Chef Character

[LionHeadVillain]

I am starting a new character and would like it to be a monster race and I also want to make him a chef.
I have a the basic idea of using knives and/or frying pans as weapons (frying pan = club? i guess).
The main issue i'm having is deciding on what class to go off of, I was thinking of going with arcane trickster and picking all fire and the grease spell.

I'm currently thinking about going Kobolt but am also on the fence about lizard-folk and dragon-born.
If you have any suggestions i would be happy to hear them.

[Errata]

I'd suggest Artificer (the Alchemist subtype). Then you can infuse your food with spells, and most of your other subclass abilities can be described in kitchen terms. It looks like it could be a very fun way to roleplay that class. It's UA, but if you want a monster race you're probably willing to be flexible about that too. Your basic attacks would be with hot stew that functions like AOE cantrips (i.e. the potion attacks).

As a class feature, you get utility magic items. One option includes an alchemy jug that provides you an unlimited supply of Honey, Mayo, Oil, Vinegar, Wine, and Water. Perfect for a chef. At higher levels you can get a bag of magic beans, which also works.

[Unoriginal]

Be sure to have proficiency in Cook’s utensils, and check the Xanathar's for the guidelines on how you can use them.

As for the race selection, well, it seems you like reptilian species. Which other factors would play a role in your selection?

[CosmicHobbit]

Warning! What is about to follow is the opinion of a very casual D&D player. Take the advice with a pinch of salt.

I've wanted to make one of these for a while, so I'll pitch in.

What class you are depends upon what you want to do, what you like, and what chef you want to be. Do you want to be a butcher? Be a fighter, barbarian, paladin, ranger, or monk. Do you want to be a chef who specializes in setting stuff on fire and poisonous stuff? Be a rogue for dexterity, a ranger for survival, or a druid for fire related spells. Do you want to be the lead chef and try to persuade people to buy you're food? Go sorcerer, warlock, or bard for a good Charisma.

Of course, you'll need proficiency in Cook's Supplies, and you'll probably want Guild Artisan background. For race, a lizardfolk would be fun to pay for me, because then you can have him make dishes out of everything, including humanoids, without looking terrible. Stout Halfling is very stereotypical, but definitely works. That's why it's a stereotype.

When it comes down to it, do what you want to do, but some classes, races, and backgrounds contribute themselves to a chef.

If you want to know how I would make a chef character, just say so.

[LionHeadVillain]

I'm mainly focused on what would be fun to play and then worry about race attributes.
Kobolt and Lizardfolk seem fun to play as they are more instinct based than a more human like race.
I kind of like the idea of a monster that would usually just eat its food raw being some skilled chef that is always looking for the best ingredients so he can eat the best food.

I was looking into tabaxi but they didn't fit the image i wanted.

[MxKit]

Lizardfolk for the biting and eating of dead enemies.

Either Ranger for goodberry, Cleric for heroes' feast, Druid for goodberry AND heroes' feast, or Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Eldritch Knight, or Arcane Trickster for prestidigitation. Alternately, Bard, since you can grab prestidigitation at first level and then pick up both goodberry and heroes' feast with your Magical Secrets!

Folk Hero or Guild Artisan background for the ability to snag proficiency in cook's utensils. Alternately, going Monk could actually get you that proficiency.

Tavern Brawler feat for the ability to use improvised weapons.

Lizardfolk seems like it leans martial; it gives you +2 Con and +1 Wis, natural armor, a Str-based bite attack (d6), and a Con-based health regain per short/long rest with your bite attack. Wisdom isn't necessary for a Bard, but you could easily go with a Strength-based Valor or Swords Bard. Ranger is good with Wis, and you can go Strength-based melee Ranger easily; you could go Hunter and take beasts as your favored enemy.

Con and Wis are also good for Monk, of course, but you wouldn't be able to play with the "cooking magic" idea much (maybe a little with Magic Initiate). Still, you can make a decent Strength-based Monk, and the Tavern Brawler feat is also quite good for that build, since it improves your grappling.

Personally, I'd go Hunter Ranger with beasts as my favored enemy, making a melee build, taking goodberry at 2nd level, the Tavern Brawler feat at some point, and maybe the Magic Initiate feat at some point as well to snag prestidigitation as well as one of the fire cantrips and grease. But you could easily forgo both goodberry and heroes' feast (or pick goodberry up through Magic Initiate!) and go Arcane Trickster instead, playing up the idea that you're great with knives and magical cooking! Con is good for everyone, and it's not like +1 Wis hurts Rogues.

[Naanomi]

Learn Fabricate... nearly instant, unbelievably elaborate dishes

[Eunostus]

In an old campaign I played a hilldwarf ranger who used to be a chef, but ran out on his restaurant due to difficult customers. Now he scours the wild, hunting beasts (his favored enemy) so he can further hone his culinary skills and eventually finish his cookbook 'Mastering the Art of Wild Cooking'. We got to chose a free feat at first level, so I took the Gourmand feat from Unearthed Arcana and agreed with my DM that meaks cooked from our kills could provide minor bonuses to our party. Unfortunately it never came up, mostly because he wasn't a very good DM. I still love the character concept though, and would happily play him again.

[Requilac]

If you are willing to use homebrew, than I actually created a homebrew chef class not too long ago. It was in a thread discussing uses for dragon meat, that got slightly derailed, which resulted in people asking for a chef conclave for rangers. You can find the sub-class here, the porkstalker. Everyone on that thread seemed to really like it, but I have not exactly playtested it. I present to you the portkstalker: ranger sub-class (http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Bk7YP_22Qz).

[Naanomi]

With very little tweaking, forge Cleric looks good... fire powers and resistance, access to Fabricate... change the buff mechanic from equipment to snacks, change tool proficiency and artisan’s blessings to food focus... looks good to me

[Dudewithknives]

With very little tweaking, forge Cleric looks good... fire powers and resistance, access to Fabricate... change the buff mechanic from equipment to snacks, change tool proficiency and artisan’s blessings to food focus... looks good to me

Can't resist...


Cook in full plate, worships the god of cookery.

THE IRON CHEF

Ale cuisine!


On topic just use Drunken Master Monk. Like this...

Way of the Culinarian*

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.”

The art of cooking is the most divine art there is. All creatures must eat, it is what and how you eat that defines you. If the body is a temple, the chef is its priest.*

Kitchen Training:
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don’t already have it. Your martial arts technique mixes combat training with the precision of a trained chef.*
Preparing food is just as much of a performance art as it is concerned with flavor. You also gain proficiency in cooking utensils, if you already have proficiency in cooking utensils, you double your proficiency bonus on those checks.*

Culinary Technique
At 3rd level, you have spent many years moving around a busy kitchen and have learned how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn.

The Flow of Flavor
Starting at 6th level, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits.
Leap to Your Feet. When you’re prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you.

The Spice of Life
Starting at 11th level, years of food preparation have given you the insight needed to turn any foul ingredients into at least an average meal. When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can spend 2 ki points to cancel the disadvantage for that roll.

Gastrophile Frenzy
At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.

Literally the only change was instead of brewers supplies they use cooks utincels.

I made a thread on it.

[Unoriginal]

Kobolt and Lizardfolk seem fun to play as they are more instinct based than a more human like race.

Not really?

Kobolds are just as instinct-based as humans, and Lizardfolk are far less instinct-based than pretty much all humanoids

[DarkKnightJin]

Can't resist...


Cook in full plate, worships the god of cookery.

THE IRON CHEF

Ale cuisine!


On topic just use Drunken Master Monk. Like this...

Way of the Culinarian*

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.”

The art of cooking is the most divine art there is. All creatures must eat, it is what and how you eat that defines you. If the body is a temple, the chef is its priest.*

Kitchen Training:
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don’t already have it. Your martial arts technique mixes combat training with the precision of a trained chef.*
Preparing food is just as much of a performance art as it is concerned with flavor. You also gain proficiency in cooking utensils, if you already have proficiency in cooking utensils, you double your proficiency bonus on those checks.*

Culinary Technique
At 3rd level, you have spent many years moving around a busy kitchen and have learned how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn.

The Flow of Flavor
Starting at 6th level, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits.
Leap to Your Feet. When you’re prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you.

The Spice of Life
Starting at 11th level, years of food preparation have given you the insight needed to turn any foul ingredients into at least an average meal. When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can spend 2 ki points to cancel the disadvantage for that roll.

Gastrophile Frenzy
At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.

Literally the only change was instead of brewers supplies they use cooks utincels.

I made a thread on it.

I was already considering making a Drunken Master, and a separate chef character. With this little bit of tweaking, I can combine the 2!
Maybe grab Magic Initiate for Prestidigitation and mage hand, with a TBD 1st level spell.

I might take some time to stat one out for the fun of it.

[Ventruenox]

Maybe grab Magic Initiate for Prestidigitation and mage hand, with a TBD 1st level spell

Unseen Servant. Instant kitchen hand because heroes shouldn't have to peel the potatoes.

[DarkKnightJin]

Unseen Servant. Instant kitchen hand because heroes shouldn't have to peel the potatoes.

That's more something to pick up with something like Ritual Caster, I feel. Which could work thematically. It's basically a recipe book, but for spells.

[Uzgul]

You could make a tortle strength based rogue. Start with 17 str and pick up Tavern Brawler for 18 str and proficiency in improvised weapon. Use a chef knive as improvised dagger. If you hit, you can grapple as a bonus action. At lv8 you can pick Grappler for advantage against your grappled target.

[fatbaby]

Its interesting that this came up, because I have been thinking about making the same thing. I wanted to build a Champ Fighter 5/Valor Bard 5 Goblin. Reflavor (get it?!?) all the bardic inspiration as dishes that he has whipped up on the fly. a cleaver as a main weapon named CleVr, scratched into the side (maybe a restyled sword of sharpness or other magic longsword). Travels with his mule and cart (food truck), and wears pots and pans for armor. Has a uninhibited palate, and will eat literally anything.

No real help for ya here, but just wanted to share in the excitement of this character idea.