Best class for Macguyver

[moonfly7]

Title says it all really, I'd love to play a Macguyver like character who makes weapons and crazy gadgets out of junk lying around, but I don't think any class could really help me do that.
So I was hoping someone might know of something I'm overlooking in the SRD classes and subclasses, or even UA and homebrew, I'm not really picky, I just want to find something that works.

[Aett_Thorn]

Takes a bit of imagination, but this can be pretty easily done with an Artificer.

“Okay, Keelan, you had a couple of toothpicks, some chewed gum, and the core of an apple. What did you make us?”

“A fire-breathing stick man!”

Just fluff all of your spells as using things around you to achieve their effects. You need to use tools to cast spells anyways. And you can take junk that you find around town and make them into magical objects!

[moonfly7]

Takes a bit of imagination, but this can be pretty easily done with an Artificer.

“Okay, Keelan, you had a couple of toothpicks, some chewed gum, and the core of an apple. What did you make us?”

“A fire-breathing stick man!”

Just fluff all of your spells as using things around you to achieve their effects. You need to use tools to cast spells anyways. And you can take junk that you find around town and make them into magical objects!

I did consider this but I'd rather stay away from magic and reflavored spells and stick more to creativity and ingenuity. I've considered thief rogue for use item as a bonus action but I don't think that works like cobbling together stuff should.

[Garfunion]

I did consider this but I'd rather stay away from magic and reflavored spells and stick more to creativity and ingenuity. I've considered thief rogue for use item as a bonus action but I don't think that works like cobbling together stuff should.
MacGyver is definitely a thief rogue. And his ability to cobble things together was because he actually had the materials around him to do so. In most medieval fantasy games this isn’t going to be the case. Making it extremely DM dependent.
You can always go 2 levels of forge cleric or 2 levels of conjuration wizard. These features allow you to create things or you can re-flavor it as you are cobbling together a device.

[Dork_Forge]

MacGyver is definitely a thief rogue. And his ability to cobble things together was because he actually had the materials around him to do so. In most medieval fantasy games this isn’t going to be the case. Making it extremely DM dependent.
You can always go 2 levels of forge cleric or 2 levels of conjuration wizard. These features allow you to create things or you can re-flavor it as you are cobbling together a device.

Thief is definitely the way to go, Fast Hands is just too good for this. I'd just go for straight Thief and pour over the equipment table, think like MacGuyver. You'll need the basics like caltrops, ball bearings, oil, acid and alchemists fire. But you also need more general items, like fishing line/weights, chalk, a bag of flour and so on.

Tinkers tools and other tool sets are going to be important for justifying your ability to actually construct things outside of creative use of the equipment table and allow you to deconstruct your environment for materials.

[Diovid]

I'd specifically look at a rock gnome thief (with the wonder maker feat, if allowed).

[ZorroGames]

I'd specifically look at a rock gnome thief (with the wonder maker feat, if allowed).

I came here to post this but was too late. One of the most underused race/class combinations in D&D.

[moonfly7]

MacGyver is definitely a thief rogue. And his ability to cobble things together was because he actually had the materials around him to do so. In most medieval fantasy games this isn’t going to be the case. Making it extremely DM dependent.
You can always go 2 levels of forge cleric or 2 levels of conjuration wizard. These features allow you to create things or you can re-flavor it as you are cobbling together a device.


Thief is definitely the way to go, Fast Hands is just too good for this. I'd just go for straight Thief and pour over the equipment table, think like MacGuyver. You'll need the basics like caltrops, ball bearings, oil, acid and alchemists fire. But you also need more general items, like fishing line/weights, chalk, a bag of flour and so on.

Tinkers tools and other tool sets are going to be important for justifying your ability to actually construct things outside of creative use of the equipment table and allow you to deconstruct your environment for materials.


I'd specifically look at a rock gnome thief (with the wonder maker feat, if allowed).


I came here to post this but was too late. One of the most underused race/class combinations in D&D.

Thank you all. Funny story. My device kept saying the servers were to busy so I couldn't check the thread, so I said "well I'm just gonna go with my gut and go thief rogue" and when I finally get back, low and behold, you agree.
So now maybe we could brainstorm awesome macguyvery uses of mundane equipment.
I've already decided too combine alchemists fire or acid with hunting traps so that when it grabs your foot it also crushes the vial and acts like a non-explosive land mine.
I have brushed up on the infinite uses of the ten foot pole(required to play DnD I believe).
I have some amazing plans for oil, ball bearings and caltrops, such as bonus action pouting oil then throwing alchemists fire at someone in the range and activating it.
I've stocked up on salt (for blinding enemies) and flour(for detecting creatures, blinding foes, and creating Explosions)
I've purchased a healers kit, got lots of rope, grabbed a portable ram, some manacles, ink, holy water, and basically everything in the equipment list. I'd love whatever cool ideas you come up with and I might share more of my own later.
Also I've decided to go variant human for tavern brawler(I can already hear the groans) because I want the expertise in improvised weapons. I'm going to be going off of just macguyvering and playing a character who only fights with improvised weapons, not even my fists, just random crap off the floor. So I'll be pulling backpacks over people's heads, strangling them with clothes lines, and whipping them with chains.
(P.S thanks for the rock gnome suggestion, but I really need the imp. Weapon proficiency for this character. Love the concept though)