Antimage Build help

[ivoze]

Its no secret that spellcasters dominate at higher levels in 5e. So, i wanted to make some sort of build that specializes in hunting these powerful mages that threaten to tear a hole in the fabric of space time and existence. However, it turns out that 5e really doesnt have a lot of options when it comes to antimagic. Besides straight up damage for forcing concentration saves or outright killing the mage, there are only 4 other options left. The mage slayer feat, Dispel Magic, Counterspell and Silence. Thats it, without homebrew. Now i am still fairly new to 5e so i thought i could make a post here to ask for help/opinions on how to go about making A RAW Antimage build. So, lets get started shall we?

Now, i think ive nailed down on what an Antimage build needs to have in order to be effective.

1. Mage Slayer Feat. Self explanatory

2. High Initiative. In almost all cases, casters can either outright kill you, or completely disable you in one round. Dex must not be a dump stat.

3. Access to Counterspell and Dispell Magic. Making the mage waste a spell is always good.

4. Some sort of gap closer. Mages tend to stay at the back, or they try to get away somehow when you get close.

5. Survivability. While it isnt the hardest thing to have more hp than the wizard, still keep it in mind.

6. Usability/Utility. You are build for slaying casters ,but in most cases you wont be fighting spellcasters so you should at least be useful in a fight and not be that one sided.

7. Con or Dex saves. These are the most common saves mages can throw at ya. Try to be proficient in at least one of em and/or have high stats for them

Considering all of this, there is no way of making an antimage without multiclassing. So lets narrow it down. Almost all casters get Dispell Magic, but few get Counterspell. Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks and Bards. From these i think the best option we have is the Warlock. From all the Warlocks, The Archfey is the best option we have. We get access to Faerie Fire, a gap closer and immunity to charms if we go far enough. Now, we could just pick pact of the blade and be done with it, i think we can do better than that. Plus, pact of the blade is really underwhelming compared to the other pacts imo.

THE STATS
Now, depending on which build you end up with, you will either want high STR,CON,CHA or DEX,CON,CHA. This will be addressed in the builds later in the post.

THE BUILDS

Starting off, all of these builds will have 5 levels in Feylock to get counterspell so let me adress the warlock side first. As i said we wont be picking up pact of the blade. We will be choosing pact of the tome. This gives us a lot of utility in and out of combat. One of which is the booming blade cantrip which i think will be exellent vs spellcasters, having to force a con save on the attack, on the opportunity attack AND when they move. Even if they are only DC10, with Mage Slayer those are three Concentration checks at disadvantage. Now that is beautiful. Being able to ritual cast Warlock spells is also a great plus.

Build 1: The Grunt (Fighter 1/Feylock X)
The most straight forward. Pick fighter at lvl 1, get all dem good proficiencies. Pick a shield and rapier as your weapon and leather armor(you can upgrade later for some type of medium armor if you so wish). Pick Dueling for your fighting style. Immediately after that, switch to warlock and dont look back till lvl 6. This build is the fastest at getting counterspell but thats about it. Besides the proficiencies given at lvl one and the fighting style, the only other thing you will be getting till lvl 6 is second wind. 1d10+1 really isnt that useful for healing and it gets more and more useless the higher in level you go. Also, in my opinion, fighter in general isnt a good class to invest past lvl 1 for what we are trying to do here. Action surge is overrated, the extra attacks come way too late, Indomitable is good but again way too late(in our case this would be lvl 14). In dnd the likelihood of continuing past lvl 10-14 drops drastically. Subclasses aint any better either, except Battle Master. Some maneuvers force a STR save, which casters typically suck at. But in all honesty you will either go full warlock past first level, or maybe multiclass into some third class.

Build 2: The Tank (Paladin X/Feylock X)
The beefiest of all three. Since our main lvls are gonna be Warlock, it makes a lot of sense to give the paladin a strong recommendation. Both classes use charisma, so it wont be wasted as much as the other class routes. Wrathful smite is very powerful, you get some healing for the party and honestly it fits the Dragon Age Templar vibe perfectly. One downside, we wont be able to focus on DEX for good initiative with this build since paladins are STR based. But as long as your DEX is at least a 10, you should be fine with just picking up the Alert feat somewhere along the way. So, pick paladin at lvl 1, then warlock at lvl 2. Then get another lvl in paladin to get a fighting style and paladin spellcasting for your smites. After that go back to warlock and keep leveling till you get access to counterspell. After lvl 7 you should consider finally getting a 3rd level in paladin to get a subclass. Now, we get 2 choices that can help us. Oath of Ancients and Oath of Vengeance. If you are considering to go full paladin from lvl 7 onward, i recommend Oath of Ancients, since you will eventually benefit from the magic resistance the subclass gets. If not, then i suggest picking Vengeance till you get an extra attack feature and then go back to warlock. Plus, Vow of Enmity is good to absolutely make sure you get that pesky mage before they run away. So, depending if you decided not to multiclass in some other 3rd class or something, you should be Ancients Paladin 15/Faylock 5, or Vengeance paladin 5/Faylock 15.

Build 3: The DPS (Rogue X/Faylock X)
The striker. Since we want high initiative, and the rogue uses DEX quite well, this might be a good idea to start as if you want a striker type build from your antimage. We basically want three things the rogue can give us. First is sneak attack. Rogues do damage, thats what they are made for. The more damage, the harder that Concentration check DC becomes. Either that or you know, you just kill them before that. Second is Cunning action, for the bonus action dashes since mages tend to run/misty step/blink/teleport a lot. Sure, we will have misty step but why waste the spell slot when you can just be fast and get there? Third is Evasion. The most common saving throws are CON and DEX. With evasion, DEX is literally taken care of for us. Wizard casts a 9th level fireball? Make the save with your high rogue DEX and literally take NO DAMAGE! We start with lvl 1 rogue. Dip into Warlock for one lvl then back to rogue for cunninng action. From here on i think it is best to take one more level in rogue in order to have the subclass early. Now you really only have two options. If you are planning to go full warlock after getting evasion, i recommend picking up Assassin. The most useful feature of Assassin is literally given to you the moment you get this subclass, the rest dont benefit the antimage and with this build you cant reach Death Strike. the second option is the Swashbuckler. Amazing for when fighting alone but you still want to get that sneak attack off, this will often be the case since casters tend to be waaay at the back. Plus you get to use your charisma for initiative which will almost guarantee you will go before the caster. Panache wont help you that much vs spellcasters ,but it adds far more utility than the assassin feature.

THE RACES

Race: Variant Human;
Having the Mage slayer feat from level one is really gonna drive home the antimage feel. Also two +1 gives you a lot to work with depending on how your dm decides to go with stat generation. While yes, no darkvision is a bummer, usually, it isnt a problem for us since we are warlocks. Get Devils Sight and all is well.

Race:Tiefling, Zariel
If you go wuth the paladin build, this particular Tiefling is the best option to get the most out of. Points to two stats that you need, and free smites. Also, tieflings are resistant to fire, which a huge amount of spells do fire damage. Very nice! Regular Tiefling? not so good, since the INT is completely wasted. If the bloodlines arent allowed, skip this race.

Race: Elf, Shadar-Kai/Summer Eladrin
DEX will help with initiative and Fey Ancestry can be useful(keep in mind, if you are planning on investing in Faylock more, you later become immune to charms so this feat becomes close to useless). Sleep is only common in lower levels, but charms can always be used on you. The subrace is difficult though. Two of them fit this build but not a lot of dms allow them. The summer eladrin brings a free gap closer with a damage proc for concentration. Shadar kai does the same, but gives necrotic(and later on resistance to all!)damage. If neither are allowed, skip the elf.

Race: Half Elf
The most all round powerful race in dnd 5e. We keep the Fey ancestry from the elf(again, this may or may not become fully useless later on), and stat boosts galore. If variant half elf is possible, pick drow magic for that free faerie fire against pesky invisimages. You could also pick the High Elf to get Booming blade, so you can have it at lvl 1 and pick some other cantrip when you get pact of the tome instead.

Race: Yuan-Ti
Two words. Magic Resistance. Literally perfect. You find a dm who allows yuan-ti and this build got alot better. Though, its difficult to roleplay a yuan-ti and the whole evil/selfish thing could be a turn off for some, so be prepared.

Race: Aasimar, Scourge/Protector
Perfect for the paladin route, and two resistances to boot. The healing fits thematically, and will help your allies in battle immensely. Scourge will help to force automatic con saves out of them pesky mages on top. Only downside is it does damage to yourself as well. Protector could also work for casters who can fly/know the fly spell.

Race: Tabaxi
An incredibly solid choice. Misty step has its uses, but its usually based on either you having a one time use trait or spell slots. But ridiculously fast movement? Tabaxi have that in spades. Amazing choice for the rogue route. Up to 240f of movement if needed, that mage aint running nowhere! Biggest flaw is to find someone to allow the race.

BACKGROUNDS :

Really up to you, backgrounds are really flexible. But here are two i found that i like.

-Knight of The Order
Fits the antimage/templar vibe perfectly. An easy way of getting an Arcana proficiency. You wont be good at it but it fits the roleplay side of things. With your CHA score however, persuasion can defenitely be used by you! An extra language is great to have if your party doesnt have access to comprehend languages and such. Make up a Templar order with your Dm for that extra personal touch and you are all set.

-Faction Agent
Less of a cult/religious vibe than the above background if you arent aiming for that. Can definitely still work for the antimage. While Insight wont be your strong suit, with this background you have a lot to choose from for your second pick. Also, whats better than one language? Two. Two is better, which this background gives. Again, have you and the dm make some sort of Magic Inquisition Guild and this will fit just fine

You are free to use any of these builds if they strike your fancy and i would appreciate any and all help/opinions you send my way. Thank you for your time.

[Sorinth]

Realistically someone tasked with tracking down and killing mages would probably rely heavily on stealth and ambushing the mage.

For a non-magic user face to face one, you probably want both Mage Slayer and Sentinel feats. Mage Slayer is great to prevent things like Misty Step but you need sentinel to prevent them from disengage move out of reach and then Misty Step.

Straight Rogue offers BA Dash to close within range, SA can trigger on the OA from either Mage Slayer or Sentinel so it should be impossible to maintain concentration checks.

So in theory the Rogue goes first use Cunning Action to ensure he gets in Melee range hits with a SA, on the mages turn they'll almost certainly attempt to get away but you will get an OA, if you can find a way to get SA on that OA then it should be game over, as not many mages should be able to survive two sneak attacks.

Another option is Shadow Monk, Silence, BA teleport, extra movement and stunning strike can certainly cause any mage issues.

[EdenIndustries]

I'd just do Monster Hunter Ranger, you get some awesome features like foiling spells before they happen and auto-saving on saving throws if your reaction attacks hit. That's pretty awesome!

[Keravath]

Actually, wouldn't a shadow monk be among the better mage slayers?

Take a monk with mobile. At level 14 they have proficiency with all saves making them at least have a decent chance to save against any spells the mage can cast. They have the movement to close the range and they have stun which stops concentration and incapacitates the target until the end of the monk's next turn. In dim light, the monk can shadow step 60' and pop in next to the mage getting advantage on their next attack. They also have silence and darkness at will which will prevent casting and targeting of a wide range of spells.

If you really want counterspell in the build you could go with monk 15/warlock or other counterspell caster 5.

A monk can also dash or dodge as a bonus action though it does cost a ki point. At 7th level a monk can end charm or frightened effects on themselves though it does cost an action (on the other hand so does dispel magic).

Monks can run up walls and across water.

A mobile monk at level 15 has a base move of 65' ... take a tabaxi monk if you really want to close the range quickly.

Anyway, I'd think a stealthy shadow monk would likely be one of the better mage slayers in terms of 1:1 and in the context of a team ... stunning the mage and letting your team hit them with advantage is probably far more effective than many other tactics.

[VonKaiserstein]

I'd second the Shadow monk. Step out of their shadow when they're backlit by a flashy spell, silence, darkness, and pummel them to death.

As an alternative, any variety of fighter, if it can get within range, grapple, action surge, restrain. Now the mage needs to break out of grapple before doing anything requiring somatic components- unlikely. If you really must be a mage hunter, make your fighter an aarakocra.

Of course any rogue with a bow would work too- and if you're worried about them being protected from normal missiles, be one of the new undead rogues and hit them with your necrotic bolt with backstab.

Defensively, your best bet is a Yuan-ti pureblood. It'll have advantage on all saves vs the magic user's attacks. It's far more hilarious to be a gnome shadow monk, and bust their knees and shins until they pass out. Bonus style points if your character is a dude name Black Betty, and you can get a bard to accompany you.

[airless_wing]

Third on Shadow Monk. Monster Hunter Range has good tools for shutting Mage's down, but Monks can spam Flurry & Stuns and eat through a casters relatively low AC and HP.

Initiative, Mobility, and debuffs are keys to shutting down mages. And Monks have all those things built into their kit. Shadow Monks get the added mobility benefit of teleport, and a non-stunning-strike debuff with Silence.

I'd go Mobile and Alert for feats and for-go Mage Slayer. It's a shame, because I really love the theme of Mage Slayer. But considering it won't let you Stun a mage before they Misty Step away, I think winning Initiative is going to be more beneficial in the long run. After all, with huge initiative, a Monk's mobility, and Stunning Strike, there's no guarantee an unaware mage will ever get a chance to retaliate.

[dragoeniex]

Fourth on monk, but friendly suggestion for Open Palm to be considered alongside Shadow. The ability to take away an enemy caster's reaction just by hitting them means they can't Shield/Absorb Elements/Counterspell and leaves them wide open to attacks from your whole team-- including the few casters you do approve of!

[Vorpalchicken]

I agree the shadow monk is solid.

Grappling or even restraining does not prevent casting so that isn't a useful tactic by itself. Now if you cast Anti-magic field first..

Being stuck on multi-classing especially when the campaign will likely end before 15, I feel will really gimp the character.

I would perhaps recommend Bard, and pick up Counter spell with magical secrets. They could also get Anti-magic field if the campaign gets high enough.

Another idea: a tabaxi Cleric with high strength and heavy armour mastery dashes in and grapples with an Anti-magic field.

[EdenIndustries]

I mentioned it above, but I think it bears repeating since I feel like people are heavily overlooking Monster Slayer Ranger. Here's what that gives you:


You can mark a target within 60 feet, gaining 1d6 to all attack rolls (Minor, but the marking comes up later)
You get to add a d6 to EVERY saving throw your marked target forces you to make.
Once per short rest, you can use your reaction force ANY target in 60 feet (not just marked target) that tries to cast any spell or teleport via any means to make a Wis save or they lose the spell and/or the teleport fails
EVERY time your marked target forces you to make a saving throw, you get to do a weapon attack as a reaction BEFORE the saving throw. If that attack hits, you automatically succeed on the saving throw.


And by the way, all of that works for not just spellcasters, but every creature that would force you to make saving throws. Which includes a lot of pretty terrible creatures.

So not only are your saving throws boosted, but they can auto-succeed via reaction attacks. And you can just shut down spellcasters (once per rest) BEFORE they try to do things. People are complaining that Mage Slayer doesn't let you interrupt spells? Well Monster Slayer Ranger lets you do that!

And guess what? You can do all of this within 60 feet. You don't even need to get up in the face of a target in case doing so would be difficult. Just hammer them with arrows, and all of these features still work.

And remember Rangers also get Vanish for bonus action hiding. Spellcasters can't target what they can't see.

And speaking of can't see, Rangers also get Feral Senses! Even going invisible won't help those pesky mages!

And you still get all the great Ranger spells on top of it! Like:

Pass Without Trace. Sneak up on those pesky mages without them ever seeing you coming.
Silence.
Zephyr Strike. Need to get up in the face of a spellcaster and don't want to provoke opportunity attacks? Here you go!
Fog Cloud. Goodbye all spells that require sight.
Healing Spirit.
Banishment (Monster Slayer Exclusive). Say goodbye to a spellcaster and/or a bodyguard while you deal with the others.
Hold Monster (Monster Slayer Exclusive). I'm not saying this is as good as Stunning Strike but it can work in a pinch!


For any antimage build, how can you say no to all that??

[Bobthewizard]

I vote for shadow sorcerer. It gets you the equivalent of darkness/devil’s sight while giving you subtle counterspells and a teleport similar to the shadow monk. Could take a few levels of open hand monk for the stuns if you have the stats for it.

[Crgaston]

I mentioned it above, but I think it bears repeating since I feel like people are heavily overlooking Monster Slayer Ranger. Here's what that gives you:


You can mark a target within 60 feet, gaining 1d6 to all attack rolls (Minor, but the marking comes up later)
You get to add a d6 to EVERY saving throw your marked target forces you to make.
Once per short rest, you can use your reaction force ANY target in 60 feet (not just marked target) that tries to cast any spell or teleport via any means to make a Wis save or they lose the spell and/or the teleport fails
EVERY time your marked target forces you to make a saving throw, you get to do a weapon attack as a reaction BEFORE the saving throw. If that attack hits, you automatically succeed on the saving throw.


And by the way, all of that works for not just spellcasters, but every creature that would force you to make saving throws. Which includes a lot of pretty terrible creatures.

So not only are your saving throws boosted, but they can auto-succeed via reaction attacks. And you can just shut down spellcasters (once per rest) BEFORE they try to do things. People are complaining that Mage Slayer doesn't let you interrupt spells? Well Monster Slayer Ranger lets you do that!

And guess what? You can do all of this within 60 feet. You don't even need to get up in the face of a target in case doing so would be difficult. Just hammer them with arrows, and all of these features still work.

And remember Rangers also get Vanish for bonus action hiding. Spellcasters can't target what they can't see.

And speaking of can't see, Rangers also get Feral Senses! Even going invisible won't help those pesky mages!

And you still get all the great Ranger spells on top of it! Like:

Pass Without Trace. Sneak up on those pesky mages without them ever seeing you coming.
Silence.
Zephyr Strike. Need to get up in the face of a spellcaster and don't want to provoke opportunity attacks? Here you go!
Fog Cloud. Goodbye all spells that require sight.
Healing Spirit.
Banishment (Monster Slayer Exclusive). Say goodbye to a spellcaster and/or a bodyguard while you deal with the others.
Hold Monster (Monster Slayer Exclusive). I'm not saying this is as good as Stunning Strike but it can work in a pinch!


For any antimage build, how can you say no to all that??

I came here to say Shadow Monk, but you make a compelling argument.

[Misterwhisper]

Fourth on monk, but friendly suggestion for Open Palm to be considered alongside Shadow. The ability to take away an enemy caster's reaction just by hitting them means they can't Shield/Absorb Elements/Counterspell and leaves them wide open to attacks from your whole team-- including the few casters you do approve of!

They can still use shield on your attack.

[dragoeniex]

They can still use shield on your attack.

Yes, but if they do, that will still use their reaction and net the same benefits. You will take away their reaction either way by just doing your monk thing.

The value doesn't change just because they sometimes may not make you use a flurry of blows for it.

[CheddarChampion]

I agree that spellcasters are stronger at high levels but I think you're overstating by how much. 5e is not as bad as 3.5.

I can appreciate a good antimage build though.

To contribute, why not a Oath of the Ancients Paladin, Dex based, with three levels in assassin and the alert feat?
Resistance to spell damage
High saving throws
Misty step (& Tree Stride if applicable)

Surprise the mage through whatever means you can acquire. Go for a TWF automatic critical smite nova. If you can get all attacks to land:
2d6+dex+2d8+10d8+4d6
2d6+dex+2d8+10d8
2d6+2d8+10d8
That's 190+twice your dexterity mod. A 14 Con wizard has 122 HP. If they are truly surprised they can't cast anything with their reaction.
If you fail to surprise them, run away and try again.
If you kill them, search for their lair where they've surely cast the spell 'Clone.'

Barring this extremely antagonistic play style between player and DM, an OotA Paladin has good tanking vs magic, letting their allies focus on offense.

[Misterwhisper]

Yes, but if they do, that will still use their reaction and net the same benefits. You will take away their reaction either way by just doing your monk thing.

The value doesn't change just because they sometimes may not make you use a flurry of blows for it.

If you didn't use flurry, you are not taking away their reaction.

All your doing is making sure they use Shield instead of counter spell.

Whether that is a better plan depends on group make up.

[Crgaston]

Yes, but if they do, that will still use their reaction and net the same benefits. You will take away their reaction either way by just doing your monk thing.

The value doesn't change just because they sometimes may not make you use a flurry of blows for it.

Shield lasts until the start of their next turn, and the reaction nullification lasts until the end of your next turn, so once you land it, any allies that attack before the mage's next turn will still have to deal with the +5 AC, but the mage won't be able to cast it again if you repeatedly apply the effect.

[dragoeniex]

If you didn't use flurry, you are not taking away their reaction.

All your doing is making sure they use Shield instead of counter spell.

Whether that is a better plan depends on group make up.

Yes, either they lose their reaction to you or they lose their reaction using it on you. We're into semantics at that point on whether or not it can be attributed directly to you, but it's a good outcome either way.

And yes, this does depend somewhat on party makeup. Most things do.

The main thing here is that you can never guarantee an enemy will burn their reaction on you. And if you open up a reaction-free window for your other attackers and especially the casters on your side, it's a wonderful boon. You strip them of their ability to defend against the magic they themselves wield, which clicks with mage killer setups.

I'm not entirely sure why you're taking issue with this suggestion on a suggestion thread. It's mechanically useful, and the Open Palm monk I play alongside in one of our games sets other players up for mage-killing moves on the regular because of it.

[dragoeniex]

Shield lasts until the start of their next turn, and the reaction nullification lasts until the end of your next turn, so once you land it, any allies that attack before the mage's next turn will still have to deal with the +5 AC, but the mage won't be able to cast it again if you repeatedly apply the effect.

Also a good point, thank you! It's always a little better than I remember because of that. Caster allies still benefit for being able to freely pop spells off either way, thankfully.

[EdenIndustries]

I came here to say Shadow Monk, but you make a compelling argument.

Thank you! I agree Shadow Monk is pretty good, but no mention of Monster Slayer Ranger seemed odd...

[airless_wing]

Thank you! I agree Shadow Monk is pretty good, but no mention of Monster Slayer Ranger seemed odd...

Hey now, I totally mentioned it! :p

I agree that Monster Hunter has a great set of tools for disabling spell casters. They should not be underrated by any means.
I just find most of the monster slayer's "Once per short rest" is a bit inferior to a Monk's "x Ki points per short rest."

[EdenIndustries]

Hey now, I totally mentioned it! :p

I agree that Monster Hunter has a great set of tools for disabling spell casters. They should not be underrated by any means.
I just find most of the monster slayer's "Once per short rest" is a bit inferior to a Monk's "x Ki points per short rest."

Heh fair enough, you did!

However only one of Monster Slayer's features is once per short rest, namely "Magic-User's Nemesis" that allows you to foil a spellcasting and/or teleport. The other features (adding d6 to saving throws, auto-save on saving throws via weapon reaction attacks) can be done as much as you want (to your marked target only, however). That fact I think competes well even vs Monk's Ki points. And again, add all of Ranger's spells on top of that (which of course only refresh on a long rest, but even so!)

[ivoze]

Ok wow, this post got alot more messeges than i thought. So let me adress a couple of things

-The Shadow Monk Trend.
While i deffinitely agree that going monk gives a lot in regards to dealing with magic, it isnt exactly what i want to do here. The reasoning behind my prefference to multiclassing is that i really want the versitility that the warlock offers, not just access to Counterspell. Having the option to cast spells gives a lot more useability in and out of combat.The monk relies too much on a couple of factors to run smoothly. Lets say you dont get to go before the wizard, or you do but they are too far away/polimorphed/under a wall of force? I preffer to have several back up options i can fall back on instead of hoping for one or two things happening and if they dont then i just end up being ineficient in combat. The monk/warlock is good for this, but im not a fan of that from the roleplay side. Just personal preference, nothing more on that. Though this does give me ideas for some monk builds now...

-The Monster Slayer
Ok, after i looked it up, it is indeed suprising how good this is vs casters! Il take it in consideration and will try to come up with something i like for another build option. Thank you for that.

-Sentinel Feat
Now this had completely slipped my mind! Il make sure to get this feat, thank you for bringing it up.

-Oath of the Ancients Paladin/Rogue Assassin
Now thats a lot of damage! Though i assume we start lvl 1 as a rogue yes? Since we cant actually wear heavy armor if we are going dex based. An excellent build i havent considered, Thank you.

[Misterwhisper]

Ok wow, this post got alot more messeges than i thought. So let me adress a couple of things

-The Shadow Monk Trend.
While i deffinitely agree that going monk gives a lot in regards to dealing with magic, it isnt exactly what i want to do here. The reasoning behind my prefference to multiclassing is that i really want the versitility that the warlock offers, not just access to Counterspell. Having the option to cast spells gives a lot more useability in and out of combat.The monk relies too much on a couple of factors to run smoothly. Lets say you dont get to go before the wizard, or you do but they are too far away/polimorphed/under a wall of force? I preffer to have several back up options i can fall back on instead of hoping for one or two things happening and if they dont then i just end up being ineficient in combat. The monk/warlock is good for this, but im not a fan of that from the roleplay side. Just personal preference, nothing more on that. Though this does give me ideas for some monk builds now...

-The Monster Slayer
Ok, after i looked it up, it is indeed suprising how good this is vs casters! Il take it in consideration and will try to come up with something i like for another build option. Thank you for that.

-Sentinel Feat
Now this had completely slipped my mind! Il make sure to get this feat, thank you for bringing it up.

-Oath of the Ancients Paladin/Rogue Assassin
Now thats a lot of damage! Though i assume we start lvl 1 as a rogue yes? Since we cant actually wear heavy armor if we are going dex based. An excellent build i havent considered, Thank you.

Sentinel only helps if they try to walk out of range, it won't help if they try to teleport of some kind.

[ivoze]

Sentinel only helps if they try to walk out of range, it won't help if they try to teleport of some kind.

I am well aware. The point of sentinel is to stop casters from simply taking the disengage action, running away with movement and then teleporting out.

[EdenIndustries]

-The Monster Slayer
Ok, after i looked it up, it is indeed suprising how good this is vs casters! Il take it in consideration and will try to come up with something i like for another build option. Thank you for that.


You're welcome, I'm eager to see what kind of build option you put together!

[Misterwhisper]

I am well aware. The point of sentinel is to stop casters from simply taking the disengage action, running away with movement and then teleporting out.

If they took disengage they are not teleporting.

Unless you have silence going on currently, which they did not counter spell, they will just teleport from melee range.

[ThatoneGuy84]

Shadow monk
Dip rouge (Assassin)
If you dont go first I'm shocked.

Feats will be harder (ASI)
Alert (cuz u wanna go first)
Mage Slayer (if your dedicated to it) but also Mobile for extra movement (prolly not needed)
Shadow step give you Advantage in your next melee attack (to pull of sneak), if its first turn you auto crit.
Get some poison
Mage dead

[Misterwhisper]

True, but remember we have mage slayer for that. In tandem with Sentinel, for escaping the mage has 2 choices. Try to get out with movement and risk an OA, reducing their movement to 0. Or, try to misty step, which forces AO as well, again making their movement 0.

Mage slayer does not stop teleport or any other spell that moves them, or any spell that stops you from seeing them, taking a reaction, or stuns you.

The spell goes off first.

Mage Slayer is a waste.

[noob]

was not war wizard and divination wizard two wizards correct against magic?

[Warlush]

I think the real dark horse build here is the Arcana Cleric from XGtE.

Arcana Proficiency

Wizard spells and cantrips. Plus at lvl 8 you can add your WIS mod to Booming blade/Green flame blade, fire bolt, chill touch, or whatever wizard cantrips you pick.

Crazy banishing stuff with your channel divinity to deal with any conjoured fiends/fey/elementals your mage might summon.

Amazing WIZ saves.

Multiclass with Gloom Stalker Ranger for all that good stuff.

[prabe]

I think the real dark horse build here is the Arcana Cleric from XGtE.

Arcana Proficiency

Wizard spells and cantrips. Plus at lvl 8 you can add your WIS mod to Booming blade/Green flame blade, fire bolt, chill touch, or whatever wizard cantrips you pick.

Crazy banishing stuff with your channel divinity to deal with any conjoured fiends/fey/elementals your mage might summon.

Amazing WIZ saves.

Multiclass with Gloom Stalker Ranger for all that good stuff.

Not that this wouldn't be a good approach to a character dedicated to fighting spellcasters, but the Arcana domain is in SCAG (I think, I don't have it), not in XGtE (which I do in fact have).

[Warlush]

Not that this wouldn't be a good approach to a character dedicated to fighting spellcasters, but the Arcana domain is in SCAG (I think, I don't have it), not in XGtE (which I do in fact have).

Oh snap. Thanks friend!