My original character idea was a Monk / Fighter multi-class (Eldritch Knight) that would also use Warcaster and Polearm Master for some Booming Blade fun.
However, in-game he got embroiled in a subplot with a storm-god that ended with the island we had been spending our adventure on being attacked by an ancient copper dragon (level 6 - we had lots of help killing it) - along the way I picked up the Zeal Domain Cleric (obscure 2nd party, but it fit better than Tempest).
Now the Monk part has become quite redundant and my DM is allowing me to respec that into fighter and shift my stats a bit as long as I spend an extended period of time training in game.
I was Monk 1 / Fighter 4 / Cleric 2 with 10str 16dex 14con 12int 17wis and 8cha.
I am now thinking Fighter 5 / Cleric 2 with 16str 14dex 12con 10int 17wis and 8cha. Going Fighter 6 next to pick up Resilient (Wisdom) before taking Cleric from 2-8.
The reason I wanted a +2 in Dex was because I was a dexterous character, and I am commissioning Dragon Scale Mail from the scales of the ancient dragon (fitting for character reasons as well as good armour).
Do you think that is reasonable, or what would you change?
DEX builds can be good, and str builds can be good. but it seems like you are trying to split between DEX build and str build. I’d say just commit to one or the other. The scale is cool, but +1 scale and your DEX bonus still isn’t as good an AC as just run of the mill plate. The resistance will be nice sometimes, but the higher AC will be nice every time. Go all in on str and wear the heavy armor (not to mention hitting more frequently and for more damage). Either that or go for high DEX and stick with light armor. Like see if you can get dragon scale, but treat it like studded leather and go for the DEX build. Studded leather and a max DEX is better than scale, also. Really, medium armor is almost pointless. And that 17 in wis isn’t doing you any favors. Drop it to a 16 and put the extra points in con (or str or DEX), assuming you can, which I now realize depending on how you did stats may be the case. What are you going for with the cleric levels? Level 7 ek gives you level 2 spells, and war magic is really cool. Then of course level 8 is another feat. You end up giving up some good stuff for that cleric level.
Currently my racial +1s (Variant Human) are in Strength (15+1) and Wisdom (16+1), I elected to go for Wisdom for DC on my saves (which I’ll get to) and because Resilient (Wisdom) seems to be the best half-feat that I can go for.
Lv8 I’ll get 18wis, then lv10 18str and lv14 20str (that’s my plan thus far anyway).
Zeal Cleric 2 gives me a lot, more spell slots, and most notably Thunderous Smite, Healing Word and the ability to maximise dice damage on thunder/fire.
I have War Caster and Polearm Master and a lot of my build comes together with the synergy between those two feats and Booming Blade and Thunderous Smite... which is why I think boosting Wisdom before Strength, is wise.
I didn't think of the half feat from resilient, my bad. That makes much more sense now.
I still think either str or dex, but not medium armor. Maybe swap dex and con, since the con will help with those concentration saves (I see you have warcaster, but still its good) and hp. and a +1 dex is good enough for most str based fighter builds.
Of course, if you're really attached to that armor, and I do think that is perfectly reasonable, in spite of all my other comments. Then this build will work well, too and give you the most use out of it, I think.
If you go to level 8 in cleric, you won't hit 14 in fighter. Are you sure the campaign is going all the way to 20? Knowing where it will end can sometimes influence your split in multi-classing.
We have been playing for a year and only just got to level 7, so no I probably won’t get to level 20, that’s why I have tried to front-load as much as possible.
I would think we will probably get up to level 12-14ish and I do have a levelling plan. But lv20 wise I’m not planning on getting to 14 with Fighter, but actually Fighter 11 / Cleric 9 (max spells and spell slot whilst picking up ASIs as early as reasonable and getting all the abilities that I want from both classes).
Lv7 3d6+5 +1d8. Average: 20 or Consuming Fevor: 28.5. +9 on a trigger.
Resounding Strike: As above, but knockback from Resounding Strike, so using Searing Smite instead.
Lv11 5d6+5 +2d8 Average: 31.5 or Consuming Fevor: 48.5. With a triggered +13.5.
Weapons: Spear, Attack and Bonus Action: 3d6+15 = 25.5 damage
In-depth Tactics
Level 7
1-5 Turn
Thunderous Smite 2d6 5/long rest (last spell slot for Absorb Elements, Shield or Shield of Faith)
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Damage: 21 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
6 Turn (skip if I used Action Surge to support my 1-5 turns)
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Action Surge: Disengage/Dodge/Shove 1/short rest
Second Wind 1d10+4 Healing 1/short rest / Shield of Faith 3/long rest (last spell) (or Second Wind)
Damage: 14 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
8-9 Turn
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Priest of Zeal 1d6+5 3/long rest
Damage: 25.5 +23 (for the low OA chance)
∞ Turn
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Bonus Action 1d4+5 ∞
Damage 24.5 +23 (for the low OA chance)
Nova Turn (level 7 with a normal spear)
Action Surge 1/short rest –
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Thunderous Smite 2d6 5/long rest
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Consuming Fervor 1/short rest
Damage: 55.5 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
After Short Rest
6-7 Turn Tactics Available (lv7+ with added Consuming Fervor, ideally when using Pushing Attack)
Can Nova (with just two melee attacks instead of spells)
Damage: 30.5/28.5 +9 or +30 (this is at lv6)
The key thing that I have learned from this campaign though is patience and that a character concept that requires higher levels is not a good idea when you start at lv1. Hence rejigging things.
My original character idea was a Monk / Fighter multi-class (Eldritch Knight) that would also use Warcaster and Polearm Master for some Booming Blade fun.
However, in-game he got embroiled in a subplot with a storm-god that ended with the island we had been spending our adventure on being attacked by an ancient copper dragon (level 6 - we had lots of help killing it) - along the way I picked up the Zeal Domain Cleric (obscure 2nd party, but it fit better than Tempest).
Now the Monk part has become quite redundant and my DM is allowing me to respec that into fighter and shift my stats a bit as long as I spend an extended period of time training in game.
I was Monk 1 / Fighter 4 / Cleric 2 with 10str 16dex 14con 12int 17wis and 8cha.
I am now thinking Fighter 5 / Cleric 2 with 16str 14dex 12con 10int 17wis and 8cha.
Going Fighter 6 next to pick up Resilient (Wisdom) before taking Cleric from 2-8.
The reason I wanted a +2 in Dex was because I was a dexterous character, and I am commissioning Dragon Scale Mail from the scales of the ancient dragon (fitting for character reasons as well as good armour).
Do you think that is reasonable, or what would you change?
DEX builds can be good, and str builds can be good. but it seems like you are trying to split between DEX build and str build. I’d say just commit to one or the other. The scale is cool, but +1 scale and your DEX bonus still isn’t as good an AC as just run of the mill plate. The resistance will be nice sometimes, but the higher AC will be nice every time. Go all in on str and wear the heavy armor (not to mention hitting more frequently and for more damage). Either that or go for high DEX and stick with light armor. Like see if you can get dragon scale, but treat it like studded leather and go for the DEX build. Studded leather and a max DEX is better than scale, also. Really, medium armor is almost pointless.
And that 17 in wis isn’t doing you any favors. Drop it to a 16 and put the extra points in con (or str or DEX), assuming you can, which I now realize depending on how you did stats may be the case.
What are you going for with the cleric levels? Level 7 ek gives you level 2 spells, and war magic is really cool. Then of course level 8 is another feat. You end up giving up some good stuff for that cleric level.
Currently my racial +1s (Variant Human) are in Strength (15+1) and Wisdom (16+1), I elected to go for Wisdom for DC on my saves (which I’ll get to) and because Resilient (Wisdom) seems to be the best half-feat that I can go for.
Lv8 I’ll get 18wis, then lv10 18str and lv14 20str (that’s my plan thus far anyway).
Zeal Cleric 2 gives me a lot, more spell slots, and most notably Thunderous Smite, Healing Word and the ability to maximise dice damage on thunder/fire.
I have War Caster and Polearm Master and a lot of my build comes together with the synergy between those two feats and Booming Blade and Thunderous Smite... which is why I think boosting Wisdom before Strength, is wise.
I didn't think of the half feat from resilient, my bad. That makes much more sense now.
I still think either str or dex, but not medium armor. Maybe swap dex and con, since the con will help with those concentration saves (I see you have warcaster, but still its good) and hp. and a +1 dex is good enough for most str based fighter builds.
Of course, if you're really attached to that armor, and I do think that is perfectly reasonable, in spite of all my other comments. Then this build will work well, too and give you the most use out of it, I think.
If you go to level 8 in cleric, you won't hit 14 in fighter. Are you sure the campaign is going all the way to 20? Knowing where it will end can sometimes influence your split in multi-classing.
We have been playing for a year and only just got to level 7, so no I probably won’t get to level 20, that’s why I have tried to front-load as much as possible.
I would think we will probably get up to level 12-14ish and I do have a levelling plan. But lv20 wise I’m not planning on getting to 14 with Fighter, but actually Fighter 11 / Cleric 9 (max spells and spell slot whilst picking up ASIs as early as reasonable and getting all the abilities that I want from both classes).
Levels (Strength 16, Dexterity 14, Constitution 12, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 17 & Charisma 8)
Cantrips: Fighter 3: Booming Blade & Green-Flame Blade. Fighter 10: Message
Cleric 1: Thaumaturgy, Spare the Dying & Mending. Cleric 4: Guidance.
1st Spell Level: Fighter 3: Absorb Elements, Find Familiar & Shield. Fighter 4: Protection from Evil & Good. Fighter 11: Alarm
Cleric 1: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite (Domain Spells), Cure Wounds, Healing Word Shield of Faith & Summon Squall (Homebrew). Cleric 2: Create or Destroy Water (Flex spot, Fighter 6: ASI)
2nd Spell Level: Fighter 7: Warding Wind. Fighter 8: Mirror Image. Fighter 10: Darkness
Cleric 3: Magic Weapon, Shatter (Domain Spells), Hold Person. Cleric 8: Aid.
3rd Spell Level: Cleric 5: Haste, Fireball (Domain Spells), Water Walk. Cleric 6: Bestow Curse.
4th Spell Level: Cleric 7: Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement (Domain Spells), Death Ward & Control Water
5th Spell Level: Cleric 9: Destructive Wave, Flame Strike (Domain Spells), Geas, Dispel Evil & Good
Standard Strategy (combo with Action Surge and Spells)
Booming Smite: Bonus Action: Thunderous Smite & Action: Booming Blade - Great synergy.
Lv7 3d6+5 +1d8. Average: 20 or Consuming Fevor: 28.5. +9 on a trigger.
Resounding Strike: As above, but knockback from Resounding Strike, so using Searing Smite instead.
Lv11 5d6+5 +2d8 Average: 31.5 or Consuming Fevor: 48.5. With a triggered +13.5.
Weapons: Spear, Attack and Bonus Action: 3d6+15 = 25.5 damage
In-depth Tactics
Level 7
1-5 Turn
Thunderous Smite 2d6 5/long rest (last spell slot for Absorb Elements, Shield or Shield of Faith)
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Damage: 21 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
6 Turn (skip if I used Action Surge to support my 1-5 turns)
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Action Surge: Disengage/Dodge/Shove 1/short rest
Second Wind 1d10+4 Healing 1/short rest / Shield of Faith 3/long rest (last spell) (or Second Wind)
Damage: 14 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
8-9 Turn
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Priest of Zeal 1d6+5 3/long rest
Damage: 25.5 +23 (for the low OA chance)
∞ Turn
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Bonus Action 1d4+5 ∞
Damage 24.5 +23 (for the low OA chance)
Nova Turn (level 7 with a normal spear)
Action Surge 1/short rest –
Spear 2d6+10 ∞
Thunderous Smite 2d6 5/long rest
Booming Blade 1d6+5 +1d8 ∞
Consuming Fervor 1/short rest
Damage: 55.5 +9 or +32 (depending on triggers)
After Short Rest
6-7 Turn Tactics Available (lv7+ with added Consuming Fervor, ideally when using Pushing Attack)
Can Nova (with just two melee attacks instead of spells)
Damage: 30.5/28.5 +9 or +30 (this is at lv6)
The key thing that I have learned from this campaign though is patience and that a character concept that requires higher levels is not a good idea when you start at lv1. Hence rejigging things.
I get it. I thought when you said level 14, you meant level 14 fighter. not character level 14, but level 8 fighter.