Presenting Lots of Character Builds

[Draz74]

Sometimes I go through manic phases of crafting D&D character concepts, like I did a couple weeks ago. And sometimes I just need to share what I've made. So I thought I'd make a consolidated thread for my character building work, rather than a new thread for each character or party.

This initial post will function as a table of contents.

Racially-Classic Party
Pirkas Allhammerforged (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654612&postcount=2) (Dwarf Sorcerer / Paladin)
Fritz Applegulper (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654626&postcount=3) (Halfling Druid)
Vintykus Kerlikath (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654641&postcount=4) (Elf Rogue / Wizard / Fighter)
Helga Higgler (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654656&postcount=5) (Human Fighter / Bard)

Non-Theoretical Builds
Twiggy (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654712&postcount=6) (Warforged Ranger)
Duggi (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24793048&postcount=40) (Goliath Artificer)
Hannivan Gallok (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24793074&postcount=41) (Human Ranger)
Mirthas Mothalin (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24811974&postcount=43) (Half-Elf Artificer)

Fight for the Enchanted Forest
Neutral/Fey Party
Rikki (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654812&postcount=8) (Kenku Rogue / Ranger / Monk)
Gathalon (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654837&postcount=9) (Centaur Barbarian / Ranger / Fighter)
Forrrow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654844&postcount=10) (Satyr Druid / Bard)
Challiin (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24654868&postcount=11) (Elf Cleric / Ranger)

Evil Party
Doomfist (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24655216&postcount=12) (Shifter Monk / Rogue / Cleric)
Zahsss (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24655285&postcount=13) (Yuan-Ti Wizard / Warlock)
Tepyngallyc (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24681356&postcount=14) (Dragonborn Barbarian / Druid)
Firvo Dala (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24681378&postcount=15) (Halfling Warlock / Druid)

Good Party
Samili Twisil (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24681438&postcount=16) (Elf Druid / Wizard)
Utticus Underhill (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24681469&postcount=17) (Gnome Ranger / Wizard)
Yentt Blade (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24682051&postcount=18) (Firbolg Fighter / Ranger)
Leaping Leaf (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24682072&postcount=19) (Tabaxi Paladin / Rogue / Barbarian)

3.5e Playtest Party Conversion
Grivvle (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772879&postcount=20) (Gnome Rogue / Artificer / Ranger)
Kkekhif (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772942&postcount=21) (Aarakocra Fighter / Monk)
Op-Tuun Wyrkurr (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772952&postcount=22) (Human Fighter / Cleric)
Zar-Lan Wyrkurr (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772958&postcount=23) (Human Sorcerer / Warlock)

Halfling Desert Nomad Clan Wielding Scimitars
Fulaw Quv (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24773526&postcount=24) (Halfling Bard)
Draska Ydrey (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24773553&postcount=25) (Halfling Druid / Ranger)
Omari Quv (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24773758&postcount=26) (Halfling Fighter / Monk / Ranger)
Fekri Tinni (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24774437&postcount=29) (Halfling Barbarian / Rogue / Fighter)

Genasi Quartet
Zephrys (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24774831&postcount=31) (Genasi Rogue / Fighter)
Mesarr (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24774863&postcount=32) (Genasi Sorcerer / Warlock)
Cinder (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24774905&postcount=33) (Genasi Artificer)
Torrent (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24774954&postcount=34) (Genasi Barbarian / Monk / Cleric)

Musical Ensemble? Party
Flitti Rynn (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24848897&postcount=44) (Elf Artificer / Rogue)
Yentt Blade (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24848912&postcount=45) (Firbolg Fighter / Ranger)
Leaping Leaf (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24848924&postcount=46) (Tabaxi Paladin / Rogue / Barbarian)
Gawx (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24848941&postcount=47) (Custom-Lineage Bard / Warlock / Druid)

Five-Man Band Party #1
Folkin'Attor (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24851888&postcount=48) (Dragonborn Paladin / Bard)
Hysteria (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24851910&postcount=49) (Tiefling Sorcerer / Fighter)
Gruk Pelkkr (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24851920&postcount=50) (Half-Orc Fighter / Cleric)
Jibbi Ulrik (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24851958&postcount=51) (Custom-Lineage Wizard / Druid)
Xavier Felipp (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24851962&postcount=52) (Halfling Monk / Ranger)

[Draz74]

One challenge I gave myself in my latest spurt of character building was to make a classic Human & Dwarf & Elf & Halfling party, but not make them too cliche or too weak. So here's what I came up with. (I've toyed with adding a Half-Orc fifth wheel, but we'll see.)

First is the party leader:

Pirkas Allhammerforged

Pirkas was crafted by Moradin personally, then gifted as an infant to a pious infertile mortal dwarven couple to raise as their daughter. (I use Custom Backgrounds when I can't find any published Background that fits a concept, like this one.)

The build is a pretty normal Sorcadin, but with the twists of being a Dwarf—not a typical race for a Sorcadin AFAIK—the demigod backstory, and using the UA Glory subclass for the paladin, which isn't as strong as some official subclasses but fits the flavor really well IMHO.

Mountain Dwarf, Demigod Background, Divine Soul Sorcerer 14 / Glory Paladin 6
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Athletics, Religion, Arcana, Intimidation; smith's tools; Dwarvish, Common, Primordial, Celestial languages.

Sorcerer: booming blade & guidance & thaumaturgy & toll the dead; jump & shield of faith; Divine Magic – law – bless; (Spellcasting; Favored by the Gods)
Sorcerer: protection from evil and good; (Font of Magic)
Sorcerer: jump => levitate & spiritual weapon; Quickened Spell & Twinned Spell metamagics
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2; green-flame blade; misty step
Sorcerer: shield of faith => counterspell & shield; Magical Guidance variant feature
Paladin: (Divine Sense, Lay on Hands)
Paladin: Defense fighting style; (Spellcasting; Divine Smite)
Paladin: Harness Divine Power variant feature; (Divine Health; Oath Spells - guiding bolt & heroism; Channel Divinity – Peerless Athlete & Inspiring Smite)
Paladin: boost Str +2
Paladin: (Oath Spells - enhance ability & magic weapon; Extra Attack)
Paladin: (Aura of Protection)
Sorcerer: protection from evil and good => absorb elements & thunder step; (Empowered Healing)
Sorcerer: banishment
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2; stone shape
Sorcerer: sending
Sorcerer: mending; dispel magic; Subtle Spell metamagic
Sorcerer: heroes' feast
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2
Sorcerer: crown of stars
Sorcerer: levitate => plane shift; (Otherworldly Wings)

12/1/20: Tweaked and reconciled with Tasha's.

[Draz74]

Next, the party healer-type caster. I decided to make this the Halfling of the party for originality, and settled on a Shepherd Druid build. No multiclassing on this one. I could have used an exotic Halfling subrace for a Wisdom boost for optimization, but Stout suited the character concept I had started imagining better, and it's not like a Druid is going to complain about a Constitution boost.

Fritz Applegulper

Fritz always had to deal with the stigma of being a halfling cobbler, when shoes are considered only a necessary evil by the little folk, even in the cold northern climate that Fritz came from. Fortunately, he discovered that he has some skill in nature magic, with a focus on drawing from that cold north to manipulate water and ice.

Stout Halfling, Folk Hero, Shepherd Druid 20
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival, Medicine, Perception; cobbler's tools, land vehicles, herbalism kit; Halfling, Common languages.

Druid: frostbite & shape water; (Spellcasting; Druidic language)
Druid: Wild Companion variant feature; (Wild Shape; Speech of the Woods – Sylvan language; Spirit Totem)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; druidcraft; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: (Mighty Summoner)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: create bonfire; (Guardian Spirit)
Druid
Druid: Squat Nimbleness feat – boost Dex +1 & Athletics proficiency
Druid
Druid: (Faithful Summons)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2
Druid
Druid: (Timeless Body; Beast Spells)
Druid: Elemental Adept – Cold feat
Druid: (Archdruid)

12/1/20: Reconciled with Tasha's.

[Draz74]

Back in 1e and 2e with their weird variation of multiclassing, Elven Fighter/Mage/Thieves were supposed to be a classic archetype. But that has kind of fallen by the wayside, except inasmuch as the Bladesinging Wizard is sort of a fighter and (maybe?) a skillmonkey character.

For this party, I decided to bring it back. Bladesinging Wizard is certainly part of the formula, but this is a Rogue/Wizard/Fighter build that aims to be competent at all three roles (although obviously not "full caster" competent at the Wizard aspect).

Vintykus Kerlikath

Vintykus is a devotee of a long-forgotten Elven style of fighting that he found in his historical research. He is proud of this adopted heritage.

Echo Knight is a great Fighter subclass for a gish, as it has its own style of magic, and is more frontloaded (i.e. better for dipping) than Eldritch Knight. Bladesinging means this guy should have great AC. I thought Mastermind was an interesting subclass for the character concept, and wouldn't be too weak mechanically when the build multiclasses so much.

The build does get a bit MAD; it depends on DEX/INT all along, of course, as is normal for a bladesinger, but at Level 11 it picks up the Constitution-dependent Unleash Incarnation. Sadly, it can only use this ability twice per long rest. Maybe Vintykus can find himself an Amulet of Health?

High Elf (mage hand), Noble, Mastermind Rogue 8 / Bladesinging Wizard 8 / Echo Knight Fighter 4
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 102
Proficiencies: Perception, History, Persuasion, Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Investigation; dragonchess set, thieves' tools; Elvish, Common, Draconic languages.

Rogue: Athletics & Deception expertise; (Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Rogue: (Cunning Action)
Wizard: booming blade & fire bolt & prestidigitation; Spellbook – absorb elements & detect magic & identify & shield & Tasha's hideous laughter & thunderwave; (Spellcasting; Arcane Recovery)
Wizard: Spellbook – comprehend languages & mage armor; (Training in War and Song – Performance proficiency; Bladesong)
Fighter: Dueling fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Wizard: Spellbook – mirror image & shadow blade
Wizard: boost Dex +2; message; Spellbook – longstrider & misty step
Wizard: Spellbook – fly & counterspell
Wizard: Spellbook – phantom steed & slow; (Extra Attack)
Fighter: (Manifest Echo; Unleash Incarnation)
Fighter: War Caster feat
Rogue: Steady Aim variant feature; Master of Intrigue – three-dragon ante set proficiency – Orc & Primordial languages; (Master of Intrigue – disguise kit & forgery kit proficiencies; Master of Tactics; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Rogue: boost Dex +2
Rogue: (Uncanny Dodge; Sneak Attack 3d6)
Rogue: Perception & Persuasion expertise
Wizard: Spellbook – Evard's black tentacles & vitriolic sphere
Wizard: boost Int +2; Spellbook – haste & banishment
Rogue: (Evasion; Sneak Attack 4d6)
Rogue: boost Int +2

12/1/20: Tweaked & reconciled with Tasha's.

[Draz74]

Finally, the party needed a Human. And when I looked at the party's styles, I decided to make an Archer. But to keep things wacky/unusual, I decided to go with a 50%/50% multiclass for the character. A class that you'd expect for an archer (Fighter) and a class that's kind of niche for an archer (Bard—only really good as an archer at Level 10, for sniping Swift Quiver with Magical Secrets).

Since I was going to have a lot of Fighter levels, I didn't really need much that Valor Bard (or Swords Bard) would have offered, so I decided to embrace the unusual and go with Glamour Bard.

Urchin ended up being a good background for filling in skills that the party still needed, and I liked the dissonant juxtaposition of Urchin with Glamour.

Helga Higgler

Helga hates that she grew up as a poor street urchin, and tries to keep acquaintances from ever finding it out. Now that the adventuring lifestyle has brought her greater prosperity, she embraces the more wealthy lifestyle to the point of hedonism, making her own fancy jewelry and using it liberally to decorate her wardrobe.

Variant Human (Crossbow Expert feat), Urchin, Battle Master Fighter 10 / Glamour Bard 10
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Athletics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Insight, Perception; disguise kit, thieves' tools; Common, Dwarvish languages.

Fighter: Archery fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: jeweler's tools proficiency; Bait and Switch & Menacing Attack & Pushing Attack maneuvers; (Superiority Dice 4d8)
Fighter: boost Dex +2
Fighter: (Extra Attack)
Bard: Intimidation & viol proficiencies; light & message; charm person & feather fall & silent image & thunderwave; (Spellcasting; Bardic Inspiration d6)
Bard: Magical Inspiration variant feature; unseen servant; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest d6)
Bard: Insight & Stealth expertise; invisibility; (Mantle of Inspiration 5 hp; Enthralling Performance)
Bard: boost Dex +2; thunderclap; silence
Bard: tongues; (Bardic Inspiration d8; Font of Inspiration; Mantle of Inspiration 8 hp)
Bard: Leomund's tiny hut; (Countercharm; Mantle of Majesty)
Bard: greater invisibility
Bard: Sharpshooter feat; catnap
Bard: scrying; (Song of Rest d8)
Bard: Sleight of Hand & Athletics expertise; friends; Magical Secrets - conjure volley & swift quiver; (Bardic Inspiration d10; Mantle of Inspiration 11 hp)
Fighter: Prodigy feat – Nature & water vehicles proficiency & Intimidation expertise & Undercommon language
Fighter: Ambush & Disarming Attack maneuvers; (Superiority Dice 5d8; Know Your Enemy)
Fighter: boost Cha +2
Fighter: (Indomitable 1/day)
Fighter: Distracting Strike & Goading Attack maneuvers; (Superiority Dice 5d10)

12/1/20: Tweaked & reconciled with Tasha's.

[Draz74]

https://i.ibb.co/rQY6chq/Twiggy-XL.png

Twiggy
and Bartholomew Rhodin Heisenberg

So I've posted a separate thread about this character concept, but here I'll post the build I plan to use for him as I continue to play him (in an actual campaign, not theorycraft like most of this thread) in a similar format to the other presented builds. The order that he takes spells, ASIs and feats, is still tentative and may change depending what it feels like he needs most as I play.

Twiggy's build almost fully embraces the upgrades to Ranger from November 2019's Class Feature Variants UA. I feel like it's a well-balanced package, as long as you don't take Tireless at Level 1. He's Wisdom-SAD, making the unusual choice of dumping Dexterity.

Twiggy's stoic and selfless, unfazeable by most stresses, and a bit obsessive-compulsive. He likes things tidy, particularly oils his joints whenever he gets a chance (and claims that it helps him be so sneaky), and casts Shillelagh on his staff often "just in case."

Ideal: "We are all part of nature, especially me as a Warforged with the materials I'm constructed from."

Warforged, Inheritor, Beast Master Ranger 20
Str 13, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12
Proficiencies: Persuasion, Arcana, Survival, Athletics, Perception, Stealth; woodcarver's tools, pan flute; Common, Quori, Draconic languages.

Ranger: Favored Foe variant feature – d4; Canny variant feature – Stealth expertise – Sylvan & Gnoll languages
Ranger: Druidic Warrior variant fighting style – shillelagh & thorn whip; ensnaring strike & jump; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: absorb elements; Primal Companion variant feature – Beast of the Sky; Primal Awareness variant feature – speak with animals
Ranger: boost Wis +2
Ranger: darkvision; (Extra Attack; Primal Awareness – beast sense)
Ranger: Roving variant feature; (Favored Foe – d6)
Ranger: silence; (Exceptional Training)
Ranger: War Caster feat; (Land's Stride)
Ranger: jump => revivify & zephyr strike; (Primal Awareness – speak with plants)
Ranger: Tireless variant feature; Hide in Plain Sight standard feature
Ranger: longstrider; (Bestial Fury)
Ranger: boost Wis +2
Ranger: healing spirit; (Primal Awareness – locate creature)
Ranger: (Vanish; Favored Foe – d8)
Ranger: guardian of nature; (Share Spells)
Ranger: Alert feat
Ranger: steel wind strike; (Primal Awareness – commune with nature)
Ranger: (Feral Senses)
Ranger: Polearm Master feat; freedom of movement
Ranger: (Foe Slayer)

12/6/20: tweaked & updated for Tasha's.

[Draz74]

After making a desert-themed party (which I wrote a separate thread about, but I'll probably be cross-posting those builds here, too), it seemed reasonable to make other terrain-based character concepts. I decided to start with Forest.

However, when I started with races, there were way more than four that jumped out at me as fun to build into forest-themed characters. Twelve, in fact. Centaur, Green Dragonborn, Eladrin Elf, Wood Elf, Firbolg, Forest Gnome, Lotsuden Halfling, Kenku, Satyr, some variety of Shifter, Tabaxi, and Yuan-ti.

So I decided to go really crazy and build three forest-themed parties. I started imagining some sort of multi-campaign where these three parties—good, neutral, and evil—are competing over the same forest. Which, at that point, I might as well call an enchanted forest.

So here are twelve builds. Funnily enough, one subclass I didn't end up using in twelve builds was Land (Forest) Druid.

[Draz74]

Neutral Enchanted Forest Party

I've never been a big fan of centaurs or satyrs being strongly good or evil, so these fey races were kind of why I wanted to have a Neutral party in the mix in the first place. Besides those two, I decided to round out the Neutral party with Eladrin (also kind of fey), and Kenku.

Kenku isn't as strongly forest-themed as many of these twelve races, but I'd never made a Kenku character before in any capacity, so I wanted to try it. And with their Dexterity bonus, mischievous reputation, and racial bonus skill proficiencies, it seemed natural to start with a Rogue.

Since most of their combat power comes from Sneak Attack, and their main attack can miss and waste all of that potential, rogues benefit a lot from being able to make extra attacks on their turn after a miss. So that made me think of Monk (especially since I recently played a Rogue/Fighter in an actual campaign, and didn't want to repeat that combination at the moment). Kenku's racial Wisdom bonus didn't hurt that idea, either. Of course, a monk's extra attacks from Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows or the UA feature Ki-Fueled Strike aren't finesse or ranged weapons, so they don't technically qualify for sneak attack. And since this build is theoretical, there's no DM to ask to house rule that. But I decided I'd go with Rogue/Monk anyway, pick up Extra Attack from Monk, and use Monk bonus action attacks when Sneak Attack has already worked. When the main Attack action misses, I decided to use a separate strategy to get a bonus action attack that can Sneak Attack—Crossbow Expert and a few loaded hand crossbows at the ready. Seems kenku-ish to me.

Went with Swashbuckler rogue, partly because it's generally strong, partly because it's amusing to imagine a Kenku at Rogue 9 charming or goading other creatures with Persuasion checks made by mimicking. I wasn't very interested in Rogue levels beyond Reliable Talent for this build, or Monk levels beyond Ki-Empowered Strikes, so I tied the build more closely to the forest theme and got a climb speed that should be very useful in the forest (since poor Kenku can't actually fly) by throwing in three levels of Hunter Ranger.

Rikki

Rikki is a mysterious sort, which makes sense since she can't really easily explain her own past or life story. Somehow, however, she has found kindred spirits in the fey of the Enchanted Forest. An incorrigible trickster, she acts as a scout for the other members of her party.

Kenku, Outlander, Swashbuckler Rogue 11 / Hunter Ranger 3 / Open Hand Monk 6
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13
Proficiencies: Deception, Acrobatics, Athletics, Survival, Performance, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Persuasion; Bagpipes, Thieves' Tools; Common, Auran, Sylvan languages.

Rogue: Athletics & Deception expertise; (Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Rogue: (Cunning Action; Cunning Action: Aim)
Rogue: (Fancy Footwork; Rakish Audacity; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Rogue: Crossbow Expert feat
Ranger: Insight proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Deft Explorer variant feature – Roving
Monk: club, dagger, sickle, dart, rapier, scimitar, shortsword, hand crossbow monk weapons; (Unarmored Defense; Martial Arts 1d4)
Monk: (Ki; Flurry of Blows; Patient Defense; Step of the Wind; Ki-Fueled Strike; Distant Eye; Quickened Healing; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: (Open Hand Technique; Deflect Missiles)
Monk: boost Dex +2; (Slow Fall)
Monk: (Extra Attack; Stunning Strike; Martial Arts 1d6)
Rogue: (Uncanny Dodge; Sneak Attack 3d6)
Rogue: Sleight of Hand & Thieves' Tools expertise
Rogue: (Evasion; Sneak Attack 4d6)
Rogue: boost Dex +2
Rogue: (Panache; Sneak Attack 5d6)
Rogue: boost Wis +2
Rogue: (Reliable Talent; Sneak Attack 6d6)
Monk: (Wholeness of Body, Ki-Empowered Strikes; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Ranger: Dueling fighting style; absorb elements & goodberry; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: animal friendship; Primal Awareness variant feature - detect magic & speak with animals; Colossus Slayer

[Draz74]

One can find many centaur archetypes in fantasy, from druid to divination wizard, but I like when they just make use of their horselike strength to be Barbarians. And I needed at least a couple Barbarians in my forest-theme quest, so ...

As I was looking over Barbarian subclass options, I sighed as I have many times before over lamenting the well-known weakness of Berserker. The subclass's main feature (bonus action attacks) is too easy to replicate in other ways, and just isn't appealing enough to make up for the penalty of an exhaustion level. If only there was a way besides a long rest to recover from exhaustion—Wait. Wait. Now (in the UA), there is! Ranger only requires a 1-level dip for Tireless, which recovers a level of exhaustion for each short rest! Exhaustion is rare enough that this is an oft-ignored feature, but with Berserker, it suddenly becomes quite valuable!

Then, after coming up with this brilliant combo, I kind of wasted it by taking Polearm Master anyway, which gives a way besides Frenzy Rage to make a bonus action attack every turn. Greeeeaat. Well, at least if I delay taking Polearm Master until high levels, the Ranger combination should help the Berserker perform much better for quite a while.

Gathalon

Gathalon is a fierce woodland warrior who prefers to stay far away from civilization—although he's actually strangely knowledgeable about history and particularly about old ruins.

I wasn't interested, for this build, in Barbarian levels beyond 14, or Ranger levels beyond 2, so I rounded out the build with Fighter. I'd been looking for an excuse to use Echo Knight on some build, and I realized it actually did a serviceable job at mitigating a centaur's Climbing weakness if a battle happens to take place in terrain involving cliffs.

Centaur, Archaeologist, Berserker Barbarian 14 / Ranger 2 / Echo Knight Fighter 4
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Nature, History, Survival, Athletics, Intimidation; Navigator's Tools; Sylvan, Common, Celestial languages.

Barbarian: (Rage 2/day; Unarmored Defense)
Barbarian: Survival Instincts variant feature – Medicine & Perception proficiency & expertise; (Reckless Attack)
Barbarian: (Frenzy; Rage 3/day)
Ranger: Animal Handling proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Deft Explorer variant feature – Tireless
Barbarian: boost Str +2
Barbarian: Instinctive Pounce variant feature; (Extra Attack)
Ranger: Druidic Warrior fighting style - create bonfire & mending; absorb elements & goodberry; (Spellcasting)
Barbarian: (Mindless Rage; Rage 4/day)
Barbarian: (Feral Instinct)
Barbarian: boost Str +2
Barbarian: (Brutal Critical 1 die; Rage +3 damage)
Barbarian: (Intimidating Presence)
Barbarian: (Relentless Rage)
Barbarian: Polearm Master feat; (Rage 5/day)
Fighter: Defense fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: (Manifest Echo; Unleash Incarnation)
Barbarian: (Brutal Critical 2 dice)
Barbarian: (Retaliation)
Fighter: boost Con +2

[Draz74]

For the Satyr, I decided to try a weird, MAD multiclass combination—both classes that make a lot of sense on a Satyr, but possibly never before combined because it's not optimal (compared to sticking with one class or the other). But I thought it would be flavorful and not too weak, if I didn't try to have the Satyr be particularly strong in any physical ability scores too.

The two classes? Glamour Bard and Shepherd Druid. It only took 6 levels to get the most flavorful features of Glamour Bard, and 14 levels of Druid capped out with getting a Shepherd feature too. So that works nicely.

Forrrow

A consummate party-er and social butterfly, Forrrow is the face of his party and that goes double when there's something duplicitous that needs to be done.

Satyr, Charlatan, Shepherd Druid 14 / Glamour Bard 6
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Sleight of Hand, Arcana, Survival; Horn, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Herbalism Kit; Sylvan, Common languages.

Druid: druidcraft & primal savagery; (Spellcasting; Druidic language)
Bard: Nature proficiency; prestidigitation & vicious mockery; charm person & disguise self & sleep & Tasha's hideous laughter; (Spellcasting; Bardic Inspiration d6; Magical Inspiration)
Bard: heroism; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest d6)
Bard: Arcana & Persuasion expertise; sleep => invisibility & lesser restoration; (Mantle of Inspiration – 5 THP; Enthralling Performance)
Bard: Observant feat – Wis +1; message; suggestion
Druid: (Speech of the Woods; Spirit Totem; Wild Shape; Wild Companion)
Bard: heroism => major image & tongues; (Bardic Inspiration d8; Font of Inspiration; Mantle of Inspiration - 8 THP)
Bard: motivational speech; (Mantle of Majesty; Countercharm)
Druid: lesser restoration => detect thoughts
Druid: boost Wis +2; guidance; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: (Mighty Summoner)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: infestation; (Guardian Spirit)
Druid
Druid: boost Cha +2
Druid
Druid: (Faithful Summons)


(4/day) absorb elements, healing word
(3/day) healing spirit, pass without trace
(3/day) conjure animals, daylight, dispel magic, revivify
(3/day) conjure woodland beings, polymorph
(3/day) commune with nature, greater restoration, wrath of nature
(2/day) conjure fey, druid grove, heroes' feast, transport via plants, wall of thorns
(2/day) plane shift
(1/day)
(1/day)

[Draz74]

I'm often a little bit greedy about lining up racial ability bonuses with class features in a pretty optimal way, so it surprises me a little bit that my Eladrin for the Enchanted Forest Fey/Neutral Party ended up dumping Charisma and being mostly a Wisdom-based character. But Spring seemed the most "forest-themed" of the four Eladrin season abilities, and it's the one that doesn't depend on the Eladrin's Charisma modifier at all, so that worked out at least.

Somewhere in my twelve Enchanted Forest builds, I certainly needed a Nature Cleric. I don't remember how I settled on that being the Eladrin, but I did. Now, I like the idea of taking shillelagh on a Nature Cleric and being SAD with melee attacks, but TBH, that alone doesn't scale well into higher levels. Clerical Divine Strike just isn't enough to make up for having only 1 attack. You can get past that with SCAG cantrips like Booming Blade, but in this case I decided to go a different route and dip 5 levels of Ranger for Extra Attack. I'd kind of been itching to use the Gloom Stalker subclass on some build or other anyway.

Challiin

A veteran of some horrifying aberration-related underground experiences, Challiin is relieved to now be in a land as wholesome as the Enchanted Forest, but still carries traumatic baggage with her. Perhaps through her, the insidious influence of the Far Realm will even reach the forest ...

Not sure why I prioritized Intelligence over Constitution for her tertiary stat, or even why I made Dexterity so high on a heavy armor build. So I may decide to adjust those things.

Eladrin (Spring), Haunted One, Nature Cleric 15 / Gloom Stalker Ranger 5
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 9
Proficiencies: Perception, Investigation, Stealth, Religion, Insight; Elvish, Common, Sylvan, Deep Speech languages.

Cleric: shillelagh; Survival proficiency; guidance & light & toll the dead; (Domain Spells animal friendship & speak with animals; Bonus Proficiency heavy armor; Spellcasting)
Cleric: (Channel Divinity 1/rest - Turn Undead & Harness Divine Power & Charm Animals and Plants)
Ranger: Athletics proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Natural Explorer – forest
Ranger: Dueling fighting style; absorb elements & zephyr strike; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: ensnaring strike; Primal Awareness variant feature - detect magic & speak with animals; (Gloom Stalker Magic – disguise self; Dread Ambusher; Umbral Sight)
Ranger: boost Int +1 & Wis +1
Ranger: pass without trace; (Extra Attack; Primal Awareness – beast sense & locate animals and plants; Gloom Stalker Magic – rope trick)
Cleric: (Domain Spells barkskin & spike growth)
Cleric: boost Wis +2; thaumaturgy
Cleric: (Destroy Undead CR ½; Domain Spells plant growth & wind wall)
Cleric: (Dampen Elements; Channel Divinity 2/rest)
Cleric: (Domain Spells dominate beast & grasping vine)
Cleric: boost Wis +2; Divine Strike 1d8 standard feature; (Destroy Undead CR 1)
Cleric: (Domain Spells insect plague & tree stride)
Cleric: mending; (Divine Intervention)
Cleric: (Destroy Undead CR 2)
Cleric: War Caster feat
Cleric
Cleric: (Destroy Undead CR 3)
Cleric


(4/day) animal friendship, bless, cause fear, speak with animals
(3/day) augury, barkskin, enhance ability, hold person, lesser restoration, silence, spike growth, spiritual weapon
(3/day) bestow curse, dispel magic, mass healing word, plant growth, sending, wind wall
(3/day) banishment, death ward, divination, dominate beast, grasping vine
(2/day) holy weapon, insect plague, scrying, tree stride
(1/day) heal, true seeing
(1/day)
(1/day) antimagic field
(1/day)

[Draz74]

Evil Enchanted Forest Party

Obviously the yuan-ti was meant to be part of the Evil Enchanted Forest party. Green Dragonborn fit pretty nicely as well, and I kind of have a thing for Halflings as villains, so I put the Lotsuden Halfling in the evil party as well. Once I'd picked out the races I wanted for the Good party, that left the Shifter as the fourth Evil race.

I looked over the Shifter subraces and decided Wildhunt was the most forest-themed. And one of its main shifted features is advantage on all Wisdom checks, which made me think Inquisitive Rogue.

I already had a Rogue Main build in the Enchanted Forest, though (the Kenku), so I went with Monk as the primary class for the Shifter, with Rogue as just a dip. I'd never used Long Death Monk before, and I thought it seemed like a flavorful combination with Wildhunt.

Doomfist

Doomfist wanted proficiency in as many Wisdom skills as possible, which meant the Faction Agent Background, which meant an interesting backstory about how she has allegiance to some kind of other dark organization in addition to her current Party. Having worked as a professional Bounty Hunter made sense with the Inquisitive levels and the general Wildhunt flavor, so ... that's what her Faction does. Mercenaries and assassins.

I had two levels left after getting what I wanted from Monk and Rogue. (Monk 14 is such a breakpoint; not only is it one of their best abilities, but most of what they get after that is less about martial arts and more about astral projection and enlightenment.) I considered a number of options for two levels, mostly a typical Fighter dip for Action Surge, but I ended up going with Grave Cleric. It seems like a very flavorful combination with Long Death Monk, although I'm not sure if there's much mechanical synergy. But a Grave Cleric dip is just a powerful option on its own, especially if there's anyone else in the party that can deal a LOT of damage on a single attack, to be doubled with Path to the Grave.

Wildhunt Shifter, Faction Agent, Long Death Monk 14 / Inquisitive Rogue 4 / Grave Cleric 2
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Survival, Insight, Perception, Athletics, Stealth; Woodcarver's Tools; Common, Sylvan, Infernal languages.

Monk: default monk weapons; (Unarmored Defense; Martial Arts 1d4)
Monk: (Ki; Flurry of Blows; Patient Defense; Step of the Wind; Ki-Fueled Strike; Distant Eye; Quickened Healing; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: (Touch of Death; Deflect Missiles)
Monk: boost Dex +2; (Slow Fall)
Monk: (Extra Attack; Stunning Strike; Martial Arts 1d6)
Monk: (Hour of Reaping; Ki-Empowered Strikes; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Rogue: Acrobatics & Thieves' Tools proficiencies; Athletics & Insight expertise; (Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Rogue: (Cunning Action; Cunning Action: Aim)
Rogue: (Ear for Deceit; Eye for Detail; Insightful Fighting; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Monk: (Evasion; Stillness of Mind)
Monk: boost Dex +2
Monk: (Unarmored Movement - vertical surfaces and liquids)
Monk: (Immunity to diseases and poison; Unarmored Movement +20 ft)
Monk: (Mastery of Death; Martial Arts 1d8)
Monk: boost Wis +2
Monk: (Tongue of the Sun and Moon)
Monk: (Diamond Soul; Unarmored Movement +25 ft)
Rogue: boost Wis +2
Cleric: guidance & toll the dead & word of radiance; (Spellcasting; Domain Spells – bane & false life; Circle of Mortality – spare the dying; Eyes of the Grave)
Cleric: (Channel Divinity 1/rest - Turn Undead & Harness Divine Power & Path to the Grave)


(3/day) bane, command, cure wounds, detect poison and disease, false life, guiding bolt, healing word, protection from evil and good, sanctuary

[Draz74]

Like the Tieflings that share the same ability score boosts, it seems like Yuan-ti generally just choose whether to be based on Intelligence or on Charisma, and get little out of the other. I wanted to change that, and focus on both ability scores. Which meant an odd multiclass combination again, involving either Wizard or Artificer, and Yuan-ti Artificer wasn't a combination that spoke to me at the time.

Bladesinging is arguably the Wizard subclass that gets the most out of its Intelligence score; I can't remember, but maybe that's why I decided to go with it. Or maybe I just wanted to spit in the face of the "elf-only" guideline for the subclass by putting it on a very different race.

But Bladesingers are also melee builds to an extent, and I didn't want to be so MAD as to depend on Intelligence, Charisma, Constitution, and Strength/Dexterity. So that brought me to considering Hexblade. I'm strongly against the cheese of Hexblade as a dip, but as a main class it's ok I guess, so that meant reducing Bladesinger to just a dip.

Zahsss

Zahsss is a typical dispassionate power-hungry Yuan-ti. She wants to magically terraform the dense Enchanted Forest into a more tropical temperature, transforming it into a jungle.

When I shopped for Backgrounds for this character, I liked the Jorasco House Agent. (Not enough Backgrounds give two tool proficiencies.) So it'll have to be re-fluffed since I don't see the Enchanted Forest existing in Eberron, but it makes for a fun backstory with some kind of Yuan-ti House that Zahsss comes from. Probably in another forest geographically separated from the Enchanted Forest, as a whole house of Yuan-ti would kind of throw off the three-party balance.

Yuan-ti Pureblood, Jorasco House Agent, Bladesinger Wizard 2 / Hexblade Warlock 18
Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Investigation, Persuasion, Arcana, History; Alchemist's Supplies, Herbalism Kit; Abyssal, Draconic, Common languages.

Wizard: fire bolt & mending & message; Spellbook – absorb elements & alarm & detect magic & mage armor & shield & sleep; (Spellcasting; Arcane Recovery)
Wizard: Spellbook – expeditious retreat & feather fall; longsword proficiency; (Performance & light armor proficiencies; Bladesong 2/rest)
Warlock: chill touch & prestidigitation; hellish rebuke & wrathful smite; (Hexblade's Curse; Hex Warrior; Pact Magic; Expanded Spell List)
Warlock: armor of Agathys; Beguiling Influence & Fiendish Vigor invocations; Persuasion proficiency => Sleight of Hand proficiency
Warlock: misty step; Pact of the Blade; Fiendish Vigor => Improved Pact Weapon
Warlock: boost Cha +2; booming blade; hold person
Warlock: dispel magic; Thirsting Blade invocation
Warlock: fly; (Accursed Specter)
Warlock: banishment; Relentless Hex invocation
Warlock: boost Cha +2; cause fear
Warlock: synaptic static; Eldritch Smite invocation
Warlock: green-flame blade; (Armor of Hexes)
Warlock: scrying; Mystic Arcanum – mass suggestion
Warlock: boost Int +2; Lifedrinker invocation
Warlock: dream; Mystic Arcanum – forcecage
Warlock: (Master of Hexes)
Warlock: counterspell; Mystic Arcanum – dominate monster; Visions of Distant Realms invocation
Warlock: boost Int +2
Warlock: dimension door; Mystic Arcanum – psychic scream
Warlock: Trickster's Escape invocation


(3/day) absorb elements, detect magic, disguise self, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good, shield

[Draz74]

I'm encouraged by how many of my UA-dependent builds may become official with Tasha's Cauldron. :smallsmile:

Beast Barbarian seemed like it had to be in the Enchanted Forest project somewhere, and I was also trying to fit in as many Druid subclasses as feasible (even though I didn't end up with a Land (Forest) Druid) ...

Tepyngallyc

Tepyngallyc isn't a very deep character concept, just basically his Race / Background / Classes ...

He's certainly not optimized. His more important Ability Scores only reach 18 without magic items; he can't concentrate on Druid buffs while raging; and his breath weapon is pretty obsolete compared to just using the mediocre poison spray cantrip (although at least he can use his Breath Weapon to Roar).

Green Dragonborn, Outlander, Beast Barbarian 11 / Moon Druid 9
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11
Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival, Intimidation, Perception; Drum; Draconic, Common, Elvish languages.

Barbarian: (Rage 2/day; Unarmored Defense)
Barbarian: Survival Instincts variant feature – Animal Handling & Nature proficiency & expertise; (Reckless Attack)
Barbarian: (Form of the Beast; Rage 3/day)
Barbarian: Dragon Fear feat – Con +1
Barbarian: Instinctive Pounce variant feature; (Extra Attack)
Barbarian: (Bestial Soul; Rage 4/day)
Barbarian: (Feral Instinct)
Barbarian: boost Con +2
Druid: poison spray & thorn whip; (Spellcasting; Druidic)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Circle Forms CR 1; Combat Wild Shape)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +1 & Cha +1; gust; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: (Circle Forms CR2; Primal Strike)
Druid
Druid: boost Str +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid: (Circle Forms CR3)
Barbarian: (Brutal Critical 1 die; Rage +3 damage)
Barbarian: (Infectious Fury)
Barbarian: (Relentless Rage)


(4/day) absorb elements, longstrider, snare
(3/day) darkvision, pass without trace
(3/day) elemental weapon, thunder step
(3/day) dominate beast, guardian of nature
(1/day) commune with nature, tree stride

[Draz74]

Lotsuden Halfling was one of my 12 "forest-themed" races, and I seem to have a thing for creepy-witch-doctor-type evil Halfling spellcasters.

Firvo Dala

I had Firvo as partially or fully Whispers Bard for quite a while, and I still intend to make a Halfling Whispers Bard villain to replace him. But ultimately I decided it just didn't feel like it particularly fit the Enchanted Forest project—at least, not as well as Archfey Warlock and Dreams Druid did. And I was out of other builds to put those classes on. So, here's how Firvo ended up.

Went with another Custom Background here.

Lotsuden Halfling, River Gypsy, Archfey Warlock 6 / Dreams Druid 14
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Deception, Survival, Intimidation, Religion; Water Vehicles; Halfling, Common, Sylvan languages.

Warlock: eldritch blast & friends; hex & sleep; (Fey Presence; Pact Magic; Expanded Spell List)
Warlock: faerie fire; Agonizing Blast & Armor of Shadows invocations
Warlock: crown of madness; Pact of the Tome; guidance & light & message; Armor of Shadows => Book of Ancient Secrets invocation; Ritual Book – find familiar & unseen servant
Warlock: minor illusion; suggestion; boost Cha +2
Warlock: sleep => counterspell & misty step; Sign of Ill Omen invocation
Warlock: crown of madness => enemies abound & major image; (Misty Escape)
Druid: shape water & shillelagh; (Spellcasting; Druidic)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Balm of the Summer Court)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; thunderclap; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: (Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: resistance; (Hidden Paths)
Druid
Druid: boost Cha +2
Druid
Druid: (Walker in Dreams)


(4/day) absorb elements, charm person, detect magic, healing word
(3/day) darkvision, enhance ability, healing spirit, lesser restoration
(3/day) dispel magic, revivify
(3/day) blight, watery sphere
(2/day) greater restoration, insect plague, scrying
(1/day) conjure fey, transport via plants, wall of thorns
(1/day) plane shift

[Draz74]

Druid has long been one of my less-favorite classes, maybe due to resentment of how overpowered it was in 3e. But while working on the Enchanted Forest, I immediately fell in love with the flavor of Stars Druid. It feels so much more "elfy" than other Druids. I'm glad Tasha's will make it official, and my next character to actually play will likely look pretty similar to this Enchanted Forest theorycraft.

Samili Twisil
https://i.ibb.co/5ctDdNm/Samili-Twisil.png

Samili, like many of the Enchanted Forest builds, takes a multiclass diversion for flavor even though it makes him relatively MAD. But how can you resist the flavor synergy of Stars Druid with Divination Wizard? Especially with an appropriate Custom Background.

It's funny, I hate astrology IRL (being an astronomer scientist by education). But in a fantasy setting I have no problem with it. :smallamused:

Wood Elf, Astrologer, Stars Druid 18 / Divination Wizard 2
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 12
Proficiencies: Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Insight, Medicine; Navigator's Tools, Herbalism Kit; Elvish, Common, Celestial languages.

Druid: guidance, shillelagh; (Spellcasting; Druidic)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Star Map – augury & guiding bolt; Starry Form)
Druid
Druid: shillelagh => druidcraft & mending; boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Wizard: fire bolt & mage hand & message; Spellbook – comprehend languages & detect magic & mage armor & magic missile & protection from evil and good & shield; (Spellcasting; Arcane Recovery)
Wizard: Spellbook – expeditious retreat & unseen servant; (Divination Savant; Portent)
Druid: (Cosmic Omen)
Druid
Druid: boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: thunderclap; (Full of Stars)
Druid
Druid: Elven Accuracy feat – Int +1
Druid
Druid: (Star Flare)
Druid
Druid: Lucky feat
Druid
Druid: (Timeless Body; Beast Spells)


(4/day) INT: mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good, shield; WIS: absorb elements, faerie fire, healing word
(3/day) WIS: healing spirit, pass without trace, skywrite
(3/day) WIS: dispel magic, revivify
(3/day) WIS: charm monster, divination, freedom of movement, watery sphere
(3/day) WIS: dawn, greater restoration, scrying, tree stride, wrath of nature
(2/day) WIS: druid grove, transport via plants, wall of thorns
(2/day) WIS: plane shift
(1/day) WIS: feeblemind
(1/day) WIS: foresight

[Draz74]

Forest Gnomes just go with Wizard so well, I had to do a third Wizard dip in the Enchanted Forest project.

In my imagination, Underhill is a super common Gnome name like Johnson or Smith IRL. (Even though it was for hobbits in LotR.)

Utticus Underhill

I've wanted to try War Wizard as a dip for a while, to see how good its Level 2 feature can be. And I wanted a wizard dip on this Gnome. Voila. I don't remember how I came up with the bizarre combination with Primeval Guardian Ranger though. I'm sure Forest Gnome's racial DEX boost didn't hurt.

Forest Gnome, Sage, Primeval Guardian Ranger 17 / War Wizard 3
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Athletics, Investigation, Nature; Gnomish, Common, Orc, Draconic languages.

Ranger: Favored Enemy – fey & Sylvan language; Natural Explorer – forest
Ranger: Dueling fighting style; absorb elements & zephyr strike; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: longstrider; Primal Awareness variant feature – detect magic & speak with animals; (Guardian Magic – entangle; Guardian Soul; Piercing Thorns)
Ranger: Magic Initiate – Artificer – message & thorn whip & faerie fire
Ranger: animal messenger; (Extra Attack; Primal Awareness – beast sense & locate animals and plants; Guardian Magic – enhance ability)
Wizard: booming blade & fire bolt & Prestidigitation; Spellbook – alarm & feather fall & find familiar & identify & magic missile & shield; (Spellcasting; Arcane Recovery)
Wizard: Spellbook – silent image & unseen servant; (Arcane Deflection; Tactical Wit)
Wizard: Spellbook – invisibility & misty step
Ranger: Favored Enemy – yuan-ti & dragonborn & Abyssal language; Natural Explorer – grassland
Ranger: silence; (Ancient Fortitude)
Ranger: boost Dex +1 & Wis +1; (Land's Stride)
Ranger: nondetection; (Primal Awareness – speak with plants; Guardian Magic – conjure animals)
Ranger: Fade Away variant feature; Natural Explorer – mountains
Ranger: locate object; (Rooted Defense)
Ranger: Squat Nimbleness feat – Dex +1 – Acrobatics proficiency
Ranger: freedom of movement; (Primal Awareness – locate creature; Guardian Magic – giant insect)
Ranger: Favored Enemy – elves & halflings & Halfling language; (Vanish)
Ranger: death ward; (Guardian Aura)
Ranger: boost Dex +2
Ranger: steel wind strike; (Primal Awareness – commune with nature; Guardian Magic – insect plague)


(4/day) INT: feather fall, magic missile, shield; WIS: absorb elements, (%)detect magic, entangle, longstrider, (%)speak with animals, zephyr strike
(3/day) INT: invisibility, misty step; WIS: animal messenger, (%)beast sense, enhance ability, (%)locate animals and plants, locate object, silence
(3/day) WIS: conjure animals, nondetection, (%)speak with plants
(3/day) WIS: death ward, freedom of movement, giant insect, (%)locate creature
(2/day) WIS: (%)commune with nature, insect plague, steel wind strike
(1/day)
(%) – cast without expending a spell slot 1/day

[Draz74]

One of the races I most wanted to build something for when I started the Enchanted Forest project was Firbolg.

But in my (Critical-Role-biased) experience, most Firbolg characters focus on taking advantage of the Wisdom boost and some sort of magic. So I wanted to do a Strength-primary martial Firbolg.

In the end, I did end up with a build with Wisdom-based spellcasting too, but it's still primarily a Strength-based melee combatant.

Yentt Blade

Samurai is a Fighter subclass that actually gets some features out of having a high Wisdom. I didn't go past Level 7 in the class because I wanted to fit another Ranger Subclass into the Enchanted Forest, but after reading more of the Fun And Effective Builds thread, I'm gonna have to make a pure Samurai build at some point too.

But yeah, the UA fix for the Beast Master Ranger is pretty fun. I already have a build in this thread (Twiggy) with a Beast of the Air companion, so I went with Beast of the Earth for Yentt.

Firbolg, Outlander, Samurai Fighter 7 / Beast Master Ranger 13
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival, Animal Handling, Pan Flute; Giant, Common, Elvish, Gnomish languages.

Fighter: Superior Technique fighting style – Goading Attack maneuver; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge 1/rest)
Ranger: Stealth proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Deft Explorer variant feature – Tireless
Ranger: Defense fighting style; absorb elements & alarm; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: ensnaring strike; Ranger's Companion – Beast of the Earth; Primal Awareness variant feature – detect magic & speak with animals
Ranger: boost Str +2; alarm => goodberry
Ranger: darkvision; (Extra Attack; Primal Awareness – beast sense & located animals or plants)
Ranger: Deft Explorer variant feature – Canny – Perception proficiency & expertise – Primordial & Sylvan languages
Fighter: Persuasion proficiency; (Fighting Spirit)
Fighter: Sentinel feat
Ranger: animal friendship; (Exceptional Training)
Ranger: Polearm Master feat; (Land's Stride)
Ranger: plant growth; (Primal Awareness – speak with plants)
Ranger: Fade Away variant feature; Deft Explorer variant feature – Roving
Ranger: water walk; (Bestial Fury)
Fighter
Fighter: boost Wis +2
Fighter: Elegant Courtier – Wisdom save proficiency
Ranger: boost Str +2
Ranger: guardian of nature; (Primal Awareness – locate creature)

[Draz74]

Finally, the Tabaxi build that rounds out the Good Party of the Enchanted Forest project.

A lot of these builds, but especially this one, were made with the assumption that the Enchanted Forest is a pretty dense place, where a lot of 3-dimensional combat can occur up in trees.

Leaping Leaf

I pictured this build as a Dex Paladin/Rogue, but to my surprise, after I got to Level 14 there wasn't much more that I wanted from either of those classes. To the extent that I ended up going for Barbarian, even though a number of its features are redundant or pointless on this Dexterity-based build. Because some of them are still sweet.

Entertainer was chosen primarily just to snipe Acrobatics proficiency, but it also makes an amusing combination with Paladin and suggests a nonstandard backstory.

Tabaxi, Entertainer, Ancients Paladin 11 / Scout Rogue 3 / Totem Warrior Barbarian 6
Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Acrobatics, Performance, Athletics, Intimidation; Lute, Disguise Kit; Common, Sylvan languages.

Paladin: (Divine Sense; Lay on Hands)
Paladin: Defense fighting style; (Spellcasting; Divine Smite)
Paladin: (Divine Health; Oath Spells – ensnaring strike & speak with animals; Channel Divinity: Harness Divine Power & Nature's Wrath & Turn the Faithless)
Paladin: Mobile feat
Paladin: (Extra Attack; Oath Spells – misty step & moonbeam)
Paladin: (Aura of Protection)
Paladin: (Aura of Warding)
Paladin: boost Dex +2
Rogue: Sleight of Hand proficiency; Athletics & Stealth expertise; (Thieves' Tools proficiency; Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Rogue: (Cunning Action; Cunning Action: Aim)
Rogue: (Skirmisher; Nature & Survival proficiency & expertise; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Barbarian: (Rage 2/day; Unarmored Defense)
Barbarian: Danger Sense standard feature; (Reckless Attack)
Barbarian: Totem Spirit – Tiger; (Rage 3/day; Spirit Seeker)
Barbarian: boost Cha +2
Barbarian: Fast Movement standard feature
Barbarian: Aspect of the Beast – Wolf
Paladin: (Oath Spells – plant growth & protection from energy)
Paladin: (Aura of Courage)
Paladin: (Improved Divine Smite)


(4/day) bless, detect poison and disease, ensnaring strike, speak with animals, thunderous smite
(3/day) aid, lesser restoration, misty step, moonbeam, zone of truth
(3/day) elemental weapon, plant growth, protection from energy, revivify, spirit guardians

[Draz74]

I recently got addicted to HeroForge 2 for designing my own minis, and one of the ideas I played out on that site was to improve minis that I made myself out of modeling clay many years ago. Those minis were for a party that I used to playtest encounters for their difficulty in 3.5e. That party was a no-multiclassing-allowed, only-Tier-3-classes-allowed party:

Whisper Gnome Factotum
Raptoran Warblade
Azurin Ardent
Dragontouched-Human Dragonfire Adept
Only now that I made minis for them, I kind of want to convert them (with multiclassing to help represent those classes) in 5e.

Grivvle
https://i.ibb.co/ygFcC6C/Grivvle.png

The party skillmonkey, a Factotum who thinks of himself more as a Ranger.

The 3.5e party was also a "no minionmancy allowed" party, so I'm torn about whether 5e Grivvle should actually use his Steel Defender feature. I guess he will, since minionmancy in later 5e material seems to be pretty balanced. Hence the (clockwork) badger in his latest artwork.

When Grivvle gets thieves' tools proficiency from Artificer but already has it from Rogue, I have him choose woodcarver's tools proficiency instead. I understand that interpretation of the rules (applying the line on PHB pg 126 to redundant proficiencies other than from Backgrounds) is somewhat controversial, but I'm sticking with it. It's mostly for flavor anyway; woodcarver's tools aren't a super important part of the build. Similarly, when he picks up Survival Proficiency a second time, I'm using the same rules line to gain Religion proficiency instead.

As far as I know, there's also not a perfect consensus about whether an Artificer 9 / Ranger 5 has a 4th-level spell slot. Depends whether the two classes get added together, then halved and rounded down, or halved and rounded down, then added. I'll go with Foundry VTT's more favorable interpretation.

Deep Gnome, Outlander, Scout Rogue 6 / Battle Smith Artificer 9 / Gloom Stalker Ranger 5
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival, Stealth, Perception, Investigation, Insight; Flute, Thieves' Tools; Gnomish, Common, Undercommon, Elvish languages.

Rogue: Perception & Stealth expertise; (Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Artificer: Woodcarver's Tools proficiency; guidance & message; (Tinker's Tools proficiency; Magical Tinkering; Spellcasting)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Defense & Enhanced Weapon & Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones
Artificer: (Smith's Tools proficiency; Battle Smith Spells - heroism & shield; Battle Ready; Steel Defender; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: (Extra Attack; Battle Smith Spells - branding smite & warding bond)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Defense => Radiant Weapon & Replicate Magic Item: Boots of Elvenkind & Resistant Armor; (Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Rogue: (Cunning Action)
Rogue: Steady Aim variant feature; Religion proficiency; (Skirmisher; Nature proficiency & expertise; Survival expertise; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Rogue: boost Int +2
Ranger: Animal Handling proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature - d4; Deft Explorer variant feature - Investigation expertise - Sylvan & Primordial languages
Ranger: Archery Fighting Style; ensnaring strike & goodberry; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: zephyr strike; Primal Awareness variant feature - speak with animals; (Gloom Stalker Magic - disguise self; Dread Ambusher; Umbral Sight)
Ranger: Sharpshooter feat
Rogue: (Uncanny Dodge; Sneak Attack 3d6)
Rogue: Athletics & Insight expertise
Ranger: pass without trace; (Primal Awareness - beast sense; Gloom Stalker Magic - rope trick)
Artificer: Svirfneblin Magic feat
Artificer: (Arcane Jolt)


(4/day) absorb elements, alarm, heroism, longstrider, shield, snare
(3/day) branding smite, enhance ability, lesser restoration, warding bond, web
(3/day) aura of vitality, catnap, conjure barrage, elemental weapon
(1/day)
Note: At earlier levels, before Op-Tuun is a fully competent healer, Grivvle will definitely prepare cure wounds.

Levels 3-6: Bag of Holding, Shortbow +1
Levels 7-10: Bag of Holding, Breastplate of Resistance: Necrotic (attuned), Radiant Shortbow (attuned)
Levels 11-16: Bag of Holding (permanent), Boots of Elvenkind, Breastplate of Resistance: Necrotic (attuned), Cloak of Protection (attuned, permanent), Radiant Shortbow (attuned)
Levels 17-20: Bag of Holding (permanent), Boots of Elvenkind, Breastplate of Resistance: Necrotic (attuned), Cloak of Protection (attuned, permanent), Shortbow +1, Ring of Free Action (attuned, permanent)

[Draz74]

Next the party's main frontliner, a quarterstaff wielder. Neither masculine or feminine pronouns ever felt quite right for the character, so they're going to be a nod to the non-binary.

Kkekhif
https://i.ibb.co/whnKB3c/Kkekhif.png

The basic idea here was to provide an effective front-line fighter with flight from its race to keep it from needing a ranged option as often. I guess multiclass Fighter/Monk is about the closest thing 5e has to the Warblade? It's not a perfect match, especially since Wisdom was practically this character's dump stat in 3.5e.

Aarakocra, Mercenary Veteran, Battle Master Fighter 12 / Long Death Monk 8
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation, Persuasion, History; Dice Set, Land Vehicles; Aarakocra, Common, Auran languages.

Fighter: Superior Technique fighting style - Brace maneuver; (Second Wind)
Monk: (Unarmored Defense; Martial Arts - 1d4)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: Calligrapher's Supplies proficiency; Commanding Presence & Menacing Attack & Trip Attack maneuvers; (Combat Superiority 4d8+1d6)
Fighter: Crusher feat - boost Con +1
Fighter: (Extra Attack)
Fighter: boost Dex +2
Monk: Dedicated Weapon variant feature; (Ki - Flurry of Blows & Patient Defense & Step of the Wind; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: Ki-Fueled Attack variant feature; (Deflect Missiles; Touch of Death)
Monk: boost Dex +2; Quickened Healing variant feature; (Slow Fall)
Monk: Focused Aim variant feature; (Stunning Strike; Martial Arts - 1d6)
Monk: (Ki-Empowered Strikes; Hour of Reaping; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Fighter: Goading Attack & Maneuvering Attack maneuvers; (Know Your Enemy; Combat Superiority 5d8+1d6)
Fighter: Polearm Master feat; Brace maneuver => Precision Attack maneuver
Fighter: (Indomitable 1/day)
Fighter: Evasive Footwork & Disarming Attack maneuvers; (Combat Superiority 5d10+1d6)
Fighter: (Extra Attack 2)
Monk: (Evasion; Stillness of Mind)
Monk: Mage Slayer feat
Fighter: Tough feat


Levels 11-16: Eyes of the Eagle (attuned), Quarterstaff +1
Levels 17-20: Cloak of Protection (attuned), Eyes of the Eagle (attuned), Quarterstaff +2

[Draz74]

The party support/healer role:

Op-Tuun Wyrkurr
https://i.ibb.co/J5Yt0FR/Op-Tuun.png

The goal here is to get psionic flavor as fast as possible, at the expense of early spellcasting progression. Part of me really wants to go as far as Level 7 in Fighter for Psi-Powered Leap, but the 3.5e character was a full manifester and I don't feel good about losing another 4 levels of Cleric. At least the character can still fly using his Cleric magic, albeit not until Level 20.

Variant Human, Noble, Psi Warrior Fighter 3 / Arcana Cleric 17
Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10
Fey Touched feat - boost Wis +1 - gift of alacrity & misty step
Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Persuasion, Insight, Medicine; Dragonchess Set; Common, Dwarvish, Orc languages.

Fighter: Dueling fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: (Psionic Power - 4d6; Protective Field; Psionic Strike; Telekinetic Movement)
Cleric: light & mending & resistance; booming blade & toll the dead; Performance proficiency; (Spellcasting; Arcana Domain spells - detect magic & magic missile)
Cleric: Harness Divine Power variant feature; (Psionic Power - 6d6; Channel Divinity 1/short rest; Turn Undead; Arcane Abjuration)
Cleric: (Arcana Domain spells - magic weapon & Nystul's magic aura)
Cleric: boost Str +2; thaumaturgy
Cleric: (Arcana Domain spells - dispel magic & magic circle; Destroy Undead / Arcane Abjuration banishment CR 1/2)
Cleric: (Psionic Power - 8d6; Channel Divinity 2/short rest; Spell Breaker)
Cleric: (Arcana Domain spells - arcane eye & Leomund's secret chest)
Cleric: Resilient feat - boost Wis +1; Blessed Strikes variant feature; (Destroy Undead / Arcane Abjuration banishment CR 1)
Cleric: (Arcana Domain spells - planar binding & teleportation circle)
Cleric: sacred flame; (Psionic Power - 10d6; Divine Intervention)
Cleric: (Destroy Undead / Arcane Abjuration banishment CR 2)
Cleric: boost Str +2
Cleric
Cleric: (Psionic Power - 12d6; Destroy Undead / Arcane Abjuration banishment CR 3)
Cleric
Cleric: boost Wis +2
Cleric: Arcane Mastery - investiture of wind & teleport & mind blank & wish; (Destroy Undead / Arcane Abjuration banishment CR 4)


(4/day) bless, cure wounds, detect magic, magic missile
(3/day) aid, augury, calm emotions, lesser restoration, magic weapon, Nystul's magic aura
(3/day) clairvoyance, dispel magic, magic circle, mass healing word, revivify, sending, tongues
(3/day) arcane eye, divination, freedom of movement, Leomund's secret chest
(2/day) greater restoration, holy weapon, legend lore, planar binding, scrying, teleportation circle
(1/day) heal, investiture of wind, true seeing
(1/day) plane shift, regenerate, teleport
(1/day) mind blank
(1/day) wish

Levels 11-16: Headband of Intellect (attuned), Shield +1 with Holy Emblem
Levels 17-20: Headband of Intellect (attuned), Shield +2 with Holy Emblem, Silvered Morningstar +1

[Draz74]

And Op-Tuun's sister, the party controller/blaster/arcanist.

Zar-Lan Wyrkurr
https://i.ibb.co/c8Vb7WW/Zar-Lan.png

Way of the Ascendant Dragon for Monk doesn't seem very conducive to multiclassing, so I think I'm back to building Zar-Lan as a Draconic Sorcerer, with a re-flavored Genie Pact Warlock dip for spears proficiency and more Spells Known.

Again I'm interpreting PHB pg 126 to apply to redundant proficiencies other than those from Backgrounds, allowing a character who's already proficient in Deception and Persuasion to pick two other skills by using Beguiling Influence.

Variant Human, Noble, Draconic Sorcerer 18 / Genie Warlock 2
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15
Shadow Touched feat - boost Cha +1 - cause fear & invisibility
Proficiencies: Insight, History, Persuasion, Arcana, Deception; Three-Dragon Ante Set; Common, Giant, Goblin languages.

Sorcerer: friends & green-flame blade & lightning lure & prestidigitation; burning hands & shield; Dragon Ancestor: brass - Draconic language; (Draconic Resilience)
Warlock: booming blade & minor illusion; charm person & hellish rebuke; Otherworldly Patron - Efreeti; (Pact Magic; Bottled Respite; Genie's Wrath - fire)
Sorcerer: detect magic; (Font of Magic)
Sorcerer: Careful Spell & Empowered Spell metamagics; dragon's breath
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2; poison spray; see invisibility
Sorcerer: Magical Guidance variant feature; dragon's breath => lightning bolt & slow
Sorcerer: counterspell; (Elemental Affinity - fire)
Sorcerer: dispel magic
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2; water breathing
Sorcerer: darkvision
Sorcerer: Quickened Spell metamagic; control flames; thunderwave
Sorcerer: disintegrate
Sorcerer: Prodigy feat - Perception proficiency and expertise & Glassblower's Tools proficiency & Infernal language; see invisibility => cone of cold
Sorcerer: fire storm
Sorcerer: (Dragon Wings)
Sorcerer: absorb elements
Sorcerer: boost Con +2
Sorcerer: Heightened Spell metamagic; fire storm => charm monster & meteor swarm
Warlock: Beguiling Influence invocation - Intimidation & Sleight of Hand proficiency; Eldritch Sight invocation; armor of Agathys
Sorcerer: detect magic => Tasha's caustic brew; (Draconic Presence)


Levels 11-16: Bloodwell Vial +1 (attuned), Gauntlets of Ogre Power (attuned)
Levels 17-20: Bloodwell Vial +1 (attuned), Gauntlets of Ogre Power (attuned), Outer Essence Shard: Chaotic (attuned)

[Draz74]

Halfling Desert Nomad Clan Wielding Scimitars

The aforementioned themed party. Halfling nomads are kind of a classic archetype, desert nomads with scimitars are definitely a stereotype, so I'm combining the two ... and seeing how much variety / how well-balanced a party I can end up with in spite of the theme.

This party I only built out to Level 15, but now that I've created art for them and I'm porting them into this thread, I have a loose intention to update them to 20-level builds in the near future. All four builds have really good Survival skill to match the desert nomad theme.

Fulaw Quv
https://i.ibb.co/2KZdMX9/Fulaw-Quv.png

Fulaw has always enjoyed poking around in ancient ruins. He's traditionally kept the clan afloat financially by taking knicknacks he finds in dungeons, and whatever else he can find, to bazaar to sell. He's a very good haggler at the market. With his strong personality and wanderlust, he's kind of the linchpin of the clan.

Not going to claim this build is optimal, as (like any Swords Bard without a Hexblade-cheese dip) it's MAD, and doesn't yet manage to get beyond 18 in either of its main stats. Feats were just too appealing!

Skills-wise, Fulaw is the party's general face, and especially a specialist in Persuasion (haggling). He's also really good at History, and the best in the party at Insight and Sleight of Hand.

Spells-wise, Fulaw has a few combat buffs, but his spell list is mostly tailored towards ruins exploration and social influence, so that he can spend most of his turns in combat slashing things with dual scimitars.

Lightfoot Halfling, Archaeologist, Swords Bard 15
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 16
Proficiencies: History, Survival, Athletics, Insight, Perusasion; Cartographer's Tools, Flute, Drum, Viol; Halfling, Common, Primordial languages.

Bard: light & mending; comprehend languages & feather fall & identify & sleep; (Bardic Inspiration d6; Spellcasting)
Bard: unseen servant; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest d6)
Bard: Insight & Persuasion expertise; Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style; sleep => enhance ability & warding wind; (Bonus Proficiencies; Blade Flourish)
Bard: boost Dex +2; prestidigitation; longstrider
Bard: longstrider => major image & sending; (Bardic Inspiration d8; Font of Inspiration)
Bard: Leomund's tiny hut; (Countercharm; Extra Attack)
Bard: longstrider
Bard: boost Cha +2; mirror image
Bard: disguise self; (Song of Rest d8)
Bard: History & Survival expertise; friends; Magical Secrets - spiritual weapon & steel wind strike; (Bardic Inspiration d10)
Bard: mass suggestion
Bard: Resilient (Constitution) feat; mending => vicious mockery
Bard: Rary's telepathic bond; (Song of Rest d10)
Bard: Magical Secrets - shield & holy weapon; (Master's Flourish)
Bard: glibness; (Bardic Inspiration d12)

[Draz74]

Draska Ydrey
https://i.ibb.co/R4W9wNf/Draska-Ydrey.png

Fulaw's Aunt Draska Ydrey is starting to age a bit, but even in her younger years she was never as robust as the other three, physically. But she's mighty mentally and magically, wise and spiritual. The family's religious leader and the one who actually makes the difficult decisions. Also the best caravan driver.

I'm not a big fan of Eberron "Marked" races in non-Eberron settings, but Mark of Healing Halfling just fit this character concept way better than any other Halfling subrace. And the Wisdom boost was kind of crucial if I'm honest. Boosting Wisdom again at Level 14 would have been optimal, but I really wanted one of this party's characters to have Defensive Duelist by Level 15, so I fit that onto Draska. Even though it still leaves her AC mediocre (a general druid problem). At least it makes her able to get use out of her scimitar even in combat rounds where she's basically using her full spellcasting.

Draska has proficient saving throws on abilities where the other three don't. Skills-wise, she's the only party member without decent Athletics. She's the party specialist in Arcana, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion.

Spells-wise, Draska is more a full caster and less of a warrior than the other three, but with buffs like hunter's mark she can still put up some good damage with dual-wielded scimitars. At Level 15, she starts routinely casting druid grove most evenings to give the group a home that's defended by more than alarm.

Mark of Healing Halfling, Hermit, Land Druid 13 / Ranger 2
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion, Arcana, Survival; Herbalism Kit, Land Vehicles; Halfling, Common, Celestial languages.

Druid: guidance & thorn whip; (Druidic; Spellcasting)
Ranger: Investigation proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Natural Explorer standard feature - Desert
Ranger: Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style; alarm & zephyr strike
Druid: mold earth; (Natural Recovery)
Druid: Desert Circle Spells - blur & silence
Druid: War Caster feat; druidcraft; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid: (Desert Circle Spells - create food and water & protection from energy)
Druid: (Land's Stride)
Druid: (Desert Circle Spells - blight & hallucinatory terrain)
Druid: boost Wis +2; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid: (Desert Circle Spells - insect plague & wall of stone)
Druid: mending; (Nature's Ward)
Druid
Druid: Defensive Duelist feat
Druid: Spell Versatility - alarm => absorb elements

(4/day) detect magic, healing word
(3/day) augury, blur, darkvision, healing spirit, silence
(3/day) create food and water, dispel magic, elemental weapon, protection from energy, revivify, wall of sand
(3/day) blight, giant insect, guardian of nature, hallucinatory terrain
(2/day) dawn, greater restoration, insect plague, wall of stone
(1/day) druid grove, investiture of wind, wind walk
(1/day) whirlwind

[Draz74]

Omari Quv
https://i.ibb.co/FhDhHbb/Omari-Quv.png

Fulaw's brother Omari Quv is on the autism spectrum, which rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Not animals though; they seem to love Omari, and he often wrangles down a dinosaur to use as a mount for crossing the desert. His autism also comes with minor telepathic abilities. He's naturally in tune with the wilderness and a talented warrior.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a PC pick up the Thri-Kreen language. Getting it as a Ranger through Favored Enemy seems flavorful, and combining it with telepathy too.

Skills-wise, Omari is the party's specialist in Animal Handling, Acrobatics, and Stealth. He might be better at communicating with people by playing his shawm than by talking, which would make for some interesting roleplay opportunities. Glassblower's Tools proficiency is also flavorful in a desert party.

Spells-wise, Omari may never use Ensnaring Strike due to competition for his bonus actions, but it would be cool to describe dry desert cacti ensnaring the target if he did. Weapon-wise, I went with shortbow over longbow as a Kensei weapon purely out of (historical) flavor.

Ghostwise Halfling, Outlander, Battle Master Fighter 4 / Kensei Monk 8 / Hunter Ranger 3
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival, Acrobatics, Animal Handling; Shawm; Halfling, Common, Draconic languages.

Fighter: Dueling fighting style; (Second Wind)
Monk: Monk Weapons variant feature - club & dagger & quarterstaff & sickle & dart & flail & scimitar & whip; (Unarmored Defense; Martial Arts d4)
Monk: (Ki; Ki-Fueled Strike; Ki Features; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: Calligrapher's Supplies proficiency; Kensei Weapons - scimitar & shortbow; (Deflect Missiles; Agile Parry; Kensei's Shot)
Monk: Athlete feat - boost Dex +1; (Slow Fall)
Monk: (Extra Attack; Stunning Strike; Martial Arts d6)
Ranger: Stealth proficiency; Favored Enemy - halflings & thri-kreen; Thri-Kreen language; Deft Explorer variant feature - Tireless
Monk: Kensei Weapon - dagger; (Ki-Empowered Strikes; Magic Kensei Weapons; Deft Strike; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: Glassblower's Tools proficiency; Evasive Footwork & Maneuvering Attack & Menacing Attack maneuvers; (Combat Superiority 4d8)
Ranger: Interception fighting style; absorb elements & animal friendship; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: Hoard Breaker; ensnaring strike; Primal Awareness variant feature - detect magic & speak with animals
Fighter: Resilient (Dexterity) feat
Monk: (Evasion; Stillness of Mind)
Monk: Mage Slayer feat

[CMCC]

I’ve been wanting to play a hexblade that started out as a wizard for a while now. I like the mix of the two classes and thematically it makes sense: a wizard who isn’t quite smart enough so looks elsewhere for power.

Good stuff.

[Draz74]

I’ve been wanting to play a hexblade that started out as a wizard for a while now. I like the mix of the two classes and thematically it makes sense: a wizard who isn’t quite smart enough so looks elsewhere for power.

Good stuff.

Glad you like it! Was Bladesinging your wizard plan too?

[Draz74]

Fekri Tinni
https://i.ibb.co/HKq03WV/Fekri-Tinni.png

Fulaw's bride, Fekri Tinni, is from the far side of the massive desert, near the Gnollish lands. She's exotic and therefore draws a lot of looks, even before she shows off her prodigious strength that seems impossible to fit within her small frame. Fulaw met her some years ago on a merchant expedition far across the desert, and fell in love immediately.

I picked out Far Traveler as a good Background for a desert nomad, and Storm Herald Barbarian according to theme as well. The way the rest of the party went, they went together. And I thought, how much fun would it be for the raging barbarian to be the exotic girl that everyone looks at (as per the Far Traveler feature) in a belly dancer outfit? Especially when she ended up being something of a grapple build (more on that below). So I had to go for it, and make the wife of the family the Barbarian build. And I had to fit the Performance proficiency into her build. And I also can't put her in armor, that would ruin the effect. She's gotta count on the Unarmored Defense of the Barbarian, even if wearing armor would be better mechanically.

Btw, the order that these builds took their classes was mostly determined by what saving throw proficiencies they would end up with. Druid levels came before Ranger levels because it was the only way for the party to have a Proficient Wisdom save, etc. And I thought Constitution save proficiency was flavorful for the desert nomads, even though this build eventually becomes immune to heat exhaustion a different way. So I went with Barbarian first, even though Rogue first would have meant yet another skill proficiency. (This build still does pretty well in that arena.) I managed to end up with Constitution proficiency on three of the four, between starting as a Barbarian, starting as a Fighter, and Resilient.

The Rogue level is mostly in the build to explain why this character is wielding a scimitar instead of a battleaxe or something. Sneak attack still functions with a barbarian's features, as long as you use a suboptimal weapon. But once I added the Rogue level ... well, I'm kind of a sucker for grapple builds in 5e, if there's a good way to get Athletics Expertise and Rage together. So I decided to go with it, figuring it would be funny on a 3-ft tall character, and that meant I wanted the new Unarmed Fighting Style from November's UA. So that ended up meaning a Fighter dip. It's a huge shame that, being small, Fekri can't (IIRC) successfully Shove or Grab Large opponents, as that would be even funnier. But I guess she can just hit those foes with fire and swords, and save the grabbing and shoving for Medium opponents.

Skill-wise, I've already kind of discussed Performance and Athletics, but Fekri is also the team's specialist in Nature and Perception. And sort of Intimidation.

Stout Halfling, Far Traveler, Storm Herald Barbarian 12 / Rogue 1 / Fighter 2
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13
Proficiencies: Insight, Perception, Athletics, Intimidation; Dice Set; Halfling, Common, Gnoll languages.

Barbarian: (Rage 2/day; Unarmored Defense)
Barbarian: Survival Instincts variant feature - Nature & Survival proficiency & expertise
Rogue: Performance proficiency; Athletics & Perception expertise; (Thieves' Cant; Sneak Attack 1d6)
Barbarian: Storm Aura - Desert; (Rage 3/day)
Barbarian: Squat Nimbleness feat - boost Str +1 - Acrobatics proficiency
Barbarian: Instinctive Pounce variant feature; (Extra Attack)
Fighter: Unarmed Fighting fighting style; (Second Wind)
Barbarian: (Storm Soul - Desert; Rage 4/day)
Barbarian: (Feral Instinct)
Barbarian: Second Chance feat - boost Con +1
Barbarian: (Brutal Critical 1; Rage Damage +3)
Barbarian: (Shielding Storm - fire damage)
Barbarian: (Relentless Rage)
Barbarian: boost Con +2; (Rage 5/day)
Fighter: (Action Surge)

[CMCC]

Glad you like it! Was Bladesinging your wizard plan too?

I went with the war mage so I could wear medium armor - but I like bladesinger too

[Draz74]

Genasi Quartet
or, The Extended Story of Fedrick Fompswubble

Another thematic party that I challenged myself to make: one of each type of Genasi.

Fedrick was an ordinary low-level human adventurer, with equal parts air, earth, fire, and water in his body, until he stumbled straight into The Portal. The Portal was unstably connected to all four Elemental Planes, and at the moment Fedrick came into contact, it happened to have the unique effect of tearing him, soul, body, and esssence, into four pieces. Miraculously, all of them survived and became independent beings, which all eventually found their ways back to the Material Plane and joined up, although they never found a way to merge back into Fedrick; their personalities had become too strong and independent in the meantime.

As Fedrick had masculine and feminine aspects of his original personality, his air and earth pieces ended up being male, his fire and water pieces female. All four of them gave themselves new names, inspired by their element (none of them had loved their original name anyway).

Although Zephrys, Mesarr, Cinder, and Torrent had different personalities that sometimes clashed, overall they agreed to cooperate and accomplished mighty deeds as a team. In later years when they had grown very powerful, this cooperation between elemental essences attracted the attention of higher powers, including a Djinni Lord who became the patron of the party.

Zephrys
https://i.ibb.co/0mh2Q2w/Zephrys.png

PSA: not very many Backgrounds provide Medicine proficiency. :smallannoyed:

Air Genasi don't have a whole lot to work with in terms of features. They do have levitate 1/day, which is not restricted to targeting themselves! It can be used to send an opponent sprawling into the sky! So my thought for this build was "an evasive archer who has ways, including levitate, to get away from their opponent." That ended up being a Scout Rogue concept. Getting a second attack per turn, the Archery fighting style, and longbow proficiency was too tempting, though, so I considered Fighter and Ranger options and ended up settling on Arcane Archer (seldom-seen). As a multiclass component, the infamous weakness of the subclass shouldn't be too big a deal.

I was forgetting as I formulated the party that Alchemist Artificer is a decent healer class, and thought it would be interesting if the party relied on the seldom-seen Healer feat for healing. Ended up sticking with that in spite of the Alchemist's presence. Making the Water Genasi the healer would have been cliche; making the Rogue the healer seemed good (even though he's not a Thief, which would have had more synergy), as he can gain thematic Medicine expertise and is generally mobile.

Zephrys is "elusive" in personality as well as tactically; one might even use the term antisocial. His skill specialties (and low Charisma) reflect this.

Air Genasi, Hermit, Scout Rogue 13 / Arcane Archer Fighter 7
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion, Acrobatics, Investigation, Perception, Stealth; Herbalism Kit, Thieves' Tools; Primordial, Common, Sylvan languages.

Rogue: Medicine & Perception expertise; (Thieves' Cant; Sneak Attack 1d6)
Rogue: (Cunning Action; Cunning Action: Aim)
Rogue: (Nature & Survival proficiency & expertise; Skirmisher; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Rogue: Healer feat
Fighter: Archery fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: Arcana proficiency; druidcraft; Bursting Arrow & Grasping Arrow arcane shots
Fighter: boost Dex +2
Fighter: (Extra Attack)
Rogue: (Uncanny Dodge; Sneak Attack 3d6)
Rogue: Religion & Stealth expertise
Rogue: (Evasion; Sneak Attack 4d6)
Rogue: boost Dex +2
Rogue: (Superior Mobility; Sneak Attack 5d6)
Rogue: Sharpshooter feat
Rogue: (Reliable Talent; Sneak Attack 6d6)
Rogue: Resilient: Wisdom feat
Rogue: (Ambush Master; Sneak Attack 7d6)
Fighter: Lucky feat
Fighter: Shadow Arrow arcane shot; (Magic Arrow; Curving Shot)

[Draz74]

Mesarr
https://i.ibb.co/p273rRz/Mesarr.png

Earth Genasi are interesting. Str +1 and ignoring difficult terrain push them in the direction of a tough melee component, but pass without trace arguably conflicts with wearing heavy armor. I decided to make Mesarr a tank, but not a traditional Fighter or Barbarian or Paladin and not one who wears armor: a UA Stone Sorcerer. It embraces the character's elemental theme and runs with it; it's not something I've used a lot before; and it seems pretty balanced even though it's UA.

Mesarr is chill, tranquil, social, and peace-loving, to contrast my Air and Water Genasi party members.

War Caster and a shield would have been nice, but with Str/Con/Cha-dependencies the build was way too MAD to fit the feat in. So he just wields a warhammer and can wield it one-handed or two-handed as the situation requires.

Spell-wise, I focused first on "change the world" spells that would otherwise be lacking in this low-spellcasting party: wish, plane shift, teleport, counterspell, and darkvision (as three of the Genasi lack native darkvision). Then I added booming blade, green-flame blade, and other melee-capability spells, a few others, and then (being a Sorcerer) of course had to whittle my list down. But it wasn't too painful this time. I miss hold monster and sleet storm, but with banishment and synaptic static the omissions aren't too bad.

We'll see if Tasha's nerfs the overly-flexible Elemental Spell metamagic. There are plenty of good spells for Mesarr to Quicken and Elemental-ize, but only two that he probably wants to Heighten (banishment and wish, the latter imitating other spells).

Durable is an unusual feat choice. It actually seems good for a high-but-odd-numbered Constitution character, that already has Con save proficiency.

Sorcerer 20 is as disappointing as always, so I fished around quite a few options (including UA subclasses I'd never read before) for a 1-level dip and came up with Air Genie Warlock as the most effective one, which also adds to the story of the whole party and their working together.

Earth Genasi, Outlander, Stone Sorcerer 19 / Genie Warlock 1
Str 16, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival, Insight, Persuasion; Dulcimer; Primordial, Common, Giant languages.

Sorcerer: mold earth & mending & green-flame blade & message; sleep & thunderous smite; (Bonus Proficiencies; Metal Magic; Stone's Durability)
Sorcerer: shield; (Font of Magic; Font of Magic Variant Options)
Sorcerer: sleep => darkvision & misty step; Elemental Spell & Quickened Spell metamagics
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2; booming blade; searing smite
Sorcerer: searing smite => fly & sleet storm
Sorcerer: tongues; (Stone Aegis)
Sorcerer: counterspell
Sorcerer: Durable feat; absorb elements
Sorcerer: elemental weapon
Sorcerer: ray of frost; sleet storm => banishment & synaptic static; Heightened Spell metamagic
Sorcerer: searing smite
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2
Sorcerer: plane shift
Sorcerer: (Stone's Edge)
Sorcerer: teleport
Sorcerer: boost Con +2
Sorcerer: wish; Empowered Spell metamagic
Sorcerer: (Earth Master's Aegis)
Sorcerer: boost Cha +2
Warlock: Djinni Pact; chill touch & lightning lure; armor of Agathys & detect evil and good; (Genie's Vessel - Bottled Respite; Genie's Wrath)

[Draz74]

Cinder
https://i.ibb.co/m0QLRmG/Cinder.png

There aren't a ton of Int-based classes, and Fire Genasi Wizard has been done to death, so I went for Artificer with this build. It makes for a fun dichotomy between "arson" and "creativity," and in the process I actually discovered that with a little refluffing, Alchemist Artificer makes a fantastic "Witch" class.

I ended up not loving any pre-existing Background for this character, so I made my own: Hedge Witch, which grants Animal Handling and Arcana, the Haunted One background feature, a language, and Herbalism Kit proficiency. Voila.

A lot of the build's skill choices (especially not taking Nature and Medicine) were made with the goal of diversifying the party's skill proficiencies as a whole. Woodcarver's tools proficiency was partly so that Zephrys could easily get more arrows, partly for the irony of a fire creature being a woodworker.

It's kind of weird how the Artificer can't use all the Infusions it knows. Very strange design decision. But I guess the Artificer is supposed to be cycling through the Infusions she uses, changing them up each day just for variety? Anyway, which Infusions will actually get used will have to adapt to what actual magic items the party finds. If everyone's got a Ring of Protection, for example, then the RMI - Ring of Protection Infusion will obviously be dormant. But assuming there isn't any interference from real magic items, I picture Cinder at high levels giving Zephrys a Ring of Free Action and a Longbow +2; giving Mesarr a Helm of Awareness (it's UA, but I thought it seemed cool and balanced) and a Belt of Hill Giant Strength; giving Torrent a Ring of Protection; and wearing an Amulet of Health herself. But there are lots of options: making Zephrys super tough with Amulet of Health; providing a Bag of Holding if the party is lacking extradimensional space; giving Torrent a Whip +2; tailoring Resistant Armor against whatever the party expects to face ...

Fire Genasi, Hedge Witch, Alchemist Artificer 20
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Sleight of Hand; Herbalism Kit, Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools, Alchemist's Supplies; Primordial, Common, Goblin languages.

Artificer: guidance & prestidigitation; (Magical Tinkering)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Defense & Enhanced Weapon & Repeating Shot & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones
Artificer: Woodcarver's Tools proficiency; (Alchemist Spells - healing word & ray of sickness; Experimental Elixir 1/day; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: Ritual Caster: Wizard feat - find familiar & unseen servant
Artificer: (Alchemist Spells - flaming sphere & Melf's acid arrow; Alchemical Savant)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Boots of the Winding Path & Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding; (Experimental Elixir 2/day; Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: (Alchemist Spells - gaseous form & mass healing word; Restorative Reagents)
Artificer: shocking grasp; Infuse Item - Repeating Shot => Helm of Awareness & Replicate Magic Item: Cloak of the Manta Ray & Replicate Magic Item: Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Artificer: (Spell-Storing Item)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: (Alchemist Spells - blight & death ward)
Artificer: mage hand; Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Gauntlets of Ogre Power => Replicate Magic Item: Belt of Hill Giant Strength & Replicate Magic Item: Ring of Free Action & Replicate Magic Item: Ring of Protection; (Magic Item Savant)
Artificer: (Experimental Elixir 3/day; Resist Acid & Poison Damage; Immunity to Poisoned condition; Cast greater restoration & heal 1/day each)
Artificer: Lucky feat
Artificer: (Alchemist Spells - cloudkill & raise dead))
Artificer: Infuse Item - Resistant Armor & Replicate Magic Item: Amulet of Health; (Magic Item Master)
Artificer: boost Dex +2
Artificer: (Soul of Artifice)


(4/day) absorb elements, alarm, detect magic, faerie fire, healing word, longstrider, ray of sickness, sanctuary
(3/day) enhance ability, flaming sphere, heat metal, Melf's acid arrow, web
(3/day) catnap, dispel magic, gaseous form, mass healing word, revivify
(3/day) arcane eye, blight, death ward
(2/day) cloudkill, greater restoration, raise dead, skill empowerment

[Draz74]

Torrent
https://i.ibb.co/CKGdsWP/Torrent.png

Reworking this build a bit so that its multiclassing is legal ...

I started out wanting my Water Genasi to be a Monk, but not a "waterbender." Settled on Drunken Master, embraced its fluff and decided this would be an "Alcohol Genasi." In the Class Feature Variants UA, monks can pick their own monk weapons without going Kensei, and I liked the idea of abusing this by making a whip a monk weapon: getting reach but eventually dealing more than 1d4 base damage with it. That meant multiclassing before entering Monk into something that has whip proficiency; I settled on Barbarian, enjoying the flavor contrast with Monk and not minding that some of their features aren't compatible.

At high levels, things get interesting; Torrent doesn't really want Monk features beyond 14 or Barbarian features at 6, so that leaves one level that can dip a third class. Trickery Cleric seemed to be the best fit for mechanics and personality. I tried to fit 2 or 3 levels of Trickery Cleric, but couldn't stand giving up the final features of the main two classes. And it's not like she can spare actions in combat to cast mirror image or invoke duplicity.

Warrior of the Gods is an amazing class feature, and Cinder has revivify and raise dead prepared to take advantage of it. Tongue of the Sun and Moon is hilarious if being drunk somehow lets her speak in tongues.

Water Genasi, Criminal, Zealot Barbarian 5 / Drunken Master Monk 14 / Trickery Cleric 1
Str 13, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth, Athletics, Intimidation; Thieves' Tools, Playing Cards; Primordial, Common languages.

Barbarian: (Unarmored Defense; Rage 2/day)
Monk: Monk Weapons variant feature - dagger & javelin & spear & dart & flail & scimitar & whip; (Martial Arts d4)
Monk: (Ki; Ki-Fueled Strike; Ki Features; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: (Performance proficiency; Brewer's Supplies proficiency; Drunken Technique; Deflect Missiles)
Monk: boost Dex +1 & Wis +1; (Slow Fall)
Monk: (Extra Attack; Stunning Strike; Martial Arts d6)
Monk: (Ki-Empowered Strikes; Leap to Your Feet; Redirect Attack; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Monk: (Evasion; Stillness of Mind)
Monk: boost Dex +2
Monk: (Unarmored Movement - vertical surfaces & liquids)
Monk: (Immunity to diseases & poison; Unarmored Movement +20 ft)
Monk: (Drunkard's Luck; Martial Arts d8)
Monk: boost Dex +2
Monk: (Tongue of the Sun and Moon)
Monk: (Diamond Soul; Unarmored Movement +25 ft)
Barbarian: Danger Sense standard feature; (Reckless Attack)
Barbarian: (Divine Fury; Warrior of the Gods; Rage 3/day)
Barbarian: Skulker feat
Barbarian: Instinctive Pounce variant feature
Cleric: guidance & thaumaturgy & toll the dead; (Divine Domain Spells - charm person & disguise self; Blessing of the Trickster)


(2/day) bless, charm person, command, disguise self, shield of faith

[Draz74]

After thinking about it more, the build for Grivvle (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772879&postcount=20) really should have some Tasha's-enhanced levels of Gloom Stalker. How important is Reliable Talent really? Because I'm strongly considering going Rogue 8 / Artificer 7 / Ranger 5 with this character.

With what we've gathered about the psionic classes, it looks like none of them will be a great conversion of Ardent. So Op-Tuun (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24772952&postcount=22) will probably be a Psi Warrior Fighter 3 / Arcana Cleric 17.

Still trying to come up with something more interesting than Draconic Sorcerer 20 for a conversion of a Dragonfire Adept character. Maybe I'll stick with straight Sorcerer but try to have some unusual Feat choices.

[Draz74]

Grivvle's Party all updated on previous page.

Kkekhif now takes the excellent Crusher half-feat, leaving them without the need to eventually take the dumb (and UA-only) Menacing feat.

Op-Tuun has his build spelled out, even though I don't know the details yet of what Psi Warrior gets at Level 3. This build is a rough draft until then. Feats/ASIs in particular may change around.

Zar-Lan has her build spelled out, Sorcerer 20, but this build too is a rough draft. The order that she learns spells is particularly subject to change, but I am also still taking suggestions of interesting feats to spice up the build. So far I have her with Shadow Touched, Prodigy, and Eldritch Adept.

Currently, they end up with the following ability scores at Level 20:
Str: Grivvle 8, Kkekhif 10, Op-Tuun 20, Zar-Lan 12/19**
Dex: Grivvle 16, Kkekhif 20, Op-Tuun 10, Zar-Lan 14
Con: Grivvle 12, Kkekhif 14, Op-Tuun 12, Zar-Lan 16
Int: Grivvle 20, Kkekhif 10, Op-Tuun 13/19*, Zar-Lan 10
Wis: Grivvle 14, Kkekhif 16, Op-Tuun 18, Zar-Lan 10
Cha: Grivvle 8, Kkekhif 10, Op-Tuun 10, Zar-Lan 20

And their skill coverage:



Grivvle
Kkekhif
Op-Tuun
Zar-Lan


Acrobatics
+3
+5
+0
+2


Animal Handling
+8
+3
+4
+0


Arcana
+5
+0
+7/+10*
+6


Athletics
+11
+6
+5
+1/+4**


Deception
-1
+0
+0
+11


History
+5
+6
+7/+10*
+6


Insight
+14
+3
+10
+6


Intimidation
-1
+6
+0
+11


Investigation
+17
+0
+1/+4*
+0


Medicine
+2
+3
+10
+0


Nature
+17
+0
+1/+4*
+0


Perception
+14
+3
+4
+12


Performance
-1
+0
+6
+5


Persuasion
-1
+6
+6
+11


Religion
+11
+0
+1/+4*
+0


Sleight of Hand
+3
+5
+0
+8


Stealth
+15
+5
+0
+2


Survival
+14
+3
+4
+0

*with Headband of Intellect
**with Gauntlets of Ogre Power

No one has Acrobatics proficiency ... oh well. At least two can fly.



(Source)
Subclasses
Feats
Spells


Player's Handbook
2
(Battle Master Fighter, Draconic Sorcerer)
5
(Mage Slayer, Polearm Master, Resilient, Sharpshooter, Tough)



Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
2
(Arcana Cleric, Long Death Monk)
0



Xanathar's Guide to Everything
2
(Gloom Stalker Ranger, Scout Rogue)
1
(Prodigy)



Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
0
1
(Svirfneblin Magic)



Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
3
(Battle Smith Artificer, Psi Warrior Fighter, Genie Warlock)
3
(Crusher, Fey Touched, Shadow Touched)

[Godshoe]

Damn cool concepts! But where did you make all these cozy illustrations?

[Draz74]

Damn cool concepts! But where did you make all these cozy illustrations?

HeroForge.com!

[Draz74]

OK, I redid Zar-Lan with a two-level dip in Genie Warlock. More unique, more spells known, and most importantly, Spear proficiency from Level 2 on. I'm figuring some good re-flavoring can turn an Efreeti into a Brass Dragon patron.

[Draz74]

Considering joining a Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign in the near future. I've narrowed down my probable character concepts to two.

Duggi
https://i.ibb.co/q0GJVfP/Duggi.png

Goliath, Urchin, Armorer Artificer 12
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Athletics, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Arcana, Investigation; Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools, Mason's Tools, Smith's Tools, Disguise Kit; Giant, Common languages.

Artificer: guidance, thorn whip; (Magical Tinkering; Spellcasting)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Defense & Enhanced Weapon & Replicate Magic Item: Goggles of Night & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones
Artificer: Scrimshander's Tools proficiency; (heavy armor proficiency; Armorer Spells - magic missile & thunderwave; Arcane Armor; Armor Model; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: (Extra Attack)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Weapon => Replicate Magic Item: Boots of Elvenkind & Radiant Weapon & Resistant Armor; (Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: (Armor Modifications)
Artificer: mending; Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Boots of the Winterlands & Replicate Magic Item: Gauntlets of Ogre Power; (Magic Item Adept)
Artificer: (Spell-Storing Item)
Artificer: boost Int +2

[Draz74]

... or ...

Hannivan Gallok
https://i.ibb.co/pvFS5rM/Hannivan.png

Variant Human, Archaeologist, Drakewarden Ranger 12
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10
Slasher feat - boost Str +1
Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Survival, Athletics, Perception, Stealth; Cartographer's Tools; Common, Dwarvish, Giant languages.

Ranger: Favored Foe variant feature - d4; Natural Explorer - arctic
Ranger: Thrown Weapon Fighting fighting style; absorb elements & ensnaring strike; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: zephyr strike; Primal Awareness variant feature - speak with animals; (Draconic language; thaumaturgy; Drake Companion)
Ranger: Fey Touched feat - boost Wis +1 - bless & misty step
Ranger: darkvision; (Extra Attack; Primal Awareness - beast sense)
Ranger: Favored Terrain - mountain; (Favored Foe d6)
Ranger: pass without trace; (Bond of Fang and Scale)
Ranger: boost Str +2; (Land's Stride)
Ranger: summon fey; (Primal Awareness - speak with plants)
Ranger: Nature's Veil variant feature; Favored Terrain - underdark
Ranger: silence; (Drake's Breath)
Ranger: boost Str +2

Any votes one way or the other?

[Draz74]

Update: the DM nixxed Drakewarden and doesn't love Artificer for this campaign either.

I rolled the "Midwinter Child: cold resistance" secret, which makes me want to be Human rather than Goliath.

The DM is taking another look at Artificer with an eye toward whether it could be re-flavored enough for his taste, but I'm trying to come up with other options I like too.

Monster Slayer Ranger could be ... ok? But still seems a little boring, I'm trying to think of how to spice it up. Ether mechanical or in terms of character personality.

Thinking of going with Crusher instead of Slasher and a sling instead of hand axes and a flail instead of a longsword, since Slasher and the Thrown Weapon fighting style just seem a bit underwhelming. Not sure what fighting style to go for with the sling build though. Since I would still expect to be fighting in melee often, which makes either Archery or Dueling feel too situational. Defense is boring but effective. Druidic Warrior (Magic Stone as one of my cantrips) could make the sling more effective, but makes me really MAD unless I also go for Shillelagh + staff which is way too close to a previous build I've played. Blind Fighting might be what I go for; it's situational but interesting, and may apply in blizzard conditions in this adventure.

But I'm also trying to consider other classes ...

[Draz74]

A one-off build that might have to be my next character ...

Mirthas Mothalin
https://i.ibb.co/YDMs69s/Mirthas-Mothalin.png

Half-Elf, Far Traveler, Armorer Artificer 20
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 12
Proficiencies: Athletics, Stealth, Insight, Perception, Arcana, Performance; Jeweler's Tools, Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools, Viol; Common, Elvish, Primordial, Draconic languages.

Artificer: guidance & ray of frost; (Magical Tinkering; Spellcasting)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Enhanced Arcane Focus & Enhanced Defense & Mind Sharpener & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones
Artificer: Armor Model - Guardian; Infuse Item - Enhanced Arcane Focus => Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding; (Smith's Tools proficiency; Heavy Armor proficiency; Armorer Spells - magic missile & thunderwave; Arcane Armor; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: Telekinetic feat - boost Int +1
Artificer: (Extra Attack; Armorer Spells - mirror image & shatter)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Boots of Elvenkind & Spell-Refueling Ring; (Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Artificer: Skill Expert feat - boost Int +1 - Survival proficiency - Stealth expertise
Artificer: Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding => Enhanced Weapon; (Armor Modifications; Armorer Spells - hypnotic pattern & lightning bolt)
Artificer: message; Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Boots of Elvenkind => Helm of Awareness & Homunculus Servant & Replicate Magic Item: Winged Boots; (Magic Item Adept)
Artificer: ray of frost => booming blade; (Spell-Storing Item)
Artificer: Fey Touched feat - boost Int +1 - dissonant whispers & misty step
Artificer: (Armorer Spells - fire shield & greater invisibility)
Artificer: prestidigitation; Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Amulet of Health & Replicate Magic Item: Ring of Protection; (Magic Item Savant)
Artificer: (Perfected Armor)
Artificer: Elven Accuracy feat - boost Int +1
Artificer: (Armorer Spells - passwall & wall of force)
Artificer: Infuse Item - Replicate Magic Item: Belt of Hill Giant Strength & Replicate Magic Item: Ring of Free Action; (Magic Item Master)
Artificer: Metamagic Adept feat - Careful Spell & Subtle Spell metamagics
Artificer: (Soul of Artifice)

Cantrips: booming blade, guidance, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, (8hr/day from All-Purpose Tool) ray of frost
(4/day) absorb elements, cure wounds, dissonant whispers*, faerie fire, identify[R], longstrider, magic missile, thunderwave
(3/day) mirror image, misty step*, shatter, skywrite[R]
(3/day) catnap, dispel magic, fly, hypnotic pattern, lightning bolt, revivify, water breathing[R]
(3/day) arcane eye, fire shield, greater invisiblity, stone shape, summon construct
(2/day) greater restoration, passwall, wall of force
*can be cast once per long rest without a spell slot

Level 2: staff +1 [attuned], Mind Sharpener armor
Levels 3-5: shield +1, Mind Sharpener armor
Levels 6-8: shield +1, Mind Sharpener armor, Spell-Refueling Ring [attuned]
Level 9: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +1, Boots of Elvenkind, shield +1, Spell-Refueling Ring [attuned]
Level 10: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +2, Winged Boots [attuned], Helm of Awareness [attuned], shield +2, Spell-Refueling Ring [attuned]
Levels 11-13: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +2, Winged Boots [attuned, permanent], Helm of Awareness [attuned], shield +2, Spell-Refueling Ring [attuned], All-Purpose Tool +1 [attuned, permanent], homunculus with wand of enhance ability (stored)
Levels 14-16: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +2, Winged Boots [attuned, permanent], Helm of Awareness [attuned], shield +2, Spell-Refueling Ring [attuned], All-Purpose Tool +1 [attuned, permanent], homunculus with wand of enhance ability (stored), Amulet of Health [attuned]
Level 17: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +2, Winged Boots [attuned, permanent], Helm of Awareness [attuned], shield +2, All-Purpose Tool +2 [attuned, permanent], homunculus with wand of enhance ability (stored), Amulet of Health [attuned], Stone of Good Luck [attuned, permanent]; for an ally: Spell-Refueling Ring
Levels 18-20: Mind Sharpener armor, Thunder Gauntlets +2, Winged Boots [attuned, permanent], Helm of Awareness [attuned], shield +2, All-Purpose Tool +2 [attuned, permanent], homunculus with wand of enhance ability (stored), Amulet of Health [attuned], Ring of Free Action [attuned], Stone of Good Luck [attuned, permanent]; for an ally: Spell-Refueling Ring

[Draz74]

There wasn't a unifying idea behind this latest party, although they did end up with some themes, such as all being proficient in Survival and at least one musical instrument (can perform as an ensamble group!). I obviously stole some ideas (especially names) from my own Enchanted Forest project on Page 1 of this thread, to the point where I wouldn't put these characters in the same campaign world as those, but they're still an original creation on their own.

Flitti Rynn
https://i.ibb.co/tJYHHJB/Flitti-Rynn.png

High Elf, Inheritor, Armorer Artificer 15 / Phantom Rogue 5
Str 11, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 8
minor illusion
Proficiencies: Perception, Survival, History, Sleight of Hand, Investigation; leatherworker's tools, lyre, thieves' tools, tinker's tools; Elvish, Common, Sylvan, Undercommon languages

Artificer: guidance & message; (Spellcasting; Magical Tinkering)
Artificer: Infuse Item – Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding & Replicate Magic Item: Goggles of Night & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones & Returning Weapon
Artificer: Infuse Item – Returning Weapon => Enhanced Weapon; Armor Model – Infiltrator; (Tools of the Trade – smith's tools proficiency; Armorer Spells – magic missile & thunderwave; Arcane Armor; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: boost Int +2
Artificer: Infuse Item – Replicate Magic Item: Goggles of Night => Enhanced Defense; (Extra Attack; Armorer Spells – mirror image & shatter)
Rogue: Stealth & poisoner's kit proficiencies; Investigation & Stealth expertise; (Sneak Attack 1d6; Thieves' Cant)
Artificer: Infuse Item – Mind Sharpener & Spell-Refueling Ring; (Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Artificer: Fey Touched feat – boost Int +1 – misty step & hex
Artificer: (Armor Modifications; Armorer Spells – hypnotic pattern & lightning bolt)
Artificer: mage hand; Infuse Item – Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding => Helm of Awareness & Replicate Magic Item: Cloak of Protection & Replicate Magic Item: Winged Boots; (Magic Item Adept)
Rogue: (Cunning Action)
Rogue: Steady Aim variant feature; (Whispers of the Dead; Wails from the Grave; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Rogue: Elven Accuracy feat – boost Int +1
Artificer: (Spell-Storing Item)
Artificer: Fighting Initiate feat – Archery fighting style
Artificer: (Armorer Spells – fire shield & greater invisibility)
Artificer: Infuse Item – Replicate Magic Item: Amulet of Health & Replicate Magic Item: Ring of Protection; (Magic Item Savant)
Artificer: (Perfected Armor)
Rogue: (Uncanny Dodge; Sneak Attack 3d6)

[Draz74]

Yentt Blade
https://i.ibb.co/CVpKd8g/Yentt-Blade.png

Firbolg, Urban Bounty Hunter, Samurai Fighter 18 / Ranger 2
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 12
Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion, Athletics, Survival; dice set, drum; Giant, Common, Elvish languages

Fighter: Protection fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge 1/short rest)
Fighter: Orc language; (Fighting Spirit 5 THP)
Fighter: boost Str +2
Fighter: (Extra Attack)
Ranger: Stealth proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature; Canny – Persuasion expertise – Dwarvish & Infernal languages
Ranger: Dueling fighting style; absorb elements & goodberry; (Spellcasting)
Fighter: Sentinel feat
Fighter: (Elegant Courtier)
Fighter: boost Str +2
Fighter: (Indomitable 1/long rest)
Fighter: (Tireless Spirit; Fighting Spirit 10 THP)
Fighter: (Extra Attack 2)
Fighter: Slasher feat – boost Dex +1
Fighter: (Indomitable 2/long rest)
Fighter: Mage Slayer feat
Fighter: (Rapid Strike; Fighting Spirit 15 THP)
Fighter: Lucky feat
Fighter: (Action Surge 2/short rest; Indomitable 3/long rest)
Fighter: (Strength before Death)

[Draz74]

Leaping Leaf
https://i.ibb.co/VJmfL01/Leaping-Leaf.png

Tabaxi, Entertainer, Ancients Paladin 11 / Swashbuckler Rogue 3 / Totem Warrior Barbarian 6
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Acrobatics, Performance, Athletics, Religion; disguise kit, lute; Common, Goblin languages

Paladin: (Divine Sense; Lay on Hands)
Paladin: Defense Fighting Style; (Spellcasting; Divine Smite)
Paladin: Harness Divine Power variant feature; (Divine Health; Channel Divinity – Nature's Wrath & Turn the Faithless; Oath Spells – ensnaring strike & speak with animals)
Paladin: boost Str +2
Paladin: (Extra Attack; Oath Spells – moonbeam & misty step)
Paladin: (Aura of Protection)
Paladin: (Aura of Warding)
Rogue: Persuasion proficiency; Acrobatics & Perception expertise; (thieves' tools proficiency; Thieves' Cant; Sneak Attack 1d6)
Rogue: (Cunning Action)
Rogue: Steady Aim variant feature; (Fancy Footwork; Rakish Audacity; Sneak Attack 2d6)
Paladin: boost Str +2
Barbarian: (Unarmored Defense; Rage 2/long rest)
Barbarian: (Danger Sense; Reckless Attack)
Barbarian: Primal Knowledge – Survival proficiency; Totem Spirit – Tiger; (Spirit Seeker; Rage 3/long rest)
Barbarian: Defensive Duelist feat
Barbarian: (Fast Movement)
Barbarian: Aspect of the Beast – Wolf; (Rage 4/long rest)
Paladin: (Oath Spells – plant growth & protection from energy)
Paladin: (Aura of Courage)
Paladin: (Improved Divine Smite)

[Draz74]

Gawx
https://i.ibb.co/x5yyQcg/Gawx.png

Gnoblik (Custom Lineage), Haunted One, Eloquence Bard 13 / Hexblade Warlock 5 / Stars Druid 2
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 17
Small size; darkvision 60 ft; Fey Touched feat – boost Cha +1 – misty step & gift of alacrity
Proficiencies: Arcana, Survival, Deception, Nature, Intimidation; flute, pan flute, viol; Gnomish, Common, Deep Speech, Draconic languages

Bard: prestidigitation & vicious mockery; animal friendship & detect magic & healing word & sleep; (Bardic Inspiration d6; Spellcasting)
Warlock: chill touch & minor illusion; armor of Agathys & shield; (Pact Magic; Hexblade's Curse; Hex Warrior)
Bard: cure wounds; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest d6; Magical Inspiration)
Bard: Deception & Nature expertise; sleep => lesser restoration & suggestion; (Silver Tongue; Unsettling Words)
Bard: Shadow Touched feat – boost Cha +1 – invisibility & disguise self; friends; silent image
Bard: animal friendship => Leomund's tiny hut & mass healing word; (Font of Inspiration; Bardic Inspiration d8)
Bard: major image; (Countercharm; Unfailing Inspiration; Universal Speech)
Warlock: Eldritch Mind & Misty Visions invocations; cause fear
Warlock: Pact of the Talisman; mirror image
Warlock: Telepathic feat – boost Cha +1; mind sliver; mind spike
Bard: silent image => silence & charm monster
Bard: Ritual Caster feat – Wizard – identify & unseen servant; slow
Bard: detect magic => greater restoration & teleportation circle; (Song of Rest d8)
Bard: Arcana & Intimidation expertise; mending; Magical Secrets – revivify & find greater steed; (Bardic Inspiration d10)
Warlock: Sign of Ill Omen invocation; mind spike => counterspell & summon fey
Druid: druidcraft & gust; (Spellcasting; Druidic)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Star Map – guidance – guiding bolt; Starry Form)
Bard: dispel magic
Bard: Skill Expert feat – boost Wis +1 – Perception proficiency & expertise
Bard: teleportation circle => synaptic static & teleport; (Song of Rest d10)

[Draz74]

Felt like making yet another party this week. This time I went with the "5-man Band" trope structure—not for the first or last time.

The leader:

Folkin'Attor
https://i.ibb.co/yQ2hhVc/Folkin-Attor.png

Dragonborn (Bronze), Inheritor, Paladin 2 / Valor Bard 18
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Survival, History, Athletics, Persuasion; three-dragon ante set; Draconic, Common, Elvish languages

Paladin: (Divine Sense; Lay on Hands)
Paladin: Blind Fighting fighting style; (Spellcasting; Divine Smite)
Bard: Perception & horn proficiencies; light & vicious mockery; faerie fire & healing word & longstrider & speak with animals; (Spellcasting; Bardic Inspiration – d6)
Bard: Magical Inspiration variant feature; feather fall; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest – d6)
Bard: Perception & Persuasion expertise; feather fall => lesser restoration & skywrite; (Bonus Proficiencies; Combat Inspiration)
Bard: Dragon Fear feat – boost Str +1; thunderclap; calm emotions
Bard: healing word => catnap & mass healing word; (Font of Inspiration; Bardic Inspiration – d8)
Bard: feather fall; (Countercharm; Extra Attack)
Bard: freedom of movement
Bard: boost Cha +2; plant growth
Bard: greater restoration; (Song of Rest – d8)
Bard: Athletics & Survival expertise; message; Magical Secrets – find greater steed & revivify; (Bardic Inspiration – d10)
Bard: true seeing
Bard: Sentinel feat
Bard: heroes' feast; (Song of Rest – d10)
Bard: Magical Secrets – counterspell & guardian of nature; (Battle Magic)
Bard: glibness; (Bardic Inspiration – d12)
Bard: boost Cha +2
Bard: foresight; (Song of Rest – d12)
Bard: Magical Secrets – illusory dragon & wish

[Draz74]

The "lancer", a psionic tiefling:

Hysteria
https://i.ibb.co/XYK3vXb/Hysteria.png

Tiefling (Fierna), Haunted One, Aberrant Mind Sorcerer 15 / Echo Knight Fighter 5
Str 9, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 17
Proficiencies: Arcana, Religion, Deception, Intimidation; Infernal, Common, Deep Speech, Primordial languages

Sorcerer: booming blade & control flames & mage hand & prestidigitation; chaos bolt & shield; (Spellcasting; Psionic Spells – arms of Hadar & dissonant whispers & mind sliver; Telepathic Speech)
Sorcerer: mage armor; (Font of Magic – Flexible Casting)
Sorcerer: Quickened Spell & Subtle Spell metamagics; Tasha's mind whip; (Psionic Spells – calm emotions & detect thoughts)
Sorcerer: Shadow Touched feat – boost Cha +1 – invisibility & disguise self; mold earth; shadow blade
Sorcerer: Magical Guidance variant feature; chaos bolt => dispel magic & slow; (Psionic Spells – hunger of Hadar & sending)
Sorcerer: counterspell; (Psionic Sorcery; Psychic Defenses)
Fighter: Thrown Weapon Fighting fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: (Manifest Echo; Unleash Incarnation)
Fighter: boost Cha +2
Sorcerer: banishment; (Psionic Spells – Evard's black tentacles & summon aberration)
Sorcerer: Infernal Constitution feat – boost Con +1; greater invisibility
Sorcerer: synaptic static; (Psionic Spells – Rary's telepathic bond & telekinesis)
Sorcerer: Empowered Spell metamagic; minor illusion; dominate person
Sorcerer: dominate person => mass suggestion & Tasha's otherworldly guise
Sorcerer: boost Dex +2
Sorcerer: plane shift
Sorcerer: (Revelation in Flesh)
Sorcerer: dominate monster
Fighter: (Extra Attack)

[Draz74]

The "big guy":

Gruk Pelkkr
https://i.ibb.co/9bqrL59/Gruk-Pelkkr.png

Half-Orc, Outlander, Champion Fighter 12 / Forge Cleric 8
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 12
Proficiencies: Intimidation, Survival, Athletics, Performance, Animal Handling; drum; Orc, Common, Giant languages

Fighter: Great Weapon Fighting fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge)
Fighter: (Improved Critical)
Fighter: Crusher feat – boost Str +1
Fighter: (Extra Attack)
Cleric: light & mending & sacred flame; (Spellcasting; Forge Domain Spells – identify & searing smite; Bonus Proficiency – smith's tools proficiency; Blessing of the Forge)
Cleric: Harness Divine Power variant feature; (Channel Divinity 1/short rest – Turn Undead & Artisan's Blessing)
Cleric: (Forge Domain Spells – heat metal & magic weapon)
Cleric: Orcish Fury feat – boost Str +1; thaumaturgy
Cleric: (Destroy Undead – CR ½; Forge Domain Spells – elemental weapon & protection from energy)
Cleric: (Channel Divinity 2/short rest; Soul of the Forge)
Cleric: (Forge Domain Spells – fabricate & wall of fire)
Cleric: boost Str +1 and Wis +1; Blessed Strikes variant feature; (Destroy Undead – CR 1)
Fighter: Telekinetic feat – boost Wis +1
Fighter: (Remarkable Athlete)
Fighter: Great Weapon Master feat
Fighter: (Indomitable 1/long rest)
Fighter: Blind Fighting fighting style
Fighter: (Extra Attack 2)
Fighter: boost Con +2

[Draz74]

The "smart guy":

Jibbi Ulrik
https://i.ibb.co/GMtQVDb/Jibbi-Ulrik.png

Gnoblik (Custom Lineage), Cloistered Scholar, Illusion Wizard 14 / Shepherd Druid 6
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 8
Small size; darkvision 60 ft; Fey Touched feat – boost Int +1 – misty step & gift of alacrity
Proficiencies: History, Nature, Arcana, Investigation; Gnomish, Common, Goblin, Celestial languages

Wizard: minor illusion & prestidigitation & toll the dead; detect magic & ice knife & mage armor & shield & sleep & unseen servant; (Arcane Recovery; Spellcasting)
Wizard: absorb elements & alarm; Improved Minor Illusion – message; (Illusion Savant)
Wizard: Cantrip Formulas variant feature; augury & darkvision
Wizard: Eldritch Adept feat – Misty Visions invocation; shape water; Tasha's hideous laughter & web
Wizard: counterspell & summon fey
Wizard: major image & phantom steed; (Malleable Illusions)
Druid: druidcraft & guidance; (Spellcasting; Druidic language)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Speech of the Woods – Sylvan language; Spirit Totem)
Wizard: Leomund's tiny hut & summon elemental
Wizard: boost Int +2; charm monster & polymorph
Wizard: modify memory & steel wind strike
Wizard: shocking grasp; creation & teleportation circle; (Illusory Step)
Wizard: dimension door & investiture of wind
Wizard: War Caster feat; scrying & sending
Wizard: Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion & plane shift
Wizard: seeming & teleport; (Illusory Reality)
Druid
Druid: Alert feat; gust; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: (Mighty Summoner)

[Draz74]

The "chick" (healer-ish/support character):

Xavier Felipp
https://i.ibb.co/PNGZDTS/Xavier-Felipp.png

Stout Halfling, Urchin, Mercy Monk 17 / Gloom Stalker Ranger 3
Str 8, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10
Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Athletics, Religion; disguise kit, shawm, thieves' tools; Halfling, Common languages

Monk: (Unarmored Defense; Martial Arts d4)
Ranger: Perception proficiency; Favored Foe variant feature – d4; Canny variant feature – Stealth expertise – Dwarvish & Undercommon languages
Monk: Dedicated Weapon variant feature; (Ki – Flurry of Blows & Patient Defense & Step of the Wind; Unarmored Movement +10 ft)
Monk: Ki-Fueled Attack variant feature; (Deflect Missiles; Implements of Mercy – Insight & Medicine & herbalism kit proficiencies; Hand of Healing; Hand of Harm)
Monk: Squat Nimbleness – boost Dex +1 – Acrobatics proficiency; Quickened Healing variant feature; (Slow Fall)
Monk: Focused Aim variant feature; (Extra Attack; Stunning Strike; Martial Arts d6)
Monk: (Ki-Empowered Strikes; Physician's Touch; Unarmored Movement +15 ft)
Ranger: Dueling fighting style; absorb elements & zephyr strike; (Spellcasting)
Ranger: goodberry; Primal Awareness variant feature – speak with animals; (Gloom Stalker magic – disguise self; Dread Ambusher; Umbral Sight)
Monk: (Evasion; Stillness of Mind)
Monk: Second Chance – boost Dex +1
Monk: (Unarmored Movement Improvement)
Monk: (Purity of Body; Unarmored Movement +20 ft)
Monk: (Flurry of Healing and Harm; Martial Arts d8)
Monk: Skill Expert feat – boost Dex +1 – x proficiency – Athletics expertise
Monk: (Tongue of the Sun and Moon)
Monk: (Diamond Soul; Unarmored Movement +25 ft)
Monk: (Timeless Body)
Monk: boost Wis +2
Monk: (Hand of Ultimate Mercy; Martial Arts d10)

[Draz74]

OK, I'm back to my hobby of building theorycrafted parties.

In one iteration of crafting this party, I thought, "Well someone should have a high Strength score, if only for out-of-combat utility. And wouldn't it be quirky if the high-Strength character were also the high-Intelligence character?" So I started trying to come up with a way to make a Wizard who relies on a good Strength score. Unsurprisingly, this went towards a Gish concept who has reasonable melee skills eventually.

I'm not sure this build is as optimized as I wanted this party to be (the multiclassing hurts its spellcasting progression quite a lot), but even if I don't end up with it as part of this party, it seemed like a fun enough build to post.

Ssykhaf
https://i.ibb.co/6t4Z13m/Ssykhaf.png (https://ibb.co/VCvNQ7t)

Githyanki, Mercenary Commando, Bladesinging Wizard 16 / Echo Knight Fighter 4
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Athletics, Stealth, Arcana, Insight; drum; Gith, Common, Elvish, Draconic languages

Wizard: green-flame blade & message & mind sliver; absorb elements & detect magic & find familiar & magic missile & shield & sleep; (Arcane Recovery, Spellcasting)
Wizard: alarm & feather fall; (Bladesong; light armor proficiency; warhammer proficiency; Performance proficiency)
Wizard: darkvision & hold person; (Cantrip Formulas)
Wizard: Skill Expert Feat - Str +1 - Intimidation proficiency - Athletics expertise; booming blade; enhance ability & Tasha's mind whip
Wizard: dispel magic & sending
Wizard: fireball & phantom steed; (Extra Attack including a Cantrip)
Fighter: Defense Fighting Style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge 1/short rest)
Fighter: (Manifest Echo; Unleash Incarnation)
Fighter: War Caster Feat; (Martial Versatility)
Wizard: identify & polymorph
Wizard: Slasher Feat - Str +1; Evard's black tentacles & Leomund's tiny hut
Wizard: Rary's telepathic bond & telekinesis
Wizard: fire bolt; contact other plane & counterspell; (Song of Defense)
Wizard: globe of invulnerability & unseen servant
Wizard: Int +2; contingency & wall of force
Wizard: hold monster & teleport
Wizard: simulacrum & true seeing; (Song of Victory)
Wizard: maze & scatter
Wizard: Str +2; legend lore & stone shape

Cantrips - booming blade, fire bolt, green-flame blade, mage hand, message, mind sliver

(4/long rest) - absorb elements, feather fall, magic missile, shield
(3/long rest) - darkvision, enhance ability, Tasha's mind whip
(3/long rest) - counterspell, dispel magic, sending
(3/long rest) - Evard's black tentacles, polymorph, stone shape
(2/long rest) - hold monster, telekinesis, wall of force
(1/long rest) - globe of invulnerability, scatter, true seeing
(1/long rest) - teleport
(1/long rest) - maze

Idea is, although you lack the AC and HP to be an awesome Gish, after Level 9 you sit back and let your Echo do the gishing, with Echo Shove + prime Cantrip actions and (at level 10) Echo Booming Blade opportunity attacks.

[Draz74]

I decided to keep Ssykhaf for this party, and built three other builds to go with her (still subject to tweaking).

I went with Dhampir for this next build mostly because it was new and exciting initially, but stuck with it because the party needs the Skill Proficiencies (and the other features aren't bad on this build either).

I've previously toyed with making Psi Warrior INT-SAD via Artificer, but I think this is a better implementation of it than my previous work.

Ferga
https://i.ibb.co/8dbZWRw/Ferga.png (https://ibb.co/X3DRhdP)

Halfling-turned-Dhampir, Urban Bounty Hunter, Battle Smith Artificer 9 / Psi Warrior Fighter 11
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 8
Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Perception, Deception, Stealth, Investigation, Sleight of Hand; Brewer's Supplies, Lute, Playing Card Set, Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools; Halfling, Common languages

Artificer: guidance & mending; (Magical Tinkering, Spellcasting)
Artificer: Enhanced Defense & Enhanced Weapon & Replicate Magic Item: Goggles of Night & Replicate Magic Item: Sending Stones infusions; (Infuse Item)
Artificer: (Smith's Tools proficiency; Battle Smith Spells - heroism & shield; Battle Ready; Steel Defender; The Right Tool for the Job)
Artificer: Fey Touched Feat - Int +1 - misty step & hex; Enhanced Defense infusion => Mind Sharpener infusion
Artificer: Replicate Magic Item: Goggles of Night infusion => Enhanced Defense infusion; (Extra Attack; Battle Smith Spells - branding smite & warding bond)
Fighter: Blind Fighting fighting style; (Second Wind)
Fighter: (Action Surge 1/short rest)
Fighter: (Psionic Power - Protective Field & Psionic Strike & Telekinetic Movement; Psionic Energy Dice 6d6)
Fighter: Int +2; (Psionic Energy Dice 8d6)
Artificer: Radiant Weapon & Replicate Magic Item: Cloak of Elvenkind infusions; (Tool Expertise)
Artificer: (Flash of Genius)
Fighter: (Psionic Energy dice 8d8)
Fighter: Resilient Feat - Dex +1; (Psionic Energy Dice 10d8)
Fighter: (Telekinetic Adept: Psi-Powered Leap & Telekinetic Thrust)
Fighter: Con +2
Fighter: (Indomitable 1/long rest)
Fighter: (Guarded Mind; Psionic Energy Dice 12d8)
Fighter: (Extra Attack 2; Psionic Energy Dice 12d10)
Artificer: Skill Expert Feat - Dex +1 - Insight proficiency - Sleight of Hand expertise
Artificer: (Arcane Jolt; Battle Smith Spells - aura of vitality & conjure barrage)

Cantrips - guidance, mending

(4/long rest) - absorb elements, disguise self, heroism, hex, shield
(3/long rest) - branding smite, enhance ability, heat metal, magic weapon, misty step, warding bond, web
(2/long rest) - aura of vitality, catnap, conjure barrage, haste, intellect fortress

[Draz74]

Lekith is the Party Face, as well as the one who eventually learns wish for ultimate versatility.

Lekith
https://i.ibb.co/JRMv79N/Lekith.png (https://ibb.co/99CbT7J)

Eladrin (Winter normally) Elf, Outlander, Genie (Djinni) Warlock 17 / Eloquence Bard 3
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16
Proficiencies: Perception, Athletics, Survival, History, Intimidation; Flute; Elvish, Common, Sylvan languages

Warlock: eldritch blast & minor illusion; hellish rebuke & armor of Agathys; (Pact Magic; Expanded Spell List; Genie's Vessel - Bottled Respite & Genie's Wrath)
Warlock: Agonizing Blast & Mask of Many Faces invocations; thunderwave
Warlock: Pact of the Chain; suggestion
Warlock: Telekinetic Feat - Cha +1; prestidigitation; hex; (Eldritch Versatility)
Warlock: Investment of the Chain Master invocation; hellish rebuke => counterspell & fly
Warlock: major image; (Elemental Gift - resist thunder damage)
Warlock: Repelling Blast invocation; greater invisibility
Warlock: Elven Accuracy Feat - Cha +1; charm monster
Warlock: Beguiling Influence invocation - Deception & Persuasion proficiency; suggestion => seeming & synaptic static
Warlock: chill touch; Sanctuary Vessel
Warlock: fly => summon fey & teleportation circle; Mystic Arcanum - mass suggestion
Warlock: Cha +2; Voice of the Chain Master invocation
Warlock: tongues; Mystic Arcanum - forcecage
Warlock: Limited Wish
Warlock: Gift of the Ever-Loving Ones invocation; banishment; Mystic Arcanum - glibness
Warlock: Resilient - Con +1
Warlock: dispel magic; Mystic Arcanum - wish
Bard: Animal Handling & Viol proficiency; friends & message; charm person & dissonant whispers & feather fall & Tasha's hideous laughter; (Bardic Inspiration d6; Spellcasting)
Bard: longstrider; (Jack of All Trades; Song of Rest d6; Magical Inspiration)
Bard: Deception & Persuasion expertise; mirror image; (Silver Tongue; Unsettling Words)

Cantrips - chill touch, eldritch blast, friends, message, minor illusion, prestidigitation

(4/long rest) - armor of Agathys, charm person, dissonant whispers, feather fall, hex, longstrider, Tasha's hideous laughter, thunderwave
(2/long rest) - mirror image
counterspell, dispel magic, major image, summon fey, tongues
banishment, charm monster, greater invisibility
(4/short rest) - seeming, synaptic static, teleportation circle
(1/long rest) - mass suggestion
(1/long rest) - forcecage
(1/long rest) - glibness
(1/long rest) - wish

[Draz74]

And the party's Wisdom source.

I agonized for a while about what race to make this "starlight and shadow"-themed build. Eventually Aasimar won out, not for its strongest feature (which I think is radiant/necrotic resistance, but I may just be biased due to my recently-concluded campaign that was full of those damage types), but because it learns light as a cantrip and apparently that's not on the Druid list. And the build needed light for flavor, if not for seeing things. (Aasimar do have darkvision, as do Dhampirs and Elves, but not Githyanki, so the party might actually need to go around glowing brightly until they can find Goggles of Night or spare a Level 2 slot.)

Vi-Yan
https://i.ibb.co/zSsNH49/Vi-Yan.png (https://ibb.co/y80VBQv)

Protector Aasimar, Hawkeyed Scout, Stars Druid 19 / Peace Cleric 1
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 14
Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Nature, Religion; Navigator's Tools, Herbalism Kit; Celestial, Common, Infernal languages

Druid: druidcraft & magic stone; (Druidic; Spellcasting)
Druid: (Wild Shape; Wild Companion; Star Map - guidance; Starry Form - Archer & Chalice & Dragon)
Druid
Druid: Shadow Touched Feat - Wis +1 - invisibility & cause fear; shape water; (Cantrip Versatility; Wild Shape Improvement)
Cleric: Implement of Peace - Persuasion proficiency; resistance & thaumaturgy & toll the dead; (Spellcasting; Domain Spells - heroism & sanctuary; Emboldening Bond)
Druid
Druid: (Cosmic Omen)
Druid
Druid: Fey Touched Feat - Wis +1 - misty step & gift of alacrity; (Wild Shape Improvement)
Druid
Druid: control flames; (Twinkling Constellations)
Druid
Druid: Wis +2
Druid
Druid: (Full of Stars)
Druid
Druid: Inspiring Leader Feat
Druid:
Druid: (Timeless Body; Beast Spells)
Druid: Lucky Feat
Cantrips - control flames, druidcraft, light, magic stone, resistance, shape water, thaumaturgy, toll the dead

(4/long rest) - absorb elements, bless, ceremony, command, cure wounds, detect evil and good, faerie fire, goodberry, healing word, heroism, sanctuary, thunderwave
(3/long rest) - augury, healing spirit, lesser restoration, pass without trace, warding wind
(3/long rest) - dispel magic, elemental weapon, revivify, sleet storm, water breathing
(3/long rest) - divination, locate creature, summon elemental
(3/long rest) - greater restoration, scrying
(2/long rest) - heal, wind walk
(2/long rest) - plane shift
(1/long rest) - control weather
(1/long rest) - foresight