Build Question: Amon from the Legend of Korra

[RedMalkav]

Trying to build an Anticaster that borrows heavily from Amon from the Legend of Korra. A fast, unarmed character, who is either Actually non-magical, or who can Pretend to be. How would this be done using fifth edition rules, assuming standard array or point buy?

[Contrast]

Be a monk?

You could take the mage slayer feat as well but I'd prioritise dex and wis. Landing stunning strikes and hits is usually the best way of disabling anyone, casters included.

[Quoz]

Second that monk is a basis for this build. Shadow monk gets the best touches, as silence will stop all verbal components (which is nearly all spells) and darkness will block line of sight, preventing another huge chunk of spells.

Bard also presents an interesting option. Skill monkey, amazing face potential, adds grappling with expertise to silence or darkness as listed above, and gets access to dispell magic (and counterspell with secrets)

Conquest paladin and their fear based lockdown abilities could also fit the bill.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I mean, all of the benders and several of the non-benders in AtlA and LoK are clearly monks. The Way of Shadow does look like a good fit for Amon, so it seems like an open-and-shut case.

Personally, I'd be more interested in how you'd represent Ty Lee and the chi-blockers in 5e. Would they need a new monastic tradition? Features that allow you to attack the enemy's ki points might be useful in the context of an all-monk campaign...

[RedMalkav]

I mean, all of the benders and several of the non-benders in AtlA and LoK are clearly monks. The Way of Shadow does look like a good fit for Amon, so it seems like an open-and-shut case.

Personally, I'd be more interested in how you'd represent Ty Lee and the chi-blockers in 5e. Would they need a new monastic tradition? Features that allow you to attack the enemy's ki points might be useful in the context of an all-monk campaign...

See, that's another good question. I was hoping there was a more... Direct way to shut down casting than I knew of. A feat, or a spell that would directly disable casting somehow. I would think Ki Points and an attack roll to Force a concentration check on any spell attempt or something similar?

[Contrast]

See, that's another good question. I was hoping there was a more... Direct way to shut down casting than I knew of. A feat, or a spell that would directly disable casting somehow. I would think Ki Points and an attack roll to Force a concentration check on any spell attempt or something similar?

A Ki point to force a con save or be unable to act? Yes if only monks had access to such a thing :smalltongue:

In all seriousness, shutting down a caster fully isn't really a thing for the same reason they didn't make it so sneak attack doesn't work on loads of enemies - losing is fine but not getting to participate is rubbish.

A shadow monk with Darkness and Silence does a very good job though.

[MagneticKitty]

Hold person might be worth looking at too. Vengeance paladin gets that one. Warlock might have a build that fits.. shutting down with darkness and dispel magic (I think they get?). Could go hex blade blade lock and ask your dm if you can use unarmed as a blade pact weapon somehow....

Monk is probably best. You could go shadow monk and spores druid (just high enough to grab hold person). This way you can burn wild shape for more damage instead of shape shifting. Could also grab water spells from druid. Because water bender.

If you want to be secret about your spells, I would say sorcerer. In fact, sorcerer paladin would be an ok fit. With subtle hold person and other spells, smite to defeat people.. Only thing missing is unarmed. Maybe reflavor a race with natural armor and weapons. Take lizardfolk and flavor the Bite to punches. This does mean you need high str for unarmed and high dex for ac though...

sorc x / hexblade bladelock Warlock 5 (if your dm let's you use your fist as hexblade..)
Warlock for multi attack and utility, sorc for subtle casting.... it is kinda hard to replicate outside monk. XD

Role play wise he seems charisma focused (he convinces a lot of people of his cause)

I hesitate to suggest mystic with its possible balance issues and playtest status.. And difficulty to adjust to.. But you can make almost anything with mystic. I suggest soul blade (reflavor as just fists). And mystic doesn't show components outwardly. So built in subtle

[Xihirli]

If you want his secret waterbending that kinda forces you to either go Water Genasi or 4E monk if you're picking monk.

[RickAllison]

If you want his secret waterbending that kinda forces you to either go Water Genasi or 4E monk if you're picking monk.

Or Magic Initiate: Control Water :smallbiggrin:

[RedMalkav]

I'm not so much after his Secret Waterbending in specific. I'd be just as happy with Secret Magic, or even without secret abilities at all. I Love the intimidating, hyper-agile style he uses, which a Monk can do just by being a monk, (the fact that he's secretly augmenting himself with waterbending training not withstanding,) and I've always been fascinated with anti-casters. (Bad experiences from Second Edition wizards.) If that makes sense?

[RedMalkav]

A Ki point to force a con save or be unable to act? Yes if only monks had access to such a thing :smalltongue:

In all seriousness, shutting down a caster fully isn't really a thing for the same reason they didn't make it so sneak attack doesn't work on loads of enemies - losing is fine but not getting to participate is rubbish.

A shadow monk with Darkness and Silence does a very good job though.
I'm sorry, on twenty three hours of wakefulness. I'm not understanding what this one means?

Of course, I understand that, without question, I'm not out to ruin anyone's night, (Aside from maybe the DM's. Unless I'd be tapped to play the villain which has happened before,) Just trying to build a favourite character.

[Damon_Tor]

It seems like "taking away someone's bending" permanently would be an application of "Bestow Curse" though it seems to me that shutting down all spellcasting entirely would be a violation of the "it should be no more powerful than those described above" clause of the spell. And of course for a permanent affliction it would need to be cast at 9th level, so massively lategame.

I had a Judge Dredd inspired vengeance paladin who would cut out the tongues and remove the fingers of spellcasters instead of killing them. There's high level magic that can fix that of course, but the same can be said for anything. As a DM, I would allow a high level "waterbender" to perform Amon-style "bloodbending" on an incapacitated creature, but it would be an alternate victory thing, something done instead of arrest or execution, not a tactic used in combat.

[Contrast]

I'm sorry, on twenty three hours of wakefulness. I'm not understanding what this one means?

Of course, I understand that, without question, I'm not out to ruin anyone's night, (Aside from maybe the DM's. Unless I'd be tapped to play the villain which has happened before,) Just trying to build a favourite character.

Not sure which bit wasn't making sense so apologies if I'm explaining anything obvious :smallsmile:

At 5th level monks get an ability called stunning strike. It allows them to spend a Ki point when they hit an opponent to cause them to make a con save or be stunned until the end of your next turn. Being stunned does a number of things, one of which is preventing you taking actions which shuts down casters (along with everyone else).

That is strictly superior to being able to spend a Ki point to make them take a con save to turn off casting. If you also want to be able to make opportunity attacks when they cast, Mage Slayer does that (though with the noted weakness that the attack triggers after the spell was cast, not before).

As I said, personally I'd prioritise other feats/stats over that but if you want a dedicated anti-caster theme a variant human with Mage Slayer as a starter feat is perfectly respectable.

Many spells require line of sight so darkness if often a good way to shut down spells. Many spells require verbal components so silence is often a good way to shut down spells.

Given the criteria you laid out (mobile, ability to shut/lock down, unarmed) I think a full class monk focusing on dex and wisdom is the way to go. I'd probably suggest Open Hand depending on your strength of preference for not using more obviously magical abilities like teleporting and what not. It does exactly what you want in the way you want to do it as much as any build in 5E can. Really no need for complicated builds or multicasting.

If you're looking for a build that just shuts down casters point blank, there isn't really such a thing.

[VonDragon]

DM'guild has a book that might have what you want, Incarnate:Last of the Lacers (names changed to avoid copyright) its a pay what you want product