In the current campaign I finally managed to play a sorceress, long story short, she died in the first session.... I talked to my DM about the next steps, he offered me 3 ways to continue playing the campaign: 1st New character 2nd + 3rd Old character and one or two suggestions on how to bring the character back to life, difference she joins now (actually the group is in a dungeon called Slaughterhouse (maybe someone is familiar with this one shot)). Now my question to you guys, I really enjoyed playing the character but I don't want to die again so soon. Can you guys think of anything I should change (DM is okay with that)? From my point of view, a big part of my problem was that the enemies were undead without exception and most of my spells don't work on undead. The second problem was that we couldn't do a short or long rest (makes sense storywise) and I was relatively fast with my 1st level spells.
Maybe important to say, I want to play a witch-like wizard, so I used a homemade subclass (Witch by Okashido). Do you know of a better subclass I should use to play a stereotypical witch (pointy hat, black cat familiar, and spells that are more or less appropriate)? Or can you tell me what I should change about my actual character?
Edit: Maybe the party constellation is also important for any changes? Monk - Way of the Drunken Master, Halfling Paladin - Oath of Vengeance, Half - Elf Cleric - Life Domain, Kobold Sorcerer - Wild Magic, Eladrin (Elf Subrace, not the same as my Characterrace)
Let's see, off the top of my head. You know, you could switch to Witherbloom (which has witchy theme) and then you can heal yourself although the Mascot is the weakest at Strix (Pest). I think there are better feats you could have chose than telekinetic. If your wisdom wasn't so low, I'd say Magic initiate (cleric) to get some radiance spells (guiding bolt and a couple of cantrips) to fight undead. Maybe Tough for added 2HP per level. Or maybe fey touched for misty step and silvery barbs or hex or gift of alacrity (oh, you have fey step already so no)? You could also use a primer (you don't even need to select the one of your school) to get gift of alacrity or mage armor, spells that last 8 hours with no concentration, or to get a healing spell. Your spells were not good for undead. Also strixhaven 1st level scrolls are only 50g so you could carry some (that you don't have readied) for emergencies as well as the plushie mascot to deal with fear. Try a different subclass like diviner, chronurgy or evoker? Keep guidance. No idea why you kept two mage hand cantrips (you could change the original one when you level up). You have no fire cantrips or spells (fire cantrips and scorching ray might have helped), which could help with undead.
I'm surprised having a life cleric in the group didn't help you...one more level and he/she would have had revivify too. Leomund's tiny hut and catnap help you rest but both are level 3. Edit: corrected a mistake.
The two Mage Hand Cantrips are because the increased ranged with it from my feat if i already knew the spell. I don't know why it isn't listet once with e range of 60 feet...
The cleric wasn't able to help, simply because she ran out of spell slots.
I will definitly check your other tips regarding background, feats and possible subclasses, thanks a lot for that. Edit: which Race would you suggest for chronurgy wizard? One of my first ideas here too was Eladrin to teleport my allies or myself. However, after this One Shot I am toying with the idea of playing something that can dodge enemies, e.g. Dhampir with Spider Climb (to save spellslots), how stupid is this idea?
The two Mage Hand Cantrips are because the increased ranged with it from my feat if i already knew the spell. I don't know why it isn't listet once with e range of 60 feet...
The cleric wasn't able to help, simply because she ran out of spell slots.
I will definitly check your other tips regarding background, feats and possible subclasses, thanks a lot for that.
You're welcome. I'm currently running a Strix silverquill divine soul sorcerer so I can cast arcane spells and heal (and have a cool familiar, Inkling).
You have 12 AC, which you can Shield to 17, but if you had Mage Armor, and you took the Amulet as your Witch talisman, you'd have 17 AC, with Shield buffing that to 22AC, which would be much more survivable against physical attacks. And it looks like you missed learning your (2) spells for your 4th Wizard level (by my count you should have 13 leveled spells between your class and feat, but you have 11), so you could definitely make one of those Mage Armor. You could use the other for Silvery Barbs to let you force enemy Critical Successes to be re-rolled, or maybe Dragon's Breath, which you can use to deal bonus action damage through your Familiar, since the damage from this spell is not an attack.
For your damaging cantrip, I'd highly recommend Chill Touch instead of Ray of Frost for your situation, because it's relatively reliable damage, and it has the extra bonus of giving Undead disadvantage on their attack rolls against you for their next turn. Alternatively, Firebolt and Toll the Dead are really good, reliable cantrips.
Tactically, I'd save your Fey Steps for getting out of trouble. If dangerous enemies get into melee with you, no need to disengage, just teleport 30ft away, and still have your Action to blast them or do whatever else you needed to do.
Foodgeek was in error saying that you automatically get the Strixhaven Mascot feat. You do not. It is merely a rare case of a feat that has another feat as a prerequisite. You'd still have to use an ASI to get it. And with your homebrew subclass features, I think you might want to go with something that can fly and make itself invisible instead of a big math-serpent to take hits for you, because auto-losing hit points equal to half your maximum health when it goes down could easily drop you near the end of a fight.
I agree that Telekinetic isn't doing much for you outside of narratively. The Shadow Touched, Lucky, or War Caster feats would give you much more to use in combat.
... Edit: which Race would you suggest for chronurgy wizard? One of my first ideas here too was Eladrin to teleport my allies or myself. However, after this One Shot I am toying with the idea of playing something that can dodge enemies, e.g. Dhampir with Spider Climb (to save spellslots), how stupid is this idea?
Any of the races with variable ability scores are good. The Eladrin is one of my personal favorites. The Fairy and Owlin are also exceptional with their racial flight. And you are correct that the Dhampir's Spider Climb is really good for getting out of melee range, provided there are sufficiently tall surfaces to climb (I'm currently playing one in a campaign).
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Hello there
In the current campaign I finally managed to play a sorceress, long story short, she died in the first session....
I talked to my DM about the next steps, he offered me 3 ways to continue playing the campaign:
1st New character
2nd + 3rd Old character and one or two suggestions on how to bring the character back to life, difference she joins now (actually the group is in a dungeon called Slaughterhouse (maybe someone is familiar with this one shot)).
Now my question to you guys, I really enjoyed playing the character but I don't want to die again so soon.
Can you guys think of anything I should change (DM is okay with that)?
From my point of view, a big part of my problem was that the enemies were undead without exception and most of my spells don't work on undead. The second problem was that we couldn't do a short or long rest (makes sense storywise) and I was relatively fast with my 1st level spells.
Maybe important to say, I want to play a witch-like wizard, so I used a homemade subclass (Witch by Okashido).
Do you know of a better subclass I should use to play a stereotypical witch (pointy hat, black cat familiar, and spells that are more or less appropriate)?
Or can you tell me what I should change about my actual character?
Character Sheet is here.
Edit: Maybe the party constellation is also important for any changes?
Monk - Way of the Drunken Master, Halfling
Paladin - Oath of Vengeance, Half - Elf
Cleric - Life Domain, Kobold
Sorcerer - Wild Magic, Eladrin (Elf Subrace, not the same as my Characterrace)
Thanks for your suggestions.
Let's see, off the top of my head. You know, you could switch to Witherbloom (which has witchy theme) and then you can heal yourself although the Mascot is the weakest at Strix (Pest). I think there are better feats you could have chose than telekinetic. If your wisdom wasn't so low, I'd say Magic initiate (cleric) to get some radiance spells (guiding bolt and a couple of cantrips) to fight undead. Maybe Tough for added 2HP per level. Or maybe fey touched for misty step and silvery barbs or hex or gift of alacrity (oh, you have fey step already so no)? You could also use a primer (you don't even need to select the one of your school) to get gift of alacrity or mage armor, spells that last 8 hours with no concentration, or to get a healing spell. Your spells were not good for undead. Also strixhaven 1st level scrolls are only 50g so you could carry some (that you don't have readied) for emergencies as well as the plushie mascot to deal with fear. Try a different subclass like diviner, chronurgy or evoker? Keep guidance. No idea why you kept two mage hand cantrips (you could change the original one when you level up). You have no fire cantrips or spells (fire cantrips and scorching ray might have helped), which could help with undead.
I'm surprised having a life cleric in the group didn't help you...one more level and he/she would have had revivify too. Leomund's tiny hut and catnap help you rest but both are level 3. Edit: corrected a mistake.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
Hey Foodgeek, thanks for your input.
The two Mage Hand Cantrips are because the increased ranged with it from my feat if i already knew the spell.
I don't know why it isn't listet once with e range of 60 feet...
The cleric wasn't able to help, simply because she ran out of spell slots.
I will definitly check your other tips regarding background, feats and possible subclasses, thanks a lot for that.
Edit: which Race would you suggest for chronurgy wizard?
One of my first ideas here too was Eladrin to teleport my allies or myself.
However, after this One Shot I am toying with the idea of playing something that can dodge enemies, e.g. Dhampir with Spider Climb (to save spellslots), how stupid is this idea?
You're welcome. I'm currently running a Strix silverquill divine soul sorcerer so I can cast arcane spells and heal (and have a cool familiar, Inkling).
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
You have 12 AC, which you can Shield to 17, but if you had Mage Armor, and you took the Amulet as your Witch talisman, you'd have 17 AC, with Shield buffing that to 22AC, which would be much more survivable against physical attacks. And it looks like you missed learning your (2) spells for your 4th Wizard level (by my count you should have 13 leveled spells between your class and feat, but you have 11), so you could definitely make one of those Mage Armor. You could use the other for Silvery Barbs to let you force enemy Critical Successes to be re-rolled, or maybe Dragon's Breath, which you can use to deal bonus action damage through your Familiar, since the damage from this spell is not an attack.
For your damaging cantrip, I'd highly recommend Chill Touch instead of Ray of Frost for your situation, because it's relatively reliable damage, and it has the extra bonus of giving Undead disadvantage on their attack rolls against you for their next turn. Alternatively, Firebolt and Toll the Dead are really good, reliable cantrips.
Tactically, I'd save your Fey Steps for getting out of trouble. If dangerous enemies get into melee with you, no need to disengage, just teleport 30ft away, and still have your Action to blast them or do whatever else you needed to do.
Foodgeek was in error saying that you automatically get the Strixhaven Mascot feat. You do not. It is merely a rare case of a feat that has another feat as a prerequisite. You'd still have to use an ASI to get it. And with your homebrew subclass features, I think you might want to go with something that can fly and make itself invisible instead of a big math-serpent to take hits for you, because auto-losing hit points equal to half your maximum health when it goes down could easily drop you near the end of a fight.
I agree that Telekinetic isn't doing much for you outside of narratively. The Shadow Touched, Lucky, or War Caster feats would give you much more to use in combat.
Any of the races with variable ability scores are good. The Eladrin is one of my personal favorites. The Fairy and Owlin are also exceptional with their racial flight. And you are correct that the Dhampir's Spider Climb is really good for getting out of melee range, provided there are sufficiently tall surfaces to climb (I'm currently playing one in a campaign).