Support or controller Shifter Fullcaster (need help)

[Erfar]

Hi all. I wanna play support character but never do it before.

Race: Only shifter coz character is "neko-girl"
Class: Wizard, Sorcerer or Druid. No Multiclass no UA

Level: Starting level 2 compain go up to 14 lvl

main idea: control on battlefield and buffing team-mates. Damage not necessery

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/545525016251465756/558393597872046110/Vanilla.png

[Man_Over_Game]

The obvious approach is to go Divine Soul Sorcerer. They make the best buff supporters, due to the fact that they have proficiency on Constitution saving throws (and thus, maintain Concentration very well), as well has having ways of improving their Concentration Saving Throws through class features. They also have access to the Cleric spell list, while also getting a free spell from their deity of choice. They can also Twin a Concentration spell to get double the effect while maintaining a single spell. A good example of this is Haste, which normally can only affect one creature. Another good example is Enlarge/Reduce or Shield of Faith.

The Druid of Dreams has a lot of out-of-combat support, and does a great job of keeping your team safe between fights. They have a lot of different tricks, and will basically make sure that nothing funny hits your team while they're vulnerable.
The Druid of Shephards has some group-wide buffs, but it mostly focuses around summoning animals and fey to do your fighting for you. Still, it does well as a "support" role that you're looking for, if a bit less focused than other options.

The Abjuration Wizard can *kind of* support, as they provide a shield that they can spread onto allies, but they're a Wizard first, and Wizards generally excel at blowing stuff up or creating obstacles in combat.
A Divination Wizard can also "kind of" support, as they can cast a lot of spells to scout out enemies before the party encounters them. With a good Diviner in the group, you'll always be prepared and have a plan for the next fight.

[Citan]

Hi all. I wanna play support character but never do it before.

Race: Only shifter coz character is "neko-girl"
Class: Wizard, Sorcerer or Druid. No Multiclass no UA

Level: Starting level 2 compain go up to 14 lvl

main idea: control on battlefield and buffing team-mates. Damage not necessery

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/545525016251465756/558393597872046110/Vanilla.png


The obvious approach is to go Divine Soul Sorcerer. They make the best buff supporters, due to the fact that they have proficiency on Constitution saving throws (and thus, maintain Concentration very well), as well has having ways of improving their Concentration Saving Throws through class features. They also have access to the Cleric spell list, while also getting a free spell from their deity of choice. They can also Twin a Concentration spell to get double the effect while maintaining a single spell. A good example of this is Haste, which normally can only affect one creature. Another good example is Enlarge/Reduce or Shield of Faith.

The Druid of Dreams has a lot of out-of-combat support, and does a great job of keeping your team safe between fights. They have a lot of different tricks, and will basically make sure that nothing funny hits your team while they're vulnerable.
The Druid of Shephards has some group-wide buffs, but it mostly focuses around summoning animals and fey to do your fighting for you. Still, it does well as a "support" role that you're looking for, if a bit less focused than other options.

The Abjuration Wizard can *kind of* support, as they provide a shield that they can spread onto allies, but they're a Wizard first, and Wizards generally excel at blowing stuff up or creating obstacles in combat.
A Divination Wizard can also "kind of" support, as they can cast a lot of spells to scout out enemies before the party encounters them. With a good Diviner in the group, you'll always be prepared and have a plan for the next fight.
I'll have to disagree on the fact "Divine Soul Sorcerer" would be the "obvious" way to go.

I agree that Divine Soul Sorcerer can be a great buffer, for those reasons you stated plus the metamagic options.

I'd argue though that Shepherd Druid can be even better far and beyond depending on two things primarily: party size and party style.

In a medium/big party, chances are allies overall have all the big important spells available, so you can focus on a few specific spells and one or two roles without problem.

In a smaller party, Shepherd Druid is by far the way to go imo for the following reasons.
1. Best out-of-combat healing with Healing Spirit: I love DSS's Extended Aid, but it's admitedly not something really useful before at least level 7 as far as "preventive heal" goes (of course, it's still a good mid-step between Healing Words, twin Healing Words and Mass Healing Words).
Healing Spirit is equally useful in and outside combat.

2. Best in-combat sustainable buff: Druid's Spirit is exceptionally useful: in a melee-heavy party, it makes them extremely reliable in Shoving and Grappling, even those without special features to help it like Barb (Rage) or Rogue (Expertise). The extra THP scaling with Druid level is not a small feat either at low level. Conversely, Unicorn Spirit, when correctly placed, allows you "mass Healing Words" for just one 1st level slot. And it scales with Druid level. Additionally, it helps much dealing with invisible creatures.
AND Conjure Animals to offset a dire action economy balance or create original tactics.

3. Totally and definitely best utility: Pass Without Trace at low level to completely trivialize infiltration or avoid encounters, Speak with Animals to get informations, Enhance Ability (which certainly DSS can get too), Daylight, Water Breathing etc...
AND Conjure Animals for loot carry, travel, scout, etc...

4. Great array of control spells: Druid has many ways to block view or movement, or both.
The only drawback is that in a very melee-heavy party, coordination is required to avoid actually bothering allies and enemies equally. At least until you get Plant Growth. :)
On that note, Sorcerer also has many great spells, some of which have the added bonus of being friendly to allies (like Slow). Also, depending on DM ruling on Careful, Sorcerer in that specific role may end better.

And... Druid can change spells every day. While Sorcerer can only swap one spell known every level up. Also, magic economy is much harder on Sorcerer especially if you want to use expensive metamagics like Twin.
Druid lacks sustainable no-cost offense but Thorns Whip is still useful to provide additional control.
And he has many spells that are easy to use while hiding (either normal or WS) like Heat Metal or Call Lightning or Conjure Animals) so concentration can be sustained without too much trouble with a bit of wits and luck, then you can pick Resilient.

-> I'd recommend Sorcerer if all conditions are met: party is 5+ and Careful works as original RAW AND OP is fine playing with a handful spells (aka being a "focused caster".
Otherwise, I'll definitely vote for Shepherd Druid.

[Meichrob7]

As nice as most buffing spells are, supporting in DnD is often a lot more effective if you focus on debuffing the enemy. In combat the wizard spell list has a plethora of ways to restrain, slow, and stun enemies.

Additionally wizards get the superior version of ritual caster meaning they can use any of their ritual spells as a ritual even if the spell isnt prepared. This makes them super good out of combat with tons of utility spells that you can basically do at will, anything from summoning illusionary horses to 8 hour force fields to abusing the rules text of magic mouth and setting up advanced sensors and warning signals.

Since you're going to 14th level then I think wizard is even more obvious as wizards gain access to some of the most broken **** as time goes on. Clone and Simulacrum are both campaign altering spells and prismatic wall is the single best way to tear through legendary resistances, potentially forcing the enemy to make up to 17 saves in a single round.

Also if we're talking thematics here, find familiar is the best way to get a magical cat buddy who's eyes you can see through. Druids are a bit nature heavy and are kinda loaded RP wise so might detract from the concept of the illustration you'd used. Clerics and Divine soul sorcs are similarly weighted due to their faith aspect. Tbh thats usually a good thing because it can add some dimension to flat characters, but it you've got a concept with some strongish personality or a specific mental image in mind, needing to conform to the kinda default attitudes or practices of those three classes/sublcasses can kinda detract from your main idea.

Im not going to go through the specifics here but read through Treatmonk's guide to wizards. Its the 5e Wizard's bible and the author is a firm believer that a what a wizard does best is controlling the battlefield and that the wizard is the best class at that.

A lot of the Wizard's class features are somewhat hidden. Their subclasses aren't too important because they get so much just from their spell list and the superior ritual casting. However if I had to suggest one wizard subclass in particular I'd probably have to reccomend the XGtE war caster. A lot of the time you'll be holding concentration on some sort of restraining or debuffing effect and firing off cantrips anyways so the negatives from arcane deflection aren't too harsh. tactical wit giving you +int to your initiative would be great for any wizard playstyle but since you want to support your usefulness is kinda dependent on your allies and enemies taking their turns after yours so your side gets to benefit from your spells on their turn. Power surge is honestly a fun ability that encourages you to counterspell and dispel magic more often (Pro tip, you can counterspell the enemy's counterspells!) Durable magic is amazing because again so many of your spells need to be held onto with concentration since you arent just tossing out fireball and disintegrate every round.

I feel like I'm pushing this really hard but wizards are probably tied with artificer for my favorite class because they're so versatile and have interesting ways of progressing as a character besides killing things for exp.

[Citan]

As nice as most buffing spells are, supporting in DnD is often a lot more effective if you focus on debuffing the enemy. In combat the wizard spell list has a plethora of ways to restrain, slow, and stun enemies.

Additionally wizards get the superior version of ritual caster meaning they can use any of their ritual spells as a ritual even if the spell isnt prepared. This makes them super good out of combat with tons of utility spells that you can basically do at will, anything from summoning illusionary horses to 8 hour force fields to abusing the rules text of magic mouth and setting up advanced sensors and warning signals.

Since you're going to 14th level then I think wizard is even more obvious as wizards gain access to some of the most broken **** as time goes on. Clone and Simulacrum are both campaign altering spells and prismatic wall is the single best way to tear through legendary resistances, potentially forcing the enemy to make up to 17 saves in a single round.

Also if we're talking thematics here, find familiar is the best way to get a magical cat buddy who's eyes you can see through. Druids are a bit nature heavy and are kinda loaded RP wise so might detract from the concept of the illustration you'd used. Clerics and Divine soul sorcs are similarly weighted due to their faith aspect. Tbh thats usually a good thing because it can add some dimension to flat characters, but it you've got a concept with some strongish personality or a specific mental image in mind, needing to conform to the kinda default attitudes or practices of those three classes/sublcasses can kinda detract from your main idea.

Im not going to go through the specifics here but read through Treatmonk's guide to wizards. Its the 5e Wizard's bible and the author is a firm believer that a what a wizard does best is controlling the battlefield and that the wizard is the best class at that.

A lot of the Wizard's class features are somewhat hidden. Their subclasses aren't too important because they get so much just from their spell list and the superior ritual casting. However if I had to suggest one wizard subclass in particular I'd probably have to reccomend the XGtE war caster. A lot of the time you'll be holding concentration on some sort of restraining or debuffing effect and firing off cantrips anyways so the negatives from arcane deflection aren't too harsh. tactical wit giving you +int to your initiative would be great for any wizard playstyle but since you want to support your usefulness is kinda dependent on your allies and enemies taking their turns after yours so your side gets to benefit from your spells on their turn. Power surge is honestly a fun ability that encourages you to counterspell and dispel magic more often (Pro tip, you can counterspell the enemy's counterspells!) Durable magic is amazing because again so many of your spells need to be held onto with concentration since you arent just tossing out fireball and disintegrate every round.

I feel like I'm pushing this really hard but wizards are probably tied with artificer for my favorite class because they're so versatile and have interesting ways of progressing as a character besides killing things for exp.
Counterpoint on the bolded part: many of those Wizard spells require a save. Part of what make Druid's spell good is that they actually don't: Spike Growth, Plant Growth, Wind Wall, Sleet Storm all produce effects without requiring any save, even if some also require saves for additional effects.
Conjure Animals can in a similar way be used as a mean of traveling fast for the whole group (harder with Phantom Steed unless Enlarge/Reduce/Polymorph shenanigans which all use slots as well) or as a way to reduce enemy advancement.

That's also partly why Wizards get 2 spells learned every level: so you can try and have enough variety in attribute targeting and kind of effect to have a decent chance at having the right spell for current situation. But you at least need to learn them.

Counterpoint on the italic part: Wizard still needs to learn those spells: if DM is not giving extra spells as loot/merchandises, Wizard has to "sacrifice" some "learning slots" on them.
And if DM is giving extra spells easily, then anybody can easily pick Ritual Caster: Wizard, including OP playing as a Druid (with added effect of having some rituals "guaranteed" since some rituals are shared between both spell lists).

Finally, as a light counterpoint to argument about Clone and Simulacrum: these are certainly campaign-altering, but those are also 8th and 7th level respectively. First, this is a very far-end goal. OP should be sure he'll reach those levels and actually like to play with those.
When Wizard gets Simulacrum, a Druid of same level has been able to lift (mechanically and figuratively) all party away and above obstacles and challenges as needed with Wind Walk or Transport via Plants.
Of course, 6th level+ spell list is much more appealing on Wizard side, simply because choice is much larger, no argue on that. My point was simply "Druid still gets enough interesting spells at those level for a support character, as well as being a great support from the get go notably thanks to interchangeability and famous spells like Pass Without Trace, Healing Spirit, Enhance Ability or Conjure Animals".

[Erfar]

So most "utility-useful" is Divine Soul Sorc with Ritual casting: Wizard?
Party is:
Rogue, Cleric, Bard, Barbarian and Paladin

[Meichrob7]

Counterpoint on the bolded part: many of those Wizard spells require a save. Part of what make Druid's spell good is that they actually don't: Spike Growth, Plant Growth, Wind Wall, Sleet Storm all produce effects without requiring any save, even if some also require saves for additional effects.
Conjure Animals can in a similar way be used as a mean of traveling fast for the whole group (harder with Phantom Steed unless Enlarge/Reduce/Polymorph shenanigans which all use slots as well) or as a way to reduce enemy advancement.

That's also partly why Wizards get 2 spells learned every level: so you can try and have enough variety in attribute targeting and kind of effect to have a decent chance at having the right spell for current situation. But you at least need to learn them.

Counterpoint on the italic part: Wizard still needs to learn those spells: if DM is not giving extra spells as loot/merchandises, Wizard has to "sacrifice" some "learning slots" on them.
And if DM is giving extra spells easily, then anybody can easily pick Ritual Caster: Wizard, including OP playing as a Druid (with added effect of having some rituals "guaranteed" since some rituals are shared between both spell lists).

Finally, as a light counterpoint to argument about Clone and Simulacrum: these are certainly campaign-altering, but those are also 8th and 7th level respectively. First, this is a very far-end goal. OP should be sure he'll reach those levels and actually like to play with those.
When Wizard gets Simulacrum, a Druid of same level has been able to lift (mechanically and figuratively) all party away and above obstacles and challenges as needed with Wind Walk or Transport via Plants.
Of course, 6th level+ spell list is much more appealing on Wizard side, simply because choice is much larger, no argue on that. My point was simply "Druid still gets enough interesting spells at those level for a support character, as well as being a great support from the get go notably thanks to interchangeability and famous spells like Pass Without Trace, Healing Spirit, Enhance Ability or Conjure Animals".

I won’t deny that there are ways that a Druid’s supporting is better than a wizards but a lot of those effects are really soft Forman of crontrol. Things the enemies can get around to choose to take a little damage rather to get through. While wizard spells can be unreliable because they’ve don’t always stick a lot of Druid spells are unreliable because even if they go off the monster can usually take some damage or move slower to just ingnore whatever the Druid does.

A lot of the support that a wizard has also applies to out of combat situations a lot more than other classes do. Floating disk for carry weights, dispel magic for like everything, identify for magic items.

Maybe I’m biased against druids mechanically because I don’t think they orally for with the mental image I had when OP kinda describes their concept. And I very well could be projecting my own ideas here as a fan of the wizard class.