So my friend will start a campaign from lvl 1 to 15 top. I thinking about going this router -> half-orc, sailor background, 11 Totem Warrior Barbarian/ 4 Tempest Cleric.
Viking-themed shaman. What do you think about this build?
I've had a player with a similar character in a campaign once, though he went Minotaur instead of Half-Orc and Nature instead of Tempest.
Feels very nice thematically, though a big gripe I felt with the build is that whenever you Rage you can't cast any of the Cleric spells, which is a bummer.
I'd consider swapping those Barbarian levels with maybe Fighter if you're interested in using any spells at all in combat.
Vikings didn't have shamans but sure, your build could work. It's quite MAD though so you need to roll well for it to work.
We didn't? Vikings didn't use the term shaman, true, but re-read your pre-Icelandic Sagas for their view on magic and the natural world.
I think the concept should work quite well. Totem Warrior Barbarian/ Tempest Cleric sounds like fun. I will admit, however, that I tend to avoid too much pre-planning for any of my characters. Once you are actually playing them in the campaign and as part of a party, needs and roles can change from what you originally imagined in writing your backstory. My advice, is to stay flexible and play something you will enjoy. After all, the purpose of the game is to have fun.
So my friend will start a campaign from lvl 1 to 15 top. I thinking about going this router -> half-orc, sailor background, 11 Totem Warrior Barbarian/ 4 Tempest Cleric.
Viking-themed shaman. What do you think about this build?
It's not a good build. There's not much reason to take 4 levels in Cleric if you're a Barbarian. Tempest Cleric is one of the best Cleric Domains, but not being able to cast spells or concentrate on spells while raging makes it a very poor combination.
Yeah, completely different culture and religion to what a shaman is. Sure, you could over-simplify it but it doesn't make it more right.
An over simplification like referring to Vikings as a culture in the first place? After all, only a select portion of the population of the groups most often associated with the term would actually spend the summer in viking, but we aren't really here to debate history. The post refers to a fantasy setting and the term "Viking-themed shaman" makes the character concept perfectly clear, so why quibble?
I will repeat that I endorse this idea. Why not a barbarian / cleric? It is true you cannot cast or concentrate on spells while raging, but even in a very combat heavy campaign, it can be nice to have the flexibility multi-classing can provide. Ultimately, a lot will depend on both the style of play and role the character takes within the party.
I have played something similar when 5E first came out and had no problems contributing to the group. It was actually nice with a smaller party being able to protect or bolster my friends as needed. We still have fond memories of that time. (Granted, the funniest moment of that campaign involved our wizard and a Grease spell... But, as Kipling would say "That is another story."
Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian (choosing Sea, obviously) makes more sense thematically than a Totem Barbarian.
Path of the Storm Herald Barbarians are so weak that you could probably let them cast spells while raging and it still wouldn't make them as good as other Barbarians. I think it would be fine to homebrew the Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian to get the additional 6th level ability that it can cast spells while raging. Then it would be fine to multiclass as a Tempest Cleric with Barbarian.
Yeah, completely different culture and religion to what a shaman is. Sure, you could over-simplify it but it doesn't make it more right.
An over simplification like referring to Vikings as a culture in the first place?
Oh, is that what you did? I see.
After all, only a select portion of the population of the groups most often associated with the term would actually spend the summer in viking, but we aren't really here to debate history.
Good thing we aren't. ;)
The post refers to a fantasy setting and the term "Viking-themed shaman" makes the character concept perfectly clear, so why quibble?
I haven't quibbled, why so rude? I pointed out a flaw in the proposed concept, nothing more.
I will repeat that I endorse this idea. Why not a barbarian / cleric? It is true you cannot cast or concentrate on spells while raging, but even in a very combat heavy campaign, it can be nice to have the flexibility multi-classing can provide. Ultimately, a lot will depend on both the style of play and role the character takes within the party.
I have played something similar when 5E first came out and had no problems contributing to the group. It was actually nice with a smaller party being able to protect or bolster my friends as needed. We still have fond memories of that time. (Granted, the funniest moment of that campaign involved our wizard and a Grease spell... But, as Kipling would say "That is another story."
The multiclass can work, sure. It's going to be very MAD and quite suboptimal but if that's what you wanna go for, sure.
If you want to go viking you could be Wild magic barbarian and say that your god gives you power without multiclassing OR You could go Brute Fighter and if you want some magic take some levels in any class you want
Cast Spiritual Weapon, Rage, have fun. No concentration needed. Just a bonus action to attack with it.
So round one, bonus action cast spiritual weapon, smack someone with it, action toll the dead (hopefully d12 if you hit with SW first).
round two BA Rage and attack
round three attack w/ rage and SW Bonus Action
yeah it takes a few rounds to get going and I’m not familiar enough with barbs to see if there are other BA abilities it conflicts with but you get the picture
So my friend will start a campaign from lvl 1 to 15 top. I thinking about going this router -> half-orc, sailor background, 11 Totem Warrior Barbarian/ 4 Tempest Cleric.
Viking-themed shaman. What do you think about this build?
Vikings didn't have shamans but sure, your build could work. It's quite MAD though so you need to roll well for it to work.
I've had a player with a similar character in a campaign once, though he went Minotaur instead of Half-Orc and Nature instead of Tempest.
Feels very nice thematically, though a big gripe I felt with the build is that whenever you Rage you can't cast any of the Cleric spells, which is a bummer.
I'd consider swapping those Barbarian levels with maybe Fighter if you're interested in using any spells at all in combat.
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We didn't? Vikings didn't use the term shaman, true, but re-read your pre-Icelandic Sagas for their view on magic and the natural world.
I think the concept should work quite well. Totem Warrior Barbarian/ Tempest Cleric sounds like fun.
I will admit, however, that I tend to avoid too much pre-planning for any of my characters. Once you are actually playing them in the campaign and as part of a party, needs and roles can change from what you originally imagined in writing your backstory. My advice, is to stay flexible and play something you will enjoy. After all, the purpose of the game is to have fun.
It's not a good build. There's not much reason to take 4 levels in Cleric if you're a Barbarian. Tempest Cleric is one of the best Cleric Domains, but not being able to cast spells or concentrate on spells while raging makes it a very poor combination.
Vikings didn't. No-one alive today is a viking.
Yeah, completely different culture and religion to what a shaman is. Sure, you could over-simplify it but it doesn't make it more right.
An over simplification like referring to Vikings as a culture in the first place? After all, only a select portion of the population of the groups most often associated with the term would actually spend the summer in viking, but we aren't really here to debate history.
The post refers to a fantasy setting and the term "Viking-themed shaman" makes the character concept perfectly clear, so why quibble?
I will repeat that I endorse this idea. Why not a barbarian / cleric? It is true you cannot cast or concentrate on spells while raging, but even in a very combat heavy campaign, it can be nice to have the flexibility multi-classing can provide. Ultimately, a lot will depend on both the style of play and role the character takes within the party.
I have played something similar when 5E first came out and had no problems contributing to the group. It was actually nice with a smaller party being able to protect or bolster my friends as needed. We still have fond memories of that time. (Granted, the funniest moment of that campaign involved our wizard and a Grease spell... But, as Kipling would say "That is another story."
Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian (choosing Sea, obviously) makes more sense thematically than a Totem Barbarian.
Path of the Storm Herald Barbarians are so weak that you could probably let them cast spells while raging and it still wouldn't make them as good as other Barbarians. I think it would be fine to homebrew the Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian to get the additional 6th level ability that it can cast spells while raging. Then it would be fine to multiclass as a Tempest Cleric with Barbarian.
Oh, is that what you did? I see.
Good thing we aren't. ;)
I haven't quibbled, why so rude? I pointed out a flaw in the proposed concept, nothing more.
The multiclass can work, sure. It's going to be very MAD and quite suboptimal but if that's what you wanna go for, sure.
If you want to go viking you could be Wild magic barbarian and say that your god gives you power without multiclassing
OR
You could go Brute Fighter and if you want some magic take some levels in any class you want
Cast Spiritual Weapon, Rage, have fun. No concentration needed. Just a bonus action to attack with it.
So round one, bonus action cast spiritual weapon, smack someone with it, action toll the dead (hopefully d12 if you hit with SW first).
round two BA Rage and attack
round three attack w/ rage and SW Bonus Action
yeah it takes a few rounds to get going and I’m not familiar enough with barbs to see if there are other BA abilities it conflicts with but you get the picture
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