Optimizing level 2 characters

[Whit]

Optimist level 2 characters anyone

Examples human for feat duel wield or sharpshooter
Fighter lvl 1 get archery or two weapon fighter style then go all rogue

[Aaron Underhand]

These for me are the "stand out" abilities at second level:

Divination Wizard gets the full power or Portent at 2nd
Knowledge Cleric gets any skill proficient
Warlock gets Agonising blast


Any two mixed casters will have more utility (because of more spells known/prepared) - eg Bard/Wizard, Sorcerer/Cleric, Druid/Warlock

Pick two Charisma based casters for SAD synergy... or Druid/Cleric

However this is deceptive, as at 3rd level any of these suddenly find they are missing out on second level spells....

[Treantmonk]

Optimist level 2 characters anyone

Examples human for feat duel wield or sharpshooter
Fighter lvl 1 get archery or two weapon fighter style then go all rogue

To be clear, nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to a Moon Druid at level 2. Wild Shape for a Moon Druid lvl 2 is a monster.

Wildshape to Brown Bear, you get 34 HP. At level 2.

2 attacks, +5 to hit. They do 1d8+4 and 2d6+4 damage respectively. At level 2.

And if you happen to lose all 34 of those HP, you can reset it to 34 again, with a bonus action.

No other class catches up until level 5.

[Corran]

Optimist level 2 characters anyone

Human divination wizard with the lucky feat. With 3 rerolls and 2 predetermined rolls per day, every day is her lucky day. So she is always smiling, always cheerful, and she has not time for pessimistic thoughts. After all, everything is always working out just fine! :smallsmile:

[ATHATH]

To be clear, nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to a Moon Druid at level 2. Wild Shape for a Moon Druid lvl 2 is a monster.

Wildshape to Brown Bear, you get 34 HP. At level 2.

2 attacks, +5 to hit. They do 1d8+4 and 2d6+4 damage respectively. At level 2.

And if you happen to lose all 34 of those HP, you can reset it to 34 again, with a bonus action.

No other class catches up until level 5.
Hey, it's Treantmonk!

A runner up might be the Fey Pact Warlock, who gets to use Sleep 2 times per short rest at level 2.

[Ogre Mage]

The Light Domain Cleric's channel divinity, Radiance of the Dawn, is very powerful at low levels, capable of wiping out masses of low-level enemies. It is rechargeable on a short rest. Warding flare ain't bad either. And it is one of the few (sub)classes that can cast faerie fire.

[stoutstien]

Moon druid but no bear it all about the gaint hyena. Go human for feat or better yet goblin for psudo cunning action

[Blood of Gaea]

A martial build with Crossbow Expert or Polearm Master can be quite potent. I'd probably go Barbarian for the polearm and Rogue for the crossbow.

[CTurbo]

Level 2 Vhuman Barbarian with GWF and Greataxe

Level 2 Vhuman Archer Fighter with Sharpshooter

Level 2 Vhuman TWF Fighter with Duel Wielder

Level 2 Vhuman Tempest Cleric with Heavy Armor Mastery

Level 2 Vhuman War Cleric with GWF and Maul


I'd even go as far to say that a common Fiend Warlock is pretty powerful at level 2 getting 5 temp hit points on a kill and spamming EB with Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast.

[sambojin]

Lvl2 Firbolg Moon Druid.

So much magic and shenanigans it's ridiculous. +2Wis, short rest Disguise Self (as any humanoid more-or-less), short rest pop invis (for disadvantage on attacks against you if things get scary), Moon wildshape (so good), double carry capacity (270lbs as a dump stat at 9Str), and can talk to animals to open up a new line of messing up encounters for you. You even get short rest Detect Magic, to help with tricky magicy stuff (like snaffling the best loot when possible or realizing that the trap/door/puzzle/thingy is indeed magical).

DM has a gutfull of you Bear'ing things to death and goes all magic against you? Turn into a Crag Cat and laugh as you mess up another encounter.

Movement related problem? Giant Spider or Female Steeder the problem away.

And hell, you can cast Disguise Self *before* you turn into these things, then just look like yourself or anyone else if you want while you go beast-mode on stuff (assuming the DM doesn't rule that wildshape will fizzle the spell).

It's just a seriously good, useful low level build. Firbolg moon druids are amazing. They don't really ever get "bad" either, they just do the standard moon druid thing of being more of a caster than a melee combatant at later levels, except you've got some nice social and defensive tricks as well.