Best Subclass/Build for 1-20 Dragon Heist/Dungeon of Mad Mage Campaign

[bsullivanp]

I reached out to this community to help me narrow my choices, but still a bit stuck so coming back to finally help me get over the hump and settle.

As background, starting a 1-20 DH/DoMM campaign so this build choice will be with me for quite some time.
The current party, IMHO, will certainly work but probably isn't fully taking advantage of what an underdark dungeon crawl in the home of a mage has to offer:


Glamour Bard
Padlock (Vengeance 6/Fiend Warlock (Pact of Tome) 14)
Clockwork Sorcerer
Death Cleric (who has stated she isn't really interested in healing)
Eldritch Knight
Me

My observations: We have a ton of casting, but no real INT based. Have ritual casting (Bard, Cleric, Tome Warlock), but nothing to take advantage of the many spell books I've heard are available in DoMM. We have healing but not REALLY based on the Cleric's preferences. We also lack anyone who is good at lockpicking/trap finding. So after much struggling, I've come up with several builds that I would love help selecting. I know the answer is "whatever I will enjoy the most", but...


I have never MC'd in high level gameplay so no idea if the builds are even viable long term
I enjoy being useful but not stepping on toes of others
I enjoy PCs with utility and options (are not a one-trick pony)

I rolled OK, but not GREAT: 17/16/13/12/11/11. So two good stats but can't be too MAD w/o making concessions.

So here are my ideas:


Gloomstalker 5 / Arcane Trickster 15: VHuman w/ SS + CBE. Hits like a truck & great at scouting skills. Super MAD so would need limit to buffs because WIS & INT would stay low for campaign. Also not getting level 3 spells until level 18 (e.g., Haste) feels bad. Not sure about overall utility.
Artificer 1 / Abjuration 19: Sturdy for Wiz (Med Armor + Shield + Arcane Ward). INT casting, but with ability to scale Cure Wounds to heal a bit. Also has Thieves Tools proficiency, albeit not as great at it as option 1. Sort of mage hunter so probably good RP-wise. But redundant spellcaster overall.
Gloomstalker 5 / Twilight Cleric 15: VHuman w/ SS + CBE. Has damage potential but more healing utility. Can get Thieves tool prof. with background but worst at it of the three. Most MAD and weakest stats of the three (need to focus on DEX/CON/WIS + Feats so none gets to 20).

Am I going about this all wrong and should pick something else of go pure subclass (Gloomstalker, AT, Twilight Cleric?)

Again, never played any of these subclasses and never MC'd to 20 so I am worried I am setting myself up for disappointment? Also, am I too worried about the party missing out on the spell books and its really not a big deal? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Seekergeek]

We are, after some crazy amount of time, finally on the final level of the dungeon. I played a bladesinger wizard for much of it (following the untimely death of my fighter/artificer). The spell books available are not a reason to play a wizard on their own, that’s for sure. They are somewhat repetitive in their content. Being a wizard is incentive enough in my opinion. The module is obviously very combat intensive and we’ve found the roleplay was largely between the party itself as we all became somewhat…traumatized as PCs and eventually adopted a very prominent murderhobo attitude for better or worse. Your party is pretty well balanced as is. You’ve got off-healing with the bard, paladin (and cleric in a pinch). If I were looking at that group I’d go with an artificer as the Jack of all trades here. Thieves tools, int to attack and damage (as battle smith or armourer), solid AC and either temp hp for your pals if you go artillerist or good tanking options as a battlesmith or armourer. Our battle smith lasted 1-19 so far and has been an asset every step of the way.