CON Based character

[Khrysaes]

Is there a way to make a SADish, capable con based character?


For example, Loxodon and Barbarian get CON armor formulas
Rune Knights and Echo Knights get CON based abilities
Aberrant Dragonmark can get CON Based Booming Blade for attacks.

What else could work?

[ProsecutorGodot]

Dhampir get a con based simple weapon with their bite. Can't use it with booming blade unless your DM let's you silver your teeth though.

[diplomancer]

Is there a way to make a SADish, capable con based character?


For example, Loxodon and Barbarian get CON armor formulas
Rune Knights and Echo Knights get CON based abilities
Aberrant Dragonmark can get CON Based Booming Blade for attacks.

What else could work?

Aberrant Dragonmark does not give you Con based Booming Blade; it could give you CON based Grasping Shock or Firebolt, but Booming Blade requires a weapon attack not a spell attack. Were it not for the errata to Booming Blade requiring the weapon to have a money value, it could work with the Dhampir's bite, which would have been hilarious.

[Amnestic]

Aberrant Dragonmark does not give you Con based Booming Blade; it could give you CON based Grasping Shock or Firebolt, but Booming Blade requires a weapon attack not a spell attack. Were it not for the errata to Booming Blade requiring the weapon to have a money value, it could work with the Dhampir's bite, which would have been hilarious.

Godot is correct however that you can silver your teeth, thereby allowing them to qualify for BB/GFB post-change.

Dhampir Rune Knight is probably the most Con-'SAD' you can get, dhampir paladin would work pretty fine for smite bite shenanigans.

[Dualight]

All that said, booming blade doesn't use your spell casting ability, so the source doesn't matter. The aforementioned method of being a dhampir with silvered teeth is the way to go for CON-based BB. Grabbing a spell with an attack roll or with a saving throw gives more CON-derived options.

[MrStabby]

Druid is good.

Con is already important for concentration and having a low wisdom is less of an issue as so many of your best spells don't use a casting stat (conjure X, polymorph, plant growth). With so many spells being so good, you dont really need the breadth of spells prepared that say a wizard does. Genasi as a race can give you a Con attack cantrip and then aberrant dragonmark can get you a Con based save spell to use your 1st level spell slots on - something like Tashas Hideous Laughter.

Now if you are a bit cheesy... you can maybe get more options. If you take a level of sorcerer and have a ravnica background then for you, any of those 1st level spells are considered sorcerer spells for you and therefore eligible for choosing with the dragonmark... which still overwrites casting stat to constitution.

Take fey touched for misty step and silvery barbs - more ways to use those levels of spell slots of too low a level for conjure animals.

Edit: actually, looking at the land druid spell list, there are a lot of options for spells that don't use a casting stat.

[Ganryu]

Warlock dhampire using eldritch smite on their teeth.
Redemption PAladin with regular smite too wouldn't be too bad.

[DarknessEternal]

Dhampir Rune Knight is probably the most Con-'SAD' you can get,

Agreed. Take Aberrant Dragonmark for CON Firebolt and you have all your combat holes covered.

Although this entire concept is really in "what's the point" territory. You're not going to do anything at all better than builds that are even just staying in their lane, including being tough.

[Dualswinger]

Agreed. Take Aberrant Dragonmark for CON Firebolt and you have all your combat holes covered

Remember to keep your combat holes covered kids!

[BerzerkerUnit]

Agreed. Take Aberrant Dragonmark for CON Firebolt and you have all your combat holes covered.

Although this entire concept is really in "what's the point" territory. You're not going to do anything at all better than builds that are even just staying in their lane, including being tough.

I think the goal is to make a competitive build that relies on Con only, which currently has few options.

So to sum up:
Dhampir is a necessity.
Aberrant Dragonmark can help.
Combining smite or Eldritch smite on teeth helps.

I take it we dump Dex/Int somewhat since we need to hit the mins in Cha and/or Str for multiclassing.

So how about:
Dhampir RuneKnight 8/Bladelock 12

Unarmed Fighting, Shield Master/Toughness feat, Cloud of Daggers.

If you have a decent Cha you can nab Lifedrinker at lock12 and add Cha mod to every attack’s damage.

Go Genie Pact (also a great explanation for your sizemorphing and mystical powers) which will add prof to damage 1/turn.

Rd 1 Cloud of Daggers and Giant’s might. Action surge, Bite x 1 and grab.
Rd 2 Bite x2 or Bite x 1, grab, drag back into cloud of daggers Shove prone

At the top end you’ll be dealing 10d4 twice a round +Bite damage of 2d4+11-16. With only 1 bite.

[stoutstien]

There is also fire genasi for con based produce flame.

[Unoriginal]

There is also fire genasi for con based produce flame.

I came up with a Fire Genasi Battle Master Fighter/Genie Warlock CON build. Mostly because Rune Knight doesn't help with Produce Flame.

Issue with my build is that it's more CON+STR than straight CON, even if CON is the first focus. Still made a pretty hard-to-down elenental Gish.

[BerzerkerUnit]

There is also fire genasi for con based produce flame.

I was actually thinking new earth genasi for that bonus action Bladeward.

[Mastikator]

One level of barbarian is probably worth it for the unarmored defense if you're going for 20 con. You won't gain the rage damage bonus and won't be able to reckless bite since both of those require strength.

Favored foe from ranger will also add damage, 1d4 is not a huge amount but it's baked into your attack action.

To benefit from both you'd need 13 str, 13 dex and 13 wis which IMO is a big ask in this case.

[DarknessEternal]

I think the goal is to make a competitive build that relies on Con only, which currently has few options.


And my point is, you can't.

You can have a janky build that's worse than even a regular build attempting all the same strategies, and you may not even have more hp.

[MrStabby]

And my point is, you can't.

You can have a janky build that's worse than even a regular build attempting all the same strategies, and you may not even have more hp.

Hmm. I don't know. I am still moderately confident that my build is pretty powerful.

[ragnorack1]

It's using old UA so wouldn't go down at most tables but my vote would go to a Loxodon Storm Giant Soul Sorcerer using the Aberrant Dragonmark to use Con as the casting stat for their shocking grasp and Thunderwave Ordning spells.

Would allow you to use Con for AC and to cast a melee cantrip that will be your primary form of offence, it can be twinned and quickened when sorcery points allow and when used will chuck out damage equal to your Con to 3 other near by foes. Additionally if you are lucky enough to make it to 18 your Con would boost to a max of 22 with out using any magic items. Other spells would be utility based or those that don't require saves (Ashardalons Stride might be nice mechanically and thematically if use with transmuted metamagic to make it lightning based, you would probably also want to use that metamagic if fighting lightning resistant foes).


Even less likely to be used but a Dhampir with the relatively popular Pugilist Homebrew would use Con for both AC and for attacks as well as upgrading your bites damage. Unfortunately you wouldn't be able to use Con for any bonus action attacks which would limit your damage but you have to still have the option to use that bonus action to generate THP making you a decent HP sack.

[Ganryu]

Not totally SAD, infact, there are 3 stats, but the primary one is by far Con, the other two stats are completely optional:

https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25182866&postcount=1245

From the Ecclectic build thread:

An Eclectic Collection of Fun and Effective Builds - Page 42 (giantitp.com) (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?583957-An-Eclectic-Collection-of-Fun-and-Effective-Builds/page42)