Debuff Desert Caster Design Help

[Madara]

I'm looking to basically play a walker-in-the-wastes character. I'm new to 5, it'll start at second level and we're willing to refluff. From the reading I've done, a Death domain Cleric is the closest I can get?

To define "walker-in-the-wastes" I mean debuffs with a desert theme. Necromancy in the bad-touch kind but not the undead. Druid of Decay would work fine, but I don't want wildshape. Considering new druid is 50% wildshape...

Homebrew can be offered. I'm sure my DM would be willing to look it over and consider it, I just don't know where the quality 3rd Party and Homebrew is coming from for this edition.

[polymphus]

Are you considering UA? The Storm Herald Barbarian has a pretty cool Desert version: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Barbarian.pdf.

While raging, you'll have a Desert Aura of whirling sand that deals fire damage and slows enemies. Generally, you and any friendlies near you have resistance to fire damage and ignore the effects of extreme heat.

Barbarian also works quite well with the whole savage wanderer thing.

Throw in a cleric dip (though it probably won't be offensive magics -- build would be crazy MAD if you wanted to do that) for some extra spell slinging, then go to town.

[Madara]

Are you considering UA? The Storm Herald Barbarian has a pretty cool Desert version: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Barbarian.pdf.

While raging, you'll have a Desert Aura of whirling sand that deals fire damage and slows enemies. Generally, you and any friendlies near you have resistance to fire damage and ignore the effects of extreme heat.

Barbarian also works quite well with the whole savage wanderer thing.

Throw in a cleric dip (though it probably won't be offensive magics -- build would be crazy MAD if you wanted to do that) for some extra spell slinging, then go to town.

It's a good desert theme, but it's just damage until 13, not a debuff. I want to focus more on the caster aspect.

[polymphus]

Hmm okay.

So, most of the explicitly 'desert' themed stuff is not debuff-based. What you're going to need to do is take something with a totally different Official theme, then keep the rules and change the fluff.

My first thought for a good debuffer is the Warlock. Their spell list has got some solid debuffs in there -- chill touch, bane, ray of enfeeblement etc. Fiend Pact would give you that "desert" fire damage, but Archfey is heavier on debuffs and disables. Be sure to check out the Invocations -- Dreadful Word, Mire the Mind, Thief of Five Fates and Bestow Curse are all solid debuff spells that don't use your precious spell slots.

Stuff with Misty Visions also works with the theme -- creating a mirage to lure your enemies in etc.

[alchahest]

Hmm okay.

So, most of the explicitly 'desert' themed stuff is not debuff-based. What you're going to need to do is take something with a totally different Official theme, then keep the rules and change the fluff.

My first thought for a good debuffer is the Warlock. Their spell list has got some solid debuffs in there -- chill touch, bane, ray of enfeeblement etc. Fiend Pact would give you that "desert" fire damage, but Archfey is heavier on debuffs and disables. Be sure to check out the Invocations -- Dreadful Word, Mire the Mind, Thief of Five Fates and Bestow Curse are all solid debuff spells that don't use your precious spell slots.

Stuff with Misty Visions also works with the theme -- creating a mirage to lure your enemies in etc.

The Elemental Evil supplement does have a few deserty spells (I actually grabbed wall of sand for my eldritch knight - the material component is POCKET SAND! so I get to have fun every time I cast it.)

[lunaticfringe]

I would probably lean towards Death Domain with a customized Domain spell list for Desert Themed Spells, base cleric has Undead & Bad Touch Stock (that Walker, right?). You can also refluff spells. Take Insect Plague, it obscures & does piercing damage (? I think). That could easily get refluffed into Scouring Sands, mechanically it's still just Insect Plague.

[Quoxis]

And once again: the moon druid is a wildshape user with some magic. A land druid is a spellcaster with the option to wildshape for utility.
There's nothing that forces you to use your wildshape ever, even less so in combat (bad action economy, bad stats etc.).
I've just built a death cleric 6/land druid 14 relying heavily on melee (spell) attacks with a necrotic "withering" theme, "inflict wounds" being the main thing. He touches you, you feel your life run out. Ghastly. Combined with bestow curse, bane, contagion and the likes i feel like you should at least consider it.

[Quoxis]

Hmm okay.

So, most of the explicitly 'desert' themed stuff is not debuff-based. What you're going to need to do is take something with a totally different Official theme, then keep the rules and change the fluff.

My first thought for a good debuffer is the Warlock. Their spell list has got some solid debuffs in there -- chill touch, bane, ray of enfeeblement etc. Fiend Pact would give you that "desert" fire damage, but Archfey is heavier on debuffs and disables. Be sure to check out the Invocations -- Dreadful Word, Mire the Mind, Thief of Five Fates and Bestow Curse are all solid debuff spells that don't use your precious spell slots.

Stuff with Misty Visions also works with the theme -- creating a mirage to lure your enemies in etc.

Doesn't at least "thief of five fates" use a spell slot though? Not all the invocation spells are at will and without a cost.

[EvilAnagram]

As others have said, the Land Druid is a full caster that can beast shape occasionally. The beast shape is only the major class ability for the Circle of the Moon.

It's also probably your best bet. There are plenty of desert-themed spells from Elemental Evil (a free pdf), and most of them allow control or movement debuffs. Heat Metal inflicts damage and causes the victim to attack with disadvantage. That's a big one. You may want to refluff Entangle to be sharp rocks or sand instead of plants. Hold Person, Wind Wall, and others will round you out. If your DM lets you trade out a 3rd level Desert spell for Slow (which is Arctic), do it.