Help making a melee character

[Rabbitfox]

Hello everyone,

I am joining a campaign and would like some advice from you guys.

It is a party of six players (including me). Most of them are ranged spell casters, with the exception of one player, who is a monk. The party is lacking a melee character, who can tie people down at the front-line. The party is at lvl 9 right now, but my character would start at either lvl 4 or 5 (new characters start at half level of party so there is a more severe consequence to your character dying). All the Source Material and UA is allowed.

An obvious choice would be to be a tanky fighter or paladin that stands up front and gets hit, but I personally find that a bit boring to play.

I was thinking about making a Hexblade Warlock with Pact of the Blade using both Sentinel and Pole-Arm Master (can get both feats by lvl 4 with VHuman) using a Glaive as my pact weapon. Would that type of build be competitive / can I even survive lvl 9 encounters with a lvl 4 Hexblade up front?

Are there other more fun/dynamic (more than tanking and hitting back) melee build you guys could recommend?

Thanks for any suggestions/advice, I greatly appreciate it!

[In4Dimensions]

I find the College of Blades Bard to be fun, personally. If the DM lets you use the Xanathar’s version, that’s my favorite.

[Arkhios]

A barbarian using a shield could work. Decent AC (+2 from a shield) and the ability to halve most damage you take while raging could add longevity to a character who starts at a recognizably lower level than the rest. Barbarian is also one of the better classes to assume the role of a Tank, for various reasons. One of which is the Reckless Attack which makes you both a threatening and tempting target, since you have nearly constant advantage to hitting your targets and enemies have advantage on hitting you (which is why any bonus to your AC is your friend).

If your DM allows it (no reason he shouldn't, tbh*), take tavern brawler and dual wielder to fight with a weapon in your main hand and your shield in your off-hand as an improvised weapon. Even though you you won't get your strength to the damage rolls with your shield, rage bonus would apply. And by RAW (and Sage Advice), hitting a target with your shield doesn't deprive you of your Shield's bonus to AC.

*this is already taking two feats to accomplish, so there's nothing even remotely broken in here. technically, dual wielder's +1 to AC when wielding two weapons should apply even when wielding the shield, but I think it's fine if the DM wants you to make an attack with the shield in order to gain that benefit for any given turn.

[Fredaintdead]

I can second going for a Barbarian. If you go the Shield route, Shield Master + Sentinel may be a nice combo for lockdown (BA to shove them prone each turn, so you may not always need to Reckless Attack to get advantage based on how that goes). A level in Fighter can pick you up a self-heal and the Dueling style, or Defense if you decide to go for Half-Plate over the "Shirtless Conan" look.

A summary of Subclass options:
1. Berserker - Maximum offense in that Bonus Action attack. Doesn't really work with a Shield Master combo though, and has significant drawbacks (Exhaustion), but Mindless Rage at level 6 would help you avoid getting controlled.
2. Totem - Lots of versatility in that you can pick and choose your Totems at each level where you get a feature, with two extra Totems in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guild. Bear Totem at Level 3 gives you the most personal resilience (Upgrades your Rage to grant Resistance to all damage that isn't Psychic).
3. Battlerager - On the offense side of things rather than defense, and spiked armour will likely not be as good as your Unarmoured Defense without magic armour. But by Lv6 you've got a nice source of Temp HP, making it one of two Barbarian Subclasses with its own form of "Healing". (I know 3-4 temporary hit points each round doesn't sound like a lot. But with that being basically doubled by Rage halving physical damage taken, and that being each turn as long as you're Reckless Attacking, you could be healing yourself quite a bit with a decent Con score).
4. Ancestral Guardian - Gives the most "traditional" tanking options. Lv3 gives you a 4e-esque marking ability, where the first enemy you hit each turn gets disadvantage vs others, and they even get resistance to their damage! Lv6 gives you the opportunity to use your Reaction to reduce the damage dealt to an ally.
5. Storm Herald - Generally offers AoE damage and a little control. The Tundra option can grant you Temporary Hit Points as well as anybody nearby (and by that I mean REALLY nearby, like 10ft). Later on can grant some damage resistances in its short little range.
6. Zealot - Initially only offers single target damage, but the Lv14 feature is literally "If there's immediate medical attention available afterwards, a fight can't really kill you", and it offers a save reroll, which you may need since enemy DCs might be somewhat outside of your ability to make with ease.

[CTurbo]

I think I'd hate to be the ONLY tank in a 6 man party much less one 4-5 levels behind the rest. That doesn't sound very effective if you ask me. I think I'd go against the grain and choose another ranged/blasty character.

Is there a Cleric in the group? You could roll up a Light Cleric and be much tougher than normal but still be great at blasting.

If you really insist on being the only tank, I'd go Barbarian or maybe Tempest Cleric.

[Arkhios]

I think I'd hate to be the ONLY tank in a 6 man party much less one 4-5 levels behind the rest. That doesn't sound very effective if you ask me. I think I'd go against the grain and choose another ranged/blasty character.

Is there a Cleric in the group? You could roll up a Light Cleric and be much tougher than normal but still be great at blasting.


Can't really blame that either. Actually, Light Domain cleric could make a reasonably good ranged "Tank" while also being very blasty, at least starting at 6th level, when you can project the warding flare at range.

[Rabbitfox]

I think I'd hate to be the ONLY tank in a 6 man party much less one 4-5 levels behind the rest. That doesn't sound very effective if you ask me. I think I'd go against the grain and choose another ranged/blasty character.

Is there a Cleric in the group? You could roll up a Light Cleric and be much tougher than normal but still be great at blasting.

If you really insist on being the only tank, I'd go Barbarian or maybe Tempest Cleric.

I am not too attached on being a dedicated tank, it is more about "shielding" the party from enemies (disrupting them/keeping them away from the casters). That is why my initial idea was to do Pole-Arm Master/Sentinel so I have 10ft reach (so I don't have to get up close with the enemy) and denying movement (with Sentinel reducing speed to 0ft on successful AOO). The Warlock might have some spells that help with keeping enemies at bay too.



Is there a Cleric in the group? You could roll up a Light Cleric and be much tougher than normal but still be great at blasting.


We have a Knowledge Cleric, 2 Warlocks, 1 Ranger, 1 Monk, 1 Divine Sorcerer in the Group. The Warlocks don't have "Repelling Blast" so they can't use it to just shove the enemies away from themselves.


A barbarian using a shield could work. Decent AC (+2 from a shield) and the ability to halve most damage you take while raging could add longevity to a character who starts at a recognizably lower level than the rest. Barbarian is also one of the better classes to assume the role of a Tank, for various reasons. One of which is the Reckless Attack which makes you both a threatening and tempting target, since you have nearly constant advantage to hitting your targets and enemies have advantage on hitting you (which is why any bonus to your AC is your friend)..

Another Idea I had was Multi-Class Barbarian 2/Rogue x (Arcane Trickster) with Mobility Feat. The 2 levels of Barbarian give me Rage and Reckless Attack. With Reckless Attack I could sneak attack each turn. With Cunning Action + Mobility, I could get around the Battlefield quickly (without being harmed) so I can maybe draw people away. If I need to tank, I could rage. Also when I get the Arcane Trickster Cantrips I could use Booming Blade to try to "punish" enemies for moving. The Rogue's Uncanny Dodge would be nice too. The only concern with this build was that it could get a bit MAD.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Arkhios]

Another Idea I had was Multi-Class Barbarian 2/Rogue x (Arcane Trickster) with Mobility Feat. The 2 levels of Barbarian give me Rage and Reckless Attack. With Reckless Attack I could sneak attack each turn. With Cunning Action + Mobility, I could get around the Battlefield quickly (without being harmed) so I can maybe draw people away. If I need to tank, I could rage. Also when I get the Arcane Trickster Cantrips I could use Booming Blade to try to "punish" enemies for moving. The Rogue's Uncanny Dodge would be nice too. The only concern with this build was that it could get a bit MAD.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Rogue multiclass wouldn't be as much more MAD as you might think.

Any barbarian will want Dex higher than 10, because it affects their AC. With armor or with unarmored defense, so dex 13 or higher is quite plausible for any barbarian. And if you only want Booming Blade from Arcane Trickster, you don't need int.

[Unoriginal]

What do you think about DEX Fighter/Rogue?

[CTurbo]

I am not too attached on being a dedicated tank, it is more about "shielding" the party from enemies (disrupting them/keeping them away from the casters). That is why my initial idea was to do Pole-Arm Master/Sentinel so I have 10ft reach (so I don't have to get up close with the enemy) and denying movement (with Sentinel reducing speed to 0ft on successful AOO). The Warlock might have some spells that help with keeping enemies at bay too.



We have a Knowledge Cleric, 2 Warlocks, 1 Ranger, 1 Monk, 1 Divine Sorcerer in the Group. The Warlocks don't have "Repelling Blast" so they can't use it to just shove the enemies away from themselves.



Another Idea I had was Multi-Class Barbarian 2/Rogue x (Arcane Trickster) with Mobility Feat. The 2 levels of Barbarian give me Rage and Reckless Attack. With Reckless Attack I could sneak attack each turn. With Cunning Action + Mobility, I could get around the Battlefield quickly (without being harmed) so I can maybe draw people away. If I need to tank, I could rage. Also when I get the Arcane Trickster Cantrips I could use Booming Blade to try to "punish" enemies for moving. The Rogue's Uncanny Dodge would be nice too. The only concern with this build was that it could get a bit MAD.

Thanks for all the suggestions!


Just remember that you can't cast a spell while raging, and you can rage with a Dex weapon and still use sneak attack, but you won't get your +2 Str bonus too.

You could make a Swashbuckler Rogue and pretty much be able to sneak attack every turn. I recently played a Tabaxi Swashbuckler, and had a blast with the character. Mobility is off the charts every other turn. Magic Initiate for Booming Blade would be great. You could run up to an enemy, hit them with Booming Blade, and then run far away every turn. You don't have to use your bonus action to disengage so you can use it to dash everytime.



My biggest concern about being the only tank with PAM and Sentinel, and also being 4-5 levels behind the rest of the party is, You'll get squished quickly and easily if you're focused on unless the DM is going flub rolls. Anything that is going to be a threat to five 9th level character is going to make quick work of a single level 4/5 front line character. You see what I mean? This is why I will never use a party with wildly varying levels. 1 or 2 levels behind and it's ok, but 4 or 5 levels behind is just too much.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

Hello everyone,

I am joining a campaign and would like some advice from you guys.

It is a party of six players (including me). Most of them are ranged spell casters, with the exception of one player, who is a monk. The party is lacking a melee character, who can tie people down at the front-line. The party is at lvl 9 right now, but my character would start at either lvl 4 or 5 (new characters start at half level of party so there is a more severe consequence to your character dying). All the Source Material and UA is allowed.

An obvious choice would be to be a tanky fighter or paladin that stands up front and gets hit, but I personally find that a bit boring to play.

I was thinking about making a Hexblade Warlock with Pact of the Blade using both Sentinel and Pole-Arm Master (can get both feats by lvl 4 with VHuman) using a Glaive as my pact weapon. Would that type of build be competitive / can I even survive lvl 9 encounters with a lvl 4 Hexblade up front?

Are there other more fun/dynamic (more than tanking and hitting back) melee build you guys could recommend?

Thanks for any suggestions/advice, I greatly appreciate it!

I actually have that as my back up character right now, I got a lot of good advice on my post. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?547725-Hexblade-Glaive-Fighter-Newbie-Help

In my opinion starting out four levels behind the other players sounds like a recipe for you to die. a lot. I would see if the DM would let you come in just a level behind them since your character didn't die. He shouldn't be punishing you for not being there when the game started.

If he isn't willing to then you are probably going to get your face smashed in a lot. Your short rests will be even more important as you'll be spending hit dice healing. Darkness+devil's sight will be a heavenly boon as them having disadvantage against you will be the only reason you aren't dead two seconds into the fight. Just as an example At level nine with that many players you'll probably be facing some enemies like an adult white dragon. It will do 54 damage with it's fire breath. You might have 50 HP with good Con and some really lucky hp rolls. With how many players are in the game you're probably going to face stronger things then this

Personally I would play a Mountain Dwarf Totem Barbarian so that you can get resistance to nearly all damage. Tons of HP as well.

Using Point Buy: 16,14,18*,10,10,10 or 16,16*,18*,8,10,8 *=ASI increase

Using the first you'll have 18 AC with a Shield and be fairly well balanced.
The second you'll have 19 AC with a Shield and be a little unbalanced. This would be the one I would prefer to play.

[JakOfAllTirades]

Hello everyone,

I am joining a campaign and would like some advice from you guys.

It is a party of six players (including me). Most of them are ranged spell casters, with the exception of one player, who is a monk. The party is lacking a melee character, who can tie people down at the front-line. The party is at lvl 9 right now, but my character would start at either lvl 4 or 5 (new characters start at half level of party so there is a more severe consequence to your character dying). All the Source Material and UA is allowed.

An obvious choice would be to be a tanky fighter or paladin that stands up front and gets hit, but I personally find that a bit boring to play.

I was thinking about making a Hexblade Warlock with Pact of the Blade using both Sentinel and Pole-Arm Master (can get both feats by lvl 4 with VHuman) using a Glaive as my pact weapon. Would that type of build be competitive / can I even survive lvl 9 encounters with a lvl 4 Hexblade up front?

Are there other more fun/dynamic (more than tanking and hitting back) melee build you guys could recommend?

Thanks for any suggestions/advice, I greatly appreciate it!

My advice is generally: Play what you want to play!

But previous posters have pointed out how making a sticky/tanky Hexblade Warlock could get you into real trouble if you're 4-5 levels behind the rest of your group. I think the Hex/Bladelock is a workable idea, but give yourself every chance to survive and/or escape if things go badly for you. Try to talk the DM into letting you start at 5th level (not 4th) and take the Tomb of Levistus invocation so you'll have a "panic button" with 50 temp HP when you need it. Also, choose some spells that make your Warlock harder to hit; Mirror Image will flat out negate three hits, which could save your life in a boss fight. (Don't waste it fighting mobs of mooks; it'll be gone almost immediately.) Also, Misty Step or Thunder Step; you can never have too much teleportation if you might need to escape in a hurry. And I don't usually recommend Gaseous Form, but that's another good "bail out" spell for when things aren't going your way.

The good thing about the Warlock class is you'll have ample opportunity to swap out these choices of spells and invocations for more aggressive options once you've leveled up and you're closer to the same level as the rest of the party.

[Belier]

Go the Hill dwarf grass land druid gish build. With a level of warlock for booming blade and green flame blade or eldritch blast. use dissenting whisper instead of sentinel and the great old one.

Take shillelagh as a can trip
Take utility for the other 3 cantrip.
I'd suggest thorn whip as it displace 10 feet.

At level 4 druid take war caster

Take point buys and dump strenght intel.

Get a dex of 14
Get a 14 con
Get a 16 wisdom
An intel of 8
A strength of 8
A 14 charisma

You will have a hp of 47 at level 5 for 16 ac if you take average and studded leather
You will be able to use sorcerers cantrip at 120 range.
One more level into druid nets you haste(extra attack and 2 more ac) and freedom of movement.

You can use green flame blade/eldritch blast as a way to hit multiple ennemies at melee or booming blade on one alone. You can combine shillelah and add wisdom to your damage on a 1d8 die.

You can use dissenting voice to trigger warcaster booming blade and keep a big bad guy away from your team. 1d8 + 3 + 2d8 booming blade + 3d6 dissenting voice and make it move away.

Burning hand to deal mass damage at close range.

You get druid prepare spell utility spells like entangle, web, spike growth etc...

Without forgetting you can wildshape as utility.

You get access to some healing also and rituals. Prepared spells.
Overall versatility is on the roof and you fight in the ennemies face with control.

[kardar233]

Sorcerer doesn’t get Dissonant Whispers (which is what I think you mean by “Dissenting Voice”?)

It is possible to get Barbarian Rage and Reckless on top of Sneak Attack; Sneak Attack requires a Finesse Weapon, but you don’t have to actually attack with Dex, so you can wield a Finesse Weapon and make Strength attacks to get Rage and Reckless.

[Belier]

Sorcerer doesn’t get Dissonant Whispers (which is what I think you mean by “Dissenting Voice”?)
l

Right, i edited

[Belier]

It is possible to get Barbarian Rage and Reckless on top of Sneak Attack; Sneak Attack requires a Finesse Weapon, but you don’t have to actually attack with Dex, so you can wield a Finesse Weapon and make Strength attacks to get Rage and Reckless.

Absolutely but giving advantage to the ennemies at half level will give him trouble.

[A Fat Dragon]

Play a DB Paladin, Oath of Conquest. Grab Wrathful smite as one of your spells, take Defense as your fighting style, and grab these feats: Polearm Mastery, Sentinel (This last one isn’t necessary, though it’s very nice), and Dragon-Fear.

You’ll have Moderate AC if you find the right armor, and you’ll be as sticky as molasses when it comes to fighting enemies. Nobody will want to be near you, and all you have to do to keep your party alive is stand between the enemy and the spellcasters. The monk will deal damage, the casters, support and ranged artillery, and you’ll control the entire field simply by being there.

[Nidgit]

Surprised no one has mentioned Eldrith Knight. My biggest concern would be surviving as an underleveled frontliner, and the Eldritch Knight has very good defensive abilities what with Shield and other Wizard spells. The extra ASI at 6 should help you catch up faster.

As an underleveled frontliner, you might consider Half-Orc if it fits your build. The Relentless Endurance ability might save your butt and you're more likely to get some use out of it fighting tougher enemies.