Level 3 one-shot

[Ramaladni]

Going to be playing a level 3 one-shot soon. As I hear, it will be roleplay and combat-focused, the combat encounters will be tournament team vs team style. All races are allowed except for Warforged.
Any favorite/recommended level 3 builds? Not interested in Barbarians or (Moon) Druids.

[follacchioso]

Clerics are good, at those levels. High AC and healing. I would personally do a Light or Tempest Cleric Orc (using the new rules from MotMM).

Do you know if you will be allowed short rests during the tournament? In such case, Warlocks and Monks will also get an edge over time.

[RogueJK]

Bear Totem Barbarians and Moon Druids are incredibly strong at Level 3, but since those are off the table...

Custom Lineage Hexblade 1/Paladin 2 with the Fey Touched feat has the benefit of being CHA-SAD while letting you have +3 to CHA right off the bat (+2 racial and +1 feat). You're a heavy hitter in combat thanks to Smite, with a good ranged option with Eldritch Blast. Plus access to Shield and Armor of Agathys, with a short rest recharging Smite/Spell slot, and additional free daily castings of Misty Step and something like Bless or Dissonant Whispers thanks to Fey Touched. And you also make for a solid party Face out of combat. Plus a little bit of backup healing.

Twilight Cleric 3 is also strong at Level 3. Your awesome Channel Divinity comes online at 2 to boost your party with a bunch of Temp HP damage mitigation throughout combat, and now at Level 3 you have access to 2nd level spells like Spiritual Weapon and Aid. Consider VHuman/CLineage with either Warcaster or Resilient CON. Or depending on how the between-rounds healing and resting works in the tournament, the Healer feat could also be worth considering, to use Healer's Kits in place of healing spells/hit dice to patch up between fights.

A VHuman/CLineage Battlemaster Fighter or Swarmkeeper Ranger with Polearm Master is a solid option for 2x melee attacks per turn at Level 3, along with some additional combat options like added damage, forced movement, and status effects. The Ranger has the added benefit of access to the Druidic Warrior fighting style for WIS-based Shillelagh, plus their additional combat tricks aren't limited to just 4x/rest like Battlemaster.

Stars Druid 3 has a lot going for it as a ranged attacker/caster. You could go Variant Half Elf with a Longbow or the more WIS-SAD MotM Kobold with a WIS-based Sorcerer attack cantrip like Chill Touch/Ray of Frost, plus WIS-based Archer Form BA attack, plus free Guiding Bolts for times when you want to hit harder than a cantrip/arrow. You also have 1st and 2nd level Concentration spells, with AoE options like Entangle, Spike Growth, and Faerie Fire, access to an additional meatshield with Summon Beast, and some extra damage options with Flaming Sphere or Moonbeam. If your party has access to means of forced movement via a Grappler, Swarmkeeper Ranger, or Repelling Blast Warlock, Spike Growth can be a fantastic centerpiece to party tactics for lots of extra damage throughout a round.

Goblin Rogue 1/Bladesinger 2 is a solid Level 3 melee striker build, utilizing Booming Blade Sneak Attack + BA Disengage. Basically an Arcane Trickster who traded 1d6 in Sneak Attack damage and Mage Hand shenanigans for a higher AC, better Concentration, and higher speed from Bladesinging, plus some extra Shield/Absorb Elements casting and ritual Find Familiar.

[J-H]

It's 3rd level, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Any character can contribute.

A hunter ranger archer with Horde Breaker should consistently get 2 attacks per round at 3rd level. Monks, TWFers, and those with feats (PAM/GWM) are the only other ones likely to get that.

[Eldariel]

Anything with 2nd level spells. You just vetoed the probably strongest option in Druid but Wizards, Warlocks, Clerics & Bards are all pretty insane here. Sorc is okay too.

Eloquence Bard is insanely strong right here and Swords & Lore are quite good too. Diviner, Chronurgist, Abjurer, War Wizard & Enchanter (Tankchanter MDwarf is pretty good here) are great and Genielock, Hexblade & Undead are also solid options (good chance to abuse Darkness + Devil's Sight on any of these; Eldritch Adept opens it up to all). Any full caster is good.

You get to abuse stuff like Detect Thoughts + Disguise Self + Charm Person/Friends in the social sphere and the plentiful CC/damage spells in combat. XBE/PAM/SS are solid if damage dealing is the name of the game; it doesn't much matter whether you are a martial or a caster on these levels.

[Pildion]

Going to be playing a level 3 one-shot soon. As I hear, it will be roleplay and combat-focused, the combat encounters will be tournament team vs team style. All races are allowed except for Warforged.
Any favorite/recommended level 3 builds? Not interested in Barbarians or (Moon) Druids.

I good Scout\Archer build at this level is vHuman\Rogue2\Twilight Cleric1 build. you'll have super Dark Vision, have Bless for 2 fights, and have Cunning Action.

[RogueJK]

I good Scout\Archer build at this level is vHuman\Rogue2\Twilight Cleric1 build. you'll have super Dark Vision, have Bless for 2 fights, and have Cunning Action.

Goblin Rogue 1/Twilight Cleric 2 has the same Sneak Attack, same BA quasi-Cunning Action Disengage/Hide, and same super Darkvision, plus more Bless per day, along with the busted Twilight Cleric Channel Divinity.

[HER01K]

I recently played a VHuman Battle Master Fighter with Sharpshooter, it worked pretty well. Precision Attack meant I could reliably hit almost every single turn (although it was at a fairly low optimization table). Battle Master in general could be great for the easy way to reliably get a reaction attack in melee.

[Pildion]

If your looking for a ranged\caster build, another fun one could be Artificer1\Divi Wizard2

Could you have medium armor+shield +shield spell, 5 cantrips, + 2nd level spell slots, full 4:2 as the Artificer is 1/2 level rounded UP. You would still just have 1st level spells, but you have some great picks to upcast! You could use any wizard sub class, I just really love Portent =D

[Sorinth]

If using standard array Custom Lineage with Fey Touched to get that 18 Charisma and going Paladin 2/Hexblade 1 is always a strong option.

[nickl_2000]

I would be interested in Short Rest based martials.

All Monks, Battlemaster Fighters, Psi Warrior Fighters, Rune knight fighters, Soulknife, Arcane Archers (yes I know, I'm recommending an AA, sacrilege)

All of these have solid resources that can have an impact on battle, but get those resources back after a short rest. So, if you get that short rest between bouts they could be very powerful in this situation.


If there is a crowd that you can entertain (and get bonuses for entertaining) and open hand monk could be RPed to be very, very flashy and impressive entering the arena with only the robe on its back.

[Frogreaver]

A level 3 tempest cleric is a beast of a character at level 3. The ability to maximize shatter or thunderwave damage once per short rest is amazing.

Light cleric is really strong here too. Your channel divinity is very good.

War cleric is good here too despite it being pretty bad after level 5+. Take lucky and use alot of guiding bolts/inflict wounds (his channel divinity can also help those hit).

Fighter 1/ genie warlock 2 could be pretty strong.

Battlemaster 3 is dang strong at level 3 even with no feats.

[8wGremlin]

Ask the Dm about how he's going to run the encounters will there be long or short rests between them.
if they are short rests then pick something that refreshes on short rests, BUT if they say long rests then go with the NOVA capabilities of a full caster or equivalent.

Now depending upon the results that you get you can tailor them to your specific needs.

[Ramaladni]

Hi, first of all, thank you for your replies.

As it seems, it will be possible to do short rests between fights. It will all be resolved in one adventuring day, so a long rest would be impossible. We'll be using Point Buy for stats.

[8wGremlin]

For me I would be looking to play either:

A small sized Custom Linage race, Battlesmith, with the feat crossbow expert, using a pistol crossbow, with the Repeating Shot infusion. Allowing you to shoot once, and then again as a bonus action. Riding your Steel defender which can heal itself 3/day.
You'll be wearing medium armour and have a shield, and as you can use INT for your attacks with your pistol crossbow, you can have 14 Dex for an AC of 18, and the Steel can impose disadvantage on attacks against you whilst you ride it.

Or

a Hexblade, Pact of the chain Warlock, pumping CHA and having and imp familiar. This would allow you to attack through your invisible familiar with a potent attack, as well as having eldritch blast. Again using Dex 14, Medium Amour and Shield.
You'd get two 2nd level spells every short rest.

You'd have 18 CHA; +2 cha from race and a +1 cha feat.
I would go for something like Telekinetic for bonus action: push 5' every round,
You get 2 invocations, one being Agonizing Blast, and the other, Fiendish Vigor (to give you at will temp hp)
oh and don't forget the Hexblades curse, which also refreshes on a short rest.

Spell that would be good would be Blur (for disadvantage on attacks against you) and perhaps Armor of Agathys (more tmp hp: 10 and the extra cold damage if they melee you) or if you can get it Flock of Familiars Spell (for 3 IMPS for an hour! <- I'd pick this one)

[RogueJK]

As it seems, it will be possible to do short rests between fights. It will all be resolved in one adventuring day, so a long rest would be impossible. We'll be using Point Buy for stats.


In that case, a class with Short Rest resources is definitely your friend. Warlock, Battle Master Fighter, Monk, etc. Of those, I think Warlock packs the most into just 3 levels.

For a melee Warlock, consider a VHuman/CLineage Hexblade Bladelock with Polearm Master, taking the Improved Pact Weapon and Eldritch Mind invocations, and using a shield and a one-handed pact weapon spear. Armor of Agathys and Hex are your go-to spells for each fight, either of which can be pre-cast before the fight begins, supplemented by Hexblade's Curse.

For a ranged Warlock, consider a Winged Tiefling Dao Genie Chainlock, taking the Repelling Blast and Investment of the Chain Master invocations. You and your Sprite familiar can fly around the battlefield, dealing damage and inflicting the Poisoned/Unconscious condition at range, and shoving enemies through Spike Growth for added damage.

[J-H]

I'm playing in an arena mini-campaign starting tonight as a Warlock. Goliath's damage reduction should help a lot with keeping Armor of Agathys running longer. If I use my other slot on Hellish Rebuke, someone who lands a hit takes 25 cold damage + 4d10 fire damage (save half). A CR 1-2 enemy could potentially die just from hitting him.

[Mastikator]

Artificer battlesmith. Grab a javelin and put returning weapon on it. Extremely versatile and the damage is not too shabby, custom lineage with fey/shadow touched could get your int to 18.

Edit-

With scale mail and shield, using enhanced defense enchantment and 14 dex your AC would be 19. Your attack would do 1d6+5 with a hit bonus of +7, and your steel defender adds another 1d8+2 with a hit bonus of +6. Against AC 10 is 12.4DRP, against AC 14 is 9.4, against AC 18 is 6.4 (pretty good for level 3 IMO. considering it's not a one-trick pony)
The returning javelin has a thrown range of 30, and since you always get it back it's as if your "melee" attack reach is 30 feet, this greatly reduces the odds that you won't get an attack due to enemy being too far away.

If you get fey touched then your best spells are IMO hex and bless. Bless is good if you're not only doing solo, hex is good but does compete with the steel defender (which takes defensive action if you do not use your bonus action)

[XmonkTad]

If all races are allowed, see if you can get an EEPC aaracokra and go Warlock with Eldritch spear and see if you can kite?

[PattThe]

Oi, expect some water hazards in those colloseum's!
Consider Sailor Background for make-shift proficiency in water vehicles, if nothing else in backgrounds speaks to you.
Remember, racial ability score increases at level 1 can go anywhere now.

Consider getting groovy with the multiclassing. Maybe a Warlock 2 Fighter 1 if none of the martial lvl 3 subclasses excite you. Though if you come across a funny weapon build, Samurai has the free advantage.