Changeling Aberrant Sorcer - Good?

[NecessaryWeevil]

Hi,

I may be joining a new group that's just forming. Sound like most of the players are fairly inexperienced. I'm wondering if my character concept will A) accomplish what I hope and B) be a good choice in a group of mostly newbies.

I'd like to try an infiltrator: someone who can operate as a scout and ferret out information both in civilized and uncivilized settings, have a decent chance of escape / survival if things go south, and pull their weight in combat.

I'm thinking a Changeling Aberrant Mind Sorceror, being sure to pick up Subtle Spell ASAP. Any pointers or cautions?

Thanks!

[Bobthewizard]

It will be great. Once you get psionic sorcery at level 6 all of your subclass spells are automatically subtle when cast with sorcery points and you can change out those spells (limited to enchantment and divination). Here are the ones I like

1st - Command and Dissonant Whispers and Tasha's Laughter

2nd - Suggestion and Tasha's Mind Whip

This gives you subtle Suggestion and three options for follow up non-concentration spells. Twin is probably your most important metamagic now since these spells will already be subtle. Then these will be your bread and butter. As you level up, they get cheaper but are still effective.

3rd - I'd leave Hunger of Hadar and Sending. HoH is a decent area denial spell and sending can be used for longer distance communication than your telepathy. You could take Enemies Abound for shenanigans if you want.

4th - keep Summon Aberration and take Raulothims Psychic Lance for yet another non-concentration disable.

5th - Telekinesis and Synaptic Static.

This gives you suggestion, hunger of Hadar, summon aberration, and telekinesis for concentration spells. And command, dissonant whispers, Tasha's mind whip, Raulothims psychic lance, and synaptic static as subtle non-concentration debuffs.

For the rest of your spells, I'd cover defense and movement - shield, absorb elements, invisibility, misty step, counterspell, fly, dimension door - and then whatever else you want.

Edit: If Strixhaven is allowed, I'd trade out dissonant whispers for Silvery barbs and also add Vortex Warp, dropping misty step once you get dimension door.

[Mastikator]

If you're an aberrant mind then you get a free better subtle spell at level 6, so be sure to replace subtle spell at level 8.

[Xoronis]

If you're an aberrant mind then you get a free better subtle spell at level 6, so be sure to replace subtle spell at level 8.

This only applies to your bonus spells, right? You'd still need Subtle Spell for your regular spells if you want that.

[nickl_2000]

This only applies to your bonus spells, right? You'd still need Subtle Spell for your regular spells if you want that.

This is correct. Although there is a lot you can do with Calm Emotion, Detect Thoughts, and Dissonant Whispers alone when casting them subtly. Also a Hunger of Hadar appearing out of nowhere would be outright terrifying.

[NecessaryWeevil]

This is correct. Although there is a lot you can do with Calm Emotion, Detect Thoughts, and Dissonant Whispers alone when casting them subtly. Also a Hunger of Hadar appearing out of nowhere would be outright terrifying.

Yeah, Subtle Detect Thoughts is a major reason I went Sorceror.

[Bobthewizard]

Yeah, Subtle Detect Thoughts is a major reason I went Sorceror.

I'd rather have Suggestion and Tasha's mind whip, but if Detect thoughts is more important to you, I'd change the first two levels of spells as follows:

1st - Command Dissonant Whispers and Tasha's Hideous Laughter
2nd - Suggestion and Tasha's Mind Whip and Detect Thoughts

This lets you still have a low level concentration spell for when you're low on higher level slots. I'd remove suggestion over Tasha's Mind whip so you still have that non-concentration level 2 spell.

There are definitely a few other ways to go from what I presented. I'm just trying to give you an outline.

[NecessaryWeevil]

There are definitely a few other ways to go from what I presented. I'm just trying to give you an outline.

Much appreciated, thank you!

[Sorinth]

For changeling just remember it doesn't change your clothing which might have a big impact on being an infiltrator. You might consider either a 2 level dip in Warlock or taking the feat to get Mask of Many Faces since that does alter your clothing.


That said an infiltrator being a fun/effective character will somewhat depend on the campaign the DM runs. In a game with new players I would hesitate to play a character that will be expected to go solo for a decent amount of time. So how do you see your infiltrations going?

I would be tempted to focus more on sowing confusion. So you disguise yourself to look like a boss and with the rest of the party approach the guards, with Detect Thoughts running and maybe a Subtle Minor Illusion to help support your story. Either talk your way through or buy time/close distance so the rest of the party can ambush. Or claim the boss your fighting against is a doppleganger/demon replacement while looking like said boss to try and get the minions to hestitate/switch sides (Creative use of Phantasmal Force can make your story the "truth").

[Bobthewizard]

For changeling just remember it doesn't change your clothing which might have a big impact on being an infiltrator. You might consider either a 2 level dip in Warlock or taking the feat to get Mask of Many Faces since that does alter your clothing.

If it's allowed, shiftweave (http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:shiftweave) from Eberron is a common magic item that works great with a changeling. You get five outfits that you can change with a bonus action.

[Kane0]

Is Command an available choice for Aberrant Mind bonus spells?

[nickl_2000]

Is Command an available choice for Aberrant Mind bonus spells?

Nope, Enchantment or Divination from Sorcerer, Wizard, and Warlock.

Oddly enough it does add Hex as a potential spell to the list, but I am not sure how to abuse that.

[Kane0]

Oddly enough it does add Hex as a potential spell to the list, but I am not sure how to abuse that.

As a 1st level spell it wouldnt really benefit from the SP conversion, and you cant hse it in the same turn as something like scorching ray but it does nevertheless increase its damage. Seems a poor trade for your concentration but at least you'd be able to impose disadvantage on an ability check of your choice without the target knowing? Niche but could come up in noncombat scenarios

[Bobthewizard]

Is Command an available choice for Aberrant Mind bonus spells?

You are right. I was thinking bard was allowed too. I changed my posts above.

[nickl_2000]

So many crazy things I want to do now with the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer I have running through my head.

Sneak into an enemy camp, cast Enemies Abound on the BBEG using the level 6 ability. It's a saving throw so I stay hidden, the said BBEG just goes completely nuts on his/hers/their own army. I teleport out to allies and we come back in after a minute to clean up the pieces.

[Kane0]

So many crazy things I want to do now with the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer I have running through my head.

Sneak into an enemy camp, cast Enemies Abound on the BBEG using the level 6 ability. It's a saving throw so I stay hidden, the said BBEG just goes completely nuts on his/hers/their own army. I teleport out to allies and we come back in after a minute to clean up the pieces.

Hell why not twin or heighten on top of that, the free subtle isnt actually metamagic so you can apply something else

[Sorinth]

As a 1st level spell it wouldnt really benefit from the SP conversion, and you cant hse it in the same turn as something like scorching ray but it does nevertheless increase its damage. Seems a poor trade for your concentration but at least you'd be able to impose disadvantage on an ability check of your choice without the target knowing? Niche but could come up in noncombat scenarios

I suppose for an Infiltrator targeting Wisdom so that they have disadvantage when making opposed Deception/Insight or Stealth/Perception checks could have some use. It's just a shame you have to drop the target to 0 before being able to move the hex.

[JackPhoenix]

So many crazy things I want to do now with the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer I have running through my head.

Sneak into an enemy camp, cast Enemies Abound on the BBEG using the level 6 ability. It's a saving throw so I stay hidden, the said BBEG just goes completely nuts on his/hers/their own army. I teleport out to allies and we come back in after a minute to clean up the pieces.

Except the BBEG would have to be in a combat situation for the Enemies Abound to have an effect in the first place. If he's not doing anything that require him to pick targets, targetting random creatures is rather useless.

[Sorinth]

Except the BBEG would have to be in a combat situation for the Enemies Abound to have an effect in the first place. If he's not doing anything that require him to pick targets, targetting random creatures is rather useless.

Not sure about that.

"the target loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe, regarding all creatures it can see as enemies until the spell ends. "

The target should see and treat everyone as enemies, so whatever they normally do when surrounded by enemies (attack or run) they should still do regardless of whether they were in combat.

[NecessaryWeevil]

If it's allowed, shiftweave (http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:shiftweave) from Eberron is a common magic item that works great with a changeling. You get five outfits that you can change with a bonus action.

Oooo nice. I was just wondering, "How do I make changing my face but not my clothing useful?"

[Keravath]

Keep in mind that "you can only use one Metamagic option on a spell at a time unless otherwise noted."

This means that you can't combine subtle with twinned or quickened with heightened or twinned with heightened as examples.

However, you can still use metamagic with an Aberrant Mind sorcerer's Psionic Sorcery feature which does let you effectively combine subtle with a metamagic feature for these specific spells.

[Keravath]

Nope, Enchantment or Divination from Sorcerer, Wizard, and Warlock.

Oddly enough it does add Hex as a potential spell to the list, but I am not sure how to abuse that.

The best way would be to force a target to make social skill checks at disadvantage in a social setting where casting a spell would not normally be possible.

Examples: Party is telling a lie to an important official and wants them to fail to notice - hex wisdom so the insight check is at disadvantage. Similar if the party is trying to convince an NPC to take a specific action - hex wis, int or cha - whichever would be most relevant for the contested skill check in this case. Another possibility would be party members hiding somewhere - subtle hex the guard's wisdom so perception checks are at disadvantage. Subtle hex has a lot of pretty cool applications depending on the circumstances. I have it on my aberrant mind sorcerer though I have used it more for damage since I also have 2 levels of warlock (but I picked up hex via sorcerer for the subtle casting when I hit level 6).