Need help refining my Eladrin

[CeriPendragon]

Last game my swords bard ran afoul of a group of zombies and their necromancer master and died.

I decided I wanted to try the new Eladrin race this time around because I like their shifty personalities/abilities. I’m not sure how to build it out though.

I imagine the character as some sort knight or warrior in service to one of the more powerful fey lords, and as such having many of the fey qualities. Charms, deals and bargaining, tricks, and chaos. Battlefield control and a little melee I think. Beyond that nothing is really fleshed out.

So onto the details.

Point buy, PHB+1 and starting at level 4.
Our group can get fairly large, but the core members are playing a Beast Master Ranger, a Monk/Cleric, and a Wild Magic Sorcerer. The ranger largely stays back so something else at the front/mid line probably wouldn’t hurt.

I’m just not sure how to capture the above traits best and help the party out. Oath of the Ancients Paladin game to mind early on, but lacks the charms and chaos I was looking for without multiclassing.

[Daghoulish]

You could go Fighter 1/ Fey bladelock X. That way you would have Con saves, armor and weapon proficiency, as well as charm and chaos spells. You could probably go chainlock for a Sprite familiar instead for some invisible battlefield chaos but that's up to you. You would be able to help the front line with medium or heavy armor and you could go mid line with your cantrips(EB, or chill touch) and spells.

[intregus]

I'd go wild magic sorc. If you want to gish a little 1 level dip in hexblaxe warlock.

My wife is playing the MToF eladrin and is a mystic taking disciplines that match her seasons and is having a blast, so if UA is allowed that's also an option. And if you want gish take a 1 level dip in fighter

[McSkrag]

Looking at your party I think you could really benefit from a solid tank to anchor your front line.

Maybe start as an Ancients Paladin then add a few levels of Fey Bladelock or Wild Magic Sorcerer.

Mechanically it's very strong and hopefully works for your concept and RP as well.

[Arkhios]

Last game my swords bard ran afoul of a group of zombies and their necromancer master and died.

I decided I wanted to try the new Eladrin race this time around because I like their shifty personalities/abilities. I’m not sure how to build it out though.

I imagine the character as some sort knight or warrior in service to one of the more powerful fey lords, and as such having many of the fey qualities. Charms, deals and bargaining, tricks, and chaos. Battlefield control and a little melee I think. Beyond that nothing is really fleshed out.

So onto the details.

Point buy, PHB+1 and starting at level 4.
Our group can get fairly large, but the core members are playing a Beast Master Ranger, a Monk/Cleric, and a Wild Magic Sorcerer. The ranger largely stays back so something else at the front/mid line probably wouldn’t hurt.

I’m just not sure how to capture the above traits best and help the party out. Oath of the Ancients Paladin game to mind early on, but lacks the charms and chaos I was looking for without multiclassing.

The bolded part suggests heavily towards a bard, imho. Valor Bard more specifically seems appropriate. I noticed that you played a bard, but with those parameters, it just seems like the best bet.

Alternatively, a Plade Pact Feylock could work as well. You'd just have to either invest feats for armor or have very high dexterity and use the invocation for a semi-permanent mage armor.

PS. Guys, OP didn't want to multiclass. Would it be too much to respect one's wishes for change?

[CeriPendragon]

The bolded part suggests heavily towards a bard, imho. Valor Bard more specifically seems appropriate. I noticed that you played a bard, but with those parameters, it just seems like the best bet.

Alternatively, a Plade Pact Feylock could work as well. You'd just have to either invest feats for armor or have very high dexterity and use the invocation for a semi-permanent mage armor.

PS. Guys, OP didn't want to multiclass. Would it be too much to respect one's wishes for change?

Valor bard came to mind early on as well, but like you said I’ve done the bard thing. Its not off the table, but I’d like to branch out a little.

I’m also not totally against multiclassing, but I’d like something that will be online at, or shortly after, level 4. My concern with the Ancients Paladin is that it would want to go to at least 5, but preferably 7, before really branching out which would be a long time before getting the charm ans control theme’d spells.

[Arkhios]

Valor bard came to mind early on as well, but like you said I’ve done the bard thing. Its not off the table, but I’d like to branch out a little.

I’m also not totally against multiclassing, but I’d like something that will be online at, or shortly after, level 4. My concern with the Ancients Paladin is that it would want to go to at least 5, but preferably 7, before really branching out which would be a long time before getting the charm ans control theme’d spells.

What about this:
Make the paladin, and pick up Magic Initiate for bard, sorcerer, or warlock. All of them have appropriate charm-like spells, though my favorite is the bard to be honest.

Vicious Mockery has a very strong fey-wibe in it, and (iirc) Charm Person is a 1st level spell and on the bard's spell list. Go with paladin up to 7th, and then branch out for bard or warlock (fey).

[CeriPendragon]

That’s not a bad idea and one I hadn’t thought of. I’ll look into it. Thanks!

[Crgaston]

I'd agree with Fey Bladelock. And I know you said no MC, but starting with 1 level of Fighter really makes a non-Hexblade work so much better. And it makes sense from an RP perspective, too... the warrior who is selected to be a champion of the Fey.


There's an invocation in Xanathar's called Relentless Hex that gives you the ability to teleport to within 5' of your Hex target as a bonus action. It unlocks at Warlock 7 and really brings your teleport trick up a notch. Also the Phantasmal Force spell, which is on the Feylock spell list lets you play up the chaos/mental trickery bit while also giving you a spell that targets Int instead of Wis like everything else.

For a single class build, have a look at Arcane Trickster. It'd give you access to Illusion and Enchantment spells, great mobility and social skills, good ranged damage and a little extra survivability in melee thanks to Uncanny Dodge. You could point buy 10/16/14/14/9/12 after racials with the idea of taking Resilient Wis at 8.