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View Full Version : Player Help Character Help with a Divine Soul Sorcadin



GorogIrongut
2020-07-24, 06:02 AM
So, today I was reading the thread discussing Sorcerors and came across the following comment that grabbed me by the chest hairs and told me to have a go at building something similar.

https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24625355&postcount=34

The short of it, is that the player is a big fan of taking a small paladin dip mixed with a Divine Soul Sorceror and using it as his mental image of a Cleric. As a player who has extensively played Clerics. They're like a warm and dwarfen blanket to me, so cosy. The closest I ever got to the above was Celestial Warlock/Divine Soul Sorceror that I never got around to playing.

So, I'm looking for assistance in making the above character. Just with a little more personality.

Warrior of Light (name undecided)
Yuan Ti Paladin 2/Divine Soul 8

Str 13
Dex 14 (12+1+1)
Con 14
Int 8
Wis 10
Cha 18 (15+2+1)

Prof: Dex/Con/Cha
Skills: Investigation/Perception/Deception/Persuasion (exp)

In our group we get a starting feat. So to get to the above I took Resilient: Dex, Diplomat, and Warcaster. As per the recent communication from WotC that you should be able to shift the racial stat bonuses around to play whatever character type you like, I put the +1 Int over to Dex.

Normally Yuan Ti are patently evil. So I enjoyed the thought of using one as LG Warrior of Light. I did briefly consider Kalashtar, which is if anything stronger than the Yuan Ti, but too beneficient. I also considered Tiefling, but they're overused.

Essentially, because Yuan Ti don't view the world as most humanoids. To them there is no right and wrong. There is really only a harsh version of Self Interest. I wanted to play a character who was all of those things but at a certain point he found God. Or specifically a god found him. And understanding how self interest was the only overarching drive capable of bringing him into the fold, this bombastic, fire and brimstone divinity threatened him with the unspeakable unless my Yuan Ti didn't mend his ways and learn to be good.

What this gives me is a character intended to earnestly seek out a greater good who has no idea what good even is. A character used to being harsh and brutal in servitude to a deity who doesn't mind a little brimstone (on his foes or my PC in particular if he steps over the line). It is a character of action and complete confusion at the same time.

I intend to play him as if he were somewhere on the Autistic Spectrum. Someone who can't read people and very rarely able to understand what people mean or say. He's got enough 'come follow me' to be effective in his given calling, but he doesn't always know where to send his wrath. This will enable me to explore the concepts of good and evil. He'll latch on to the few things he's managed to figure out as being actually good. He'll use his party members as a compass of what is right and wrong. All while harnessing an amoral and chewy center (think tootsie pops) that sometimes escapes when it's been trapped too long. Other times it gets used in the name of good even if the motivations are less pure.

Essentially it's meant to be a play on the trope of Lawful Stupid.


So where I need the help is in choosing spells and metamagic. I enjoy Sorcerors and in particular you have to be very careful in choosing which spells you choose with your limited choices. Even moreso in combining them with your metamagics as you can easily gimp your character... hard. Normally I would run a Shadow Sorc that was all sneak and slide. Appearing where it wanted to be and rarely letting people know it was casting spells. He'd be a good guy at heart but in the name of good he would manipulate and twist and burn things down. This character is kind of the opposite of how I normally play a sorceror. On the surface at least.


So here are the spells that I think I'm going to take:

Cantrips: Poison Spray (Yuan Ti), Booming Blade, Firebolt, Guidance, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation
1st: Animal Friendship (Yuan Ti), Bless (Sorc), Shield (Sorc), Command, Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Divine Favour, Shield of Faith (Pal)
Yes I know I should take Healing Word, but I'm not sure what to sacrifice in the Sorc Spells.

2nd: Suggestion (Yuan Ti), Aid, Dragon's Breath, Mirror Image
Every thing from here is a Divine Soul spell.

3rd: Counterspell, Fireball, Revivify, Spirit Guardians
4th: Polymorph


As for Metamagic, the common consensus would be to take Quicken and Twin. Normally I stick to Subtle and Empower. But there are arguments that could be made for an uncommon metamagic. Extended Spell would do good service in doubling the time on Spirit Guardians, Aid amongst others. A couple more spells and it would be a great use for Death Ward.


So... What spells would you take that I didn't? What metamagics would you use? I know this character is more melee focused than its levels would imply and I'm okay with that. That's almost integral to the idea behind the character. It's very much a support sorceror. Because that's what a cleric is supposed to be. Mostly support casting with a bit of melee to the build.

No I'm not aiming for min/maxing DPS. Divine Smite will be used sparingly. Much like a snake hiding in the weeds, that truly potent venom will only be used in the most dire of moments.

Let me know how I can improve it. Thanks in advance.

DevilMcam
2020-07-24, 10:02 AM
If you are looking to play support i'd argue that 3-5 levels in hexblade would be a better deal than paladin 2 depending on your group.

First of all this assumes that you DM is not allowing any coffelocking shenanigans.

Hexblade gets you medium armor and shield prof, as well as the abilitu to use booming blade on your charisma.
Almost as good as the proficiency from the paladin.

I feel like the smites are a fairly week use of spell slots, especially as a support caster.
And Quiken eldritch blast would take place of your smiting attacks with more range and possibly invocation to back them up.

Warlock levels will help you with your spells known, fuelling your meta magic and will let you get elemental weapon wich is one of the best buffs spells there is (twinned haste is fairly bad compared to a twinned upcast elemental weappon, especially paired with GWM or SS.)
You'll also get the best ritual casting there is or an OP familiar, OR a magical weapon you can pass around to your friends.
Isn't that amazing?

GorogIrongut
2020-07-24, 01:33 PM
If you are looking to play support i'd argue that 3-5 levels in hexblade would be a better deal than paladin 2 depending on your group.

Thanks for responding Devil. I appreciate your response even if I have to be honest with you. I don't care about min/maxing. The character concept will always take precedence for me. Even if hexblade has the potential to be more mechanically efficient.

More important than that, I'm bored of warlocks. So bored. To the point where the only warlock I will allow myself to play (straight or in a multi class) is the new Genie one from the recent UA. Because I can still find joy in that. If I were somehow convinced to play a hexblade, I can promise you that I would be changing characters after the first session. Cause it's no longer of interest to me.

Sorry.