Thanks all for the opinions! I think what I'm going to go with is a bit of both. Have my belt full of darts, and have 2 daggers ready to go in case of melee.
The character is going to be a dex based fighter (Psy Warrior) and is going to be particularly weak so hand axes are out.
Race-wise, he's the result of an illithid hybridization experiment on a human So I'm using Tasha's Custom Lineage with the Telekinetic feat (for added psychic-ness). I really like the idea of flavoring the "drawing the weapon as part of the attack" as him throwing weapons with his telekinesis, hence the reason I'm sold on throwing weapons lol.
If you want your thrown weapon to actually behave telekinetically, 2 levels of artificer can make that happen.
Thanks all for the opinions! I think what I'm going to go with is a bit of both. Have my belt full of darts, and have 2 daggers ready to go in case of melee.
The character is going to be a dex based fighter (Psy Warrior) and is going to be particularly weak so hand axes are out.
Race-wise, he's the result of an illithid hybridization experiment on a human So I'm using Tasha's Custom Lineage with the Telekinetic feat (for added psychic-ness). I really like the idea of flavoring the "drawing the weapon as part of the attack" as him throwing weapons with his telekinesis, hence the reason I'm sold on throwing weapons lol.
If you want your thrown weapon to actually behave telekinetically, 2 levels of artificer can make that happen.
I thought about that! but something rubs me the wrong way about multiclassing for a specific feature. Like, this character has NO other Artificer tendencies so having them pick up the levels seems out of place...
I think my DM is willing to play along. This will be his first time DMing outside of a oneshot though so even if he doesn't, I wouldn't mind. I just want him to have a good experience with it lol (I usually DM for him)
Yeah playing along is really just providing you with a returning weapon or some homebrew item like a belt that makes all of the thrown weapons you keep on it magical for the purposes of bypassing resistance. Not some big ask, but a gentle nudge that your character doesn't get much out of your average +1 weapon drop would go a long way once you get into tier 2. Sounds like you're on lock to have a blast regardless, but something to think about.
I thought about that! but something rubs me the wrong way about multiclassing for a specific feature. Like, this character has NO other Artificer tendencies so having them pick up the levels seems out of place...
That wouldn't be the only thing you'd pick up, I presume - since you'd have 2 infusions and spellcasting, might I suggest this?
Cantrips: Sword Burst (you telekinetically rip to pieces everyone around you), Thorn Whip (definitely more telekinesis). You can replace either with Mage Hand for a 60 foot Mage Hand, thanks to your feat.
L1 spells: Catapult, Feather Fall
Now you're picking up a bunch of features that make you "feel" a good deal more telekinetic.
I thought about that! but something rubs me the wrong way about multiclassing for a specific feature. Like, this character has NO other Artificer tendencies so having them pick up the levels seems out of place...
Cantrips: Sword Burst (you telekinetically rip to pieces everyone around you), Thorn Whip (definitely more telekinesis). You can replace either with Mage Hand for a 60 foot Mage Hand, thanks to your feat.
The problem with this is that you'd have to wait until level 4 to take the Telekinetic feat. It only gives you an extended range on mage hand if you already know that cantrip. If you take Telekinetic before you learn the cantrip you don't get the extended range.
The problem with this is that you'd have to wait until level 4 to take the Telekinetic feat. It only gives you an extended range on mage hand if you already know that cantrip. If you take Telekinetic before you learn the cantrip you don't get the extended range.
Nah. The "already" in Telekinetic can be read to mean "from another source" rather than "before taking this feat," and its both a more player-friendly way to read it, and an administratively simpler way to read it on a character sheet. There's certainly some ambiguity there, but I can't imagine a good reason for choosing to interpret it as referring to time rather than referring to spell sources.
The problem with this is that you'd have to wait until level 4 to take the Telekinetic feat. It only gives you an extended range on mage hand if you already know that cantrip. If you take Telekinetic before you learn the cantrip you don't get the extended range.
Nah. The "already" in Telekinetic can be read to mean "from another source" rather than "before taking this feat," and its both a more player-friendly way to read it, and an administratively simpler way to read it on a character sheet. There's certainly some ambiguity there, but I can't imagine a good reason for choosing to interpret it as referring to time rather than referring to spell sources.
That's not what the word means, though. As the rules are written it's quite specific. Personally I would have no problems using your homebrew version of the feat but as RAW stands, you'd have to get mage hand before you get the feat for the full benefits.
"Mountain Dwarves' bonus proficiencies don't make them any better Fighters than Halflings, because Fighters already have proficiency with light and medium armor and martial weapons" is a perfectly coherent sentence, where "already" implies "from another source" rather than order of operations. I'd rather not interpret features like Telekinetic, Elegant Courtier (Samurai), etc. to entirely deprive characters of the benefit of their features, when there's no particular game balance benefit to doing so, the language doesn't require such a reading, and its generally more fun to let characters evolve into the features that interest them in the order they come to them, rather than requiring something stupid like requiring a telekenesis themed character to go out of their way to avoid the feat until they can learn the spell (or is it the other way around? I forget, both are equally ridiculous anyway). If you'd rather pressure your players into planning out their full build before Session 1 and agonize over what features are unlocked in what order... go for it, but that doesn't sound fun to me.
"Mountain Dwarves' bonus proficiencies don't make them any better Fighters than Halflings, because Fighters already have proficiency with light and medium armor and martial weapons" is a perfectly coherent sentence, where "already" implies "from another source" rather than order of operations. I'd rather not interpret features like Telekinetic, Elegant Courtier (Samurai), etc. to entirely deprive characters of the benefit of their features, when there's no particular game balance benefit to doing so, the language doesn't require such a reading, and its generally more fun to let characters evolve into the features that interest them in the order they come to them, rather than requiring something stupid like requiring a telekenesis themed character to go out of their way to avoid the feat until they can learn the spell (or is it the other way around? I forget, both are equally ridiculous anyway). If you'd rather pressure your players into planning out their full build before Session 1 and agonize over what features are unlocked in what order... go for it, but that doesn't sound fun to me.
No need for strawmanning. I already said that I wouldn't mind playing it the way you describe. That said, interpretations can never be RAW and as you yourself admit, you are interpreting the rules. Now, you can make up any sentence you want but that's all irrelevant and it doesn't change RAW. It is also widely off topic.
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For 1 more average damage per hit (d6 vs d4) you’re going to sacrifice the dart’s archery style +2 to hit and Sharpshooter improved range, ignoring partial cover, and +10 damage? Lol ok.
Darts are the best thrown weapon. Nets are excellent too, if your DM rules they do 0 blunt rather than null (and thus can benefit from Dex and sharpshooter damage). Anything else, all the thrown melee weapons, are really only useful for TWF, which only helps Sneak Attack, so it better be finesse (daggers).
Allowing Rage to improve strength based thrown weapons was needed for Handaxes and javelins to have a reason for existence. Otherwise, they’re kind of niche, maybe a backup for a Battlemaster needing to deliver a Manouver at range with one hand.
If you want your thrown weapon to actually behave telekinetically, 2 levels of artificer can make that happen.
I thought about that! but something rubs me the wrong way about multiclassing for a specific feature. Like, this character has NO other Artificer tendencies so having them pick up the levels seems out of place...
Yeah playing along is really just providing you with a returning weapon or some homebrew item like a belt that makes all of the thrown weapons you keep on it magical for the purposes of bypassing resistance. Not some big ask, but a gentle nudge that your character doesn't get much out of your average +1 weapon drop would go a long way once you get into tier 2. Sounds like you're on lock to have a blast regardless, but something to think about.
That wouldn't be the only thing you'd pick up, I presume - since you'd have 2 infusions and spellcasting, might I suggest this?
Infusions: Returning Weapon, Enhanced Defense (you're telekinetically deflecting incoming blows)
Cantrips: Sword Burst (you telekinetically rip to pieces everyone around you), Thorn Whip (definitely more telekinesis). You can replace either with Mage Hand for a 60 foot Mage Hand, thanks to your feat.
L1 spells: Catapult, Feather Fall
Now you're picking up a bunch of features that make you "feel" a good deal more telekinetic.
The problem with this is that you'd have to wait until level 4 to take the Telekinetic feat. It only gives you an extended range on mage hand if you already know that cantrip. If you take Telekinetic before you learn the cantrip you don't get the extended range.
Nah. The "already" in Telekinetic can be read to mean "from another source" rather than "before taking this feat," and its both a more player-friendly way to read it, and an administratively simpler way to read it on a character sheet. There's certainly some ambiguity there, but I can't imagine a good reason for choosing to interpret it as referring to time rather than referring to spell sources.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
That's not what the word means, though. As the rules are written it's quite specific. Personally I would have no problems using your homebrew version of the feat but as RAW stands, you'd have to get mage hand before you get the feat for the full benefits.
"Mountain Dwarves' bonus proficiencies don't make them any better Fighters than Halflings, because Fighters already have proficiency with light and medium armor and martial weapons" is a perfectly coherent sentence, where "already" implies "from another source" rather than order of operations. I'd rather not interpret features like Telekinetic, Elegant Courtier (Samurai), etc. to entirely deprive characters of the benefit of their features, when there's no particular game balance benefit to doing so, the language doesn't require such a reading, and its generally more fun to let characters evolve into the features that interest them in the order they come to them, rather than requiring something stupid like requiring a telekenesis themed character to go out of their way to avoid the feat until they can learn the spell (or is it the other way around? I forget, both are equally ridiculous anyway). If you'd rather pressure your players into planning out their full build before Session 1 and agonize over what features are unlocked in what order... go for it, but that doesn't sound fun to me.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
No need for strawmanning. I already said that I wouldn't mind playing it the way you describe. That said, interpretations can never be RAW and as you yourself admit, you are interpreting the rules. Now, you can make up any sentence you want but that's all irrelevant and it doesn't change RAW. It is also widely off topic.
How about taking 3 levels of artificer and getting the returning weapons infusion for javelin? It it versatile and has better throwing range
Hmm... would that work with a trident?
Returning weapon works with both trident and javelin. And it only requires two levels of Artificer. :)
For 1 more average damage per hit (d6 vs d4) you’re going to sacrifice the dart’s archery style +2 to hit and Sharpshooter improved range, ignoring partial cover, and +10 damage? Lol ok.
Darts are the best thrown weapon. Nets are excellent too, if your DM rules they do 0 blunt rather than null (and thus can benefit from Dex and sharpshooter damage). Anything else, all the thrown melee weapons, are really only useful for TWF, which only helps Sneak Attack, so it better be finesse (daggers).
Allowing Rage to improve strength based thrown weapons was needed for Handaxes and javelins to have a reason for existence. Otherwise, they’re kind of niche, maybe a backup for a Battlemaster needing to deliver a Manouver at range with one hand.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.