An Eclectic Collection of Fun and Effective Builds

[Khrysaes]

I think the Battlemaster fighter in LudicSavant's original post is a wood elf.
It could be possible to just adapt that with Samurai. You could also multiclass a Samurai/Ranger and get double wis to persuasion with a bit more spells. You lose one attack.

Here is what I made

Wood Elf
Tasha's customizing ability scores for +2 wis +1 dex or con.
Point buy
Starting Scores: str 8, dex 14, con 14, int 13, wis 17, cha 8
16 Samurai Fighter, 4 Fey Wanderer Ranger
Fighter proficiencies: Acrobatics & Insight
Level progression -> at least samurai 3 -> 4 ranger ->Fighter for rest.
NOTE: Samurai Proficiency: Persuasion.
NOTE: Can take any amount of fighter first, I recommend 6
NOTE: You get more benefit from the samurai class at level 7 by taking Resilient WIS at level 4 or 6, BUT its not required if you want a different feat.
Note: Get Shillelagh through the Ranger Fighting Style
Feats:
Elven Accuracy +1 Wis
Fey Touched +1 Wis
Crusher +1 Con
Polearm Master
Sentinel
Feat
Feat

Alternative Race Variant Human OR Custom Lineage
Elven Accuracy -> +x Wisdom or some other feat? Observant?
Extra Feat: Feat


Last Two Feats?:
Ritual Caster (wizard)
Resilient Wisdom
Shield master
Magic Initiate
Wood Elf Magic
Lucky
Telekinetic (Wisdom)
Telepathic (Wisdom)
Others?

[Citadel97501]

Hello all, I haven't really went through the build idea yet but I was thinking there is a new non-magic blaster available.

1) Breath Blaster...
Basically you go all in on the breath weapon changes & options from the new book. I was thinking that taking a 3 level dip of the Dragon monk, on a Metallic Dragon born would be a lot of fun? Your base breath weapon is better but the monk ones aren't horrible either. At level 3, your getting 4 breath weapons per day + any you buy back with the extra ki points, at level 5 you could be running 6 all with good or at least tolerable DC's. Eventually your going to be getting the other breath weapon option as well?

2) Stone Spitting Drake: Just as ridiculous...
Druid Cantrip in place of your fighting style so you can cast Magic Stone to give your baby dragon something to spit at people. All in all this is not as powerful as the melee dragon pet could be but it is a weird option that makes me smile. Unfortunately your going to be losing the 1st round, and every 3 more rounds recasting Magic Stone, as you need to spend a bonus action to make him spit out a rock.

3) Elemental bow attacks?
The Drake can use a reaction to add 1d6 to a weapon attack someone else makes, so you are getting an free equivalent to hunter's mark every turn with a bow or other weapon attack. Unfortunately this doesn't work with the Magic Stones from earlier which would have been very handy (Magic Stone is a spell attack...)

[Sherlockpwns]

Hello all, I haven't really went through the build idea yet but I was thinking there is a new non-magic blaster available.

1) Breath Blaster...
Basically you go all in on the breath weapon changes & options from the new book. I was thinking that taking a 3 level dip of the Dragon monk, on a Metallic Dragon born would be a lot of fun? Your base breath weapon is better but the monk ones aren't horrible either. At level 3, your getting 4 breath weapons per day + any you buy back with the extra ki points, at level 5 you could be running 6 all with good or at least tolerable DC's. Eventually your going to be getting the other breath weapon option as well?

Depending on your definition of “magic” you could dip artificer 3 for artillerist flamethrower. This would be SUPER MAD, but with good rolled stats or just some sacrifices here or there you get an aoe bonus action. It’s not optimal in any way but if you really wanted to min/max close range aoe cones that aren’t spells this seems likely the best bet.

Of course the actual best bet is probably to just get dragons breath and go wild still, but it is interesting to be non-spell aoe blasting.

[Khrysaes]

Depending on your definition of “magic” you could dip artificer 3 for artillerist flamethrower. This would be SUPER MAD, but with good rolled stats or just some sacrifices here or there you get an aoe bonus action. It’s not optimal in any way but if you really wanted to min/max close range aoe cones that aren’t spells this seems likely the best bet.

Of course the actual best bet is probably to just get dragons breath and go wild still, but it is interesting to be non-spell aoe blasting.

There is also the dragon breath spell.
So draconic sorcerer levels maybe?

Wizard would work better with artificer.

DRUID, would work better with Monk, also they get the draconic form spell and the summon draconic spirit right? So that could be more fitting.

I don't know about drakewarden, but that would/could also fit.

Warlocks of course can get the pseudodragon familiar.

[Citadel97501]

2 things I wanted to bring up...

Gift of the Metallic Dragon
-Hello all, I was wondering how you guys feel about this feat? I am looking at it approvingly as it seems a solid option for a lot of classes, especially stuff like Warlock, non-Divine Soul sorcerers, and the ever incredible Blade Singer Wizard? Adding some healing options and even armor class buffs that don't take spell slots seems damn good to me.

I was also wondering how you all feel about a Blade-Singer Dragon Born? It is interesting to me, that at level 6 you could use a breath weapon, and a cantrip. Hell, something ridiculous is you could technically do 3 breath weapons & 2 cantrips a turn with a fighter 2 /wizard 6 who has haste cast on them. You might be wanting a long rest after but the monsters are likely dead.

At level 6 (Bladesinger 6)
Lets say 3 targets in the AOE: So with a powerful alpha turn that is 6d10x2 breath weapon damage, 4d6x2 from acid splash. This is an average of 45 BW damage, 10 acid splash, so 55 damage. This was assuming 1 failed save and 1 passed for each target.

[Amechra]

Something that I recently noticed is that the Kensei and Thrown Weapon Fighting are a match made in heaven. You have a melee weapon to hand when you need it for Agile Parry and the +2 to damage from the Style is there because throwing weapons tend to have really low damage... unless, you know, you're a Monk, and you're replacing that die with a bigger one. On top of that, Kensei Shot works with thrown weapons, so you still have decent damage even on turns where you don't want to spend ki.

I haven't properly crunched the numbers yet, because Focused Aim and Unerring Accuracy make calculating DPR pretty gnarly. But my rough numbers indicate that the damage you end up with is surprisingly good.

[FluffyBeholder]

A Barfairyan named Nuggles. That is all.

[ftafp]

Finally posting some builds I've held off on for a while


The Persephonelock

Race: Halfling, Mark of Hospitality
Class: Life Cleric 1, Undead Warlock 19
Progression: Life Cleric 1, Undead Warlock 1-19
Stats: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 13 Con, 10 Int, 13 Wis, 17 Cha
ASI: Fey Touched (Gift of Alacrity, +1 Cha)@5, Resilient (+1 Con)@9, +2 Cha@13, Warcaster@17, Lucky@19
Pact Boon: Pact of the Tome
Invocations: Book of Ancient Secrets
Spells of Note: Goodberry, Gift of Alacrity, Aid, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Phantom Steed, Death, Ward

Since I'm posting a few builds here, I'm going to give an expedited explanation instead of the level-by-level breakdown. This is a support-heavy warlock build that specializes in early morning preparations. As an adventurer, you're going to lead an active life, but most parties won't be adventuring for more than 8 hours a day, and with long rests only lasting 8 hours that leaves you with 8 hours you can spend casting and intermittently short resting to regain spell slots. The spells listed in the spells of note section are ideal options for this.

• Goodberry lasts 24 hours, and Disciple of Life will not only multiply its effectiveness but allow it to benefit from upcasting, which as a warlock you are going to be doing almost exclusively
• Gift of Alacrity doesn't need much justification. Cast this on the whole party at the start of every day
• Aid only needs one casting, and it benefits heavily with your warlock upcasting
• Leomund's Tiny Hut can be ritual cast thanks to Book of Ancient Secrets, and it can keep your party safe from encounters while you're prepping.
• Phantom Steed can also be ritual casted. You should always try to have a few of these active for the whole party as the speed boost combined with free disengage is phenomenal
• Aid only needs one casting, and it benefits heavily with your warlock upcasting
• Death Ward is already a good spell, but not many people realize that because it's a one-and-done effect, Death Ward is one of the few buff spells that can be stacked. This is because RAW while you can have the same spell on you multiple times you can only benefit from one at a time, thus when you drop to 0 only one death ward activates and ends while the rest keep going

The Tactical Siege Dwarf

Race: Mountain Dwarf
Class: Dao Warlock 2, Clockwork Soul 18
Progression: Clockwork Soul 1, Dao Warlock 1-2, Clockwork Soul 2-18
Stats: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 13 Wis, 17 Cha
ASI: Fey Touched(+1 Cha)@6, +2 Cha@10, Warcaster@14, Crusher (+1 Con)@18
Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast
Background: Custom (Feature from Failed Merchant: Supply Chain)
Tool Proficiencies: Alchemists supplies, Thieve's Tools, Tinker's Tools, Weaver's Tools,
Spells of Note: Eldritch Blast, Magic Stone, Catapult, Distort Value, Tiny Servant, Fabricate, Wall of Stone

This is a build designed to take blasting to the next level. Obviously, spells like fireball and synaptic static should be priority picks on top of the listed spells, but you do you.

• Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast + Repelling Blast is a standard combo, but on a Dao Warlock with Crusher this spell can get intense. According to Crawford, crusher does not forbid vertical forced movement, and since diagonal movement doesn't cost extra, Repelling Blast can easily launch an enemy high enough in the air to take fall damage if cast from 10 feet away
• Catapult is a fantastic and versatile spell. Many people know you can catapult vials of acid or alchemist's fire for extra damage, but nothing says you can't tie multiple vials together and catapult them all at once. As a Daolock, your Genie's Vessel is also catapultable, though it breaks open on impact. That's not a bad thing however, as you can use the time to set up all manner of hazards inside it that will surround targets when broken open. Ball Bearings and Caltrops are good at low levels, and Thieve's Tools will let you create booby traps inside during your short rest. Mason's tools won't do much for crafting, but they double the damage you do to structures, so this can destroy buildings as well
• Tiny Servant + Magic Stone is a frequent favorite combo of mine. Just give them standing orders to fire the stones you touch at hostile creatures and you've 3 free attacks as a bonus action. For the sake of safety, give them some kind of cover like a chest or bag of holding to hide in
• Fabricate is a great spell, but for you this is mandatory. First, you need it to make money. Weaver's tools were selected because it's relatively cost-efficient to make money with it. Simply buy a metric crap-ton of flax (according to the crafting rules enough flax for 1 yard of linen is 2.5gp) and convert all of it to a folded up pile of linen up to 10x10x10' in size. As a trade good, linen can be used as an equal quantity of currency, doubling your investment. You can also make elaborate tapestries and use Distort Value to double their value. Either way, you might want to use the wholesalers you have contact with from your background to trade this for raw materials for alchemy. That stuff is expensive and you're going to go through industrial quantities of alchemist's fire and acid. If your DM allows firearms, gunpowder kegs are something else you should get crafting. You can load up your vessel with barrels of it and blow them up in a spectacular chain reaction.
• Once you get Wall of Stone, all bets are off. Use it to build large structures like mazes, prisons, castles and so on within your vessel, but make sure to create them without a floor and a lot of empty space, as these walls can't appear in occupied spaces, only around them.

[Khrysaes]

So I just got Stryxhaven, and I must say, I think the Stryxhaven mascots would be very fun for a Shepard Druid, Conjuration Wizard, Giftlock, and Peace Cleric.

I was thinking a Quandrix Giftlock, as the Fractal Mascot can increase its size up to huge, and with investment of the chain master, can fly.

Permanent Flying mount at level 4.

Any Shepard Druid build would be fun too with the boosts to the summons it can get.

[ftafp]

So I just got Stryxhaven, and I must say, I think the Stryxhaven mascots would be very fun for a Shepard Druid, Conjuration Wizard, Giftlock, and Peace Cleric.

I was thinking a Quandrix Giftlock, as the Fractal Mascot can increase its size up to huge, and with investment of the chain master, can fly.

Permanent Flying mount at level 4.

Any Shepard Druid build would be fun too with the boosts to the summons it can get.

I'm actually working on a build for a quandrix chainlock. the biggest problem I'm finding is, we're sort of running out of warlock builds to make. There's only so many ideas you can get out of one class, and warlock doesn't have a lot of open-ended abilities

[Khrysaes]

I'm actually working on a build for a quandrix chainlock. the biggest problem I'm finding is, we're sort of running out of warlock builds to make. There's only so many ideas you can get out of one class, and warlock doesn't have a lot of open-ended abilities

Yeah, I actually realized that your thread, which I replied to, is all about the quandrix chainlock.


Essentially, If you multiclass its 3 warlock/x whatever. Or 4/x.

Essentially, pick your flavor of summoner,

Druid, Shepard, gets the ability at 6 that increases the HP by 2 per HD.

Wizard, Conjuration, Ability at 14 that gives Temp 30 Temp HP. I think I would rather have the Shepard Druid's spirit totem.

Artificer, Make items and equip the familiar. Amulet of health, which would increase the Familiar's CON to 19, and Belt of Giants Strength for 21 str are both at level 14.

So 14 Artificer/3 warlock/3 x is probably the best non full caster. I like this on artillerist because the eldritch cannons can provide Temp HP and/or increased AC.

Druid x/3 warlock may be best full caster.

And finally, Peace or Twilight cleric gonna peace and twilight cleric.

Essentially, just use Warlock 3 to modify the existing summoner builds.

[ftafp]

Yeah, I actually realized that your thread, which I replied to, is all about the quandrix chainlock.


Essentially, If you multiclass its 3 warlock/x whatever. Or 4/x.

Essentially, pick your flavor of summoner,

Druid, Shepard, gets the ability at 6 that increases the HP by 2 per HD.

Wizard, Conjuration, Ability at 14 that gives Temp 30 Temp HP. I think I would rather have the Shepard Druid's spirit totem.

Artificer, Make items and equip the familiar. Amulet of health, which would increase the Familiar's CON to 19, and Belt of Giants Strength for 21 str are both at level 14.

So 14 Artificer/3 warlock/3 x is probably the best non full caster. I like this on artillerist because the eldritch cannons can provide Temp HP and/or increased AC.

Druid x/3 warlock may be best full caster.

And finally, Peace or Twilight cleric gonna peace and twilight cleric.

Essentially, just use Warlock 3 to modify the existing summoner builds.

What bothers me is, 3 levels is already a pretty steep warlock investment, and considering you want to get your second ASI as fast as possible, there's a lot of pressure to go to warlock 4, at which point you might as well go to 5 for the 3rd level spells. Once you reach that point it becomes clear that you're looking at a primarily warlock build. Peace and Twilight dips can back that up, but peace and twilight are starting to become the next hexblade in terms of dip subclasses

[Khrysaes]

What bothers me is, 3 levels is already a pretty steep warlock investment, and considering you want to get your second ASI as fast as possible, there's a lot of pressure to go to warlock 4, at which point you might as well go to 5 for the 3rd level spells. Once you reach that point it becomes clear that you're looking at a primarily warlock build. Peace and Twilight dips can back that up, but peace and twilight are starting to become the next hexblade in terms of dip subclasses

I know. The worst thing is that you need the feat for Strixhaven Mascot regardless of class. So 3 Warlock, which still has to take a chain pact, still needs to get that feat, even if they get the first feat from the Background.

Realistically, the Celestial Giftlock build from LudicSavant is probably the best bet for a warlock to use the mascot, since no 1-2 level dips other than peace or twilight really impact a summoner.

At least with an artificer, particularly a artillerist, but really any, you will have all your core class features, and the warlock short rest spell slots mean they can be used to resummon your potions/cannons/steel defenders. If you want, you can also have a steel defender, familiar, and a homunculi

[ftafp]

Gnormal Gnorman

What do you do when your creativity fades to gray? Learn to create in black and white

Race: Custom Lineage Gnome (Small, Darkvision)
Class: Battle Master 20
Stats: 17 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 12 Wis, 8 Cha
ASI: Tavern Brawler(+1 Con)@0, Sharpshooter@4, Crossbow Expert@6, Crusher(+1 Str)@8, +2 Str@12, Resilient(+1 Wis)@14, Lucky@16, Alert@18
Fighting Style: Archery
Maneuvers: Menacing Attack, Precision Attack, Quick Toss, Pushing Attack, Ambush, Riposte, Bait And Switch, Parry, Maneuvering Strike
Proficiencies: Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception
Equipment: Hand Crossbow, Shield?, Nets, Darts, War Horse/Elephant, Plate Barding

I'll be honest, part of the reason I haven't been posting in this thread much recently is I've been in a creative slump. This build is sort of a screw-you to that problem: taking one of the most boring builds I can think of, a CBE/SS pure Battle Master with no spellcasting of any kind, and making it mechanically interesting against all odds. RAW the following build is a little sketchy, but it's the best I've been able to come up with

Strategy:

• Hand Crossbow is your primary method of attack, namely, hitting enemies in the **** with it. Archery+SS+CBE will ensure you're doing as much damage as you would at range. You have the option of a shield or a free hand to grapple, but I recommend the free hand, as it also lets you climb which many players forget that any character can do, albeit at half speed
• Darts are your primary ranged weapon by virtue of the fact that they're the only ranged weapon that does damage and uses STR
• Nets are a good control option. You can use Quick Toss to throw two in one turn. Sharpshooter also gives you a 15 foot range with them
• The mount is a multi-purpose pet. Your opening move in combat is going to be jumping 5 feet over the enemy's head and coming down on them. This doesn't do damage and thus can't knock your mount prone, but the enemy still has to save or fall prone, and given the mount's size this is an AoE effect. Once you've landed, dismount freeing up the mount to attack
• Being strength based means you can use the same trick with your movement to knock enemies prone
• Pushing Attack and crusher are a potent battlefield control combo that can launch enemies into the air, causing falling damage and potentially proning multiple enemies
• Menacing Attack is another option that lets you waste enemy turns if they lack ranged options. Frightened is also a nasty debuff
• Tavern Brawler lets you grapple as a bonus action, which is perfect if you have a prone enemy. It also lets you use the Climb on a Bigger Creature option from the dungeon master's guide, which makes them unable to attack you unless they use their action to attempt to dislodge you

EDIT: This build is being reworked due to the fact that it kind of sucks

[Citadel97501]

Hello all, I was wondering if there is any build that mixes the idea of the Creation Bard, and the Wildfire Druid to have a power armor with a jetpack? I was thinking you could also add in Artificer so it can really accomplish the midget Iron Man? This would be something like the Fire Marshal build but takes advantage of the massive fun of animating tricks of a Creation Bard?

[Hael]

Hello all, I was wondering if there is any build that mixes the idea of the Creation Bard, and the Wildfire Druid to have a power armor with a jetpack? I was thinking you could also add in Artificer so it can really accomplish the midget Iron Man? This would be something like the Fire Marshal build but takes advantage of the massive fun of animating tricks of a Creation Bard?

Right off the bat you're going to have an issue with druid and the armorer subclass, b/c druids don't play nice with armor. Build wise, its a bit challenging b/c you need to max cha, max wis and max int so you will likely have to pick one or two and dump the others (so one class might be only buff spells). I don't see many great synergies. The armorer and the bard by themselves could *kinda* work.

[ftafp]

Hello all, I was wondering if there is any build that mixes the idea of the Creation Bard, and the Wildfire Druid to have a power armor with a jetpack? I was thinking you could also add in Artificer so it can really accomplish the midget Iron Man? This would be something like the Fire Marshal build but takes advantage of the massive fun of animating tricks of a Creation Bard?

There isn't, but im kind of kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. Wildfire 2/Creation X is a perfectly cromulent build given that the dancing item really doesn't need any ba investment and protects the wildfire spirit. I might make a build for this, but until then i recommend adapting The Wagoneer to replace the artificer levels with druid one

[Amnestic]

Red Oni and Blue Oni



A pair of builds around classic mythology and also the Oni monster. What that means is that we're hitting a few high notes: being BIG, using a BIG weapon, changing shape, and some spellcasting. Historically, oni are a type of demon (even though in 5e the creature is a giant) so we'll be going with Tiefling for our races. For the sake of our builds we'll be not using Tasha's ASI reassign rules, though you can optimise your stats more if you do so.

Red Oni

Red Oni are typically associated with passion, wildness and defiance. While both colours of oni are big hitters, red oni are the more brawly smash types, and as such we'll be leaning into that with our build.

Race: Zariel Tiefling
Ability Scores post-racials (27 point buy): 16 Str/14 Dex/14 Con/8 Int/8 Wis/14 Cha

Weapon of Choice: Oni are historically associated with a Kanabo, which we will represent with a nice chunky Maul.

Level Progression:
Levels 1-3: Fighter 1->3 (Rune Knight): This lets us be BIG, which is crucial to the build.
Levels 4-5: Warlock (Fiend) 1->2: Minor spellcasting. Killing people for temp HP is sort of like oni regeneration. At 2nd level you'll take Mask of Many Faces as one of your invocations for at-will disguise self. Your other one probably wants to be spent on Devil's Sight, but it's not important to the build.
Levels 6-7: Fighter 4->5: ASI into strength, Extra attack.
Levels 8-10: Barbarian 1->3 (Zealot): Now you can RAGE like a real red oni and you get extra damage on one of your hits every turn. Hit harder! You're also much easier to bring back if you die.
Levels 11-16: Fighter 6->11: ASIs into Strength (20!) and Con, Extra Attack #3.
Level 17: Barbarian 4: We finally grab Great Weapon Master for hitting EVEN HARDER. We only go Barb 4 for our ASI because of its slightly higher hit dice vs. Fighter or Paladin.
Level 18-20: Paladin (Oath of Conquest) 1-3: Turn those spell slots into SMITES since we're raging. Your save DC on Conquering Presence (DC16) isn't much to write home about at level 20, so your channel divinity will be used more on Guided Strike or on refilling spell slots for more smites.

Final stats: 20/14/16/8/8/14.
Feats: Great Weapon Master.
Final level breakdown: Rune Knight Fighter 11, Fiend Warlock 2, Zealot Barbarian 4, Conquest Paladin 3.

Dumb as a sack of hammers and your wis save is an absolutely crushing -1 by the end of the day, but thinking good is what Blue Onis are for. Speaking of...

Blue Oni

In contrast to their crimson himbo brothers, blue oni are often associated with big brains, snark, and control. They're, of course, the more magically inclined of the two, which is where we'll be leaning. That's not to say we won't also be hitting stuff, however.

Race: Asmodeus Tiefling (Levistus is a fine alternative too)
Ability Scores post-racials (27 point buy): 8 Strength/14 Dexterity/14 Constitution/16 Intelligence/12 Wisdom/10 Charisma

Weapon of Choice: Level 1-2 will be shield+cantrips. Once you hit level 3, you swap out for a maul just like your red brother.

Level Progression:
Levels 1-5: Artificer (Battlesmith) 1->5: Disguise Self as a spell. Int to attack+damage. Martial weapons proficiency for BIG hammer. ASI goes into Int. Extra Attack. Steel Defender is less 'Steel' and more 'small demonic spirit'. With our core spellcasting in place we then switch to...
Levels 6-9: Fighter (Rune Knight) 1->4: Again it's important that we know how to be BIG. ASI goes into maxing out our intelligence.
Levels 10-12: Artificer 6->8: Our stupid brother needs help with their wisdom save, and Flash of Genius is there to help. We also pick up Warcaster with our ASI to help out Concentration saves.
Levels 13-14: Wizard (War Magic) 1->2: Arcane Deflection and Int to Initiative. Since you're a smashy boy instead of a spell slinger primarily, the spell limitation isn't crushing and gives you some additional defenses where needed.
Levels 15-19: Artificer 9->12: Spell Storing Item, make yourself some Gauntlets of Strength so you finally catch up to your brother's brawn. ASI into is Resilient: Wis to get you to 13 Wisdom which lets you multiclass into...
Level 20: Cleric (Knowledge) 1: Expertise x2 and some spellcasting, your brain remains huge!

Final stats: 19 (thanks to your gauntlets)/14/14/20/13/10.
Feats: Warcaster, Resilient Wisdom
Final Level Breakdown: Battlesmith Artificer 12/Rune Knight Fighter 4/War Magic Wizard 2/Knowledge Cleric 1.

Not quite as brawny as your brother, but twice as smart, and you serve as a crucial assistance to his saving throws while also holding your own on the frontline alongside your 'steel' defender.

[Citadel97501]

There isn't, but im kind of kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. Wildfire 2/Creation X is a perfectly cromulent build given that the dancing item really doesn't need any ba investment and protects the wildfire spirit. I might make a build for this, but until then i recommend adapting The Wagoneer to replace the artificer levels with druid one

Do you have a link to the full wagoneer build, as I really haven't been able to find it?

[ftafp]

Do you have a link to the full wagoneer build, as I really haven't been able to find it?

https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...postcount=1020

[Dualight]

Here is a build that seems a little under-optimised, but I think that it can be fun, assuming you play a campaign where you can specialise in long-range, mounted combat without crippling yourself. This build assumes that Xanathar’s Guide and Tasha’s Cauldron are allowed at your table, but those are all you need, and the options from Tasha’s aren’t integral to the build, just nice to have.
Without further ado:
The Horse-Archer
Fighter(cavalier) 6/rogue(phantom) 14
Variant human(Mounted Combatant)

Focus dexterity, rest depends on your preferred fall-back strategy/variation on the build, although Wisdom is a good idea to get very good at Animal Handling

Start fighter, and rush cavalier 6. Starting Fighter means that you are a better archer out of the gate, and better starting equipment.
Fighting Style: Archery, +2 to hit is nice at all levels.
Cavalier at 3rd level for Born in the Saddle, so you have no problems if you somehow end up dismounted in the middle of combat.. The bonus proficiency and language are also nice to have. Unwavering Mark, while normally the centrepiece of a cavalier build, is of no consequence to you, as you should not be in melee, where you could apply the mark, if you have any say in it whatsoever. Of course, it is not detrimental to have, just incompatible with sniping from a distance.
You end the fighter progression at 6, as 7 is a dead level for a ranged build, and sticking with fighter for longer will not yield anything particularly interesting until 11 with the 2nd Extra Attack, for which you would have to suffer through cavalier 10, which also does nothing if you are not in melee. As such, moving out of fighter when you get the first bonus ASI seems like a good choice.

The ASIs go to Sharpshooter(even without the -5/+10 attack this would be worth it) and Gunner/Crossbow Expert(Gunner has my preference, as you only really want this for the disadvantage removal, and Gunner still gives +1 dex, and using gunner would allow you to make yourself into a proper dragoon, which is also a fun image. If you go with guns, just keep in mind that firearms are loud,and you might end up needing to spend time getting you mount accustomed to the sound, if your DM likes to add verisimilitude)

Starting at 7th level, its rogue all the way, taking Sneak Attack, which applies to your longbow, and your horse might count as an enemy of your target, so you could be able to get Sneak Attack to punish those foolish enough to take a swing at your beloved mount. Expertise in Animal Handling and Perception makes you a phenomenal long-range scout, and being forced to dismount should be nearly impossible.

At rogue 3 you take the Phantom, as that is the only rogue class to have no features at levels you can reach that require you to be close to the enemy/moving under your own power/attacking in melee to work properly. Wails from the Grave can trigger on a ranged attack, as well. Steady Aim only requires you to have not moved on your turn before the bonus action to take aim, and subsequently only prevents movement through reducing your speed to 0. Your mount can move as normal, without breaking your aim. As such, you, as a mounted archer, can use Steady Aim to translate your bonus action into guaranteed advantage on 1 attack roll, without the drawback of not being able to move. Your mount is the one doing the moving, anyway. Past here, Sneak Attack results in your damage output scaling steadily, and Evasion at character 13 will result in you and your mount being nearly impervious to AoE Dex saves like a fireball. The rest of the rogue features are not particularly interesting, but they do add to your utility outside combat and/or on foot. You end up with the same amount of ASIs as a full fighter, due to leaving fighter after getting the first bonus, and going deep enough into rogue to get their bonus ASI.

Variants: The reason this build goes with V-human is to get the full complement of desired feats up and running ASAP, and you gain enough ASIs that the slightly lower starting stats do not matter, especially with Archery keeping your to-hit bonus competitive with the melee combatants who pump their offence earlier. Likewise, the levels in rogue should keep your average damage from being low for long, especially with Sharpshooter.

I haven’t put that much thought into variants, as this write-up is an adaptation of a character I am still trying to find a campaign for, but a few variants do stand out in my mind. The first is (half-)elf, with Elven Accuracy, since Steady Aim means that you can guarantee yourself advantage 1/round, and darkvision is nice to have. A small creature(Custom Lineage could work, bu isn't necessary) could be viable, as well, if only because it would increase the number of possible mounts(including your medium party members, assuming they are willing to give you a ride), and allowing you to ply your trade indoors, if you choose a medium-sized mount.
Trading rogue for Ranger is also an option, with, an extra fighting style, archery-friendly spellcasting, and even an effective Expertise from the variant features in Tasha’s.

Taking a dip into paladin, if you have a paladin or bard in the part, could allow you to gain access to find steed (DC 12 to cast from a scroll at Pal 2)or find greater steed(DC 14) through spell scrolls, although you need decent charisma to pull it off, and at that point it might be worthwhile to just go for a paladin build instead. Of course, if you can talk you DM into granting you (the ability to make) a spellwrought tattoo of one of those spells, you won’t need the paladin levels.

If Tasha’s is one the table, try to see if your DM is willing to let you make your mount into a sidekick, so it becomes much harder to kill.
If Tasha’s is banned entirely, Arcane Trickster probably becomes the best option for a Rogue subclass, as its features do not rely on you being on foot or in situations where you will rarely be mounted, even if it doesn’t play all that nicely with staying at a distance.
A funny option, especially if Sidekicks are allowed, is to go with a Small creature, and to take the Noble(knight variant) background’s feature Retainers, and have your squire be a medium noble, who acts as your ‘mount’ on the battlefield. Probably best to only bring this one to a silly game, as it will probably lead to a lot of weird looks at a remotely serious table.

I am certain that this build has a lot of flaws, since i am still fairly new to optimising like this, but I do think it could be a blast to play in the right campaign, and all it needs to start coming online is a mount, which some DMs might be willing to grant to you out of the gate. On top of that, it has a lot of flexibility as there are a lot of choices that are not locked in ahead of time.

[ftafp]

The Shadowsmith

You know what's boring? Clerics. All they do is spam Spirit Guardians. Let's make one that's a bit more interesting

Race: Elf, Mark of Shadow
Class: Divine Soul 1/Forge Cleric 19
Base Stats: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 9 Int, 17 Wis, 13 Cha
ASI: Telekinetic(+1 Wis)@5, Ritual Caster(Wizard)@9, +2 Wis@13, Warcaster@17, Lucky@19
Tool Proficiencies: Weaver's Tools
Purchasing Goals: Plate Armor, Shield, Bullseye Lantern, War Horse, Plate Barding, Spell Scrolls(Magic Mouth, Phantom Steed), Bag of Holding
Spells of Note: Shield, Absorb Elements, Bless, Find Familiar, Aid, Continual Flame, Darkness, Pass Without Trace, Spirit Guardians, Incite Greed, Glyph of Warding, Fabricate, Animate Objects, Summon Celestial, Planar Binding, Heroes Feast, Planar Ally, Conjure Celestial


Here's the Cliff Notes:

• Up until level 7 you should be using medium armor. After that, hopefully you'll have a mount
• Shield and Absorb Elements are a solid defensive backbone to stack on top of Forge Cleric's massive AC and defensive spells
• Aid and Pass Without Trace are great spells that you should be using well into high levels. Don't forget them
• Continual Flame and Darkness are a match made in heaven once you get 3rd level slots. RAW Continual Flame upcast at 3rd level is not dispelled by Darkness and being magical light can illuminate it. Cast both on a bull's eye lantern and you've got a protective sphere of darkness to hide in along with a cone in front of you where enemies can remain visible. When you get Find Familiar from ritual caster, have it train the beam on enemies for you. Alternatively, cast continual flame on the tip of an umbrella and darkness underneath for a Monster in the Darkness impression
• If you can get a scroll of Magic Mouth, add it to your ritual book immediately. Check out the Arcane Programmer Guide and The Other Kind of Crafting threads for more details
• Incite Greed is a deeply underrated alternative to Spirit Guardians, functioning in many ways as an ersatz Hypnotic Pattern. While repeated saves aren't great, the area covered in 3.14x larger and you can choose who you target. If you're on a mount, you can get more use out of this by casting this then speeding past the targets to draw them away from your allies, as they'll be forced to dash after you
• Spirit Guardians is still an option, and Telekinetic can allow you to double down on damage by using it to pull enemies into your guardians. They make the save immediately and then again on their turn.
• Telekinetic also works with Wall of Fire. Use ringed walls to take advantage of choke points
• Fabricate with weaver's tools proficiency is a great moneymaking tool. You can double your money by crafting raw materials into giant piles of linen and reselling them due to its high price relative to density.
• Heroe's Feast is just a good spell. With Fabricate you should be able to afford to cast this often
• Animate Objects immediately becomes a fantastic combat spell when you get it. Make sure to cast it on a bunch of silver pieces
• Planar Binding, Glyph of Warding, Conjure Celestial, Planar Ally and Summon Celestial won't be immediately effective, but once you've got sufficiently high level slots, Upcast Planar Binding into a Glyph of Warding set to trigger when an extraplanar being is summoned, then cast one of the summoning spells into a second glyph of warding. If you did this right, you can bind extraplanar beings with no concentration requirement

[ftafp]

The Überficer

In high-optimization communities, prior consensus has found Artificers to be the weakest half-caster, outperformed by Paladin's aura and Ranger's druid spells. This build is less a build per se, and more of an argument against this claim, or a showcase of every broken Artificer exploit I've collected up until now.

NOTE: This build is for reference only. Please do not inflict this on your hapless DM

Race: Half-Elf, Mark of Storm
Class: Artillerist 20
Base Stats: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 17 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha
ASI: Fey Touched(Silvery Barbs, +1 Int)@4, +2 Int@8, Warcaster@12, Lucky@16, Resilient(+1 Wis)@19
Infusions: Spellwrought Tattoo(1st level), Bag of Holding, Alchemy Jug, Repeating Shot, Pipes of Haunting, Horn of Blasting
Spells of Note: Magic Stone, Catapult Gift of Alacrity, Find Familiar, Web, Rope Trick, Shatter, Magic Mouth, Arcane Lock, Continual Flame, Glyph of Warding, Tiny Servants, Fabricate, Conjure Minor Elementals, Creation
Equipment: 15 feet of rope, 3 Unskilled Hirelings at level 1, up to 8 Unskilled Hirelings at level 11
Proficiencies: Weaver's tools, Alchemist's Supplies

Highlights:

• At level 1 your job is to spam magic stone and combat cantrips and have your hirelings throw the stones for you with their actions
• At level 2 you get infusions. Per the rules, Replicate Magic Item can be taken multiple times for the same item, so grab Bag of Holding twice and Spellwrought Tattoo twice
• Spellwrought Tattoo can be used to give the whole party familiars, but it can also be given to your hirelings who can concentrate on spells for you. RAW Spellwrought Tattoos do not disappear until the spell you cast with them ends, so a spell like Gift of Alacrity with a duration of 8 hours and no concentration can be cast at-will for 8 hours once the tattoo is used
• The Flying Monkey familiar from Tomb of Annihilation can fly up to enemies carrying two Bags of Holding and stuff one in the other, sucking enemies into the astral plane. You can teleport your familiar into its pocket dimension as an action and then back to you as another action after using this technique
• Alchemy jug can stockpile vials of acid. You can throw up to 5 at a time with catapult to deal 3d8+10d6 damage. Upcasting only increases the number of vials you can throw
• At 5 you get Rope Trick, Magic Mouth and Arcane Lock
• You and your hirelings can cast Rope Trick in battle then climb up the rope and reel it in for a bunker to attack from. Make sure they're always readying their action to do so
• Magic Mouth and Arcane Lock have a ton of uses for crafting. See the Arcane Programming Guide and The Other Kind of Crafting for more details
• At level 6 you get the Pipes of Haunting. With this you can give enemies disadvantage on their checks to escape Webs in addition to their attack rolls and prevent them from moving out of them
• At 9 you can upcast Continual Flame which is useful for even more crafting as seen in The Other Kind of Crafting
• At 11 you get Spell-Storing Item, which you can give to your hirelings to pass around and blast with. Catapult, Web and Shatter are all great choices
• At 13 you get Fabricate and Conjure Minor Elementals
• Fabricate can be used to double your money using Weaver's Tools by buying raw materials and crafting them into 10x10x10 piles of linen which can be used in place of currency as a trade good. You can use the money and your Alchemist's Supplies large quantities of Acid to catapult, and you can potentially fabricate an Automatic Rifle given the necessary raw materials, which you can put repeating shot on and give to your Flying Monkey familiar. While it can't attack, it can use the rifle's burst fire trait to do damage with it
• When cast in a 10x5 space and used to conjure elementals of CR 1/4th or lower Conjure Minor Elementals will only be able to summon 8 Chwingas as they're the only tiny elementals in that CR range. They can grant you, your allies and your hirelings charms which often grant free spells that don't require a good casting stat. They can also each cast Pass Without Trace
• More money from Fabricate also means you can store Glyphs of Warding in your Bag of Holding when you have left over slots at the end of the day
• In addition, you can now upcast Tiny Servants as backup if your hirelings die. They're easier to protect since they can take cover in your pockets
• At 14 you get the Horn of Blasting which your hirelings can pass around and blast with
• At 17 you get Creation, which can duplicate magic items you have seen in addition to nonmagical ones

[Withershins]

Greetings, fun and effective builds family.

I would like to see a tuned up bladesinger build, if anyone has some great ideas or unique takes, especially with all of the new content recently - a concise breakdown would be a great resource.

I have secretly been waiting for someone to feel bladesinger inspired and tear into it.

Please and thank you.

Wither

[Khrysaes]

Greetings, fun and effective builds family.

I would like to see a tuned up bladesinger build, if anyone has some great ideas or unique takes, especially with all of the new content recently - a concise breakdown would be a great resource.

I have secretly been waiting for someone to feel bladesinger inspired and tear into it.

Please and thank you.

Wither

What are you looking for exactly?

I like the Arcane Blade build on here.

Another option is 3 Battlesmith Arti/17 Bladesinger.
You can be a little more sad not focusing on Dex as much. Also, You can use the Barrier Tattoo item to have the AC of heavy armor without the actual armor thus still being able to Bladesing. With the changes to Booming Blade and Greenflame Blade you cant use Shadowblade or a "Whip + Spellsniper" with them any more.

You can bladesing with a one handed pistol, so Gunner and a firearm is an option. Artificers are also proficient. In AL there are pistols in Waterdeep Dragonheist and laser pistols in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.

[Withershins]

What are you looking for exactly?

I like the Arcane Blade build on here.

Another option is 3 Battlesmith Arti/17 Bladesinger.
You can be a little more sad not focusing on Dex as much. Also, You can use the Barrier Tattoo item to have the AC of heavy armor without the actual armor thus still being able to Bladesing. With the changes to Booming Blade and Greenflame Blade you cant use Shadowblade or a "Whip + Spellsniper" with them any more.

You can bladesing with a one handed pistol, so Gunner and a firearm is an option. Artificers are also proficient. In AL there are pistols in Waterdeep Dragonheist and laser pistols in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.

Thanks so much!!

Could you link the Arcane Blade build...I seem to be having some difficulty finding it.

[Khrysaes]

The Arcane Blade by Bendking
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=664

For future reference, most, but not all builds are on the first page, second post.

If you are given a name you can use Ctrl+F to find it.

I prefer 11 Rogue/9 wizard because I like Reliable talent and the extra ASI from Rogue 10 more than 6th level spells.

[Yakk]

The Überficer

In high-optimization communities, prior consensus has found Artificers to be the weakest half-caster, outperformed by Paladin's aura and Ranger's druid spells. This build is less a build per se, and more of an argument against this claim, or a showcase of every broken Artificer exploit I've collected up until now.

NOTE: This build is for reference only. Please do not inflict this on your hapless DM

Race: Half-Elf, Mark of Storm
Class: Artillerist 20
Base Stats: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 17 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha
ASI: Fey Touched(Silvery Barbs, +1 Int)@4, +2 Int@8, Warcaster@12, Lucky@16, Resilient(+1 Wis)@19
Infusions: Spellwrought Tattoo(1st level), Bag of Holding, Alchemy Jug, Repeating Shot, Pipes of Haunting, Horn of Blasting
Spells of Note: Magic Stone, Catapult Gift of Alacrity, Find Familiar, Web, Rope Trick, Shatter, Magic Mouth, Arcane Lock, Continual Flame, Glyph of Warding, Tiny Servants, Fabricate, Conjure Minor Elementals, Creation
Equipment: 15 feet of rope, 3 Unskilled Hirelings at level 1, up to 8 Unskilled Hirelings at level 11
Proficiencies: Weaver's tools, Alchemist's Supplies

Highlights:

• At level 1 your job is to spam magic stone and combat cantrips and have your hirelings throw the stones for you with their actions
• At level 2 you get infusions. Per the rules, Replicate Magic Item can be taken multiple times for the same item, so grab Bag of Holding twice and Spellwrought Tattoo twice
• Spellwrought Tattoo can be used to give the whole party familiars, but it can also be given to your hirelings who can concentrate on spells for you. RAW Spellwrought Tattoos do not disappear until the spell you cast with them ends, so a spell like Gift of Alacrity with a duration of 8 hours and no concentration can be cast at-will for 8 hours once the tattoo is used
• The Flying Monkey familiar from Tomb of Annihilation can fly up to enemies carrying two Bags of Holding and stuff one in the other, sucking enemies into the astral plane. You can teleport your familiar into its pocket dimension as an action and then back to you as another action after using this technique
• Alchemy jug can stockpile vials of acid. You can throw up to 5 at a time with catapult to deal 3d8+10d6 damage. Upcasting only increases the number of vials you can throw
• At 5 you get Rope Trick, Magic Mouth and Arcane Lock
• You and your hirelings can cast Rope Trick in battle then climb up the rope and reel it in for a bunker to attack from. Make sure they're always readying their action to do so
• Magic Mouth and Arcane Lock have a ton of uses for crafting. See the Arcane Programming Guide and The Other Kind of Crafting for more details
• At level 6 you get the Pipes of Haunting. With this you can give enemies disadvantage on their checks to escape Webs in addition to their attack rolls and prevent them from moving out of them
• At 9 you can upcast Continual Flame which is useful for even more crafting as seen in The Other Kind of Crafting
• At 11 you get Spell-Storing Item, which you can give to your hirelings to pass around and blast with. Catapult, Web and Shatter are all great choices
• At 13 you get Fabricate and Conjure Minor Elementals
• Fabricate can be used to double your money using Weaver's Tools by buying raw materials and crafting them into 10x10x10 piles of linen which can be used in place of currency as a trade good. You can use the money and your Alchemist's Supplies large quantities of Acid to catapult, and you can potentially fabricate an Automatic Rifle given the necessary raw materials, which you can put repeating shot on and give to your Flying Monkey familiar. While it can't attack, it can use the rifle's burst fire trait to do damage with it
• When cast in a 10x5 space and used to conjure elementals of CR 1/4th or lower Conjure Minor Elementals will only be able to summon 8 Chwingas as they're the only tiny elementals in that CR range. They can grant you, your allies and your hirelings charms which often grant free spells that don't require a good casting stat. They can also each cast Pass Without Trace
• More money from Fabricate also means you can store Glyphs of Warding in your Bag of Holding when you have left over slots at the end of the day
• In addition, you can now upcast Tiny Servants as backup if your hirelings die. They're easier to protect since they can take cover in your pockets
• At 14 you get the Horn of Blasting which your hirelings can pass around and blast with
• At 17 you get Creation, which can duplicate magic items you have seen in addition to nonmagical ones

Spellwrought Tattoo + Glyph of Warding

Spellwrought Tattoo requires no material components to cast the spell.
Spellwrought Tattoo only disappears when the spell it casts ends.
Glyph of Warding lasts until triggered or dispelled.

Make one Glyph of Warding tattoo, and you can mass produce Glyphs of Warding (1 per hour) indefinitely for 0 marginal cost.

[ftafp]

Spellwrought Tattoo + Glyph of Warding

Spellwrought Tattoo requires no material components to cast the spell.
Spellwrought Tattoo only disappears when the spell it casts ends.
Glyph of Warding lasts until triggered or dispelled.

Make one Glyph of Warding tattoo, and you can mass produce Glyphs of Warding (1 per hour) indefinitely for 0 marginal cost.

yeah, glyph of warding tattoos are fantastically broken. Thankfully in this case (though I think it's a bad general rule) magic items other than the ones on the infusion list are entirely under dm control

[Chaos Jackal]

yeah, glyph of warding tattoos are fantastically broken. Thankfully in this case (though I think it's a bad general rule) magic items other than the ones on the infusion list are entirely under dm control

So are hirelings for the most part, if we wanna be fair.

Anyway, I don't really have any issue with most of the suggestions and tricks listed in that post, but I am curious about something else... Is the high-op consensus really that artificers are weaker than rangers? Based on what, exactly? Sure, the conjuration spells are good, but artificers also get a number of more than solid spells, rituals, innate Con save proficiency to actually maintain those spells (and are SAD compared to the ranger's MADness, although that doesn't matter much for summons), strong high-tier features, easy ways to abuse the action economy and are additionally the only class which can truly interact with the item system regardless of DM provision.

The listed tricks are cool and all, but I didn't think that you needed hireling abuse or glyph of warding shenanigans to outdo rangers.