Antimage multiclass idea (lockadin)

[Smitthy]

I was looking to get some advice on building an antimage tank. Long background story short, my lvl 7 oath of the ancients tiefling paladin is looking to take out a really powerful spellcaster.

I am looking to strengthen my ability to deal with mages and role play a party tank.

I'm thinking I would like to multiclass 11 paladin/ 9 warlock. The idea is to go with celestial patron (unearthed arcana) and pack of the chain for a pseudodragon. I'm thinking the psuedodragon and paladin auras are going to make my character pretty cool vs casters and magic users.

Anybody have any thoughts? This is my first character but I think I've got the story elements ironed out. I'm mostly wondering if there would be anything better or more fun for my goals!

[Specter]

Can't go wrong with Sorcerer (probably Draconic). A Counterspell with Subtle metamagic to it is like a kick to a mage's stomach.

[djreynolds]

I like the idea. Obviously 6 of OoA paladin is nice. But quickened and subtle is big to. If you could squeeze in 3 of lore bard for some expertise and cutting words.
7 paladin, 3 bard, 10 sorcerer. Maybe squeeze in mage slayer. 18 str/ 20 chr

[Squibsallotl]

I would multiclass Bard instead for Silence, and take the Sentinel feat.

Move next to mage, cast Silence over your heads. Your turn.

[Falcon X]

Silence is killer. If you have a bard, warlock, or ranger who can do this, that would be splendid.

Misty Step is solid too, so you can always be standing right beside the mage, so that Mage Slayer feat can have full effect.

Grappling: See how your DM treats it. Once they are grappled, can you stick a sock in their mouth? How about holding their hands still so they can't do somatic components?
If so, get expertise in Athletics with a level of rogue or bard. It is the best move you will ever make.
- My games took out high level mages by having the Paladin stand right next to the mage, using Shield Master feat to knock prone and grapple the mage in one swoop, then the rogue came up and stuck a sock in it's mouth so it couldn't Misty Step out of there. Then we stab it. A lot.
Silence Spell and mage manacles might have been even better.

[Spiritchaser]

Can't go wrong with Sorcerer (probably Draconic). A Counterspell with Subtle metamagic to it is like a kick to a mage's stomach.

Subtle spells to trump the counterspell reaction economy of a mage duel is pretty potent.

I vote

1. Sorcerer with subtle spell because counterspell is very powerful, and you can just remove that card from their deck altogether
2. Bard with half proficiency to conterspell is pretty good too
3. Alternatively, if by some remote flight of probability, your ability scores permit, you could consider abjurer, for a very strong bonus to couterspell

You could also consider something that uses grapples and silence, but I can't really speak to that point myself.

[Citan]

I was looking to get some advice on building an antimage tank. Long background story short, my lvl 7 oath of the ancients tiefling paladin is looking to take out a really powerful spellcaster.

I am looking to strengthen my ability to deal with mages and role play a party tank.

I'm thinking I would like to multiclass 11 paladin/ 9 warlock. The idea is to go with celestial patron (unearthed arcana) and pack of the chain for a pseudodragon. I'm thinking the psuedodragon and paladin auras are going to make my character pretty cool vs casters and magic users.

Anybody have any thoughts? This is my first character but I think I've got the story elements ironed out. I'm mostly wondering if there would be anything better or more fun for my goals!
Hi!

Things you want to take out casters.
- High damage: already covered in nova by smiting, but more slots always help.
- High mobility: extremely problematic as is: you really want Rogue dip for Dash as bonus action.
- High evasion: several ways to do so: Shield Master, Uncanny Dodge, Shield, Absorb Elements, Evasion (too late)
- High Initiative: Alert feat, Swashbuckler Rogue.
- High disabling: Dispel Magic, Counterspell, Mage Slayer feat.

You cannot obviously get everything.
What I'd do is...
- aim for Mage Slayer ASAP: forcing disadvantage on concentration is great, along with better opportunity attack.
- dip Rogue ASAP if you have enough DEX up to 3 Swashbuckler: this will allow you to grapple the caster with Expertise and Dash back to your friends (in addition to giving you great Initiative and other perks). ;) Otherwise, go Bard.

Why Bard instead of Sorcerer or Warlock?
1. Spells: all get good spells, but the ones you want first and foremost are Longstrider, Silence, Enhance Ability, Blindness, Hold Person, Invisibility, Bestow Curse, Haste, Dispel Magic, Counterspell. Warlock has only a few of them, Sorcerer has many of them, Bard can get all of them (thanks to Magic Secret).
With that said, Warlock gets Hex (great to go with Grapple) and Sorcerer gets Metamagic (more on that later).

2. Expertise: if you cannot go Rogue, that's another way to make you great at grappling: now you can restrain the caster (and maybe mute him by grappling on the mouth), which opens many good tactical choices (for example paired with a Silence, Darkness, Fog Cloud or plain Spike Growth / Plant Growth).

3. Bardic Inspiration and Cutting Words: the first can help a friend against a spell, the second could significantly reduce the impact of a successful AOE from the enemy caster. And it's a short-rest resource at level 5.

4. Countercharm: often an underrated feature of Bards because it eats your action, it could be a sound tactic to use if "smite-rush" is not an option (yet), and a great party buff, especially stacked with resistance to magic.

5. Jack of all Trades: +2 or +3 on a Counterspell check is never something to disdain.

Now, Warlock and Sorcerer also propose many good things.
- Warlock: mainly Hex (for grapple) and short-rest slots. If your DM usually enforces/allows 2 or more short rests per day, then this is by far the best choice: spells learned are less interesting, but you still get the most important: Dispel Magic and Counterspell.
- Sorcerer: Heightened Metamagic can be a fearful thing paired with the Blinding Smite spell: excellent way to restrict caster's options to only a handful of spells, most of them requiring to see the target. Subtle and Quicken can also be useful (Subtle less if you pick Warcaster, since IIRC smite spells are mostly somatic).

So it really depends on your stats and the spells you want.
The only sure thing is that any self-proclaimed anticaster must have Counterspell and Dispel Magic available. Beyond that... ;)

If you have high enough DEX, Swash Rogue 3 / caster 6 / Paladin 11 is probably the best array.
Otherwise, pick a "main" caster and stick to it until you get Counterspell and Dispel Magic. Then either push as far as possible or make a "shandy" with other CHA casters.
For example, Paladin 9 / Rogue 3 / Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 5 is short in ASI but packs a great punch: Paladin spells up to 3rd level, high Initiative and movement, additional damage (require finesse though), Heightened Metamagic that can be refueled with short-rest slots from Warlock, Hex+Expertise for nearly guaranteed grapple/shove, and Dispel Magic / Counterspell learned.
A Paladin 8 / Lore Bard 6 / Wild Magic Sorcerer 6 would be a pretty serious counterspeller too. Between Jack of all Trades and Bend Luck, you are pretty sure to succeed on any Counterspell, and Subtle metamagic also avoids yours being counterspelled.

[strangebloke]

Unfortunately the best anti mage feature is racial. Gnomes and Yuan ti get advantage on all saves against magic.

[Talionis]

3 Swashbuckler adds Charisma to initiative. Initiative versus caster is a huge deal. This also grants Expertise. Rogue can be quite tanky so more levels of Rogue aren't bad for Uncanny Dodge and Evasion if that suits you.

Then Sorcerer or Bard to add caster levels. Access to Silence is awesome it's almost as good or better than anti magic field.

Your Smite should help make you able to break mage concentration.

[Smitthy]

Wow, so much great feedback! Thank you! I wasn't aware of the power of counterspell or some of the other considerations mentioned.

My party already has a swashbuckler and sourcerer, so I'll probably consider the bard route a little more seriously. I wouldn't want to encroach to directly on our other players' play style.

So much to think about! Haha, I'll have to consider how to explain multiclass if into bard :-)