Barbarian 3 (Ancestral Guardian)/Monk X (Drunken Master)
Tortle (Str +2, Wis +1) Point Buy: 17, 13, 15, 8, 13, 8
So, I have this concept in my head of a Drunken Monk that rages when he drinks a certain type of Alcohol. For some reason I like the idea of his ancestors stepping in when this happens (to harass his opponents), a ghostly bar brawl if you will. He targets a foe, hits them and the ancestors show up, and he uses the Flurry drunken step to move in and out of reach. Now his foe has a choice: chase him or target someone else, attacking with disadvantage. Given both sub-classes are in XTGE I was going to use a Tortle for a Str/Wis build with the built in 17AC.
How would I best build this character, or is the combo a trap?
Mechanically grabbing Barb 3 first seems the way to go from my point of view. That way I can get my DR, Damage boost, and protection for my allies, then leveling from 4 up as monk. I'm starting at 4th due to DM rewards, and I also have the insignia of the claw (Magic +1 Hit/Dam for unarmed strikes and natural attacks) that I can give him as well. He'd use a quarterstaff as his main attack to start, eventually switching to all unarmed.
Well. I have to ask why you don't just flavor your ancestral barbarian as an undisciplined monk? Just have their trigger for raging be drinking strong alcohol, and go pure barbarian, with those stats and the tortle shell to cover up for the dex and con deficiencies it will do you a lot better than a subpar monk with 13 wisdom and a shitty stunning strike. Grab Tavern brawler at lvl 4 and up your strength to 18. Suddenly your fists are doing quite a lot of work without resorting to monk levels.
As far as multiclassing early goes. You really don't want to delay those lvl 5-7 class features by more than a level. For either side really. Both Monk and Barbarian love their 5-7 archetype features. Though the insignia helps it won't cover for the lack of extra attack and you'll have a bit of a struggle from lvl 5-8.
My recommendation is that if you're still wanting to go through with this. Go Barb 1-Monk-5 and feel the situation out as your party advances.
You probably don't want to delay Extra Attack until character level 8. Generally, you want to get yourself to level 5 for your first ASI and Extra Attack before multiclassing out.
But, as Madsheep said, you don't need to be a Drunken Master to be drunk. Nor does a Drunken Master need to drink - it's a fighting style based on the way people move and act while drunk. Especially for Ancestral Guardian, just make it so when you drink the moonshine mead sacred to your ancestors, they come to you and induce visions, spirits, and battle prowess.
Generally speaking, multiclassing is almost entirely unnecessary in 5e. The game already lets you create most character concepts through background, class, and RP.
Pick up the Tavern Brawler feat for the barbarian and roleplay to victory!
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
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Barbarian 3 (Ancestral Guardian)/Monk X (Drunken Master)
Tortle (Str +2, Wis +1) Point Buy: 17, 13, 15, 8, 13, 8
So, I have this concept in my head of a Drunken Monk that rages when he drinks a certain type of Alcohol. For some reason I like the idea of his ancestors stepping in when this happens (to harass his opponents), a ghostly bar brawl if you will. He targets a foe, hits them and the ancestors show up, and he uses the Flurry drunken step to move in and out of reach. Now his foe has a choice: chase him or target someone else, attacking with disadvantage. Given both sub-classes are in XTGE I was going to use a Tortle for a Str/Wis build with the built in 17AC.
How would I best build this character, or is the combo a trap?
Mechanically grabbing Barb 3 first seems the way to go from my point of view. That way I can get my DR, Damage boost, and protection for my allies, then leveling from 4 up as monk. I'm starting at 4th due to DM rewards, and I also have the insignia of the claw (Magic +1 Hit/Dam for unarmed strikes and natural attacks) that I can give him as well. He'd use a quarterstaff as his main attack to start, eventually switching to all unarmed.
Is it a trap?
Well. I have to ask why you don't just flavor your ancestral barbarian as an undisciplined monk? Just have their trigger for raging be drinking strong alcohol, and go pure barbarian, with those stats and the tortle shell to cover up for the dex and con deficiencies it will do you a lot better than a subpar monk with 13 wisdom and a shitty stunning strike. Grab Tavern brawler at lvl 4 and up your strength to 18. Suddenly your fists are doing quite a lot of work without resorting to monk levels.
As far as multiclassing early goes. You really don't want to delay those lvl 5-7 class features by more than a level. For either side really. Both Monk and Barbarian love their 5-7 archetype features. Though the insignia helps it won't cover for the lack of extra attack and you'll have a bit of a struggle from lvl 5-8.
My recommendation is that if you're still wanting to go through with this. Go Barb 1-Monk-5 and feel the situation out as your party advances.
You probably don't want to delay Extra Attack until character level 8. Generally, you want to get yourself to level 5 for your first ASI and Extra Attack before multiclassing out.
But, as Madsheep said, you don't need to be a Drunken Master to be drunk. Nor does a Drunken Master need to drink - it's a fighting style based on the way people move and act while drunk. Especially for Ancestral Guardian, just make it so when you drink the moonshine mead sacred to your ancestors, they come to you and induce visions, spirits, and battle prowess.
Generally speaking, multiclassing is almost entirely unnecessary in 5e. The game already lets you create most character concepts through background, class, and RP.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Pick up the Tavern Brawler feat for the barbarian and roleplay to victory!
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."