5e Throwdowns #5: The Do-Over (Magus Maximus)

[Dork_Forge]

ahem Wow, we're five into these already, I'm very happy at the warm response to these contests and theirs been some truly inspirational builds so let's keep em coming!

The concept: Magus Maximus

This theme is a suggestion and focuses on casting, so there will be some additional restrictions in the rules section this time to help guide the concept whilst trying to keep things as open as possible. This time we're looking for mastery of magic, what interesting things can you all come up with that puts focus on casting spells and other magical effects? What interesting spell and class synergies will you find new and interesting ways to exploit?


Some rules for guidance:

-The primary schtick of your character should be casting spells, this should describe 80-90% of their actions

-You must have at least 11 levels in a full casting class (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard), this minimum requirement doesn't need to be all a single class (e.g. 11 levels of Wizard is just as valid as a Cleric 6/Druid 5). Any builds that don't meet this requirement will not be valid.

-In the interest of promoting creativity and diversity in these builds, Hexblade will be allowed, but requires a minimum of 5 levels as part of your overall build. If you choose any other Warlock patron this restriction is not applicable.

-No UA, only officially published materials

-You must include a stat array (Point Buy or Standard Array)

-Build to 20 with insights on how the build hands at levels 5, 11, 17 and 20 (include hp and AC at each point for each of reading)

-Multiclassing and feat optional rules in play

-Variants for races available (V. Human, Dragonmarks, SCAG variants)

-No magic items unless you have a way to create them from a class feature

-Normal starting items and gold, mundane armor upgrades be assumed to happen during tier 2 (so you can mention Plate/Half Plate in your commentary but you can only include it in snapshots for levels 11,17 and the final 20).

-Catchy names and fluff are not a requirement but are always nice to read



Suggested format:

Level 20 level split:

Race:

Stats: Str x Dex x Con x Int x Wis x Cha x

Background:

Starting level:

Any guidance or commentary you want

At 5th level:

Any guidance or commentary you want

At 11th level:

Any guidance or commentary you want

At 17th level:

Any guidance or commentary you want

At 20th level and final thoughts:



Voting:

To sort the wheat from the chaff we'll vote on builds and declare a 'winner' (a concept that will hopefully continue in future threads and put the contest into this), to vote simply make a post quoting the build you want to vote for (snipping the content to keep things getting out of hand) and say something that indicates you're voting e.g. +1, get's my vote etc.

-Each user only gets one vote but you can edit your post at any time before the deadline to change your mind.

-If you submit a build, you must vote for someone for your entry to be considered valid

-A user can submit more than one build but they must be in separate posts (and not back to back to respect forum rules)

-You cannot vote for yourself

-Each throwdown thread will run for 7 days after which no new builds will be accepted for contention, when the build deadline has closed votes will be accepted. The voting deadline will be five days after the build deadline, votes will be tallied and the winner announced (any vote edits after the deadline has passed will also not be counted, if the original vote cannot be seen the vote will be null and void).

Magus build deadline/Voting opens: 11/07/2020 @ 9pm BST/4pm ET

Voting deadline: 16/07/2020 @ 9pm BST/4pm ET

PLEASE NOTE THAT VOTING IS NOW ONLY ONCE THE BUILD DEADLINE HAS PASSED.


I'm looking forward to what all the optimisers around here come up with so without further ado, let's THROWDOWN


th3g0dc0mp13x's 'The Warded Dwarf' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24596322&postcount=3) 2 Votes

Ogre Mage's 'The Divine Daughter' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24596426&postcount=4)

Civis Mundi's 'Pompey Problemsolver' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24596826&postcount=5) 3 Votes *JOINT WINNER*

Bobthewizard's 'The Fire Safety Witch' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24597185&postcount=6) 1 Vote

Civis Mundi's 'Nix Inktongue' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24598011&postcount=10) 3 Votes *JOINT WINNER*

Zonugal's 'Sister McArcanum' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24599510&postcount=12) 2 Votes

kaervaak's 'The Arcane Cheesegrater' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24601578&postcount=13) INVALID BUILD, UA USED

For the first time ever we have a tie for two winners! The winners are Civis Mundi's 'Pompey Problem Solver and 'Nix Inktonue'... Also by Civis!

So a big congratulations to Civis on what I think is their first Throwdown!



Previous winners:

Throwdown #1: The Gish - Sithlordnergal's 'The Undying Barbarian' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24497507&postcount=27)

Throwdown #2: The Terminator - Ludic Savant's 'The Regenerator' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24520668&postcount=51)

Throwdown #3: The Solo Tour - Ftafp's 'The Hex Spoon' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24536099&postcount=21)

Throwdown #4: Powergamer's Potluck - BobtheWizard's 'The Shadow Knight' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24549849&postcount=8)

[SociopathFriend]

Making sure to comment so I can follow the progress.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

The Warded Man (Well dwarf really.)

Level 20 level split: Order Cleric 1/Abjuration Wizard 19

Race: Dwarf Mark of Warding

Stats: Str 8 Dex 12 Con 16 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 8

Background: Boros Legionnaire

Starting level:Cleric (Order Domain)

What happens when you take an Abjuration wizard and then give them some of the best abjuration spells in the game, You get a tanky little wizard. Add in the order cleric for heavy armor and the ability to have one of your allies attack when you give them a buff and you have a defensive specialist who can also help their allies in battle effectively.

At 5th level: HP is 39 AC is 18 with Chain and shield. The Ward gives a buffer of 12 hp. Then we can cast armor of agathys at 3rd level giving us an additional 15 tHP. On top of that we have access to aid. Which we can also cast at 3rd level giving us and 2 allies an additional 10 max HP. We have a 3 spells we can cast for free 1/day that recharge our ward 8 hp. We also have shield, and absorb elements which prevent damage and recharge the ward. Total HP at 5th level is 76 HP and you have a solid AC for the entire game. Oh and nothing so far uses concentration so feel free to drop bless on your party, or maybe warding wind against those pesky archers (Good luck getting through 18 ac and disadvantage in tier 1)
ASI +2 Int

At 11th level: HP is 81 and look plate armor, our AC is now 20. So we have all of that fun stuff which can still be upcast. We have a +9 to counterspell and dispel magic checks. Our Ward is now a 25 hp buffer, AoA could be another 30 if you don't feel like upcasting something else. Getting through a 55 HP buffer that is also regenerating while taking 30 damage per hit sounds kind of brutal tbh. And during all of this you are still a wizard calling down walls of fire or banishing enemies back to the far realm. Oh and you can also end each adventuring day if you have spells left with a spell glyph or two. Say death ward, or Aid, Waking up under attack good thing you had this haste rune, or a telekinesis rune.
ASI +2 Int

At 17th level:HP is 123 we now have advantage and resistance against all spells. Ward is now 37 HP and we have a ninth level spell slot and 8th level spells. +11 to counterspell put the odds in our favor even against 9th level spells. At this point you're just a tanky wizard boi with a little extra utility when you buff or heal someone.
ASI's: Resilient Con and Warcaster.

At 20th level and final thoughts:
Spell mastery: shield, and aid. Both of these recharge our ward, Shield is a reaction so it isn't super competitive with our action economy, Aid is an action however it increases HP, it also lets one of those allies make an attack, a rogue who knows that attack is coming is gonna be ready for it.When you're not in battle it is easy to recharge your ward.
Asi could be anything: my personal choice is Dwarven Fortitude. If you are really starting to hurt you can Dodge to heal, Bonus action sanctuary, and then as a reaction shield or counterspell.
AC 20
Base HP 164
Ward: 43
AoA: 35 (There are better uses for 8th and 9th level spells.)

At this point it's up to your wizardly imagination, shapechange into a balor, Have a Ward, AoA, the balors fire damage, Resistance to all spell damage, etc.

[Ogre Mage]

https://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbseg/1813/1813218-bigthumbnail.jpg

The Divine Daughter started her career as a cleric but discovered she did not need prayer to channel her deity’s power – the magic was in her blood. Capable of powerful healing and equally powerful destruction she walks the land doing her god’s will. Though the clerics of her deity whisper she is driven by pride alone.

Level 20 level split: Cleric 1 (life)/Divine Soul 19
Race: Half-elf

Stats: Str 9 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 16

Background: any

+2 CHA (18)
+2 CHA (20)
Resilient (Con)
Lucky
Alert

Starting level: Cleric (life) 1. HP 10 ; AC 18.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt.

You’ll start off in medium armor and shield (AC 18). You are a little weak at this point but still a decent healer/support caster. In combat, open with bless and try to keep your teammates alive. The Divine Daughter is still learning about the nascent power inside her at this stage, wondering why she feels different from the other clerics.

--------------------------------

At 5th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 4. HP 34 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, invisibility, misty step, web.

The Divine Daughter discovered the power inside her and struck out on her own. Healing word and guiding bolt are great for twinned spell. Spiritual weapon is not hindered by your web spell, so whack away and toll the dead at stuck enemies.

--------------------------------

At 11th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 10. HP 70 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, greater invisibility, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.

Spirit guardians and fireball make you dangerous up close or at range. Greater invisibility and polymorph are great for twinned spell. Use heightened spell on hold monster to neutralize a key foe. The Divine Daughter is now fully aware of what she is and confident in her capabilities.

--------------------------------

At 17th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 16. HP 106 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.
6th: disintegrate, heal.
7th: plane shift, reverse gravity.
8th: dominate monster.

You can now fly at will (otherworldly wings) so put that to good use, such as moving unhindered through your reverse gravity zone. Heightened spell on disintegrate or dominate monster is even scarier than hold monster. If two party members are on the verge of death, a twinned heal can swing the encounter. By now a group of worshippers see The Divine Daughter as a manifestation of her deity. Others shake their heads at such false idolatry.

--------------------------------

At 20th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 19. HP 124 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell, empower spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.
6th: disintegrate, heal.
7th: plane shift, reverse gravity.
8th: dominate monster.
9th: wish.

Reality is now what you wish (lol). And that is the way it should be. You have the magic of a god in your blood. I would wish for a simulacrum so you have a proper avatar to do your bidding.

[Civis Mundi]

POMPEY PROBLEMSOLVER


https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/5247089ae4b03b8157cb3a49/1417144799594-DHUV1Y9OL9XW3PENHY4J/image-asset.jpeg?content-type=image%2Fjpeg
(Art by Chris Seaman (https://www.chrisseamanart.com/))

Pompey was born to family of wealthy merchants and artificers. He lived a pampered existence studying the mysteries of the universe as an initiate of Oghma—but when his family lost everything to the machinations of their rivals, he was forced to abandon his cushy lifestyle. Instead, he studied raw arcane power with a focus on divination, hoping to restore his family's good fortunes. Nothing irked him more than feeling that his fate was out of his control. But the more he studied, the more he realized his ambitions had no limit. He could shape a better world, a safer world—a world where his destiny was in his own hands.

Level 20 Split: Knowledge Cleric 3/Diviner 17

Race: Rock Gnome (though any Gnome will do)

Stats: STR 8 / DEX 14 / CON 11 (12) / INT 15 (17) / WIS 13 / CHA 11

Background: Failed Merchant (from Acquisitions Incorporated). The “Supply Chain” feature is the important thing here, but Criminal or Guild Artisan are acceptable substitutes. All that matters is having people to sell to, and a particular background isn't really required for that. Should help, though.

Starting Level: Cleric

Concept: I wanted to optimize in a different direction here.

Martial classes have come a long way since previous editions, but we’re still talking about how they pale in comparison to magic-users. But combat has little to do with it. Martials can compete and outpace spellcasters in their areas of expertise, but what they never get is out-of-combat utility.

That’s exactly what this build optimizes—out-of-combat utility. Where other wizards may excel in reshaping the battlefield, Pompey excels in reshaping the world itself. He’s a competent enough support, but out-of-combat, he can translate his spells into knowledge and resources for the party. Obviously, Pompey does best in a game with downtime, the more the better. Without time to take advantage of his abilities, you’re probably best off playing something else. In the right game, no character is better equipped to interact with the world, and change it along the way.

@5th level: Knowledge Cleric 2/Diviner 3

Cleric Cantrips: guidance, mending, spare the dying

Important Cleric Spells (only 3 prepped at a time, besides *domain spells): bless, ceremony, command*, cure wounds, healing word, identify*, protection from evil & good, shield of faith

Wizard Spells: fire bolt, mold earth, shape water, comprehend languages, detect magic, feather fall, find familiar, floating disk, shield, unseen servant, [1st level spell of choice], invisibility, magic mouth

At this level, Pompey hasn’t truly become Pompey yet. But he’s still a versatile support character, and has the slots of a 5th level caster, if not the spells. He’s also got decent AC with medium armor and a shield, plus Portent, plus the shield spell and any other defensive spells you manage to squeeze in. Gnome Cunning doesn't hurt either.

Considering everyone else’s build has also included a Cleric dip, I don’t have to tell you it’s nice to have those 1st level Cleric spells as an arcanist. Most Clerics can’t upcast invisibility to send out a stealthy scouting duo. Most Wizards can’t heal in a pinch.

He does still have some special tricks up his sleeve at this level. Fire bolt is there in case he actually needs to hit something, but mold earth and shape water are the real gems. They each have tons of creative out-of-combat uses, limited by three factors: 1) your own creativity, 2) the circumstances of your situation, and 3) DM discretion. I’m hardly the first to detail their potential, but I’ll list a few examples.

Shape water could open a lock, put out fires, patch a hole in a ship, or help the party traverse a body of water (either by creating a pathway of ice that falls off behind you or through the air bubble trick, though this would only work for short period of time). You may fashion a propeller out of ice and animate it, increasing the speed of a small boat. I’ve also seen it used to check for traps in certain dungeons.

Mold earth can create cover or difficult terrain before a battle, dig holes in dirt, bury something quickly, conceal or falsify tracks, free a vehicle stuck in rocks or mud, create a ramp to help get over walls, or communicate silently through writing with it. I’ve also used it to plug up a kobold’s arrow holes and force them out of their hiding spot.

Then of course there’s guidance, which just makes everyone a little better at what they do. It’s subtle, but it’s some of the most consistent out-of-combat utility around.

All of the other rituals are also great. A party with access to comprehend languages, detect magic, and identify is a happy party. Floating disks are also nice for carrying loot. Unseen servants have tons of creative uses, and tons of flavor. They’re another exploring and trap-thwarting tool in your arsenal, and losing one is less expensive than resummoning your familiar. Since you can command them with a bonus action, they even have some utility in combat—their 30 lb. carry capacity would still allow them to carry something like a blanket to provide you with cover in between spells (probably mostly fire bolt).

At this level, the real jewel in the crown is magic mouth, using some principles from the Arcane Programmer Guide (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?539861-The-Arcane-Programmer-Guide-(-Official-Rules-Technique-)). I won’t go too in-depth here, because that’s what the guide’s for. Besides, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get the opportunity to use magic mouth to its fullest potential. But there are a couple of relatively straightforward uses:


Create an alarm by casting magic mouth on a rock to start screaming when the trigger conditions are met. This will outclass the actual alarm spell in a bunch of different ways. It’s got a 30’ radius instead of 20’. After spending 10 gp to cast it, it lasts until dispelled, so you can just keep it with you from then on. Most importantly, its trigger is far more flexible than alarm. So, for example, you could set the magic mouth to trigger within 8 hours of you saying the command phrase, “initiate long rest sequence,” repeating “INTRUDER ALERT” in a loud volume when a creature other than certain creatures you choose enter the area. For a more quiet option, you could create one alarm mouth along with one or more other magic mouths. The alarm would let out a near-inaudible whisper when the trigger is met. The other mouths would be attached to grains of rice or something along those lines. The grain(s) would be contained in something like an earpiece or an earring. Their trigger would be the near-inaudible whisper of the alarm when the wearer was asleep. Once triggered, they would repeat their intruder alert just loud enough to wake the wearer up, and cease upon waking.


On the subject of earpieces, this is the big one. See “The Earpiece” section in the Arcane Programmer’s Guide for further detail. Your earpiece can vary in complexity, but basically it’s a metal container attached to your ear fitted with one or more magic mouths. You could do something simple, like make it beep when an invisible creature enters the radius (of course, this wouldn’t work if they’re also magically silent). Or you could hook it up with more magic mouths to effectively grant blindsight (just see the guide for that one, this is going on long enough).



Another reason the earpiece is a big deal is because it’s not a temporary effect. You’ve created an honest-to-goodness magic item, though it’s destroyed by dispel magic. You might create more earpieces than you and your party need, and start selling them for a profit. Wizardry can be expensive—and so may be your later plans.

@11th level: Knowledge Cleric 2/Diviner 9

Stats: STR 8 / DEX 14 / CON 12 / INT 20 / WIS 13 / CHA 11

Feats: Fade Away or Observant at 4th, to bring INT to 18.

Here’s where the build truly comes online, as early as 9th, at Cleric 2/Wizard 7. All we really need is fabricate + Knowledge of the Ages – but we'll get there when we get there.

There’s too many options here for me to prescribe specific spells known. Instead, I’ll go over the must-haves, as well as your other options.

2nd level spells: Arcane lock can be useful, as magic mouth can be used to trigger it. If you have a headquarters you’d like to trap – and you should be seeking out a headquarters – arcane lock + magic mouth can help. Arcanist’s magic aura is a must if you have any interest in concealing your magic mouths. Detect thoughts offers a lot of out-of-combat utility—I love running telepathic interrogations, trying to ask questions that will bring the answers to the surface, timing the conversation for the 1 minute duration, then forcing a save for a probing question before it expires. Knock is knice if you’re filling in for a rogue. Levitate has a ton of utility and is useful control in combat. Rope trick has plenty of tricksy uses as well, making it another good fit for the build.

3rd level spells: Tiny servant is a must. Again, I’m only incorporating what others have explored. Beyond raising an army of tiny objects, you can target specific objects to great effect—manacles, a bear trap, the hook of a grappling hook, a torch, a vial of alchemist’s fire, a poison or potion, a bear trap, a chain (great for escapes, or for tying people up), a key, a lockpick, a lockbox, or just a lock (or at least part of one). For extra fun, you can cast this through a familiar, for various nefarious purposes. You can also cast magic mouth on a bunch of household objects and teach them a song and dance routine, maybe create Tiny Servant Theater as a side hustle (or even a Tiny Servant Arena, dressing them up as little luchadores and programming them with catch phrases).

If you want to make use of Expert Divination, I also recommend clairvoyance. Making good use of divination is some of the best out-of-combat utility you can have. I don’t doubt that a DM that would allow you to make good use of this build would also know how to play your enemies well. In some of these cases, good divination can be the difference between overwhelming victory and a total party kill. Expert Divination does allow you to use your spells more liberally, which synergizes well with all your rituals.

You’ll have plenty of slots for counterspell, which is always powerful. Same for fly, though levitate may be more versatile. You might even consider animate dead, for a bit of extra minionmancy combined with tiny servant, though your DM might murder you for all the trouble. Better to save those zombies for triggering traps—but you’ve got cheaper tools for that. Water breathing is an incredible spell when you need it—it’s a ritual that lasts 24 hours and effects up to 10 willing creatures. For a seafaring campaign, it might be essential.

Glyph of warding is great and fits your theme well, but it works a lot better with good spells to cast through it besides explosive runes. Having some glyphs of haste prepared for a big battle can really turn the action economy in your favor, since they’re concentration-free. Sending is another underrated spell, and another good pick. It can be a great spell for keeping tabs on allies and contacts, or even harassing your enemies. This can also be a way to get more information on your situation—and Pompey knows that knowledge is power.

4th level spells: Fabricate is the cornerstone of this build. I think it’s a hugely underrated spell in general. Besides producing various objects, it depends on DM discretion whether you can use it for excavation. My DM does allow it, converting a 5’ cube of raw stone into either a boulder made of loosely compacted pebbles easily broken down by moderate force, or basically a stone whiffle ball, if allowed. I could see this not flying, in which case stone shape could serve your purpose better. But fabricate is better in general.

See, producing those various objects—that’s where the good stuff lies. Fabricate specifies you can’t use it to, “create items that ordinarily require a high degree of craftsmanship, such as jewelry, weapons, glass, or armor, unless you have proficiency with the type of artisan’s tools used to craft such objects.” But with Knowledge of the Ages, you can grant yourself proficiency in any skill or tool. That makes fabricate another spell with near-infinite applications.

The most important application is simple—making that money. For example, you could more or less use fabricate to make your funds reproduce. Imagine you have a pile of gold pieces. Each coin likely has enough metals in it to form a single gold ring, though you could argue you’d need two. So you cast fabricate on the pile of raw materials—the coins—and convert them into a single object. That object is a fine gold chain with an intricate design your proficiency allows you. Each link is both beautifully engraved and equipped with a little clasp that allows it to be separated from the chain as a whole, allowing you to resell the rings individually, each for more than the coins they were made from. Your DM might rule that coins don’t count as “raw” materials—the rules are vague in this regard—but you could always melt them down first. Things like gold and silver are easy enough to melt with a simple campfire, no dedicated forge required. Throw in some encrusted gems for further profit.

Fabricate will also help in making some of the specialized containers you'll need to create earpieces, as well as any other magic mouth devices you might be making use of. These earpiece containers are delicate things, made to clasp securely onto the ridge of the ear. Embedded within are the tiny magic mouths, but they can be exceedingly small, even smaller than a grain of rice. The container likely has a hole or two in it, to make sure you can hear the magic mouth when it goes off. Presumably, you could fabricate a massive "chain" of them, a 5' stick's worth, then slice them into individual earpieces without compromising the design.

With all this money and all these tools, it’d be silly not to invest in a headquarters, as well as all the gear you can’t just fabricate. Maybe you’ve got a ship instead—all the better! In any case, I recommend you revisit the Arcane Programmer’s Guide when you’ve got a place of your own, and think about installing sensors throughout it.

Your other spells from here are more up in the air. I will go into some potential picks beyond the usual favorites like dimension door or polymorph. Arcane eye is nice for more divination, but not really necessary. Control water is another must for any seafarer. I've also seen hallucinatory terrain used to great effect in this context, though I could imagine its power in many others.

5th level spells: Scrying is a must-pick—as we’ve discussed, a prepared party is a living party. Telepathic bond is another really nice ritual, but you may have other methods of communication at this point. Animate objects is always amazing, and really flavorful for this build. Transmute rock and passwall work well to round out the build’s construction and excavation abilities, but it might be overkill. Teleportation circle requires too much downtime even for Pompey, unless there are pre-existing circles you want to access. Telekinesis or arcane hand are super powerful and versatile, and they fit in well too. The rest I leave to taste.

@17th level: Knowledge Cleric 2/Diviner 15

Feats: Probably War Caster, or a CON boost.

From here, Pompey more or less gains tricks as your standard Wizard, though he has a lot more resources to make use of them. Contingency is great for action economy, and it’s got plenty out-of-combat uses too. Move earth is another major tool in your world-shaping arsenal. Mirage arcane is also an incredible way to prepare ahead and turn a battle in your favor. It lasts 10 days. 10 days! Teleport is an enormous deal for getting around the world, and can be essential in the endgame of many a campaign. Clone can be used on your entire party, and it’s exponentially more useful with the dedicated fortress you surely have by now. You surely have the funds to make clones of all your party members, and potentially even any essential hanger-ons. You've also got the perfect secure location to store those clones. Now even a TPK is only a momentary setback. There are also many shenanigans to be had setting up your own demiplanes. Oh, and we have 3 Portent dice now. So that’s neat.

@20th: Knowledge Cleric 3/Diviner 17

With all his focus on utility, Pompey might seem a little lacking when it comes to things like damage or control, or anything else you might want to do to someone who's trying to kill you. But with all your resources, it shouldn't be too difficult to pick up any other spells you need.

In a real campaign, you may well delay some Wizard spells to pick up that 3rd level of Cleric earlier. Having access to aid and spiritual weapon can really help round out the character. Spell Mastery is tempting, and I can’t exactly call it a bad idea—but Pompey shouldn’t be too starved for slots anyway. Beyond that, take wish and one other 9th level spell of your choice, and we'll call it a day from there.

[Bobthewizard]

The Fire Safety Witch

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/6f/86/7f/6f867fd75715cd47dfc67880a2af0458--draenei-fantasy-creatures.jpg

Red Dragon Sorcerer 18 / Evocation Wizard 2

Glasya Tiefling

The demons surprise the party, pouring out of every hallway into the great room, their red, beady eyes glowing in the torchlight as they attack everyone in the room. A young tiefling woman stands up from her seat, large red wings unfurling and spreading out from her back. She rises into the air, out of reach of the demons, and suddenly the room erupts in flame below her. As the demons scream in pain, her party members continue to fight off the horde, running through the fire unharmed, knowing that their sorceress would never hurt them.

This build combines sculpt spells and careful meta magic to let you can cast both AOE damage and control right on top of your party, making fireball, hypnotic pattern and fear much more versatile. It combines the damage bonuses and metamagic of the dragon sorcerer with the evoker's sculpt spells to give an AOE damage and disable capability that is a lot of fun to play. It is an expanded discussion of a build I first saw in theUser's guide (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxHRu80oFd2iSkNLeVBISzZxMzQ/view) to sorcerers, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting of playing a sorcerer. At very high levels, a straight evoker or nuclear wizard may be more effective, but at levels 7-12 or so, where most campaigns peak, this build is much more fun.

Point Buy - S8, D13+1, C14, I13, W11, Ch14+2

Base Tiefling would work fine but I like getting minor illusion, disguise self and invisibility from the Glasya subtype better. They are spells I like a lot but rarely make the cut with a sorcerer's limited spells known.

Level 5: Wizard 2 / Sorcerer 3

I would normally play this as dragon sorcerer 6 then take two levels of wizard, but for demonstration purposes, I'm going to start with two levels of wizard so you can see how this would come together.

Glasya Tiefling and wizard give you an extra 5 spell preparations, 5 rituals, and 4 extra cantrips, making you much more versatile than a straight sorcerer. From your wizard levels, take utility and defense spells since you won't be boosting INT. I took control flames, shape water, and mold earth for cantrips. You get 8 first level spells and can prepare 3. So take shield, absorb elements, and feather fall to prepare and the rest rituals. Let's go with comprehend languages, detect magic, find familiar, identify, and unseen servant.

But what you're really after from your wizard levels is sculpt spells from the evocation subclass. Dragon sorcerers can do great damage with their bonuses and metamagic, but if you can't place the fireball, then it doesn't help. Sculpt spells takes care of that problem.

At sorcerer 3, you know 4 spells. You'll have 2 3rd level slots but no 3rd level spells so take something that upcasts. I'll take burning hands, scorching ray, as well as charm person and suggestion to lean into the Glasya background. You can upcast scorching ray and charm person with your 3rd level slots.

For metamagic, you need to take both empowered and careful. I love both of these. They both only cost 1SP so you can use them quite often and they make your spells much better. Empowered increases the damage of your blasting significantly. When you get fireball, they will average 33.3 damage instead of the baseline 27. Once you get 3rd level spells, careful will become your staple opener for control. It only works on a few spells, but it makes fear and hypnotic pattern usable in almost every combat.

Level 11: Wizard 2 / Sorcerer 9

At level 11, you are throwing around sculpted fireballs and careful fear and hypnotic pattern with abandon. It is so much fun to play.

At Sorcerer 4, take Elemental Adept to bypass fire resistance. At level 7, sorcerer level 5, you take fireball and fear and your build is completely online. From here it's just becoming a better sorcerer. In combat, you either cast a sculpted fireball, using empowered metamagic if needed to boost low damage rolls, or you use careful on fear to make enemies run away and provoke opportunity attacks. That's something fear normally doesn't offer since without careful, you would make your allies run too.

At level 8, you gain elemental affinity to add Charisma modifier to fire spells, your fireball now does an average of 37 damage, 10 more than a straight evoker, and you can sculpt it around your allies.

At level 9, you add sickening radiance, which you can sculpt around your allies and is especially good in longer combats. Exhaustion is brutal and only evokers can use this spell in a mixed up melee. Banishment upcasts well with more targets so is a good use of spell slots that don't have prepared spells yet.

Level 17: Wizard 2 / Sorcerer 15

You get wings! And more spells! Now you can fly and rain down hell on the enemy you left cowering in the corner. But really, careful with fear and hypnotic pattern is still fun and effective, so you'll still be doing those a lot. And when you need damage, you can bring it. You're better against lots of mooks, but with quicken and scorching ray you can add some single target damage if you need to. For your sorcerer 10 metamagic I like quicken. You can throw a fireball and still firebolt one creature, adding charisma for both and empowered if needed. It's a nice little boost to damage. Reverse gravity finally gives you another spell that works with careful. Take subtle for the last metamagic and I could see switching the order of those last two metamagics.

Level 20: Wizard 2 / Sorcerer 18

Wish!

Final spells
Glasya: Minor illusion, Disguise self, Invisibility
Wizard: Cantrips, Shield, Absorb Elements, Feather Fall, Silent Image, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Identify and Find Familiar.
Sorcerer:
C- Firebolt, Create bonfire, and whatever else you want. You almost get them all.
1- none
2- Suggestion, Scorching Ray
3- Fireball, Fear, Hypnotic Pattern, Counterspell
4- Banishment, Sickening Radiance, Dimension Door
5- Wall of Stone, Telekinesis
6- Mass Suggestion
7- Reverse Gravity
8-
9- Wish, Meteor Swarm

[ForeverFlame]

Reserving Hexblade 4/Hexblade 4/Hexblade 4/Hexblade 4/Hexblade 4.

[ForeverFlame]

https://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbseg/1813/1813218-bigthumbnail.jpg

The Divine Daughter started her career as a cleric but discovered she did not need prayer to channel her deity’s power – the magic was in her blood. Capable of powerful healing and equally powerful destruction she walks the land doing her god’s will. Though the clerics of her deity whisper she is driven by pride alone.

Level 20 level split: Cleric 1 (life)/Divine Soul 19
Race: Half-elf

Stats: Str 9 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 16

Background: any

+2 CHA (18)
+2 CHA (20)
Resilient (Con)
Lucky
Alert

Starting level: Cleric (life) 1. HP 10 ; AC 18.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt.

You’ll start off in medium armor and shield (AC 18). You are a little weak at this point but still a decent healer/support caster. In combat, open with bless and try to keep your teammates alive. The Divine Daughter is still learning about the nascent power inside her at this stage, wondering why she feels different from the other clerics.

--------------------------------

At 5th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 4. HP 34 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, invisibility, misty step, web.

The Divine Daughter discovered the power inside her and struck out on her own. Healing word and guiding bolt are great for twinned spell. Spiritual weapon is not hindered by your web spell, so whack away and toll the dead at stuck enemies.

--------------------------------

At 11th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 10. HP 70 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, greater invisibility, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.

Spirit guardians and fireball make you dangerous up close or at range. Greater invisibility and polymorph are great for twinned spell. Use heightened spell on hold monster to neutralize a key foe. The Divine Daughter is now fully aware of what she is and confident in her capabilities.

--------------------------------

At 17th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 16. HP 106 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.
6th: disintegrate, heal.
7th: plane shift, reverse gravity.
8th: dominate monster.

You can now fly at will (otherworldly wings) so put that to good use, such as moving unhindered through your reverse gravity zone. Heightened spell on disintegrate or dominate monster is even scarier than hold monster. If two party members are on the verge of death, a twinned heal can swing the encounter. By now a group of worshippers see The Divine Daughter as a manifestation of her deity. Others shake their heads at such false idolatry.

--------------------------------

At 20th level: Cleric (life) 1/Divine Soul 19. HP 124 ; AC 18.
Metamagic: twinned spell, quicken spell, heightened spell, empower spell.
Cantrips: guidance, thaumaturgy, firebolt, toll the dead, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, mending.
1st: bless, cure wounds, detect magic, healing word, guiding bolt, shield.
2nd: spiritual weapon, lesser restoration.
3rd: spirit guardians, fireball, counterspell.
4th: dimension door, polymorph.
5th: hold monster.
6th: disintegrate, heal.
7th: plane shift, reverse gravity.
8th: dominate monster.
9th: wish.

Reality is now what you wish (lol). And that is the way it should be. You have the magic of a god in your blood. I would wish for a simulacrum so you have a proper avatar to do your bidding.

In the name of the wisdom casters, receive my vote.

[Dork_Forge]

In the name of the wisdom casters, receive my vote.

Please cast your vote after the build deadline has passed.

[Civis Mundi]

I'd like to submit one more crack at this, going in a very different direction. Pompey is broad in scope, but he's very dependent on the table he's playing at.

This build is much narrower in the applications of its powers. She's focused on single-target control, and it's hard to match her in that regard.

NIX INKTONGUE

https://pm1.narvii.com/6948/7f244d8b57bef60493cb853f048b4406e70df073r1-1061-1500v2_00.jpg
(Art by Eleth89 ("https://www.deviantart.com/eleth89))

Level 20 Split: Shadow Sorcerer 15/Eloquence Bard 5

Race: Changeling

Stats: STR 9 / DEX 15 (16) / CON 12 / INT 10 / WIS 10 / CHA 15 (17)

Background: Urchin

Starting Level: Sorcerer

Nix was abandoned at birth, like many Changelings. She was taken to a disreputable orphanage that used its charges as a cash crop, mistreating and neglecting them. Soon after she learned to walk, she managed to escape. Beyond the usual Changeling gifts, there was something different about her—a shadowy presence that unnerved most who crossed her path.

Nix survived in the urban wasteland by herself. Her wits and her natural talents let her earn just enough to get by picking the pockets of the more fortunate. Then her luck seemed to turn when her mark caught her in the act. As the story often goes, he was a wealthy nobleman, and he saw the potential in the wayward soul. After all—one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Master Bartleby trained her in the fine art of manipulation, and she grew up to be his most trusted spy. With her help, Bartleby crushed his rivals, and grew to dominate his home city. In turn, Nix found somewhere to belong. Still, she had to remain in the shadows, where she'd always passed her time.

@5th level: Shadow Sorcerer 1/Eloquence Bard 4

Stats: STR 9 / DEX 16 / CON 12 / INT 10 / WIS 10 / CHA 18

Feats: Actor

Bard Spells: friends, minor illusion, vicious mockery, bane, cure wounds, dissonant whispers, hideous laughter, hold person, invisibility, blindness/deafness

Sorcerer Spells: frostbite, chill touch, message, shocking grasp, shield, ?

Nix hasn't quite come into her own, but she's already ahead of the curve when it comes to control, on the battlefield or in the ballroom. Friends + Shapechanger is a great combo, especially with Actor and Expertise in Deception. Not only can you circumvent the pitfalls of the friends cantrip, you can use it to pin the blame on someone else. And all of it's at will. Pompey Problemsolver specialized in controlling situations, but Nix has her own way of doing so, by controlling social situations.

Unsettling Words already makes you one of the best single-target controllers for your level. You can use it as a bonus action, then follow-up with one of your many control options.

Most of your spells do have certain limitations (immunity to charm or fear, low intelligence, et c., humanoid only, et c.), but you have enough variety to have a tool for most every situation. Bane works great with spells that don’t require concentration, like dissonant whispers or blindness/deafness.

@11th level: Shadow Sorcerer 6/Eloquence Bard 5

One day, a run of bad luck put Nix in a tight spot. She was captured during an infiltration mission, and her identity revealed. But when she needed Bartleby most, he threw her under the lightning rail. Bartleby claimed he'd never met Nix in his life. Nix languished in prison, but she didn't languish for long. She affected her escape, and swore vengeance on the man who'd once been her only friend. Her connection to the shadows only grew in her time of crisis, and she honed that connection to a razor's edge.

Stats: STR 8 / DEX 16 / CON 12 / INT 10 / WIS 10 / CHA 20

Metamagic: Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell

Bard Spells: bestow curse

Sorcerer Spells: levitate, suggestion, blink, catnap, enemies abound, slow

What Nix lacks in higher-level spells, she gains in raw power. With Font of Inspiration, Unsettling Words is 5/short rest. Combining it with Hound of Ill-Omen is pretty rough, especially combined with bane. Hound of Ill-Omen is as expensive as Heightened Spell, but you can use it over and over again. It’s definitely vulnerable, especially to AoE, but getting even 2 uses out of it is a lot of bang for your buck. If you pair it with threatening frontliners, it becomes a lot more survivable. At worst, the opportunity cost of taking it down will be worth it.

Instead of Heightened Spell, we're taking Subtle and Twinned. Twinned is always nice, even for a build with such a single-target focus. And Subtle means you can use control spells like suggestion or enemies abound without anyone noticing.

You can also upcast bestow curse at 5th level, casting it without concentration. This allows you to layer things like bane + bestow curse + blindness/deafness, potentially ending concentration on bane near the end of this cycle for a stronger control like hideous laughter, hold person, or slow. You could also substitute slow for another AoE control of your choice—I picked it to fill in gaps against targets resistant to other effects, and because an AoE never hurts. It’s tailormade for bosses with a bunch of minions—focus your debuffs on the boss, and the minions may well fail anyway. Twinned Spell might also be useful when you need to widen your focus just a tad.

You’ve got DC 17 saves at this level. Enemies also take a -1d8 penalty, disadvantage, and a potential -1d4 penalty from bane. Obviously, that’s extremely difficult to beat (by my math, an effective DC of ~24-25), great for locking down single targets or burning through a big bad’s legendary resistance. In combination with a Monk, you could make your DM weep.

@17th level: Shadow Sorcerer 12/Eloquence Bard 5

As Nix got stronger and stronger, she used her connections to both the Shadowfell and the criminal underworld to destroy Master Bartelby's life. Rather than simply targeting his financial empire, she hit him where it truly hurt, turning his loved ones against him and manipulating them into grisly ends. When he was mad with grief and all alone in the world, she revealed herself to him, just before she slew him. Then she took his form, and the mantle of his power.

Feats: Besides War Caster, your options are pretty open. I like Inspiring Leader for flavor (and to shore up your low HP), or Alert to make sure you lock enemies down before they can react.

Metamagic: Extended Spell

Sorcerer Spells: banishment, dimension door, enemies abound, hold person, dominate person, hold monster, seeming, disintegrate, eyebite

You get a number of extremely powerful control spells at this tier, from banishment to dominate person to hold monster to eyebite. All of these are exquisite pairings with your existing options. I also decided to pick up disintegrate. You can sabotage the save against this just as well as you could sabotage their save against a control spell. You even have a 9th level slot to upcast it with. It could be your finisher, a true save-or-die.

@20th level: Shadow Sorcerer 15/Eloquence Bard 5

Sorcerer Spells: etherealness, dominate monster

At this tier, you pick up a little extra control, and a little utility (though I admit, I mostly picked etherealness for the flavor). You also pick up Shadow Walk at Sorcerer 14, which could be welcome in the right situations. It’s certainly cool, but it doesn't exactly compete with wish. At this high a tier, maybe you go Bard 3/Sorcerer 17, just to pick up wish. But it misses out on Font of Inspiration, which lets you do your defining thing a lot less often. Personally, I think it's much more interesting this way.

Where Nix was once the downtrodden, she is now the oppressor. The city that turned a blind eye to her suffering for so long now sits in her iron fist. It may take the greatest adventurers of the age to uncover the dark secrets of the Bartleby name, and the monster who hides in the shadows...

[Ogre Mage]

In the name of the wisdom casters, receive my vote.


Please cast your vote after the build deadline has passed.

Thank you ForeverFlame. I believe we can start voting on 7/11/2020.

[Zonugal]

For this competition I decided to focus on the Arcana Cleric and their Spell Breaker class feature (although it isn't the singular focus of the build).

Sister McArcanum
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ac/b0/73/acb073e5d1ad1cb49a5d06a2bf292d03.jpg

Sister McArcanum is a holy wizard. She's designed to be a lore-master, a utility-mage, and a self-sufficient adventurer. She primarily journeys to discover lost scrolls, spell-books, and other magic relics.

1ST-LEVEL
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1
1st -- Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 10 (+0)
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human]

At the beginning of her adventuring career, Sister McArcanum is a young scholar at a temple for magic. Before showcasing herself ready to receive her lord's gifts, she first must demonstrate proficiency in learning standard, utility magic. During these early days, she is also taught how to best defend herself and defend the innocent with nothing but her fists & scholarly robes.

Mechanically, starting her off as a Monk is connected more to story-purposes than anything else, but I also knew that I didn't envision this particular character traveling in bulky armor. I wanted the image of a wizard, with robes & a staff, so the Monk's Martial Art & Unarmored Defense felt like quality features to grab to manifest that idea. She starts off with the Ritual Caster (Wizard) feat as it'll offer her utility spells for at least the first third of her adventuring career, in addition to contributing to her image as a holy wizard.

5TH-LEVEL
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1/‘Arcana” Cleric 4
5th -- Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 10 (+0)
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human] & Magic Initiate (Druid: Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Goodberry) [4th]

A few years, and quests, have gone by since her early days at the temple. Sister McArcanum is an established arcane priest, who now possesses Cleric, Druid, & Wizard spells. Through the Arcane Initiate sub-class feature, she grabs the Minor Illusion & Prestidigitation cantrips. She could have grabbed some offensive cantrips from the Wizard spell-list, but honestly I think she's good with Sacred Flame (and later Word of Radiance). I also want her to be more utility-minded, so more versatile & "magical" cantrips like Minor Illusion & Prestidigitation end up being better choices for her. At 4th level she grabs Magic Initiate (Druid) with her ASI, and learns Produce Flame, Shillelagh, and Goodberry. Shillelagh offers her a way of staying somewhat reliable in melee combat for the rest of her career (as her wisdom will continue to rise), with Produce Flame offering her an elemental, ranged spell attack that also has a utility function within it. She only gets to cast Goodberry once per long rest, but its a great spell as in two levels it'll work wonders via her Spell Breaker sub-class feature.

11TH-LEVEL
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1/‘Arcana” Cleric 10
11th -- Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 10 (+0)
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human], Magic Initiate (Druid: Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Goodberry) [4th], & +2 Wis [8th]

Sister McArcanum is a veteran holy wizard, with access to almost every Wizard ritual spell, in addition to a selection of fantastic Cleric spells. At 7th-level she gained the Spell Breaker sub-class feature, which is a fantastic feature for removing negative spells from her allies. Its a feature even Life Cleric's don't get, and really adds a feather into the Sister's cap in which her skill with magic is so powerful she can just dissolve caustic spells when casually throwing around Cure Wounds. Depending on how one approaches the use of Goodberry (via Magic Initiate) and Spell-Breaker I leave to the audience. A more liberal reading would allow the Sister to pass out ten berries to allies, with each berry offering the chance to remove a negative 1st-level spell. But, if that isn't the case, the Sister still has a once per day spell that allows her to feed her entire adventuring party. She continues to a model for self-sufficiency. At 9th-level she increases her wisdom, which makes her a better spellcaster, as well as boosting her defense & attacking skill. At the same level she gains the Potent Spellcaster sub-class featuring, adding her wisdom modifier to the damage she deals with any cleric cantrip. So, while it won't work with Produce Flame, she can now throw herself into the middle of combat & begin to spam castings of Word of Radiance (every adjacent enemy will usually receive around 12 radiant damage through this).

17TH-LEVEL
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1/‘Arcana” Cleric 16
17th -- Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 20 (+5), Cha 10 (+0)
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human], Magic Initiate (Druid: Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Goodberry) [4th], +2 Wis [8th], Resilient (Wisdom) [12th], & +1 Int/+1 Wis [16th]

Near the end of her adventuring career, Sister McArcanum continues to search for the ability to bolster her already impressive magical abilities. At 12th-level she grabs Resilient (Wisdom), as to shore up her mental protection. Due to her first-level in Monk, she's been questing with proficiencies in strength & dexterity saves, but now she can feel confident no foes are going to have an easy ride into her mind. At 16th-level she finally maxes out her wisdom to twenty and provides a slight boost to her intelligence (because the only feat that would grant her a +1 wisdom is Observant, and... Eh?).

18TH-LEVEL
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1/‘Arcana” Cleric 19
20th -- Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 20 (+5), Cha 10 (+0)
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human], Magic Initiate (Druid: Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Goodberry) [4th], +2 Wis [8th], Resilient [12th], +1 Int/+1 Wis [16th], & Prodigy (Nature, Arcana*, Herbalism Kit, Primordial) [19th]

Sister McArcanum finally reaches the end of her adventuring career. At 18th-level she gains her final Arcane Domain sub-class feature, Arcane Mastery. For her 6th-level spell pick, I selected Investiture of Wind as it offers her a fly speed. It's only for one minute, but I feel being able to magically fly is a quintessential Wizard trick. It also offers her an AoE spell-effect (which isn't super amazing but is tied to flying, so it increases her versatility). For her 7th-level spell she grabs Teleport, as its a classic Wizard spell for a reason. Her 8th-level spell chosen is Dominate Monster. She hasn't really had any strong enchantment spells, and now she has the strongest one in case she needs to immediately dominate an opponent. And for her 9th-level spell pick its obviously Wish because, come on... She also has one last ASI, which... She can't max her wisdom anymore. While I could give her Keen Mind, to boost her intelligence to 16 (which offers no real power boost), or improve her dexterity to 16 (which only really boosts her armor class by one point), I decided to give her the Prodigy feat right near the end of her career. Sister McArcanum has officially retired in an arcane temple, so she has time to really delve into her tomes (represented by her now expertise in the Arcana skill, brewing of potions, & learning the Primordial language).

Here she is in full.

Sister McArcanum (20th-level)
‘Cloistered Scholar’ V.Human Monk 1/‘Arcana” Cleric 19
Medium humanoid (human), Neutral Good
AC: 17 (unarmored defense); HP: 123 (20d8+20); Speed: 30 ft.; Saving Throws: Strength +5, Dexterity +8, & Wisdom +11
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 20 (+5), Cha 10 (+0)
Skills (+6): Arcana*, History, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, & Religion
ASI/Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard) [V.Human], Magic Initiate (Druid: Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Goodberry) [4th], +2 Wis [8th], Resilient (Wisdom) [12th], +1Int/+1 Wis [16th], & Prodigy (Perception, Arcana*, Herbalism Kit, Primordial) [19th]
Tool Proficiencies (+6): Cook’s Utensils & Herbalism Kit
Armor/Weapon Proficiencies: Light & medium armor, shields; Simple weapons & shortswords
Senses: passive Perception 21
Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, & Primordial
Special Abilities
Racial Abilities: --
Background Abilities: Library Access
Class Abilities: Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts, Spellcasting (Cleric), Divine Domain (Arcana), Arcane Initiate (Minor Illusion & Prestidigitation), Channel Divinity (thrice/rest), Channel Divinity: Arcane Abjuration (CR 4), Destroy Undead (CR 4), Spell Breaker, Potent Spellcasting, & Arcane Mastery (6th-Investiture of Wind, 7th-Teleport, 8th-Dominate Monster, 9th-Wish)
---
Actions
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage
Shillelagh Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning damage; magical
---
Cleric Spells -- Sister McArcanum’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom-based (spell save DC 19)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Guidance, Mending, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy, & Word of Radiance
1st-level Spells Known (4/long rest) -- Cure Wounds, Detect Magic*, Healing Word, Magic Missile*, & Shield of Faith
2nd-level Spells Known (3/long rest) -- Enhance Ability, Lesser Restoration, Magic Weapon*, & Nystul’s Magic Aura*
3rd-level Spells Known (3/long rest) -- Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic*, Glyph of Warding, Magic Circle*, & Spirit Guardians
4th-level Spells Known (3/long rest) -- Arcane Eye*, Banishment, Divination(R), Leomund’s Secret Chest*
5th-level Spells Known (3/long rest) -- Commune(R), Greater Restoration, Legend Lore, Planar Binding*, Scrying, & Teleportation Circle*
6th-level Spells Known (2/long rest) -- Forbiddance(R), Heroes’ Feast, Investiture of Wind*, & Planar Ally
7th-level Spells Known (1/long rest) -- Fire Storm, Plane Shift, Symbol, & Teleport*
8th-level Spells Known (1/long rest) -- Antimagic Field, Dominate Monster*, & Holy Aura
9th-level Spells Known (1/long rest) -- Gate, Mass Heal, & Wish*
---
Druid Spells -- Sister McArcanum’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom-based (spell save DC 19)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Produce Flame & Shillelagh
1st-level Spells Known (1/long rest) -- Goodberry
---
Wizard Rituals -- Sister McArcanum’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence-based (spell save DC 16)
1st-level Rituals Known -- Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Identify, Illusory Script, Tenser’s Floating Disk, & Unseen Servant
2nd-level Rituals Known -- Gentle Repose, Magic Mouth, & Skywrite
3rd-level Rituals Known -- Feign Death, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Phantom Steed, & Water Breathing
4th-level Rituals Known -- N/A
5th-level Rituals Known -- Contact Other Plane & Rary’s Telepathic Bond
6th-level Rituals Known -- Drawmij’s Instant Summons

I hope you enjoyed the build!

[kaervaak]

The Arcane Cheesegrater:

Lotusden Halfling (for spike growth)

Hexblade 2/Graviturgist 6/Sea Sorcerer 12

So the schtick is that we're going to cast spike growth and then drag folks around in it using magic until they die. Another fun thing is shooting people up into the air and letting them fall to their deaths, or pushing them back and forth through a wall of fire. This build lets you move your targets around the battle field in pretty crazy ways.

Stats at 1st level (point buy): str 8, dex 14 + 2, con 13, int 13, wis 9 + 1, cha 15

We start off as hexblade 2 to get eldritch blast, repelling blast, and grasp of hadar

Next we go graviturgy wizard until we get to 6th level to get Gravity Well. Now, when we shoot someone with eldritch blast (2 beams at this point), we can move them 5 feet in any direction, then 10 feet away or towards us. So now we can cast spike growth, then on the next turn hit someone with 2 eldritch blast beams to move them 5 feet forward, 10 feet back, 5 feet forward, 10 feet back for 30 feet of forced movement through spike growth for an extra 12d4 damage on top of our eldritch blast damage.

Alternatively, we could pop them 5 feet up in the air, push them 10 feet away (now at potentially a 45 degree angle up), then up another 5 and more back and up. Need to pull out my protractor here, but this puts them about 20 feet up in the air. Depending on how your DM is feeling, this should make them suffer 2d6 falling damage and end up prone.

Now we'll multi-class into sorcerer for that sweet metamagic (quickened spell). Sea sorcerer gives us a fun little curse ability where whenever the cursed target is moved by a spell, they get moved 15 additional feet (once per turn). So now we can drag someone through 45 feet of spike growth or pop them 35 feet straight up. Even better, we can quicken eldritch blast now, so we can cast it twice per round. That's 75 feet of forced movement through spike growth or 55 feet of (very) temporary flight.

By level 20 we can really make things move. 8 eldritch blasts per turn means we can throw something 95 feet straight up (give or take depending on how far away they were from you) or move them 135 feet on the ground (70 of those have to be away from you). Don't want to deal with attack rolls or saving throws? We can upcast magic missile to 9th level and quicken an 8th level version for 21 missiles each moving the target 5 feet. In spike growth, that's an extra 42d4 (105) damage on top of the 74 from the missiles. If someone else is kind enough to cast spike growth for you, you could have hexblade's curse active as well for a whopping 252 extra damage!

Level 20:

Stats: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 20

ASIs: Level 6: +1 Cha, +1 Con, Level 10: War Caster, Level 14: +2 Cha, Level 18: +2 Cha

[Dork_Forge]

Reminder:Last day for build submissions before voting begins

[Waazraath]

I believe voting is on right (16.00 European time)?

In that case: my vote goes to: Sister McArcanum


Voting declaration:

1) perfect solution for a 'mastery of magic' concept. Cleric & druid have the most spells known (barring a really generous setting where wizards can learn all spells), but lack some of the iconic magic stuff that's mostly (though not exclusively) on the wizard list, with wish as main example. An Arcana Cleric gets the best of both works, and nicking druid stuff with a feat is icing on the cake. Extra kudo's for staying in theme with an unarmored staff wielder.
2) no bloody ravnica backgrounds or dragonmarked races. Really this is the biggest fault in 5e splat imo, cause 5e already fails in providing thematic casters, and these options destroy the themedness that there was, allowing healing wizards, counterspellling teleporting druids, and illusionary sneaky paladins. Really strong point of this build that it avoids the (ch)easy way of adding other spells.






For this competition I decided to focus on the Arcana Cleric and their Spell Breaker class feature (although it isn't the singular focus of the build).

Sister McArcanum
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ac/b0/73/acb073e5d1ad1cb49a5d06a2bf292d03.jpg

Sister McArcanum is a holy wizard. She's designed to be a lore-master, a utility-mage, and a self-sufficient adventurer. She primarily journeys to discover lost scrolls, spell-books, and other magic relics.

snip!

[Dork_Forge]

I believe voting is on right (16.00 European time)?

In that case: my vote goes to: Sister McArcanum


Voting declaration:

1) perfect solution for a 'mastery of magic' concept. Cleric & druid have the most spells known (barring a really generous setting where wizards can learn all spells), but lack some of the iconic magic stuff that's mostly (though not exclusively) on the wizard list, with wish as main example. An Arcana Cleric gets the best of both works, and nicking druid stuff with a feat is icing on the cake. Extra kudo's for staying in theme with an unarmored staff wielder.
2) no bloody ravnica backgrounds or dragonmarked races. Really this is the biggest fault in 5e splat imo, cause 5e already fails in providing thematic casters, and these options destroy the themedness that there was, allowing healing wizards, counterspellling teleporting druids, and illusionary sneaky paladins. Really strong point of this build that it avoids the (ch)easy way of adding other spells.

It's 4 Eastern Time for our US counterparts, but it's close enough you won't have to revote later. Please try and quote the build you want to vote for (snipping the build itself) in future, it's not bad this round but it makes it a bit easier for me to count votes :)

[Waazraath]

It's 4 Eastern Time for our US counterparts, but it's close enough you won't have to revote later. Please try and quote the build you want to vote for (snipping the build itself) in future, it's not bad this round but it makes it a bit easier for me to count votes :)

Ah, ET = eastern time, sorry - I'm too euro-centered I guess! I'll edit / quote anyway, if it's easier lets do it right immediately.

[Civis Mundi]

My vote goes to:


[FONT=Century Gothic]The Fire Safety Witch

I rarely play a blaster, but this is one I would try. The name for the build makes me laugh, and evokes a character who plays mother hen to the party while obliterating their enemies. That kind of archetype is something I really enjoy.

[Zonugal]

My vote goes towards Pompey the Problemsolver.

It's a fun build that is dedicated to the more mundane power, versatility, & utility of magic.


POMPEY PROBLEMSOLVER


https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/5247089ae4b03b8157cb3a49/1417144799594-DHUV1Y9OL9XW3PENHY4J/image-asset.jpeg?content-type=image%2Fjpeg

SNIP

Also, this kind of stuff really clinched it for me, so, big points for that.


3rd level spells[/U]: Tiny servant is a must. Again, I’m only incorporating what others have explored. Beyond raising an army of tiny objects, you can target specific objects to great effect—manacles, a bear trap, the hook of a grappling hook, a torch, a vial of alchemist’s fire, a poison or potion, a bear trap, a chain (great for escapes, or for tying people up), a key, a lockpick, a lockbox, or just a lock (or at least part of one). For extra fun, you can cast this through a familiar, for various nefarious purposes. You can also cast magic mouth on a bunch of household objects and teach them a song and dance routine, maybe create Tiny Servant Theater as a side hustle (or even a Tiny Servant Arena, dressing them up as little luchadores and programming them with catch phrases).

[Rolero]

Here goes my vote.


NIX INKTONGUE

Love the concept of the character and the progression, a revenge story focused on turning the tables on the one that betrayed you.

Also, the build is quite solid, and can make an amazing antagonist for a campaign centered around intrigue on a metropolis.
As a PC, works greatly as party face and single target control specialist.

[Civis Mundi]

Also, this kind of stuff really clinched it for me, so, big points for that.

You have my gratitude, and the Luchadorcitos' too.



Also, the build is quite solid, and can make an amazing antagonist for a campaign centered around intrigue on a metropolis.
As a PC, works greatly as party face and single target control specialist.

I definitely could see Nix starting as a PC, and becoming the antagonist of the next campaign.

[Dork_Forge]

UPDATE I have now added a list of builds in the OP, thank you everyone for quoting your votes, it's appreciated.

[Bobthewizard]

The Warded Man (Well dwarf really.)

Level 20 level split: Order Cleric 1/Abjuration Wizard 19

Race: Dwarf Mark of Warding

This was a tough choice. There are a lot of great builds here again. There are 3 or 4 that I'll probably stream and play at some point. Great job everyone. But since I have to vote for just one, my vote goes for the Warded Man. I'm playing a Mark of Warding abjurer right now and it's a lot of fun. Might need to add the order cleric into it.

[SociopathFriend]

I'm voting for Nix Inktongue. There's just something magical about someone who doesn't smash down walls, doesn't blow apart enemies, doesn't even rip reality a new bumhole, but instead knows just the right ear and just the right words to put in it in just the right way.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

I'd like to submit one more crack at this, going in a very different direction. Pompey is broad in scope, but he's very dependent on the table he's playing at.

This build is much narrower in the applications of its powers. She's focused on single-target control, and it's hard to match her in that regard.

NIX INKTONGUE

https://pm1.narvii.com/6948/7f244d8b57bef60493cb853f048b4406e70df073r1-1061-1500v2_00.jpg



Have my Vote.

[XmonkTad]

My vote is for Pompey Problemsolver. I love the concept!

[Citadel97501]

I am voting for the Warded Man IE Dwarf :). A very defensive caster who could have been selfish but instead would be buffing others after his are up, so they can get free attacks with his Order cleric level :)

[Ogre Mage]

Zonugal's 'Sister McArcanum' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24599510&postcount=12)


I vote for Sister McArcanum as I have a yen for caster cleric builds and this looks like the sort of one I would play.

[Dork_Forge]

Reminder: Last day for voting

[ftafp]

Voting for Pompey Problemsolver

[ftafp]

hey Dork_Forge, would you have any objection to another similar contest using this format? I was thinking since judging weeks are dead weeks it would keep the momentum going, and since most of the builds here tend to be more serious and optimized, it would be nice to have something that's a bit more lighthearted. I'm thinking it could be called something something like 5e Standup

[Dork_Forge]

For the first time ever we have a tie for two winners! The winners are Civis Mundi's 'Pompey Problem Solver and 'Nix Inktonue'... Also by Civis!

So a big congratulations to Civis on what I think is their first Throwdown!

Please refer to the OP for a breakdown of voting and the builds that were submitted this time.

Thank you everyone for participating and voting, a new Throwdown will be posted later today!

[Waazraath]

[B][SIZE=4]
Thank you everyone for participating and voting, a new Throwdown will be posted later today!

Thank you for organizing this, every time! I like this as an addition to the forum :)

[Bobthewizard]

Congrats, Civis! Nice job. Actually, nice job everyone. There were a lot of good builds in this contest.

[Dork_Forge]

Thank you for organizing this, every time! I like this as an addition to the forum :)

You're very welcome, I enjoy seeing the creativity of folks here and think it's a good way to see what you can achieve in certain themes. :)


Congrats, Civis! Nice job. Actually, nice job everyone. There were a lot of good builds in this contest.

Very nice job, some great builds this time round!

[Civis Mundi]

For the first time ever we have a tie for two winners! The winners are Civis Mundi's 'Pompey Problemsolver and 'Nix Inktongue'... Also by Civis!

So a big congratulations to Civis on what I think is their first Throwdown!

Please refer to the OP for a breakdown of voting and the builds that were submitted this time.

Thank you everyone for participating and voting, a new Throwdown will be posted later today!

Thank you so much! This is indeed my first throwdown, and I can't wait for the next one! Thank you Dork Forge for all you do to make this happen, and thank you to everyone who participated or voted.