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mouseman
2020-03-11, 02:22 PM
Hi folks!

I've been hammering away with a pretty powerful oath of vengeance paladin. He can do it all. Deal damage, withstand punishment and cast spells. Now I want something entirely different. I want to build a mainly non-combat character.

I don't necessarily mean a character that is of no use in a combat. I just mean a character that has other ways to help than just dealing damage. And a character that has even more ways of resolving things outside of combat. I'm okay with not being at my best in combat - I want to shine outside of it.

So what I want is to be proficient in many skills and have access to divination, illusion and abjuration spells. Think of a character that can pick up seemingly random clues and use magic creatively to thwart evil plans before they even happen.

Right now I'm thinking of picking wizard for the main character class because the spells give me lots of flexibility. I really like the divination school portent ability, too, because it goes with the whole "never be caught with your pants down" see in the future kind of thing. The character would also gain a lot by a 1-2 level dip into knowledge cleric, I think, and similarly especially with skills with small dip into lore bard. But is it wise to try and tripleclass or should I pick only the cleric or the bard? Am I missing other great options here?

And what about races? My first instinct is high elf who is kind of aloof thinking more what happened in the past and what will happen in the future than being present right now. I'd like my party to be frustrated with my character's indecision in battle and then be surprised when the character saves all of their asses with a grand play just when the time is right. I don't know if there are better race picks, statwise, though.

Has anyone played a character like this? My table is quite experienced, everyone is 30+ and we've been at it for decades, so I think this kind of character would be welcomed. The thing is, however, that if I kind of give up on many kickass offensive abilities, I kind of want to minmax the build so that it shines on other fronts. Otherwise I might end up with a goofball of a character that can't really do **** in or outside of combat.

JNAProductions
2020-03-11, 02:30 PM
Bard and Rogue offer great skills. if you can swing Rogue 11, Reliable Talent is the SHIZZLE.

Bard offers full casting from a list that has little direct damage.

Bard offers great support options.

Half-Elf offers +2 Cha and two +1 floatings, plus two skills.

May advice would probably be Lore Bard up to 5, then possibly dip into other classes to taste.

Edit: Also, I've got a friend who frequently plays a peaceful role. He's usually a Monk or Druid, but his roleplay and ingenuity are astounding. So, whatever class you pick, just try thinking differently.

Davo
2020-03-11, 02:45 PM
RPG.StackExchange (https://rpg.stackexchange.com/q/120807/33204) has you covered.

Man_Over_Game
2020-03-11, 03:01 PM
RPG.StackExchange (https://rpg.stackexchange.com/q/120807/33204) has you covered.

That was my suggestion.

Lore Bard adds skills, but its advancement path is almost entirely focused on combat. They aimed for "Travelling scholar", and instead made "Luck manipulator".

Divination adds major scouting powers, and would be good as a sole class, but your combat role is almost forced into being a blaster or wall-maker.

Knowledge Cleric feels like the only one, from beginning to end, designed to improve the non-combat experience, and has a lot of options to support the team in whatever they need in combat. Your damage will be low (as is true for many Clerics), but that only adds to the theme of the character (where a Divination Wizard will be relying on Fire spells a lot).

Theaitetos
2020-03-11, 04:50 PM
If you're going for a pacifist approach, try the Passive Divine Soul sorcerer: In combat, you don't deal any damage at all, but can protect your allies. Outside of combat, you can make use of arcane & divine (subtle) magic and use your high CHA and leadership qualities.

As for a race, you can try something unusual like a Yuan-Ti, Firbolg, Kalashtar, or a Tortle.