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Coeus
2019-05-19, 05:26 PM
So I am relatively new to D&D, only having started about a year ago. I found a group that plays regularly and am having a blast. We've done some short mini-campaigns and are now in a longer campaign. The party has recently hit level 10, but unfortunately, my character died in the last game. I am rolling up a new character, and since I don't have to start him at level 1 this time, thought I would try my hand at multiclassing. I just want to make sure I don't do anything colossally stupid that would ruin the character.

I've mostly played casters (Wizard, cleric, Warlock), so want to try my hand at a more melee oriented character. Here's what I was thinking:

Character concept is a Half Orc who took up a life of adventuring as a fighter. While fighting, he got plane shifted and stranded, separated from his group. He had to make his own way back, and in the process of travelling planes, becomes a Horizon Walker. Now he just wants to make it back to the material plane and find his friends. Ran this by DM, and he said he will likely intro the character to the group as having just stumbled through a portal and back on the material plane for the first time since being shifted. Still a lot of backstory to hammer out, but that's the outline.

Mechanically, it would be a Half Orc, Champion 3/Horizon Walker 7. Already rolled for stats and got 16, 15, 13, 13, 9, 7. I would go Str highest, then Con, then Dex/Wis. Cha as a dump stat. First 3 levels as a fighter for the armor/weapon proficiencies. Plan on wearing heavy armor and wielding a great axe. I would take Great Weapon fighting style for the fighter, and Defense fighting style for the Ranger. At Ranger level 4, take Great Weapon Master, then use future ASIs to max Str and Con.

I know a Str based ranger with a great weapon is a bit unusual, so thought I would ask some advice. While I am not looking for 100% optimization, is this at least a playable character? Any huge obvious mistakes I am making with this setup? The rest of the group is a Wiz, druid, pally, and rogue (and my warlock that died). Any advice is much appreciated!

djreynolds
2019-05-19, 10:50 PM
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?588347-Bandit-Ranger-Switch-Hitter

Look at this guys thread.

There is no reason not to use a greatsword and longbow, and GWM and SS.

IMO, I would grab hunter and take horde breaker. GWM and horder breaker is awesome. And I may take battlemaster

Malbrack
2019-05-19, 11:42 PM
Character concept is a Half Orc who took up a life of adventuring as a fighter. While fighting, he got plane shifted and stranded, separated from his group. He had to make his own way back, and in the process of travelling planes, becomes a Horizon Walker. Now he just wants to make it back to the material plane and find his friends. Ran this by DM, and he said he will likely intro the character to the group as having just stumbled through a portal and back on the material plane for the first time since being shifted. Still a lot of backstory to hammer out, but that's the outline.

Mechanically, it would be a Half Orc, Champion 3/Horizon Walker 7. Already rolled for stats and got 16, 15, 13, 13, 9, 7. I would go Str highest, then Con, then Dex/Wis. Cha as a dump stat. First 3 levels as a fighter for the armor/weapon proficiencies. Plan on wearing heavy armor and wielding a great axe. I would take Great Weapon fighting style for the fighter, and Defense fighting style for the Ranger. At Ranger level 4, take Great Weapon Master, then use future ASIs to max Str and Con.

I know a Str based ranger with a great weapon is a bit unusual, so thought I would ask some advice. While I am not looking for 100% optimization, is this at least a playable character? Any huge obvious mistakes I am making with this setup? The rest of the group is a Wiz, druid, pally, and rogue (and my warlock that died). Any advice is much appreciated!

Should be fine. I prefer Battle Master over Champion though personally. Precision Attack can help you land your attacks with GWM when you need to.

Also, if you're not sold on Greataxe for concept reasons, you might consider a Greatsword or Maul instead for more damage. With Great Weapon Fighting style, you can reroll both d6s of the 2d6.

Coeus
2019-05-20, 12:20 AM
Should be fine. I prefer Battle Master over Champion though personally. Precision Attack can help you land your attacks with GWM when you need to.

Also, if you're not sold on Greataxe for concept reasons, you might consider a Greatsword or Maul instead for more damage. With Great Weapon Fighting style, you can reroll both d6s of the 2d6.

The idea with the Greataxe was to maximize the half orcs savage attack (extra die on a crit), especially since champion allows a crit on 19 and 20. But you're right, BM and Greatsword would be more consistent damage.

Also, forgot to mention spells. I was thinking Hunters Mark, Absorb Elements, Zephyr Strike, Healing Spirit, and Pass without Trace.

CTurbo
2019-05-20, 08:17 AM
I agree with GWM Fighter?Hunter Ranger with Horde Breaker. Gloom Stalker is also strong. Champion isn't that bad honestly, but yeah BattleMaster is better. I just don't like Horizon Walker at all.

Nhorianscum
2019-05-20, 08:49 AM
If horizon walker is the concept you want this seems decent enough build wise. GWM ranger works just fine.

You will feel a bit behind-the-curve in the 11-13 stretch when fighters are getting 3rd attack and rangers are getting 4th level spells but at 16 you'll stabilize.

Keravath
2019-05-20, 09:10 AM
Although it doesn't fit with the planeswalking storyline, a half-orc barbarian 7/champion fighter 3 with GWM is probably better at melee. Other than that, if optimization isn't an issue, then you just need to make sure you have at least 13 in str, dex and wisdom to meet the multiclass stat requirements.

Another option would be a dex based wood-elf 3 fighter/ 7 horizon walker ranger. They would be good at both melee and ranged using dex and slightly less MAD.

However, from the sounds of it you have a cool story already created with a half-orc and pretty much ANY character is playable in 5e so I wouldn't worry about that too much unless the folks you are playing with ARE optimized in which case you might not feel like you are contributing as much as you would like.