I would like input on the Feats I am considering and in what order to take them, if the are in fact worth taking. I will going with Bugbear (Rune Knight) and focusing on Polearms and heavy weapons:
Mobile
Heavy Armor Master
Polearm Master
Fey Touched (considering Heroism spell)
Slasher
Great Weapon Master
I'm also considering a highly Perceptive character and taking both:
I would like input on the Feats I am considering and in what order to take them...
I know I cannot do all of them.
Sounds like you are planning a character all the way to level 20. I would ask your GM at what level the campaign will end so you can realize the core concept of your character as soon as possible. Personally, I would delay Mobile and Heavy Armor Master since they do not seem as central to the core of your character's identity.
And if you are playing in a campaign that goes 20+, you technically can choose them all via Epic Boons.
I’m not a big fan of heavy armor master, even though I have it on my rune knight right now. It’s good at low levels, but by mid-levels, you end up taking elemental damage, or damage from magic weapons and it bypasses the DR. So if you take it, take it at level 4 so you can get the most use from it. The traditional move with PAM is sentinel, as you can stop people from getting next to you, at least once a round you can
But I guess the big question in general is what are you trying to do? Are you trying to do damage or to stop bad guys from getting to your allies, or something else? It’s usually better to specialize in one area than to spread yourself too thin. An option or two is good, but don’t try to do everything.
My best suggestion is to not try to plan out your character more than a level or two ahead of where you are. You never know what might pop up during the course of a game and I find it’s better to stay flexible and be able to adapt than to try to stick to a plan that was made before the game ever got started.
I think for a Rune Knight, Heavy Armor Master is better than Mobile. You're a BIG target already, so I think it's better to lean into that and aggressively tank your enemies. I think that would pair well with Polearm Master, and if I were you I wouldn't get too lost in the sauce beyond that. If you're hoping for Heroism I think you're better off getting an ally to cast it on you rather than trying to get it for yourself.
Normally Great Weapon Master is considered one of the "must-have" feats. But if you want to lean into more of a tanky, battlefield control role, Slasher would do more. Especially as a Bugbear who can become large wielding a reach weapon... you can really hinder your opponents in a large area, especially with Polearm Master making it easier for you to land Attacks of Opportunity.
Personally, I would take Skill Expert with Expertise in Perception over Observant, mostly just because I like the character customization potential of Skill Expert over the more gimmicky features of Observant, but I think that they're both pretty equal overall.
I would like input on the Feats I am considering and in what order to take them...
I know I cannot do all of them.
Sounds like you are planning a character all the way to level 20. I would ask your GM at what level the campaign will end so you can realize the core concept of your character as soon as possible. Personally, I would delay Mobile and Heavy Armor Master since they do not seem as central to the core of your character's identity.
And if you are playing in a campaign that goes 20+, you technically can choose them all via Epic Boons.
I think for a Rune Knight, Heavy Armor Master is better than Mobile. You're a BIG target already, so I think it's better to lean into that and aggressively tank your enemies. I think that would pair well with Polearm Master, and if I were you I wouldn't get too lost in the sauce beyond that. If you're hoping for Heroism I think you're better off getting an ally to cast it on you rather than trying to get it for yourself.
Normally Great Weapon Master is considered one of the "must-have" feats. But if you want to lean into more of a tanky, battlefield control role, Slasher would do more. Especially as a Bugbear who can become large wielding a reach weapon... you can really hinder your opponents in a large area, especially with Polearm Master making it easier for you to land Attacks of Opportunity.
Personally, I would take Skill Expert with Expertise in Perception over Observant, mostly just because I like the character customization potential of Skill Expert over the more gimmicky features of Observant, but I think that they're both pretty equal overall.
None of the other 5 players will be able to cast Heroism. If I take both Skill Expert and Observant, my Passive Perception would be 25. I would also choose Stealth, to give me a better chance with Heavy Armor. The party will be more "range" based than melee. 2 Rangers, a Rogue, a Wizard and a Blood Hunter. If I can keep the enemies at bay, letting the ranged attackers pick them off, it would potentially be a good strategy. I don't know if the Rangers will be more "melee based" though.
I’m not a big fan of heavy armor master, even though I have it on my rune knight right now. It’s good at low levels, but by mid-levels, you end up taking elemental damage, or damage from magic weapons and it bypasses the DR. So if you take it, take it at level 4 so you can get the most use from it. The traditional move with PAM is sentinel, as you can stop people from getting next to you, at least once a round you can
But I guess the big question in general is what are you trying to do? Are you trying to do damage or to stop bad guys from getting to your allies, or something else? It’s usually better to specialize in one area than to spread yourself too thin. An option or two is good, but don’t try to do everything.
Okay, thanks. I'm mostly hoping to hit an enemy as they come in, then move 15' away on my turn, hit them when move again, forcing them to get hit as they come in on the next round, if they're not dead of course.
I have no DEX bonus, so I won't be fast in combat. I want that anyway, because I want the enemy to approach me. I also have 5 Javelins for throwing, so I can do something out of combat.
Okay, knowing a bit more about your team composition, here's how I would play it...
First of all, I would take the Defense fighting style and go for heavy Armor... just get your AC as high as you can. It might even be worth dropping heavy weapons in order to get a spear and shield and go full Spartan, but let's keep going assuming Heavy Weapons.
At level 4 I would take Polearm Master... that bonus action attack is a big boost, especially before you get Extra Attack. Then at 6th level... it's not in your list, but I would take Sentinel. PAM and Sentinel are a classic battlefield control combo. Especially as a Rune Knight when you can enlarge yourself and can cover even more ground. The ability to completely shut down an enemy's movement and to still attack if they disengage is absolutely perfect for a frontline tank trying to protect a bunch of ranged casters.
At level 8 I would take Slasher. You have crazy range, especially on your own turn as a bugbear, and this outputs a solid passive debuff to your enemies making it harder for them to get away from you. Between all those features, plus the Cloud Rune in your back pocket you are the ultimate frontline tank.
At that point it's all gravy, and you're free to play with any future ASI's. I'd probably eventually take Skill Expert at 12, Observant at 14, and Great Weapon Master at 16. But that's just me, and you might get some different ideas by the time you get to that point... you're already pretty stacked with features by this point, and you might get even better results from just taking the regular ASI's at that point to beef up your stats.
Okay, knowing a bit more about your team composition, here's how I would play it...
First of all, I would take the Defense fighting style and go for heavy Armor... just get your AC as high as you can. It might even be worth dropping heavy weapons in order to get a spear and shield and go full Spartan, but let's keep going assuming Heavy Weapons.
At level 4 I would take Polearm Master... that bonus action attack is a big boost, especially before you get Extra Attack. Then at 6th level... it's not in your list, but I would take Sentinel. PAM and Sentinel are a classic battlefield control combo. Especially as a Rune Knight when you can enlarge yourself and can cover even more ground. The ability to completely shut down an enemy's movement and to still attack if they disengage is absolutely perfect for a frontline tank trying to protect a bunch of ranged casters.
At level 8 I would take Slasher. You have crazy range, especially on your own turn as a bugbear, and this outputs a solid passive debuff to your enemies making it harder for them to get away from you. Between all those features, plus the Cloud Rune in your back pocket you are the ultimate frontline tank.
At that point it's all gravy, and you're free to play with any future ASI's. I'd probably eventually take Skill Expert at 12, Observant at 14, and Great Weapon Master at 16. But that's just me, and you might get some different ideas by the time you get to that point... you're already pretty stacked with features by this point, and you might get even better results from just taking the regular ASI's at that point to beef up your stats.
Yeah, I didn't put Sentinel because it almost seems overpowered, but my DM encourages it. I think your order of Feats makes sense as well. I've been playing for a long time and no player has ever taken advantage of reading people's lips at a tavern or Kings table. It could add a lot of fun. I'm also trying to incorporate some Stealth, so I can get the occasional 2d6 surprise damage. And it's good out of combat as well.
I already have Chainmail to start and I have a Spear and Shield, in case I need to swap them in.
The tricky thing about your spear and shield backup is that it kind of invalidates Slasher. Not that you're not going to still be a whirlwind of death even outside of that, but if you find yourself relying on your spear/shield more frequently, I would just skip Slasher entirely. Piercer isn't quite as useful for Battlefield control as Slasher... if you find yourself going in that direction, I think Shieldmaster is the way to go instead. Getting a boost to your weak DEX saves could be incredibly useful, and getting the ability to shove as a bonus action pairs great with Giant's Might, since it gives you advantage on STR checks. You could use that to slam an enemy into an AOE effect one of your spellcasters has created, then with Sentinel you can basically trap them in hazards. If you do end up with another Melee combatant in your team, you can also knock enemies prone to give them advantage on attacks. Or if you're in a situation where Shoving doesn't really give you any benefits, you've still got your PAM bonus action attack to output some more hurt. I suppose you could also take the Crusher feat so you can shove enemies around with that same bonus action attack, but I think the additional benefits of Shieldmaster is still better overall.
I'm also trying to consider where to put my stats. I don't want to waste points when I get a feat, because I'm already at 20.
I currently have: 20, 10, 18, 6, 17, 6 I can move those around before the game starts. So, I can drop a point of STR, because I'll get it back with Slasher, for example and put it in WIS.
Solid stats... I think shifting STR down to boost your WIS will be worth it. It's really cool to be able to start the game with a 20, but you don't absolutely need it. You can finish the game from level 1-20 and never getting your primary stat past 16... but it's definitely better to get it to 20 lol. You'll still be a monster on the battlefield before you get that final tick, but that boost to WIS is huge, especially since WIS saves are so common and WIS is incredibly useful out of combat as well.
I think for a Rune Knight, Heavy Armor Master is better than Mobile. You're a BIG target already, so I think it's better to lean into that and aggressively tank your enemies. I think that would pair well with Polearm Master, and if I were you I wouldn't get too lost in the sauce beyond that. If you're hoping for Heroism I think you're better off getting an ally to cast it on you rather than trying to get it for yourself.
Normally Great Weapon Master is considered one of the "must-have" feats. But if you want to lean into more of a tanky, battlefield control role, Slasher would do more. Especially as a Bugbear who can become large wielding a reach weapon... you can really hinder your opponents in a large area, especially with Polearm Master making it easier for you to land Attacks of Opportunity.
Personally, I would take Skill Expert with Expertise in Perception over Observant, mostly just because I like the character customization potential of Skill Expert over the more gimmicky features of Observant, but I think that they're both pretty equal overall.
None of the other 5 players will be able to cast Heroism. If I take both Skill Expert and Observant, my Passive Perception would be 25. I would also choose Stealth, to give me a better chance with Heavy Armor. The party will be more "range" based than melee. 2 Rangers, a Rogue, a Wizard and a Blood Hunter. If I can keep the enemies at bay, letting the ranged attackers pick them off, it would potentially be a good strategy. I don't know if the Rangers will be more "melee based" though.
If you want to be a wall for your party, Cavalier Fighter with Polearm Master (Sentinel is mostly redundant, but you want to take it eventually to hit Disengaged enemies) would be best for that role, although you need to be at like level 18 for all the key components to fully kick in. If you want to stick with Rune Knight, then you want to get Polearm Master and Sentinel as soon as possible to mimic the capabilities of the Cavalier. For choice of weapon, you will want to use glaive or halberd, and pick the Slasher feat to further reduce enemy speed, as well as consider getting Crusher later down the line to move enemies away from your teammates (PAM lets your weapon deal bludgeoning damage with the other end).
This depends on your GM, but I would not focus on increasing your AC too much. You still want decent AC and wear the best armor you can obtain, but I would not spend class features on AC, and I would not spend Feats/Epic Boons on AC either until level 20+. You do not want your AC to be so high that enemies decide to target your teammates instead of targeting you. You may be a resilient and hard to hit wall, but you are still only one Fighter, so it is not exactly difficult to simply walk around you to go after your teammates. Obviously, if your GM is being very cooperative and only have enemies go after you, then increase your AC as high as possible.
That's a really good point about the AC. I know that, as a DM, I usually focus fire on the frontline fighter at the start of combat, but after an NPC misses the armored guy and watches all their friends miss the armored guy as well, it just makes sense to me that they'll switch their focus to someone they can actually hit.
Sorry, STR is 19 and WIS is 18. My mistake. I could go STR 18 as well, because I will eventually get 2 more STR points from Feats.
I want him to be "wise" but rather "dumb" (INT) because he's just not worldly. But the Wisdom will be good reason for him not to run blindly into combat, but discern the best course. I even want him to be "pacifist" and only fight when really needed.
I want him to be "wise" but rather "dumb" (INT) because he's just not worldly. But the Wisdom will be good reason for him not to run blindly into combat, but discern the best course. I even want him to be "pacifist" and only fight when really needed.
I don't know if it's the vibe you're going for, but that description instantly makes me think of a Jackie Chan character. Insanely competent in battle, usually not the smartest guy in the room but clever and creative, and never seeks out combat, and even when he is forced to fight he doesn't try to do obvious permanent damage to his opponents.
I want him to be "wise" but rather "dumb" (INT) because he's just not worldly. But the Wisdom will be good reason for him not to run blindly into combat, but discern the best course. I even want him to be "pacifist" and only fight when really needed.
I don't know if it's the vibe you're going for, but that description instantly makes me think of a Jackie Chan character. Insanely competent in battle, usually not the smartest guy in the room but clever and creative, and never seeks out combat, and even when he is forced to fight he doesn't try to do obvious permanent damage to his opponents.
I think that hits it pretty close. It's tough though, because too many of the other players want to run right into a fight, instead of trying to talk through it.
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I would like input on the Feats I am considering and in what order to take them, if the are in fact worth taking. I will going with Bugbear (Rune Knight) and focusing on Polearms and heavy weapons:
Mobile
Heavy Armor Master
Polearm Master
Fey Touched (considering Heroism spell)
Slasher
Great Weapon Master
I'm also considering a highly Perceptive character and taking both:
Observant
Skill Expert
I know I cannot do all of them.
Sounds like you are planning a character all the way to level 20. I would ask your GM at what level the campaign will end so you can realize the core concept of your character as soon as possible. Personally, I would delay Mobile and Heavy Armor Master since they do not seem as central to the core of your character's identity.
And if you are playing in a campaign that goes 20+, you technically can choose them all via Epic Boons.
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I’m not a big fan of heavy armor master, even though I have it on my rune knight right now. It’s good at low levels, but by mid-levels, you end up taking elemental damage, or damage from magic weapons and it bypasses the DR. So if you take it, take it at level 4 so you can get the most use from it.
The traditional move with PAM is sentinel, as you can stop people from getting next to you, at least once a round you can
But I guess the big question in general is what are you trying to do? Are you trying to do damage or to stop bad guys from getting to your allies, or something else? It’s usually better to specialize in one area than to spread yourself too thin. An option or two is good, but don’t try to do everything.
My best suggestion is to not try to plan out your character more than a level or two ahead of where you are. You never know what might pop up during the course of a game and I find it’s better to stay flexible and be able to adapt than to try to stick to a plan that was made before the game ever got started.
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I think for a Rune Knight, Heavy Armor Master is better than Mobile. You're a BIG target already, so I think it's better to lean into that and aggressively tank your enemies. I think that would pair well with Polearm Master, and if I were you I wouldn't get too lost in the sauce beyond that. If you're hoping for Heroism I think you're better off getting an ally to cast it on you rather than trying to get it for yourself.
Normally Great Weapon Master is considered one of the "must-have" feats. But if you want to lean into more of a tanky, battlefield control role, Slasher would do more. Especially as a Bugbear who can become large wielding a reach weapon... you can really hinder your opponents in a large area, especially with Polearm Master making it easier for you to land Attacks of Opportunity.
Personally, I would take Skill Expert with Expertise in Perception over Observant, mostly just because I like the character customization potential of Skill Expert over the more gimmicky features of Observant, but I think that they're both pretty equal overall.
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Yes, he is expecting a level 20 campaign.
None of the other 5 players will be able to cast Heroism. If I take both Skill Expert and Observant, my Passive Perception would be 25. I would also choose Stealth, to give me a better chance with Heavy Armor. The party will be more "range" based than melee. 2 Rangers, a Rogue, a Wizard and a Blood Hunter. If I can keep the enemies at bay, letting the ranged attackers pick them off, it would potentially be a good strategy. I don't know if the Rangers will be more "melee based" though.
Okay, thanks. I'm mostly hoping to hit an enemy as they come in, then move 15' away on my turn, hit them when move again, forcing them to get hit as they come in on the next round, if they're not dead of course.
I have no DEX bonus, so I won't be fast in combat. I want that anyway, because I want the enemy to approach me. I also have 5 Javelins for throwing, so I can do something out of combat.
Okay, knowing a bit more about your team composition, here's how I would play it...
First of all, I would take the Defense fighting style and go for heavy Armor... just get your AC as high as you can. It might even be worth dropping heavy weapons in order to get a spear and shield and go full Spartan, but let's keep going assuming Heavy Weapons.
At level 4 I would take Polearm Master... that bonus action attack is a big boost, especially before you get Extra Attack. Then at 6th level... it's not in your list, but I would take Sentinel. PAM and Sentinel are a classic battlefield control combo. Especially as a Rune Knight when you can enlarge yourself and can cover even more ground. The ability to completely shut down an enemy's movement and to still attack if they disengage is absolutely perfect for a frontline tank trying to protect a bunch of ranged casters.
At level 8 I would take Slasher. You have crazy range, especially on your own turn as a bugbear, and this outputs a solid passive debuff to your enemies making it harder for them to get away from you. Between all those features, plus the Cloud Rune in your back pocket you are the ultimate frontline tank.
At that point it's all gravy, and you're free to play with any future ASI's. I'd probably eventually take Skill Expert at 12, Observant at 14, and Great Weapon Master at 16. But that's just me, and you might get some different ideas by the time you get to that point... you're already pretty stacked with features by this point, and you might get even better results from just taking the regular ASI's at that point to beef up your stats.
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Yeah, I didn't put Sentinel because it almost seems overpowered, but my DM encourages it. I think your order of Feats makes sense as well. I've been playing for a long time and no player has ever taken advantage of reading people's lips at a tavern or Kings table. It could add a lot of fun. I'm also trying to incorporate some Stealth, so I can get the occasional 2d6 surprise damage. And it's good out of combat as well.
I already have Chainmail to start and I have a Spear and Shield, in case I need to swap them in.
The tricky thing about your spear and shield backup is that it kind of invalidates Slasher. Not that you're not going to still be a whirlwind of death even outside of that, but if you find yourself relying on your spear/shield more frequently, I would just skip Slasher entirely. Piercer isn't quite as useful for Battlefield control as Slasher... if you find yourself going in that direction, I think Shieldmaster is the way to go instead. Getting a boost to your weak DEX saves could be incredibly useful, and getting the ability to shove as a bonus action pairs great with Giant's Might, since it gives you advantage on STR checks. You could use that to slam an enemy into an AOE effect one of your spellcasters has created, then with Sentinel you can basically trap them in hazards. If you do end up with another Melee combatant in your team, you can also knock enemies prone to give them advantage on attacks. Or if you're in a situation where Shoving doesn't really give you any benefits, you've still got your PAM bonus action attack to output some more hurt. I suppose you could also take the Crusher feat so you can shove enemies around with that same bonus action attack, but I think the additional benefits of Shieldmaster is still better overall.
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I'm also trying to consider where to put my stats. I don't want to waste points when I get a feat, because I'm already at 20.
I currently have: 20, 10, 18, 6, 17, 6 I can move those around before the game starts. So, I can drop a point of STR, because I'll get it back with Slasher, for example and put it in WIS.
Solid stats... I think shifting STR down to boost your WIS will be worth it. It's really cool to be able to start the game with a 20, but you don't absolutely need it. You can finish the game from level 1-20 and never getting your primary stat past 16... but it's definitely better to get it to 20 lol. You'll still be a monster on the battlefield before you get that final tick, but that boost to WIS is huge, especially since WIS saves are so common and WIS is incredibly useful out of combat as well.
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If you want to be a wall for your party, Cavalier Fighter with Polearm Master (Sentinel is mostly redundant, but you want to take it eventually to hit Disengaged enemies) would be best for that role, although you need to be at like level 18 for all the key components to fully kick in. If you want to stick with Rune Knight, then you want to get Polearm Master and Sentinel as soon as possible to mimic the capabilities of the Cavalier. For choice of weapon, you will want to use glaive or halberd, and pick the Slasher feat to further reduce enemy speed, as well as consider getting Crusher later down the line to move enemies away from your teammates (PAM lets your weapon deal bludgeoning damage with the other end).
This depends on your GM, but I would not focus on increasing your AC too much. You still want decent AC and wear the best armor you can obtain, but I would not spend class features on AC, and I would not spend Feats/Epic Boons on AC either until level 20+. You do not want your AC to be so high that enemies decide to target your teammates instead of targeting you. You may be a resilient and hard to hit wall, but you are still only one Fighter, so it is not exactly difficult to simply walk around you to go after your teammates. Obviously, if your GM is being very cooperative and only have enemies go after you, then increase your AC as high as possible.
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That's a really good point about the AC. I know that, as a DM, I usually focus fire on the frontline fighter at the start of combat, but after an NPC misses the armored guy and watches all their friends miss the armored guy as well, it just makes sense to me that they'll switch their focus to someone they can actually hit.
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Sorry, STR is 19 and WIS is 18. My mistake. I could go STR 18 as well, because I will eventually get 2 more STR points from Feats.
I want him to be "wise" but rather "dumb" (INT) because he's just not worldly. But the Wisdom will be good reason for him not to run blindly into combat, but discern the best course. I even want him to be "pacifist" and only fight when really needed.
Heavy Weapon Master. If you’re using a character based on Heavy polearms, heavy weapon master is probably the best feat.
I don't know if it's the vibe you're going for, but that description instantly makes me think of a Jackie Chan character. Insanely competent in battle, usually not the smartest guy in the room but clever and creative, and never seeks out combat, and even when he is forced to fight he doesn't try to do obvious permanent damage to his opponents.
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I think that hits it pretty close. It's tough though, because too many of the other players want to run right into a fight, instead of trying to talk through it.