So I am joining a campaign and I wanted to create a character that represents Naofumi from the rising of the shield hero. I found a build for him which uses 1st level fighter then goes into wizard with 2 level of cleric later on.
Anyway I talked to my dm to have my character use his shield as an arcane focus as well as his spell book. He said yes to the arcane focus but I have to pay a merchant to make it the focus. For the spell book it's a no but but as long as I have spells prepared I dont need to use the spell book in combat. I just wanted to get some insight on the whole issue.
So you have a lot of options on how to build Naofumi. Trying to get all of his abilities may be a little hard as they are spread out among the classes. I personally would take a look at going pure Lore Bard. You can flavor Cutting words which is the 3rd level ability as a projected shield that can be used make an opponent miss an ally or deal less damage. You get healing magic and buff/debuff magic which Naofumi gets support magic similar to this. With Magical secrets at level 6 and level 10 you can grab spells that you feel your version of the Shield hero is missing. Expertise will allow you to show off how Naofumi analyses a situation and can make you extra perceptive or better at investigating.
Spells to consider for magical secrets
6th level Magical Secrets
Armor of Agathys is great as you can up your hp and deal damage when hit by enemy.
Warding bond connects you and an ally and when they ally is hit they take half the damage and you take the other half. This is risky but fits shield hero concept well. Works better if you are planning to be support and your CON is decent.
Counterspell could be a shield appearing in front of the caster and absorbing the spell cast
Spirit Guardians can be like an aura that punishes the enemy for coming in close
thunderstep gives you the ability to help move an ally or gives you great mobility if swarmed by too many enemies
fireball gives you a great offensive ability although you may try going full support
10th Level Magical Secrets
Otiluke's Resilent Sphere is reminiscent of Naofumi casting a shield on an ally or too move an enemy.
Bigby's hand can have all of the effects be reflavored as shield effects like shield bash for clenched fist, or the iron maiden ability for grasping hand.
Wall of Force is a great one to control the battlefield.
As long as you are creative you can reflavor mechanics to fit your concept. Multiclassing can be strong when done right. If you have any questions about the build let me know.
Thank you for the insight of the build I never thought of using the bard class. What are your thoughts about my dm wanting my character to pay a merchant to make a shield into a focus.
Thank you for the insight of the build I never thought of using the bard class. What are your thoughts about my dm wanting my character to pay a merchant to make a shield into a focus.
I don't think it's unreasonable. Paladin's and Clerics can attach their holy symbol to a shield and use it as a focus. If you wanted to do the same but with a different class I would allow it. Especially depending on how you flavour the class. How much is he wanting you to pay?
Up to you. If you are wanting to be full support then you could always wear a shield on one arm and hold a focus in your free hand. I don’t know if you are planning to use weapons. Once you get the funds then you could invest.
Mixing the Bard and Paladin classes might be your best bet, probably starting in paladin so you actually have shield proficiency. Using the Dwarf race and just maximizing your health pool, take the fighting style of either Interception or Protection, and take one of the paladin archtypes that let you just interpose yourself for an ally and take damage for them. Grab warding bond too and just be maximum support tank. Maxing your Charisma and Constitution are your primary focuses with this build, Constitution for more health, and Charisma to net you all sorts of bonuses such as the bonus to all saves for friendlies in 10 ft including yourself, as well as your bard spell DC. You'd probably want to stick with paladin for around 7 or 8 levels depending on if you want that second feat so you can get everything you need, then go Bard and get all those juicy spell slots.
Your channel divinity is either +5 to persuasion checks for ten minutes or you can damage an enemy who attacks an ally within 30 ft of you for the damage it dealt. The 7th level feature lets you take the damage dealt to a creature within 10ft of you as a reaction. This seems thematic with being a guardian or with the shield theme.
Awesome thank for that I was also looking as well and found a shield that with alittle flare you can give it the ability to change its appearance. The shield of expressions. Also if you use the wizard class you could us a spellshard as a spellbook.
Abjuration wizard is probably the best archtype for the damage shield, you can cast plenty of abjuration spells like shield to help tank better too. I'd still say bard or maybe Warlock. Warlocks actually have a few interesting options, especially with some UA stuff. The new genie archtype, at least mechanically, would fit here, as well as the new talisman option.
Artificer has interesting abilities. Maybe battlesmith if you want to flavor it as a shield or fillo for iron defender. Magic items could help you feel like Naofumi and they have some great control spells. I feel like bard gives you more options to reflavor as shield abilities. You could end up with a great AC if you go medium armor master as variant human and you have at least a 16 in dex. You can throw on repulsion shield for a +1 shield and add enhanced defense to your armor for +1 armor and eventually +2 armor. By level 10 you will have an AC of 23 using half-plate with option to use shield spell to get 28. At high levels high AC may not help as much as you think with creatures having high attack modifiers and abilities that require saves instead of attack rolls. I thought artificer at first but I think bard gives you a wider breath of options and paladin will give you some more support abilities with an option for damage. Maybe DM will allow you to shield bash if you aren’t using a weapon and allow you to smite with the shield.
If you get proficiency in a herbalism kit you can craft potions of healing. Your DM May have a crafting system in place already. Xanathar’s has a healing potion table for crafting on pg 130.
Do you think the Paladin and bard build would be fine with 3 levels of Paladin going into the redemption oath and then 17 levels in bard going into the college of lore
Are you wanting melee if so go at least 6 level paladin for extra attack and aura to add cha to saving throws. If you don't want to use melee and won't be attacking much then its probably best not to multiclass and to get your full spell progression and avoid delaying higher level spell slots.
Ok cause I was thinking about doing more support but with now thinking about it, it would definitely help the party to alot to gain a bonus on saving throws. I was thinking about a custom background for him to be proficient in herbalist kit and jewlery kit.
So I am joining a campaign and I wanted to create a character that represents Naofumi from the rising of the shield hero. I found a build for him which uses 1st level fighter then goes into wizard with 2 level of cleric later on.
Anyway I talked to my dm to have my character use his shield as an arcane focus as well as his spell book. He said yes to the arcane focus but I have to pay a merchant to make it the focus. For the spell book it's a no but but as long as I have spells prepared I dont need to use the spell book in combat. I just wanted to get some insight on the whole issue.
So you have a lot of options on how to build Naofumi. Trying to get all of his abilities may be a little hard as they are spread out among the classes. I personally would take a look at going pure Lore Bard. You can flavor Cutting words which is the 3rd level ability as a projected shield that can be used make an opponent miss an ally or deal less damage. You get healing magic and buff/debuff magic which Naofumi gets support magic similar to this. With Magical secrets at level 6 and level 10 you can grab spells that you feel your version of the Shield hero is missing. Expertise will allow you to show off how Naofumi analyses a situation and can make you extra perceptive or better at investigating.
Spells to consider for magical secrets
6th level Magical Secrets
Armor of Agathys is great as you can up your hp and deal damage when hit by enemy.
Warding bond connects you and an ally and when they ally is hit they take half the damage and you take the other half. This is risky but fits shield hero concept well. Works better if you are planning to be support and your CON is decent.
Counterspell could be a shield appearing in front of the caster and absorbing the spell cast
Spirit Guardians can be like an aura that punishes the enemy for coming in close
thunderstep gives you the ability to help move an ally or gives you great mobility if swarmed by too many enemies
fireball gives you a great offensive ability although you may try going full support
10th Level Magical Secrets
Otiluke's Resilent Sphere is reminiscent of Naofumi casting a shield on an ally or too move an enemy.
Bigby's hand can have all of the effects be reflavored as shield effects like shield bash for clenched fist, or the iron maiden ability for grasping hand.
Wall of Force is a great one to control the battlefield.
As long as you are creative you can reflavor mechanics to fit your concept. Multiclassing can be strong when done right. If you have any questions about the build let me know.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Thank you for the insight of the build I never thought of using the bard class. What are your thoughts about my dm wanting my character to pay a merchant to make a shield into a focus.
I don't think it's unreasonable. Paladin's and Clerics can attach their holy symbol to a shield and use it as a focus. If you wanted to do the same but with a different class I would allow it. Especially depending on how you flavour the class. How much is he wanting you to pay?
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
We haven't started the campaign yet but he is having us start at level 2. I asked him today but he wouldn't say.
He wants me to pay 400gp to turn my shield into an arcane focus
Up to you. If you are wanting to be full support then you could always wear a shield on one arm and hold a focus in your free hand. I don’t know if you are planning to use weapons. Once you get the funds then you could invest.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Mixing the Bard and Paladin classes might be your best bet, probably starting in paladin so you actually have shield proficiency. Using the Dwarf race and just maximizing your health pool, take the fighting style of either Interception or Protection, and take one of the paladin archtypes that let you just interpose yourself for an ally and take damage for them. Grab warding bond too and just be maximum support tank. Maxing your Charisma and Constitution are your primary focuses with this build, Constitution for more health, and Charisma to net you all sorts of bonuses such as the bonus to all saves for friendlies in 10 ft including yourself, as well as your bard spell DC. You'd probably want to stick with paladin for around 7 or 8 levels depending on if you want that second feat so you can get everything you need, then go Bard and get all those juicy spell slots.
I like the build. What sacred oath do you think would work well with it though for the Paladin
Redemption
Your channel divinity is either +5 to persuasion checks for ten minutes or you can damage an enemy who attacks an ally within 30 ft of you for the damage it dealt. The 7th level feature lets you take the damage dealt to a creature within 10ft of you as a reaction. This seems thematic with being a guardian or with the shield theme.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Awesome thank for that I was also looking as well and found a shield that with alittle flare you can give it the ability to change its appearance. The shield of expressions. Also if you use the wizard class you could us a spellshard as a spellbook.
Abjuration wizard is probably the best archtype for the damage shield, you can cast plenty of abjuration spells like shield to help tank better too. I'd still say bard or maybe Warlock. Warlocks actually have a few interesting options, especially with some UA stuff. The new genie archtype, at least mechanically, would fit here, as well as the new talisman option.
What about Artificer.
Artificer has interesting abilities. Maybe battlesmith if you want to flavor it as a shield or fillo for iron defender. Magic items could help you feel like Naofumi and they have some great control spells. I feel like bard gives you more options to reflavor as shield abilities. You could end up with a great AC if you go medium armor master as variant human and you have at least a 16 in dex. You can throw on repulsion shield for a +1 shield and add enhanced defense to your armor for +1 armor and eventually +2 armor. By level 10 you will have an AC of 23 using half-plate with option to use shield spell to get 28. At high levels high AC may not help as much as you think with creatures having high attack modifiers and abilities that require saves instead of attack rolls. I thought artificer at first but I think bard gives you a wider breath of options and paladin will give you some more support abilities with an option for damage. Maybe DM will allow you to shield bash if you aren’t using a weapon and allow you to smite with the shield.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Thank you I was kinda thinking the alchemist for the artificer since he does do some thing with healing potions
If you get proficiency in a herbalism kit you can craft potions of healing. Your DM May have a crafting system in place already. Xanathar’s has a healing potion table for crafting on pg 130.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Alright thanks.
Do you think the Paladin and bard build would be fine with 3 levels of Paladin going into the redemption oath and then 17 levels in bard going into the college of lore
Are you wanting melee if so go at least 6 level paladin for extra attack and aura to add cha to saving throws. If you don't want to use melee and won't be attacking much then its probably best not to multiclass and to get your full spell progression and avoid delaying higher level spell slots.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
Ok cause I was thinking about doing more support but with now thinking about it, it would definitely help the party to alot to gain a bonus on saving throws. I was thinking about a custom background for him to be proficient in herbalist kit and jewlery kit.