Building for a level 20 one-shot with....problems

[togapika]

I've been invited to play in a level 20 one-shot where we're supposed to be Planeswalkers traveling to fight the Tarrasque. For the purposes of this "Planeswalker" just means a high level character traveling the planes and has no real association with the Planeswalkers of MTG. The problems are twofold, one being that I've never made or played a level 20 character in 5e before, and while I do have an extensive TTRPG background, I'm not knowledgeable to the specific pitfalls of high level in 5e. The second problem is that when I mentioned to the GM that my original idea was a Warlock, but was dropped because Eldritch Blast doesn't work on big T, they responded with "You and I know that but your character might not" as well as "I'm not going to decide what you know, that's not my job."

If a level 20 character who travels the planes doesn't know a major feature of the Tarrasque, who would??

Anyways, so far here's the list of what the other players have stated to be playing:
1.Grave Cleric/Rogue
2.Melee Big game hunter (Styled to be a jerk like Gaston, except for the creep towards women)
3.Sorlock or Fighter/Wizard
4.Full Bard or Bardlock

For items, they haven't given us full specifics yet, but "At least 1 legendary from books, one exalted level item to be discussed later, and one Very rare or +3 weapon. "
When I asked about the exalted item, they said that it was something relating to custom items in Critical Role? I've never watched the series, but they mentioned "Vax's Armor and Grog's Gauntlets" as examples.

AFAIK Almost any official published material is open, even stuff from different settings, and our only restrictions so far are that we can't have any Wish spells nor Luck Blades. I also don't know if this will be a standard Tarrasque or changed somehow, so there's that.
When I mentioned that I had also been thinking of a "Big Game Hunter" type of character, it was suggested that we could potentially be rivals, and since he's playing his as a charismatic but pigheaded type, I though maybe a ranged focused character with less charisma but more intellect, though even this isn't set in stone.


I'll take any advice or suggestions y'all have for me

[Eldariel]

Seems like an awesome time to play a Bladesinger 20. The party lacks an Int-type and a full caster, both of which are awesome. Take Sharpshooter and Elven Accuracy, cast Shapechange, turn into a Planetar, pick up your Longbow and use your Extra Attack to shoot twice for pretty awesome damage (or Storm Giant Quintessent for autohits at long range). This means you still have the normal awesome Wizard stuff like Forcecages and Walls of Force and Simulacrums and Mazes and such and Shapechange gives you more or less omnipotence, but still isn't quite as cheap as going Illusionist and just Mirage Arcana/Major Image spam Illusory Realitying the Tarrasques into death.

If you get to a chance to play around with the awesome 9th level spells, do that! Hell, you could just go Ancient Bronze or Brass Dragon or Pit Fiend or something and brawl it out the oldfashioned way. You actually would have pretty decent chances; Bladesinging Pit Fiend or especially something like Belt of Storm Giant's Strength + Marilith Shapechange + Bladesong is like to rip it apart. Do enjoy!

[Psyren]

Since you're getting a +3 weapon I'd definitely go with an archer. That would likely mean Ranger or Fighter. (Would you be okay with Wisdom instead of Intellect? You can still contrast with the charismatic characters, nbut you'll also have a much easier time against Big T's frightening presence.) Among your other items of course should be something that grants flight, and ideally you'd stay more than 30ft. away so it can't snag you with a jump.

Fighter probably wins damage-wise between Action Surge and the fourth attack as its capstone. But the Ranger is no slouch either as you have access to their awesome Foe Slayer capstone and spells like Swift Quiver. Subclass-wise I would go with BM or AA for Fighter, or Hunter/MH/Gloomstalker for Ranger.

[Eldariel]

Since you're getting a +3 weapon I'd definitely go with an archer. That would likely mean Ranger or Fighter. (Would you be okay with Wisdom instead of Intellect? You can still contrast with the charismatic characters, nbut you'll also have a much easier time against Big T's frightening presence.) Among your other items of course should be something that grants flight, and ideally you'd stay more than 30ft. away so it can't snag you with a jump.

Fighter probably wins damage-wise between Action Surge and the fourth attack as its capstone. But the Ranger is no slouch either as you have access to their awesome Foe Slayer capstone and spells like Swift Quiver. Subclass-wise I would go with BM or AA for Fighter, or Hunter/MH/Gloomstalker for Ranger.

I posit Bladesinger 17/Fighter 2/Hexblade 1 (or just BS 18/F 2) is pretty hard to beat since Shapechange is pretty good. Especially if you get to Metamagic Expert: Extend Spell and thus have 8 hours of Foresight even without Simulacrum using their 9th level slot.

[Bobthewizard]

I would look through Ludic (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?583957-An-Eclectic-Collection-of-Fun-and-Effective-Builds)'s thread for ideas, both their builds and some that have been added by others.

Here is one (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24504068&postcount=438)I contributed, which is a lot of fun at level 20. Foresight, unleash incarnation, action surge, elven accuracy, GWM, hexblade's curse, lifedrinker, and eldritch smites all mixed together.

[ender241]

I would look through Ludic (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?583957-An-Eclectic-Collection-of-Fun-and-Effective-Builds)'s thread for ideas, both their builds and some that have been added by others.

Here is one (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24504068&postcount=438)I contributed, which is a lot of fun at level 20. Foresight, unleash incarnation, action surge, elven accuracy, GWM, hexblade's curse, lifedrinker, and eldritch smites all mixed together.

I second that suggestion. The Ride of the Valkeries Paladin in particular stands out as one that could be fun and extremely effective against a Tarrasque, especially if the fight happens out in the open. You could easily kite it while still dealing massive damage to it every round.

[togapika]

Here is one (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24504068&postcount=438)I contributed, which is a lot of fun at level 20. Foresight, unleash incarnation, action surge, elven accuracy, GWM, hexblade's curse, lifedrinker, and eldritch smites all mixed together.

Cool build! Only issue I have with something like this is that it's melee focused, but thanks for the suggestion

[togapika]

Since you're getting a +3 weapon I'd definitely go with an archer. That would likely mean Ranger or Fighter. (Would you be okay with Wisdom instead of Intellect?

I'd be fine with Wis over Int, but if I'm doing a ranged character, I think I might opt for that legendary gun from FTD...

[Khrysaes]

If it is the default terrasque, then may i suggest what i did? 1 hexblade, 2 paladin, 17 bladesinger. I used shapechange to turn into a marilith, then drank a potion of growth. and basically most 2nd-5th level slots were used for smites. I started at high level spells for smite, low levels for shield.

Marilith is large, the potion of growth made it huge. Tarrasque cant swallow you as you are too big.

Mariliths get 7 attacks per their turn as an action, and they get one attack as reaction Every turn.

Marilith attacks are considered magical.

You can bladesing when two or 6 weapon fighting. Just not using a shield or using two hands.

With resistance con and warcaster, and the marilith con save bonus and the bladesinger save bonus, the terrasque is very unlikely to break your concentration.

Hexblade curse +bladesinging meant +77 =(6+5)*7damage each turn because 7 attacks.

[CTurbo]

May be a good time to play a Horizon Walker archer Ranger. It fits the "planeswalker" theme perfectly. I don't particularly care for the Horizon Walker, but high level archer Rangers with Sharpshooter, Swift Quiver, and a longbow hit pretty hard. Even harder if you have a buddy that can cast Holy Weapon or Elemental Weapon on you too.

This could also be a good time to play an archer Gloom Stalker 3, Battlemaster 5, Assassin 11, War Cleric 1 for a super 7 attack first round from far away with hopes of all crits.

[togapika]

If it is the default terrasque, then may i suggest what i did? 1 hexblade, 2 paladin, 17 bladesinger. .

Shapechange is an action, as is drinking the potion of Growth. How did you make it not take 3 rounds before you could fight?

Also wouldn't you have to take the time to equip all 6 of your swords?

Bladesong and Hexblade's Curse are also both bonus actions, so that would be 2 full turns doing nothing but setting up before you could do all this

[Bobthewizard]

Cool build! Only issue I have with something like this is that it's melee focused, but thanks for the suggestion

You could swap the great sword/GWM for a longbow and sharpshooter. Then you could eldritch smite from range. Hexbows are great. I could see dropping 100+ damage a round for 3-4 rounds.

Round 1: hexblade curse, action surge and unleash incarnation for 5 attacks (80% chance to crit)
Round 2-4: unleash incarnation for 3 attacks (61% chance to crit each round)
Once per round, add Eldritch Smite if you crit (On a 19 or 20 using 3 dice) for an additional 12d8.

For magic items, get the best bow you can, then a tomb of leadership is great since it adds +2 to your damage (Cha + lifedrinker). You'll either want some way to fly, or cast fly on yourself and two friends.

[Bobthewizard]

If it is the default terrasque, then may i suggest what i did? 1 hexblade, 2 paladin, 17 bladesinger. I used shapechange to turn into a marilith, then drank a potion of growth...

Hexblade curse +bladesinging meant +77 =(6+5)*7damage each turn because 7 attacks.

I like it. That looks fun.


Shapechange is an action, as is drinking the potion of Growth. How did you make it not take 3 rounds before you could fight?

Also wouldn't you have to take the time to equip all 6 of your swords?

Bladesong and Hexblade's Curse are also both bonus actions, so that would be 2 full turns doing nothing but setting up before you could do all this

Shapechange and the potion both last at least an hour. I assume you could get that taken care of before the terrasque surprises you. It's big enough that I think you'd see it coming.

I don't think the marilith needs to draw and stow its swords since it is part of the monster stat block. I could be wrong about that though.

You wouldn't have hexblade's curse the first round.

[togapika]

I don't think the marilith needs to draw and stow its swords since it is part of the monster stat block. I could be wrong about that though.


Not sure if you'd get the swords when you transform

[kingcheesepants]

Not sure if you'd get the swords when you transform

Up to the DM so ask beforehand if you're planning on using shapechange and turning into something reliant on equipment. Even if the answer is no though swords only cost 25 gold a piece which is basically nothing by level 20.

Honestly though fighting the Tarrasque in melee is fighting him where he's strongest. He has no ranged attacks and no special forms of movement. Just stay out of his reach and use ranged attacks or better yet things that require a dex save. He's got a +0 Dex save so even with magic resistance he's gonna be failing most of the time. Draconic Transformation gives 60 ft of flying and a bonus action 6d8 force damage dex based breath weapon. Use that and you've beaten him without even the risk of taking a hit. Heck have a simulacrum concentrate on reverse gravity and the whole team will be able to beat him up without him able to counterattack in any way.

Though of course this is assuming an out of the box monster manual tarrasque. Very likely the DM will be buffing him so that he stands a chance against a level 20 group with legendary items. Giving him his own breath attacks or boulder throwing, a burrowing speed, a special jumping move, some sort of dispel magic ability, maybe even making him unable to be killed except by bringing him to 0 and then using a wish like in older editions. The 5e MM tarrasque is extremely susceptible to kiting but I expect that any DM who intends to provide a challenge will do what he can do to make him much less so.

[togapika]

Up to the DM so ask beforehand if you're planning on using shapechange and turning into something reliant on equipment. Even if the answer is no though swords only cost 25 gold a piece which is basically nothing by level 20.

Right, but the issue isn't getting the swords, it's equipping all of them. Unless the GM allows you to make swords on a belt suddenly in your hands when you Shapechange, then its 1 free item interaction per turn and anything else takes an action

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Still roll a Warlock 20, go Hexblade with Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon and you can summon a +1 longbow when EB fails to work. Include Thirsting Blade and Eldritch Smite, which can be used with any pact weapon.

Make the character a (Half) Elf with Elven Accuracy and an Oathbow as your very rare item. You can make it your pact weapon and Improved Pact Weapon should give it the +1 bonus even. Declare the tarrasque as your sworn enemy and you'll always have advantage against it, rolling three dice to hit, so save your Eldritch Smites for crits.

Make sure you have a reliable way of flying. This is Big T's biggest weakness, and given the planeswalker theme I suspect you may face it on the Astral Plane in which all creatures can move in three dimensions. This means flight does nothing because everyone can do it, so also be sure you're quick enough to outrun it! You won't have any drawbacks for shooting it at long range, and a longbow's max range is 600, just hope there's not a bunch of obstacles for it to put between you and it.

[kingcheesepants]

Right, but the issue isn't getting the swords, it's equipping all of them. Unless the GM allows you to make swords on a belt suddenly in your hands when you Shapechange, then its 1 free item interaction per turn and anything else takes an action

You can draw a sword as part of the attack. No item interaction required for any of them.

[togapika]

You can draw a sword as part of the attack. No item interaction required for any of them.

You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action. For example, you could open a door during your move as you stride toward a foe, or you could draw your weapon as part of the same action you use to attack.

If you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action.

[kingcheesepants]

You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action. For example, you could open a door during your move as you stride toward a foe, or you could draw your weapon as part of the same action you use to attack.

If you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action.

Huh, I hadn't realized that the draw a weapon as part of the attack was explicitly limited to one object. I'd say that it's reasonable for a DM to say that a creature with extra arms and extra attacks could bypass this particular restriction (that's what I would rule for sure) but that's clearly a talk to your DM type of thing.

In any case shape changing in order to fight the tarrasque in melee is kind of a silly thing to do when you could just as readily stop him in his tracks with something like reverse gravity or heck a grease spell and kill him from outside of his melee range where he's weak.