Spellcaster with two 16s and four mediocre stats

[Ogre Mage]

If you wanted to play a primary spellcaster (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard or warlock) and you rolled the following stats before racial modifiers, what would you play and how would you distribute the scores?

16
16
12
10
9
8

[Galithar]

I'm a fan of Wizards and Clerics.. The low stats push me towards Cleric for heavy armor, as a Wizard I'd like a higher Dex to keep my AC from being so low everything hits me, though this might also be that I usually have above average rolled stats.

Hill Dwarf

Str: 8
Dex: 12
Con: 16 +2 racial = 18
Int: 10
Wis: 16 +1 racial = 17
Cha: 9

If your DM uses passive perception a lot I would pick up Observant at level 4 for a 19 Passive and a +4 Wisdom.

Pick a domain that gives Heavy Armor and the dwarf racial prevents it from slowing you down despite the low strength. Now we have good AC, good HP due high Con and Hill Dwarf, and our casting stat isn't even behind.

[Sam113097]

If you wanted to play a primary spellcaster (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard or warlock) and you rolled the following stats before racial modifiers, what would you play and how would you distribute the scores?

16
16
12
10
9
8

You’ve got quite a few options there! Those 2 16’s are going to be pretty useful. If I were you, I’d either:

-Build a Shillelagh-based Nature Cleric. Put your 16s in Wisdom and Con, and grab some heavy armor. You can dump Str, because you can use your Wisdom for melee attacks and casting. If you can, pick a race that can even out that 9 into a 10 in either Int or Dex, so that you don’t have two negative modifiers.

-Roll with a Protector Aasimar Warlock or Sorcerer. You put the 16+2 in Charisma, the 16 in Dex to boost your AC, and the 12 in Con (if you wanna run a Hexblade, you can swap Dex and Con to make yourself a bit tougher.) Use that +1 Wisdom to bump your 9 to a 10 to avoid a negative Perception mod, and dump Str.

[Tiwanoz]

Any race with a +2 in dexterity would also work for any Cleric. Since medium armor only needs 14 Dexterity to be effective.

Then you can use your 16's for Constitution, which means you'll have a good chance of making any concentration checks, and a 16 in your primary casting stat.

[Zetakya]

Dwarven Wizard gives you medium armour proficiency. Use the 12 for DEX, 16s for CON and INT.

Not massively optimized, but you're only 1 AC down from the maximum possible on a character that should be at range whenever possible, and you start with 18 CON.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

A subclass with medium armour(probably bard or Hexblade elf)

8
12+2
16
10
9+1
16

As a druid you can play with only wis as a high stat.

Loxadon caster with 16 in con and casting stat. He get armour based on con.

[Eldariel]

Vuman Wizard with 16 Dex/Int and 12 Con (13 Con and 17 Int after racials) can either start with 14 Con (Res: Con) or 18 Int (Observant). Seems pretty good.

[diplomancer]

A race with my 2 to your casting stat and +1 to Con. 12 goes to Con, 16s goes to Dex and Casting Stat. Any caster except sorcerer, get Resilient Con at level 4.

[Pex]

8 goes into ST. 9 goes into IN or CH, whichever one I'm not using for casting stat. If i'm playing a WI caster which one depends on my mood.
16 goes to my casting stat. 16 goes to CO. 12 goes to DX. 10 goes to whatever is left over.
Playing a Variant human. Get the feat I want. Casting stat goes to 17. DX goes to 13.
Level 4 casting stat goes to 18, DX goes to 14, and I'm happy my minimum possible AC is 15 by a non-armor wearing caster. (Mage Armor, AC is 13 + DX class feature, etc.) Have Shield spell.

If I'm a druid I wouldn't care about AC because I'd be Moon. I might even keep DX at 12 to have 17 WI 17 CO for both to become 18 at 4th level. I've not played a druid in 5E yet, so I'm still waiting for my turn to have the Moon druid fun however stereotypical it might be.

[SLOTHRPG95]

Half-Elf Draconic Sorcerer: Str 9 Dex 17 Con 13 Int 8 Wis 10 Cha 18, with the first two ASIs probably rounding out Dex/Con and then maxing out Charisma, resp. By 8th level, your casting stat is at 20, your AC is 17 (or 22 with Shield), and you've got about 7 hit points per level. Simple but respectable.

VHuman Hexblade: Str 9 Dex 13 Con 16 Int 8 Wis 10 Cha 17, with Warcaster. Again, simple but effective, and if you can afford half-plate by 4th level you're sitting on an AC of 19, or 24 with Shield. Overall though, this plays/feels less like a full caster, and more like a magically-powered martial.

Wood Elf Trickery Cleric: Str 8 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 9 Wis 17 Cha 10, which is a little less durable than the above two options, and requires you to wait 'til 12th level to max out your casting stat unless you want to wait that long for Resilient (Con) instead. But honestly, Trickery is one of my favorite domains, and any Trickery Cleric worth their salt should themselves be stealthy, preferably without having to burn a spell slot on Pass w/o Trace.

[CTurbo]

I like this. This is interesting. I see 2 main options.


1. Maximize your casting stat at the cost of your AC or HP. Slap a 16 in your main stat and take a race that boosts it to 18 to start. Then choose between having a better than average Con and a weak AC or decent AC and a below average Con. Personally I enjoy playing a character with an obvious strength and an obvious weakness.

2. You have the opportunity to choose what would normally be a suboptimal race+class combination. Think Dwarf Sorcerer, Gnome Bard, Goliath Wizard, Yuan-ti Cleric, etc...
As mentioned above, you could put the 12 in Dex and choose a race that boosts +2 Dex and a class that grants medium armor proficiency. There are many many options to choose from. Alternatively, you can put the 12 in Con and choose a race that boosts +2 Con.


I'd go with a Hill Dwarf Draconic Sorcerer with 16 Dex, 14 Con, and 16 Cha. You'd get +2 extra hp per level and have a decent AC.

Tabaxi Light Cleric would be fun. 14 Dex, 16 Con, 16 Wis.
High Elf Tempest Cleric with same stats as above and with Booming Blade as free cantrip.
I've played a Goliath Abjurer before in a one shot. It was a tough fun character.

[Ogre Mage]

Lots of good ideas here everyone. Thank you.


I like this. This is interesting. I see 2 main options.

1. Maximize your casting stat at the cost of your AC or HP. Slap a 16 in your main stat and take a race that boosts it to 18 to start. Then choose between having a better than average Con and a weak AC or decent AC and a below average Con. Personally I enjoy playing a character with an obvious strength and an obvious weakness.


I think the Constitution vs. Dexterity issue is a significant point of tension. One of the 16s is obviously going into the casting stat. Does the second 16 go into Dexterity or Constitution? Whichever attribute gets that lovely 16, the other one will probably wind up with a much less impressive 12.

[Misterwhisper]

With those stats you can play any class really.

Warforge forge cleric: high wis and amazing con who cares for the rest. Be caster centric.

Half elf hexblade: charisma and con with 12 in dex for medium armor, starting with 18 in charisma is pretty nice.

[Waazraath]

If you wanted to play a primary spellcaster (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard or warlock) and you rolled the following stats before racial modifiers, what would you play and how would you distribute the scores?

16
16
12
10
9
8

With this?! Mountain Dwarf barbarian, with 18 str and 18 con you magic everbody totally to death with your magic stick, while you keep magically standing when people shoot enough arrows in you to turn you into a hedgehog.

[diplomancer]

Lots of good ideas here everyone. Thank you.



I think the Constitution vs. Dexterity issue is a significant point of tension. One of the 16s is obviously going into the casting stat. Does the second 16 go into Dexterity or Constitution? Whichever attribute gets that lovely 16, the other one will probably wind up with a much less impressive 12.

Or a not so unimpressive 13 to be boosted to 14 with Res Con at the first opportunity, which is why I recommend any caster except sorcerer, and a race with +2 to your casting stat, +1 to Con. 14 Con with Resilient (Con) is good enough for a caster. At level 4, having 18 in your spellcasting stat, 16 dex, and 14 con with constitution saves on top of that is very good. Unfortunately there are no half-feats for Dex as good as Resilient (con), so the second 16 should always go to Dex.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Or a not so unimpressive 13 to be boosted to 14 with Res Con at the first opportunity, which is why I recommend any caster except sorcerer, and a race with +2 to your casting stat, +1 to Con. 14 Con with Resilient (Con) is good enough for a caster. At level 4, having 18 in your spellcasting stat, 16 dex, and 14 con with constitution saves on top of that is very good. Unfortunately there are no half-feats for Dex as good as Resilient (con), so the second 16 should always go to Dex.
Medium armour is also an option (so you only need 14 dex).
An half elf with EA for the dex to 14 and turning the 9 into a 10.

And a caster only need con and dex if they are a target.
(Cast and run is a tactic).

[SLOTHRPG95]

Lots of good ideas here everyone. Thank you.



I think the Constitution vs. Dexterity issue is a significant point of tension. One of the 16s is obviously going into the casting stat. Does the second 16 go into Dexterity or Constitution? Whichever attribute gets that lovely 16, the other one will probably wind up with a much less impressive 12.



With this?! Mountain Dwarf barbarian, with 18 str and 18 con you magic everbody totally to death with your magic stick, while you keep magically standing when people shoot enough arrows in you to turn you into a hedgehog.

Actually, this brings up a good point. We've all been assuming that the question is "full-caster who actually cares about their casting stat" but there's no reason for that to be the case. If you're a Divine Soul Sorcerer who mainly casts (extended/twinned) buffs, you don't care as much about your Charisma as you do both your Dex and Con, so why not put a 16 in each? If you're a War Cleric or Forge Cleric you could always prefer to masquerade as a fighter or paladin or what have you, and put the 16s in Str and Con. War Domain makes you care a little more about Wisdom, but a Mountain Dwarf Forge Cleric can start wit 18 Str, 18 Con, AC 19 in your self-enchanted chainmail, ready to Searing Smite some orcs with their warhammer. Or play a Wizard subclass which doesn't largely care about attack rolls or save DCs (Conjurer, Diviner, Transmuter, kinda Necromancer) and go ham with all the great Wizard spells that don't care about your 12 or 10 Intelligence.

[Merudo]

Hill Dwarf Wizard, with a 1 level dip in Forge Cleric.

Con: 18
Int: 16
Wis: 13

Wears Heavy Armor, access to Shield + Blessing of the Forge, so AC21. AC26 when casting the Shield spell, AC28 if using Shield of Faith too.

Amazing HP for a Wizard, with 18 CON + 1HP/level. You have the HP of a 16 CON Fighter, and have probably better AC too.

[Ogre Mage]

Or a not so unimpressive 13 to be boosted to 14 with Res Con at the first opportunity, which is why I recommend any caster except sorcerer, and a race with +2 to your casting stat, +1 to Con. 14 Con with Resilient (Con) is good enough for a caster. At level 4, having 18 in your spellcasting stat, 16 dex, and 14 con with constitution saves on top of that is very good. Unfortunately there are no half-feats for Dex as good as Resilient (con), so the second 16 should always go to Dex.

Okay, you convinced me. I am going to play a rock gnome wizard. We are starting at 3rd level, so a feat is just around the corner.

Fanny Fartknocker (her family invented the whoopee cushion, lol)
Strength 9
Dexterity 16
Constitution 12 +1 = 13
Intelligence 16 +2 = 18
Wisdom 10
Charisma 8

At level 4 I will take Resilient (Constitution) which bumps Con to at 14. At level 8 I will raise my intelligence to 20.

I also like the idea of playing a half-elf in medium armor and using the racial ability score bonus and elven accuracy to bump Dex 12 to 14. However, I am already playing a half-elven warlock with elven accuracy.

[Citadel97501]

I am currently playing a House Thuranni elf with a 16 dexterity, and 16 charisma with 4 x 10's, and I am doing OK but I definitely feel it when I get the attention of the monsters.

[Ogre Mage]

I am currently playing a House Thuranni elf with a 16 dexterity, and 16 charisma with 4 x 10's, and I am doing OK but I definitely feel it when I get the attention of the monsters.

Well, at least you will be pretty good at dodging with Dexterity 16. It boosts initiative too. House Thuranni is good at illusion, so perhaps that can help you stay outta sight.

But I've never played a character with a Constitution lower than 12 and I strongly prefer 14. I just feel too insecure going lower, especially as I always play casters who have the concentration check issue.

[Citadel97501]

Well, at least you will be pretty good at dodging with Dexterity 16. House Thuranni is good at illusion, so perhaps that can help you stay outta sight.

But I've never played a character with a Constitution Score of lower than 12 and I strongly prefer 14. I just feel too insecure going lower, especially as I always play casters who have the concentration check issue.

It is a problem but I have dealt with it by playing a Shadow Sorcerer (it fit with the mark), hiding in a self made Darkness and blasting or stabbing as necessary. I am having to change my playstyle though as the group has wanted to strangle me a couple times for the LOS issues.

[Ogre Mage]

It is a problem but I have dealt with it by playing a Shadow Sorcerer (it fit with the mark), hiding in a self made Darkness and blasting or stabbing as necessary. I am having to change my playstyle though as the group has wanted to strangle me a couple times for the LOS issues.

When you get to 7th level I highly recommend greater invisibility. It is one of my favorite spells. Even better if you can twin it on another party member, especially the rogue.

[Cyclops08]

Half Elf sorcerer (or sorlock)
STR 8
DEX 12 +i
CON 16
INT 10
WIS 9 +1
CHA 16 +2 Racial Mod =18 to start

For fun you can start out with two levels of Hexblade for the armor and the best attack cantrip in the game. at 2nd Hex take Agonizing blast and the hat of disguises invocation....with you TWO bonus skills take performer to make best use of your endless disguise self

~~ as a sorcerer, take the Dragon Blood sorcerer from the Players Handbook. It gives you +i extra hit point every level making your CON effectively 18.