Help with Blood Hunter STR build

[Leko]

Hello guyz. I just started a Strahd Campaign and DM was ok with the Blood Hunter. I am a lvl 1 Variant Human with the Human Determination Feat (+1 to any stat and free advantage once per short rest).
My current stats are : Str 18 / Dex 12 / CON 18 / INT 10 / WIS 14 / CHA 11 / Sanity 11 .
Also got AC 15 / HP 14.
So I currently wield a Greatsword and I would really like to make a blood hunter that wields a 2h Weapon. I don't need to be the main tank (we have a paladin and a cleric), and I want to be like a bruiser character.
Also my first crimson die deals fire damage.
What is a build you would suggest for this? I am open to all orders, though the ones that seem the most interesting are order of the Mutant and of the Lycan.
Also DM said he will allow multiclassing as long as it makes sense RP wise.
My backstory is still to be done, but I think it will be something like a werewolf killed my family and I tracked it to this cursed land.

[Klorox]

If you're using Mike Mearls' Bloodhunter, you don't need to optimize at all. You're already more powerful than any other character.

[Leko]

If you're using Mike Mearls' Bloodhunter, you don't need to optimize at all. You're already more powerful than any other character.

I am using Matthew Mercer's one (from Critical Role).

[Klorox]

I am using Matthew Mercer's one (from Critical Role).

Dang, that's what I meant.

It's a cool class, no doubt, but it's way OP. If your DM allows it, go have some fun. You really don't need any help optimizing though.

You'd pretty much have to try to sabotage this character to end up weak.

[Leko]

Dang, that's what I meant.

It's a cool class, no doubt, but it's way OP. If your DM allows it, go have some fun. You really don't need any help optimizing though.

You'd pretty much have to try to sabotage this character to end up weak.

Aha. The DM said he will throw a **** ton of stuff at us and that we will probably die so he actually encourages that we min/max , that's why I was asking :)

[jaappleton]

The class is a pure glass cannon.

High damage output, but defensively, it's rough. You're losing out on some HP (Due to this, I recommend the Toughness feat to offset it) via Crimson Rite. Then you're stuck in Medium Armor, and I don't think they get Shield proficiency.

So you're either going with a 2H weapon, or TWF. So even at Half Plate, which you won't start out with, your AC is looking at 15+2, so AC 17. For someone being on the front lines, not great. Not... abysmal. But not great. Much more likely to be AC 16, which... No. Just no.

Yes, you'll tear through weaker enemies. But you're going to get wrecked against stronger foes that pack a punch.

A strong recommendation is to go ahead and... Sorry, the name of it escapes me. But the Feat that lets you use Heavy Armor. If the Feat doesn't grant you Shield proficiency, work with your DM because it really should. I'm away from my book at the moment, so forgive my lack of specifics on it, but you know what I'm saying here.

Going for the heavy armor means you don't need to pump Dex at all. Between wanting high Strength, and Wisdom, you'll also want some Con, of course. Having one less stat to worry about is pretty important in this instance, as good as Dex is.

I recommend TWF as a fighting style here. Losing the HP due to Crimson Rite absolutely bites, yes, but you may as well embrace the offense the class can offer.

[GlenSmash!]

Dang, that's what I meant.

It's a cool class, no doubt, but it's way OP. If your DM allows it, go have some fun. You really don't need any help optimizing though.

You'd pretty much have to try to sabotage this character to end up weak.

I thought that the most recent version has been toned down to not be quite so OP.

[jaappleton]

I thought that the most recent version has been toned down to not be quite so OP.

Indeed, it has made great strides.

The original iteration, made for Vin Diesel, the Witch Hunter, was atrociously OP.

The first draft of the Blood Hunter was pretty OP as well.

Mercer's done well in balancing it, listening to the community to prevent abuse of certain things, like making sure Polearm Mastery's bonus action attack doesn't circumvent the Crimson Rite HP expenditure rule.

[Sir cryosin]

The class is a pure glass cannon.

High damage output, but defensively, it's rough. You're losing out on some HP (Due to this, I recommend the Toughness feat to offset it) via Crimson Rite. Then you're stuck in Medium Armor, and I don't think they get Shield proficiency.

So you're either going with a 2H weapon, or TWF. So even at Half Plate, which you won't start out with, your AC is looking at 15+2, so AC 17. For someone being on the front lines, not great. Not... abysmal. But not great. Much more likely to be AC 16, which... No. Just no.

Yes, you'll tear through weaker enemies. But you're going to get wrecked against stronger foes that pack a punch.

A strong recommendation is to go ahead and... Sorry, the name of it escapes me. But the Feat that lets you use Heavy Armor. If the Feat doesn't grant you Shield proficiency, work with your DM because it really should. I'm away from my book at the moment, so forgive my lack of specifics on it, but you know what I'm saying here.

Going for the heavy armor means you don't need to pump Dex at all. Between wanting high Strength, and Wisdom, you'll also want some Con, of course. Having one less stat to worry about is pretty important in this instance, as good as Dex is.

I recommend TWF as a fighting style here. Losing the HP due to Crimson Rite absolutely bites, yes, but you may as well embrace the offense the class can offer.

The feat is called heavy armored I believe and no it doesnt get shield but the medium armor one does.

[jaappleton]

The feat is called heavy armored I believe and no it doesnt get shield but the medium armor one does.

I don't like that at all.

Why would only the Moderately Armored feat grant Shield proficiency? That's just... stupid.

[GlenSmash!]

If the plan is going Two Hander, you won't miss the lack of shield prof anyway. Heavily Armored and then maybe even Heavy Armor Master would go ways to shoring up that Defensive side.

Alternatively, the Order of the Lycan gets a +1 AC bonus when Shifted and not wearing heavy armor, but you would still want to get that Dex to 14 to max AC.

[JakOfAllTirades]

One solution is to take a level in Nature Cleric (Although why a Blood Hunter would follow a Nature deity, I don't know.) for Heavy Armor and Shields, as well as the Shillelagh cantrip.

Now you need just enough STR to wear Heavy Armor, and from that point you can focus on a single attribute: WIS.

The War Domain also looks good; you don't Shillelagh, but the domain spells and the War Priest ability are both useful for a Blood Hunter. You'll still need both STR and WIS if you go this route though.

[Leko]

One solution is to take a level in Nature Cleric (Although why a Blood Hunter would follow a Nature deity, I don't know.) for Heavy Armor and Shields, as well as the Shillelagh cantrip.

Now you need just enough STR to wear Heavy Armor, and from that point you can focus on a single attribute: WIS.

The War Domain also looks good; you don't Shillelagh, but the domain spells and the War Priest ability are both useful for a Blood Hunter. You'll still need both STR and WIS if you go this route though.

My STR is 18 and my WIS is 14 so that should be fine.
Also why would I want Shillelagh?

[Mister_Squinty]

My STR is 18 and my WIS is 14 so that should be fine.
Also why would I want Shillelagh?

Because the Shillelagh spell turns any stick into a d8 weapon and allows you to add your WIS modifier to attack rolls and damage instead of STR.

Not applicable in your case, since your ST is already 18. But if you were building the character, you could swap those, still wear Chainmail, and rely on your WIS for your melee combat abilities.

[Leko]

Because the Shillelagh spell turns any stick into a d8 weapon and allows you to add your WIS modifier to attack rolls and damage instead of STR.

Not applicable in your case, since your ST is already 18. But if you were building the character, you could swap those, still wear Chainmail, and rely on your WIS for your melee combat abilities.

I already have a greatsword... so I don't really see the point

[GlenSmash!]

I already have a greatsword... so I don't really see the point

I think some people missed in your OP that you were already playing this character and as such already have stats.

[Mister_Squinty]

Hello guyz. I just started a Strahd Campaign and DM was ok with the Blood Hunter. I am a lvl 1 Variant Human with the Human Determination Feat (+1 to any stat and free advantage once per short rest).
My current stats are : Str 18 / Dex 12 / CON 18 / INT 10 / WIS 14 / CHA 11 / Sanity 11 .
Also got AC 15 / HP 14.
So I currently wield a Greatsword and I would really like to make a blood hunter that wields a 2h Weapon. I don't need to be the main tank (we have a paladin and a cleric), and I want to be like a bruiser character.
Also my first crimson die deals fire damage.
What is a build you would suggest for this? I am open to all orders, though the ones that seem the most interesting are order of the Mutant and of the Lycan.
Also DM said he will allow multiclassing as long as it makes sense RP wise.
My backstory is still to be done, but I think it will be something like a werewolf killed my family and I tracked it to this cursed land.

If you're doing this for Ravenloft, the Ghostslayer option seems ideal. Adding Radiant damage to your crimson rite is going to help immensely.