Making a Mastermind

[ChangeSumFlux]

So I’ve been looking to play a good support class for my party as my old character met an unfortunate end. We already have a healer, a tank, and plenty of dps, so I thought a unique support would be cool.
My idea as it stands is a Mastermind rogue and Divination Wizard (mainly for portend). This gives me the ability to help someone every turn, use portend at crucial moments, and use wizard spells to help the team rather than deal damage.
This was my rough starting idea, I’d love feedback and ideas,
The character would be lvl 10 with starting stats of 17, 17, 15, 14, 9, 7 before any racial bonuses.
If my DM allows the new Eberron stuff, changeling would be a cool race that works well, otherwise, probably variant human or halfling.
Also for this sort of build, and in general, what do people think of the new subclass for wizard in Eberron? I think it could be neat and helpful as a support character, but I don’t know.
Thanks in advance!

[Quoxis]

Everything you need to know about support wizardry:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?450158-Treantmonk-s-Guide-to-Wizards-5e

[ChangeSumFlux]

Thanks for the link, I’ve seen the guide before, so I was hoping for more of ideas on class combinations. I thought mastermind and wizard might make a good combo and was wondering what other people could come up with.

[ChangeSumFlux]

So I changed the name of the thread because I wanted to take it in a different direction after some research I did.
Basically I want to create a Mastermind character and want people’s ideas. I want to multiclass as the main feature I want is just the help as bonus action feature. As previously stated my first idea was a support wizard with Mastermind.
A new idea I had that seems pretty cool is going pact of the chain warlock. This opens up a familiar that I can use and help so if I’m ever by myself in combat with only my familiar, I can use my help action on the familiar. If anyone likes this idea, how can I optimize the familiar? I’m not to familiar with the find familiar spell (mind the pun) so any help would be useful.
Thanks

[Ventruenox]

If only there were some playgrounders who put together a handy guide on familiars. Oh wait, they did. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?472928-Celestial-Fey-and-Fiend-A-Guide-to-Familiar-Keeping)

If you want to outright break the game with the Help action, Order up. (https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/UA_OrderDomain.pdf)

[Quoxis]

So I changed the name of the thread because I wanted to take it in a different direction after some research I did.
Basically I want to create a Mastermind character and want people’s ideas. I want to multiclass as the main feature I want is just the help as bonus action feature. As previously stated my first idea was a support wizard with Mastermind.
A new idea I had that seems pretty cool is going pact of the chain warlock. This opens up a familiar that I can use and help so if I’m ever by myself in combat with only my familiar, I can use my help action on the familiar. If anyone likes this idea, how can I optimize the familiar? I’m not to familiar with the find familiar spell (mind the pun) so any help would be useful.
Thanks

Meh, usually it’s the other way around.
Familiars aren’t typically ideal for combat, deal low damage and their poison etc. are tied to saving throws, which don’t really profit from the help action. If you really want to keep to that idea, maybe try beastmaster ranger to help your wolf buddy, or, you know... help a team member.

[MrStabby]

I am tempted to say multiclass paladin (assuming you want a multiclass).

Form the "support character" perspective Paladin gives you lay on hands, auras, healing spells, protection fighting style and some out of combat utility.

From a mechanical perspective you will be using a bonus action every turn to help (or almost every turn). This means that you are looking for a class that doesn't automatically get powerful bonus action abilities due to overlap. Furthermore your weapon attacks do a minimum of 2d6 extra damage (or the first one per turn does anyway). This suggests you may want a weapon attack.

Most other classes other than fighter have competition for bonus actions; fighter just gets more feats - often ones that grant good bonus actions. Paladin seems to get you the most from your rogue levels whilst giving the most that doesnt conflict with your bonus action.

[Nidgit]

Mastermind seems like a great dip for a grappler Barbarian. Sit on someone's head stabbing them while shouting advice to the rest of your party. Totem and Ancestral Guardian are probably the best for bonus action economy. Fun flavor too, since no one expects the big naked meathead to be the brains.

I love the concept of Divination/Mastermind too. I think you're basically obligated to call your portents deductions from your mind palace at that point.

[Malifice]

I am tempted to say multiclass paladin (assuming you want a multiclass).

Always my go-to 'Warlord'.

Bard 5 (cutting words, bardic inspiration) Paladin 6 (auras, bless), Fighter 3 (Sup dice and warlord maneuvers). Inspiring leader feat.

Fluff your spells as martial abilities and you're set.

[Crgaston]

I’ve been messing around with the Mastermind and have a couple of builds I’d like to try out eventually.

I haven’t built one with a Wizard, but with an owl familiar you could be granting Advantage twice per round... once on the owl’s initiative with the Help/Flyby combo and once as a bonus action on your turn. Plus all the usual support Wizard goodies. This would be a potent character!

The theoretical build that intrigues me most is a BattleMasterMind with Crossbow Expert. If you did a 6/4 split to begin with you’d have 3 ASI’s (and those stats CRY OUT for standard Human) which you could legitimately spend strictly on feats.

L10 stats of 10/18/18/8/16/16, XBX, Alert and Resilient Wis, with Archery fighting style and focusing on maneuvers that buff/debuff. One more level of Rogue for the 3d6 SA and Uncanny Dodge, then more fighter for Dex 20 and Sharpshooter.

But your party could probably use some Arcane Magic, and Mastermind/Lore Bard would let you fully utilize the action economy for 5 rounds per SR.. You’d want to juggle stats and get the 20 Cha asap, of course.

Glamor Bard has an extremely powerful BI feature which can benefit up to 5 allies per usage instead of just 1 like every other College, so that’d be worth exploring as well.

For a Warlock combo, I like a Celestial Bladelock. The SA dice mean you can ignore Agonizing Blast and just use Repelling Blast when you need to shove someone around and use your Pact bow or whip for your Attack action primarily, which would free up an invocation. So Repelling, Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting, and Devils Sight (which mitigates the biggest drawback of Human). The 2 slots per short rest are kind of a bummer but you won’t be too far from a third and more invocations. And you can use Create Bonfire (with Cha mod extra damage!) for your concentration slot when you run out of spells and Repelling Blast enemies into it.


A dark horse option (pun unintended) would be Shepherd Druid, with the aura that lets you grant advantage as a reaction. You could be giving Advantage with both your BA and Reaction for one fight per short rest, and Druid has some fantastic support/CC spells.


Let us know what you decide and how it goes!

[Citan]

So I’ve been looking to play a good support class for my party as my old character met an unfortunate end. We already have a healer, a tank, and plenty of dps, so I thought a unique support would be cool.
My idea as it stands is a Mastermind rogue and Divination Wizard (mainly for portend). This gives me the ability to help someone every turn, use portend at crucial moments, and use wizard spells to help the team rather than deal damage.
This was my rough starting idea, I’d love feedback and ideas,
The character would be lvl 10 with starting stats of 17, 17, 15, 14, 9, 7 before any racial bonuses.
If my DM allows the new Eberron stuff, changeling would be a cool race that works well, otherwise, probably variant human or halfling.
Also for this sort of build, and in general, what do people think of the new subclass for wizard in Eberron? I think it could be neat and helpful as a support character, but I don’t know.
Thanks in advance!
Hi!
Little time and battery so I won't detail, but I'd suggest mixing it with Sorcerer, Bard or Warlock.
- Sorcerer is my prime suggestion for Subtle, so you can support your friends when magic would be frowned upon or to avoid drawing attention on you (Enhance Ability, Haste, Polymorph).
- Bard get some situational but interesting spells, and can poach some of the greatest with Magic Secrets (Healing Spirit, Circle of Power).
- Warlock with Tome pact can get you all rituals your party may need (with willing DM oc), as well as short-rest slots so you can support without big questioning about resources (provided someone else has Rope Trick / Catnap or non-ritual Leomund's Tiny Hut, Magnificent Mansion, Demiplane, etc).

[MilkmanDanimal]

I think a Gnome Mastermind/Illusion Wizard would be a fun concept. Sitting back, throwing up illusions to distract, helping people out from a distance, just kind of controlling the battlefield.