Lifesteal build help

[ChaseC311]

Is there any way to make an optimal lifesteal build? Im already aware of Vampiric Touch and Life Transference, but is there any other way in dnd 5e to get lifesteal effects?

[Amdy_vill]

if you are a shadow sorcerer you can get some extra abilities that theme well but outside of that no.

[JackPhoenix]

Necromancer wizard gets you some HP once per turn when you kill something with non-cantrip spells- best combined with spells that do damage on other creature's turn. Fiend warlock gets temp HP when you down hostiles, but the gain is based on your warlock level (and Cha). So does Long Death monk, just based on monk level and wisdom instead.

[stoutstien]

Vote for long death monk. Not really life stealing but there just isn't a lot of official options for it surprisingly.

[Rentirith]

The death domain cleric can use their channel divinity to increase the damage of a vampiric touch a handful of times per short rest, which also increases the healing you receive from vampiric touch if I am not mistaken. The increase is equal to 5 + twice your cleric level, so at level 5 you can do 3d6+15 necrotic and heal roughly 12 hp from it.

[carrdrivesyou]

Is there any way to make an optimal lifesteal build? Im already aware of Vampiric Touch and Life Transference, but is there any other way in dnd 5e to get lifesteal effects?

So, I actually decided to play a variation of this for testing. Here is my breakdown:

Life Cleric 1 (disciple of life)
Celestial Warlock X (SR recharge, higher level slots, BA heals)

Your core spells are: Inflict Wounds, Guiding Bolt, and Vampiric Touch.

I went with kobold for pack tactics, and since we are in undermountain (DoMM), light sensitivity isn't a big issue.

You'll be a level behind on ASIs, but it's mostly mitigated.

Gameplay:
1. Vampiric Touch is pretty good at base level, but with Disciple of Life, you're actually healing about as much as the average hit, sometimes more; this will scale with your warlock spell slot level. So grab some heavy armor via cleric, plus a shield, and just run around with a wand.

2. Use your Healing Lights for rubber band or spot healing, but otherwise leave healing up to hit dice. 1st level cleric slots (you'll have two) should be used to prep guiding bolt and inflict wounds, plus whatever else your wisdom allows for. Your warlock slots should revolve around upcasting your core spells (mentioned above).

3. Take Chain Pact, and grab Gift of the Ever-living Ones. With a CON of 14, you'll heal 10 per hit die, no roll needed. Try and nab a Periapt of Wound Closure to boost that to 20 per HD. Bonus points if you are a Dwarf with the Dwarven Resilience feat, and just burn it on a dodge action.

Overall, you will have heavy armor, shields, and a wand. weapons really won't help you much, unless you get that blood spear thing from CoS. You will be REALLY hard to put down, able to regain HP on the regular, recharge your best tricks on a short rest, crit for utterly obnoxious amounts of damage via core spells, and you'll still have buffs/heals for the rest of the party. Enjoy your pseudo-vampire.

EDIT: Grab the Eldritch Mind and Fiendish Vigor invocations for extra tankiness, and so you don't lose concentration on Vampiric Touch.

[XmonkTad]

Necromancer wizard gets you some HP once per turn when you kill something with non-cantrip spells- best combined with spells that do damage on other creature's turn.

High recommendation for this. You only need a 2 level dip to get the benefits of Grim Harvest. Also, in terms of spells that juice the life out of creatures: Enervation also restores HP based on damage dealt.

[Darthnazrael]

Beast Barbs and Lizardfolk can life steal on Bites.

[someguy]

Previous versions of the profane soul blood hunter got a level 10 ability that let you make a weapon attack on combination with vampiric touch.
Can’t post links, so look for the geeks and sundry 2015 pdf.