SCAG Half Elf Questions

[BaconAwesome]

I'm putting together a level 1 half-elf paladin strength build sword and board (planning oath of the ancients and duelist) and was looking at the SCAG variants. Here's my take on the tactical implications - am I missing anything?

Wood-Elf:
- Fleet of Foot would be good to close distance. Since a str pal doesn't have great ranged options, movement could help.
- RP: ties in with Oath of the Ancients.

Drow:
- Drow magic could be handy. If I can use a holy symbol of a drow deity as a substitute for a material component, then I could cast with my shield arm.
- RP: I'm having trouble reconciling "worships drow deity/takes oath of the ancients"

High-elf:
- Theoretically, a cantrip could be cool, but high elf cantrips are int based, and since the SCAG cantrips don't allow extra attacks, they would be pretty situational after 5th level. (Same for lightning lure). Drow is a better choice - gets me dancing lights, which is one of the better cantrips, plus more spells at higher levels.

Thanks!

[Millstone85]

I'm having trouble reconciling "worships drow deity/takes oath of the ancients"The obvious choice would be Eilistraee, the one good-aligned drow deity, who also happens to have the Nature domain.

[Zonugal]

I'm putting together a level 1 half-elf paladin strength build sword and board (planning oath of the ancients and duelist) and was looking at the SCAG variants. Here's my take on the tactical implications - am I missing anything?

High-elf:
- Theoretically, a cantrip could be cool, but high elf cantrips are int based, and since the SCAG cantrips don't allow extra attacks, they would be pretty situational after 5th level. (Same for lightning lure). Drow is a better choice - gets me dancing lights, which is one of the better cantrips, plus more spells at higher levels.

Thanks!

You certainly don't have to take a combat-based cantrip as your free High-Elf cantrip.

Minor Illusion is fantastic & will offer you utility all the way to 20th level.

[Quoxis]

You certainly don't have to take a combat-based cantrip as your free High-Elf cantrip.

Minor Illusion is fantastic & will offer you utility all the way to 20th level.

Seconded, illusions and stuff like prestidigitation are flavorful as well.
Dancing lights also requires your concentration, so you can’t use your smite spells or other useful concentration spells while having it up, while the light cantrip is usually seen as superior.
Having a ranged option beyond throwing weapons and magic to fall back on if you’re out of slots and don’t have a magic weapon (depending on setting etc.) can also help, so an attack cantrip isn’t bad situationally.

[BaconAwesome]

Seconded, illusions and stuff like prestidigitation are flavorful as well.
Dancing lights also requires your concentration, so you can’t use your smite spells or other useful concentration spells while having it up, while the light cantrip is usually seen as superior.
Having a ranged option beyond throwing weapons and magic to fall back on if you’re out of slots and don’t have a magic weapon (depending on setting etc.) can also help, so an attack cantrip isn’t bad situationally.

Thanks all - my guess is the party will have enough minor illusion, but I *do* like the idea of prestidigitation a lot! It would fit pretty well into a good hearted jock type personality, which could be fun.

[rbstr]

Fleet of Foot or the basic two skills are the best options, in my mind.

[Scots Dragon]

Drow:
- Drow magic could be handy. If I can use a holy symbol of a drow deity as a substitute for a material component, then I could cast with my shield arm.
- RP: I'm having trouble reconciling "worships drow deity/takes oath of the ancients"

There is literally no restriction on what deities a half-drow can worship. They can just as easily wind up worshipping the same deity as their human parent, one of the surface elf deities, or Eilistraee as people have mentioned.

[BaconAwesome]

There is literally no restriction on what deities a half-drow can worship. They can just as easily wind up worshipping the same deity as their human parent, one of the surface elf deities, or Eilistraee as people have mentioned.

Sorry - what I meant was that (a) normally inherent drow magic requires a material component (well, technically dancing lights and darkness do, but faerie fire is V only); (b) if my character could use a holy symbol in place of the material component, then he could cast while wielding a sword and shield; and (c) I'm betting I could talk my DM that into letting a paladin use a DROW holy symbol while using drow inherent abilities, if that's one of the paladin's patron deities, but maybe not anything else.

[BaconAwesome]

One more wrap up post, unless anyone has any more suggestions. Here's my current analysis:

1) Wood Elf Variant / Fleet of Foot

- An extra 5' of movement is always helpful. In particular, it may assist if I ever need to stage a tactical retreat from opponents with 30' movement, and in a scenario where we need to cover ground, it may add up, particularly when dashing.

2) High Elf Variant / Cantrip

- Minor illusion is really helpful, but as a result, my guess is most of the arcane spellcasters will already have it.

- A ranged attack cantrip wouldn't be super accurate, but might make a decent one handed missile option (with scaling damage), and 120' is decent range. For a sword and boarder like me, this means I wouldn't need to stow my shield to throw ranged attacks outside of my thrown weapons range. Even at int 8, that's actually not terrible.

- Prestidigitation has only limited tactical uses, but is really awesome.

3) Normal half elf

- Two extra skills might be helpful. In particular, I currently have persuasion but not intimidation or deception, or I could take something like investigation or animal handling.

Conclusion: I keep coming back to prestidigitation, but both 5' movement and an int attack cantrip could be more helpful than I thought at first.

[Galadhrim]

One more wrap up post, unless anyone has any more suggestions. Here's my current analysis:

1) Wood Elf Variant / Fleet of Foot

- An extra 5' of movement is always helpful. In particular, it may assist if I ever need to stage a tactical retreat from opponents with 30' movement, and in a scenario where we need to cover ground, it may add up, particularly when dashing.

2) High Elf Variant / Cantrip

- Minor illusion is really helpful, but as a result, my guess is most of the arcane spellcasters will already have it.

- A ranged attack cantrip wouldn't be super accurate, but might make a decent one handed missile option (with scaling damage), and 120' is decent range. For a sword and boarder like me, this means I wouldn't need to stow my shield to throw ranged attacks outside of my thrown weapons range. Even at int 8, that's actually not terrible.

- Prestidigitation has only limited tactical uses, but is really awesome.

3) Normal half elf

- Two extra skills might be helpful. In particular, I currently have persuasion but not intimidation or deception, or I could take something like investigation or animal handling.

Conclusion: I keep coming back to prestidigitation, but both 5' movement and an int attack cantrip could be more helpful than I thought at first.

I think you are spot on. Prestidigitation makes the game more fun, and that is always the best choice. If you are an oath of ancients paladin, likely you will find yourself in nature frequently, so being able to flavor your scavenged food anyway you like is perfect (or maybe you end up in a city environment too often and get nostalgic for the taste of acorns?). Your happy go lucky jock paladin can eat whatever he wants, because it all tastes like filet mignon or ice cream. Also, being able to warm liquids is very useful for survival depending on the environment.

If you aren't going prestidigitation, I would just take the extra skills. It is game depended, but investigation tends to come up very frequently, and paladins are usually very bad at it. Animal handling can also be important if you are riding your steed (cough Elk cough) through the forest.

[Irennan]

- RP: I'm having trouble reconciling "worships drow deity/takes oath of the ancients"

Thanks!

The tenets of the Ancient are basically Eilistraee's ideals, but slightly reworded.

[Georlik]

Booming Blade + Warcaster feat + Command (flee) = fun times.
Especially so with the ancients capstone.