Build Concept: Moving Man

[Mercurias]

I was curious how you all would make a build based on manipulating the location of allies and enemies on a battlefield.

Repulsing Blast from Warlocks let you do this small scale as a cantrip.

Mystics seem to have interesting movement options for friends and enemies alike.

I’m sure Bards, Wizards, and some sort of fighter subclass has options also.

How would you build with field manipulation as a focus? I’m sort of paralyzed by the options and new enough to be unsure of what would be viable.

[Tikkun]

A grappling set-up would allow you to grab a mob and drag it to another location (closer to your allies I assume). Also the Battlemaster archetype has two maneuvers--maneuvering strike ( allows you to move an ally up to half their speed to a mob ) and commanding strike ( allows you to have an ally strike a mob as a reaction ). You can only use 1 maneuver/sup dice per turn however.

In addition you always have the walls, fogs, and spike growth to assist in funneling enemies.

[ImproperJustice]

The Bard spell Compulsion seems to aptly fit here, along with Disonant Whispers.

There is also the spells of Scatter and Watery Sphere that can move enemies about.

I am a huge personal fan of WS if you have multiple team mates of the martial professions who enjoy advantage against restrained/prone enemies.

[MrLowRes]

Okay so I've actually been thinking about this too and the best conclusion I've been able to come to on how to build this character you're thinking of is that you kinda can't. The druid has the cantrip 'thorn whip' and there's the SCAG cantrip 'lightning lure' which both bring enemies ten feet closer to you. Other than that there's the open hand monk ability which pushes enemies away from you. Honestly what you're probably most looking for is the Xanathar's spell 'scatter' which on Wis save lets you reorganize up to five allies or enemies anywhere you want within a 120ft area. The problem with this is it's a 6th level spell, so it's not something you get to level 11 which lets be honest takes ages and also its a high level slot so it's not as if it's something you're using casually. You can do it I guess, but it's kind of hard to build a character around.

[Aett_Thorn]

A Conjuration Wizard/Nomad Mystic combo would probably work, at least late-game.

Benign Transposition, along with a bunch of Xanathar’s spells would work out well. Once you get some of the basic movement spells down and at least to 6th level, then pick up some Nomad levels and pick up some of those movement abilities.

[Clarkson]

If you're looking for something that's online sooner a Glamour Bard/Warlock could do a decent job of it. Grab Repelling Blast and Grasp of Hadar as invocations and whenever you hit an opponent with Eldritch Blast you can choose to move them 10 feet closer or further from you. Glamour Bard gives you the option to use bardic inspiration the option let 1-5 allies move without provoking opportunity attacks using a bonus action and bardic inspiration die on your part and a reaction from them. Can do one of these at level 2 or 3 depending on which class you start with, and have access to both at level 5.