Mentor/ Instructor style PC: how would you do it?

[Clone]

Hey all, I've been prepping my next character for my group and want to make a mentor/ instructor style character, similar to your Phil from Hercules, Chiron from Greek myth, Angeal from FF7 etc.
General idea being a character who uses knowledge and experience to help support the other PCs both in and out of combat, allowing them to shine in the stead of my own.

In combat it would be able to take pressure off of the other members and tanks, support them using abilities and/ or spells, and being able to hinder enemies rather than blast them (as that is what I'd rather allow the other characters be able to do).
Out of combat would be spent using abilities or just RP to instruct and direct the PCs while letting them all have their time in the limelight. So allowing the rangers and druids to shine in their terrains, being a secondary strongman to back up the barbarian, be able to make bards be even more bardic.

I understand that its an extremely broad concept, which very simply could be done by making it my PC's background and RPing it, but I like to have mechanical application to support my RP when possible, and was wondering what the playground would come up with.
What I may end up going with is a Valor Bard, but how would you all create this character?
For the sake of the experiment, assume it is for a level 10 PC, UA and all books allowed.
The only real aim is to have as much crunch to back up your fluff.

I can't wait to see what kind of builds you all make!

[Unoriginal]

IMO, I would just use a custom Background for it.

If you want someone who is capable of tanking, providing support, and hindering the enemies, I'd say a Battlemaster seems pretty fitting. A Valor Bard or a Mastermind Rogue are also good candidate, but they wouldn't really be tanking.

Arguably, you could re-fluff a Diviner and get them lots of buff/debuff spells.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I second the Bard option. A wizard could do it but you'll have to watch your spell list.

[Level2intern]

I agree valor bard seems to best fit your desire to have a presence in combat and fill a support role. You could take a 1 level dip in cleric (life, nature, tempest, or war) and pick up access to heavy armor proficiency, bless, plus a few other goodies.

[Unoriginal]

You could also pick Divine Soul, I suppose, but then it'd be more like those sport movies where angels come to help one of the team win.

[Laereth]

IMO, I would just use a custom Background for it.

If you want someone who is capable of tanking, providing support, and hindering the enemies, I'd say a Battlemaster seems pretty fitting. A Valor Bard or a Mastermind Rogue are also good candidate, but they wouldn't really be tanking.

Arguably, you could re-fluff a Diviner and get them lots of buff/debuff spells.

I concur with the Battlemaster, for even more flavor slap it with the Mercenary Veteran background. That way you get a grizzled character who's see/done it all and that is willing to share his experience with the younger folks.

For bonus points take the Inspiring Leader feat.

[MxKit]

FIRST BUILD: Firbolg Valor Bard 6/Battle Master 4

STR: 16 (15+1)
DEX: 12
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 10 (8+2)
CHA: 13

You are literally a wise (well, sort of), mythical sort of mentor, like Phil or Chiron. You have heavy armor proficiency, three maneuvers, and are able to use every weapon in the game. For one of your two ASI's, go ahead and grab Heavy Armor Master; for the other, raise your Str and Cha. In two more levels you can take Inspiring Leader. You wind up with:

STR: 18
DEX: 12
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 14

...by lv10, with three more ASI's to play with. You can take Inspiring Leader with one, maybe, but can always just boost your ability scores; you don't even need Strength to hit 20, strictly speaking, so you can pump Con a little for survivability, or just make the character more charismatic or wiser, to complement whatever Expertises you grab.

For spells, take vicious mockery for a ranged option that also debuffs enemies, and choose two between light, mage hand, and minor illusion, depending on your other party members and what they might need most/might already have. For lv1 spells, faerie fire, healing word, longstrider, and earth tremor; for lv2 spells, enhance ability, invisibility, and silence; for lv3 spells, dispel magic and enemies abound. (You can grab heat metal instead of either invisibility or silence, depending on your party makeup, if you want one more attack spell for use in a pinch. Alternately, major image if you have no illusionist already and your DM plays nice with illusions.)

I'd also make a Mentor background based kind of as a mix of Guild Artisan and Folk Hero, with Insight and Persuasion proficiencies, a language and any type of artisan's tools, and maybe a feature sort of like Rustic Hospitality only assuming that your status as a mentor/trainer is well known and that you'll be able to fit in among people whom your former students have helped, or with your former students' families. Either that or a former student contact(s) that allows you to secure free land travel (and provisions while traveling) kind of like an overland version of Ship's Passage. Since Bards can pick any three skills, you can accomodate your party by picking things the others aren't proficient in, and Expertising the ones that seem most useful for you all; alternately, if you choose to start with your first level in Fighter (for the Con saves), I'd probably grab Perception and History, or maybe Athletics for shoving enemies prone.

SECOND BUILD: Wood Elf Monk 8-9/Cleric 1-2

STR: 12
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 8
WIS: 15
CHA: 10

With your two ASI's, raise your Dex by +2 and grab Resilient (Constitution); just keep raising Dex and Wis after that, unless you really want to pick up Alert or Mobile; you can alternately raise your Charisma a bit. At lv10, though, you look like this:

STR: 12
DEX: 18
CON: 14
INT: 8
WIS: 16
CHA: 10

With this build, you're less "wise" and more actually wise, however you seem. Go either Open Hand or Drunken Master for this build (I have an unreasoning bias for Drunken Master, but that's just me), with only a tiny dip into Cleric for your entire career. Knowledge or Grave 2 is fine; otherwise, I'd say either Trickery or Forge 1. Go ahead and take the guidance cantrip, and any other two of your choice, and the 1st level spells bless, healing word, sanctuary, shield of faith, and maybe ceremony if you've taken two levels of Cleric and like the flavor of the spell for your trainer. You're helping out your allies with your spells, almost entirely, and the Monk chassis is actually really good for hindering enemies and taking the pressure off your other party members.

I'd take the same Mentor background I outlined above, and take my first level in Monk to grab some mix of Acrobatics, Athletics, and Stealth.

For more straightforward builds, though, yeah, I'd say just a straight-up Valor Bard is your best option when it comes to support spells and battle capability! At lv10 you can even grab bless from Cleric if you want, and you can take still Inspiring Leader early and have the Charisma to really back it up. You could also go Battle Master Fighter and be a pretty decent tank, help your allies out in battle, and have the ASI's/feats to spare for raising some secondary stats and grabbing support feats.

[Provo]

A valor bard/mastermind rogue multiclass with inspiring leader would work perfectly.

However, I prefer the imagery of a grizzled veteran battle master (also with 3 levels of mastermind)

[Asmotherion]

Well, the Scholar Backround seems to give what you need; Take a Long Lived Race, such as Elf and be much older than the rest of the group.

Lore Bard or Abjurer Wizard both seem very thematic if played correctly. Focus on actually Protecting and Buffing during combat, wile using Utility spells out of combat. You can take an offensive spell or two (definitelly a cantrip as well), just make it a point of avoiding to use them unless you don't have an other option.

Those are my main suggestions.

[Kane0]

Battlemaster fighter with a 3 level dip in Mastermind rogue. Bonus points for an ASI spent on Inspiring Leader or Magic Initiate (guidance and bless).

[Arelai]

Mastermind 3, lore bard X. Use help action every round and bardic inspiration for cutting words otherwise. Maybe cast a spell every now and then.