shown as the most animistic of all the dragons, while also having a terrible rage when provoked, as well as long memories. I was thinking about how dragonborn resemble dragons when I realized how much like a barbarian a white dragon sounded. So, I now have an idea for my next character. This is flavor 1st, optimization 2nd, but I still am looking for an effective enough character. So, where I am so far:

I rolled stats but need to be prepared in case a DM asks for point buy:
Rolled stats: 17, 16, 14, 13, 8, 6.
Str: 16+2
Dex: 14
Con: 17
Int: 6
Wis: 8
Chr: 13+1

Point Buy:
Str: 14+2
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 8
Wis: 9
Chr: 13+1
Background: outlander for wilderness survival skills
Dumping wis is probably bad but dragons are usually more charismatic than wise.
Dragonborn gets me a fun breath weapon as well, which has low damage but at least makes up for a barbarian's lack of range and AoE.
My next choice is subclass. Frenzy barbarian seems to embody the primal rage of a white dragon, but animal totem can show the animal power of the dragon, in particular the eagle totem lv 14 ability. For level 3, bear totem would show draconic resilience, or elk for speed.
As for feats, I want magic initiate: Sorcerer at level 4, getting me control water (make ice), frostbolt, and ice knife. I want 5 levels in barbarian to start for extra attack. After that I need help. Should I multiclass? Paladin, fighter, sorcerer, switch around ability scores to wis and go ranger, druid, or monk? What subclass is better for the build?

1: Rage, unarmored defence (AC 15 or 17 with shield)
2: Reckless attack, danger sense
3: Subclass
4: Magic initiate
5: Extra attack, fast movement
6-20: ?????

[Easy_Lee]

It depends on what you want to do with the character, but it sounds like you're making an intimidating, tanky damage dealer. For that, pure barbarian or pure paladin would both be effective options. However, I would not combine the two, because there's too much overlap between their features. A warlock or sorcerer who multiclasses with paladin gains armor proficiency, weapon proficiency, and can smite using their spell slots. The Barbarian class doesn't have this kind of synergy with Paladin.

[treecko]

It depends on what you want to do with the character, but it sounds like you're making an intimidating, tanky damage dealer. For that, pure barbarian or pure paladin would both be effective options. However, I would not combine the two, because there's too much overlap between their features. A warlock or sorcerer who multiclasses with paladin gains armor proficiency, weapon proficiency, and can smite using their spell slots. The Barbarian class doesn't have this kind of synergy with Paladin.

Yes I most certainly do want a tanky damage dealer. I'm opposed to pure paladin on the grounds that I feels rage is a very important part of the character. I'm a little confused by the overlap, though. Raging and smiting at the same time seems pretty synergistic to me, with paladins getting a lot of spell like abilities that aren't technically spells.

[Easy_Lee]

Yes I most certainly do want a tanky damage dealer. I'm opposed to pure paladin on the grounds that I feels rage is a very important part of the character. I'm a little confused by the overlap, though. Raging and smiting at the same time seems pretty synergistic to me, with paladins getting a lot of spell like abilities that aren't technically spells.

Yes, but barbarian doesn't provide you with spell slots to smite with. Your smites will be weak and infrequent compared with a pure paladin, and you sacrifice barbarian progression to get them.

[treecko]

Yes, but barbarian doesn't provide you with spell slots to smite with. Your smites will be weak and infrequent compared with a pure paladin, and you sacrifice barbarian progression to get them.

Yup that's true. You get some very strong moments of power (raging and smiting), but are a lot weaker overall, is what I'm seeing form it.

[DracoKnight]

Yup that's true. You get some very strong moments of power (raging and smiting), but are a lot weaker overall, is what I'm seeing form it.

One of the most mechanically powerful characters I've ever seen was a Barbarian 2/Paladin X. They went Barbarian 1, Paladin 5, Barbarian 2, and finished out Paladin. They dealt out Smites like crazy, and combining Rage + GWFS + GWM + Reckless Attack + Divine Smite was insanely effective.

[Easy_Lee]

One of the most mechanically powerful characters I've ever seen was a Barbarian 2/Paladin X. They went Barbarian 1, Paladin 5, Barbarian 2, and finished out Paladin. They dealt out Smites like crazy, and combining Rage + GWFS + GWM + Reckless Attack + Divine Smite was insanely effective.

This would work. A Paladin dip into Barbarian is fine, because two levels of Barbarian yields features which scale on their own, similar to a two-level dip in Warlock or Rogue.

A Barbarian dip into Paladin is far less effective.

[vincegetorix]

If you can use homebrewed material, Middle finger of Vecna did a barbarian path call the Rage mage. Its more or less an Eldritch Knight for barbarians that mixes the Rage bonus with spellcasting. In 4e you had a specific paragon path for dragonborn barbarian/draconic sorcerer called Dragonfoe Ragespell with similar features that let them replicate the mix of rampage and magic of the real dragons. Anyway, that's just flavor suff.

[Ralanr]

This was actually my first character in 5e, a white dragonborn barbarian whose tribe was known to be both pragmatic and savage.

Remember that while white dragons are the most animalistic, they are also the weakest of the dragons. This means that they must be cunning on top of being savage. You should take the best options for victory, think outside the box, and don't show mercy.

I ended up making an honor system to help reflect this. Sadly I lost most of it but I remember the first rule:

A duel is between two warriors.

That's it. Doesn't specify what two warriors are, doesn't specify what is or isn't allowed. As long as it is between two warriors, then it is a duel. As soon as people intervene, then it isn't a duel anymore.

My advice in roleplaying is to be cunning and pragmatic, but savage. Barfight? Use a table to a distraction. Can't beat a guy in a 1v1 duel because his weapon hurts more than yours? Find a way to disarm him? Worried about a mage prisoner flinging spells? Break his fingers.

Be savage, but for not for savagery's sake. A rabbit survives the winter by changing its coat, not by killing its predator.

Kyro was fun to play.

Edit:
Build wise: I went bear totem barbarian. Switched to berserker for a bit, which forced me to be more careful.

[treecko]

If you can use homebrewed material, Middle finger of Vecna did a barbarian path call the Rage mage. Its more or less an Eldritch Knight for barbarians that mixes the Rage bonus with spellcasting. In 4e you had a specific paragon path for dragonborn barbarian/draconic sorcerer called Dragonfoe Ragespell with similar features that let them replicate the mix of rampage and magic of the real dragons. Anyway, that's just flavor suff.

If I did use homebrew(and I don't), I would want something close to pathfinders bloodrager, which was basically a mix between a barbarian and a sorcerer.

[GlenSmash!]

The way I see it, while Paladin levels are great they don't seem to add much to the concept. I mean they don't make the character any more like a white dragon in personality or play.

You could, as you mentioned, continue to go to Barbarian 14 and pick up the limited flight of the Eagle totem, or you could go a more direct dragonlike route. Sorcerer is obvious, perhaps too much so. Perhaps that's a little too much magic?

With that charisma score you could consider warlock. Take Tiamat as your fiend patron and enjoy Temp HP galore. Pact of the blade will add charisma to your melee damage too. Re-fluff eldritch blast as a Tiamat empowered breath weapon. This or straight Barbaian is the how I would personally play it.

Good luck and happy gaming!

[Specter]

Seems like you got it all figured out.

But be careful with those Magic Initiate choices: Your Charisma should be low (even that 14 is a stretch to me, especially dumping Wisdom), and even if it's moderate your to-hit and saves should miss many times. Furthermore, raging means no spells. Unless you're really set on Ice Knife, I'd go for something like Fog Cloud for utility.

As for multiclassing, spellcasting doesn't seem very worth it. I'd go ranger, but with the lack of WIS I'd go Fighter 4. Fighting Style, Action Surge and maneuvers/critting really speak for themselves.

EDIT: Also, for realism, Magic Initiate can be dumped, since white dragons are the worst casters among dragons and magic probably didn't transfer to your blood.

[treecko]

Seems like you got it all figured out.

But be careful with those Magic Initiate choices: Your Charisma should be low (even that 14 is a stretch to me, especially dumping Wisdom), and even if it's moderate your to-hit and saves should miss many times. Furthermore, raging means no spells. Unless you're really set on Ice Knife, I'd go for something like Fog Cloud for utility.

As for multiclassing, spellcasting doesn't seem very worth it. I'd go ranger, but with the lack of WIS I'd go Fighter 4. Fighting Style, Action Surge and maneuvers/critting really speak for themselves.

EDIT: Also, for realism, Magic Initiate can be dumped, since white dragons are the worst casters among dragons and magic probably didn't transfer to your blood.

Yeah, I'm not really set on ice knife, it just seemed the most icy. Fog cloud works as well. As for magic initiate, I really like control water but something like GWM would clearly be better.

[Afrodactyl]

Two levels of fighter can't hurt. Action surge goes very well with amping up your barbarians ferocity

[Herobizkit]

Dragonborn Paladin/Dragon Sorcerer with the Magic Initiate feat to get Find Familiar for a pseudodragon is about as dragon-ny as you can get. ^_^

[DracoKnight]

Dragonborn Paladin/Dragon Sorcerer with the Magic Initiate feat to get Find Familiar for a pseudodragon is about as dragon-ny as you can get. ^_^

You can't get a pseudo dragon with the vanilla spell :'(

EDIT: You need to be a pact of the chain.

[Farecry]

You could always do dragonborn totem barbarian 6/dragon sorcerer 14. Gets you wings for flying instead of having to jump. It would give you the options in combat of being either raging melee or caster.

Edit: although going this way is kind of like trying to become a dragon. And with the suggestions above about the white dragon behavior and taking mostly ice damaging spells, you would seem to have a fairly good pass at it. Conversely if you wanted to take 14 barbarian/6 sorcerer the build gets more melee damage and still the same flavor, due to jumping.

[Joe the Rat]

The way I see it, while Paladin levels are great they don't seem to add much to the concept. I mean they don't make the character any more like a white dragon in personality or play.

You could, as you mentioned, continue to go to Barbarian 14 and pick up the limited flight of the Eagle totem, or you could go a more direct dragonlike route. Sorcerer is obvious, perhaps too much so. Perhaps that's a little too much magic?

With that charisma score you could consider warlock. Take Tiamat as your fiend patron and enjoy Temp HP galore. Pact of the blade will add charisma to your melee damage too. Re-fluff eldritch blast as a Tiamat empowered breath weapon. This or straight Barbaian is the how I would personally play it.

Good luck and happy gaming!I was thinking of Warlock as well, but more for Armor of Agathys. Drop that before you rage, and dare them to hit you. Friends (cantrip) gives you Advantage on Intimidation - and really, is there any other social interaction you need? The "Oh, I've been cast on" side effect doesn't matter if everything you do leaves people afraid or angry. Command also gives you a bit of frightful presence. Just avoid concentration combat spells.

Blade 'lock also gives you the awesome "conjure a weapon made of ice" visual.