Can this build work?

[NecroDancer]

For a campaign I'm playing later this year my character is a halting lore bard (we start at level 3). I have decided to make my character paraplegics this will give me a low dex (10 at the highest), 5 movement speed, and I'm always prone. I get an extra feat because of this and I'm choosing war-caster. My friend is playing a Goliath pugilist (a fighter who punches) and has agreed to carry me on his back. Our plan is for him to charge into combat while I heal/buff him from his back. I'm wondering if this build can work and not end up with me dead, if you have any tips or suggestions please tell me.

[Sir cryosin]

Ummm question how are ya'll going to carry your gear?

[NecroDancer]

Ummm question how are ya'll going to carry your gear?

That's a good question, luckily Goliaths have a huge carrying capacity

[Axorfett12]

I envision Chewbacca carrying C-3P0 in the Empire Strike Back. It could certainly work. I would rule that you both occupy the same space though.

[RSP]

Could it work and be fun? Sure. Is it going to bring possible complications and limit your options in game? Probably.

Being tied at the hip can be difficult in terms of characters wanting to do their own thing but if you think you and the other player can pull it off, it could be fun for a campaign.

[Wondermndjr]

It might be a good idea to pick up Levitate or Fly as a Magical Secrets spell so you can get around on your own if necessary. Also "always prone" shouldn't apply when you're on the fighter's back.

[Arkhios]

As a gamistic term, being Prone doesn't necessarily mean you are lying flat. Since, for example, kneeling isn't its own "condition" it falls to being prone. So does sitting.

I would rule that while you are occupying the same space, only the halfling would suffer from it, not the goliath, since the halfling is probably tied like a papoose on the goliath's back, unable to move much on his own volition.

[THM]

For a campaign I'm playing later this year my character is a halting lore bard (we start at level 3). I have decided to make my character paraplegics this will give me a low dex (10 at the highest), 5 movement speed, and I'm always prone. I get an extra feat because of this and I'm choosing war-caster. My friend is playing a Goliath pugilist (a fighter who punches) and has agreed to carry me on his back. Our plan is for him to charge into combat while I heal/buff him from his back. I'm wondering if this build can work and not end up with me dead, if you have any tips or suggestions please tell me.

This sound a tad min-max it.
You've taken a large disadvantage, but on the other hand, found a "loop" to counter it 90% of the time in combat, if I was your DM, you would not have been please.

Ask yourself, if you wouldn't get a feat for it, would you still find it appealing? (you can even play it without getting the feat, just take dex 8 and have your friend's char carry yours.

[Arkhios]

This sound a tad min-max it.
You've taken a large disadvantage, but on the other hand, found a "loop" to counter it 90% of the time in combat, if I was your DM, you would not have been please.

Ask yourself, if you wouldn't get a feat for it, would you still find it appealing? (you can even play it without getting the feat, just take dex 8 and have your friend's char carry yours.

Honestly, what's the problem with someone wanting to play a non-standard, maybe even a physically handicapped person, whose mind still cuts like a razor? It's not that unlikely. In fact I know a person IRL, who is exactly that. Physically incapable to move and speak like the rest of us, but still more intelligent than most of us. (And then there's Stephen Hawking).

[Isidorios]

Really, it sounds like someone caught Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome on television for the first time.

[Joe the Rat]

Always prone means anyone further away than 5' has disadvantage to attack you. Which may make sense when you're on your own.
On the Goliath, you'd effectively be restrained (you think it's easy to shoot from the back of a moving humanoid?). You really want Vicious Mockery - not so much for the damage as the disadvantage it imposes - good for your ride, life-saving for your papoose.


Really, it sounds like someone caught Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome on television for the first time.
Who runs Barter Town?

[Talamare]

Honestly, what's the problem with someone wanting to play a non-standard, maybe even a physically handicapped person, whose mind still cuts like a razor? It's not that unlikely. In fact I know a person IRL, who is exactly that. Physically incapable to move and speak like the rest of us, but still more intelligent than most of us. (And then there's Stephen Hawking).

That wasn't the argument you quoted. It's fine if he wants to play a paraplegic. The person you quoted is saying, "You only want to play a paraplegic because you are getting an additional bonus for it".

If you REALLY wanted to play a paraplegic, then play that role without the additional bonus.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I think "stuck to the fighter's back at all times" is a pretty significant drawback still, especially for a caster.

Now, in general in not a fan of permanent rewards for sometimes-applicable flaws, but D&D doesn't have a great alternative, and I think this would be a consistent enough difficulty to be okay. One more feat isn't that big a deal.

[TripleD]

I'm actually a bit unsure how paraplegics and DEX would interact. On the one hand you'd expect huge penalties for things like Stealth and Acrobatics. On the other, I'm not sure if it would effect things like Sleight of Hands, Lockpicking, or Initiative* at all.

*This is one of the reasons I've argued in the past that Initiative should be tied to INT and not DEX since it's more a mental than physical reaction.

[Biggstick]

I'm actually a bit unsure how paraplegics and DEX would interact. On the one hand you'd expect huge penalties for things like Stealth and Acrobatics. On the other, I'm not sure if it would effect things like Sleight of Hands, Lockpicking, or Initiative* at all.

*This is one of the reasons I've argued in the past that Initiative should be tied to INT and not DEX since it's more a mental than physical reaction.

Not to derail the post or anything, but I believe I read what one DM did for this and it worked great. He gave players with higher Int more time on their actual turn to perform their action while the higher Dex players acted as normal, or with less time if they've dumped Int.

This is especially effective against a player that might be meta gaming the combat while having a low PC Int. It still allows them their quick reflexive action (assuming they have a higher Dex) but gives a slight punishment for those who dump Int.