Can you help me build this character?

[Fashionisdanger]

Can you help me finding the best build/mechanics to bring this character concept to life? (AL - pointbuy)

Meet Alyssa, a strong-willed and rebellious young noblewoman, who is trying to follow her mother's steps (a wizard who has gone missing many years ago) since the day she discovered a secret laboratory in her family's mansion with her mother's life-long research. Due to the fact that her father didn't want her to pursue wizardry (for the fear to lose to magic her daughter too), Alyssa had to keep up with her studies spending time at a nearby school of magic (easily achieved, due to her position of privilege) and the remaining of the time secretly experimenting by herself at home.
In order to keep her research undetected she developed a way to transcribe her whole spellbook in the form of small paintings (she is proficient with painter's supplies as part of her noble education) that she always carries with herself. Her arcane focus is an elegant hand-fan, that she keeps attached to her family's signet ring with a thin chain.
When she casts her spells, she closes the hand-fan and uses it as a wand to replicate the movement of a brush on the canvas.


Got any tips for me? I especially find this difficult because this character looks both SMART and CHARISMATIC to me.

[CTurbo]

Half-Elf Arcane Trickster/Enchantment Wizard. I chose Enchantment because it mimics charisma. I chose Arcane Trickster for skills, expertise, and sneakiness.

I don't know if you'd rather it be mostly Wizard with a few(3-5 at most) Rogue levels of the other way around. More Rogue would be more melee focused and more Wizard would be more control/utility focused.

You could start with something like 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 14 Int, 10 Wis, and 14 Cha if you want to be mostly Rogue or 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 16 Int, 8 Wis, 12 Cha if you want to be more Wizard.

[2D8HP]

...Meet Alyssa, a strong-willed and rebellious young noblewoman, who is trying to follow her mother's steps (a wizard who has gone missing many years ago) ...
...secretly experimenting by herself at home.
In order to keep her research undetected she developed a way to transcribe her whole spellbook in the form of small paintings (she is proficient with painter's supplies as part of her noble education)...

....I especially find this difficult because this character looks both SMART and CHARISMATIC to me.


In terms of rules mechanics "Alyssa" seems to be a single class Wizard with an only slightly custom Noble background (Proficiency in Painters tools instead of a gaming set) with a different than usually description of her Spell Book.

I'd have her be a standard human, variant human, or a half-elf, any of which you may put extra points into Charisma and Intelligence, and if you use the SCAG half-elf variant and get an extra cantrip, you could also start as a High Elf and get the Cantrip and Intelligence boost, but you wouldn't get the Charisma boost.

I'd start her at a 16 INT, and a 14 or 16 CHA, 8 or 10 STR, 12 or 14 DEX, and the rest into CON, or maybe WIS if you want were to be Perceptive.

Since they're my favorite classes, a 13 or more in STR and Rogue would let you multi-class into Fighter and Rogue, of the two I'd suggest Rogue, and getting Expertise I'm Persuasion (you said she was Charismatic), and whatever skill you want to boost (Perception in popular, but Investigation fits her Intelligence) - you could actually start as a Half-Elf, High-Elf, or V. Human (with the Magic Initiate Feat) if you want to start her as more skilled, but less magical.

[Fashionisdanger]

Half-Elf Arcane Trickster/Enchantment Wizard. I chose Enchantment because it mimics charisma. I chose Arcane Trickster for skills, expertise, and sneakiness.

I don't know if you'd rather it be mostly Wizard with a few(3-5 at most) Rogue levels of the other way around. More Rogue would be more melee focused and more Wizard would be more control/utility focused.

You could start with something like 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 14 Int, 10 Wis, and 14 Cha if you want to be mostly Rogue or 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 16 Int, 8 Wis, 12 Cha if you want to be more Wizard.

Do you see a proficiency in Performance relevant to this painting concept?

[Great Dragon]

I see the potential for her being a Warlock.
Being Cha focused, and learning like a Wizard (Deception Skill to constantly try and pretend to be a Wizard) means that Warlock can fit your History rather well.

Which one is mostly up to you.
Hexblade for a bit more melee.

Archfey for some Charm and Illusion spells.

Fiend for Fire Spells.

Great Old One for the ability to "talk" without speaking out loud, and a few odds spells.

Celestial for a bit of healing.

[Man_Over_Game]

It seems like you want to be Charismatic, but you also want a few skills and to have some Wizarding talent.

My suggestions:

Lore Bard with Ritual Caster. This bases the class off of Charisma, with a bunch of skills, while also having a ton of casting options from Wizard.
Illusionist Wizard, with a custom Background. Illusion makes sense, since you're so good at making artwork, so Illusions would mesh well.
Transmutation Wizard, with a custom Background. Transmutation makes sense, since you're adept at hiding things and you've learned magic from a lab.

[Vorpalchicken]

Since they're my favorite classes, a 13 or more in STR and Rogue would let you multi-class into Fighter and Rogue, of the two I'd suggest Rogue, and getting Expertise I'm Persuasion (you said she was Charismatic), and whatever skill you want to boost (Perception in popular, but Investigation fits her Intelligence) - you could actually start as a Half-Elf, High-Elf, or V. Human (with the Magic Initiate Feat) if you want to start her as more skilled, but less magical.

Keep in mind you can MC in and out of fighter with just 13 Dex (Str is not required.)

I see this as a single classed character though personally.

[Vogie]

Can you help me finding the best build/mechanics to bring this character concept to life? (AL - pointbuy)

Meet Alyssa, a strong-willed and rebellious young noblewoman, who is trying to follow her mother's steps (a wizard who has gone missing many years ago) since the day she discovered a secret laboratory in her family's mansion with her mother's life-long research. Due to the fact that her father didn't want her to pursue wizardry (for the fear to lose to magic her daughter too), Alyssa had to keep up with her studies spending time at a nearby school of magic (easily achieved, due to her position of privilege) and the remaining of the time secretly experimenting by herself at home.
In order to keep her research undetected she developed a way to transcribe her whole spellbook in the form of small paintings (she is proficient with painter's supplies as part of her noble education) that she always carries with herself. Her arcane focus is an elegant hand-fan, that she keeps attached to her family's signet ring with a thin chain.
When she casts her spells, she closes the hand-fan and uses it as a wand to replicate the movement of a brush on the canvas.

Got any tips for me? I especially find this difficult because this character looks both SMART and CHARISMATIC to me.

Assuming it's starting at level 1, I'd say you can do it with whatever combination you want - it's mostly just a fluff thus far. Is the life-long research of a certain type of magic?

One thing that would be quite interesting would be an Archfey Warlock with Pact of the Tome and the ritual caster invocation, with the archfey being refluffed as the spirit of your mother's legacy. That way you're not 100% a wizard, but you are very wizard-y. Seeker would be a better fit, but alas UA isn't AL legal. You can keep the Art motif up with things like Misty Visions, Mask of Many faces.

For 27 point buy, I'd use Str 8 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 12 Cha 14, and any race with +2 to Charisma (Aasimar, Tiefling, or Half-elf). That also opens you up for a Wizard dip later on if you want more spells and a normal spellbook down the line.

[Unoriginal]

Can you help me finding the best build/mechanics to bring this character concept to life? (AL - pointbuy)

Meet Alyssa, a strong-willed and rebellious young noblewoman, who is trying to follow her mother's steps (a wizard who has gone missing many years ago) since the day she discovered a secret laboratory in her family's mansion with her mother's life-long research. Due to the fact that her father didn't want her to pursue wizardry (for the fear to lose to magic her daughter too), Alyssa had to keep up with her studies spending time at a nearby school of magic (easily achieved, due to her position of privilege) and the remaining of the time secretly experimenting by herself at home.
In order to keep her research undetected she developed a way to transcribe her whole spellbook in the form of small paintings (she is proficient with painter's supplies as part of her noble education) that she always carries with herself. Her arcane focus is an elegant hand-fan, that she keeps attached to her family's signet ring with a thin chain.
When she casts her spells, she closes the hand-fan and uses it as a wand to replicate the movement of a brush on the canvas.


Got any tips for me? I especially find this difficult because this character looks both SMART and CHARISMATIC to me.

Background: Noble

Class: Wizard

Subclass: Illusionist maybe?

Your concept is a pretty straightforward Wizard using the alternate spellbook option from the Xanathar's. You should have enough points in a point buy to give her a decent charisma.

You could be a Variant Human and take the Prodigy feat to get real good at Deception, too.

[Bjarkmundur]

I don't see anything in your backstory that eliminates any arcane spellcaster from your List of potentials.
Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard or Warlock are all fun to play with very different take on magic.

MoG summed it up nicely

[2D8HP]

Keep in mind you can MC in and out of fighter with just 13 Dex (Str is not required.)


Thanks for the reminder!


I see this as a single classed character though personally.


That was my initial reaction as well, I jusr thought that some extra goodies might appeal.