HexBard Spy with Telekinesis, Mask of Many Faces and Subtle Spell

[Wasp]

Hi everyone!

A character I always wanted to play but that was kind of difficult to achieve was a spy/con artist that was a social skill monkey and had

Mage Hand Legerdemain for an invisible mage hand (Telekinesis)
Mask of Many Faces (for unlimited appearance changes)
Subtle Spell for doing magic in secret

With Tasha's it seems to be way easier now through Custom Lineages and the Telekinetic and Metamagic Adept feats.

Based on that my build idea would be at the moment

The Spymaster
Hexblade 2/Lore Bard 4
Custom Lineage, Medium Size, +2 CHA, Persuasion, Telekinetic (CHA)

STR 8, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 18

Custom Background with Thieves Tools, Disguise Kit or Forgery Kit

Skill Proficienies: Persuasion (Lineage), Deception (Warlock), Investigation (Warlock), Sleight of Hand (Background), Stealth (Background), Perception (Bard), Acrobatics (Lore), Insight (Lore), Intimidation (Lore)

Feats: Telekinetic, Metamagic Adept (Subtle Spell and Twinned? Spell)

Warlock Cantrips: Don't know. Eldritch Blast (despite no Agonizing Blast etc)? Greenflame Blade? Booming Blade?
Warlock Spells: Hex, Shield, Unseen Servant?

Bard Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Message?
Bard Spells: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Healing Word, Silent Image, Sleep, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts?

Alternatively, I was thinking about going pure Lore Bard and take Eldritch Adept for the Mask, so that spellcasting isn't delayed but you are loosing so much without the Warlock levels...

What do you think about the concept and the particular build? Anything you would do differently? What would be the best spell choices? Would it make sense to maybe sacrifie 3 skills and take a different Bard College? And what would you do after level 6? I assume continuing Bard, but what about the remaining ASIs? Probably getting CHA 20 at level 10 is preferable to doing half feats?

[Wasp]

Or should I go Divine Soul Sorcerer instead of taking the feat?

[BigRedJedi]

Hi everyone!

A character I always wanted to play but that was kind of difficult to achieve was a spy/con artist that was a social skill monkey and had

Mage Hand Legerdemain for an invisible mage hand (Telekinesis)
Mask of Many Faces (for unlimited appearance changes)
Subtle Spell for doing magic in secret

With Tasha's it seems to be way easier now through Custom Lineages and the Telekinetic and Metamagic Adept feats.

Based on that my build idea would be at the moment

The Spymaster
Hexblade 2/Lore Bard 4
Custom Lineage, Medium Size, +2 CHA, Persuasion, Telekinetic (CHA)

STR 8, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 18

Custom Background with Thieves Tools, Disguise Kit or Forgery Kit

Skill Proficienies: Persuasion (Lineage), Deception (Warlock), Investigation (Warlock), Sleight of Hand (Background), Stealth (Background), Perception (Bard), Acrobatics (Lore), Insight (Lore), Intimidation (Lore)

Feats: Telekinetic, Metamagic Adept (Subtle Spell and Twinned? Spell)

Warlock Cantrips: Don't know. Eldritch Blast (despite no Agonizing Blast etc)? Greenflame Blade? Booming Blade?
Warlock Spells: Hex, Shield, Unseen Servant?

Bard Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Message?
Bard Spells: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Healing Word, Silent Image, Sleep, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts?

Alternatively, I was thinking about going pure Lore Bard and take Eldritch Adept for the Mask, so that spellcasting isn't delayed but you are loosing so much without the Warlock levels...

What do you think about the concept and the particular build? Anything you would do differently? What would be the best spell choices? Would it make sense to maybe sacrifie 3 skills and take a different Bard College? And what would you do after level 6? I assume continuing Bard, but what about the remaining ASIs? Probably getting CHA 20 at level 10 is preferable to doing half feats?

Have you looked at the College of Eloquence from Tasha's yet? Might be ideal for what you're trying to achieve.

-BRJ

[wunderkid]

Ok so your needs are;

spy/con artist - So sneaky and charismatic more of a RP thing that you build to.
social skill monkey - Basically expertise so feat or rogue/bard.
Mage Hand Legerdemain for an invisible mage hand (Telekinesis) - Feat or Arcane trickster
Mask of Many Faces (for unlimited appearance changes) - Feat or warlock
Subtle Spell for doing magic in secret - Feat or Sorc

So personally my build for this kind of character would be a Sorc/Bard (It is also the character I plan to play next).

Aberrant Sorc gives you a load of ideal for spying and conning spells that can all be cast subtly for free (And also have another meta tagged on so twinned Modify memory anyone?)
6 Levels right into there straight away. Makes you the ideal infiltrator as people wont observe you casting a good chunk of your spells.

After that I would take 3 in eloquence bard. Gives you both botch protection on your deception and persuasion but also lets you nerf down their saving throw for when you subtly cast at them and nets you expertise. Just all around great and will mean you're literally the smooth talking Jedi.

Feat wise I would take telekinesis at sorc(4), you get subtle from sorc and unlimited appearance changes is nice but you probably dont need too many in reality and as full caster with sorc points youll have quite a lot of spell slots. You've covered most of your bases at this point, after that I would bump more levels into sorc at sorc(8) you can nab mask of many faces feat if you feel you still need it, if not cha to 20 or metamagic adept feat (More Sorc points, more metamagics, I like it but maybe some people will think its redundant).

Of course theres nothing wrong with the build you're looking at, lock/bard is a great combo, as BigRedJedi mentioned college of eloquence is the way to go just because that level 3 cant get lower than 10 is a-mazing.

[Wasp]

Have you looked at the College of Eloquence from Tasha's yet? Might be ideal for what you're trying to achieve.

Yeah, it's kind of perfect. I just took it here because of extra Skills and the additional Magical Secrets at level 6 to get things like Couterspell and Haste. But I kinda agree now that the Eloquence Bard is probably better suited for a social skilly monkey that wants to persuade people.


Ok so your needs are;

spy/con artist - So sneaky and charismatic more of a RP thing that you build to.
social skill monkey - Basically expertise so feat or rogue/bard.
Mage Hand Legerdemain for an invisible mage hand (Telekinesis) - Feat or Arcane trickster
Mask of Many Faces (for unlimited appearance changes) - Feat or warlock
Subtle Spell for doing magic in secret - Feat or Sorc

So personally my build for this kind of character would be a Sorc/Bard (It is also the character I plan to play next).
Well, you have me hooked! :smallsmile:


Aberrant Sorc gives you a load of ideal for spying and conning spells that can all be cast subtly for free (And also have another meta tagged on so twinned Modify memory anyone?)
6 Levels right into there straight away. Makes you the ideal infiltrator as people wont observe you casting a good chunk of your spells.
That subtle modifier applies only to the psychic spells, right?


After that I would take 3 in eloquence bard. Gives you both botch protection on your deception and persuasion but also lets you nerf down their saving throw for when you subtly cast at them and nets you expertise. Just all around great and will mean you're literally the smooth talking Jedi.

Feat wise I would take telekinesis at sorc(4), you get subtle from sorc and unlimited appearance changes is nice but you probably dont need too many in reality and as full caster with sorc points youll have quite a lot of spell slots. You've covered most of your bases at this point, after that I would bump more levels into sorc at sorc(8) you can nab mask of many faces feat if you feel you still need it, if not cha to 20 or metamagic adept feat (More Sorc points, more metamagics, I like it but maybe some people will think its redundant).
Hmmm... Sounds very interesting at least! Thanks, definitely food for thought!


Of course theres nothing wrong with the build you're looking at, lock/bard is a great combo, as BigRedJedi mentioned college of eloquence is the way to go just because that level 3 cant get lower than 10 is a-mazing.
I kind of remember a Hex/Lore/DSS build from some time ago. Maybe I need to look for that as well...