Giant Fairy Grappler

[sithlordnergal]

Soo, I've been playing around with the idea of a Fairy Rune Knight that focuses on grappling. I have the Unarmed Fighting Style and Tavern Brawler, and thanks to Giant's Might and Enlarge I can become Huge to effectively Grapple any size I want. This is also an AL character, so I can be reasonably certain that I'll get into high level stuff eventually. My full plan for the build is Fighter 12 / War Cleric 8, that way I can have some spell slots to cast Enlarge on myself with. War Cleric 8 also nets me Guided Strike, a bonus action attack via War Priest, and, eventually, Divine Strike.

However, there's one downside with this build. Because I'm focusing on Grappling, I maxed out my Strength and I'm using Heavy Armor for my AC. Which means I lose out on my Fly speed granted to me via being a Fairy.

Now, there is an option to fix this. Due to the new AL rules I can rebuild my character to be a Rune Knight Fighter/Astral Self Monk. This would give me a decent AC without wearing Armor, meaning I keep my flight, I can use Wisdom for my Athletics checks via the Astral Arms, and I can still become Huge. There's just one major downside, I don't have any spell slots so I can only cast Enlarge once per day.


I'm not sure which one would be better...Should I forego my Fly speed and just remain Fighter/Cleric for the spell slots? Or should I forego my spell slots to keep my Fly speed?


There is, technically, one final option I could go for: Fighter 8 / Cleric 8 / Monk 4

This would net me the Astral Arms, Unarmored AC, spell slots, ect. But I'm not sure if it'd be worth it...Monk does give me an on demand bonus action attack, similar to War Cleric, and I can do it whenever I like. Unarmed Fighting Style makes all of my Unarmed Strikes deal 1d8, so I wouldn't lost out on damage. But I'm just not sure if that's be worth it...

[Mastikator]

Since you maxed strength, maybe consider expertise in athletics, access to a fly spell (or light armor) and grapple enemies, fly them into the sky and drop them. One level of ranger or rogue or the skill expert feat can give you expertise.

[sithlordnergal]

Since you maxed strength, maybe consider expertise in athletics, access to a fly spell (or light armor) and grapple enemies, fly them into the sky and drop them. One level of ranger or rogue or the skill expert feat can give you expertise.

Oh I have Skill Expert already, with Expertise in Athletics. I'm more wondering if I should go Fighter/Cleric for spell slots, Fighter/Monk for unarmored AC and flight while keeping my Athletics the same, or Fighter/Monk/Cleric for unarmored AC and flight, spell slots, and being able to turn Huge. If I go with 4 levels of Astral Self Monk I can use Wisdom for my Athletics checks, and have a decent AC while keeping my Flight. However I lose out on either spell slots or a 3rd attack.

Sadly I can't use Fly because I'll be concentrating on the Enlarge Spell to be Huge.

[Mastikator]

In that case I think monk is a decent option, it will give a good reason to not wear armor, keep innate flying, and the monk levels will increase speed and give step of the wind, so you can fly straight up even farther.

[Khrysaes]

Oh I have Skill Expert already, with Expertise in Athletics. I'm more wondering if I should go Fighter/Cleric for spell slots, Fighter/Monk for unarmored AC and flight while keeping my Athletics the same, or Fighter/Monk/Cleric for unarmored AC and flight, spell slots, and being able to turn Huge. If I go with 4 levels of Astral Self Monk I can use Wisdom for my Athletics checks, and have a decent AC while keeping my Flight. However I lose out on either spell slots or a 3rd attack.

Sadly I can't use Fly because I'll be concentrating on the Enlarge Spell to be Huge.

Consider Fighter/Monk/Druid

Monk with astral arms will turn your athletics into a wisdom check

2 Star druid and dragon form will make it so your wisdom AND concentration checks (which now includes athletics) will never be below a 10. This also gives you spell slots

Edit: Just checked, 6 levels would be good for weal and woe and you can use it on enemys to make sure they fail. But you can probably do with just 3 or 4 druid for the second level spell slots for enlarge.

[Khrysaes]

Consider Fighter/Monk/Druid

Monk with astral arms will turn your athletics into a wisdom check

2 Star druid and dragon form will make it so your wisdom AND concentration checks (which now includes athletics) will never be below a 10. This also gives you spell slots

Edit: Just checked, 6 levels would be good for weal and woe and you can use it on enemys to make sure they fail. But you can probably do with just 3 or 4 druid for the second level spell slots for enlarge.

I just built this.

The core of the build is 3 monk/3 fighter/3 druid for:
Astral Arms: Use wisdom instead of strength for athletics checks
Giant Size: Advantage on athletics checks... How does this work with Astral arms? It specifies Strength Checks, but athletics is now wisdom based.
Starry Form (Dragon): Anything below a 9 on a wisdom check, which includes athletics, and on concentration saves, which is used for enlarge, are automatically 10
2nd level spell slots: to use enlarge more often


It wouldn't really come online as a grappler until level 3, if you start as a wisdom based monk.

I would start as 1 fighter, go 3 monk, then your wisdom based grappler is online, until then you are a basic dex fighter.

4 monk, take an ASI.

2-6 fighter: level 8 you get giant size, for advantage on your athletics, 9 is ASI 2, 10 is finally extra attack and 11 is ASI 3.

Then 1-3 druid to get star form and the second level spell slots at character levels 12 & 13

4 druid at 14 for the fourth ASI and your final 2nd level spell slot.

then finish with fighter 7-12, at character levels 16 and 20 getting ASI 5, and 6, one more than the standard 5. And Extra attack 3 at 19.

[diplomancer]

With Expertise in Athletics and Advantage on Str checks, you don't need to be that strong, a 14, or even a 12, will usually be more than enough. If you can completely rebuild your character, I'd make it more Dex-focused. Get 3 (or 4) Druid levels for casting enlarge-reduce, 2 of Rogue for bonus action dash, and the rest in Fighter. Fly high up with the dash, drop them, fall on top of them!

[Khrysaes]

With Expertise in Athletics and Advantage on Str checks, you don't need to be that strong, a 14, or even a 12, will usually be more than enough. If you can completely rebuild your character, I'd make it more Dex-focused. Get 3 (or 4) Cleric levels for casting enlarge-reduce, 2 of Rogue for bonus action dash, and the rest in Fighter.

I forgot about bonus action dash, which would help with the halved movement while grappling.
You could add 2 rogue to my build for it, it wouldn't use Ki any more so that would be good. Since you would have invested a feat in Skill Expert 1 rogue only loses you a +1 stat, gets a second expertise. It would put off levels in another class instead, but it could work.

As a final note:

Barrier Tattoo Rare is equal to wearing a breastplate +1, but is unarmored

Barrier tattoo Very rare is equal to wearing plate, but is unarmored

[diplomancer]

With Expertise in Athletics and Advantage on Str checks, you don't need to be that strong, a 14, or even a 12, will usually be more than enough. If you can completely rebuild your character, I'd make it more Dex-focused. Get 3 (or 4) Druid levels for casting enlarge-reduce, 2 of Rogue for bonus action dash, and the rest in Fighter. Fly high up with the dash, drop them, fall on top of them!

One more thing to consider, specially with the Star Druid option; it starts to get dependent on a lot of bonus actions. Not sure if it's optimal.

Though, come to think of it, unless you want to grapple a gargantuan creature, you can use the Dragon constellation when you don't plan to use Giant's might, but DO plan to use Enlarge/Reduce. And if it IS a gargantuan creature, you're probably in for a long fight, so two Bonus actions is not that steep of a cost.

[tokek]

I think the Fairy Giant Grappler is a really fun build idea, I've been toying with it myself.

The variant I have been looking at was with a Barbarian dip. Rune Knights generally want to max out Con score next after Str score both for generic front-line reasons and because a couple of the runes set their save DC using Con. Con just feels like a better fit to a Rune Knight than Wis that a Monk build would require.

In this build the Rage is only really a backup option, the main purpose of the dip is the unarmored defense. It does not combine with Enlarge but then you don't always need enlarge and it can save you a use of Hill Rune. If you run out of uses of Giant's Might then rage is better than nothing.

[Oramac]

I think the Fairy Giant Grappler is a really fun build idea, I've been toying with it myself.

The variant I have been looking at was with a Barbarian dip. Rune Knights generally want to max out Con score next after Str score both for generic front-line reasons and because a couple of the runes set their save DC using Con. Con just feels like a better fit to a Rune Knight than Wis that a Monk build would require.

In this build the Rage is only really a backup option, the main purpose of the dip is the unarmored defense. It does not combine with Enlarge but then you don't always need enlarge and it can save you a use of Hill Rune. If you run out of uses of Giant's Might then rage is better than nothing.

I came here to say this as well. I've already got the character built, just waiting for a chance to play it. My only question is whether I go Barb 4 / Fighter 16 or Fighter 4 / Barb 16.

Part of the reason I'm doing this build is because I want to avoid more than two classes, and focus on martial classes.

[Khrysaes]

I came here to say this as well. I've already got the character built, just waiting for a chance to play it. My only question is whether I go Barb 4 / Fighter 16 or Fighter 4 / Barb 16.

Part of the reason I'm doing this build is because I want to avoid more than two classes, and focus on martial classes.
I would so fighter 16, since you get more oomph out of giant size. In fact, fighter 19/barb 1 would be okay, then you can become huge

[Sillybird99]

You aren't getting much out of Barb levels. Unarmored defense is okay, but you dont really need that high of strength when you are getting expertise and advantage on athletic checks and adv on strength saves with prof. My Rune Knight grappler is dex based with studded leather and a shield. dipping artificer 2 for infusions and mad synergy with fire rune passives. With defense fighting style, infusion, shield, 20 dex, and studded leather, that's not a bad AC at 21. and if you are shoving them prone while grappled, they have disadvantage to hit it. Still let's you fly because of the light armor.