Knowledge cleric dip vs wizard dip vs ritual caster/feats for Smart Sorcerer

[Asmerv]

Hi everyone.

Planning on an Aberrant Mind sorcerer for an upcoming campaign, who got his powers not unlike how a GOO warlock would. Flavor-wise, I want him to come across as knowledgeable, smart, and being able to peer into hidden truths. Mechanically I want to express that with decent Int skills and some of the good rituals like identify, detect magic, comprehend languages etc. Plus, I will be the only arcane caster for this party so I want to be able to provide some of this utility.

I've been trying to figure out how best to achieve this with minimal disruption to the main class progression, and would love your help. I have thought of a few ways and I'm happy to hear more thoughts.

1) Knowledge cleric dip
+ Armor proficiency
+ Gets Identify, Detect Magic
+ Expertise in two Int skills
+ Two languages somewhat help cover for missing Comprehend Languages
+ Access to Guidance, Bless and Healing Word
- No access to additional rituals
- Doesn't really help with Sorcerer spells known

2) Wizard dip
+ Gets all 1st level rituals
+ Can prepare Absorb Elements/Shield, saving sorc spells known
- No extra skills
- No armor

3) Ritual Caster/Skilled/Skill Expert
+ No loss of sorcerer progression
+ Can gain higher level rituals
- Competes with Metamagic Adept, Telekinetic, Fey Touched etc.
- Needs at least two feats get to 'feeling smart' which would take time

Am I missing any better ways? If not, which one seems the most promising to you?

[Tanarii]

For Ritual Caster: Warlock 3 for Tomelock. That's beyond a "dip" and probably doesn't meet your requirements though.

For skills: Sage or Hermit background.

[iTreeby]

Ritual Caster for the bard ritual list is not a bad choice, but the fact that the feat requires 13 INT or WIS really does not play well with being the only arcane caster. you want high spell save DC, and you want as high an ac as you can get, and you want your saves to be as good as possible because of concentration and not being taken out of the fight.

You could use eldritch adept to pick up an invocation for at will detect magic?

I think you have a pretty firm grasp of the options.

[AvalancheSpring]

Best Options (fits the concept well, without terrible tradeoffs):
- See if your DM will let you do a custom background with 4 skills and no languages. Better if combined with an option that gives Comprehend Languages. It's not quite RAW, but I think a lot of DMs would consider it as a way to support a cool concept. You are definitely not power-gaming, and you are definitely trying to help your group; that may make your DM more open to it.
- Play as a Half-Elf (2 free choice skills)
- Play as a Variant Human or Custom Lineage (1 free choice skill, and makes it a lot better to also use one of the feats below).

Good Options (some decrease to combat power but much more out of combat utility):
- Ritual Caster (Wizard) is a good feat, especially if there is no wizard on the team. It is better if your party will help you acquire scrolls for the higher level rituals. The other versions of Ritual Caster are generally a lot less appealing.
- Skill Expert if you are starting with 17 Charisma.

OK (Painful but may be OK for your concept):
- The two dips you mentioned are fine, as is Bard 1 (1 skill, some rituals), but being a level behind on casting progress is really painful for a full caster. If I had to take one of these option, Knowledge Cleric is probably the best; it helps with multiple aspects of your concept, and armor is good if part of your concept is "being alive". Just prepare to feel super sad at every odd character level when you could be playing with new toys, and instead you are waiting.
- Skill Expert if you are starting with 16 Charisma. Gets better after another 4 levels when you can take another half feat.

Bad choices:
- Skilled. It's a bad feat.
- Deeper dips. To be clear, these can be OK or even very good, but they are not the concept you are describing. For example, with Warlock 3, you will no longer be playing an Aberant Mind; you would be playing a Sorclock.

************************************************** **************************

For context, what is the rest of your party, and what level range do you expect to play through?

[Asmerv]

Best Options (fits the concept well, without terrible tradeoffs):
- See if your DM will let you do a custom background with 4 skills and no languages. Better if combined with an option that gives Comprehend Languages. It's not quite RAW, but I think a lot of DMs would consider it as a way to support a cool concept. You are definitely not power-gaming, and you are definitely trying to help your group; that may make your DM more open to it.
- Play as a Half-Elf (2 free choice skills)
- Play as a Variant Human or Custom Lineage (1 free choice skill, and makes it a lot better to also use one of the feats below).

Good Options (some decrease to combat power but much more out of combat utility):
- Ritual Caster (Wizard) is a good feat, especially if there is no wizard on the team. It is better if your party will help you acquire scrolls for the higher level rituals. The other versions of Ritual Caster are generally a lot less appealing.
- Skill Expert if you are starting with 17 Charisma.

OK (Painful but may be OK for your concept):
- The two dips you mentioned are fine, as is Bard 1 (1 skill, some rituals), but being a level behind on casting progress is really painful for a full caster. If I had to take one of these option, Knowledge Cleric is probably the best; it helps with multiple aspects of your concept, and armor is good if part of your concept is "being alive". Just prepare to feel super sad at every odd character level when you could be playing with new toys, and instead you are waiting.
- Skill Expert if you are starting with 16 Charisma. Gets better after another 4 levels when you can take another half feat.

Bad choices:
- Skilled. It's a bad feat.
- Deeper dips. To be clear, these can be OK or even very good, but they are not the concept you are describing. For example, with Warlock 3, you will no longer be playing an Aberant Mind; you would be playing a Sorclock.

************************************************** **************************

For context, what is the rest of your party, and what level range do you expect to play through?

We will start at level 3, and the rest of the part is fighter, barbarian, monk, tempest cleric and unknown(but maybe hexblade).

It's exactly as you said. I do see the immense value in dipping but I am usually very wary of multiclassing full casters.

I will try to work with the DM as you suggested and maybe remain single classed. After all, no DM wants all of their cool secrets and items to never be found, right? We might start with a magic item. I'd have picked the new Bloodwell Vial, but maybe I can instead pick Headband of Intellect, forego expertise and just get Int skills from my modified background and let proficiency and the headband carry me through with Ritual Caster. I will miss guidance and armor though.

[AvalancheSpring]

We will start at level 3, and the rest of the part is fighter, barbarian, monk, tempest cleric and unknown(but maybe hexblade).

That's a big party with significant magical utility - especially if "maybe hexblade" takes Book of Ancient Secrets. Even if they don't, you may be overestimating your need to provide all the utility magic.

Maybe you want Ritual Caster anyway, but don't feel overly obliged to provide 6 people worth of utility spells and skills. I've been in that position (in my case as a Bard) and while it started out seeming like a "cool challenge" it turned into a tedious drag. It felt like I was the butler or personal assistant who's job was to "take care of everything" outside of combat offense.