5e Throwdowns #3: The Solo Tour!

[sithlordnergal]

General of the Dead


Level 20 level split: Forge Cleric 3 / NEcromancer Wizard: 17

Race: Human

Stats: Str: 8 / Dex: 14 / Con: 14 / Int: 16 / Wis: 14 / Cha: 12

Background: Researcher

ASIs:

- War Caster
- Int +2
- Int +2
- Wis +2


Starting level:

So, before you really begin there are two things to know. One, you need to start as a Cleric, and two, you need to take the Custom Background in the PHB. For your skills take Persuasion, Insight, Perception, and Investigation, and take Thieve's Tools for your Tool proficency. Those will get you some of the most important skills in 5e. Next, take one level in Forge Cleric. This will next you Heavy Armor proficency, some decent weapon proficencies, and Blessing of the Forge, which we'll be using later. Also, despite Forge Clerics being able to use Heavy Armor, I would suggest Medium for the time being.

Next, take three levels in Wizard and choose the Necromancer subclass. The recommended spell list will be at the very end of this build. Given you're the only one in the party, make sure to use ranged spells whenever possible and try to keep your distance from any and all encounters. Use Illusions if they get too close to hide.


At 5th level:

Snag another level of Wizard to get your first ASI. I would suggest a +2 to Int at this moment, because having an 18 in your primary casting stat is very important. Next take two more levels of Wizard in order to get the 6th level Necromancer ability, Undead Thralls. This is where some of the fun begins, as you can start creating undead to help you out in combat. Congrats, you can now start on your own group of undead. I would suggest at least one Zombie to tank, and some Skeletons for ranged attacks. Also, choose your favorite skeleton, and make their Shortbow into a +1 weapon, that way they can get past Magical Resistance.

By now you should be level 7 as a Wizard 6 / Cleric 1, and its time to boost them Cleric levels. Take two more levels of Cleric to get your next ASI. This actually does a lot of things for you. First, if you can find the material, you can start crafting armor for your creations with your Channel Divinity, and second it allows you to access 2nd level Cleric spells. After that, take one more level of Wizard to reach level 10.

Congrats, you're basically 100% online now. The only things left are extra goodies, but don't get disappointed. These extra goodies can be INSANE.


At 11th level:

At this point we're just leveling up as a Wizard. Your Undead are slowly getting stronger, with each undead you make having more and more HP, with up to three of them being buffed further with Aid. At level 14 you can start making stronger undead with the Create Undead spell, and at level 16 you should have all the benefits of being a Wizard 13 / Cleric 3, which are basically 7th level spells

Speaking of 7th level spells, I know I said I'd put the spell list at the end, but another very important spell becomes available to you right now, Simulacrum. This is another powerhouse spell that will be a major game changer. Obviously there are a lot of ways you can mess around with a Simulacrum, but for now I suggest not casting it. Why? Because, you want an ability that's one level away


At 17th level:

You're now a 14th level Wizard, just three more levels and you can cast 9th level spells. Which...who boy, that's gonna be a whole thing on its own. But that's for level 20, this is now. As a 14th level Necromancer, you have a few very special abilities on your side. These range from powerful spells, to a small army of undea, but the biggest thing you have is Command Undead. NOW is a really good time to create a Simulacrum. Find yourself some deadly Undead, like a Mummy Lord, and bind it to your service, permanently. Then have your Simulacrum do a similar thing! You now have two uses of Command Undead thanks to your Simulacrum. Also, you should be able to cast Clone, just in case.


At 20th level and final thoughts:

You finally reached level 20. This is where you have access to spells like Wish and True Polymorph...and things are gonna get a little bit crazy. Please note, everything past this point is pure, undeniable, unabashed cheese:

Step 1: Get yourself a level 20 Simulacrum.

Step 2: Cast True Polymorph onto it and turn it into a CR 20 creature

Step 3: Keep concentrating on True Polymorph until it is permanent.

Step 4: Profit and break the game.

Congrats, thanks to your undead army, your Command Undead, and this, you now have a terrifying group that you created. Even better, thanks to True Polymorph's line of "It retains its Alignment and personality." and Simulacrum's lines of "...the Illusion uses all the Statistics of the creature it duplicates. The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate." you now have a friendly CR 20 creature to aid you. To top it off, you can also have the Clone spell, just in case you die.

One thing I am unsure about is the Simulacrum/True Polymorph...Simulacrum states "It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on Your Turn in Combat.". I'm not sure if True Polymorph would remove that or not. True Polymorph says "The target's game Statistics, including mental Ability Scores, are replaced by the Statistics of the new form. It retains its Alignment and personality.", and I'm not sure if the "Obeys spoken commands" is a statistic or personality bit. Even if it is a statistic though, it'll still be friendly towards you. If a simulacrum does continue to obey you, even after being True Polymorphed, then I can tell you the perfect creature to turn it into...yourself. You can basically have a second copy of yourself that has full HP and regains spell slots every day that obeys your commands. Which means your undead army just doubled in size.

As for doing everything solo...well lets look at what we have covered. Skill wise, you have proficiency in the most common skill checks outside of Stealth...but lets face it, you're never gonna be stealthy with this build. Survival? Thanks to your Cleric spells, you can stay up for a long while and survive on your own. Thankfully none of your creations eat, so you really don't need to worry about that. Combat? This is a breeze, you'll be traveling with a powerhouse army nearly all of the time. Utility? You're a Wizard and Cleric. You have a ton of utility casting, and you can use Rituals. With this build, you don't need a party. You just make them as you need them. Also, something to keep in mind. Skeletons have 6 Intelligence and 8 Wisdom, that's only one point dumber than an orc. Not only that but there are adventures where Skeletons use complicated weaponry like the ballista. I'd say there's a good argument to be made that they can follow more complex orders then your typical zombie.

---Spell Lists---

Spoiler: Cleric Spells

Show

--Cantrips--

• Mending
• Guidance
• Light

--1st Level Spells--

• Bless
• Healing Word
• Sanctuary
• Cure Wounds

--2nd Level Spells--

• Aid
• Lesser Restoration

Spoiler: Wizard Spells

Show

--Cantrips--

• Fire Bolt
• Chill Touch
• Toll of the Dead
• Shape Water*
• Minor Illusion

--1st Level Spells--

• Charm Person
• Comprehend Languages
• Detect Magic
• Identify
• Shield
• Find Familiar
• Absorb Elements
• Chromatic Orb

--2nd Level Spells--

• Mirror Image
• Rope Trick
• Shatter

--3rd Level Spells--

• Counterspell
• Dispel Magic
• Fireball
• Remove Curse
• Life Transference
• Leomund's Tiny Hut
• Tongues**
• Fly
• Animate Dead

--4th Level Spells--

• Storm Sphere
• Wall of Fire

--5th Level Spells--

• Negative Energy Flood
• Synaptic Static
• Animate Objects
• Wall of Force
• Danse Macabre

--6th Level Spells--

• Create Undead
• Disintegrate
• Mass Suggestion***
• Chain Lightning

--7th Level Spells--

• Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
• Simulacrum
• Finger of Death

--8th Level Spells--

• Clone
• Feeblemind
• Dominate Monster

--9th Level Spells--

• True Polymorph
• Wish

-----------------------

*I went with Shape Water over any other of the Shape/Move cantrips simply because of how versatile it is. You can form a simple shape with the water, then instantly freeze it. That's pretty good, and you can do a fair bit with 5 cubic feet of water.

**Tongues is a much needed spell if you're going to be a solo player. I find the most difficult part of any adventure is making sure you have enough languages covered to speak to creatures. Thankfully, Tongues handles all of those issues, and its not concentration. I find if you can find a way to talk yourself out of combat, then you're doing a lot better then you would normally be doing

***Mass Suggestion is also one of those spells that are insanely powerful. If you can word something well enough, you can gain a group of allies with this spell for 8 hours. Or you can avoid entire combat encounters. I have seen savvy players use it to convince a group of 8 hill giants to let us pass through their territory to deal with the fire giants that were harassing them without having to fight them. Mix this with Tongues for even more effectivness

--Final Thoughts--

This build is pretty fun. You start out as a one man party, but through Animate Dead, Create Dead, Control Undead, and Simulacrum/True Polymorph sheneagins, you can lead a surprisingly powerful little army, all of it created by you. The three levels of Cleric add in some much needed healing, while Forge Cleric lets you pick your favorite undead and give them a +1 magical weapon for free and create armor for your zombies to act as tougher meat shields. I will admit, the Wizard spell list lacks a ton of damage, but I think it has enough damage to get you through most encounters. And what you lack in personal damage, you make up for in droves with utility.