5e Throwdowns #6: Hard Mode (An Abserd Difficulty)

[Dork_Forge]

Six Throwdowns in already and the creativity from you all just keeps on coming! So in the DM's tradition of inflicting unknowable pain on their players, I give you...

The concept: Hard Mode (An Abserd Difficulty)

This time we'll be pushing your abilty to get blood from a stone, your builds will be a mash up of most if not all character classes! There's no specific aim for your build, that's up to you to decide, will you go utilitarian support? Healer? Tank? Damage dealer? Pie eating contest winner (does it show I'm on a diet?)?


Some rules for guidance:

-Your build must contain at least one level in 10 out of the current 13 character classes to be valid

-Please add a field at the start of your build for what you are aiming for with it (utility, damage etc.)

-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).

Abserd build deadline/Voting opens: 24/07/2020 @ 9pm BST/4pm ET

Voting deadline: 29/07/2020 @ 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


The Contestants:

ftafp's 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24618861&postcount=4) 2 Votes JOINT WINNER

MinotaurWarrior's 'Abserd AC' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24619603&postcount=5)

Civis Mundi's 'Aukan the Redeemer' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24619770&postcount=6) 1 Vote

Zonugal's 'The Count' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24620163&postcount=7) 1 Vote

Waazraath's 'Just a sort of regular smiting paladin' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24628334&postcount=11) 2 Votes JOINT WINNER


And for the first time we have a tie that isn't one person! The joint winners are: ftafp's 'A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' and Waazraath's 'Just a Sort of Regular Smiting Paladin'



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)

Throwdown #5: The Do-Over (Magus Maximus) - Civis Mundi's 'Pompey Problemsolver' (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24596826&postcount=5) and Nix inktongue (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24598011&postcount=10)

[ftafp]

im not sure if this has ever been touched upon, but does "officially published content" include adventure modules, or Extra Life content like The Tortle Package?

[Dork_Forge]

im not sure if this has ever been touched upon, but does "officially published content" include adventure modules, or Extra Life content like The Tortle Package?

Yes, any spells that are found in adventures (like Flock of Familiars) or Extra Life races like the Tortle and Locantah (sp?) are completely valid options in the standard Throwdown format. I haven't really considered the Grung, I personally don't have an issue with them but they are an odd duck and in theorycrafting like this their negatives might be downplayed or ignored so best to avoid them I think.

[ftafp]

https://i.imgur.com/XfVrpWv.png
The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Level 20 level split: Artificer 1/Barbarian 1/Bard 1/Cleric 1 (War)/Druid 1/Fighter 1/Monk 1/Paladin 1/Ranger 1/Rogue 1/Sorcerer 1 (Wild)/Warlock 1 (Fiend)/Wizard 7 (Conjuration)

Race: Half-Demon Minotaur (uses the Tiefling racial traits)

Stats: Str 8 Dex 10 Con 12 Int (15+1) Wis 13 Cha (14 + 2)

Background: Custom (Proficiency in Deception, Persuasion, Poisoner's Kit, Minotaur Language)

Purpose: Rampant abuse of Conjuration Wizard

Starting level: Wizard 1

Stats: Str 8 Dex 10 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 13 Cha 16

The minotaurs born under the blood-moon of Baphomet are known to be horrific. They are hulking, bestial, foul-smelling and cruel, all of which made the birth of Valais Blacknose especially surprising. From an early age Valais was feeble while her brothers were strong, and innocent where they were merciless. With a body the size of a dwarf and a mane of wooly hair she looked and acted more like a sheep on two legs than a monster. her speech impediment which made Baphomet sound more like Baaaaphomet did little to dispel the image. Declared hopeless in the art of savagery despite her best efforts, she was left to clean up after her father's gory rituals. It was during this grimy task that she would meet the fiendish owl Stolas trapped in a circle, who offered her knowledge she could use to prove her brutality if only she let him go free.

This build is going to ramp up in power fast, but for level 1 lets keep things simple. What spells you pick are up to you, but for this story, Prestidigitation and Find Familiar necessities

At 5th level: Wizard 5 (Conjuration)

Stats: Str 8 Dex 10 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 13 Cha 16 (ASI to Int)

Stolas's lessons were as vicious as they were informative, but blinded by the stars in her eyes Valaise lapped them up like skittles. Poisons, lies and acts of magic were the foundation of her education, but the walls were their application. Eager to learn, she followed Stolas to human villages their nomadic horde passed, where under his guidance she learned to use their adoration for personal gain. For one lesson, he taught her the paralytic properties of Carrion Crawler Mucus and how to conjure and handle it. She would then rub it carefully on her wool and wait for an adorer to pat her head and collapse before stealing their wallet and using to buy sweets. During another lesson he found her Shattersticks left over from the blood war and showed her how to plant them in the soil. Many houses were destroyed that day but Valais found herself awed her act destruction

Depending on the sources available and the user's creativity, the Conjuror can be either a lame archetype for a decent class, or one of the most profoundly broken imaginable. Having a background as a poisoner and fiend-summoner is crucial for this build, as Minor Conjuration can only create nonmagic items the user has seen. There are very few kinds of people who would have encountered these vicious poisons and Canian iron, and even fewer who would know how to use them. The remainder cannot be called good by any stretch of the imagination.

There's a ton of useful items you can summon, but here's some highlights. Note that all fluids are conjured as bottles, and that poisoner's kit proficiency will protect you from poisoning yourself. According to Sage Advice, using an item doesn't damage it, so these items will only disappear if you deal damage with them or lose concentration


Purple Worm Poison (Dungeon Master's Guide): Force a DC 19 con save when you hit a target with an attack to deal 12d6 poison damage
Carrion Crawler Mucus (Dungeon Master's Guide): The DC is only 12, but paralysis is nasty business
Midnight Tears (Dungeon Master's Guide): The save and damage are worse than Purple Worm Poison, but if you want to delay a victim's dealt this is the way to do it
Blasting Powder (Explorer's Guide to Wildemounte): With a DC of 13, and the 3d6 being bludgeoning damage, this is leagues better than than a Horn of Gunpowder. You can also conjure multiple joined together for even more damage
Tangler Grenade (Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage): DC 15 save to restrain all enemies in a 10-foot radius. Not bad at all.
Shatterstick (Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus): It takes a minute to go off, but 10d6 damage to objects in a 20-foot radius is ludicrous
Thessalatoxin (Infernal Machine Rebuild): A DC 15 poison that polymorphs the target until it completes a long rest? Sign me up! The crazy thing is, this is actually the weaker of IMR's nonmagic items. The real treat is so big I'm saving it for the next scene



At 11th level: Artificer 1/Sorcerer 1 (Wild)/Warlock 1 (Fiend)/Wizard 8 (Conjuration)

Stats: Str 17 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 18 Wis 13 Cha 16 (ASI to Con, Stat boosts to Str and Dex from Wereboar and Wererat Lycanthropy)

When Valais told her father of her exploits she expected his approval. Instead, she got his resentment. Despite all her magic and trickery, she was still too small to wear her people's Spiked Armor and too weak to carry a greataxe. She would only ever be a disappointment to him, and so she hid in her room and cried. She asked Stolas if he knew any magic that would make her big and strong like her father wanted, but he told her that magic was beyond him. She'd have to Summon a Greater Demon if she wanted knowledge of how to increase her Str and Dex to be optimal. A Glabrezu would give her that knowledgee, but in exchange he would take her control of her magic. Tearfully, she accepted the bargain, and that was how she learned to conjure The Blood of the Lycanthrope

Blood of the Lycanthrope is perhaps the most disastrous item a Conjuror is capable of summoning, and it does exactly what you think it does. The substance is nonmagical, but the effect is a curse from the gods, meaning it doesn't go away when the blood does. You only get three options: Wererat, Werewolf and Wereboar, but there is nothing to prevent you from taking all three. This is another reason why being evil helps this build. Those three are the naturally evil lycanthropes

At 17th level: Artificer 1/Barbarian 1/Bard 1/Druid 1/Monk 1/Ranger 1/Rogue 1/Sorcerer 1 (Wild)/Warlock 1 (Fiend)/Wizard 8 (Conjuration)

That night was a blur to Valais, but when she awoke her people were dead and the blood of the... well, okay, not innocent but still her family... stained her hands. Overwrought with Grief she fled into the woods with her father's armor where she lived as a feral child for a while, until at last, she was found by a traveler who took pity on the poor creature. He was a Cleric, and he was kind to her, as all the villagers she had poisoned, robbed, and blown up had been before she hurt them. Without Stolas and her family there to guide her, she began reflecting on her actions and decided she didn't want to hurt these people anymore. As the full moon approached, she told the traveler to bind her with chains when that night came. He did so, and the night passed without incident.

People have this idea in mind that Druid is an awful thing to put in a multiclass because of the armor limitations. That's certainly true at low levels, but by level 5 you should be able to wear Spiked Armor, which according to the flavor text is just studded leather with bigger, pointier studs. That means it's fine for druids. and with as much AC as a breastplate, it's fine for other classes as well.

At 20th level: Artificer 1/Barbarian 1/Bard 1/Cleric 1/Druid 1/Fighter 1/Monk 1/Paladin 1/Ranger 1/Rogue 1/Sorcerer 1 (Wild)/Warlock 1 (Fiend)/Wizard 8 (Conjuration)

Valais didn't expect to wake up the next morning. She knew full well what fate awaited a monster like her. To her surprise however, the Cleric welcomed her warmly when she awoke and told her cordially how impressive her strength was. He wouldn't have normally said this, but a war was going on out there and many innocent people were getting hurt. He was the priest of a war god defending the people, and if she learned to control her powers she would be welcomed by any general. Valais knew then that her long dream had finally come true. She had a chance to be a great warrior, and she was going to fight for the right reasons

How does this build play in the end? Horribly. It's an Abserd build, what do you expect. Thankfully we made up for it with some pretty nifty cheese

[MinotaurWarrior]

Abserd AC

Level 20 level split: Cleric (Forge) 6 / Kensai 3 / Fighter 1 / Sword Bard 3 / WM Sorc 1 / Warlock 1 (Fiend) / Rogue 2 / Druid 1 / Paladin 1 / Ranger 1

Race: V.Human (Defensive Duelist)

Stats: Str 15 Dex 13 Con 13 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 13

Background: Gladiator

Starting level:

You're a slightly suboptimal forge cleric tank.

At 5th level:

You're a slightly suboptimal forge cleric tank. You now have resilient (con).

At 11th level:

Everyone else has started looking at you funny. This isn't a soccer game - why are you exclusively headbutting and kicking?

AC 27/31: 18 (Plate) + 2 (Shield) + 1 (Blessing of the Forge) +1 (Soul of the Forge) + 2 (Shield of Faith) + 2 (Agile Parry) + 1 (FS Defense) + 4 (Defensive Duelist 1/Turn)

At 17th level:

All of your allies now laugh behind the safety of your back.

AC 27 / 32(Shield Spell) / 33 (Defensive Duelist) + 1d6 (Flourish).

You are also now pretty fast and can hide OK.

At 20th level and final thoughts:

Severe brain damage from all those headbutts caused you to spend your last three levels on pretty much nothing of value.

[Civis Mundi]

AUKAN THE REDEEMER

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/87/88/2a8788ac96be0b88a165d4fd3a1bf6b4.jpg
(Art by redditor "PliskinXe54")

Level 20 level split: Bear Totem Barbarian 5/Rogue 1/Life Cleric 3/Celestial Warlock 4/Paladin 2/Bard 1/Divine Soul Sorcerer 1/Fighter 1/Ranger 1/Druid 1

Race: Goliath

Starting Stats: STR 13 (15) / DEX 14 / CON 13 (14) / INT 8 / WIS 13 / CHA 13

Background: Custom (“Tribal Nomad,” Outlander background feature, Insight & Survival, smith's tools, herbalism kit)

@5th level: Totem Barbarian 5

Stats: STR 16 / DEX 14 / CON 14 / INT 8 / WIS 13 / CHA 13

Features: Powerful Build, Stone’s Endurance, Unarmored Defense (unused), Rage, Danger Sense, Reckless Attack, Bear Totem, Tavern Brawler (STR 16), Extra Attack, Fast Movement

Proficiencies: Animal Handling (Barbarian), Athletics (Goliath), Perception (Barbarian), Insight (Background), Survival (Background)

Aukan was born to a clan of Goliaths who led a nomadic life in the great mountains they called home. His people were well-known for their competitive streak. Aukan and his twin brother Egal were no exception. They’d been friendly rivals all their lives. As they grew into young men, they found themselves competing for the hand of the strongest woman in the tribe. They challenged each other to a series of contests, and with each challenge, their friendly rivalry turned uglier and uglier.

After a year of trials, the brothers who had once been two halves of the same whole were no longer speaking. Their quarry had already moved on and married someone else, but their enmity remained. With the coming solstice, Aukan challenged Egal to a duel, to “decide the matter” once and for all. Egal won, and he spared his brother’s life, but Aukan could not let go of his defeat. He stayed up night after night, consumed by a blinding rage he couldn’t fully grasp. After a week of torture, he moved almost without thinking. He came to his brother in the night and strangled him to death. When he woke back up into himself and realized what he’d done, he fell to his knees, wailing and beating his chest. The tribe marked his face for his terrible crime, and he did nothing to resist the hand of justice. They sent him into exile, and off he went.

Note that unlike the image, Aukan is clad in a breastplate and shield. He fights barehanded, or with his shield as an improvised weapon. It's a pretty standard grapple-Barb at this level, and pretty survivable with Bear Totem and Stone’s Endurance. Your main combo will be shove prone > attack (bare hand or shield) > bonus action grapple. Reckless Attack serves two purposes.

1) When Aukan does want to make an attack, it can make up for his low attack rolls. That STR score is never going up from here.

2) It makes him a more attractive target, which can help him tank. But overall, Reckless Attack isn’t going to see much use. Long-term, Aukan is an off-tank, not a main tank. We won’t want him to be an attractive target. But we’ll get to that later.

@11th level: Totem Barbarian 5/Rogue 1/Life Cleric 3/Warlock 2

Proficiencies: Stealth

Features: Sneak Attack +1d6, Expertise (Athletics & Stealth), Healing Light, Mask of Many Faces, Fiendish Vigor

Cleric Spells (domain spells*): guidance, spare the dying, thaumaturgy, *bless, *cure wounds, aid, warding bond (other important spells: detect magic, healing word, lesser restoration, prayer of healing)

Pact Magic: blade ward, minor illusion, light, sacred flame, armor of agathys, hex, ?

Aukan became a bandit on the winding mountain roads, but one day, he bit off more than he could chew. Bleeding out in the middle of nowhere, he lamented his miserable life—until his unconscious body was brought to a mysterious temple at the base of a volcano. The priests there told him they had foreseen his arrival many years ago. They told him the one who inflicted great pain had the potential for great healing. They compared him to the volcano—“Its fire destroys all it touches," they said, "yet it leaves fertile soil behind."

Aukan became an initiate of their order, desperate to escape the hate inside him. He learned to use the rings he forged for his doomed proposal as a magical conduit to take on the punishment of others. He learned that he came from a great legacy, though the priests told him he was not prepared to know his bloodline, or to come into his full power. At the end of his training, he became the host for a strange celestial entity. The entity demanded he take a pilgrimage to prove his faith—but just after he left, the volcano erupted, and destroyed the temple. Homeless again, Aukan grappled with his destiny. In his moment of despair, the entity granted him his greatest wish—to take on a new form, and return to his people as a wanderer with a fresh face.

At this point, the build more or less “comes online.” It’s probably workable as a Totem Barb 5/Life Cleric 3, but I picked up Rogue 1 first, both for story purposes and for Expertise. His attack roll will remain 3+Prof forever, but he can still be a great grappler. At this level, +11 to Athletics is no slouch. Add on Advantage from Rage or Disadvantage on your target’s STR or CON checks from hex and you’re more than likely to succeed.

The main trick is combining Bear Totem’s resistances with warding bond, which is non-concentration. The material components are "a pair of platinum rings worth at least 50 gp each, which you and the target must wear for the duration." Normally resistance doesn't stack, but warding bond works in an unusual way. The spell states, "While the target is within 60 feet of you, it gains a +1 bonus to AC and Saving Throws, and it has Resistance to all damage. Also, each time it takes damage, you take the same amount of damage." That means if you have some other way to reduce the damage against yourself (like, say, Bear Totem Rage), it can effectively stack. Cast warding bond on your main tank, then support them with grapples. 25% of the damage you tank this way is just gone. Hopefully the main tank will be the primary target, as you won’t be dealing much damage yourself. This tactic could actually work better with a more staggered party. While the main tank engages the main force, you flank around and grapple enemies away from the fight. Your grapple and shove attempts still count as attacks to keep your Rage going, but their attention is forced onto the main tank.

Other defensive tools: Aid is a great spell, especially upcasted. It’s non-concentration, increases your HP as well as the main tank’s and either a skirmisher or a squishy backliner. Armor of agathys is another winner, also non-concentration, also upcast as high as you can once you have the slots. It’s got great synergy with your damage reduction, making it last longer, and making you a less attractive target (remember, you want to take damage when the main tank takes damage, not on your own).

Other utilities: You function as off-support, with aid as mentioned, and a decent amount of healing between your Cleric spells, your Warlock slots, and Healing Light. Disciple of Life helps make up for your lower Wisdom bonus.

@17th level: Totem Barbarian 5/Rogue 1/Life Cleric 3/Celestial Warlock 4/Paladin 2/Bard 1/Divine Soul Sorcerer 1
(Note: Slots of a 6th level Spellcaster, 4/3/3, plus 2 Pact Magic slots)

Features: Mask of Many Faces, Gift of the Ever-Living Ones, Fiendish Vigor, Voice of the Chain Master, Tough, Divine Health, Lay on Hands, Divine Smite, Fighting Style (Defense), Bardic Inspiration (1d6), Favored by the Gods

Proficiencies: Persuasion, throat singing

Bard Spells: mending, message, comprehend languages, feather fall, longstrider, sleep

Sorcerer Spells (Origin spells*): booming blade, mold earth, prestidigitation, shape water, absorb elements, *protection from good and evil, shield

Pact Magic: mage hand, ?, invisibility, mirror image, misty step

Aukan spent time at home, but he couldn’t get close to anyone for fear they’d discover his illusory face. He found he couldn’t forget who he was, that he didn’t belong, or that his destiny was yet ahead of him. He felt haunted by the ruin his actions brought upon his family, how his younger brother Zathal was scorned and mistreated—yet even comforting his brother posed too great a risk. He gave the Mask of Many Faces back to the spirit inside him—proving to his patron that he was ready to accept his destiny.

Aukan embraced his newfound power, and his patron revealed the truth of his ancestry: he and his family were the descendants of a fallen angel. Fully committed to redemption, the patron taught him all its songs and secrets. Not only could Aukan take on the punishment of others, he could now restore himself with ease. His overwhelming rage was channeled into a state of tranquility. Aukan went out on a true pilgrimage to find a band of adventurers, some of the greatest heroes of the age who’d lost one of their number to an Orb of Annihilation. He’d make up for his misdeeds, one good turn at a time.

I like the rationale I mentioned above, joining an adventuring party who just lost a member at 12th level or higher. This would be that player’s new character. I would actually consider playing a character like this, though I think Totem Barbarian 5/Rogue 1/Life Cleric 3/Celestial Warlock 4/Paladin 2 is the rational limit to all this multiclassing (if I'm honest, you'd want to remove those Paladin levels too). I think if I came to my senses at this point, I’d beeline ASIs. But nope, we’re gonna throw in 5 more mostly-useless dips instead. At least Bard and Sorcerer more or less complete our collection of every cantrip we could possibly use (since anything that requires an attack or a save is wasted on us). The 1st level Bard spells are nice utilities, and sleep can be a non-lethal encounter ender that doesn’t rely on your spellcasting ability. Absorb elements and shield are good defensive tools when you’re out of Rage.

Aukan’s patron manifests as a celestial imp. It stays invisible most of the time, making a great scout with Voice of the Chain Master. In battle, it stays far overhead to activate Gift of the Ever-Living Ones without being noticed. After taking a bunch of punishment, Aukan can drop Rage to heal himself right back up. He takes damage efficiently, and he heals it efficiently. It works even better if there’s a main healer to pump you full of HP without you having to drop your Rage. Aukan is a team player, y’all.

Mirror image is stylistically a great spell, but it’s got some problems on a conventional frontliner. It might work best on a build like this, where we want to be on the frontlines, but we don’t want to be an attractive target.

Our damage will always be garbage, but at least we could Smite for a small bump here and there. Booming blade + Smite isn’t a terrible idea against a fleeing foe.

@20th level: Totem Barbarian 5/Rogue 1/Life Cleric 3/Celestial Warlock 4/Paladin 2/Bard 1/Divine Soul Sorcerer 1/Fighter 1/Ranger 1/Druid 1 (HP 198)
(Note: Slots of a 7th level Spellcaster, 4/3/3/1, plus 2 Pact Magic slots)

Features: Fighting Style (Protection), Second Wind, Favored Enemy (fiends), Natural Explorer, Druidic

Druid spells: druidcraft, magic stone, goodberry, speak with animals

After many adventures, Aukan was called to service back home when the old prophecy came true. His youngest brother Zathal shared the same corrupted heritage. With his entire family shamed by Aukan’s misdeed, Zathal himself was shunned, and became more and more twisted over the years. He sold his soul to demonkind and unleashed them to seek vengeance on his mountain home.

Aukan led his band of adventurers to restore his scattered people. He trained on the road, focusing his mind on the fiends he was destined to destroy. In the final confrontation, he tried to spare his brother’s life, but Zathal leapt into Hell instead. They closed the portal behind him, and Aukan returned his people to their home. With his bloody history redeemed, they welcomed him back with open arms. He’d become the protector of their lands, the shepherd of his people.

Not much here besides flavor, but +1 to AC never hurts. Second Wind is actually nice for some added healing and Favored Enemy works for his story. That Druid level won’t do much for him in combat, but I like the image of him using the 'ol Disciple of Life + goodberry to bring food back to his people, talking with animals to resolve disputes, and arming the weak with magic stones. I mostly stuck it at the end because I figured there was no way he wouldn’t have access to suitable non-metal armor by CL20. Demonhide or something, I dunno. It does have the added benefit of granting a 4th level spell slot, tailormade for armor of agathys. 198 HP + 10 (3rd level aid) + 20 temp HP (w/20 retributive cold damage) is pretty good. For reference, your average 20th level Barbarian with 18 CON would have 225 HP.

[Zonugal]

The Count

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/02/d4/1802d417ef27d5db105913f40f8581d8.jpg

This is The Count, a master of disguise and rather ungentlemanly thief. He starts off focused on being a thief who utilizes magical spells (akin to gadgets) and then begins learning different trades to build his repertoire of disguises. He isn't too effective in a physical fight, so he relies on his wide variety of cantrips to aid him in battle.

1ST-LEVEL
‘Charlatan’ Changeling Rogue 1
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
ASI/Feats: --

The Count begins as a lowly street thief, pulling quick scams and stealing off of folks on the street. He isn't super-charismatic or tough, but he's crafty and recognizes what he wants most in this world:

https://i.imgur.com/BXPI1dC.png

5TH-LEVEL
‘Charlatan’ Changeling ‘Arcane Trickster’ Rogue 3/’Conjuration’ Wizard 2
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
ASI/Feats: --

At fifth level The Count has started to establish himself as a thief. He uses a variety of cantrips to help in his heists and has also learned elementary wizardy so that he can summon any tool needed to help during the middle of a heist. Need a crowbar? A net on a stick? A pole? He performs heists in the style of a cartoon character, pulling any mundane object he might immediately need out of his jacket pocket.

11TH-LEVEL
‘Charlatan’ Changeling ‘Arcane Trickster’ Rogue 4/’Conjuration’ Wizard 3/’Knowledge’ Cleric 2/Bard 2
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
ASI/Feats: Actor [4th] & Keen Mind [8th]

Since fifth level The Count has been focused on expanding his wizardry but has also decided to spend four levels between Knowledge Cleric and Bard for two abilities: Blessing of Knowledge & Jack Of All Trades. Beyond becoming an expert in all matters pertaining to Arcana & Nature, Knowledge Cleric allows The Count to have proficiency with any chosen skill or tool for ten minutes. Coupled with the Bard's Jack Of All Trades, which offers half of his proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus, The Count can now reliably impersonate any skill user. Need to become a Dwarven cobbler? No problem. Elven chef? done. And with the Actor feat, he'll have advantage on all Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks to pass himself off as a different person (and his Deception check is boosted farther with his expertise with it). The Actor feat also boosts the Changelings impersonation efforts, allowing The Count to mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures.

On top of all of this, via multi-class rules, The Count's general spellcasting ability continues to develop. He has the combined spellcasting ability of an 8th-level Wizard (or at least the spell-slots anyways). The Count favors upcasting his limited spells, but he currently has 1st-level healing spells (from Cleric), general utility spells (from Wizard), and dedicated his entire Bardic spellcasting knowledge to ritual spells (his Charisma still isn't amazing... So its the safer choice).

17TH-LEVEL
‘Charlatan’ Changeling ‘Arcane Trickster’ Rogue 4/’Conjuration’ Wizard 5/’Knowledge’ Cleric 2/Bard 2/’Divine Soul’ Sorcerer 1/’Celestial’ Warlock 1/Moon’ Druid 2
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 16 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
ASI/Feats: Actor [4th] & Keen Mind [8th]

Following 11th-level The Count continued to develop his wizardy before pushing into more eldritch forms of arcana. He spent a year learning elemental magic from an Elven Shugenja, unlocked thanks to a divine spark found from within. He pursued this sense of divinity when he made a pact with a Ki-Rin. Swearing off his bad habits, The Count committed himself to stealing only from the truly evil of his world. He became a rescuer of holy artifacts and artifacts. Such missions brought him into contact with a Dryad. Falling deeply in love, he put all other matters on pause as he devoted himself to his lady. Learning the Druidic arts, he became a champion for his lady and their forest.

Ever since 11th-level The Count has been jumping from one class to another gobbling up new cantrips and building up his general spellcasting ability. At 17th-level he has the combined spellcasting ability of a 13th-level Wizard (or at least the spell-slots anyways). In terms of Wizard spells he has any up to 3rd-level, in addition to any 1st-level Cleric & Druid spells, which can all be heightened (if applicable) by casting them in higher spell slots. Moon Druid offers more cantrips & spells, but it also allows The Count to wild shape into CR 1 non-flying/swimming beasts. Its a very nice trick for a heist, as he can perform a heist, pocket his treasure, then wild shape into a beast and have his treasure meld into his new beast form. As mentioned at the top of this post, through all of this The Count has general abstained from combat. He favors the use of a sling (disguised on his person as an arm band), as he enjoys being able to conjure a single stone via his Minor Conjuration ability when he needs to hit a far off target. But when combat does find him, he uses his cantrips as they have scaled with his character.

The Count also gains a second ASI, which goes towards Keen Mind. This allows him to accurately recall anything he has seen or heard within the past month. He can now supplement his disguises with intricate knowledge performed during a brief research prior to a heist.

20TH-LEVEL
‘Charlatan’ Changeling ‘Arcane Trickster’ Rogue 4/’Conjuration’ Wizard 5/’Knowledge’ Cleric 2/’Divine Soul’ Sorcerer 1/’Celestial’ Warlock 2/Bard 1/’Moon’ Druid 2/Ranger 1/Fighter 1/Monk 1
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 16 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
ASI/Feats: Actor [4th] & Keen Mind [8th]

At 17th-level The Count has started to slide into early retirement. He spends a few years with a pack of Satyrs learning how to hunt beasts in his lady's forest, then officially retires to meditate on his life of brazen crime & legendary scores. If he can be found, secluded in a woodland monastery he funded from his nest-egg, he offers his services as a teacher for any willing to put up with his wild personality.

The complete build:

The Count (20th-level)
‘Charlatan’ Changeling ‘Arcane Trickster’ Rogue 4/’Conjuration’ Wizard 5/’Knowledge’ Cleric 2/’Divine Soul’ Sorcerer 1/’Celestial’ Warlock 1/Bard 1/’Moon’ Druid 2/Ranger 1/Fighter 1/Monk 1
Medium humanoid (Changeling), Chaotic Good
AC: 14 (unarmored defense); HP: 137 (12d8+24/6d6+12/2d10+2); Speed: 30 ft.; Saving Throws: Dexterity +8 & Intelligence +9
Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 16 (+3), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
Skills (+6): Acrobatics, Arcana*, Deception*, Insight, Investigation, Nature*, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, & Survival
ASI/Feats: Actor [4th] & Keen Mind [8th]
Tool Proficiencies (+6): Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Musical Instrument (Piano), Thieves’ Tools*, & Tinker’s Tools
Armor/Weapon Proficiencies: light & medium armor, shields; simple & martial weapons
Senses: passive Perception 18
Languages: Common, Druidic, Dwarven, Elven, & Sylvan
Special Abilities
Racial Abilities: Change Appearance, & Changeling Instincts
Background Abilities: False Identity
Class Abilities: Expertise (Deception & Thieves Tools), Sneak Attack (2d6), Cunning Action, Roguish Archetype (Arcane Trickster), Spellcasting (Arcane Trickster), Mage Hand Legerdemain, Spellcasting (Wizard), Arcane Recovery (3 spell slots/per day), Arcane Tradition (School of Conjuration), Conjuration Savant, Minor Conjuration, Spellcasting (Cleric), Divine Domain (Knowledge), Channel Divinity (once/rest), Blessing of Knowledge (Arcana & Nature), Channel Divinity: Knowledge of the Ages, Spellcasting (Bard), Bardic Inspiration (1d6; once/long rest), Jack Of All Trades (+3 Prof. Bonus), Song of Rest, Spellcasting (Sorcerer), Sorcerous Origin (Divine Soul), Divine Magic, Favored By The Gods (once/rest), Otherworldly Patron (Celestial), Healing Light (3d6/long rest), Pact Magic, Druidic, Spellcasting (Druid), Wildshape (1 hour/twice per short rest; CR 1), Druid Circle (Circle of the Moon), Circle Forms, Combat Wild Shape, Favored Enemy (Beasts), Natural Explorer (Forest), Fighting Style (Archery), Second Wind (1d10+1/rest), Martial Arts, & Unarmored Defense
---
Actions
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage; ammunition (range 30/120)
---
Arcane Trickster Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence-based (spell save DC 17)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, & Prestidigitation
1st-level Spells Known -- Charm Person, Sleep, & Snare
---
Wizard Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence-based (spell save DC 17)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Green-Flame Blade, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp, & Thunderclap
1st-level Spells Prepared (4/long rest) -- Chromatic Orb, Find Familiar(R), & Silent Image
2nd-level Spells Prepared (3/long rest) -- Invisibility, Knock, & Misty Step
3rd-level Spells Prepared (3/long rest) -- Counterspell & Dispel Magic
4th-level Spells Prepared (3/long rest) -- N/A
5th-level Spells Prepared (2/long rest) -- N/A
6th-level Spells Prepared (1/long rest) -- N/A
7th-level Spells Prepared (1/long rest) -- N/A
---
Cleric Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom-based (spell save DC 16)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Guidance, Spare the Dying, & Thaumaturgy
1st-level Spells Prepared -- Ceremony(R), Command*, Healing Word, Identify(R)*, Sanctuary, & Shield of Faith
---
Sorcerer Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Charisma-based (spell save DC 15)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Control Flames, Gust, Mold Earth, & Shape Water
1st-level Spells Known -- Absorb Elements & Cure Wounds*
---
Warlock Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Charisma-based (spell save DC 15)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Eldritch Blast, Light, Sacred Flame, & True Strike
1st-level Spells Known (1/short rest) -- Cure Wounds & Hex
---
Bard Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Charisma-based (spell save DC 15)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Mending & Vicious Mockery
1st-level Spells Known -- Comprehend Languages(R), Detect Magic(R), Illusory Script(R), Speak With Animals(R), & Unseen Servant(R)
---
Druid Spells -- The Count’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom-based (spell save DC 16)
Cantrips Known (at will) -- Produce Flame & Thorn Whip
1st-level Spells Prepared -- Animal Friendship, Beast Bond, Entangle, & Goodberry

[Ortho]

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

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


The voting ended before the thread was started? That can't be right.

Also, I did this exact build (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?p=24534291) a few challenges ago. Am I free to copy/paste, or do I have to build it from scratch?

[Dork_Forge]

The voting ended before the thread was started? That can't be right.

Also, I did this exact build (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?p=24534291) a few challenges ago. Am I free to copy/paste, or do I have to build it from scratch?

Bah there's always something that needs correcting when I move these over to the next Throwdown, I'll get it right eventually!

You can reuse the same build in multiple throwdowns as long as you change some element of it, so it's not completely the same.

[Dork_Forge]

Reminder: Today is the last day for build submissions

Announcement: On request there will now be shorter build contests held during the voting period. Consider these contests as themed lightning rounds (with both the build and vote time greatly condensed) to fill the voting time of the primary Throwdown. The first will be announced when build submissions for Hard Mode ends and voting opens.

[Waazraath]

Just a sort of regular smiting paladin


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/b/be/Anointed_Knight.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20090325171513

Listen Eliana – a paladin that’s pure of heart, and true of purpose, always follows the paladin path. She doesn’t doubt nor falter, cause she know what she is destined to be. No distractions, never. Yugh! Self-righteous bastards, the lots of them. Folks born with an unnatural grace and strength, perfectly kitted out for the job – how hard is that?
No, then us. We also fight the good fight, but without the silver spoon in their oh so perfect bottoms. We aint so bloody perfect. And we use any tool we can find to get the job done. If you ever see a tool that fits your purpose, then go get it girl!

High Marshal Bertrand (paladin 11 / sorcerer 7 / bard 2) to Eliana the Undecided, who misheard “if you ever” for “every time” at this occasion.

Level 20 level split: Paladin (ancients) 6 / War wizard 2 / Forge Cleric 1 / Warlock 1 / Paladin +2 (8) / Bard 2 / Warlock +1 (2) / Druid 1 / Sorcerer (Divine Soul) 1 / Artificer 1 / Fighter 1 / Rogue 1
Race: human (yes, standard human yes)
Stats: Str 14 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 13 Wis 13 Cha 14 (raise str and cha to 16 later)
Background: Noble (knight), for no reason whatsoever except having 3 people making different suggestions to her about what path to follow through her career.

Starting level: paladin 1

Main idea: is to build a paladin, but then with 10 classes. It should do what a basic pally does, stand in the front line, hit & smite, buff, heal, and have strong defences. Important thing of the build is to do all these things, some of them less than single class paladin, but some (despite the given restrictions) better. Main thing is getting more caster levels than a single class pally, due to multiclassing mainly with full casters. Normally having a lot of single levels in such classes sucks for your spellcasting, cause you only have level 1 spells and upcasting isn’t all that great, but who cares if you use them to fuel divine smite?

So this build will smite (better than a regular pally), buff, heal and have strong defences. It pays a heavy price (of course) for having sub-optimal stats (few ASI’s and lots of 13’s needed for multiclass), and missing out strong high level paladin’s features. But it compensates with loads of utility (cantrips, skills/tools/expertise/guidance/jack of all trades, low levels spells of other classes).

Important note with this build: I assume most spells being spent on divine smite. Exceptions are a few upcast non-concentration long duration buffs (Aid, Armor of Agathys), an occasional bless in the first round of combat, find familiar and find steed, and the occasional misty step when mobility is required for tactical positioning.

At first level there isn’t much to tell. A level 1 paladin with sub-par stats, but then again, no dump stats. Fight sword & board, heal folks that need it. AC 18 (chain + shield), and +4 to hit for 1d8 + 2 damage.

At 5th level: paladin 5

Oath of the Ancients paladin 5, nothing special. Strength upgraded to 16, still sword & board, defense fighting style (+1 AC), and with splint and shield AC is 20 (entry only mentions plate and half-plate for lvl 11, so I assume this is ok). Have a special Warhorse. Heal folks with Lay on Hands, teleport with misty step, bless your party.

Attack: +6 (1d8+3) / +6 (1d8+3) (+ divine smite damage)
AC: 20
Initiative: +1
Saves (s/d/c/i/w/ch): 3/1/2/1/4/5
Skills: history, persuasion, athletics, insight
Total caster level: 4

At 11th level: OotA paladin 6 + war wizard 2 + forge cleric 1 + celestial warlock 1 + pally 1 (7)

Lvl 6 is another level of paladin for the splendid save aura., but instead you get a familiar and an extra caster level. We postpone Aura of Warding for now, and take 2 levels in wizard: more slots to smite, a familiar, +int to initiative (tactical wit), and Arcane Deflection gives either +2 on AC against an attack or +4 on a save – every round! That’s really, really strong. Grab a level of cleric (forge for +1 AC, but have the option to grab a +1 weapon if needed), grab Warlock (celestial) for some bonus action healing, access to Armor of Agathys and an extra smite every short rest (for 2d8). At level 11, grab paladin 7 for the aura. Oh yeah, upgrade to full plate!

You have 3 classes that provide cantrips: take good utility stuff like mage hand, prestidigitation,
guidance, minor illusion, sending, and 1 or 2 good ranged attacks.

Attack: +7 (1d8+3) / +7 (1d8+3) (+ lots of divine smite damage)
AC: 22 (24 Arcane Deflection)
Initiative: +2
Saves (s/d/c/i/w/ch): 5/3/4/3/7/8 ; (9/7/8/7/11/12 with Arcane Deflection), resistance to spell damage
Skills: history, persuasion, athletics, insight
Total caster level: 7 + lvl 1 pact magic
Cantrips:

At this point: damage is decent when smiting, defences are strong due to high AC and saves (and assume highest level Armor of Agathys cast 1 or 2 times/day), healing with Lay on Hands and celestial warlock bonus action for yoyo-healing, buffing with aura’s and the occasional Bless, utility with familiar and cantrips from no less than 3 classes.

At 17th level: OotA paladin 6 + war wizard 2 + forge cleric 1 + celestial warlock 1 + Paladin +2 (8) / Bard 2 / Warlock +1 (2) / Druid 1 / Sorcerer (Divine Soul) 1

Most levels taken give extra casterlevels and thus smites, and other nice stuff: bardic inspiration 3/day, jack of all trades for ability checks incl. initiative, 2 invocations (mask of many faces & devil’s sight), 1/rest 2d4 extra on a roll, just in case you’d ever miss a save.
Extra cantrips from bard & Sorcerer, extra skill (deception) from bard

Attack: +9 (1d8+3) / +9 (1d8+3) (+ lots of divine smite damage)
AC: 22 (24 Arcane Deflection)
Initiative: +5
Saves (s/d/c/i/w/ch): 5/3/4/3/9/10 ; (9/7/8/7/13/14 with Arcane Deflection), resistance to spell damage, 1/rest +2d4
Skills: history, persuasion, athletics, insight, deception; jack of all trades
Total caster level: 11 + lvl 2 pact magic

At 20th level and final thoughts: Paladin (ancients) 6 / War wizard 2 / Forge Cleric 1 / Warlock 1 / Paladin +2 (8) / Bard 2 / Warlock +1 (2) / Druid 1 / Sorcerer (Divine Soul) 1 / Artificer 1 / Fighter 1 / Rogue 1

Add: +2 damage (fighting style), +1d6 damage (sneak attack), expertise in tools (artificer), a casterlevel, bonus action minor self-heal (second wind), extra skill (perception), expertise in 2 skills (deception & persuasion), and some minor magical tricks with artificer, that aren’t that hot at lvl 20 for a class with a dozen of cantrips. Oh yeah, add more cantrips :)

Attack: +9 (1d8+3) / +9 (1d8+3) (+ lots of divine smite damage)
AC: 22 (24 Arcane Deflection)
Initiative: +5
Saves (s/d/c/i/w/ch): 5/3/4/3/9/10 ; (9/7/8/7/13/14 with Arcane Deflection), resistance to spell damage, 1/rest +2d4
Skills: history, persuasion, athletics, insight, deception, perception; jack of all trades
Total caster level: 12 + lvl 2 pact magic

At level 20, this could have been the contender for the self sufficient build some contests ago. Eliana can fight, is hard to hit and has very strong saves, can heal, has 6 skills including expertise in important social ones, mixed with high charisma and the master of many forms invocation, has expertise with thieves tools, and has no weak ability scores. She has both a steed and a familiar, and very decent nova potential. With a maxed out Aid and Armor of Agathys, HP are very decent as well. She buffs her party with paladin aura's, bardic inspiration and upcast Aids, and can heal a bit with LoH and bonus action healing from celestial warlock.

Compared to a single class, Eliana lacks among other things some aura’s and the increased aura range, the capstone, a lot of healing power, and a lot of good pally spells, like find greater steed. This is compensated for though with a lot of extra options outside of combat, a higher AC and more spells for smite. All in all a playable and maybe even good build I think, despite the prereqs in this #6 :)

[Dork_Forge]

Build submissions are now CLOSED

Voting is now OPEN

[ftafp]

Putting in a vote for AUKAN THE REDEEMER. Not a direction I expected anyone to go in

[Civis Mundi]

This was a really close one for me, my jaw is on the floor with some of the ideas on display. At the end of the day, I have to give my vote to...


https://i.imgur.com/XfVrpWv.png
The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Mostly because I've never seen a character who can do that before. Poisoner characters are particularly rare, and using Minor Conjuration to such great effect is a great way to pull it off.

(Also, flumph solidarity.)

[Zonugal]

I'm voting for Eliana the Undecided


Just a sort of regular smiting paladin


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/b/be/Anointed_Knight.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20090325171513

[Waazraath]

The Count

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/02/d4/1802d417ef27d5db105913f40f8581d8.jpg


Thematically very strong, and powerful and really fun to play in the social pillar I think. Combat encounters will be a challange, but hey, with these prereqs somethings gotta give.

[MinotaurWarrior]

The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

[Lavaeolus]

So, I think the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is interesting... but one of the core things it relies on is a little too resting-on-assumptions for it to get my vote. Minor Conjuration isn't just a freebie -- most notably, "its form must be that of a nonmagical object that you have seen". I'm not really outright saying it's an invalid build, and it is an fun way around the MADness inherent in this challenge; but I don't really think you can just make the assumption that your character has seen lycanthrope blood before. Multiple types of lycanthrope blood, in fact. I like the poisoner theming, but it's still a bit much of an ask.

(You do sort of have to wonder, if lycanthrope blood was available to be seen at some point, if anyone regardless of class could just make an attempt at grabbing it. But not having it available on-demand afterwards, though, could risk someone suddenly Remove Cursing a non-Conjuration Wizard partway through the game and permanently mucking up their plans.)

I'm very torn over which character should get the vote then, though. I think the Count ties into the challenge in a pretty fun way, tonally, but I could also imagine its reliance on cantrips and relatively split stats could hurt it in a lot of ways. (Granted, 'non-split' stats in this scenario evidently equals about two 16s in the long-run.) That said, they would be a fun person to have around, and Rogue / Bard / Knowledge Cleric is always one hell of a skill monkey.

I'll sleep on it, but I think for now at least I'm giving my vote to Eliana the Undecided:

Just a sort of regular smiting paladin

[Dork_Forge]

Voting is now closed!

[Dork_Forge]

For the first time we have two winners that aren't the same person! So conratualtions to:

Ftafp's 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' and Waazraath's 'Just a Sort of Regular Smiting Paladin'

[ftafp]

Awsome! Congrats Waazraath!

[Waazraath]

Awsome! Congrats Waazraath!

Hell yeah :) congrats to you to ftafp. And thnx again to Dork_Forge for hosting this.

[Civis Mundi]

Congrats to the winners! Sorry for being incommunicado, I've just been swamped with work (and mourning over the death of my sadsack laptop).