I really hope this is the right place to post this. I have a Tabaxi Ranger who set off one day on a ship, planning to investigate realms unknown. He's brave and dashing, and is currently a 4th level Ranger and 1st level Wizard. I have just levelled up and want to take a 2nd wizard level, but am now struggling to pick my tradition. I am leaning towards Divination, Abjuration or Conjuration, but I really just want to take some wizard levels while keeping the explorer feel of my character.
If it helps, my character has STR 11 CON 13 DEX 19 INT 17 WIS 16 CHA 16, I rolled fairly well in stats. I took Dungeon Delver at 4th level.
I would completely avoid Conjuration. That is a very sub optimal tradition that takes an experienced player and DM to get the full benefit from. Of the other two choices you state, Abjuration is the one most commonly associated with 'Gish' builds. I'm sure you can find plenty of resources for build ideas.
Frankly, I am wondering why you are not taking levels in Rogue? Ranger/Rogue multiclass builds are pretty common and a Horizon Walker/Arcane Trickster sounds like a 'brave, dashing, investigator of the unknown' to me. A Ranger/Wizard sounds more like a character that will struggle to be good at anything. Generalists rarely win out in D&D and that is true of any edition.
If you are looking for suggestions then I would advise dipping back into Ranger for a 5th level. This gets you an extra attack which is of prime concern for a fighting type character. THEN you bounce back into Wizard for four more levels. This gets you a ASI which is also important and it gets you 3rd level Wizard spells which are fairly good. Finally, I would go 10 levels Rogue. More skills, sneak attack, three more ASI (which keeps you even with everyone else) and spells if you take Arcane Trickster.
I worked up a quick build in DND Beyond. Just follow the link below to see what my suggestions would look like at 20. It's by no means complete but consider it a place to start.
This is really helpful, thank you. Even though I'm not going for a particularly optimised character, you are right about the tradition, my DM isn't jazzed about the brick summoning powers of a 2nd level conjurer. Abjuration it is.
The reason I am avoiding rogue is because this game is about our group trying new character build. I normally play rogues and fighters, most recently an EK with an archery focus. The whole point is to try classes we don't play often. Our usual caster is now the dragonborn Paladin, our fighter took a druid triton. It was about using different characters to what we have in the past. I will take 5th level Ranger first, it really is way too good to miss out on that extra attack, but after that I am taking Abjuration.
I am really grateful for the time you took on making that character sheet, and surprised by how much you got right. Thank you Slaine000.
Happy to provide a suggestion. I got the feeling that you are not looking for uber optimization but everyone wants an effective character and that is what I hoped to propose. I love making characters with DNDBeyond so that is no problem.
So how deeply are you planning on diving into Wizard? The 6th level abjuration ability is basically the last one that is particularly useful for a Ranger. With your ability scores you could multiclass anyway you'd like. It might be fun to just go on a shopping spree. Five levels of Abjuration Wizard, 6 levels of Lore Bard, four levels of Knowledge Cleric and 5 levels of Horizon Walker Ranger. That would certainly reflect a character that has seen and done it all.
Let me know if you'd like me to make any changes to the character I created just for you to see. Like I said I enjoy that sort of thing. :) I'll take the character down after a month or two unless this thread takes off.
Lastly, what would I make if I was creating a 'brave, dashing, investigator of the unknown'? Maybe a variant human Knowledge Cleric 2/Lore Bard 18? I'd wear a fedora and use a whip. ;)
I get what your saying, I do want to at least be useful in a fight, story wise I'm actually more of a hired guide to the Feywild. But yeah, 6th level is where I'm stopping the wizard class.
I think I'll take to seventh level in ranger and fill out in bard. But playing the Jack of all trades you described is very tempting...
Your build for a brave explorer is pretty spot on. But remember, if someone casts fireball at ninth level, jumping into a refrigerator is not going to save you. 😁
If you want to keep the sheet up, then go ahead, but I personally use my own, the one with a photoshopped pic of my own cat. My group is full of old men who think technology is the spawn of satan, so I never bought any books on this site.
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I really hope this is the right place to post this. I have a Tabaxi Ranger who set off one day on a ship, planning to investigate realms unknown. He's brave and dashing, and is currently a 4th level Ranger and 1st level Wizard. I have just levelled up and want to take a 2nd wizard level, but am now struggling to pick my tradition. I am leaning towards Divination, Abjuration or Conjuration, but I really just want to take some wizard levels while keeping the explorer feel of my character.
If it helps, my character has STR 11 CON 13 DEX 19 INT 17 WIS 16 CHA 16, I rolled fairly well in stats. I took Dungeon Delver at 4th level.
Thanks for the help.
I would completely avoid Conjuration. That is a very sub optimal tradition that takes an experienced player and DM to get the full benefit from. Of the other two choices you state, Abjuration is the one most commonly associated with 'Gish' builds. I'm sure you can find plenty of resources for build ideas.
Frankly, I am wondering why you are not taking levels in Rogue? Ranger/Rogue multiclass builds are pretty common and a Horizon Walker/Arcane Trickster sounds like a 'brave, dashing, investigator of the unknown' to me. A Ranger/Wizard sounds more like a character that will struggle to be good at anything. Generalists rarely win out in D&D and that is true of any edition.
If you are looking for suggestions then I would advise dipping back into Ranger for a 5th level. This gets you an extra attack which is of prime concern for a fighting type character. THEN you bounce back into Wizard for four more levels. This gets you a ASI which is also important and it gets you 3rd level Wizard spells which are fairly good. Finally, I would go 10 levels Rogue. More skills, sneak attack, three more ASI (which keeps you even with everyone else) and spells if you take Arcane Trickster.
I worked up a quick build in DND Beyond. Just follow the link below to see what my suggestions would look like at 20. It's by no means complete but consider it a place to start.
https://ddb.ac/characters/5022313/aqBV90
Current Characters I am playing: Dr Konstantin van Wulf | Taegen Willowrun | Mad Magnar
Check out my homebrew: Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Feats
This is really helpful, thank you. Even though I'm not going for a particularly optimised character, you are right about the tradition, my DM isn't jazzed about the brick summoning powers of a 2nd level conjurer. Abjuration it is.
The reason I am avoiding rogue is because this game is about our group trying new character build. I normally play rogues and fighters, most recently an EK with an archery focus. The whole point is to try classes we don't play often. Our usual caster is now the dragonborn Paladin, our fighter took a druid triton. It was about using different characters to what we have in the past. I will take 5th level Ranger first, it really is way too good to miss out on that extra attack, but after that I am taking Abjuration.
I am really grateful for the time you took on making that character sheet, and surprised by how much you got right. Thank you Slaine000.
Happy to provide a suggestion. I got the feeling that you are not looking for uber optimization but everyone wants an effective character and that is what I hoped to propose. I love making characters with DNDBeyond so that is no problem.
So how deeply are you planning on diving into Wizard? The 6th level abjuration ability is basically the last one that is particularly useful for a Ranger. With your ability scores you could multiclass anyway you'd like. It might be fun to just go on a shopping spree. Five levels of Abjuration Wizard, 6 levels of Lore Bard, four levels of Knowledge Cleric and 5 levels of Horizon Walker Ranger. That would certainly reflect a character that has seen and done it all.
Let me know if you'd like me to make any changes to the character I created just for you to see. Like I said I enjoy that sort of thing. :) I'll take the character down after a month or two unless this thread takes off.
Lastly, what would I make if I was creating a 'brave, dashing, investigator of the unknown'? Maybe a variant human Knowledge Cleric 2/Lore Bard 18? I'd wear a fedora and use a whip. ;)
Current Characters I am playing: Dr Konstantin van Wulf | Taegen Willowrun | Mad Magnar
Check out my homebrew: Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Feats
I get what your saying, I do want to at least be useful in a fight, story wise I'm actually more of a hired guide to the Feywild. But yeah, 6th level is where I'm stopping the wizard class.
I think I'll take to seventh level in ranger and fill out in bard. But playing the Jack of all trades you described is very tempting...
Your build for a brave explorer is pretty spot on. But remember, if someone casts fireball at ninth level, jumping into a refrigerator is not going to save you. 😁
If you want to keep the sheet up, then go ahead, but I personally use my own, the one with a photoshopped pic of my own cat. My group is full of old men who think technology is the spawn of satan, so I never bought any books on this site.