I'm making a VHuman Shadow Sorcerer Build. I'd like him to focus on melee, but more importantly I want him to be AL Legal. Any suggestions? Obviously I take Shadow Blade ASAP.
For a melee shadow sorcerer, I would do the following:
Point buy stats:
STR = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
DEX = 8
CON = 15 + 1 (Resilient CON)
INT = 8
WIS = 8
CHA = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
Character levels 1-2: Paladin for first 2 levels. Wear best armor available, and use a shield. Defense fighting style.
Character levels 3-6: Shadow sorcerer for the next 4 levels. Metamagic of Subtle Spell. ASI increasing STR. Use spell slots to summon Shadow Blade and smite. Use reaction and Subtle Spell to cast Shield. Run away using spell point cast Darkness.
Character levels 7-10: Oath of Conquest Paladin for next 4 levels. ASI increasing STR or CHA.
So at character level 9, you can use your action to attack twice with Shadow Blade, your bonus action to attack once with Spiritual Weapon, and have your reaction free to do whatever.
I'd somehow throw 1 level of Hexblade warlock in to the mix. Medium armor, shield, martial weapon plus the ability to use Charisma for attack and damage. Through in Hex for a bit of a bonus to damage. All for 1 level of warlock. :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Watch your back, conserve your ammo, and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
A sorcerer using Booming Blade and/or Green-Flame Blade indeed works well as a melee sorcerer. Unfortunately, those two spells come from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and the Shadow Magic origin comes from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so you can't have both because of AL's "PHB+1" rule.
Also, it's impossible for a level 1 variant human sorcerer to take the Moderately Armored feat because the feat has proficiency with light armor as a prerequisite. Neither variant human nor sorcerer grant light armor proficiency.
That's why I suggest going Paladin to at least level 5 to get double attack to make the most out of Shadow Blade. You also get the armor and shield proficiencies, which will help a lot in survivability. Fighter would work too, but I believe Paladin wins out due to smites.
So another option is to multiclass with a Valor Bard or Swords Bard.
Point buy stats:
STR = 8
DEX = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
CON = 15 + 1 (Resilient CON)
INT = 8
WIS = 8
CHA = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
Character levels 1-5: Shadow sorcerer for the first 5 levels. Metamagic of Subtle Spell. ASI increasing DEX.
Character levels 6-11: Valor or Swords Bard for the next 6 levels. ASI increasing DEX or CHA.
At character level 11, you'll be able to attack twice with Shadow Blade and have your bonus action free to pass out Bardic Inspiration die. As compared to the Paladin/Sorcerer multiclass, the AC and saves are lower and the single target burst damage is lower due to no smites, but you'll have a lot more spells slots and a lot more skills (including expertise!).
Bard, eh? Now THIS is a build I can get behind. Resislient CON is a bit of a waste since Sorcs get CON proficiency, but I like this. I may lower CHA a bit, or maybe DEX, for earlier levels before my first ASI. That way I don't have -1 to all saves that don't help me sorc.
Bard, eh? Now THIS is a build I can get behind. Resislient CON is a bit of a waste since Sorcs get CON proficiency, but I like this. I may lower CHA a bit, or maybe DEX, for earlier levels before my first ASI. That way I don't have -1 to all saves that don't help me sorc.
Woops! I was thinking of taking Bard first when I was typing up the stats, therefore needing Resilient CON, and changed my mind halfway through to taking Sorcerer first. Thanks for catching that.
Anyway, if you want to have no negative saves, I would recommend using point buy:
STR = 10
DEX = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
CON = 15 + 1 (VHuman)
INT = 10
WIS = 9 + 1 (Resilient WIS)
CHA = 12
And I'd recommend learning spells to assist in your survival in melee like Shield, Mirror Image, and Blink.
A sorcerer using Booming Blade and/or Green-Flame Blade indeed works well as a melee sorcerer. Unfortunately, those two spells come from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and the Shadow Magic origin comes from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so you can't have both because of AL's "PHB+1" rule.
Also, it's impossible for a level 1 variant human sorcerer to take the Moderately Armored feat because the feat has proficiency with light armor as a prerequisite. Neither variant human nor sorcerer grant light armor proficiency.
Argh... the dndbeyond character builder does not enforce the feat prerequisites nor display them, so I thought there was none.
Also it does not allow to enforce PHB+1 and does not display spell source book origin and also does not have that filter posibility. I thought Green Flame Blade is from the Basic rules even, but remembered wrongly.
That means you cannot simply click together your charakter in the builder without double checking feats prerequisites and spell origins and who knows what else in the other databases, great....
Thanks for the hint! That's might be the reason why the build felt so op. I'll fix it.
A sorcerer using Booming Blade and/or Green-Flame Blade indeed works well as a melee sorcerer. Unfortunately, those two spells come from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and the Shadow Magic origin comes from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so you can't have both because of AL's "PHB+1" rule.
Also, it's impossible for a level 1 variant human sorcerer to take the Moderately Armored feat because the feat has proficiency with light armor as a prerequisite. Neither variant human nor sorcerer grant light armor proficiency.
Argh... the dndbeyond character builder does not enforce the feat prerequisites nor display them, so I thought there was none.
Also it does not allow to enforce PHB+1 and does not display spell source book origin and also does not have that filter posibility. I thought Green Flame Blade is from the Basic rules even, but remembered wrongly.
That means you cannot simply click together your charakter in the builder without double checking feats prerequisites and spell origins and who knows what else in the other databases, great....
Thanks for the hint! That's might be the reason why the build felt so op. I'll fix it.
Sure thing! D&D Beyond is working on better AL integration that would enforce the "PHB+1" rule, though I have no idea when they plan to launch it.
And yes, it would be nice if the character builder would have a "Meet Prerequisites" checkbox for feats.
Ok, this is complicated by the AL limits and staying single class. First you are going to have to rely on mage armor and dex. No shield either so you won't be looking to be the hardest to hit. Since you seem to want to focus on Shadow blade that also puts focus on DEX. Without a shield, you will be getting hit, so I think CON is also up there.
Honestly, given the desires, I would choose a half-elf variant with points in dex and con and take elf weapon training so you can use a short sword at least until you get Shadow blade. Either pick a background that gives you 10gp to buy one, or take your any simple weapon as a shortbow and sell it back for 12.5gp (yes AL legal)
8-16-16--8-10-16 9hp 16 AC w Mage Armor
Would take Firebolt, Shocking Grasp, lightning lure, and whatever flavor cantrip
Mage armor, obviously, and Catapult is a good save based spell that works in melee. But you might need false life to not die too easy. you won't be a main melee pro but your options to use either a spell or sword will be a good support melee and with the stat selection you aren't weak as a straightforward sorcerer for saves and such if that is needed
Remember when you pick up Shadow blade it is concentration, so no stacking it with a Darkness spell. But you could dual wield it with your regular shortsword.
I would take quicken for AL play as melee as you could quicken a spell attack and still hit with a shadowblade attack. Lightning Lure someone close enough to then shadow blade is just cool. But you could also do any quickened spell like Slow. The other metamagic would just depend on the rest of your spells
Would take Elven Accuracy at 4th you find that you can get shadow blade advantage often. Or Tough if you seem too fragile. You can try both for a bit before you have to lock in at 5th.
I'm making a VHuman Shadow Sorcerer Build. I'd like him to focus on melee, but more importantly I want him to be AL Legal. Any suggestions? Obviously I take Shadow Blade ASAP.
For a melee shadow sorcerer, I would do the following:
So at character level 9, you can use your action to attack twice with Shadow Blade, your bonus action to attack once with Spiritual Weapon, and have your reaction free to do whatever.
Deleted. The build was not legal as I now understand.
I can't take Moderately Armored at level 1. I'd have to start with Lightly Armored.
I'd somehow throw 1 level of Hexblade warlock in to the mix. Medium armor, shield, martial weapon plus the ability to use Charisma for attack and damage. Through in Hex for a bit of a bonus to damage. All for 1 level of warlock. :)
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
Deleted the build was not legal
A sorcerer using Booming Blade and/or Green-Flame Blade indeed works well as a melee sorcerer. Unfortunately, those two spells come from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and the Shadow Magic origin comes from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so you can't have both because of AL's "PHB+1" rule.
Also, it's impossible for a level 1 variant human sorcerer to take the Moderately Armored feat because the feat has proficiency with light armor as a prerequisite. Neither variant human nor sorcerer grant light armor proficiency.
That's why I suggest going Paladin to at least level 5 to get double attack to make the most out of Shadow Blade. You also get the armor and shield proficiencies, which will help a lot in survivability. Fighter would work too, but I believe Paladin wins out due to smites.
.....PHB+1 makes this not really a good idea unless multi classing, which I agree is less fun.
Mountain Dwarf gets you medium armor proficiency,. I like the idea of a mountain Dwarf Storm Sorcerer throwing down booming blade and lightning bolts.
I can't throw down booming blade because AL Legal.
So another option is to multiclass with a Valor Bard or Swords Bard.
At character level 11, you'll be able to attack twice with Shadow Blade and have your bonus action free to pass out Bardic Inspiration die. As compared to the Paladin/Sorcerer multiclass, the AC and saves are lower and the single target burst damage is lower due to no smites, but you'll have a lot more spells slots and a lot more skills (including expertise!).
Bard, eh? Now THIS is a build I can get behind. Resislient CON is a bit of a waste since Sorcs get CON proficiency, but I like this. I may lower CHA a bit, or maybe DEX, for earlier levels before my first ASI. That way I don't have -1 to all saves that don't help me sorc.
Woops! I was thinking of taking Bard first when I was typing up the stats, therefore needing Resilient CON, and changed my mind halfway through to taking Sorcerer first. Thanks for catching that.
Anyway, if you want to have no negative saves, I would recommend using point buy:
And I'd recommend learning spells to assist in your survival in melee like Shield, Mirror Image, and Blink.
Thanks! I usually leave one stat negative, so it'll probably be INT and make WIS 11 instead.
Argh... the dndbeyond character builder does not enforce the feat prerequisites nor display them, so I thought there was none.
Also it does not allow to enforce PHB+1 and does not display spell source book origin and also does not have that filter posibility. I thought Green Flame Blade is from the Basic rules even, but remembered wrongly.
That means you cannot simply click together your charakter in the builder without double checking feats prerequisites and spell origins and who knows what else in the other databases, great....
Thanks for the hint! That's might be the reason why the build felt so op. I'll fix it.
Sure thing! D&D Beyond is working on better AL integration that would enforce the "PHB+1" rule, though I have no idea when they plan to launch it.
And yes, it would be nice if the character builder would have a "Meet Prerequisites" checkbox for feats.
The prerequisites thing is annoying as heck, because Svirfneblin Magic is available in every character if EEPC content is on. It's annoying, really.
So it appears that D&D Beyond has adding in a prerequisites check as a "Development in Progress", yay!
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/27064-beyond-development-update-q-a-tomorrow?comment=7
Ok, this is complicated by the AL limits and staying single class. First you are going to have to rely on mage armor and dex. No shield either so you won't be looking to be the hardest to hit. Since you seem to want to focus on Shadow blade that also puts focus on DEX. Without a shield, you will be getting hit, so I think CON is also up there.
Honestly, given the desires, I would choose a half-elf variant with points in dex and con and take elf weapon training so you can use a short sword at least until you get Shadow blade. Either pick a background that gives you 10gp to buy one, or take your any simple weapon as a shortbow and sell it back for 12.5gp (yes AL legal)
8-16-16--8-10-16 9hp 16 AC w Mage Armor
Would take Firebolt, Shocking Grasp, lightning lure, and whatever flavor cantrip
Mage armor, obviously, and Catapult is a good save based spell that works in melee. But you might need false life to not die too easy. you won't be a main melee pro but your options to use either a spell or sword will be a good support melee and with the stat selection you aren't weak as a straightforward sorcerer for saves and such if that is needed
Remember when you pick up Shadow blade it is concentration, so no stacking it with a Darkness spell. But you could dual wield it with your regular shortsword.
I would take quicken for AL play as melee as you could quicken a spell attack and still hit with a shadowblade attack. Lightning Lure someone close enough to then shadow blade is just cool. But you could also do any quickened spell like Slow. The other metamagic would just depend on the rest of your spells
Would take Elven Accuracy at 4th you find that you can get shadow blade advantage often. Or Tough if you seem too fragile. You can try both for a bit before you have to lock in at 5th.