T.G. Oskar
2018-09-12, 03:49 AM
So, in case you haven't noticed, Dragonmarks got a revamp (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/dragonmarks). No longer they're feats taken at 1st level, but now count as variant races/subraces. Humans count their Dragonmarks as if variant humans (no skills or feats, two of your ability scores are pre-chosen, but you get Dragonmark racial features), Half-Elves and Half-Orcs replace some of their racial features, and Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes and Halflings count their Dragonmarks as subraces.
Without delving too much into the specifics, the Mark of Sentinel changed a bit. It gets three features, which include spending your Intuition die (long story short: when making an ability check or similar roll, you add a d4 to the result) on Initiative checks (!!!) and Perception checks (nice!), Blade Ward as cantrip and Shield 1/short rest using Wis as your casting stat, and the ability to choose an ally as a ward, which gives two options (advantage on Insight and Perception checks to watch for threats, and you can switch spots with your ally if it's within 5 ft. as a reaction). The mark changed to allow for a bodyguard character.
At 8th level, you can choose the Greater Dragonmark feat, which gives you a +1 to an ability score and gives you access to two more spells. Normally, they're gained 1/long rest, but the Mark of Sentinel happens to recover theirs as a short rest, just like their first acquired spell. The spells happen to be Compelled Duel (the only spell that requires you to have a high Wis) and...Warding Bond.
Now, you all know how much I praise this spell, and how I insist that it had to be part of the Paladin spell list. You probably also know that I like the concept of Damage Redirection, where you take damage for your allies and, one way or another, return it to your enemies. Oath of the Crown allows for such shenanigans, giving you Warding Bond (and Compelled Duel as well) and a short-range damage swap effect, making it one of my favorite Oaths.
Oath of Redemption also does something similar, giving you the ability to take damage for one ally using your reaction, returning damage to an enemy as a reaction using your Channel Divinity, and eventually halving all damage and returning that to the enemy as long as you don't attack it. Might not be your cup of tea, but in my case, it's all I wanted to...except the spell list lacks Warding Bond. If I were to find a way to get the spell, it'd be perfect, no?
You're probably tying the knot right now. Dragonmarked Human (Mark of Sentinel), Paladin, Oath of Redemption, and getting the Greater Dragonmarked feat at 8th level. Since Warding Bond recharges every short rest, and it has a long duration (8 hours), it's perfect for my needs. But there's more. Notice how the Dragonmarked feature that lets you set someone as a ward lets you swap spaces? Keep your ally close, spend your reaction, take damage for your ally, halve that damage, and return that halved damage to the enemy. It's pretty obvious THIS is what I've always wanted to.
There's many other benefits to it, such as having Blade Ward as a cantrip (it provides an Oath of Redemption Paladin with a strong means of surviving physical attacks by imposing disadvantage), adding a d4 to your Initiative checks (meaning you probably go faster), Stoneskin as a spell, and so on.
So, what do you think about a character like this? Sure, it's not a heavy hitter, and the tenets can be a bit annoying, but I'd definitely consider it the ultimate tank, particularly if you apply more feats to it (and if all books are open).
Start with Str 16, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 14. Racial Ability Score Increases to Strength, Wisdom and Constitution.
Choose Tunnel Fighter (UA) as Fighting Style. Make Opportunity Attacks without spending reactions, or spend your reaction to strike a moving target.
Choose Sentinel at 4th level, Greater Dragonmark at 8th. Now, your enemies can't escape when you use Tunnel Fighter OAs, and you can spend your reaction to attack an enemy that attacks an ally, which is pretty thematic for a technical pacifist who fights in defense of its allies. YMMV if you want Shield Master at 12th level. Spend your remaining ASIs in either Con, Cha or Str, in order of importance.
Choose Oath of Redemption (obviously).
Double-dip on Compelled Duel as a prepared spell, choose support spells like Bless, Shield of Faith, Aura of Vitality, etc.
You get a ton of ways to ruin just about anything (melee attacks, ranged attacks, spells, special attacks) when chosen carefully, and you get enough ways to mitigate damage (Blade Ward, capstone, Protective Spirit). The main weakness of this build is just how many things rely on reactions (Vigilant Guardian's swap, Rebuke the Violent CD to return damage, Aura of the Guardian Oath feature to take damage for an ally at a distance, Tunnel Fighter pseudo-OA, Sentinel feat counter, Counterspell from your Oath spells) while being limited only to one.
Without delving too much into the specifics, the Mark of Sentinel changed a bit. It gets three features, which include spending your Intuition die (long story short: when making an ability check or similar roll, you add a d4 to the result) on Initiative checks (!!!) and Perception checks (nice!), Blade Ward as cantrip and Shield 1/short rest using Wis as your casting stat, and the ability to choose an ally as a ward, which gives two options (advantage on Insight and Perception checks to watch for threats, and you can switch spots with your ally if it's within 5 ft. as a reaction). The mark changed to allow for a bodyguard character.
At 8th level, you can choose the Greater Dragonmark feat, which gives you a +1 to an ability score and gives you access to two more spells. Normally, they're gained 1/long rest, but the Mark of Sentinel happens to recover theirs as a short rest, just like their first acquired spell. The spells happen to be Compelled Duel (the only spell that requires you to have a high Wis) and...Warding Bond.
Now, you all know how much I praise this spell, and how I insist that it had to be part of the Paladin spell list. You probably also know that I like the concept of Damage Redirection, where you take damage for your allies and, one way or another, return it to your enemies. Oath of the Crown allows for such shenanigans, giving you Warding Bond (and Compelled Duel as well) and a short-range damage swap effect, making it one of my favorite Oaths.
Oath of Redemption also does something similar, giving you the ability to take damage for one ally using your reaction, returning damage to an enemy as a reaction using your Channel Divinity, and eventually halving all damage and returning that to the enemy as long as you don't attack it. Might not be your cup of tea, but in my case, it's all I wanted to...except the spell list lacks Warding Bond. If I were to find a way to get the spell, it'd be perfect, no?
You're probably tying the knot right now. Dragonmarked Human (Mark of Sentinel), Paladin, Oath of Redemption, and getting the Greater Dragonmarked feat at 8th level. Since Warding Bond recharges every short rest, and it has a long duration (8 hours), it's perfect for my needs. But there's more. Notice how the Dragonmarked feature that lets you set someone as a ward lets you swap spaces? Keep your ally close, spend your reaction, take damage for your ally, halve that damage, and return that halved damage to the enemy. It's pretty obvious THIS is what I've always wanted to.
There's many other benefits to it, such as having Blade Ward as a cantrip (it provides an Oath of Redemption Paladin with a strong means of surviving physical attacks by imposing disadvantage), adding a d4 to your Initiative checks (meaning you probably go faster), Stoneskin as a spell, and so on.
So, what do you think about a character like this? Sure, it's not a heavy hitter, and the tenets can be a bit annoying, but I'd definitely consider it the ultimate tank, particularly if you apply more feats to it (and if all books are open).
Start with Str 16, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 14. Racial Ability Score Increases to Strength, Wisdom and Constitution.
Choose Tunnel Fighter (UA) as Fighting Style. Make Opportunity Attacks without spending reactions, or spend your reaction to strike a moving target.
Choose Sentinel at 4th level, Greater Dragonmark at 8th. Now, your enemies can't escape when you use Tunnel Fighter OAs, and you can spend your reaction to attack an enemy that attacks an ally, which is pretty thematic for a technical pacifist who fights in defense of its allies. YMMV if you want Shield Master at 12th level. Spend your remaining ASIs in either Con, Cha or Str, in order of importance.
Choose Oath of Redemption (obviously).
Double-dip on Compelled Duel as a prepared spell, choose support spells like Bless, Shield of Faith, Aura of Vitality, etc.
You get a ton of ways to ruin just about anything (melee attacks, ranged attacks, spells, special attacks) when chosen carefully, and you get enough ways to mitigate damage (Blade Ward, capstone, Protective Spirit). The main weakness of this build is just how many things rely on reactions (Vigilant Guardian's swap, Rebuke the Violent CD to return damage, Aura of the Guardian Oath feature to take damage for an ally at a distance, Tunnel Fighter pseudo-OA, Sentinel feat counter, Counterspell from your Oath spells) while being limited only to one.