wthrift
2017-12-20, 03:42 PM
Please critique my lockdown mystic build.
I'm rolling a new character at level 7 with my existing group but the build is reasonable from level 1. I like the idea of doing a melee lockdown mystic for RP reasons and because I like playing crowd control. I am worried that it may be inferior to vanilla spellcaster crowd control builds or a fighter/paladin lockdown build and would appreciate some input.
Essentially you use the giant growth's focus to make quarterstaff's reach 5 (quarterstaffs are polearms), get polearm master, sentinel, and booming blade (using magic initiate) to lockdown enemies. Ogre form is so cheap that you can consistently keep your range at 10 feet while also getting a steady stream of temporary hitpoints. Order of the immortal benefits help you stay alive in the melee and relying on mastery of force keeps your AC at 14 + Dex so you don't have to get CON and make the build super MAD. Psionic weapon via lethal strike (and potentially brute force) lets you nova better than a paladin more times per day. Booming blade/green flame blade and potent psionics keep your base damage increasing consistently through the levels. After level 5 you can keep augmented weapon on to get +3 attack +3 damage. The additional psionic disciplines you pick up over the levels gives the character good flexibility for CC and out of combat. Psionic mastery lets you cast ogre form and augment weapon simultaneously.
Race: Human variant (this build is very feat heavy)
Githyanki is also a good option for better ability scores, medium armor proficiency, psionics at the expense of slower feat progression.
Stats (using point buy):
STR 16 DEX 14 CON 10 INT 16 WIS 8 CHA 8
Feat: Polearm master
Order of the Immortal
LVL 1,2
Disciplines: Giant growth, psionic weapon, mastery of force
Talent: mind thrust, the ranged psychic damage is nice.
Polearm master gives you OA when people enter your 5-10 ft reach (with giant growth). It also keeps your damage comparable to other melee classes: as I read it your bonus attack adds your STR mod to the damage. Ogre form is a good option at these levels (and all levels), your reach becomes 10ft total and you add the d4 to both attacks.
Unfortunately you can't take advantage of immortal durability, this build is already too MAD and feat dependent. Mystical recovery can be useful.
Attack action (with ogre form): +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 damage, bonus attack: +5 to hit, 2d4+3 damage
LVL 3
Discipline: telepathic contact. My DM typically has very player lenient rulings so I will probably be able to abuse occluded mind out of combat, and exacting query is useful.
Talent: mystic charm (I've always found charm useful out of combat).
At level three you have enough psi points to use inertial armor without totally depleting them, boosting your AC to 16. Psionic resilience is great for staying alive
LVL 4
Feat: magic initiate. While I want sentinel to really be lockdown, without getting booming blade/green flame blade your damage falls way behind from lvl 5-7 and booming blade is useful for lockdown. Getting the shield spell along the way is good for staying alive.
Attack action (with ogre form): +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 damage, bonus attack: +5 to hit, 2d4+3 damage, booming blade: +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 + (1d8) + 1d10/PP damage
LVL 5
Discipline: psychic assault. Good damage on a ranged autohit with a good damage type. Ego whip is good CC. Augmented weapon (damage/good against high AC) and broken will (CC) become available. Booming blade/green flame blade become more powerful.
Booming blade (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit 2d8+6+(2d8) + 1d10/PP damage
LVL 6
Surge of health from immortal is useful for staying alive
LVL 7
Discipline: psionic restoration (my group doesn't have great healing capability ATM), and bringing people back from the dead is nice. Psychic grip becomes available
LVL 8
Feat: sentinel (finally!).
Potent psionics increases damage.
Attack action (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit, 2d8+6 damage, bonus attack: +9 to hit, 1d4+1d8+6 damage, booming blade (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit, 3d8+6 + (2d8) +1d10/PP damage
LVL 9
Discipline: brute force, for when I want to supernova.
Giant form becomes available, 15 ft reach +2d6 per attack. Psychic crush, and psychic domination become available.
Attack action (with giant): +7 to hit, 2d8+2d6+3 damage, bonus attack: +7 to hit, 1d4+1d8+2d6+3 damage, booming blade (with augmented weapon): +10 to hit, 3d8+6 + (2d8) +1d10/PP + 1d6/PP damage
Psionic mastery, potent psionics, and ASIs keep improving the build as you gain levels. A one level dip into fighter (or starting fighter and then going all mystic after they publish the class) would improve damage and AC, as well as open up the possibility of using great weapon master.
Overall to me it seems like you stay close to fighters/paladins in regular damage per turn without sacrificing too much of your spellcasting ability.
I'm rolling a new character at level 7 with my existing group but the build is reasonable from level 1. I like the idea of doing a melee lockdown mystic for RP reasons and because I like playing crowd control. I am worried that it may be inferior to vanilla spellcaster crowd control builds or a fighter/paladin lockdown build and would appreciate some input.
Essentially you use the giant growth's focus to make quarterstaff's reach 5 (quarterstaffs are polearms), get polearm master, sentinel, and booming blade (using magic initiate) to lockdown enemies. Ogre form is so cheap that you can consistently keep your range at 10 feet while also getting a steady stream of temporary hitpoints. Order of the immortal benefits help you stay alive in the melee and relying on mastery of force keeps your AC at 14 + Dex so you don't have to get CON and make the build super MAD. Psionic weapon via lethal strike (and potentially brute force) lets you nova better than a paladin more times per day. Booming blade/green flame blade and potent psionics keep your base damage increasing consistently through the levels. After level 5 you can keep augmented weapon on to get +3 attack +3 damage. The additional psionic disciplines you pick up over the levels gives the character good flexibility for CC and out of combat. Psionic mastery lets you cast ogre form and augment weapon simultaneously.
Race: Human variant (this build is very feat heavy)
Githyanki is also a good option for better ability scores, medium armor proficiency, psionics at the expense of slower feat progression.
Stats (using point buy):
STR 16 DEX 14 CON 10 INT 16 WIS 8 CHA 8
Feat: Polearm master
Order of the Immortal
LVL 1,2
Disciplines: Giant growth, psionic weapon, mastery of force
Talent: mind thrust, the ranged psychic damage is nice.
Polearm master gives you OA when people enter your 5-10 ft reach (with giant growth). It also keeps your damage comparable to other melee classes: as I read it your bonus attack adds your STR mod to the damage. Ogre form is a good option at these levels (and all levels), your reach becomes 10ft total and you add the d4 to both attacks.
Unfortunately you can't take advantage of immortal durability, this build is already too MAD and feat dependent. Mystical recovery can be useful.
Attack action (with ogre form): +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 damage, bonus attack: +5 to hit, 2d4+3 damage
LVL 3
Discipline: telepathic contact. My DM typically has very player lenient rulings so I will probably be able to abuse occluded mind out of combat, and exacting query is useful.
Talent: mystic charm (I've always found charm useful out of combat).
At level three you have enough psi points to use inertial armor without totally depleting them, boosting your AC to 16. Psionic resilience is great for staying alive
LVL 4
Feat: magic initiate. While I want sentinel to really be lockdown, without getting booming blade/green flame blade your damage falls way behind from lvl 5-7 and booming blade is useful for lockdown. Getting the shield spell along the way is good for staying alive.
Attack action (with ogre form): +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 damage, bonus attack: +5 to hit, 2d4+3 damage, booming blade: +5 to hit, 1d8+1d4+3 + (1d8) + 1d10/PP damage
LVL 5
Discipline: psychic assault. Good damage on a ranged autohit with a good damage type. Ego whip is good CC. Augmented weapon (damage/good against high AC) and broken will (CC) become available. Booming blade/green flame blade become more powerful.
Booming blade (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit 2d8+6+(2d8) + 1d10/PP damage
LVL 6
Surge of health from immortal is useful for staying alive
LVL 7
Discipline: psionic restoration (my group doesn't have great healing capability ATM), and bringing people back from the dead is nice. Psychic grip becomes available
LVL 8
Feat: sentinel (finally!).
Potent psionics increases damage.
Attack action (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit, 2d8+6 damage, bonus attack: +9 to hit, 1d4+1d8+6 damage, booming blade (with augmented weapon): +9 to hit, 3d8+6 + (2d8) +1d10/PP damage
LVL 9
Discipline: brute force, for when I want to supernova.
Giant form becomes available, 15 ft reach +2d6 per attack. Psychic crush, and psychic domination become available.
Attack action (with giant): +7 to hit, 2d8+2d6+3 damage, bonus attack: +7 to hit, 1d4+1d8+2d6+3 damage, booming blade (with augmented weapon): +10 to hit, 3d8+6 + (2d8) +1d10/PP + 1d6/PP damage
Psionic mastery, potent psionics, and ASIs keep improving the build as you gain levels. A one level dip into fighter (or starting fighter and then going all mystic after they publish the class) would improve damage and AC, as well as open up the possibility of using great weapon master.
Overall to me it seems like you stay close to fighters/paladins in regular damage per turn without sacrificing too much of your spellcasting ability.