Concept build help: Reluctant pacifist

[Talij]

So I had an idea for a character I'd like to build, but I'm worried about it being effective in combat. Not necessarily going for "optimized", but I don't want to have "wasted" turns either.

My idea is to play as a hobgoblin from MotM and really play into the Fey side of things. He will be a being from the Feywild and was only able to travel to the Material plane due to a bargain he made in his past. Due to the terms of the deal, he swore he "would not harm anyone on the material plane." As a tricky fey being though, he interpreted the deal in his own way and finds delight in stretching the bounds of the bargain.

Mechanically, my plan is that this character will never directly cause damage to other creatures, so no attacks, no AoE damage spells, etc. However, he can support his allies and help them damage others as much as possible. He would also be able to cast spells like spike growth or spirit guardians as long as no enemies are in the area of effect when he casts it and can't be directly responsible for getting enemies into that area. So if the enemies CHOOSE to approach him with spirit guardians up or his allies help "encourage" them to that's acceptable, but he can't approach enemies with it up or push/pull them into the areas. Holding my enemies in place while my allies beat on them works though, either though spells or grappling. I'd like to avoid summon spells/pets as that's not the type of build I'm going for.

My hope is to have the character be a support character that encourages teamwork with his allies. I've tried a couple approaches using the normal support spellcasters (cleric, druid, bard, wizard), but my main concern is there are few resource free actions that I can do on turns where I'm either already concentrating on a buff spell or we're in an easy fight that doesn't call for something big. There aren't many useful cantrips in combat aren't damage dealing and I don't want to be burning a spell slot every round just to do something that contributes. Minor Illusion MIGHT work, but that depends on how much my DM wants to let me get away with and I don't want to slow the table down with debates about what effects my small illusion might have in combat. At higher levels I may have low level slots to burn, but early on I want to make sure I can get through the adventuring day without many rounds of standing there with nothing but words of encouragement.

Thoughts on a good build for this concept? Mainly looking at levels 1-10, but the campaign I'm playing in may go further.

[OldTrees1]

What about hostile but non damaging spells like Grease, Web, Hypnotic Pattern, etc?

For at-will options, I think Minor Illusion (summon wall or crate) is a good choice. Maybe bring some nets to throw? If enough enemies fail their saves to your concentration spell (or if it is a powerful buff), then you would start taking the dodge action. There is also the option to do nothing if there is nothing that needs to be done.

[Mastikator]

Glamour bard leans heavily into the fey aspect, as well as the "help allies", and "neutralize enemies without harming them".

Suggestion can be used to make enemies flee, taking them out of combat.
Heat metal can be used to disarm enemies.
Sleep is fantastic at level 1, I'd grab it and then replace it at level 3.
Hideous laughter can shut down an enemy.

At level 3 you can turn your bardic inspirations into temp hp + opportunity attack free movement for your allies, allowing them to reposition themselves from a disadvantageous position while also protecting them from harm.

Hypnotic pattern and slow are very powerful debuffs that can turn the tide on combat.

Vicious mockery has a very low damage output and causes enemies to have disadvantage on their next attack.

[tokek]

Cool concept

If you are concerned about spell slots and struggling for useful cantrips how about a grappler build cleric? I would not invest too heavily in grappling as spell slots will get more plentiful as you level up so really just take one of the heavy armor domains so you can safely dump Dex to push your Str. Grab athletics proficiency and you should have a good enough use for your actions when not casting spells.

Grapple puts you in close where you want to be to use Fey Gift to best effect.

I would go with Life Domain as it’s a great thematic fit and its features work well with your restrictions. Nature domain does have a slightly more useful spell list.

[Slipjig]

Are Grapple and Shove fair game? It would be pretty funny if your character says, "My oath doesn't let me hurt people... so I immobilize my enemies so OTHER people can stab them!"

[Zhorn]

"My oath doesn't let me hurt people... so I immobilize my enemies so OTHER people can stab them!"
There's a point where playing as a support can no longer exist under the label of being a pacifist.
That point is in a general sense is you doing a thing that intentionally enables the direct harm of someone else.
Holding someone for someone else to stab? You're actively engaged in the violence.
Cast a buff on an ally that enhances their attack capability, and they use that to attack? You're actively engaged in the violence.
Even healing isn't 100% in the clear; an ally goes unconscious during battle and you bring them back up in order to get them another turn to attack the enemy rather than wait till the combat is over before getting them up.

The OP's desire to play as a more support oriented role is fine. Fun even with the right mindset.
Pacifism it is not.

[RogueJK]

Two routes I can think of:

A) High STR grappler Cleric 1/Lore Bard X: This allows you to go all-in on support casting, with access to plenty of buffs and healing. And then use Grappling (with Expertise) as your resourceless combat option. While Peace domain would be ideal for the additional buff, you'll likely want to go with a Heavy Armor domain like Life to reduce the number of moderate to high stats you need.

B) Enchanter Wizard: Hypnotic Gaze is a decent resourceless non-damaging option for your Action in many rounds. (And fits the Fey theme.) The downsides are that you have to be adjacent to the enemy, and that it's useless against enemies that are immune to Charm effects, of which there are a fair amount. Take Telekinetic to be able to also use your Bonus Action for a non-damaging effect each round.

[Lord Ruby34]

B) Enchanter Wizard: Hypnotic Gaze is a decent resourceless non-damaging option for your Action in many rounds. (And fits the Fey theme.) The downsides are that you have to be adjacent to the enemy, and that it's useless against enemies that are immune to Charm effects, of which there are a fair amount. Take Telekinetic to be able to also use your Bonus Action for a non-damaging effect each round.

I'd suggest this route, but add that you might want to consider Gust, Shape Water, Mold Earth, and Minor Illusion as your cantrip options. Gust combined with Telekinetic can allow you to shove enemies ten feet each turn, and on turns where that isn't applicable you can create hazards based on the preexisting battlefield conditions, or attempt to trick enemies with small illusions. Grease works as a first level version of these tricks for when you have spell slots to burn and are already concentrating on the effect you want, and Blindness fills a similar role with your second level slots.

[KorvinStarmast]

The OP's desire to play as a more support oriented role is fine. Fun even with the right mindset.
Pacifism it is not. This is spot on.
Running around with murderhobos or adventurers isn't an exercise in pacifism.

[Talij]

Thanks all for the spell suggestions. I think all suggested above would be viable with the concept. Grappling is something I hadn't fully considered. Enchantment wizard with a cleric dip for heavy armor was the best fit I had come up with, but got quite MAD.


Are Grapple and Shove fair game? It would be pretty funny if your character says, "My oath doesn't let me hurt people... so I immobilize my enemies so OTHER people can stab them!"

That is pretty much exactly where I want my character to be. 🙂


There's a point where playing as a support can no longer exist under the label of being a pacifist.
...
The OP's desire to play as a more support oriented role is fine. Fun even with the right mindset.
Pacifism it is not.
I 100% agree about true pacifism not being viable or fun for others. That's actually what made me come up with this concept. It's about as close to pacifism as I could come up with without either getting into moral debates or hindering the party. The character actively WANTS his enemies harmed and will try to help his allies make it happen.

[RogueJK]

Enchantment wizard with a cleric dip for heavy armor was the best fit I had come up with, but got quite MAD.

Try an Artificer dip for Medium Armor and Shield proficiency instead. Less MAD than even a straight Wizard, and only -1 AC compared to Heavy Armor.

Also lets you get CON save proficiency to help maintain Concentration if you start Level 1 as Artificer, and can access some additional useful non-Wizard INT-based support spells, like Guidance, Faerie Fire, Cure Wounds, and Sanctuary.


Something like this:
Hobgoblin Artificer 1 -> Enchanter X
STR 8
DEX 14
CON 15+1 (or 13+1 with Standard Array)
INT 15+2
WIS 10 (or 12 with Standard Array)
CHA 8 (or 10 with Standard Array)
ASIs: Telekinetic for 18 INT at Wizard 4, then either 20 INT or a feat like Lucky at Wizard 8

[Unoriginal]

Mastermind Rogue can do the Help action at range, that's pretty useful for the gameplay you want.

Summons can also harm others without you being the one doing it (so long as the summons are not just remote-controlled puppets).

If you want to work further on the "bargain with a Fey" angle, you could go Warlock and then Pact of the Chain, for advanced Familiar + a bunch of invocations to make the Familiar even more helpful in combat.

[Kane0]

There was a UA feat that made the help action significantly better, maybe ask your DM if that is on the table

Edit:
Tandem Tactician

-Help as a bonus action.
-Help range increase of 10'
- Help two allies against same target

[Corpus]

Another option would be Warlock.

Go Arch Fey get an additional Short rest non-damaging resource.
Take spells, already mentioned, like Sleep, Charm Person, Cause Fear, Greater Invisibility, Dominate Person.

You could role play Armor or Agathys,
"Stop hurting yourself, stop hurting yourself!"

Misty Visions Invocation at 2nd, for unlimited Silent Images!

Play into the idea of finding ways to hurt people that aren't directly you, by using Pact of the Chain, or go Pack of the Talisman (save and skill bonuses) or Tome (Guidance, Friends, Mage Hand, Mold Earth, Shape Water) for more support.

[lall]

Sanctuary might be more restrictive than what you’re looking for, but could be worth taking.

[RogueJK]

Sanctuary might be more restrictive than what you’re looking for, but could be worth taking.

Sanctuary actually works really well on an Artificer 1/Enchanter X. Hypnotic Gaze isn't a spell or attack, so you can continue to use it without ending Sanctuary. And since it's a Bonus Action to cast, you can activate both Hypnotic Gaze and Sanctuary in the same round. Plus, since it's not Concentration, you can be Concentrating on a buff or battlefield control spell at the same time.

Something like this:

Round 1: Use your Action to cast Web/Haste/Banishment/etc.
Round 2: Continue Concentration, Bonus Action cast Sanctuary, move adjacent to an enemy, and use your Action to shut them down with Hypnotic Gaze
Round 3+: Renew Hypnotic Gaze (or activate it against another enemy), while maintaining Concentration and still being under the effect of Sanctuary