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How to make a retarded but fun build less retarded in DnD 5E

hello friend

Arcane
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
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I'm on an actual spaceship. No joke.
Sup faggots.

I'm going to be playing DnD 5E with some bros over roll20, thought I'd make a (wild mage)sorc/(totem)barb.

Yes, I know it's suboptimal. It should be very fun, though.

The question is, how do I make it suck as little as possible? Maybe DEX barb? That would at least mitigate the lost RAEG progression. There's no way to get around the lost spellcasting progression. It is what it is.

Stats are 14 8 9 12 11 17, currently unallocated. Race has to be human (+1 all stats), variant rules (+1 to two stats, +1 skill, +1 feat) are permitted.

So with 5 total Ability Score Improvements, +1 feat from Human variant option, that's 6 potential feats. Most of those should be going to stats, though. That's potentially a loss of 10 points of stats, 9 if Resilient (DEX) is picked.

There are many options.

Lucky is a no brainer.

Savage Attacker is good.

Danger Sense (from class) combines well with Shield Master+War Caster+Resilient, but that's already 3 feats. On the other hand, it would make you hilariously invulnerable to anything that allowed a DEX save. Probably not worth it.

Defensive Duelist if using a Finesse weapon, Great Weapon Master if not.

6 levels of Barb gets Extra Attack, Fast Movement, Danger Sense, Reckless Attack, Unarmored Defense, 1st Totem Bear, and 2d Totem Wolf

The 2d Wolf Totem gives fast tracking and fast stealth. With Medium Armor Master that would up the AC while allowing stealth at normal speed in med armor.

Wild Magic gives some rerolling and Concentration checks will be helped by CON being high, when not raging touch attack spells and whatever else can be cast up close with Quickened Spell or Twinned spell, but even so.

It's not looking good. Fortunately it's not a combat heavy campaign.

How do I make this work, men?
 

J1M

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
14,616
Do you have any options that would allow you to use CHA as another stat or vice versa?

You have not explained what you think will be fun, so it is hard to suggest substitutions that are appropriate.

Since wild mage involves randomness, I would look at picking up something that lets you modify or retry dice rolls.
 
Last edited:

hello friend

Arcane
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
7,847
Location
I'm on an actual spaceship. No joke.
If GM allows Xanathar's Guide to Everything, there's the Hexblade. Cha to attack AND damage. Considering a 4 Hex w/ Pact of the Blade, 4 Pal, and 12 Sorc. Seriously gimps spellcasting, but with feats I can get a dude with strong two handed melee (with feat), strongish ranged option (eldritch blast - can be quickened or twinned by sorc? Oh shit doesn't work with pact weapon. Maybe a 5 dip Pal, 3 Hex. Costs an ability score+ or a feat+. What's that, potentially 4 rays action + 1 bonus per turn, double every time you increase rays from level + CHA bonus), and spellcasting all off the same stat. Potentially pretty glass cannon, though - without high powered spell casting to make up for it, but some utility. Heavy armor. Not a barb tho....

Using a maul as pact weapon and Great Weapon fighting style, you reroll on the lowest 33% of damage range and can be tossed without repercussion whenever you want to cast. With feat you've got a (2d6+Cha+10)x2, reroll 2s and 1s, add 2d8 3/day to 6/day, if 5dip Pal. Bit like Sauron tossing people around with his oversized mace in the LOTR film. Improved Pact Weapon would also give a magical +1. Not too shabby.

There's a lot of stuff that would be fun, I'm quite flexible in that way. Defining limitations is the first step of roleplaying. Most important is the wild mage aspect. That table looks fun. I also like utility, having non combat spells is more important to me than combat spells. Don't want to bring down the party too much, though.

Savage Attacker and Lucky help with rerolls.

Edit: I hate rapiers for being faggy weapons, so that makes multiclassing rogue harder. Other than that, I can sneak, I can talk, I can cast, I can tank or heal, it's all good. I'll play the role.
 

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