Researching for a religiously indoctrinated rogue, kinda like silas from the da vinci code and was looking at your rogue/cleric build. Ill be either kalashtar or wildhunt shifter. Thinking death for the cleric subclass and inquisitive or assassin for the rogue. Split I've worked out would be a 12/8 rogue/cleric or maybe 8/12. What are your thoughts? Perhaps I just play a religious zealot rogue no multiclass. But I like the idea that these cleric levels just manifest as a divine gift further fueling his zealotry. He absolutely sees himself as shepherding souls to the Raven queen. Whilst informing those he heals that she still needs them here "not today".
What do you think of the split? or should i just Roleplay the zealotry? When would you split? I was thinking around the idea maybe 1 cleric, 4 rogue, 5th in cleric then not sure. I see the cleric abilities as 'gifts' if this is the path i take.
I have to preface this with the fact that I do not have the kalashatar or Shifter 5e stats, and do not know how much of a difference they would make to your class choice.
A religious zealot might be just a zealot and have no divine granted prayers but building your character in the style of Silas would probably mean focusing on rogue assassin.
If you wanted to add a religious aspect that doesnt weaken your sneak attack you could consider a light dip into cleric but be wary about taking trickster, they dont appear to able to grant themselves the advantage to stealth. This limits your choice especially if you want to focus on a theme of Holy assassin. You could take Ritual magic (cleric) and use that to act as novitiate of a church. Taking the ceremony ritual will allow you to perform sanctified weddings, coming of age, and of course funerals (saving the soul of your target?) It will later allow access to divination allowing you to ask for directions from your God/dess.
Hope that helps, sounds like a great concept and it should be fun to play through the levels.
Silas is the inspiration but not necessarily the character i want to create. He is just as likely to save a life as to take one and both serve a purpose. Even death gods need living beings as much as the dead.
This character wont focus on necromancy aspects of cleric but certainly take full advantage of necrotic damage/twining aspects.
2 Sorc Points let's you make Darkness you can see through. Take Quicken metamagics, get Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade (I recommend Green-Flame Blade, as Booming Blade is loud and attracts attention, GFB can be sneaky). Get Shadow Blade.Get Mobile and alert feats. If you're an elf you can also go for Elven Accuracy for being able to roll 3d20 on advantage instead of 2d20. This can help you hit and crit more.
Turn 1: stay hidden, cast Shadow Blade and get ready. Move into position if you can but don't start combat yet. If your DM lets you cast spells like Darkness without initiating combat then do it with 2 Sorcery Points so you can see through that darkness when the enemy cannot but be careful, this would cause them to start moving around. Best to wait.
Turn 2: While sneaking go to target and initiate combat, with Alert feat and racial bonus +2 dex, you should win the initative and this means your turn is first and the target is surprised. Cast Inflict Wounds as your action at your highest level, which should be 4th level. This will be a base 6d10 necrotic damage. Thanks to the auto-crit of Assassinate (which does work on spell attacks too!) this is 12d10, dump in your Channel Divinity for an extra 21 points of necrotic damage. For your bonus use Quicken Spell Metamagic of 2 points to cast GFB/BB as a bonus action. The shadow blade will deal 3d8 psychic, the cantrip does additional 2d8 fire/thunder damage AND the Divine Strike feature will add another 1d8 necrotic, AND it still counts as a finesse weapon attack so yay for sneak attack of 2d6 -- oh and these are auto-crits too so that's 12d8 + 4d6. So, by now you have dished: 12d10 + 21 + 12d8 + 4d6. (for the funzies let's give it a roll: 772 -- EDIT: whoops made a typo, let's try again:142)) If the target isn't dead then your mobile feat means you get away safely. On your next turns you can use 2 points to cast Darkness that you can see through, this gives you advantage, protects you by imposing disadvantage on enemy attacks, and every turn you can combine your cantrip+shadowblade combo for 6d8 damage with advantage and you have another channel divinity to dish out another 21 necrotic damage. And the necrotic damage bypasses any resistances.
(Note; if your DM is super-ridiculously sticky about RAW then use bonus action Inflict Wounds via Quicken Spell first and then the cantrip. It makes no difference either way so many DMs wouldn't care about the order, but technically using a bonus action spell (even if it's from quicken spell) means the action spell must be the cantrip.
Increase any of the classes will of course only further improve the build, although you'll probably get more out of Rogue to build up the sneak attack and nifty things like Evasion. Focus on Dex and Wisdom for this build since you will use these for attacking and I actually recommend starting with the Rogue levels first for the nifty Dex save proficiency and extra starting skills. However, it wouldn't be terrible to bump Sorc to get higher-level Shadow Blade or such, but there are not many spells of use in Sorc unless you want to go MAD, so you don't need to care about charisma if you focus on buff spells or utility spells. The extra sorc points will help though, but your primary focus as an assassin is that first turn annihilation of an enemy so it's not super necessary to get more points - even without the bonus action spell you are doing decent damage every turn. This is still a skirmisher build not a full-fight build so you're only aiming for 1 attack typically before moving away to safety, then coming back in etc. Empower or Subtle Spell would also make good choices for metamagic. While you could choose other Sorc subclasses, Shadow works best (as it's more "Death" than "Shadow") for the darkness and once-per-day chance to avoid dropping to 0 HP. Shadow Blade granting advantage, Elven Accuracy boosts to advantage rolling and advantage granting sneak attack really all works nicely together. To that end I also recommend Control Flames cantrip to douse firelights at distance (consider Distant Spell metamagic). This can reduce light when indoors to create dim light or darkness for your shadowblade.
8 Rogue, 8 Cleric, 4 Sorc OR 6 Rogue, 8 Cleric, 6 Rogue would be decent layouts.The features beyond these levels are not important for a build like this.
If your DM is super-cool or really stupid try and convince them to let you get Illusionist's Bracers because this will let you do the shadowblade-cantrip-combo twice a turn for free without needing sorc points for quicken spell, so you can save them for combining with Inflict Wounds.
Not necessarily the most efficient build but it gets the job done and fits the servant-of-a-death-god theme very well.
I wonder whether a Monk might work better, maybe only taking 3 levels . Maybe im thinking of this backwards. Maybe he is full Death Cleric just with a roguish background to explain his slipper behaviour.
Im imagining him walking thru a hospital cloaked up spending time with patience. Easing some into the afterlife, assisting others back into this life, and then disappearing like an angel in the night.
This is bad ass, but it's actually a little better. An 8th level Cleric/4th level Sorcerer gets 12th level spellcaster slots according to the Multiclass Spellcaster table. This character could cast Inflict Wounds using their 6th level slot for 8d10 (or 16d10 with that auto-crit for another 22 damage on average). The Shadow Blade could then be cast at 5th level for 4d8 (or 8d8 with that auto-crit for another 9). And your Ability Score Modifier for the melee attack (+3 to +5 probably, depending).
Unfortunately, Shadow Blade and Darkness (even through Eyes of Darkness) are both concentration spells so you can't have them both going at once. Fortunately though, Assassinate doesn't require you to be unseen to get that surprise round advantage to hit plus the auto-crit.
Max: A level 20 character can spend 3 levels in Rogue (to get Assassin) and still have 17 levels for Cleric/Sorcerer to get that 9th level Inflict Wounds. So it's kind of perfect except for the wasted ASI. I would go Cleric 13/Sorcerer 4 (13/3/4) for an average damage of 252 (11d10x2 + 31) + ((5d8x2 + 5) + 3d8x2 + 2d6x2 + 1d8x2). You could drop a level in Cleric to pick up your Rogue level 4 ASI (12/4/4) but your damage drops to 239 (average) and you also lose access to the 7th level Cleric spells. Or you could max out Cleric with just 3 levels of Sorcerer (14/3/3) but you don't get much in exchange for that ASI and sorcery point (just CR 3 destroy undead).
To play up the assassin archetype a little more, you could also apply an Injury Poison to your Shadow Blade.
Researching for a religiously indoctrinated rogue, kinda like silas from the da vinci code and was looking at your rogue/cleric build. Ill be either kalashtar or wildhunt shifter. Thinking death for the cleric subclass and inquisitive or assassin for the rogue. Split I've worked out would be a 12/8 rogue/cleric or maybe 8/12. What are your thoughts? Perhaps I just play a religious zealot rogue no multiclass. But I like the idea that these cleric levels just manifest as a divine gift further fueling his zealotry. He absolutely sees himself as shepherding souls to the Raven queen. Whilst informing those he heals that she still needs them here "not today".
What do you think of the split? or should i just Roleplay the zealotry? When would you split? I was thinking around the idea maybe 1 cleric, 4 rogue, 5th in cleric then not sure. I see the cleric abilities as 'gifts' if this is the path i take.
I have to preface this with the fact that I do not have the kalashatar or Shifter 5e stats, and do not know how much of a difference they would make to your class choice.
A religious zealot might be just a zealot and have no divine granted prayers but building your character in the style of Silas would probably mean focusing on rogue assassin.
If you wanted to add a religious aspect that doesnt weaken your sneak attack you could consider a light dip into cleric but be wary about taking trickster, they dont appear to able to grant themselves the advantage to stealth. This limits your choice especially if you want to focus on a theme of Holy assassin. You could take Ritual magic (cleric) and use that to act as novitiate of a church. Taking the ceremony ritual will allow you to perform sanctified weddings, coming of age, and of course funerals (saving the soul of your target?) It will later allow access to divination allowing you to ask for directions from your God/dess.
Hope that helps, sounds like a great concept and it should be fun to play through the levels.
Silas is the inspiration but not necessarily the character i want to create. He is just as likely to save a life as to take one and both serve a purpose. Even death gods need living beings as much as the dead.
This character wont focus on necromancy aspects of cleric but certainly take full advantage of necrotic damage/twining aspects.
Death Cleric and Assassin Rogue go well together, and I recommend some Sorc too.
8 level Death Cleric, 4 level Assassin Rogue, 4 level Shadow Sorc.
2 Sorc Points let's you make Darkness you can see through. Take Quicken metamagics, get Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade (I recommend Green-Flame Blade, as Booming Blade is loud and attracts attention, GFB can be sneaky). Get Shadow Blade.Get Mobile and alert feats. If you're an elf you can also go for Elven Accuracy for being able to roll 3d20 on advantage instead of 2d20. This can help you hit and crit more.
Turn 1: stay hidden, cast Shadow Blade and get ready. Move into position if you can but don't start combat yet. If your DM lets you cast spells like Darkness without initiating combat then do it with 2 Sorcery Points so you can see through that darkness when the enemy cannot but be careful, this would cause them to start moving around. Best to wait.
Turn 2: While sneaking go to target and initiate combat, with Alert feat and racial bonus +2 dex, you should win the initative and this means your turn is first and the target is surprised. Cast Inflict Wounds as your action at your highest level, which should be 4th level. This will be a base 6d10 necrotic damage. Thanks to the auto-crit of Assassinate (which does work on spell attacks too!) this is 12d10, dump in your Channel Divinity for an extra 21 points of necrotic damage. For your bonus use Quicken Spell Metamagic of 2 points to cast GFB/BB as a bonus action. The shadow blade will deal 3d8 psychic, the cantrip does additional 2d8 fire/thunder damage AND the Divine Strike feature will add another 1d8 necrotic, AND it still counts as a finesse weapon attack so yay for sneak attack of 2d6 -- oh and these are auto-crits too so that's 12d8 + 4d6. So, by now you have dished: 12d10 + 21 + 12d8 + 4d6. (for the funzies let's give it a roll: 772 -- EDIT: whoops made a typo, let's try again: 142)) If the target isn't dead then your mobile feat means you get away safely. On your next turns you can use 2 points to cast Darkness that you can see through, this gives you advantage, protects you by imposing disadvantage on enemy attacks, and every turn you can combine your cantrip+shadowblade combo for 6d8 damage with advantage and you have another channel divinity to dish out another 21 necrotic damage. And the necrotic damage bypasses any resistances.
(Note; if your DM is super-ridiculously sticky about RAW then use bonus action Inflict Wounds via Quicken Spell first and then the cantrip. It makes no difference either way so many DMs wouldn't care about the order, but technically using a bonus action spell (even if it's from quicken spell) means the action spell must be the cantrip.
Increase any of the classes will of course only further improve the build, although you'll probably get more out of Rogue to build up the sneak attack and nifty things like Evasion. Focus on Dex and Wisdom for this build since you will use these for attacking and I actually recommend starting with the Rogue levels first for the nifty Dex save proficiency and extra starting skills. However, it wouldn't be terrible to bump Sorc to get higher-level Shadow Blade or such, but there are not many spells of use in Sorc unless you want to go MAD, so you don't need to care about charisma if you focus on buff spells or utility spells. The extra sorc points will help though, but your primary focus as an assassin is that first turn annihilation of an enemy so it's not super necessary to get more points - even without the bonus action spell you are doing decent damage every turn. This is still a skirmisher build not a full-fight build so you're only aiming for 1 attack typically before moving away to safety, then coming back in etc. Empower or Subtle Spell would also make good choices for metamagic. While you could choose other Sorc subclasses, Shadow works best (as it's more "Death" than "Shadow") for the darkness and once-per-day chance to avoid dropping to 0 HP. Shadow Blade granting advantage, Elven Accuracy boosts to advantage rolling and advantage granting sneak attack really all works nicely together. To that end I also recommend Control Flames cantrip to douse firelights at distance (consider Distant Spell metamagic). This can reduce light when indoors to create dim light or darkness for your shadowblade.
8 Rogue, 8 Cleric, 4 Sorc OR 6 Rogue, 8 Cleric, 6 Rogue would be decent layouts.The features beyond these levels are not important for a build like this.
If your DM is super-cool or really stupid try and convince them to let you get Illusionist's Bracers because this will let you do the shadowblade-cantrip-combo twice a turn for free without needing sorc points for quicken spell, so you can save them for combining with Inflict Wounds.
Not necessarily the most efficient build but it gets the job done and fits the servant-of-a-death-god theme very well.
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I wonder whether a Monk might work better, maybe only taking 3 levels . Maybe im thinking of this backwards. Maybe he is full Death Cleric just with a roguish background to explain his slipper behaviour.
Im imagining him walking thru a hospital cloaked up spending time with patience. Easing some into the afterlife, assisting others back into this life, and then disappearing like an angel in the night.
This is bad ass, but it's actually a little better. An 8th level Cleric/4th level Sorcerer gets 12th level spellcaster slots according to the Multiclass Spellcaster table. This character could cast Inflict Wounds using their 6th level slot for 8d10 (or 16d10 with that auto-crit for another 22 damage on average). The Shadow Blade could then be cast at 5th level for 4d8 (or 8d8 with that auto-crit for another 9). And your Ability Score Modifier for the melee attack (+3 to +5 probably, depending).
Unfortunately, Shadow Blade and Darkness (even through Eyes of Darkness) are both concentration spells so you can't have them both going at once. Fortunately though, Assassinate doesn't require you to be unseen to get that surprise round advantage to hit plus the auto-crit.
Max: A level 20 character can spend 3 levels in Rogue (to get Assassin) and still have 17 levels for Cleric/Sorcerer to get that 9th level Inflict Wounds. So it's kind of perfect except for the wasted ASI. I would go Cleric 13/Sorcerer 4 (13/3/4) for an average damage of 252 (11d10x2 + 31) + ((5d8x2 + 5) + 3d8x2 + 2d6x2 + 1d8x2). You could drop a level in Cleric to pick up your Rogue level 4 ASI (12/4/4) but your damage drops to 239 (average) and you also lose access to the 7th level Cleric spells. Or you could max out Cleric with just 3 levels of Sorcerer (14/3/3) but you don't get much in exchange for that ASI and sorcery point (just CR 3 destroy undead).
To play up the assassin archetype a little more, you could also apply an Injury Poison to your Shadow Blade.
I love the idea of the rogue/cleric/sorcerer...what order would you build it in?
Getting them all to 4 gets the build online the quickest i think, so Rogue, cleric then sorcerer. Then it depends on the cleric subclass
* Death means you want to get to Divine Strike so next 4 in cleric, then 4 more in Rogue
* Grave means you only need 6 so two more in cleric 2 more sorcerer and the last 4 in Rogue. or
* Grave option 2 dont increase the sorcerer levels but add 2 more Rogue for the ASI.
And after working thru that i think i would lean into the last option. What are your thoughts?