Ranged Tripper

[Chalkarts]

I had a 3.5 Fighter build using spiked chain as a reach weapon with combat reflexes to trip anything that tried to move.

I'd like to rebuild this for 5e but the spiked chain lost its reach leaving the only reach weapons to be polearms and the whip.

I'm leaning towards whip.

Could this be effective again in 5e with the whip as the weapon? I'd be crap for damage but still have reach and trip. Would I just have to stand back and give everyone else opportunity attacks whenever possible? I'm ok with going full control but will miss the damage output.

[stoutstien]

I had a 3.5 Fighter build using spiked chain as a reach weapon with combat reflexes to trip anything that tried to move.

I'd like to rebuild this for 5e but the spiked chain lost its reach leaving the only reach weapons to be polearms and the whip.

I'm leaning towards whip.

Could this be effective again in 5e with the whip as the weapon? I'd be crap for damage but still have reach and trip. Would I just have to stand back and give everyone else opportunity attacks whenever possible? I'm ok with going full control but will miss the damage output.

bugbear. Cheesy but works for what you are looking for

[Zhorn]

I'd be crap for damageIt wouldn't be bad damage, just not "the best". Assuming Dueling Fighting Style, maxed ability modifier, and d12 Superiority Dice for maneuvers; even that humble whip is going to lay out a respectable wallop.

[BruceLeeroy]

Bugbear Fighter X/ Rogue 2. Expertise in Athletics, cunning action for mobility, sneak attack prone opponents, maneuvers for extra damage, action surging, etc. Be able to trip multiple enemies, still do damage, and reposition ( or use two whips for a bonus action attack). If your party is built to take advantage of it, could be effective. Be sure to use nets, too.
With a whip in one hand and net in the other, you can attack, trip (maneuver) and then net them as a bonus action. It's not foolproof, but it's cheap battlefield control. They have to spend their action to get free, then half movement to stand up.

[Fable Wright]

The big problem nowadays is the rules change where creatures rising from prone no longer provoke opportunity attacks. That's the real thing that killed this build from the days of 3.5e.

On the other hand, specialized PCs are now able to out-grapple most monsters in the MM, so using one attack to Grapple and the next to Shove the enemy prone is about the only way to get the lockdown that the tripper build in 3.5e got.

That said, a Battlemaster Fighter with Polearm Master and Sentinel is close. If an enemy enters your reach, Attack of Opportunity, set their speed to 0, and laugh as they can't reach you. You can even knock them prone with Tripping Attack maneuver! Then take your full attack and back up so that they must once again move into your reach to attack you. Rinse, repeat, and even if the enemy isn't prone, they're still effectively locked down by the tactic.

Tunnel Fighter, from Unearthed Arcana, is widely believed to be cheesy as all get out because it enables infinite opportunity attacks and 100% causes Sentinel Polearm Fighter to replicate the infamous Spiked Chain Tripper of yore. See if your DM will allow it. He might, if he used to run 3.5e.

[Talionis]

I was thinking is there some way to get extra range on Open Hand Technique Monk? Wisdom to knock prone.

[JackPhoenix]

Remember that attacking prone enemies from more than 5' gives you disadvantage against them. That affect both ranged and melee attacks. Unless you want to get close afterwards (pretty much making the reach part pointless), they actually benefit from that.

OTOH, if you really want to trip at range, Trip Attack battlemaster maneuver works fine with ranged weapons. Hint: flying enemy knocked prone falls... (unless it flies by magic, of course).