The Spike Wall Duelist, and other builds with high numbers of effects on one trigger

[Unoriginal]

The Spike Wall Duelist [Work in Progress]


"The path to success in dueling is much like the path to success in life: if there is a crisis, solve it, if there is no crisis, create one. Only a fool lets their foes dictate the order of the world."

Zariel-bloodline Tiefling, Folk Hero, Hunter Ranger 8, Cavalier Fighter 6, Archfey Warlock of the Blade 6

Stats (standard array): STR 10 (8+1 (racial)+1), DEX 20 (15+2+2+1), CON 14, INT 10, WIS 14(13+1 feat), CHA 14 (12+2 (racial)),

AC: 20 (12 (studded leather) + 5 (Dex mod) + 2 (shield) + 1 (Defense Fighting Style), 24 (AC + Multiattack Defense), 26 (AC + Defensive Duelist), 30 (AC + Multiattack Defense + Defensive Duelist).

HPs: 156 (10+40 (Con mod)+76+ 30)

Saves: STR, DEX, WIS

Skills: Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, Animal Handling, Survival, Persuasion

Feats: Defensive Duelist, Resilient (WIS)

Fighting Styles: Defense, Dueling

Ranger features: Greater Favored Enemy (Humanoid and Fiend), Fighting Style, Extra Attack, Colossus Slayer, Multiattack Defense, Fleet of Foot,

Fighter features: Action Surge, Second Wind (1d10+6), Fighting Style, Extra Attack, Bonus Proficiency, Born to the Saddle, Unwavering Mark.

Warlock features: Pact Magic, Otherworldly Patron (Archfey), Fey Presence, Pact of the Blade, Misty Escape

Attacks:
Rapier: +11 to hit, 1d8+5 + 2 (Dueling)+ (4 from Favored Enemy) + (1d8 from Colossus Slayer if enemy isn't at full HP) + (3d6 radiant damage from Zariel Tiefling's Branding Smite) + (4d8 force damage + Huge or smaller enemy knocked prone from Eldritch Smite)

Longbow: +11 to hit

Eldritch Blast: +8 to hit

Tactics [biggest WIP]:

-Can't touch this, but this can touch you: Using Defensive Duelist to negate a hit, hit still trigger Armor of Agathys.

Notes:-Is is possible to trade 1 level of Warlock and 1 level of Ranger to get Fighter 8 instead, and replace Defensive Duelist with a +2 to CON and the Cavalier's Warding Maneuvre. This would make a beefier Spike Wall Duelist even more able to defend others. However, Warding Maneuvre is a limited-per-long-rest ressource, while Defensive Duelist isn't, not to mention that the bonus to AC from WM has a decent risk to be lower than the one from DD and that the level swap makes the character far less mobile, so I'd say the Beefier Wall Duelist would have a bigger chance to get overwhelmed over the course of an adventuring day, especially when fighting lots of opponents.



Greatly inspired by this thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617316-Defensive-Duelist-Multiattack-Defense), thanks to all the participants for the ideas and the tricks

5e has many effects which can technically be triggered by the same conditions, but in practice a lot of them are mutually exclusive due to requiring a Reaction or the like.

However, it is not always the case, and I was curious to see what the highest number of effects a single character could pile up on a single trigger, which trigger it was, and how to make an efficient build out of said character.

(Note: "single character" here means what the character can do on their own, summoning a bunch of creatures which have capacities keyed on the same trigger wouldn't count as far as I'm concerned).

My current answer is the above build, named the Spike Wall Duelist due to how fighting one is about as enjoyable as having to fight a wall of spikes.

With Defensive Duelist, Multiattack Defense and Armor of Agathys, has 3 abilities triggering on the "when hit" condition (thanks to Yakmala and MaxWilson for coming up with the idea), and with Eldritch Smite, Branding Smite (from the Zariel Tiefling bloodline), Colossus Slayer and Unwavering Mark has 4 abilities that triggers on hitting the enemy if the PC desires so.

And outside of the gimmick, it's still an high AC combatant who can draw aggro to them, can handle both solo and numerous enemies, with decent mobility and useful out-of-combat capacities, and isn't helpless at range.



I'm looking for feedbacks on this build, and would be more than happy to read your ideas for the "what is the highest number of effects a single character can pile up on a single trigger, which trigger it is, and how to make an efficient build out of said character" concept.

[da newt]

A switch to gloomstalker would allow you to use an ASI on something other than RES WIS - but I'm not sure if this subclass would be an overall improvement as it costs you multi attack defense ...

[LudicSavant]

Some discussions on this combo here: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/122516/does-blocking-an-attack-with-the-shield-spell-still-trigger-armor-of-agathys

[Unoriginal]

A switch to gloomstalker would allow you to use an ASI on something other than RES WIS - but I'm not sure if this subclass would be an overall improvement as it costs you multi attack defense ...

Yeah, Gloomstalker is good for many things, but not this particular build. Also an ASI isn't that much a steep price to fill out the WIS save-shaped hole in the Spike Wall Duelist's defense.


Some discussions on this combo here: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/122516/does-blocking-an-attack-with-the-shield-spell-still-trigger-armor-of-agathys

Thanks for the link. Yes, I'd personally rule that turning the hit into a miss interrupts the "when hit" trigger, but I've found out to my surprise that several DMs ruled otherwise.


Even without that combo the Spike Wall Duelist is still hard to hit and hurts quite a bit for each wounds inflicted, though, so while it's less good it's not entirely dependent on this specific ruling (though maybe it'd be worthwhile to just remove the warlock part entirely then)

[Citadel97501]

Yeah, Gloomstalker is good for many things, but not this particular build. Also an ASI isn't that much a steep price to fill out the WIS save-shaped hole in the Spike Wall Duelist's defense.

Thanks for the link. Yes, I'd personally rule that turning the hit into a miss interrupts the "when hit" trigger, but I've found out to my surprise that several DMs ruled otherwise.

Even without that combo the Spike Wall Duelist is still hard to hit and hurts quite a bit for each wounds inflicted, though, so while it's less good it's not entirely dependent on this specific ruling (though maybe it'd be worthwhile to just remove the warlock part entirely then)

Frankly like so many other things, Crawford is flat wrong on how this actually works if using the abilities in question. I think this is also a very interesting style of play as it allows interesting but difficult or expensive tank concepts, rather than boring ones.

[Aeriox]

Seems like a cool concept, but I just wanted to point out that whirlwind attack needs 11 levels of ranger, not 8.

[Unoriginal]

Seems like a cool concept, but I just wanted to point out that whirlwind attack needs 11 levels of ranger, not 8.

You're right, I've got lost juggling between several pages. Now corrected.